New York Knicks fans are already so fond of Richard Jefferson, so his prediction for the Knicks-Cavaliers first-round playoff series shouldn’t be surprising. He always talks highly of New York and fans adore him for it.
Okay, the joke’s over. But this isn’t a joke – Jefferson thinks that the Knicks will beat the Cavaliers in seven games. The player that won a ring with Cleveland in 2016 and is notorious for being a New York hater actually believes that the team will win. Fans can view that as either a good or bad thing.
On Jefferson, Channing Frye, and Allie Clifton’s ‘Road Trippin’ podcast, RJ explained why he believes that New York will win if Julius Randle is healthy.
“I think the Knicks win that in 7 in a very very tight one“
— New York Basketball (@NBA_NewYork) April 7, 2023
— Richard Jefferson on the Knicks-Cavaliers first round. He believes Julius Randle will return from injury
Former Knick & Cav Channing Frye is rooting for Clevelandpic.twitter.com/4IpEXb11hw
Richard Jefferson thinks that Knicks will beat Cavaliers in seven games
If both teams are healthy, Richard Jefferson said: “I think the Knicks win that in seven in a very, very tight one.” Channing Frye had to make sure that he heard Jefferson correctly, to which Jefferson said he thinks that New York can win “100 percent.”
Behind Donovan Mitchell, Jefferson believes that Julius Randle will be the second-best player on the court and then Jalen Brunson at No. 3. Randle’s status for the playoffs is still unknown, but Jefferson thinks that New York’s All-Star forward won’t miss a playoff game.
Frye, who played for the Knicks and Cavaliers, thinks that Cleveland will win. Jefferson argued that not only will it be a great matchup, but the two teams are “evenly matched.” When Frye asked Jefferson to make a bet on the first-round series with him, RJ said that even though he thinks New York will win, he isn’t going to bet against Cleveland. Interesting.
New York fans didn’t need Jefferson’s assurance to believe that the Knicks can beat the Cavaliers, but it’s still surprising that he didn’t outright pick Cleveland to win. That goes to show you the kind of team that New York has been this season. While the Knicks have been more of an afterthought in the past, this year’s team is different.
It’s weird to agree with Richard Jefferson, but in this case, it actually isn’t a bad thing to be on his side.
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