NEW YORK (PIX11) -- It is not exactly Rangers-Islanders or Mets-Yankees when it comes to rivalries. But those types of rivalries take time.

Wednesday night, in Brooklyn, the Nets entertain the Knicks. There is no question the Knicks are this city's team and the most popular team in New York.

The Nets cut through for all the wrong reasons when they had the drama-filled run of Durant, Kyrie and Harden. Brooklyn is not a championship-caliber team, but they are a fun team to watch.

Going into Wednesday night, they are a .500 team, but they have some young players to get excited about in Mikal Bridges, Cam Thomas and Cameron Johnson.

They are a developmental group and not a finished product by any stretch, but they are well-coached under Jacque Vaughn and have a different feel after the fog lifted from the failed trio.

For the Knicks, they are in a different position, they are waiting for the next superstar to become available to take that next step, from playoff team to championship contender. They are not there yet but are 15 and 11 on the season, and Jalen Brunson continues to shine.

The Knicks thought Brunson would take another step forward this season, and they were not wrong, as he is averaging nearly 26 points per game.

For head coach Tom Thibodeau, the pressure is on for this team to take another step this season, especially when it comes to the NBA playoffs.

Julius Randle has gotten over his early season struggles, and RJ Barrett has put last year’s struggles behind him.

Knicks and Nets are fun, and it should be a great atmosphere tonight in Brooklyn.

For the Nets to get out of the Knick's shadow, that will take a lot of winning and time. That is not on the line Wednesday night.

For the Knicks, they want to continue to grow, get better and thrive and next up is their cross-town rival, Brooklyn.

Until next time, New York, I'm Marc Malusis.