NBA

Kerr: Knicks ‘significant step below’ top four in East

The Knicks were the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference last season and, arguably, have a better supporting cast to put around Carmelo Anthony.

Now the bad news.

Most believe by standing close to still during the offseason they went backward in the Eastern Conference, which now has Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce joining a talented group in Brooklyn, Derrick Rose returning in Chicago and LeBron James keeping his talents in South Beach.

“I liked the [Andrea] Bargnani move more than most people,” TNT analyst and former Suns general manager Steve Kerr said of the Knicks’ most significant offseason addition.

“I think that will be a good spot for him, and he’s more than capable of being a weapon offensively. But I think they are a significant step below the four teams ahead of them: Miami, Chicago, Indiana and Brooklyn.

“They are going to miss Jason Kidd [now coaching the Nets]. I’ve watched them a couple of times in preseason and the ball really sticks. You’ve added Metta World Peace now, another guy where the ball can get really stuck in his hands, and we know that’s the case with Carmelo [Anthony].”

The Knicks open the regular season against the Bucks on Wednesday night at the revamped Madison Square Garden as they look to defend their first Atlantic Division title in 19 years. It figures to be a two-team race with the Nets, as the 76ers, Raptors and Celtics are in different stages of rebuilding.

Boston’s plan included sending Pierce, Garnett and Jason Terry to the Nets in a draft-night blockbuster. It’s a move that has made the Nets favorites in the Atlantic and an intriguing potential playoff foil for the two-time champion Heat.

“You think about what Pierce and Garnett do in that matchup: Garnett has given [Chris] Bosh fits over the years, and Pierce has always been Boston’s main defender against LeBron,” said Kerr of the Nets, who will debut their new-look squad Wednesday in Cleveland. “So you add that to the mix with Brooklyn, they can bother Miami in a number of different ways.”

The reasons to be optimistic about the Knicks knocking off the Heat are less obvious. They took three of four from Miami last season but didn’t get a chance to back that up in the playoffs as they fell in six games to the Pacers in the Eastern Conference semifinals.

“They have to become a better defensive team,” said MSG play-by-play man Mike Breen of coach Mike Woodson’s squad.

“There were times last year where they played fantastic defense, but it wasn’t on a consistent basis. For them to be able to compete with Miami and knock any of those other teams off, that has to be the biggest improvement.”

Though World Peace has the potential to be a liability on offense, he adds temerity on defense.

“If you listen to Mike Woodson, the Knicks took a step backward defensively last season, and I think adding Metta will help toughness-wise,” former teammate of World Peace’s with the Pacers and TNT analyst Reggie Miller said.

“They need Tyson Chandler at the level where he won Defensive Player of the Year. Can they do that for an entire season? That remains to be seen.”