What happened: Kendrick Perkins framed New York as the team to beat entering its championship defense. He called the standard hard as hell and said opponents measure themselves against the Knicks.

Why it matters: The tag changes every road night into a challenge game for New York. It also raises the bar for rotation consistency and late-game execution across an 82-game grind.

What to watch: Watch how New York handles early-season target games and whether the rotation tightens under that pressure.