- Joined
- May 8, 2002
- Posts
- 1,128,930
- Reaction score
- 59
Now that the Knicks are back in the NBA Finals, they don’t just want it to be a one-off, a feel-good story that ends in disappointment. They want to win.
Many have speculated if New York can compete with the all-powerful San Antonio Spurs, which finished second in the NBA with 62 wins. Mitchell Robinson’s finger injury has already thrown a wrench in its gameplan. On both ends, Spurs superstar Victor Wembanyama will be tough to handle — the Knicks must limit him to have any chance of claiming their first title since 1973.
Of course, there’s also New York’s contingent of Jalen Brunson, Josh Hart, Karl-Anthony Towns and Co. How they perform in their first Finals appearances will also be pivotal.
Here are four keys to the Knicks winning the NBA Finals, which begin Wednesday at 8:30 p.m.:
Wembanyama will certainly be the Knicks’ biggest problem on both sides of the court. The 22-year-old center is averaging 23.2 points and 10.8 rebounds through his first 17 career playoff games and nearly put up 30 in the regular season. The Thunder never figured out how to slow him down in the seven-game Western Conference Finals as he dropped at least 20 points in every game.
Offensively, the Knicks will have their hands full with the French phenom. They have two feasible options — have the 7-foot Towns guard Wembanyama, especially with Robinson potentially limited, or stick a smaller defender on him, likely 6-foot-7 OG Anunoby.
Despite the glaring size difference in that second potential matchup, Anunoby prides himself on his defense, earning NBA All-Defensive Second Team honors this season. The Knicks may opt for that strategy more often, but could also throw Towns and Robinson into the mix. That would prevent leaving either on an island for too long with San Antonio’s premier sharpshooters, namely Julian Champagnie.
On the other side, there’s a chance Wembanyama − this year’s Defensive Player of the Year − primarily guards Hart. Regardless, whoever doesn’t draw that assignment is just as critical.
Landry Shamet stepped up at times against Cleveland, drilling three 3-pointers to aid New York’s miraculous Game 1 comeback, then added 14 and 16 in the final two games. Whether it’s Hart, Brunson, Towns or anyone else, someone needs to make up for points lost to Wembanyama’s stellar defense.
One of the biggest question marks entering this series is Robinson’s capabilities after breaking his right pinky finger against the Cavaliers. His availability for Game 1 is still to be determined, Knicks head coach Mike Brown said Sunday.
Robinson has been working out individually with a brace in preparation to play. Whether he suits up or not, his injury affects the Knicks’ plans. Robinson is a major presence on the glass, averaging 8.8 rebounds and a team-leading 1.7 blocks this season.
If he’s out, Towns will have a bigger responsibility as New York’s primary big. Without Robinson to give him a break at times, that could allow Wembanyama to feast, which the Knicks can’t afford. Ariel Hukporti, who’s started just five games this season, might also be forced into more minutes than New York probably wants.
“For me, I’m always going with whoever is available today,” Brown told reporters Friday. “And (Robinson) didn’t practice today. So we’re getting whoever we need ready to go.”
If Robinson does play, he’ll almost certainly be limited or less effective. Though he isn’t known for his scoring, the injury is on his shooting hand. And who knows whether he’ll even be able to snag rebounds cleanly.
The Knicks will need Robinson to produce either defensively or on the boards, despite his obvious handicap.
When the Knicks take the court for Wednesday’s Game 1, it will be their first game in over a week. Because of their sweep of the Cavaliers and the Spurs’ seven-game series with the Thunder, New York last played on May 25.
Thankfully, the Knicks have some experience with long layoffs. They had eight days between the end of the conference semifinals — when they swept the Philadelphia 76ers — and the finals with Cleveland.
Though that rust showed early in the first Cavaliers game, trailing by 22 with less than eight minutes left, New York stormed back and easily handled business in the next three games.
The Spurs are levels above both of those opponents, so it’s imperative to start fast. Give them a little momentum, and they might take a mile, or in this case, the entire series.
San Antonio’s options are endless on offense − Wembanyama, Stephon Castle, De’Aaron Fox, Champagnie and more − and their defense is one of the best in the league. A sluggish Knicks team would only give them a bigger advantage than they already appear to have.
Though Wembanyama may be on Hart, Brunson will still be the Spurs’ main focus. Castle is another elite defender, and he’ll likely be tasked with guarding Brunson. Fox often took that duty during the teams’ three regular-season matchups, but Castle just handled an even more daunting assignment in OKC’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
There are two ways this can go. One: Brunson overpowers Castle and takes over the game, likely due to his 3-point prowess. If that happens, the Knicks should be in a good spot. Two: Brunson is limited, in which case it will be on New York’s secondary scorers to pick up the slack.
Look to Towns if that happens. With the Brunson-Castle and Hart-Wembanyama matchups, Devin Vassell and Champagnie will potentially handle Towns after working against Thunder center Chet Holmgren in the last series.
The two absolutely suffocated Holmgren offensively, holding him to 16 or fewer points in every game. That could provide some doubts on Towns’ hopes of besting them. But with a title on the line, his production could be a major factor in the series.
Of course, if Brunson is on, Towns and the Knicks’ other scorers − Anunoby, Hart, Mikal Bridges and Shamet − won’t have as big of responsibilities. But their success certainly wouldn’t hurt.
This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Knicks vs Spurs preview: How to beat Victor Wembanyama, win NBA Finals
Continue reading...
Many have speculated if New York can compete with the all-powerful San Antonio Spurs, which finished second in the NBA with 62 wins. Mitchell Robinson’s finger injury has already thrown a wrench in its gameplan. On both ends, Spurs superstar Victor Wembanyama will be tough to handle — the Knicks must limit him to have any chance of claiming their first title since 1973.
Of course, there’s also New York’s contingent of Jalen Brunson, Josh Hart, Karl-Anthony Towns and Co. How they perform in their first Finals appearances will also be pivotal.
Here are four keys to the Knicks winning the NBA Finals, which begin Wednesday at 8:30 p.m.:
1. Solve the Victor Wembanyama problem
You must be registered for see images attach
Wembanyama will certainly be the Knicks’ biggest problem on both sides of the court. The 22-year-old center is averaging 23.2 points and 10.8 rebounds through his first 17 career playoff games and nearly put up 30 in the regular season. The Thunder never figured out how to slow him down in the seven-game Western Conference Finals as he dropped at least 20 points in every game.
Offensively, the Knicks will have their hands full with the French phenom. They have two feasible options — have the 7-foot Towns guard Wembanyama, especially with Robinson potentially limited, or stick a smaller defender on him, likely 6-foot-7 OG Anunoby.
Despite the glaring size difference in that second potential matchup, Anunoby prides himself on his defense, earning NBA All-Defensive Second Team honors this season. The Knicks may opt for that strategy more often, but could also throw Towns and Robinson into the mix. That would prevent leaving either on an island for too long with San Antonio’s premier sharpshooters, namely Julian Champagnie.
On the other side, there’s a chance Wembanyama − this year’s Defensive Player of the Year − primarily guards Hart. Regardless, whoever doesn’t draw that assignment is just as critical.
Landry Shamet stepped up at times against Cleveland, drilling three 3-pointers to aid New York’s miraculous Game 1 comeback, then added 14 and 16 in the final two games. Whether it’s Hart, Brunson, Towns or anyone else, someone needs to make up for points lost to Wembanyama’s stellar defense.
2. Mitchell Robinson must produce despite injury
You must be registered for see images attach
One of the biggest question marks entering this series is Robinson’s capabilities after breaking his right pinky finger against the Cavaliers. His availability for Game 1 is still to be determined, Knicks head coach Mike Brown said Sunday.
Robinson has been working out individually with a brace in preparation to play. Whether he suits up or not, his injury affects the Knicks’ plans. Robinson is a major presence on the glass, averaging 8.8 rebounds and a team-leading 1.7 blocks this season.
If he’s out, Towns will have a bigger responsibility as New York’s primary big. Without Robinson to give him a break at times, that could allow Wembanyama to feast, which the Knicks can’t afford. Ariel Hukporti, who’s started just five games this season, might also be forced into more minutes than New York probably wants.
“For me, I’m always going with whoever is available today,” Brown told reporters Friday. “And (Robinson) didn’t practice today. So we’re getting whoever we need ready to go.”
If Robinson does play, he’ll almost certainly be limited or less effective. Though he isn’t known for his scoring, the injury is on his shooting hand. And who knows whether he’ll even be able to snag rebounds cleanly.
The Knicks will need Robinson to produce either defensively or on the boards, despite his obvious handicap.
3. Knicks must shake off the rust early
You must be registered for see images attach
When the Knicks take the court for Wednesday’s Game 1, it will be their first game in over a week. Because of their sweep of the Cavaliers and the Spurs’ seven-game series with the Thunder, New York last played on May 25.
Thankfully, the Knicks have some experience with long layoffs. They had eight days between the end of the conference semifinals — when they swept the Philadelphia 76ers — and the finals with Cleveland.
Though that rust showed early in the first Cavaliers game, trailing by 22 with less than eight minutes left, New York stormed back and easily handled business in the next three games.
The Spurs are levels above both of those opponents, so it’s imperative to start fast. Give them a little momentum, and they might take a mile, or in this case, the entire series.
San Antonio’s options are endless on offense − Wembanyama, Stephon Castle, De’Aaron Fox, Champagnie and more − and their defense is one of the best in the league. A sluggish Knicks team would only give them a bigger advantage than they already appear to have.
4. After Jalen Brunson, secondary options must be there
You must be registered for see images attach
Though Wembanyama may be on Hart, Brunson will still be the Spurs’ main focus. Castle is another elite defender, and he’ll likely be tasked with guarding Brunson. Fox often took that duty during the teams’ three regular-season matchups, but Castle just handled an even more daunting assignment in OKC’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
There are two ways this can go. One: Brunson overpowers Castle and takes over the game, likely due to his 3-point prowess. If that happens, the Knicks should be in a good spot. Two: Brunson is limited, in which case it will be on New York’s secondary scorers to pick up the slack.
Look to Towns if that happens. With the Brunson-Castle and Hart-Wembanyama matchups, Devin Vassell and Champagnie will potentially handle Towns after working against Thunder center Chet Holmgren in the last series.
The two absolutely suffocated Holmgren offensively, holding him to 16 or fewer points in every game. That could provide some doubts on Towns’ hopes of besting them. But with a title on the line, his production could be a major factor in the series.
Of course, if Brunson is on, Towns and the Knicks’ other scorers − Anunoby, Hart, Mikal Bridges and Shamet − won’t have as big of responsibilities. But their success certainly wouldn’t hurt.
This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Knicks vs Spurs preview: How to beat Victor Wembanyama, win NBA Finals
Continue reading...
