Carmelo Anthony puts Celtics above 76ers in Knicks line of fire next season

Heading into next season, the Boston Celtics will be tasked with defending Banner 18. They don’t play with rearview mirrors, and now, Banner 19 is their only focus. But they won’t waltz to a title uncontested.

The rest of the league loaded up this summer, and the Eastern Conference, in particular, got a lot stronger. Two of the Celtics’ biggest rivals in the East added significant pieces—the New York Knicks traded for Mikal Bridges, and the Philadelphia 76ers signed Paul George.

Bridges joins Jalen Brunson and Julius Randle in New York, while George will form a Big 3 in Philadelphia with Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey.

Carmelo Anthony says the Knicks are way more worried about the Celtics than the 76ers

However, one Knicks legend is only concerned with one of New York’s two potential rivals next season, and it’s not the 76ers. Carmelo Anthony believes in the Knicks’ chances next year, but he only sees Boston as a legitimate threat. He said as much during a recent chat with Rachel Nichols. (H/t Ky Carlin of Sixers Wire)

“I do believe that they situated and set themselves up to be right there with Boston and Philly,” Anthony said. “Now, what we do with that is totally different because you still have to go through Boston, you still got to beat Boston, but I think everybody else got better, and the Knicks got better. That’s what’s important. Philly got better—and the Knicks got better. Boston? They’re going to be the same because we got to beat them. We ain’t worried about nobody else in the East. We’re worrying about Boston, that’s it.”

The Knicks and 76ers played each other in the first round of the postseason last year. New York earned a win in six games, though neither team was at full strength.

Embiid was injured on and off throughout the series, and New York was dealing with a ton of ailments. Still, the Celtics were the best team in the East all season last year. They ended the season with a 14-game lead atop the conference.

It makes sense for Anthony to view Boston as New York’s biggest rival next year. And it speaks volumes as to the Celtics’ talent for Anthony to place them so clearly above the Sixers.