The Knicks: A Solid Season and a Look at The Playoffs
“Orange and Blue Skies!” is how Stephan A. Smith would describe the Knick’s season and playoff hopes. I think every Knicks fan, including myself would agree with that statement.
When we look at the season, the Knicks have a year and it is considered the best since the 1999-2000 season when they made the Finals as the third seed in the east. Twenty years in the making the Knicks are finally back on top in the standings.
They finished the year as the second seed with a 50-32 record. Same record as that 1999-2000 team. One of the most impressive seasons by their Head Coach, Tom Thibodeau who was able to keep this team together despite the injuries of Julius Randle, OG Anunoby, and Mitchell Robinson.
Jalen Brunson, the Knicks superstar, helped propel the team to where they are today by having one of the best seasons by a Knicks player since Patrick Ewing. NBA analyst Kenny Smith had this to say on Inside the NBA on TNT:
“Brunson has been the best basketball player in the Eastern Conference by far. Brunson will most definitely be on an All-NBA team for the first time.”
This is Brunson’s best season by far statistically. In 77 games he averaged 28.7 points per game, 6.7 assists per game, and shot percentage of 47.9% from the field. He was also able to win KIA Player of the Month for March.
Brunson’s Villanova teammates, Donte DiVincenzo and Josh Hart have also had career years on the Knicks. DiVincenzo revived his career on the on this team by averaging 15 PPG(the highest in his career) and hitting a franchise record 283 threes. On the other hand, Hart is now considered one of the best rebounders in the league at the height of 6-4.
The regular season was a success, but teams aren’t remembered for regular season records. The playoffs are where they have to show how good they are.
Knicks go into the playoffs in now back-to-back years and have another chance to make it to the Eastern Conference Finals. They are trying to outperform last year’s showing when they lost against the Heat in the second round.
They will be going up against the Philadelphia 76ers in the first round of the playoffs. They are led by last year’s MVP Joel Embiid who just returned from the leg injury that took him out for a few months. The Sixers have a great second option in first-time all-star Tyreese Maxey who will be a handful for whoever is guarding him.
The matchup is not one you like to see in the first round if your a Knicks fan. This team was supposed to be a 4th or 5th seed but because of injuries they were pushed back. The good thing is that Embiid’s injury is still lingering and affects his game. From watching the Play-In game between the Heat and the Sixers it was noticeable that he was having a tough time going up and down the court and was not reliable on the defensive side.
That’s where they have problems, changing their game will be key to win this series. The Knicks are the slowest paced in the league and if they want to take advantage of Embiid’s injury, they will have to change their style a bit.
On the defensive side, Robinson has to lock in on Embiid. Being the scorer he is, they will have to slow him down and make the rest of the team beat them. Defend the three point shot well, with shooters like Maxey, Tobias Harris, Buddy Hield, and Nicolas Batum. Perimeter defenders like Annuby and DiVincenzo will have a major effect on shooting.
On the offensive side, they have to do what they have been doing all year. Let Brunson control the game. He is one of the best playmakers and shooters in the league. He makes the rest of his team better by being the focus of the offense and passing to the open player. They have to dominate on offensive rebounds and take advantage of turnovers. Get as many second-chance points as possible.
This matchup promises to be a thrilling showdown between the 2nd and 7th seeds, destined to unfold in the heart of two basketball juggernaut franchises. The first round’s biggest series between the two biggest basketball cities in the country. Anticipate every moment as it unfolds, and this series is for sure to be an exciting spectacle.
