ESPN Panel Splits Evenly Between Knicks and 76ers for East Title

New York's Knicks and Philadelphia's 76ers tied 5-5 in a straw poll of 15 ESPN NBA writers asked to pick the Eastern Conference champion ahead of Tuesday's season openers, according to picks published by ESPN. Boston's Celtics drew three votes, while Indiana and Toronto each received one.

Who Do ESPN's Panelists Pick to Win the East?

Danny Green, Tim MacMahon, Bobby Marks, Dave McMenamin and Anthony Slater backed the Knicks, who are defending the franchise's first championship in 53 years, per ESPN. Vincent Goodwill, Jorge Sedano, Ramona Shelburne, Marc J. Spears and Michael C. Wright picked the 76ers. Ben Golliver, Dean Oliver and Jeremy Woo went with the Celtics. The Knicks open the title defense at home against Philadelphia on Tuesday at 7 p.m. ET on NBC, ESPN reported.

Why Is Philadelphia Considered a Contender This Season?

LeBron James and Jaylen Brown joined the 76ers this offseason, teaming with Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey in an attempt to end the franchise's own title drought, according to ESPN. The roster overhaul is the chief reason five of the network's panelists shifted their Eastern Conference pick away from the defending champions in New York.

Who Leads the Western Conference Picks?

In the West, Jamal Collier, Ben Golliver and Vincent Goodwill selected the Oklahoma City Thunder, while Danny Green and Zach Kram went with the San Antonio Spurs, per the ESPN panel. San Antonio reached last season's Finals behind Victor Wembanyama, whom ESPN describes as continuing his on-court ascension this season. Oklahoma City is built around Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who is pursuing a third consecutive MVP award, according to ESPN. The two teams open their seasons against each other Tuesday at 9:30 p.m. ET on NBC. ESPN also noted that Giannis Antetokounmpo has moved to Miami and that New York's Jalen Brunson is coming off a Finals MVP performance, reshaping the conference picture entering the year.

What to Watch as the Season Opens

• Knicks host the 76ers at 7 p.m. ET Tuesday on NBC, the first game of New York's title defense, per ESPN.
• Thunder host the Spurs at 9:30 p.m. ET Tuesday on NBC in a rematch of last season's conference rivalry, ESPN reported.
• Shai Gilgeous-Alexander's pursuit of a third straight MVP award will be tracked alongside Wembanyama's development, according to the ESPN panel.
• New York's front office released single-game tickets after the team ended its title drought, giving fans access to home games tied to the Finals-MVP run of Brunson.

Fans who want to test their own forecasts against the ESPN panel's splits can enter the Smorgi Challenge, a separate pick-based contest unaffiliated with the league's own awards balloting.