Knicks Take Care of Business

The New York Knicks went into Cleveland last night up three games to one over the Cavaliers, needing just one more win to wrap up their series. And rather than punt it to a game six, they took care of business. It's nice to know there's one New York team that knows how to close out an opponent. And, yes, that was meant as a dig at you know who.

For the first time since 2013, the Knicks are in the second round of the NBA playoffs. And for the first time since 1999 - the last year they went to the finals - they won a best of seven series in five games or less.

To say this was a monumental accomplishment would be an understatement. I picked the Knicks in six, but even I didn't expect this kind of domination. At no point in game five - a game which the Cavs desperately needed to win to stay alive - did the Knicks trail. In fact, the closest Cleveland got to extending their season was when they pulled to within six (90-84) with 8:10 to go in the 4th quarter. For the next 3:58, the Cavs were held scoreless until Darius Garland - who had an abysmal series along with Donovan Mitchell - sank two free throws to make the score 96-86. Cleveland would not score again until Mitchell hit a jump shot with 3:06 remaining to make it 100-88. That's five minutes without a basket and only two measly free throws. Think about that.

Everyone contributed in this series. Jalen Brunson put on a clinic directing the Knicks offense. Mitchell Robinson had his way with both Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen. R.J. Barrett redeemed himself over the last two games, putting up 26 and 21 points respectively. Immanuel Quickly and Obi Toppin came off the bench to provide much needed depth scoring; the latter playing the entire second half of game five after Julius Randle re-injured his left ankle late in the 2nd quarter.

And then there was Josh Hart, quite possibly the best trade deadline acquisition in franchise history. In a word, he was unconscious. For the series, he averaged 11.6 points and 7.8 rebounds, including twelve in game five, where he played all but 1:46. Since his arrival from Portland in February, the Knicks are 21-9.

New York out-rebounded Cleveland 227-186 for the series; and their bench outscored the Cavaliers bench 145-94, and that was with Quentin Grimes not starting in games four and five due to a shoulder injury he sustained in game three.

I haven't seen such tenacity - to steal a phrase from Clyde Frazier - from a Knicks team since the heydays of Patrick Ewing and Charles Oakley back in the '90s. They are without a doubt the hardest working team in the league. If they don't bring you out of your seat, it's probably because you're dead and you don't know it.

I rarely say this about any team I root for out of fear of jinxing them, but this Knicks team is capable of going deep in the playoffs. With the Milwaukee Bucks, the number one seed in the Eastern Conference, getting knocked off by the the eighth seed Miami Heat, New York has the home court advantage in the second round, thanks to the NBA's refusal to re-seed.

That doesn't mean they're a lock for the conference finals, mind you. The Heat, after all, were one win away from going to the finals last postseason. Let's face it, Jimmy Butler makes Donovan Mitchell look like a sixth man; he torched the Bucks defense in games four and five to the tune of 56 and 42 points respectively. Tom Thibodeau - who should be coach of the year - will have his hands full devising a defensive strategy to contain him. And we still don't know the extent of Randle's injury. If he's not a hundred percent, that will affect how the series plays out.

But for now, the Knicks can bask in the glory of what they accomplished in this series. They were the better team and they showed it. Two years ago, they were cowed by an Atlanta Hawks team that was deeper and more resilient. Now the tables have turned. They are the deeper and more resilient team. 

How deep and resilient, we are about to find out.

Knicks Playoff Preview (Round One)

It was two years ago that the Knicks entered the playoffs as the fourth seed in the Eastern Conference, and were quickly dispatched by the fifth seed Atlanta Hawks in five games. To say that was a painful loss would be putting it mildly.

But as the Monkees once sang, that was then, this is now. This year's Knicks enter the playoffs as the fifth seed in the East, but unlike that 2020-21 team, they are a lot deeper and a lot more potent. No longer are they depended solely on the offensive prowess of Julius Randle. They have other options like Obi Toppin, Quentin Grimes and Immanuel Quickley who should win the Sixth Man of the Year award. 

But by far the biggest additions to this Knicks roster have been Jalen Brunson and Josh Hart; the former signed as a free agent over the summer; the latter acquired at the trade deadline for Cam Reddish. Brunson gives this team what it's lacked since the glory days of the '90s: a bonafide point guard who can run the offense. And Hart provides much needed depth and energy coming off the bench. Since his arrival from Portland back in February, the Knicks are 17-8.

It's hard not to love this team. Coached by Tom Thibodeau, it's arguably, the hardest working group of players in the NBA. There is no load management here. If you're healthy enough to play, you suit up. Period. And in a league that over-indulges its stars, often to the detriment of its fans, that's a breath of fresh air.

So how will this resilient bunch fare against the fourth seed Cleveland Cavaliers? Glad you asked. It all comes down to Donovan Mitchell, the elite-level guard who supposedly was headed to New York during the offseason. That was before Cleveland stepped in and upped their offer to the Utah Jazz.

Knicks fans at the time were livid with Leon Rose for fumbling the ball at the one-yard line. But in retrospect, not closing that deal turned out to be a blessing in disguise. Had the Knicks landed Mitchell it likely would've cost them R.J. Barrett, Mitchell Robinson and Toppin, plus three of their four unprotected first round draft picks. Leaving aside the picks for a minute, can you imagine what this team would look like without those three players? Not to mention that with Mitchell on the team, it's doubtful the Knicks would've signed Brunson. That also means no Hart at the deadline.

Below is a comparison of what the Knicks would've looked like with and without Mitchell.

Without Donovan Mitchell

Starters:

Mitchell Robison C

Julius Randle PF

R.J. Barrett SF

Jalen Brunson PG

Quentin Grimes SG

Bench:

Isaiah Hartenstein C

Obi Toppin PF

Immanuel Quickley SF

Josh Hart SG

Deuce McBride PG

With Donovan Mitchell

Starters:

Hartenstein C

Randle PF

Quickley SF

Mitchell SG

McBride PG

Bench:

Jericho Sims C

Grimes G

Derrick Rose G

Seriously, which team would you rather have? Before you answer that, consider that the Knicks, without Mitchell, finished only four games behind the Cavaliers in the standings. While it's clear that the starting lineup would be slightly better with Mitchell, the bench, sans Grimes, would suffer greatly. Imagine a Tom Thibodeau team without a reliable bench. That is ostensibly what the Knicks would be had Rose agreed to Utah's demands last summer. Sometimes the best trades are the ones you don't make.

Now onto the matchup.

For the Knicks to prevail, they cannot let Mitchell and Darius Garland dominate the way they are capable of doing. Both players average over 20 points per game, with Mitchell averaging 28. Assuming Randle's ankle is sufficiently healed, the Knicks will have a decided edge in the front court over Evan Mobley and Lamar Stevens. If it isn't, Toppin will likely get the start. All that is moot, however, if they can't contain the Cavs backcourt.

During the regular season, the Knicks were fourth best in the NBA in turnovers, averaging just 13 per game. Against the Cavs, they averaged 15.5. The Knicks were also third best in offensive rebounds, averaging 12.6 per game. The latter is where Robinson and Hartenstein will earn their paychecks.

I expect Thibodeau to rotate his players and use his bench effectively. That means Quickley and Hart will get a ton of minutes. The Cavs, as loaded as their starting lineup is, will not be able to handle the Knicks depth. New York took three out of four from Cleveland during the regular season, and I see nothing that makes me think that trend won't continue in the postseason.

Prediction: Knicks in six.