Playoff Preview: How the NY Knicks Stack Up Against the Top 5 in the East
If the season ended today, the New York Knicks would be the seventh seed heading into the first round of the playoffs against the second place Boston Celtics. Since most teams have seven or eight regular season games remaining, the Eastern Conference standings may be shuffled before all is said and done.
The following is my take on the top-five ranked teams in the East and how the Knicks would fare in a playoff series with each of them.
Chicago Bulls (Currently Seeded 1st)
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The new-look Knicks don’t face the Chicago Bulls until the second-to-last game of the season. Given that they haven’t met since the trade deadline, you can’t really make any assumptions based on prior matchups.
The Knicks won both meetings, the last of which was Christmas Day, but by no means is this any indication of the Bulls’ talent. Power forward Carlos Boozer was absent the first game, while center Joakim Noah was a no-show the second—both due to injury.
Arguably the hottest team in the NBA, led by MVP frontrunner Derrick Rose at the point, Chicago is one team the Knicks do not want to see in the playoffs. Rose presents a matchup nightmare, combining the speed of Toney Douglas with the size of Chauncey Billups and the explosiveness of Amare Stoudemire.
Doubling Rose is an option, but that opens up opportunities for Boozer and small forward Luol Deng, who are more than capable of putting the ball in the basket. Throw Joakim Noah into the mix, and you have a 6’11” center averaging a double-double.
With the exception of shooting guard, the Bulls have a legitimate star at every position. Regardless of whom his teammates are, Rose gives any team a fighting chance whenever he takes the floor.
Just like the guy who wore “23” for Chicago and gave the Knicks fits for the better part of a decade, Derrick Rose is primed to terrorize New York for years to come.
Boston Celtics (Currently Seeded 2nd)
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The Knicks’ final regular season game against the Boston Celtics could likely foreshadow a first round playoff matchup. I think New York would welcome this challenge with open arms despite the fact the Celtics are the defending Eastern Conference champions and own the fifth best record in the NBA.
The Knicks held leads deep into the fourth quarter during their two previous battles at Madison Square Garden, where the energetic atmosphere was reminiscent of a classic rivalry renewed.
When fully healthy, the Celtics possess a formidable lineup as deep as any team in the league. The recent addition of swingman Jeff Green adds some firepower off the bench along with Glen Davis.
The original “big three” of Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen have become somewhat of an afterthought. Although they’re getting old, they still have enough left in the tank to pursue another title.
The importance of point guard Rajon Rondo cannot be overstated, as he is arguably the most significant component of all. The Knicks must limit his impact distributing the ball because he won’t hurt you with his shooting.
Now that Kendrick Perkins has been traded, the center position remains the wild card. Questions surrounding Shaquille O’Neal’s Achilles persist. If he’s unable to make a significant contribution come playoff time, this definitely evens the playing field for the Knicks.
Trying to contain a big body like Shaq poses a problem due to New York’s lack of a true center. If Stoudemire is forced to guard him, it could lead to early foul trouble. Production out of Amare is paramount to a series win, and he has been dominant versus the Celtics thus far.
Miami Heat (Currently Seeded 3rd)
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When it comes to the top teams in the East, the Knicks should be praying for a first round Miami Heat face-off. Their record might only be 2-2 against the Heat this season, but they’re 1-0 with Carmelo, and Carmelo is the key element.
Dating back to a high school showdown between Carmelo’s Oak Hill Academy and LeBron James’ St. Vincent-St. Mary in which Oak Hill was victorious, Carmelo has had the upper hand head-to-head versus LeBron.
In fact, over the course of their eight-year professional careers, Carmelo has the 9-4 edge. Not known for his defensive prowess, Carmelo rises to the occasion when he faces LeBron and prefers to guard him.
It’s no secret that as the “big three” go, so do the Heat. The much more physical Amare Stoudemire has the ability to keep Chris Bosh in check. If Carmelo can stay on par with LeBron, Dwyane Wade becomes the X-factor.
The Knicks don’t have anyone who stacks up well against Wade. However, if they can limit the production of at least one of the three superstars, winning is certainly within the realm of possibility. Besides, the offensive output of the Heat’s other starters, let alone their reserves, is mediocre at best.
In the Knicks’ sole encounter with the Heat since the Carmelo acquisition, the game went down to the wire. During the closing seconds, New York played great team defense on LeBron as he attempted a go-ahead runner in the lane. Carmelo played him tough, causing him to force a shot that Amare ultimately swatted.
A rattled LeBron had another chance to swish a dagger three-pointer at the buzzer, which he also bricked. Carmelo outscored LeBron 29-27, and the Knicks held Wade and Bosh to a combined 32 points.
This game should serve as a blueprint if the two teams square off again. Although it’s not their forte, the Knicks can beat the Heat if they play exceptional defense.
Orlando Magic (Currently Seeded 4th)
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The Knicks have struggled mightily in 2011 against the Orlando Magic, losing three of four. But, an encouraging sign is that the lone victory came in their final regular season meeting on Monday.
Few teams, if any, have an answer for center Dwight Howard, but he certainly has performed like Superman against New York; Howard has averaged 29 points, 15.8 rebounds and 2.3 blocks. Perhaps most impressive has been his improvement from the charity stripe during the last two contests in which he sank 22 of 28 foul shots to the tune of 79 percent.
Clearly, the Knicks have nobody to contend with Howard’s sheer mass and post moves in the paint. Instead of focusing on how they will minimize his effectiveness, Mike D’Antoni should devise a scheme to shut down the rest of the team.
Howard’s supporting cast is a solid group of veterans led by steady point guard Jameer Nelson, high flying shooting guard Jason Richardson, and versatile small forward Hedo Turkoglu. Any one of them is capable of heating up from deep. However, it’s a rarity when one of them puts over 20 points on the board.
Granted, Jameer Nelson and sharpshooter J.J. Redick did not suit up in Orlando’s only loss to the Knicks, but New York came away with a win even with Howard going for 29 points and 18 rebounds on 17 shots. Only Richardson fired more shots (20), but he tallied just 24 points.
Carmelo dropped 39 that night, and it appears the Magic haven’t figured out how to limit his scoring, as he has averaged 29 points in the three meetings since joining the Knicks. In spite of their regular season track record, a playoff series versus Orlando looks favorable, especially if Howard gets into foul trouble.
Atlanta Hawks (Currently Seeded 5th)
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The Atlanta Hawks have flown under the radar, but at fifth place in the Eastern Conference standings with a 43-32 record, they could make some noise in the playoffs. Just as the team seemingly avoids media coverage, the Hawks’ superstar shooting guard Joe Johnson is quiet in demeanor but speaks volumes on the court.
As we saw a few years ago, Johnson put the team on his back in a first round playoff matchup against Boston. The Hawks shockingly pushed the series to seven games, falling to the eventual 2008 world champion Celtics.
The Hawks are possibly the most unique team in the NBA; in addition to Johnson, they have three justifiable scorers who can explode for 30 points in power forward Josh Smith, center Al Horford, and six-man shooting guard Jamal Crawford.
Although they are not terribly overpowering, Atlanta is a scrappy team capable of playing fast and above the rim. Smith, one of the more well-rounded athletic players the league has to offer, perfectly exemplifies this.
Although Carmelo had a subpar outing versus the Hawks in his only opportunity donning blue and orange, Amare had a strong line in the win. “Stat” scored at least 23 in all four contests.
After a near brawl a couple meetings ago, a bit of bad blood is brewing amongst the franchises. In light of the war of words between Amare and Horford prior to their final regular season matchup, this hostility doesn’t appear to be dying down anytime soon. Last time, Amare called out Horford and backed it up with his actions.
Playing with that type of tenacity is a trait the successful Knicks teams of the ‘90s always possessed and maybe just what this team needs for playoff conquest over Atlanta or another opponent.
