In one of the most anticipated first-round playoff matchups, the New York Knicks will face the Cavaliers. It couldn’t have been scripted any better after an offseason full of Donovan Mitchell-Knicks rumors. Rather than play in his hometown, Cleveland swooped in and met Danny Ainge’s demands for the star guard.
After the Knicks didn’t trade for Mitchell, many assumed that they’d be fighting to earn a spot in the play-in tournament. Sure, New York signed Jalen Brunson, but how much would he be able to elevate the team’s playoff chances? Well, it turns out a lot. Between Brunson exceeding all expectations in year one in NYC and Julius Randle rising back to All-Stardom, the Knicks were able to avoid the play-in tournament entirely and secure the No. 5 seed.
Although New York has surpassed its regular season expectations, the reality is that the Knicks are still the Knicks. No matter how much success the team experiences, it will never be enough for some. That mindset is a large part of the reason why the Brunson signing was downplayed so much, and look at how that turned out. And it’s part of the reason why many are doubting New York in the first-round series against Cleveland.
RJ Barrett is asked if he feels like the Knicks are being counted out against the Cavaliers in the first round:
— Knicks Videos (@sny_knicks) April 11, 2023
"We've believed in ourselves since day 1" pic.twitter.com/hdC8kaMi3u
RJ Barrett has perfect response to Knicks being overlooked against Cavaliers
When RJ Barrett was asked if he feels as if the Knicks are being counted out, he replied, “You said that like you’re surprised by that or something.” He went on to say that the team has believed in itself and that won’t change.
Remember at the beginning of the season when RJ said that the Knicks were “definitely going to shock the world.” His mindset hasn’t changed. New York is in the playoffs, which might be enough in itself to shock the world, but a true shock would be if the team was to advance to the second round, and not because the Knicks aren’t capable of doing so. Since the 2000-01 season, New York has advanced past the first round only one time.
Some within the NBA realm still might not be fully ready for the Knicks to be good, but it’s past time to argue whether or not New York is for real. The Knicks are the No. 5 seed in the East for a reason. It’s hard to get more for real than that.
Barrett’s in his fourth season in NYC since being drafted No. 3 overall in 2019. He knows how it is. The Knicks have proven that it doesn’t matter who believes in them because as long as they believe in themselves, that’s what matters.
3 Reasonable expectations for thrilling Knicks-Cavaliers playoff series
With the Knicks and Cavs officially set to face off in the first round of the NBA playoffs, here are three reasonable expectations.