2021 NBA Playoffs: Contender or pretender with all 16 teams

2021 NBA Playoffs: Contender or Pretender – New York Knicks

Prior to this season, the New York Knicks were expected to be in contention not for an NBA championship, but for the worst record in the league. They outperformed their preseason over/under by around 20 wins, finishing fourth in the Eastern Conference with a 41-31 record.

It was not a fluke, either, but built on the back of a stout defense. The entire roster bought into new head coach Tom Thibodeau’s approach, and the Knicks finished first in opponents points per game and third in defensive rating. Veterans such as Nerlens Noel and Derrick Rose contributed alongside young up-and-comers such as Immanuel Quickley and RJ Barrett.

Julius Randle was at the center of it all, and any run the Knicks hope to put together centers on him. He was a one-man machine on offense, hitting difficult shots at a high percentage. That sounds like a recipe for regression, but it’s also a recipe for scoring against an elite defense.

That is who the Knicks will face if they advance past the Atlanta Hawks, which is not a given by itself. Waiting for the Knicks will almost certainly be the Philadelphia 76ers, one of the two teams to finish with a better defensive rating. Scoring against Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons is one of the tallest tasks there is.

At the end of the day, the Knicks should be about even money to beat the Atlanta Hawks, but it is hard to imagine them making it past the 76ers, who are a perfect fit to smother the Knicks. Beating the Sixers would mean a date with the Milwaukee Bucks or Brooklyn Nets, most likely, two teams with the firepower to overcome the Knicks’ defense. It has been an incredible season for the Knicks, but it won’t end in a title.

Verdict: Pretender