The New York Knicks and the Cleveland Cavaliers are preparing for battle. But what storylines will be highlighted in this series?
The New York Knicks and the Cleveland Cavaliers will face off on Saturday, April 15, at 6 PM. But there are questions surrounding the Knicks as the game approaches. Here are some storylines that we’ll be on the lookout for throughout this series.
Will the rotation get shortened?
There have been questions about whether Tom Thibodeau will shorten the rotation from nine to eight and a half or eight. And let’s keep in mind that Thibs was not set on a playoff rotation and wanted to wait until the end of the season to get a better look at his roster. Whether that was to keep the Cavaliers on their toes or just him being honest, it has yet to be determined. Nevertheless, there is a world where Thibodeau could play Julius Randle for 40 minutes and then utilize Josh Hart for the remaining 8.
The player usually viewed to lose playing time is Obi Toppin, who has had difficulty getting minutes because of Randle’s All-Star and All-NBA caliber play this year. Before Toppin’s knee injury, he averaged 17.1 minutes. After his injury, Obi’s playing time dropped to 12.6 minutes per game. However, because of Randle’s ankle sprain, Toppin received more opportunities to showcase his skills in 31.5 minutes since the injury.
Through the last five games where Obi started, he averaged 21.8 points, 3.2 rebounds, 3.4 assists, and 1.2 steals with shooting splits of .583/.444/.906.
Obi’s offense was solid through those games, as the number suggests. He demonstrated his ability to drive and attack the basket, his three-point jumper, and his playmaking. Now Toppin’s defense wasn’t anything to write home about, but he was decent on that end of the court. However, he still needs to show he can be a strong rebounder while continuing to offer some resistance on the post.
Now he wasn’t playing against the best competition, especially in both games against the Indiana Pacers. But it was great to see Toppin perform and show he can contribute to this team and the league. Because of Toppin’s performance, he may have given Thibodeau food for thought concerning how deep his playoff bench should be.
Can Thibodeau adjust midgame?
Shoutout to JD for creating the term “template coaching” because Thibs has shown moments this season (especially over the last two years) that he can be rigid in his coaching. Whether it’s sticking with Elfrid Payton for an entire season, not playing the youth more last season, or the same rotations entering at the same time every game, you know what you’re getting from a Tom Thibodeau-led team on a nightly basis.
Most of this year, there are still moments when Thibodeau has stuck to his ways. For instance, the rotations were the same on a nightly basis, even down to the minute when players would enter the game.
But we need to give credit to Thibodeau for a few things:
- Staggering the rotations – mostly RJ Barrett running with the second unit
- Making the change to the nine-man rotation and turning the Knicks’ season around
- Coaching a top three offense since the nine-man rotation change
- Recognizing players’ strengths and getting them into position to display them (RJ running with the second unit, Isaiah Hartenstein passing from the high post, Immanuel Quickley closing games, etc.)
Thibs has shown that he can adjust, especially in the next game. But what needs to happen is planning for in-game adjustments. Unfortunately, we haven’t seen too much of that. Sometimes, he misses opportunities to put players back into games when they’re hot – like Quentin Grimes when he had it going against the Clippers and didn’t enter the game until three minutes left.
Thibs will need a heightened sense because moments throughout the playoffs could change the game’s outcome and the results of an entire series. So he’ll need to be on point this time around.
Will Julius Randle perform?
Julius Randle didn’t have a great outing against the Atlanta Hawks two seasons ago in the playoffs. But it makes sense considering it was his first-ever playoff appearance, so he wasn’t prepared for the pressure or atmosphere. During that series, he averaged 18 points, 11.6 rebounds, 4 assists, and 4.6 turnovers with a shooting split of .298/.333/.852. Compared to his season averages, which were 24.1 points, 10.2 rebounds, 6 assists, 3.4 turnovers, and shooting splits of .456/.411/.811, his playoff numbers weren’t great for his standards outside of rebounding.
On top of that, Randle disappeared in the playoffs. He couldn’t handle the double teams, but understandably so because the rest of the team didn’t show up besides Derrick Rose (and Alec Burks for one game).
Nevertheless, Randle needs to show that he is more than capable of helping his team compete and potentially get to the next round. Thankfully, this year’s team is much better than two seasons ago.
But the concern for this matchup is Randle’s health. As we remember, Julius sprained his ankle in the Miami Heat game and couldn’t participate in the season’s final five games.
However, according to Peter Botte, Julius Randle has progressed since his injury. He is out of the walking boot, which we all saw in the final game against the Indiana Pacers.
Randle is a bruiser. He can drive the lane with the force of a wrecking ball and move opponents in the paint like a tidal wave. But playing at 75 percent isn’t ideal when facing Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen. With Mobley standing at 7’ and Allen at 6’11”, they have the height advantage against Randle, who is 6’8”.
The concern isn’t one of those players alone but playing against them simultaneously. Height advantage could benefit the Cavaliers because Randle isn’t a hyper-explosive athlete. Instead, he relies on his physicality to make his presence felt. And with that said, that’s why it will be interesting to see how much pressure he can put on his ankle.
Randle’s footwork is vital to his success. Whether it’s step-back jumpers, spin moves, or simply shooting in rhythm, it’ll be interesting to see how much pressure Randle can put on his ankle to create separation and use his power.
In addition, something that isn’t discussed enough is how injuries can cause players to lose focus during the game because they’re thinking about the pain or the fear of reaggravating an injury. Hopefully, that doesn’t impact Julius because the Knicks will need his first quarter and isolation scoring.
How effective will RJ Barrett be in the playoffs?
RJ has had a rollercoaster season. He started slow, then started to get into a rhythm, lacerated his finger, fell into a funk once more, then began to get into a rhythm again.
But even through ebbs and flows, Barrett has figured out how to attack the lane with force and become a better finisher around the rim as the season started to wind down. Since February 15, Barrett has shot 60.4 percent five feet or less from the basket. Furthermore, Barrett’s ability to draw contact while driving, which gets him to the free throw line, has been the prominent bright spot in his development (this aspect of his game is much better considering his free throw shooting has improved).
Nevertheless, the question is: Will RJ show up in the playoffs?
Barrett underperformed in the Knicks-Hawks series two years ago. But he didn’t face much criticism because of his age and years of experience.
Now, RJ is in the fourth year of his rookie contract, got an extension, and is considered one of the big three for this team. So, fans will expect him to perform.
Regardless of the fans’ expectations of Barrett, the rest of the team needs RJ to find his groove. As mentioned, his ability to get downhill is crucial to the Knicks’ offense (especially when the unit hits threes). But Barrett must also start knocking down some threes and know when to facilitate to help keep defenses honest.
Will the Knicks regret not trading for Donovan Mitchell?
The header is the storyline that most will run with. “The Knicks could’ve traded for Donovan Mitchell” will be the first sentence we hear on TV, and “The Knicks should’ve traded for Donovan” will most likely be the second.
Donovan Mitchell is a talent—no doubt about that. But New York would probably not have the depth that they have if the front office did trade for Mitchell.
Instead, since the Knicks did not make the deal, they now have 10 first-round draft picks and a team filled with homegrown talent that is the fifth seed in the Eastern Conference. That seems like the better deal because New York can enter the offseason and determine what upgrades they need to make on the roster with their bevy of assets.
Regardless, that topic will most likely be overlooked while most pundits discuss the almost trade. And the Knicks will only eliminate that stench if they defeat the Cavaliers.
Stay tuned to KnicksFanTV.com for the latest Knicks news, rumors, and recaps throughout the NBA season. And in case you missed it, check out CP assessing the Knicks season and giving his bold prediction on New York Post x SNY with Dexter Henry!
