So much is on the line for the New York Knicks entering their second-round playoff series with the Boston Celtics. There is, of course, the prospect of an Eastern Conference Finals appearance. But the stakes go beyond that.
Changes are inevitable if the Knicks don’t make it past the Celtics, or if they at least don’t put up a more valiant fight than they did during the regular season. Not everyone involved is scrapping and clawing to keep their spot on the team beyond this year, but some might be.
Naturally, this feels like a good time to spotlight who has the most to prove against Boston. There is no shortage of options, either. Quite frankly, Jalen Brusnon and OG Anunoby are the only ones who have validated their mettle, and their long-term importance, beyond arguability. Everyone else is, to some extent, ferrying the burden of proof.
Because ranking things is fun, the following selections will be presented in increasing order of the pressure they face. (I.E. From the least to prove to the most prove.)
5. Deuce McBride
Deuce McBride is supposed to be the Knicks’ not-so-secret weapon, the one they turn to who unlocks truer five-out spacing lineups while ratcheting up the aggregate defense. He is so far not living up to that billing.
McBride totaled just 23 points through six appearances against the Detroit Pistons last round. He canned only 27.2 percent of his twos (3-of-11), and a paltry 26.3 percent of his threes (5-of-19). Truthfully, the 24-year-old hasn’t looked like himself since returning from knee and groin issues this season. He may be laboring through some lingering pain and limitations.
This is true of many others in the playoffs. It doesn’t change the fact that New York needs McBride to be better. The Knicks won the minutes with him on the floor in Round 1, but those stretches will crater against the Celtics if he’s neither taking nor making enough threes to keep the defense stretched out. And if he can’t do that, they’ll have to seriously question whether he’s capable of being the sixth or seventh man on a contender moving forward.
4. Mikal Bridges
The sheer amount of draft equity that New York forked over to get Mikal Bridges insists that he place higher on the most-to-prove scale. And look, that’s fair. But the price paid by the Knicks to land him was always considered exorbitant. He never once profiled as a viable No. 2 option, at least not if you want a second in command who can offload advantage-creation responsibilities from Brunson.
This provides Bridges with some level of cover. He did not force team president Leon Rose to exhaust the Knicks’ asset stores to nab him from the Brooklyn Nets.
At the same time, he hasn’t done himself many favors during his first season in orange and blue. While he is coming off a try-hard defensive series against the Pistons, his offensive output and overall aggression remain inconsistent. The Knicks need him to bring that same defensive intensity against the Celtics while sustaining a higher level of offensive decision-making and involvement.
Whether Bridges is capable of consistently wearing both hats is debatable. And unlike others on this list, his place on the roster next season is likely secure, barring the surprise acquisition of Giannis Antetokounmpo or another star. For now, though, that job security says more about how little he would probably fetch in another trade after the Knicks gave up almost everything at their disposal to get him. That is not a sentiment New York, or its fans, can afford to still have exiting this series.
3. Josh Hart
You could easily argue that the fate of the Knicks against the Celtics hinges predominantly on the play of Josh Hart. Just as the Celtics have done before, they are going to use Al Horford or Kristaps Porznigis to guard him. Hart's ability to make them pay by firing and converting enough threes will go a long way toward defining the tenor of this series.
If the past is any indication, this isn't a good thing. The offense averaged just 0.94 points per possession during the regular season on plays in which Horford or Porzingis checked Hart. For context, the Knicks put up close to 1.20 points per possession, outside of garbage time, for the entire regular season.
It isn't even clear what success looks like for Hart in this situation. The Celtics may live with him bombing away, even if he's banging in five to seven threes every single night, because it means Brunson isn't beating them. That is something with which New York must reconcile.
Still, it becomes a lot easier to challenge Boston, and to win the possession battle, if Hart is keeping the defense honest. Hit enough threes, and it just might force the Celtics to close out harder (or at all), or maybe even change their defensive matchups. Either outcome is a win for New York. If Hart can't deliver, though, the Knicks have to consider finding someone else to insert into the starting five next season, or perhaps look at moving on from Hart altogether.
2. Karl-Anthony Towns
Karl-Anthony Towns is the closest the Knicks come to a true No. 2 option. That is great on some nights. It is not-so-great on others.
Offensive inconsistency is seemingly ingrained into Towns’ DNA, He has always grappled with it, dating back to his time with the Minnesota Timberwolves. If he’s unable to explore and sustain his highest highs, New York has no chance of putting up a real fight versus Boston, let alone pulling off the upset.
Unearthing ways to fix the KAT problem isn’t just on Towns himself. Brunson must do more to find him on his live-dribble escapades. Head coach Tom Thibodeau needs to ensure the Knicks are running ample 1-5 pick-and-rolls, or trying to punish mismatches down low, on those occasions when Jrue Holiday or Jayson Tatum is guarding the star big man.
This is first and foremost a Towns thing, though. He can’t become too passive from the three-point line, or let himself get tunnel vision on drives. New York hasn’t necessarily done enough to accentuate his offensive talents at every turn, but he’s no stranger to removing himself from games.
And if he’s not bringing 11-out-of-10 offensive energy, the Knicks have to question not just his utility in this series, but how much sense it makes to continue building their future around him playing the center position at all.
1. Tom Thibodeau
Admit it: You knew this was coming.
The complaints against Tom Thibodeau are relentless and myriad. He plays his starters too much. He doesn’t make enough in-game adjustments. The offense is uninventive. Why don’t the Knicks run more Brunson-Towns picks-and-rolls when that’s their bread and butter? Why won’t he pull Hart when his lack of shooting is hurting the offense? Also, why doesn’t he add more variety and aggression to his defensive schemes?
This is but a fraction of the fanbase’s issues with Thibs. And make no mistake, they are real problems.
It is nonetheless fair to wonder how much of the Knicks’ struggles are on the head coach himself. He isn’t perfect, but the same can be said for this roster. Another coach can come in here and change a whole bunch. It doesn’t mean that’s the difference between New York’s core flaming out against the Celtics and legitimately contending for a title.
In the end, that logic doesn’t matter. The Knicks have made enough moves and expended enough assets that they’re entering prime “Changing the head coach is easier than changing anything else” territory.
Thibs’ fate may not necessarily be sealed. He signed an extension this past summer. But if the Knicks fail to push the Celtics beyond five games, the calls for his job will mushroom in volume and number. And the likelihood that the front office listens will grow, too.
Dan Favale is a Senior NBA Contributor for FanSided and National NBA Writer for Bleacher Report. Follow him on Bluesky (@danfavale), and subscribe to the Hardwood Knocks podcast, co-hosted by Bleacher Report's Grant Hughes.