Heat vs. Knicks: Which Hot Team Will Go Further in the NBA Playoffs?
Things are getting very interesting in the NBA, particularly in the eastern conference. The Miami Heat and the New York Knicks are playing as well as any teams in the association right now.
For Miami, it comes as no surprise to anyone the level that this team is playing at. They have two of the five best players in all of basketball, plus Chris Bosh, who is one of the better power forwards in the league.
In New York's case, their success this season has come as a bit of a shock. They made a splash in free agency, signing A'mare Stoudemire to a big contract this summer. They are playing the best basketball that Knick's fans have seen since Whoopi Goldberg signed on to be their head coach in a movie like 15 years ago.
With both these teams playing so well, the question is going to be asked: Who is going to go further in the NBA playoffs?
Here is a list breaking down the reasons that each team will likely go further, followed by a final prediction at the end.
Miami's Defense
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Miami's struggles early this season were a product of their offense not clicking. Their defense has been outstanding all season long. They are first in the NBA in points allowed per game at 91.1.
Even on a night when their offense struggles, the defense has shown up every single game. They don't have to outscore every single team because they are so strong on the defensive side of the ball.
New York's Offense
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Showtime has made it's way to the Garden. The New York Knicks are building their version of the Phoenix Suns circa 2005. It makes sense because they got the Suns coach, Mike D'Antoni, and their power forward, A'mare Stoudemire.
They have brought a high octane offense and made the Knicks one of the most exciting teams in the NBA. They are second in the NBA in scoring offense at 108.8 points per game. That wide open style, frenetic style of play will make them a pain for other teams to play.
Miami's Got More Talent
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This one isn't a shock to anyone that knows anything about the NBA, and even if you don't you would probably still know. Miami has three of the best players in the NBA on their roster. They are adding more depth as people get back from injuries.
As is often the case in sports, in a short series the team that has more talent is much more likely to be successful. They need to continue to play as a cohesive unit in order to be as successful as they believe that they can be.
New York's Inside Presence
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Miami has a lot of things going for them, but the one thing that they don't have is size inside. The Knicks have the size on the inside that most teams covet.
A'mare Stoudemire is a force at the power forward position, granted he is more of an offensive force then a defensive presence.
They also have a number of centers that are capable of giving quality minutes. Guys like Ronny Turiaf and, if he gets healthy, Eddy Curry can be disruptive inside. It's doubtful they will add much but they bring more then Miami has at that position.
Miami's Division
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The Heat's division isn't looking as strong as it once did. Orlando, while still a quality team, doesn't have the scoring needed to be successful. They have a really good defense but against teams that can score they look completely lost.
Atlanta is one of those teams that can beat a bad team, but against winning teams they struggle. They can't compete with the better teams in the NBA, giving Miami an advantage in their division.
New York's division isn't great by any means, but the Celtics are in their division and the Knicks aren't catching them.
Because of that Miami will get a better seed in the playoffs and more home games and more games against weaker competition.
New York's Potential
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The Knicks have seemingly come from nowhere to be one of the better teams in the eastern conference this season. Their talent has meshed quite well together and everything has come together.
But have they played their best basketball already?
It doesn't seem like it. For instance, in their game earlier this week with Boston they were able to stand toe-to-toe with the bad boys of the Atlantic division. They came within .05 seconds of defeating them in a game that would have been a huge boost to their psyche.
As it stands, the Knicks lost that game 118-116 but they learned that they can compete with the best in the eastern conference for 48 minutes. Odds are good that they can get even better as the season goes on.
Miami's Early Season Injuries
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No team was hit by more injuries at the beginning of the season then Miami was. They haven't played with Mike Miller all season long. Their only productive inside presence, Udonis Haslem, has been lost for the season.
With that they are still in first place in the southeast division in the eastern conference. The team is showing signs of life and they look like they get stronger with each game.
New York's Trade Deadline Moves
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New York's front office can take a look at this team as presently constructed and see the potential in them and feel that they are one piece away from being true championship contenders.
It appears that they have been positioning themselves to make a big acquisition at some point before the trade deadline. The most talked about rumor is Denver Nuggets forward Carmelo Anthony.
That would be the biggest name that they could get but they should look for some kind of defensive presence. The offense is great and it can win some games, but if they were even average defensively they would be a favorite in the east.
Miami Still Hasn't Peaked
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The Heat have won 10 games in a row. Things really seem to be clicking in South Beach right now. All of Miami is breathing a heavy sigh of relief.
However, they still haven't peaked as a team. I know that they are beating on bad teams but this is when the really good teams that deal with turmoil learn things about themselves.
Miami will have their first test tonight at New York. If their stifling defense can shutdown New York, in Madison Square Garden we will know that things are really turning in Miami's favor.
New York's A More Complete Team Than Miami Right Now
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Yes, the defensive stats in New York don't look very good, but right now New York is more complete then Miami. That's not to say that will be the case in April. A number of things could happen between now and then that could shift the balance of power one way or the other.
New York has shown that they can compete with the likes of Boston and they make the Celtics play their style of basketball. When the Heat played the Celtics it was a beatdown. Sure, the Heat scored 107 points against them in their last game but the game wasn't really that close.
Miami still has room to grow, but we don't know if they will get there this year. We know what the Knicks are and they can play with anyone in the NBA right now.
Final Prediction
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The thing that works in Miami's favor in this whole argument is their potential. We know how good the Knicks are, they are a fast-paced team that can score with anyone in basketball. They won't really give you anything defensively and that will be their undoing.
Miami, while they have struggled at times this year, has not played up to their level of talent. They are starting to find some rhythm to their game and we will know more about them in the next week or so. They have to play the Knicks tonight, Dallas on December 20th, and the Lakers on Christmas day.
Those three games will tell us exactly where Miami is at right now and where they could go come playoff time. They still have more talent on their roster then New York and in short series, more often then not, talent will win out.
Prediction: The Knicks will win tonight, but Miami will go deeper come playoff time.
