Fat Joe: New York Knicks ... All The Way Up To Eastern Conference Finals!!

Knicks fans, you're no longer an NBA laughingstock ... with Derrick Rose and Carmelo Anthony, Fat Joe says the the team is one of the BEST in the NBA!

TMZ Sports ran into Joe in L.A. and asked about his beloved Knicks ... who've added ballers D. Rose, Brandon Jennings, Joakim Noah and Courtney Lee this off-season.

Still, the team was 32-50 last year ... how much better can they be?

A LOT ... according to Joe, who says the Knicks are going to the Eastern Conference Finals. He even knows which superstar player they'll have to battle for a spot in the NBA Finals.