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The New York Knicks are back in the NBA Playoffs to face the Atlanta Hawks in a best-of-seven first-round series at MSG. After missing the playoffs for seven seasons, the Knicks are finally going to compete against the best teams in the East once again.
Though it seemed unlikely that they would reach the playoffs during their first year under coach Tom Thibodeau, the New York Knicks have defied expectations and are now on the precipice of a good playoff run. Standing in their way are the young and talented Atlanta Hawks, led by coach Nate McMillan. The former Pacers coach took over as Hawks interim coach after Lloyd Pierce was dismissed in March and the team has not looked back since.
New York Knicks keys to win versus Atlanta Hawks
The New York Knicks have their hands full in the first-round despite dominating their season series with the Hawks 3-0. Since McMillan became interim coach on March 2, Atlanta boasts the third-best record in the league with 27 wins against only 11 losses. Only the Phoenix Suns (29-10) and Denver Nuggets (28-10) had better records.
So how are the New York Knicks going to beat these Hawks?
5. Julius Randle must exploit John Collins
Julius Randle has been a handful for most power forwards to guard. After extending his range this season to the 3-point line where he is a 41.1 percent shooter, the former seventh overall pick virtually became unguardable. For the season, the New York Knicks' franchise player is averaging career-highs with 24.1 points, 10.2 rebounds and 6.0 assists per game.
There’s practically no one on the Hawks side that can match up well with Randle, including power forward John Collins. Atlanta cannot hope to stop the New York Knicks big man with Collins, who has shown this season that guarding Randle is a work-in-progress for him. De’Andre Hunter, however, is another story as he is the Hawks’ best defender. Look for him to take on Randle if Collins fails repeatedly.
Still, if Randle can get himself into an iso situation with Collins during switches, then he should take advantage of the Hawks forward every chance he gets. This is a matchup that the New York Knicks should keep an eye on.
4. Shoot high-percentage 3-pointers
One reason the New York Knicks were able to win 16 of their last 20 games was 3-point shooting. From April 2 until last Sunday, the Knicks were the league’s No. 1 team in 3-point percentage at 42 percent. They weren’t in the top 10 in 3-pointers made during that stretch, but they were efficient and effective whenever they launched a trifecta.
To complement Randle’s points production, the New York Knicks’ shooters have to be ready at all times. The ball will find its way to the supporting cast because the Knicks forward is a willing passer. Their off-ball movement should confuse the Hawks long enough to get their shooters set.
3. Hold the Hawks’ bench down
The Atlanta Hawks have one of the deeper benches in the league even when compared to the New York Knicks. Though unspectacular, they play well off of each other and are able to put points on the board in bunches if they’re allowed to roam the court undeterred. Lou Williams (10.0 points per game), Danilo Gallinari (13.3 ppg), and Kevin Huerter (11.9) can go for 20 on any given night when they’re cooking. Plus, Williams and Gallinari are veterans who won’t get easily intimidated and will exploit mismatches.
For the New York Knicks to win this matchup of the benches, it’s not enough that they outscore the Hawks’ bench, they have to play smart basketball against these wily veterans. Their defense will be tested for the full 48 minutes.
2. Keep Clint Capela off the boards
Clint Capela is this season’s king of the boards, averaging a career-high and league-best 14.3 rebounds per game. His offensive rebounding of 4.7 a night is impressive and has given the Hawks several second-chance opportunities game in and game out.
If the New York Knicks hope to win against their opponent, then they have to be aware of where Capela is at all times on the court. This will be the job of Nerlens Noel and Taj Gibson, who are averaging 12.0 rebounds between them. One has to wonder if these two are up to the Herculean task, but coach Thibodeau may have to ask his guards to help out on the boards every now and then.
1. Contain the Hawks’ backcourt
Stopping Capella is one thing, but containing the dynamic duo of Trae Young and Bogdan Bogdanovic may be too much to ask. Nevertheless, it is imperative that the New York Knicks guards match the energy and intensity of the Hawks backcourt, and make them work hard for their shots.
The tricky part about Young is his ability to make plays both for himself and others. His 25.3 points and 9.4 assists per game are among the best in the league. Even if the New York Knicks somehow find a formula to stop him from scoring, Young has the court vision to find the open man and beat them with a pass. His mind is racing so fast that the defense can do nothing except react.
Then there’s Bogdanovic whose shooting complements Young extremely well. He made 43.8 percent of his threes this season and was shooting better than 50 percent from downtown in his last six games.
Elfrid Payton, Derrick Rose, Immanuel Quickley and Alec Burks will have to play honest defense or the Hawks backcourt will torch them. The trick is in trying to keep them from launching wide-open threes while also trying to funnel Young into the New York Knicks' help defense and force other players to shoot contested shots instead.
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