What does Knicks-Cavaliers first round playoff series mean for New York?
The Sixers’ win over the Celtics on Tuesday night actually meant something to New York Knicks fans. New York had already secured the No. 5 seed, but Philadelphia’s victory signified that No. 4 Cleveland wouldn’t be able to climb up to No. 3. Therefore, the Knicks and Cavaliers are locked into their first-round playoff series.
The NBA has to be thrilled right now. Not only is the Knicks being relevant a good thing for the league, but all summer long the assumption was that Donovan Mitchell would wind up in New York. Instead, Cleveland swooped in and paid Danny Ainge’s asking price that included three unprotected first-round picks.
Now, seven months later, the Knicks and Cavaliers will meet in the first round. To say that it’ll be must-watch television is an understatement. Cleveland was expected to be one of the top teams in the conference, but not New York. Thanks to Jalen Brunson and the resurgence of Julius Randle, the Knicks are back.
In what ESPN’s Zach Lowe has dubbed ‘The Donovan Mitchell Bowl,’ Knicks-Cavaliers should meet expectations and deliver the entertainment that fans crave.
What’s at stake for the Knicks in first-round playoff series against Cavaliers?
A narrative that has followed New York around all season long has involved a discussion about how the team would look if the front office would’ve pushed their chips in for Donovan Mitchell. Once the Knicks began to prove that they were legit, that narrative shifted toward how dominant New York would be with Mitchell on the roster. The issue with that is if the Knicks would’ve gotten Mitchell, there’s no way of knowing what players would’ve been sent to Utah.
Would Immanuel Quickley be on the Jazz? Quentin Grimes? RJ Barrett? Obi Toppin? Considering how impactful Quickley and Grimes have been this season, most New York fans might be grateful that a deal never went through. When it comes to getting a player of Mitchell’s caliber, teams have to be willing to give up first-round picks and promising young players. The Knicks opted to keep their young core together, which could change in the future when (it isn’t a matter of if) the front office goes after the next star.
All of this is to say that if New York doesn’t advance past Cleveland in the first round, it shouldn’t be viewed as a failure on the Knicks’ end. The 2022-23 season shouldn’t be chalked up to whether or not New York can defeat Donovan Mitchell. Yes, a first-round win would be monumental for the Knicks, but it shouldn’t overshadow everything else that the team has accomplished already this season.
Looking ahead to the future, New York is on a good path. Jalen Brunson’s contract looks better by the day, Hart has fit in perfectly with the Knicks, Quickley has taken a huge leap in year three, and Grimes’ potential is through the roof.
New York was supposed to be a play-in team at best but has emerged as a top-five team in the East. Advancing to the second round would mark only the second time since the 2000-01 season that the Knicks were able to do so. For the media and non-Knicks fans, this series likely all boils down to Donovan Mitchell, but for Knicks fans, it means more than that.
It’s been said before, but the future is bright in NYC. A first-round playoff win is the Knicks’ next goal, but there will still be plenty to build on from 2022-23 if that doesn’t happen.
