KFTV Roundtable: Knicks vs. Hawks Round 1

It’s official: the New York Knicks have locked in the third seed with a 53-29 record, and are set to play the sixth-seeded Atlanta Hawks in the first round of the NBA Playoffs. Exciting, isn’t it? After all of the shouting we fans did, whether it was live and in living colour inside Madison Square Garden, in a crowded bar with a drink in hand, or even from the comfort of your own home, it’s finally paid off. 

Whether or not you want to judge how Mike Brown and the Knicks handled the regular season, it’s time to worry about something even better — the playoffs! A time when expecting the unexpected is the new norm, and anything can happen in a seven-game series, where the race to win four games seemingly brings out the best in a roster.

Speaking of postseason, it’s about that time to ask our KFTV writers what they think about this upcoming playoffs. So without further ado, let’s get right into the minds of your favorite Knicks channel staff.

Remi: I'm at a firm 9. I think ATL’s lack of a true point guard and size will leave them susceptible to the Knicks’ biggest strengths. Those strengths are Brunson’s clutch-play, fourth-quarter defense, and overwhelming rebounding.

Omar: 8. The Hawks have some players who have playoff experience in CJ McCollum and Nickeil Alexander-Walker, but they are still early in their process. Ultimately, I think the Knicks have a true closing identity while the Hawks are still discovering theirs. This ultimately feels like a team still a bit away from true contention as Jalen Johnson forms into a superstar in this league. The Knicks are there already, and that should be the difference in the series.

Jalen: I’m feeling a light 8. Atlanta has a collection of good talent, and they’ll have the underdog, nothing-to-lose mindset, but I think the Knicks have too much size for them to handle over the course of the series. That will be the difference-maker: Towns, Robinson & Associates.

Joseph: A very confident 9. The Hawks' biggest issue is the lack of an enforcer at center and their limited bench unit. The Knicks very much know how to beat this team, and heading into the world’s most famous arena with all the momentum on their side is a recipe for a quick series.

Geoffrey: 8. Plain and simple: despite the Hawks’ surge post-ASB, Knicks fans can’t be scared of the Hawks. This is a veteran, battle-tested group that should impose its will on this team over time. If not, BIG changes will soon come.

Remi: Jalen Johnson immediately comes to mind. He can do a bit of everything and has size to present problems for New York’s best defenders not named OG Anunoby.

Omar: Nickeil Alexander-Walker. In the three regular-season matchups, he averaged 28 PPG against the Knicks on 45% shooting from three. He's been a potent enough scorer this year to keep the Hawks in these games. The wings stopping him from getting to his spots will be huge for the Knicks this series. I wonder if they will deploy some doubles to him at times when Dyson Daniels is on the floor, considering his shooting deficiencies. But NAW has to be the primary focus.

Jalen: Nickeil Alexander-Walker. He’s my clear MIP choice this season, and while he isn’t his cousin, he’s a threat at all three levels. He lit up the Knicks when they played in Atlanta last time. He can get hot.

Joseph: Unfortunately, this one has to go to NAW. In the three appearances he made vs. the Knicks this season, he dropped 25, 24, and 36 points. Sneakily one of the most improved players from last season league-wide, NAW is a player who can get hot whenever and wherever. Wouldn’t be surprised if the Knicks have difficulty keeping his game contained.

Geoffrey: NAW. He's a serious threat as a movement shooter. He opens up a ton for their offense and is a good defender as well. Limiting his shooting will be a tough but necessary task for the Knicks.

Remi: This series is KAT’s to dominate. I don't picture Atlanta stopping him without double-team help, and he's a good enough passer to make them pay for that strategy.

Omar: Karl-Anthony Towns. Everyone has their KAT opinions and has questioned him at some point this season. Going against a Hawks team that will be deploying bigs such as Mouhamed Gueye, Onyeka Okongwu, and Jock Landale, there's a real opportunity for KAT to dominate and take some of the load off of Brunson, who will almost assuredly be dealing with traps and full-court pressure all series. This feels like it has to be a KAT series.

Jalen: I think KAT is a given, so I will go with OG Anunoby. Depending on how the Hawks cross-match, I think OG will get the advantage pretty often, and an aggressive mindset could help ease the responsibilities for Towns and Brunson. It’ll also motivate his defense even more, too.

Joseph: If this series doesn’t scream Karl-Anthony Towns, then I don’t know when that time may come next. Towns has been razzling and dazzling every time he’s seen the Hawks on the hardwood, tallying 30+ points in three of his last four matchups. If the Knicks can utilize more pick-and-roll opportunities with Towns, this series belongs to the Big Bodega.

Remi: I'm most confident in Mitch Robinson because of the size issues with Atlanta’s roster. But I want to reward Deuce McBride’s season with some big games more than anyone else off the bench.

Omar: Landry Shamet. Shamet has been an excellent performer for the Knicks this year. Keeping up his solid shooting and defensive intensity will go a long way to this bench unit remaining potent and putting up points when the starters are getting a rest. If he starts hitting some shots, these games will be easier to close out.

Jalen: I’m always going to root for Deuce McBride. If he’s back to his pre-injury shooting efficiency, that’s a huge help for this team.

Joseph: This feels very much like a series where anyone off the bench can go off, but I’ll go with Jordan Clarkson. Clarkson’s catch-and-shoot style of offense has grown on me in the fact that he can get hot if he sees two baskets in a row. Clarkson has also recently emerged as more of a rebounder, so his ability to create second-chance points for those around him has been one of my favorite traits he’s brought to the table.

Geoffrey: Deuce McBride. That shooting touch started to come back against the Hornets. His being a 40%+ three-point shooter is a huge difference-maker for the team. I have no worries about his defense, but his shooting could be a huge X factor for the series.

Remi: I've harped on this a lot already. But I hope Brown has the team attacking inside-out, because they can dominate the paint in this series. I want them to be the bullies, and hopefully that means a healthy dose of the double big lineup to demoralize Atlanta’s players.

Omar: The formula against the Knicks in the postseason has been to press JB and get him tired. I think Brown has to be able to rely on other players to bring the ball up and get JB in some off-ball actions to preserve him as much as possible. Having Bridges initiate some offense, and some Deuce + Brunson lineups would go a long way to help accomplish this.

Jalen: Be proactive in adjustments. I didn’t like how long it took Thibs to deploy Landry Shamet and Delon Wright last year. Even if they weren’t series-changing guys, if something is off, you gotta try something else. I want to see Jose Alvarado, Tyler Kolek, and Mo Diawara get off the bench if it feels like their role is needed in some way.

Joseph: They typically say it’s not how you start, but how you finish. This time, it’s the opposite. My biggest focus is on how aggressive New York can be coming out of the floodgates. The Knicks lost the first quarter 29 different times during the 2025-26 regular season. That’s about 29 different occasions I’d like to see have a different result. This team needs to be the tone-setter, the enforcer, and most importantly, to get the crowd behind them from the opening tip.

Geoffrey: How the Knicks start games. Their intensity and focus when it comes to pick-and-roll coverage have to be on point. The only way I see Atlanta making a dent in this series is if the Knicks come out lackadaisical and have to overcome an early double-digit lead.

Remi: Getting extra positions. If the Knicks win the rebounding battle and keep turnovers to a minimum, I don't see Atlanta keeping up. I firmly believe the Hawks will need to beat New York in transition to win games. Without enough opportunities to play fast, they'll fade.

Omar: Offensive rebounding. With Mitch and KAT in this series, there's a good chance for the Knicks to maximize possessions on the offensive glass. The Hawks are an okay defensive rebounding team (13th in the league), so getting more opportunities will be key to maximizing possessions and winning on the margins. A few impactful Mitch stretches could go a long way in this series.

Jalen: Defend the three-point line with hard and smart closeouts, and I think the rest will be pretty smooth. Expose Dyson Daniels the way teams try to with Josh Hart.

Joseph: Effectively knowing when to switch and when to help on-ball. Too many times, I’ve seen the Knicks give their opponent easy scoring possessions due to a lack of spatial awareness off a double-team. It’ll be clear when the Hawks try to allow Jalen Johnson to go to work when guarded by Jalen Brunson or another small defender, but knowing when to send the double while also recovering on the perimeter will be crucial in the Knicks making this an easy series versus a difficult one.

Geoffrey: Sounds simple, but the possession battle (rebounding and turnovers) will be key to determining who wins the series. The Hawks are a great defensive rebounding and offensive rebounding team — paging Mitchell Robinson. They also create a lot of turnovers and try to get out in transition, so the Knicks need to take care of the ball.

Remi: I'd like to see New York handle this in 5 games, but I respect how well Atlanta showed up in the second half of this season. So, I think 6 games is a safer bet.

Omar: I have been wavering between 5 and 6 games. I think that CJ and NAW will be good enough to get the Hawks at least one win. I'll say Knicks in 6 since this team has shown a propensity to play with their food a little bit. The Knicks are a better team and should prevail. Knicks in 6.

Jalen: A hard-fought five-game series will commence on Saturday.

Joseph: Jalen Johnson, Action Bronson, Mark Ronson…New York in 5.

Geoffrey: Knicks in 6. I think the Hawks get one in NY and one at home.

Remi: I think Jordan Clarkson might give us a pleasant surprise of a post season. There are other players I’m more confident in, but as a surprise, I'll take the former 6MoY who's getting a shot on the big stage now.

Omar: Jordan Clarkson. There's a reason that the Knicks brought in Clarkson this offseason, and a reason why he has gotten back into Mike Brown's good graces. I think we will see one trademark Clarkson 6th-man explosion game this series, in which he scores over 20 points. Feels like he could offer an excellent counterpunch that Brown could throw at Snyder when the series shifts to Atlanta.

Jalen: Jordan Clarkson is finally back to playing in big games. He looked good during the NBA Cup run. I think he’ll have a “Cam Payne” game.

Joseph: Remember when Cam Payne went off in Game 1 vs. the Pistons? Remember when we all couldn’t believe Thibs finally gave him the green light? That’s exactly the kind of performance I think Jose Alvarado will have. Although he’s not officially in the projected rotation, I could see Mike Brown electing Mr. Christ the King himself for a big-time shot. It just may happen that a big-time shot is followed up by a 15-20 point performance.

Geoffrey: Landry Shamet. I can't say this is unexpected because he's had big games for the Knicks this season. That being said, I truly expect him to light it up from three during at least one game (four threes in 15 minutes)

KFTV Geoff recaps and grades the Knicks’ season in Knicks Pulse Check

KFTV Omar examines what’s at stake for Jalen Brunson’s legacy this year