New York Knicks: Which First-Round Playoff Matchup Favors Them Most?
Spring is here and March Madness is winding down.
And that means that the NBA playoffs are just around the corner.
This year is a special year for the New York Knicks and their fans because for the first time in nearly a decade, the Knicks are going to make the playoffs.
Although nothing is set in stone just yet, New York is pretty much a lock to make the playoffs. How far they go in the playoffs though, is a whole other issue.
Amar'e Stoudemire and company have been wildly inconsistent since the Carmelo Anthony trade.
At times, the Knicks look unstoppable and as if they could beat any team in the league. Other times though, they give feeble efforts and look as if they are completely lost on the court.
If New York is to make any sort of noise in the playoffs this year, things are going to have to change and they are going to have to hope for a favorable first round opponent.
What do I mean by favorable?
I mean a team who they have the best chance of competing against, not a team that they are a lock to defeat because let's face it, that list is non-existant at this point.
With this in mind, here's a look at the possible first round opponents for the Knicks in order of increasing favorability.
New York Knicks Vs. Boston Celtics
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The Boston Celtics are still the team to beat in the East, regardless of how well the Chicago Bulls are doing right now.
Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen, although aging, are still playing fantastic basketball. Pierce and Allen have played in every game for the Celtics thus far, and Garnett has sat out sparingly.
Health was a big concern for this Boston team heading into the season, but their Veteran core has proved they are up to the challenge.
In addition to remaining healthy, the Celtics have proved that they can still beat the elite teams in the NBA. They simply haven't missed a beat.
The most beautiful thing about this Boston team is that no one is averaging more than 20 points per game. Rajon Rondo and the rest of the team do a great job spreading the ball around. Even when it comes to defense, this team is superb.
And the Knicks are simply no match for the Celtics.
Although the three meetings between these teams have all been relatively close, New York is 0-3 against Boston. The Knicks do not seem have what it takes to keep pace with the Celtics for all four quarters.
This was clearly evident in Monday night's loss where the Knicks took a 14 point lead into halftime and couldn't hold it. Boston is not a team where you can slack off just because you have built a double digit lead. They are going to come at you hard no matter what the score.
Furthermore, even though the Celtics traded away a solid big in Kendrick Perkins, they are still too big for the Knicks to handle.
Garnett is elusive and a spectacular defender while Glen "Big Baby" Davis can be matched by no one on New York's roster. And if Shaquille O'Neal is back in time, then forget about it.
Boston and New York meet again on April 13th, and this is the last chance the Knicks have to prove they are capable of beating the Celtics before the playoffs begin.
But don't expect much.
Should the Knicks meet the Celtics in the first round of the playoffs, they will be handed an early exit.
New York Knicks Vs. Chicago Bulls
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Although the Knicks have beaten the Bulls twice already this season, they are not a team that the Knicks want to face in the first round.
As the season winds down, Chicago is currently competing with the Boston Celtics for the number one seed in the East.
Despite this though, many believe that the Knicks actually match up really well against the Bulls, and they are partially right.
New York has the clear edge at Power Forward and Small Forward with Amar'e Stoudemire and Carmelo Anthony at the helms, and Landry Fields even matches up well against Keith Bogans.
However, the Bulls have the clear advantage at Center with Joakim Noah. Oh, and there is also that guy named Derrick Rose.
Chauncey Billups is going to be no match for Derrick Rose even on Billups' best night. Noah is an obstacle the Knicks may be able to contain, but Rose is not.
Rose has got to be the leading MVP candidate right now. He is averaging 24.8 points and nearly eight assists per game, and he has led the resurgence of these Chicago Bulls.
Truth be told, the Knicks match up well with the Bulls on paper, but New York is still in too much disarray. They are still trying to find their team chemistry while Chicago is already at a comfort zone.
This may be hard to hear for some Knicks fans, but New York probably matched up much better against Chicago before the Anthony trade. They had a competent Point Guard in Raymond Felton who could defend Rose better than Billups can, and Danilo Gallinari and Wilson Chandler would have provided the scoring punch Anthony does.
It will always come back to the fact that the Knicks have beaten Chicago twice this season, but the Bulls are a different team now, as are the Knicks.
When these two teams square off on April 12th, it will be a completely different ball game.
The Knicks may have found a way to mesh together by then, but the Bulls will still be doing what they have done the past few months.
This is not the same Bulls team that faced New York on Christmas Day. Noah is back and Rose is playing outstanding basketball.
So while the Knicks have a better chance at beating the Bulls in a first round playoff bout than they do against the Celtics, this is by no means a favorable matchup.
If the Knicks and Bulls meet in the first round of this year's playoffs, than we can expect some exciting games.
But in the end, fleeting moments of excitement will be all the Knicks have to look forward to.
Based on how both teams are fairing as of late, the Knicks will not make it out of the first round should they have to face the Bulls.
New York Knicks Vs. Orlando Magic
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If it wasn't for Derrick Rose and the Bulls recent domination, the Orlando Magic would be even less favorable of a matchup for the Knicks.
Currently holding down the fourth seed for the Eastern Conference, the Magic have proved, despite their inconsistent play that they can beat the Knicks.
New York has no one who can matchup against Dwight Howard. At 23 points and nearly 15 rebounds per game, he is simply a beast in the low post.
The Knicks are 0-2 against the Magic this season, but they have shown they can be competitive against them.
Unfortunately though, the Knicks have been unable to close out any game against Orlando so far. Wednesday night provides the Knicks another chance to try and prove themselves against the Magic, but it is uncertain whether or not they are up to the task.
With two games remaining against Orlando this season, the Knicks have an opportunity to redeem their two previous losses this season.
As of right now, it is more than unlikely that these two teams will meet in the first round of the playoffs, but on the off chance that they do meet in the first round, the Knicks need to prepare themselves.
If they continue to allow themselves to be overpowered by Howard as they have all season, it will be an early exit. In their first two games, Amar'e Stoudemire performed adequately on the offensive end, but he could have done even better had he not been in foul trouble.
Howard draws a lot of fouls, and it may not seem that big of a deal because he is a less than mediocre free-throw shooter, but he takes people out of games.
The Knicks cannot afford to play without Stoudemire, even with Carmelo Anthony on the team.
Hopefully New York will show some improvement Wednesday night when these two teams meet again. And the Magic and Knicks will meet again five days later on March 28th. New York needs to prove over these next two meetings that they are capable of beating Orlando.
If the first two games are any indication of what is to come, than the Knicks are not equipped to handle the Magic.
Although Orlando is not as dangerous as Boston or Chicago, this is a first round matchup that the Knicks definitely would like to avoid.
New York Knicks Vs. Atlanta Hawks
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Here's another improbable matchup, but should the Knicks and Hawks somehow meet in the first round of the playoffs, New York would have the edge.
The Knicks and Hawks split the season series at two games apiece, but the last two meetings were won by New York. It finally seems that the Knicks have figured out how to contain the Atlanta.
Atlanta, at the fifth seed in the Eastern Conference is one of the more overrated teams. They are a good team, but like the Knicks, they show frequent signs of inconsistency, which makes them one of the more beatable teams for New York.
Don't get me wrong, Atlanta has some very good players in Jamal Crawford, Al Horford, Josh Smith and Joe Johnson, but they are not a group to be feared.
This is even further true given that they now really do not have a true Point Guard to run the offense. Kirk Hinrich is a shoot first Guard, not a floor general.
Atlanta though, like Boston, does a great job spreading around the ball on offense. No one on the team is averaging more than 19 points per game. However, although Johnson is the leading scorer for the Hawks, he is not performing to the level of his contract.
It is unfortunate for New York that the Hawks and Knicks will most likely not meet in the first round because the Knicks would win any series against the Hawks.
If New York is able to do what it has done the past two games, which is stop the Hawks from slowing down the pace of play, than Atlanta will not stand a chance.
So while the Knicks will most likely not see the Hawks in the first round, it is slightly comforting to fans to know that there is a playoff team that the Knicks have a legitimate edge over.
New York Knicks Vs. Miami Heat
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The most favorable matchup for the Knicks in the first round would be against the Miami Heat, which may come as a surprise for some.
Miami is currently the third seed in the East and there is a strong possibility that we see a Knicks and Heat first round matchup should the Knicks sneak back into the sixth seed.
While the fact that the Knicks won the past two meetings comes into play, it is not the sole reason why this is the most favorable matchup for New York.
Another factor that comes into play is that while Carmelo Anthony has had his struggles as of late, he always plays well against LeBron James.
Anthony is definitely a weaker defender than James is, but when it comes to scoring, he has shown that he can go point for point with the self-proclaimed king.
However, what really makes Miami the most favorable first round matchup for the Knicks is how similar the two teams play.
Yes, the Heat are a better defensive team than the Knicks, but both are wildly inconsistent overall, and have had their fare share of issues when it comes to closing out games.
The Heat, like the Knicks, have had games where they look simply unbeatable, such as their 30 point margin of victory over the Spurs last week. However, Miami has had its struggles. When the team isn't clicking, the losses seem to pile up.
These two teams are more similar than some people think. Their rosters are built very similar in the sense that outside the "big three," there isn't much depth.
After you get past the fact that James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh play on the same team, there is not much else left to fear. Outside the superstar trio, Miami's roster is filled out by mediocre players.
It is the same case for the Knicks, who outside of Chauncey Billups, Amar'e Stoudemire and Anthony, are comprised of average to less than average role players.
Many may disagree with this notion because the Heat are the third seed in the East while the Knicks are just the seventh, but the rosters are indeed structurally similar.
If New York faces the Heat in the first round, they have the opportunity to play a team that is just as inconsistent and faces the same obstacles each game that they do. This means if the Knicks can find any way to play consistent basketball, they stand a fighting chance at advancing to the second round.
Despite being the lower seed in this matchup, the Knicks arguably have the advantage if they defend Miami the way they have during the past two meetings.
Miami tends to bring out the best in New York, and if Anthony and company maintain that underdog mentality,they have a better chance at winning a series against Miami than any other team.
Yes, the Heat are seeded higher than New York.
But the roster similarities favor the Knicks because they can exploit Miami's weaknesses better than the Heat can exploit theirs.
The Knicks have a bona fide scorer in Anthony who can point for point against James, thereby frustrating him.
New York also has Anthony Carter, who has already proven that he is more than capable of defending and containing Wade.
Also, it doesn't hurt that as the lower seeded underdogs, the Knicks will be playing with a bigger chip on their shoulder and with something more to prove, thus ensuring their motivation to win.
So while many fans may cringe at the thought of facing the Heat in the first round, others, like myself, will embrace the opportunity.
A Knicks vs. Heat playoff matchup will not only be a nostalgic series to watch, but it is the most favorable first round matchup New York can possibly face.
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