That is the primary in a sequence of articles previewing the Celtics’ likeliest challengers to the throne.
The best type of flattery is watching opponents tailor their rosters particularly to beat you.
From the Harden Rockets making an attempt to math the Warriors dynasty into submission within the late 2010s to the Minnesota Timberwolves realizing that dimension was the pickaxe wanted to mine the Nuggets, groups have develop into extra aggressive about setting up a roster designed particularly to beat the highest canine of their convention.
No one has been extra blatant about forming a Celtics Killer than the New York Knicks.
Final season’s Knicks had been an excellent workforce finally undone by accidents. Their new roster, bolstered by the summer time’s commerce for Mikal Bridges, was remade to battle Boston.
Let’s begin with the possible depth chart.
PG: Jalen Brunson, Miles McBride, Cam Payne
SG: Mikal Bridges, Donte DiVincenzo
SF: OG Anunoby, Josh Hart
PF: Julius Randle, Keita Bates-Diop
C: Mitchell Robinson, Treasured Achiuwa, Jericho Sims
Though the Celtics gained final common season’s sequence 4-1 final season, they hardly ever noticed the Knicks at full power. New York’s one win was the one recreation Anunoby participated in, and this yr’s workforce might be higher geared up to battle Boston.
The Knicks have a ton of wing depth, an apparent response to the Celtics assault, however is it potential to have an excessive amount of of an excellent factor? Nearly as good as Mikal Bridges is, I’m undecided he’s as cosy a match for the Knicks offensively as Donte DiVincenzo, who had a case because the second-best three-pointer shooter within the league final season. You don’t commerce the farm for a participant like Bridges with out taking part in him monster minutes (and his iron-man standing will instantly endear him to educate Tom Thibodeau), however watching how the Knicks match DiVincenzo (their finest shooter by a Brooklyn Bridge size) into the rotation might be attention-grabbing.
Brunson was an All-NBA participant final yr, and he was capable of finding success at occasions towards the Celtics’ vaunted defensive backcourt, dropping 34 and 39 factors within the final two conferences on environment friendly capturing.
Randle, the Knicks’ second-best participant (by box-score manufacturing, a minimum of), has sometimes struggled towards the Celtics. There’s a way that his bruising energy recreation may make the most of a slimmer Boston frontline, however that hasn’t translated to actuality but.
Their greatest gap is on the greatest place. The Knicks’ Mitchell Robinson is a good middle, however he’s always injured. Shedding Isaiah Hartenstein to the OKC Thunder leaves a Kool-Assist-man-sized hole on the roster, as Treasured Achiuwa and Jericho Sims might be overtaxed as the first backups. The Knicks nonetheless have some commerce ammo left to fortify their entrance court docket, so I’d anticipate them so as to add a high-quality backup earlier than the commerce deadline.
Strengths
The Knicks, as an entire, have two vital strengths going for them towards the Celtics. One, no workforce within the league will higher be capable of match up with the Jays (though which may be extra difficult than individuals assume, because it means placing both Julius Randle or NY’s middle on one among Boston’s guards — a transfer Boston noticed loads of final yr and is aware of learn how to exploit). Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown can’t be utterly stopped, however Anunoby and Bridges have one of the best likelihood within the league of slowing them. It’ll be as much as Jrue Vacation or Derrick White to make the most of what ought to be a susceptible matchup.
Right here’s one thing bizarre: regardless of their 1-4 file, the Knicks really had the third-best offensive score towards the Celtics! No, I wouldn’t have guessed that both, however it wasn’t as a result of they shot exceptionally nicely. As an alternative, the Knicks put their full weight into their biggest power: offensive rebounding.
The Knicks had been one of the best offensive rebounding workforce within the league, however they amped up their boarding to a preposterous quantity towards Boston. They mopped up 38.0% of their misses, almost six share factors greater than their league-best 32.2% regular-season charge. It’s onerous to overstate how absurd that quantity is.
Randle, Robinson, and Hart be sure that a minimum of two elite window-wipers are on the ground always. Boston was a wonderfully first rate defensive rebounding workforce final yr, however that is the one statistical edge New York ought to cleanly have over the Celtics, even when they take a small step again with out Hartenstein. Though Boston’s protection ought to maintain up nicely towards New York’s first-shot offense, the Celtics should emphasize defending the glass.
Weaknesses
Regardless of what I stated above, New York should have issues scoring towards Boston. Randle, specifically, must work out learn how to get buckets extra effectively — he shot simply 34% towards Boston in his three matches final yr. He’s additionally struggled in his playoff minutes, typically. Bridges’ presence provides a desperately wanted tertiary playmaking factor to New York, however it stays to be seen how a lot incremental profit that has for an offense constructed round bully ball and Jalen Brunson’s pitter-patters into the paint.
Between Bridges, Anunoby, DiVincenzo, and Brunson, the Knicks have surprisingly dependable capturing. However praying for long-range fireworks is never a sustainable technique over a seven-game sequence (let’s overlook about that Miami-Boston sequence just a few years in the past, we could?).
And with the Knicks, well being is at all times a priority. Middle depth, specifically, is a large drawback proper now. If Randle or Brunson is even barely hobbled, there merely isn’t sufficient creation on this workforce to beat a protection as well-rounded as Boston’s.
Remaining ideas
The scariest model of the Knicks would possibly place Anunoby or Randle at middle, one thing they toyed with an eensy-teensy bit final season. Tom Thibodeau’s willingness to get bizarre would possibly decide their possibilities.
The Knicks’ revamped protection may hassle Boston (as a lot as anybody can, anyway). Nonetheless, regardless of their rebounding prowess, New York ought to have even higher issues scoring persistently towards the Celtics. On the finish of the day, I’d anticipate them to fall quick (though Boston could escape battered and bruised).
In some methods, I stay up for a Boston-New York sequence greater than anything. Brown and Tatum must elevate their video games to beat the Anunoby/Bridges duo. Nothing creates basketball artwork fairly like high-level offense overcoming snarling protection, and I’d love to look at the Jays swish their paintbrushes round.
Trying forward, the Knicks ought to be round on this iteration for a number of years. Regardless that I firmly have Boston in entrance of New York for this season, the Knicks could also be a much bigger risk within the following years, when Boston will possible should shed some wage. However that’s an issue for future Celtics; for now, Boston should preserve their self-discipline on the glass to show me proper.