5 Reasons the New York Knicks Want To Play the Miami Heat in the NBA Playoffs
The New York Knicks currently sit seventh in the Eastern Conference, just a half-game behind the sixth-place Philadelphia 76ers heading into the City of Brotherly Love for a game tonight.
Meanwhile, the Boston Celtics and Miami Heat are tied for second in the conference with five games remaining, both teams sitting three games behind the East-leading Chicago Bulls.
The Knicks should hope the seeding works out for them to match up with the Heat in the first round. The Knicks have yet to beat the Celtics this season (0-3) with one game left to play at TD Garden, while they split the season series with Miami, 2-2.
But regular-season results aren't the only reason the Knicks should want to play the Heat.
Miami, Like New York, Lacks Size
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Any time a team is desperate enough to entertain thoughts of signing Eddy Curry, you know its lacking in the frontcourt.
And that's exactly what the Heat are doing, having worked out the former Knicks bust last week. Apparently, the revolving door of Erick Dampier, Joel Anthony, Zydrunas Ilgauskas and Juwan Howard hasn't worked alongside Chris Bosh.
With Udonis Haslem still not practicing and unlikely to play when the playoffs begin, the Heat are really lacking on the low block. Bosh and Ilgauskas are finesse big men better known for their jump shooting, while Dampier and Anthony just aren't that good.
The Knicks have similar issues down low. Amar'e Stoudemire is a better version of Bosh, Jared Jeffries, Shelden WIlliams and Ronny Turiaf have talents (or lack thereof) comparable to Dampier and Anthony, while Shawne Williams is a small forward playing out of position at power forward.
The Knicks have little-to-no chance of facing Chicago or Orlando in Round 1, which is a good thing, considering what the combination of Joakim Noah and Carlos Boozer could do to their frontcourt.
We've already seen that the Knicks—and everybody else, for that matter—can't handle Dwight Howard.
New York's "Big Three" Matches Up Well with Miami's
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The Knicks were 1-2 against Miami before acquiring Carmelo Anthony. While they have looked worse defensively since the trade with Denver, Anthony has been an able defender when (infrequently) motivated.
Anybody who watched the last matchup between these two teams saw that, as Anthony was able to contain LeBron James in the fourth quarter and made his attempted go-ahead shot in the last seconds difficult.
Anthony will likely be just as motivated to compete defensively against James when the playoffs start, and with him and Amar'e Stoudemire showing the ability to defend James and Chris Bosh, Dwyane Wade becomes the player the Knicks may struggle to defend.
Everybody knows Wade has the ability to go off at a moment's notice, and with Landry Fields struggling, the Knicks may use Toney Douglas more on Wade for his defense.
The other member of the Knicks' "Big Three," point guard Chauncey Billups, is a proven playoff performer.
Mike Bibby is a veteran as well, but he is nowhere near the player Billups is at this point in his career. While Wade will have a mismatch on the offensive end for Miami, Billups should be able to take advantage of Bibby and Mario Chalmers to keep the Knicks offense flowing. And he won't be challenged defensively to guard either Miami point guard, as they are both spot-up shooters and nothing more.
The Knicks Lack Depth, but They're Deeper than the Heat
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With the money Miami is paying LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh, the Heat had no choice but to fill the rest of the roster with washed-up veterans and average players. The Knicks aren't known as a deep team by any stretch, but they have players that can make an impact coming off the bench, particularly Toney Douglas.
Douglas has seen an increased role since the departures of Raymond Felton, Danilo Gallinari and Wilson Chandler, and he has flourished on both ends. His three-point shot has improved dramatically in his short NBA career, and he can back up both guard spots for the Knicks; that's a must, considering the age of Chauncey Billups and the recent struggles of rookie Landry Fields.
Douglas is the Knicks' best perimeter defender by a landslide and is probably their best overall defender, both on the ball and when picking off passing lanes. He has been a consistent double-figure scorer for most of the past month and seems to be slowly learning the nuances of the point guard position from the veteran Billups.
Shawne Williams will also be an important player off the bench for the Knicks. He can back up both Carmelo Anthony and Amar'e Stoudemire at the forward spots, defend both positions and provide the three-point shooting that New York has lacked at times since shipping three of its better shooters out West.
Miami, on the other hand, has struggled to fill its bench. Mike Miller has been a bust, while James Jones, Eddie House and Mario Chalmers are all just jump shooters.
If there's one team the Knicks have a depth advantage against, it's the Heat.
"Mr. Big Shot" Is Healthy Again
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Chauncey Billups struggled initially when he returned from a quadriceps injury 13 games ago, but he has gotten his game back over the last week. He exploded for 33 points against the Nets last Wednesday, and while it was only the Nets, Billups started by making his first seven shots, including three three-pointers.
Billups, the NBA Finals MVP in 2004 with the Pistons, is respected around the league as a player you want on your side in the playoffs. Avoiding Derrick Rose and the Bulls and Rajon Rondo and the Celtics will give Billups a huge advantage at the point guard position in Round 1, which could help the Knicks stay competitive and even steal a series against Miami.
While Carmelo Anthony locked it down defensively in the last Knicks-Heat meeting, it was Billups hitting a long three-pointer to put the Knicks ahead for good with a minute to play.
If he truly is fully recovered from that quadriceps injury, he could be the "X-factor" for New York in a first-round series against the Heat.
Both Teams Have Struggled in the Fourth Quarter
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The Heat have notably struggled to protect leads late in games, particularly against teams over .500. The Knicks came back from 15 down in the teams' last meeting, with Carmelo Anthony clamping down on LeBron James in the final minutes.
The Knicks started the season playing great basketball in crunch time, as Amar'e Stoudemire was leading the league in fourth-quarter scoring average at one point and was legitimately in the MVP discussion.
That talk has since fallen off, and when the team traded for Anthony, that fourth-quarter success turned to failure.
The Knicks will need to solve this problem if they want to upset the Heat, but the Heat will need to do the same to prevent the upset. Most games in this series should be tight, and postseason advancement will likely come down to fourth-quarter performance.
From what I've seen this season, Anthony and Stoudemire have been more clutch than James and Dwyane Wade, whose last-possession struggles have drawn serious attention from the media.
Conclusion
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The Knicks have a lot of holes as a basketball team, as does Miami. Their weaknesses match up oddly well, which is why New York fans should root for a No. 2 vs. No. 7 or a No. 3 vs. No. 6 matchup against the Heat.
The Celtics can exploit Billups defensively with the quicker Rajon Rondo, while Ray Allen would relish the open looks he will see against the Knicks. The Celtics may be old and lacking in size since moving Kendrick Perkins to Oklahoma City, but they are a veteran team that knows how to win in the playoffs and present a bad matchup for the Knicks.
The Bulls can exploit Billups in a similar fashion with Derrick Rose, the likely MVP of the league. The Knicks beat Chicago in their only two games this season, but Carlos Boozer and Joakim Noah were never on the court together. That combination could really take advantage of the Knicks' issues in the post.
Unless Atlanta surprises Orlando, the second round is full of terrible matchups for the Knicks...if they draw the Heat and pull an upset.
This is not a team that will make noise deep into the playoffs this season, but a first-round series with the Heat gives them at least a chance to take a series. Sadly, that's all Knicks fans can really hope for this season.
