The New York Knicks will need to play as a team to defeat the Indiana Pacers in the NBA Playoffs. Photo Credit: Keith Allison, Flickr.com
The New York Knicks and Indiana Pacers both survived a scare in the opening round of the NBA playoffs. The Boston Celtics were left for dead before staging a big comeback and the Atlanta Hawks showed life at home before regressing back to the same old Hawks.
In this Eastern Conference semifinal matchup, the Knicks and Pacers renew an old rivalry. Back in the 1990s, this was a hotly contested feud, with physical play and legitimate bad blood taking center stage. This year’s version won’t have as much of either.
Likely Starting Lineups
Point Guard
Raymond Felton (NYK) vs. George Hill (IND)
The good news for Knicks’ fans is that Felton had an excellent first-round series, averaging 17.2 points, 4.0 rebounds and 5.3 assists. The bad news is that he played 41 minutes per game and only made 50 percent from the free-throw line. His best games will be better than Hill’s, but Hill is the much safer option.
Advantage: New York Knicks
Shooting Guard
Pablo Prigioni (NYK) vs. Lance Stephenson (IND)
Averaging 2.2 steals per game is impressive, but doing it in 22.4 minutes makes it tremendous. Prigioni needs to have that kind of impact, because his offensive game is rough. He can make 3s, but that’s about it. Stephenson did the little things in Round 1, including averaging 8.0 rebounds and 4.3 assists.
Advantage: Indiana Pacers
Small Forward
Iman Shumpert (NYK) vs. Paul George (IND)
The problem with the Pacers in previous years has been the lack of a superstar. Danny Granger was the closest thing in the past, with George the closest now. Still, he disappears during games at times. Shumpert is gaining confidence as he was lights-out from the 3-point line last series at 52.6 percent. Shumpert would give up considerable size to George, which will be a recurring theme regardless of who draws the assignment.
Advantage: Indiana Pacers
Power Forward
Carmelo Anthony (NYK) vs. David West (IND)
Will Anthony’s shoulder hold up? (Flickr.com photo by Keith Allison)
There’s no questioning who leads the Knicks. Ask those in the Pacers’ organization and they’ll tell you that West is their emotional leader. Hidden beneath the joy of getting past the Celtics in the first round was the substandard shooting of Anthony. He shot just 38.1 percent from the field and 26.5 percent from the 3-pt line. He definitely needs to be more efficient to get the Knicks over the hump.
Advantage: New York Knicks
Center
Tyson Chandler (NYK) vs. Roy Hibbert (IND)
Two of the best defensive centers in the game are featured in this series. Neither is very good as a stand-alone offensive player, with Hibbert better in the post and Chandler better in transition. The key will be whether they can stay on the court and out of foul trouble. I fully expect them to play each other to a standstill.
Advantage: Push
Sixth Man/Bench
J.R. Smith (NYK) vs. D.J. Augustin (IND)
J.R. Swish is obviously the best sixth man in this series, with Jason Kidd and Kenyon Martin behind him on the bench. The Pacers aren’t nearly as deep, with Augustin, Tyler Hansbrough and Gerald Green getting the bulk of the work. The Knicks are monumentally better here, as long as Smith keeps his cool.
Advantage: New York Knicks
Coaching
Mike Woodson (NYK) vs. Frank Vogel (IND)
Woodson has a difficult job, with a roster full of players who can’t be relied upon to play 40 minutes every night. Vogel is on the opposite side of the spectrum, with guys he can run into the ground. Coaching comes down to getting those extra few good minutes or avoiding those extra bad minutes. Vogel does a better job than Woodson here.
Advantage: Indiana Pacers
Key Matchup
The key is going to be how the superstars play. Is George as good as Anthony? Of course not. However, if George has a better matchup and can take advantage of it, he can render Anthony less effective. Will they matchup against each other? It’s unlikely, but I’d love to see it.
New York Will Win If…
…they can neutralize George and Anthony’s shoulder doesn’t become a problem.
Indiana Will Win If…
…they get to the free-throw line and rotate out to the 3-point line quickly.
Prediction
Indiana Pacers defeat the New York Knicks 4-3.