Should New York Knicks fans keep their date books blank in June? Certain ESPN experts certainly seem to believe it’s advisable.

In a poll conducted by the Worldwide Leader, one that previously labeled New York boss Tom Thibodeau as the Coach of the Year favorite, the Knicks were one of five teams to get the Eastern Conference champion nod, placing third behind the defending champion Boston Celtics and the Philadelphia 76ers.

New York was also one of seven teams that the experts envision hoisting the Larry O’Brien Trophy. With experts allowed to pick three teams in a 5-3-1 format, the Knicks received 38 points for the Eastern crown and tied with Milwaukee for fifth in the Finals.

While it’s far from the favorite … experts chose Boston to repeat at 97 and 82 points … mere inclusion on such a list is the latest sign of the Knicks’ return to the realm of NBA relevancy. New York enters this season looking to end its 51-year championship drought as well as third-longest active streak of conference final-free seasons at 24.

The efforts of Jalen Brunson, Julius Randle, and more have made this Knicks season one of the most legitimately hopeful in quite some time. Such optimism was only pushed further by a rare trade with the Brooklyn Nets, one that added yet another former Villanova Wildcat to the fold in Mikal Bridges.

Despite the Knicks prevailing in a thrilling first-round series, the experts could help but rank the Philadelphia 76ers one point ahead of New York for the Eastern champion honor, as they were swayed by the arrival of Paul George. Out west, the experts selected the Oklahoma City Thunder to lead the way, specifically calling out the addition of former Knicks center Isaiah Hartenstein.

Boston, however, was described as “inevitable” by the experts, as they retain the same core that brought them to their record-breaking 18th championship in June. The Knicks will have a chance to immediately test their mettle against the defending champions on Oct. 22 when the two sides do battle in Beantown.

Make sure you bookmark All Knicks for the latest news, exclusive interviews, film breakdowns and so much more!