The Knicks and Raptors Rivalry Is Suddenly Real

-


Every NBA fan knows the real rivalries in the league. Boston and Miami. Warriors and Lakers. Knicks and Hawks for about a week and a half. But Knicks and Raptors? That never made the list. There was no history, no bad blood, and no major moments that tied the franchises together. Now the NBA Cup has changed everything.

On a recent episode of Harrison Talks Pod, I broke down why this matchup, once irrelevant, suddenly feels like one of the most compelling battles in the East. Below is the expanded blog version of that segment.

Why This Was Never a Rivalry Until Now

For more than twenty years, Knicks–Raptors has carried almost no real animosity. There were no playoff clashes. No coaching drama. No franchise-shaking moments. In short, nothing that makes an NBA rivalry. The NBA Cup changed that overnight.

Both teams went undefeated in group play. Both are playing at peak versions of themselves. Both believe they can actually win the Eastern Conference bracket. And the Cup has given their December matchups a level of weight that simply never existed before. This is not a legacy rivalry. This is a Cup created rivalry.

Three Reasons This Matchup Suddenly Feels Like a Rivalry

1. RJ Barrett is the emotional center

This storyline is impossible to ignore. RJ Barrett went from New York cornerstone to Toronto rebirth story. In the NBA Cup, he has been outstanding:

  • 21 points per game

  • 53 percent FG

  • 44 percent from three

  • +7.3 plus minus

  • Toronto’s top crunch time scorer in Cup play

Rarely do you get a matchup where the fans care and the player cares just as much. Barrett facing his former franchise adds a level of emotion that a December game usually never has.

2. Both teams are rising at the same time

The timelines line up perfectly.

  • Knicks: Legitimate conference threat with an elite offense and a deep roster.

  • Raptors: A brand new identity with a lockdown defense and an undefeated Cup run.

One team is climbing toward contention while the other is emerging from a rebuild. Parallel ascension is natural rivalry fuel.

3. The NBA Cup gives this meeting real stakes

Both teams are 4–0. Both teams play like the Cup actually matters. Both teams have shown postseason level intensity. The stakes make this personal. The Cup made Knicks–Raptors meaningful.

A Stylistic Clash at the Heart of the Rivalry

This is where the rivalry truly takes shape. These teams want to win in completely opposite ways.

Knicks Identity

  • Slow and physical

  • Halfcourt execution

  • High three point volume

  • Elite offensive rebounding

  • Low turnovers

  • Playoff style discipline

Raptors Identity

  • Fast and athletic

  • Heavy ball movement

  • Number one assist percentage in the league

  • Top tier three point defense

  • Strong interior scoring

  • Switch heavy defensive schemes

New York wins with math and muscle. Toronto wins with pace and precision. When two teams constantly pull the game toward different styles, you get friction. That friction is the start of a rivalry.

Why Their Upcoming Regular Season Game Actually Matters

The real twist is that the next Knicks–Raptors meeting arrives before the Cup showdown.

  • The Knicks are elite at home with a +12 net rating.

  • The Knicks become average on the road at minus 0.2.

  • The meeting is in Toronto where the Raptors' defense is strongest.

This regular season game becomes the scouting report for the Cup elimination game. The emotional storyline hits early, and the rivalry tension kicks in before the knockout round even begins. Early December suddenly feels like April basketball.

Why the Knicks Make This a Rivalry

1. They scale up in NBA Cup pressure

  • Cup Offensive Rating: 128.0

  • Cup three point percentage: 42 percent

  • Cup offensive rebounding: 36.5 percent

The Knicks become a better shooting team, a better rebounding team, and a faster team in the Cup. This is a team built for high leverage games.

2. Jalen Brunson is a real problem for Toronto

  • 33 points per game in Cup play

  • 51 percent FG

  • 45 percent from three

  • 129 Offensive Rating

Toronto defends threes well, but elite isolation scorers have been a weakness. Brunson fits that profile perfectly.

3. New York’s depth becomes a weapon

  • Josh Hart: 13.3 points, 8.8 rebounds, 6.3 assists

  • Miles McBride: 56.5 percent from three

  • Landry Shamet: 20 points per game in Cup play

  • Mitchell Robinson: elite offensive rebounding

Toronto has to chase shooters all night.

Why the Raptors Make This a Rivalry

1. Their NBA Cup identity is dominant

  • Cup Defensive Rating: 99.8

  • Cup Net Rating: +13.3

  • Opponent FG allowed: 40.9 percent

  • 48 rebounds per game

This is not December basketball. This is postseason basketball.

2. Their new Big Three is producing together

  • Brandon Ingram: 22.5 PPG

  • RJ Barrett: 21 PPG

  • Scottie Barnes: 18.8 PPG with elite all around impact

For the first time, Toronto has a real three player core playing well simultaneously.

3. The bench is built for chaos

  • Jamal Shead: elite playmaking control

  • Jakob Poeltl: 75 percent FG, strong net rating

  • Sandro Mamukelashvili: mismatch threat

  • Gradey Dick, Agbaji, Battle: low mistake wings

Toronto’s depth mirrors New York’s. That symmetry builds rivalries.

Why This Game Sparks the Rivalry

The numbers say everything.

  • Knicks Cup OffRtg: 130.6

  • Raptors Cup DefRtg: 99.8

It is elite shotmaking versus elite defense. It is math versus movement. It is Brunson versus Barnes and Ingram. It is RJ Barrett versus the franchise that moved on from him. It is two undefeated Cup teams whose strengths collide perfectly. And it starts before the Cup matchup even arrives.

Closing Thoughts

This was not a rivalry in November. The NBA Cup made it one. RJ Barrett’s revenge arc, both teams peaking at the same time, the stylistic contrast, and the real stakes have turned Knicks–Raptors into one of the most meaningful matchups in the tournament.

The Knicks bring high volume shooting and playoff discipline. The Raptors bring elite defense, length, and a new Big Three. Both teams believe they can win the Eastern bracket.

And suddenly, what used to be a random regular season pairing is now one of the most compelling stories of the NBA Cup.

For more breakdowns like this, check out the full episode of Harrison Talks Pod where this segment first aired. More NBA Cup analysis is coming all season.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Spurs Put the NBA on Notice and Victor Wembanyama Already Looks Like the League’s Best Defensive Player

-
Image
The San Antonio Spurs did more than win an NBA Cup semifinal. They changed how the league has to talk about them. On a neutral floor in Las Vegas, against a Thunder team that entered 24–1 and riding a 16-game win streak, the Spurs played a composed, physical, playoff-style game and walked away with a 111–109 victory. This was one of the most competitive games of the season and it came with maximum visibility. National stage. High leverage. No excuses. This breakdown comes from a recent episode of Harrison Talks Pod , where the focus was less on box score drama and more on what this game actually revealed about San Antonio’s trajectory and Victor Wembanyama’s defensive ceiling. What emerged was a clear message. The Spurs are ahead of schedule, and Wembanyama already bends games in ways very few players in the league can. Why This Game Mattered Beyond the Score Context matters in games like this. The Thunder entered as the consensus best team in the NBA. Their offense is built on r...
Read more

Why the Celtics Have Been So Good Without Jayson Tatum: What’s Working, What’s Sustainable, and What the Lakers Win Revealed

-
Image
The Boston Celtics entered this stretch without Jayson Tatum facing legitimate questions about how their offense would function and how their defense would hold up. Instead of slowing down, they have surged. They have won four straight, nine of their last eleven, and lead the NBA in wire to wire victories. A team expected to struggle without its primary star has leaned into speed, depth, and a stronger collective identity, and the results have been one of the more surprising developments of the NBA season. This expanded breakdown builds on a segment from Harrison Talks Pod , where we explored why this version of Boston looks so complete. A Team Thriving Without Its Star Boston has always relied on Tatum’s gravity and playmaking structure, and losing that centerpiece usually causes spacing and creation issues. Instead, the Celtics shifted toward a style based on quick decisions, drive and kick action, and deeper rotation usage. Their offense feels freer and their defense has tightene...
Read more

The Dallas Mavericks Need to Move On from Nico Harrison

-
Image
This post comes from a recent episode of Harrison Talks Pod . If you want the full breakdown and discussion, listen to Episode 40 wherever you get your podcasts. The Mavericks Aren’t Unlucky. They’re Unprepared. The Mavericks just finished a 1–4 week. They are 3–7 on the season with a –6.2 Net Rating , putting them in the bottom tier of the NBA. The theme of the episode and the theme of this post is simple: Dallas isn’t losing because of bad luck. They’re losing because they are unprepared.  Every game looks the same. Opposing teams know exactly what Dallas wants to do. Dallas has no idea what it wants to do. There is no structure, no identity, and no accountability. And that goes straight to the top. This Season: No Identity, No System, No Plan After ten games, Dallas ranks near the bottom of the league in every meaningful category: Offensive Rating: 103.7 (bottom three in the league) Defensive Rating: 109.9 (bottom ten) Net Rating: –6.2 (bottom-tier team) Advanc...
Read more