New York Knicks: 10 Things They Must Do To Upset Boston Celtics in NBA Playoffs
The Eastern Conference playoffs are set, and the sixth-seeded New York Knicks will match up with the third-seeded Boston Celtics. I wrote last week that the Knicks wanted to play the Heat in round one, but Miami's blowout win over Boston on Sunday ended any chances of that happening.
That loss led to coach Doc Rivers resting Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, Ray Allen and Rajon Rondo in a loss to Washington on Monday night. Since they sat then, it stands to reason that they'll stay inactive against the Knicks on Wednesday.
Will Rivers' decision to rest his stars lead to them being fresh for the first few games of this series, or will it lead to rust and chemistry issues for a team that is just 14-12 since trading center Kendrick Perkins? If the latter proves to be true, the streaking Knicks can take advantage.
Steal 1 of the First 2 Games in Boston
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If Rivers' decision to rest his big-name players results in rust, the Knicks will have a great opportunity to win a game in Boston and steal home-court advantage from the Celtics. With two high-volume scorers in Carmelo Anthony and Amar'e Stoudemire, New York can put points on the board with anybody in the league.
Along with that scoring ability, If they can manage to defend well enough in just one of the first two games and take the series back to Madison Square Garden tied at one, the Knicks could have a legitimate chance to go back to Boston up three games to two. If that's the case, anything can happen in Games 6 and 7.
Play to the Home Crowd
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The atmosphere at Madison Square Garden when the Knicks are relevant is difficult to put into words. And right now, the Knicks are very relevant.
The Knicks haven't been to the playoffs since 2004 and haven't been very good in any season since. To say New York basketball fans have been waiting for this moment would be an epic understatement.
"The Mecca of Basketball" will be a raucous environment to play in this postseason, and the Rangers also making the playoffs will only add to the excitement around New York postseason sports. The Knicks will have their crowd well behind them at all times, something stars like Amar'e Stoudemire and Carmelo Anthony thrive on.
Nobody expects the Knicks to be able to take down the Celtics in five games or less, so the home crowd will not get the opportunity to see a series-clinching game. But if the crowd can rattle the visiting Celtics even a little bit and fire up the Knicks to a similar extent, they could very well have a hand in swaying this series in New York's favor.
Compete Defensively: Especially Helping on Rotations
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The Knicks' defensive struggles have been well-publicized in the media, in New York and around the country. This team will never be a points-allowed juggernaut with Mike D'Antoni's offensive style, but what will be important is how they defend on a points-per-possession basis.
New York has been even worse defensively since dealing for Carmelo Anthony, but he has the skill set to be a good NBA defender. Just watch the final possession of Sunday's game against the Pacers, where Anthony blocked Danny Granger's game-winning field goal attempt.
The previous time those two teams met, Granger beat the Knicks with a game-winner at the buzzer when guarded by Shawne Williams. Williams is considered a good defender. Anthony can be just as good, if not better. All it takes is a little effort.
Anthony has been up to task of bringing energy on both ends of the floor in recent weeks and if that continues in the playoffs, the Knicks should be in better shape. But the real key for New York's defense will be rotations and help defense, especially closing out on Ray Allen and keeping him from getting wide-open looks at the basket.
In three games against the Knicks this season, Allen has 53 points and is 5-for-14 from beyond the arc. Those numbers don't jump out at you but in the playoffs, Allen will make three out of four from distance if he gets a clear look, even at his advanced age. And he's the last person the Knicks want to see with an open shot late to decide the game, even more so than Paul Pierce.
Make Rajon Rondo Beat Them with Jump Shots
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Many teams have attempted to force Rajon Rondo to beat them with jump shots, only to find themselves getting burned by Ray Allen and Paul Pierce anyway. The Celtics are so efficient offensively, particularly running off picks set by their big men, that it doesn't matter how far you play off Rondo sometimes: Allen, Pierce and Kevin Garnett will get theirs.
But an aging Chauncey Billups will have no choice but to back off the younger, quicker Rondo. Billups can use his years of playoff experience to contain the one-dimensional Rondo and make him find teammates in unfavorable positions.
Like I said in the previous slide, if the Knicks compete defensively, close out on rotations and can stick with their assignments through picks and screens, they have a chance to turn Rondo into a jump shooter. And that's a winning game plan for any team on defense.
Get Efficient Scoring from Carmelo Anthony
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Everybody knows Carmelo Anthony can score. The real question is whether he can do it in the flow of the offense without hoisting up 25 shots per game.
Lately, Anthony has been very efficient, partly because of an improved three-point jump shot. In the last eight games he has shot under 44 percent from the field just once, Sunday against Indiana, in a game the Knicks played without the injured Amar'e Stoudemire.
Anthony is averaging 31.5 points per game over that span, shooting almost 50 percent (89-for-179) from the field and over 45 percent (26-for-58) from downtown. If he can continue to score at an efficient rate, the Knicks will have fewer wasted possessions on offense. In the playoffs, every possession counts.
Use Amar'e Stoudemire and Carmelo Anthony on the Low Block
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The Celtics have struggled since trading Kendrick Perkins to the Thunder, as Nenad Krstic is nowhere near the defensive presence down low Perkins was. Shaquille O'Neal can't stay healthy and Jermaine O'Neal is also not a bruiser. Glen "Big Baby" Davis is the Celtics' best intimidator down low and the Knicks need to take advantage.
Despite their mid-range preferences, both Amar'e Stoudemire and Carmelo Anthony are competent low-post scorers. Both will have a quickness advantage over any Boston defender and while Stoudemire can use his height to get shots off, Anthony can use his size and impressive array of post moves to get good looks near the basket.
If the Knicks get their stars down low, they can create easy baskets and get to the foul line, putting an already thin Boston frontcourt in foul trouble. The Knicks aren't strong down low themselves, but they have the offensive weapons to exploit Boston on the block. The Celtics don't.
Light It Up from Downtown
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Any Mike D'Antoni-coached team is reliant on three-point shooting, and the Knicks are no different. Many people, including myself, thought the trade for Anthony would be an odd fit since he wasn't a great three-point shooter.
Anthony, however, has been scorching the nets from downtown of late and is showing range that even I didn't know he had, hitting pull-up threes from five feet beyond the arc. Add in Chauncey Billups, Shawne Williams, Toney Douglas and even Bill Walker, and the Knicks have a handful of players that can beat you from distance.
The Knicks will likely struggle if they go cold from outside, unless they stick to pounding the ball down low to Anthony and Amar'e Stoudemire. Either way, they will need to hit outside shots to keep the Celtics honest defensively.
Get Out in Transition
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The Celtics can run with Rajon Rondo at the helm, but their aging stars prefer a half-court game to conserve energy. The Knicks are young and athletic and to use this to their advantage, they need to find a way to score in transition.
For the Knicks to get out on the fast break, they will need to defend and force Boston to settle for jump shots. Long rebounds create transition opportunities and the Knicks will need to run, as Boston's half-court defense is far superior to New York's half-court offense, even with Anthony.
If the Knicks can't force Boston into mid-range misses, they will be hard-pressed to get out on the break. If they are forced into a half-court game where they aren't shooting the lights out from three, an upset will be tough to pull.
Keep Boston off the Offensive Glass
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This goes hand-in-hand with the previous slide, as the Knicks will be unable to take advantage of fast-break opportunities if they can't secure defensive rebounds. The Knicks' field-goal percentage defense is bad enough that if they don't limit Boston to one shot per possession, they won't be able to score enough in the half-court to win games.
Boston may not have Kendrick Perkins any more, but Kevin Garnett and Jermaine O'Neal are veterans who understand position on the block. Glen Davis is a wide body who can clear out room for himself to grab offensive boards and if the Knicks can't keep these guys off the glass, it will be a long series for New York.
Share the Basketball
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Since the Knicks acquired Anthony, they have ditched the free-wheeling run-and-gun style they employed so successfully with Raymond Felton at the helm and have been more of a stagnant, half-court team. In many situations, Chauncey Billups will give the ball to either Carmelo Anthony or Amar'e Stoudemire while everybody else watches them isolate.
Over their last six games, the Knicks have averaged 24 assists per game. They seem to have put an emphasis on sharing the ball and finding open shooters recently, Anthony in particular. He is starting to embrace his role as a team player and incidentally, his own scoring has gone way up along with his efficiency.
If the Knicks continue to play as a team, their offense will only improve. That's a scary thought for a team that ranks second in scoring at 106.8 points per game, but in their last six games, they are averaging 116.1 points per contest.
Four of those games came against New Jersey, Cleveland and Toronto, so there's no need to overreact to a small sample of games against bottom-dwelling teams. But an unselfish Knicks squad is one with limitless offensive potential.
Conclusion
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Is it likely the Knicks will be able to continue their winning ways, build on their recent momentum and upset the Celtics? No, not really.
But is it possible? It sure is and as long as the Knicks keep doing what has gotten them to this point, they should at the very least be competitive in this first-round matchup.
Knicks fans won't be content with first-round playoff exits for very long, but if this team shows they can put a good product on the floor against one of the NBA's better teams, there will be plenty of reason for optimism for the future of basketball in New York. Madison Square Garden would have it no other way.
