It seems like many scouts and executives around the NBA aren't too excited about the New York Knicks' chances of reaching the NBA Finals this spring.
There is no doubt that the NY Knicks are one of the best teams in the NBA at the moment. They have the fifth-best record in the league (42-25) and are in the top 10 in scoring (117.2) and points (110.9). Additionally, they have won over elite teams in the West like the San Antonio Spurs and Denver Nuggets.
But that's the regular season. The question on many NY Knicks fans' minds is whether the inconsistent team can put everything together when it matters most in the playoffs. On Friday, SNY Knicks insider Ian Begley spoke with several NBA scouts and executives about how the team stacks up against other playoff teams in the East, and the reactions weren't good.
Scouts and executives don't like the NY Knicks' chances against the East Elite this spring
First up, the Detroit Pistons. "(For the Knicks), how do you slow down (Cade) Cunningham? When he played at MSG (to start the second half of the season) he had his way against entire defenses, including (OG) Anunoby," one scout said. New York lost the season series against Detroit 3–0 this season, often losing badly.
When it comes to the Boston Celtics, scouts and executives are leaning heavily on superstar Jayson Tatum following his return from rehabbing his torn ACL. He feels, despite being in second place in the Eastern Conference standings, Boston is now the team to beat this spring.
An executive told Begley, "Yes, there will be an adjustment period (from Tatum's return), but they have won together in the past. I don't think it will hurt them in any way." "If Tatum gets his groove back, they'll be the team to beat in the East. No disrespect to (the Knicks), but they've shown during the regular season that they're the better team. If Tatum gets back to even 80 percent, that makes them obviously better."
Another interesting opinion coming out of the report is that while the NY Knicks have the third-best record in the conference and will be favorites in the series against the Cleveland Cavaliers, there is a real possibility of an upset if they meet in the conference semi-finals.
"History says you don't have to worry about (James) Harden in big playoff games, but he's playing at a high level for them. I wouldn't want to deal with (Harden and Donovan Mitchell) for seven games," one scout said.
So when it comes to matchups against the three teams that will be the biggest threats in the conference, the game's scouts and executives aren't feeling confident about the NY Knicks' chances in this year's playoffs.
