The Knicks quest for the franchise’s third championship begins on Saturday and their first test will be a familiar rival, the Boston Celtics. These two teams last met in the playoffs just two years ago, with the Celtics sweeping the Knicks as the much higher seed.
This time around some things have changed and some have stayed the same. Once again Amar’e Stoudemire is out, and there is a good chance he will miss the entire series as he recovers from another procedure on his knee. While Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett are still suited up for the C’s, this time around key members of the Big 4 are gone with Ray Allen now on Miami and Rajon Rondo out for the season.
Another change this time around is that the Knicks come into the series as the favorites, having home court advantage and a 3-1 series lead over Boston. However there is undoubtedly still plenty of magic left in the Celtics and the Knicks will have to be sure to play smart and not take them lightly. Now lets look position by position at how this first round matchup will shake out.
Point Guards: Raymond Felton (Knicks) vs. Avery Bradley (Celtics)
This first position features two very different players who are both incredibly important to their team’s success, but for different reasons. Felton is the engine that makes the Knicks’ offense go, his dribble penetration off of pick and rolls and his general ability to makes the extra pass keys some of the biggest ways the Knicks are able to score. If Felton is feeling good on his long range shots the Knicks offense is almost impossible for anyone to stop.
Bradley has a similar role in instigating the Celtics’ on the defensive end of the floor by guarding the best perimeter players of the opponents. This series will likely see him guard everyone from Felton to J.R. Smith and even Carmelo Anthony. Bradley’s ability to hit corner 3 pointers is also key to keeping the C’s offense spaced.
Advantage: Push
Shooting Guards: Pablo Prigioni (Knicks) vs. Paul Pierce (Celtics)
An obvious mismatch at the position proves the point of why Knicks coach Mike Woodson encourages his players to continuously switch on picks. Prigioni, if healthy for game one after spraining his ankle Wednesday, will log some time on Pierce but will also move around and guard Bradley and others. Obviously slowing Pierce down is a huge key for New York as he has burned them over and over in the past. Pierce is capable of winning a game by himself and I assume Coach Woodson will have some strategies in place for containing him late in games.
Advantage: Celtics
Small Forwards: Iman Shumpert (Knicks) vs. Jeff Green (Celtics)
Jeff Green has had some spectacular games and moments since the Rondo injury and his play I believe is the biggest thing that could swing this series in the favor of Boston. His versatility on offense really helps the Celtics have more options and a hot hand to feed when Pierce is resting or struggling.
Shumpert’s defense has been up and down this season as he recovers from a knee injury suffered last postseason and the Knicks could certainly use some of his better on ball defense in this series. Effectively guarding Pierce, Green, and any of the C’s guards off the bench will give Shumpert a chance to stay on the floor this series.
Advantage: Celtics
Power Forwards: Carmelo Anthony (Knicks) vs. Brandon Bass (Celtics)
The 2012-2013 NBA scoring champion Carmelo Anthony knows that his Knicks’ legacy will be defined by how far he carries this team in the postseason. This first round matchup against Brandon Bass is somewhat ideal as Bass does not have the foot speed to stay with Anthony’s ability to drive to the basket. We will likely see Bass trying to guard other players in the Knicks’ starting lineup so that Pierce or Bradley can guard Melo. However the C’s know that it takes a strong team defensive effort to stop this scoring machine.
Advantage: Knicks
Centers: Tyson Chandler (Knicks) vs. Kevin Garnett (Celtics)
In probably the most intriguing matchup of this series, we get two veterans who have been slightly banged up late in the regular season matching up for an intense set of games. Both guys are the emotional leaders of their teams and set the tone defensively and by finishing around the basket. Garnett still has a quality jump shot that can help bring Chandler away from the basket, but Chandler’s ability to roll hard after setting screens makes him very dangerous offensively. Whoever can get the better of this matchup and control the boards may set the tone for who wins this series.
Advantage: Knicks
Benches: J.R. Smith, Steve Novak, Jason Kidd, Kenyon Martin (Knicks) vs. Jason Terry, Courtney Lee, Jordan Crawford, Chris Wilcox (Celtics)
While the Celtics have several quality guards off their bench the lack of big men and the struggles of Terry this season has weakened this unit significantly. The Knicks have great strength in their bench unit including possible 6th Man of the Year J.R. Smith and the wily veteran Jason Kidd. Both of these guys are often in the Knicks’ crunch time lineup and make great contributions offensively and defensively. This is a spot where the Knicks can certainly wear down the Celtics.
Advantage: Knicks
Coaches: Mike Woodson (Knicks) vs. Doc Rivers (Celtics)
Woodson has done a fantastic job this season and when he took over last season. His ability to tailor an offense around Anthony and to get consistent effort from J.R. Smith should be commended and I imagine he will rank highly amongst other Coach of the Year candidates. However in this series his coaching rival is simply one of the best in the league. Rivers will no doubt come up with some inventive ways to get the ball out of Carmelo Anthony’s hands, and it will be up to Woodson to figure out how to get the rest of his team going.
Advantage: Celtics
In the end I expect the Knicks to have too much firepower for the undermanned Celtics. Pierce and Garnett will still give the Celtics a chance to win this series, but I expect Carmelo Anthony to be the best player on the court and the star player with a better supporting cast.
Final Prediction: Knicks in 6
Sam Jackson:PureSportsNY