Yahoo Sports senior NBA analyst Kevin O’Connor explains why the New York Knicks’ dominance in the postseason isn’t getting the attention it deserves and how they match up with both teams left in the Western Conference. Check out the full conversation on “The Kevin O’Connor Show” and subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube or wherever you listen.
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Video Transcript
Philly beat Boston.
Cleveland beat Detroit, a one seed.
And the Knicks just handled both of those teams, and it’s not like they, they haven’t– they’re just squeaking out wins.
They’re winning in dominant fashion over this stretch of games.
They have a 126.5 offensive rating and a 102 defensive rating, plus 24.5 in the playoffs.
So yes, you can talk about the regular season inconsistencies and all that, all the ups and downs where you believe in them, you’re, then you’re out, and then you’re back in, and you’re back out.
I don’t really feel like it, it’s relevant at all anymore.
This is a different Knicks team that we see right now, and so the playoffs over this last month plus of w- just undefeated basketball, yes, it does make me believe that this New York Knicks team can win the NBA Finals, regardless of how strong the opponent is gonna be coming out of the Western Conference, either Thunder or Spurs.
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This Knicks team is immaculately built, man.
They just, they put this together, as I talked about on the show yesterday, through a bunch of ballsy decisions, courageous moves, and we’re seeing the results here of that with all the trades and acquisitions they made.
They have an elite engine in Jalen Brunson.
They have elite wings, OG Anunoby, nearly 50/40/90 this postseason.
Josh Hart, Swiss Army knife.
Mikal Bridges, he’s fixed himself.
Over this win streak, he’s averaging 17 points on 38% from three and 71% from two-point range.
That includes just being red hot from mid-range as well as from getting to the basket.
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They have good role players.
Jose Alvarado, gritty defender.
He can handle the ball as well.
Deuce McBride, spark plug scorer.
Landry Shamet, floor spacer, knockdown shooter.
In the front court, Karl-Anthony Towns, he can space the floor for you or play inside.
He can serve as a screener or as a facilitator, and he’s playing really excellent defense as well.
And it’s not the first time we’ve seen KAT elevate his play defensively in the postseason.
He did it years ago for Minnesota when the Wolves beat the Nuggets and Nikola Jokic.
So they can play with KAT as a spacer, or they have a lob big in Mitchell Robinson.
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Or they can play with both those guys.
If Mike Brown in the finals says, “We need to go to two bigs,” they have that card to play.
They have lineup flexibility and a bunch of talented players up and down the roster with truly no weak links.
So this Knicks team, they can match up with OKC.
They can match up with San Antonio.
Am I gonna pick them in s- in the series?
We’ll talk about that at a later date once we actually know the opponent coming out of the Western Conference.
But for today, congratulations to Knicks fans.
27 years, and never mind for the people a lot older than that, it’s been five decades since the, the, the Knicks won an NBA final.
So for a lot of generational families, this is a, a time to celebrate