After what has felt like an eternity of waiting for the New York Knicks and Cavaliers to tip off in the playoffs, there’s only one day left until the two teams will take the court at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse for Game 1.
The Cavaliers finished the regular season with a 51-31 record, four games ahead of the 47-35 Knicks. Cleveland was predicted to be one of the top teams in the East after trading for Donovan Mitchell, but New York was projected to be a play-in team. Jalen Brunson and Julius Randle helped the Knicks avoid the play-in tournament altogether, which has played to their benefit as Randle recovers from a sprained ankle.
Cleveland is the favorite to move on to the Eastern Conference Semifinals, but if New York has proven one thing this season, it’s that it shouldn’t be counted out. Or maybe the Knicks should be counted out because that’s when they do their best work.
Overcoming the Cavaliers won’t come without its challenges. Regardless of how well the Knicks may play in the first-round series, there are a series of obstacles that New York will need to conquer to survive and advance.
4 obstacles the Knicks will need to overcome in playoff series versus Cavaliers
4: Cavaliers homecourt advantage
Because Cleveland finished as the No. 4 seed, the Cavaliers have homecourt advantage over the Knicks in the first round. If the series goes to Game 7, that pivotal contest will be held in Cleveland.
New York finished the regular season with a 23-18 record at home and a 24-17 record on the road. The Knicks started the season by struggling in games played at MSG, but that changed as the year wore on.
Although the team had nearly an identical record at home and on the road, the playoffs are a different beast. New York may not have homecourt advantage, but it does have the advantage of calling Madison Square Garden home. Remember how rowdy MSG was two years ago? Expect that same environment but multiplied by 100. The Cavaliers haven’t made it to the playoffs since 2018 when LeBron was still in town, so Cleveland is going to be rocking as well.
The good news is that homecourt advantage didn’t affect the Knicks in 2021 when they were the No. 4 seed and lost to the No. 5 Hawks, winning only one game.
3: Donovan Mitchell playoff mode
Donovan Mitchell finished the regular season averaging a career-high 28.3 points in 68 games. He was named an All-Star starter in his first season in Cleveland and is likely headed toward an All-NBA honor.
However, Donovan Mitchell in the playoffs is next-level. In the 39 playoff games that he played in Utah, he averaged 28.3 points (ironically his regular season average) and shot 43.1% from the field and 36.9% from three. He didn’t leave that version of himself behind after he was traded. In fact, the Mitchell that’s going to take the court against the Knicks could wind up having one of his best playoff series. He’s already said that he’s looking forward to playing against his hometown team.
"“It’s full circle. Wouldn’t want it any other way,” the four-time All-Star, who averaged a career-best 28.3 points this season, said recently. “What kid wouldn’t want to grow up and play against his hometown team in the playoffs?”"
One of the Knicks’ hardest tasks will be finding a way to try to contain Mitchell, who’s a three-level scorer. He’s improved as a three-point shooter, too. Last season in Utah, he shot 35.5% on nearly 9.8 attempts per game. This season, he shot 38.6% on nearly 9.3 attempts per game.
Luckily, New York has Quentin Grimes, Josh Hart, Immanuel Quickley, and even Deuce McBride who are all capable of guarding Mitchell. The Knicks’ defense will certainly be thrown for a loop, though. Playoff Donovan Mitchell is different.
2: Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen frontcourt duo
Cleveland’s starting lineup includes Evan Mobley, who is six-foot-eleven, and Jarrett Allen, who is six-foot-nine. That duo has formed to create one of the best rim-protecting teams in the league that played a large role in the Cavaliers allowing a league-low 106.9 points per game.
At the age of 21, Mobley is a Defensive Player of the Year candidate and will almost certainly make an All-NBA Defensive Team. He’s a versatile defender that can guard the perimeter or keep the paint secured. He’s dominant by himself, so when you add Allen into the equation, the Cavaliers’ defense becomes that much more threatening.
When the Knicks drive to the basket and draw Mobley and Allen in, they’ll be able to create open looks on the perimeter. New York shot 35.4% from three during the regular season, the 26th-lowest percentage in the league. Julius Randle averaged a team-high 8.3 three-point attempts during the regular season, but his availability for the series is still unknown.
Jalen Brunson may not be one of the flashiest guards in the league, but he has a quicker first step than you’d think. His footwork while driving to the basket can help him get open looks against Mobley or Allen. Especially if Randle has to miss a game or two, Brunson will be carrying a lot of the offensive workload. The last thing that the Knicks should want is for Brunson to be throwing up bad looks.
It’ll be interesting to see what New York cooks up on the offensive end to counteract Mobley and Allen’s presence.
1: Julius Randle’s uncertainty
Julius Randle sprained his left ankle on March 29 against the Heat. Since then, he’s been sidelined. He hasn’t been cleared for contact yet, but he’s ditched the walking boot and has been back on the court getting shots up. It doesn’t seem likely that he’ll play on Saturday, but that hasn’t been made official.
Tom Thibodeau said that Randle has been progressing each day, so it doesn’t seem as if New York will be without him for the entire series. However, depending on when he’s able to return, Randle won’t have much time to get back into it as he’ll be thrown right into the playoff fire. He could be rusty for a game or two, but the Knicks can’t afford for Randle to be a non-factor.
After all, his rise back to being an All-Star is why New York is in the position to be competing in the playoffs. His playoff debut against the Hawks in 2021 ended up being a dud and he’ll have the chance to change that narrative if he’s able to take the floor against the Cavaliers.
Obi Toppin could end up starting the first game or two. He averaged 13.6 minutes per game in the 2021 playoffs, so although he knows what it’s like to be in the postseason, his role will likely be completely different this go-round.
Hopefully, if Julius Randle does have to miss time, it won’t extend past Game 1.
3 Key matchups that will decide Knicks-Cavaliers playoff series
These 3 matchups could be the difference between the New York Knicks winning or losing their upcoming playoff series against the Cleveland Cavaliers.