KFTV Roundtable: Knicks vs. Sixers Round 2

Remi: 7.5. I'm not ready to underestimate them after taking down Boston. But the Knicks have beaten these guys in a series before, and I don't trust Embiid or George to stay at full strength throughout a tough series.

Omar: 7. The Knicks feel deeper and are playing great right now. But Philly seems like they've unlocked something with Embiid's return, and Paul George looked great in the Boston series. The evolution of KAT on offense towards the end of the Atlanta series felt very real, and if they can do more of that to draw Embiid away from the paint, the Knicks could have a ton of success. But Philly has three guys who can take over a game offensively, which has to increase concern a little bit.

Jalen: 7. If Joel Embiid and Paul George are at full strength, they’ll be a lot to deal with. The most dangerous weapon on the other side, though, is Tyrese Maxey. None of the Knicks’ starters can guard him with his speed. That alone will be trouble all series long.

Joseph: I’m feeling a solid 8/10. Although I think the 76ers are a completely different team from the Atlanta Hawks, I still believe the Knicks will come out on top. This will be the same dog fight; we might not see the same scoring margin as we did in the first round.

Geoffrey: 8. The Knicks found something in Games 4-6 during the Hawks series that really impressed me. Playing through KAT, OG as a legitimate third (and sometimes second) option, and downright suffocating defense. The bar has been raised.

Remi: I'm rooting for this to become a revenge series for Mitch. But my honest pick would be OG, who should get to feast while the Sixers focus on stopping Brunson and KAT.

Omar: Jalen Brunson. I think that the series against Atlanta ended up being a KAT series, but the matchup here feels favorable for JB. In the 2024 series, Brunson was averaging 35.5 points and 9 assists per game. Slightly different teams now, but I think he's very comfortable playing the 76ers, and I expect him to have a huge series.

Jalen: This is Jalen Brunson’s time to shine. He’ll be guarded by a rookie (VJ Edgecombe) and two wings we’ve seen him have success against before (Kelly Oubre and Paul George). If Embiid is in drop coverage often, that’s the perfect time for Brunson to catch rhythm off of dribble pull-ups from wherever he wants.

Joseph: This is a first round that screams Karl-Anthony Towns. I believe he can properly attack Joel Embiid, given his lack of mobility and the injury risk. This is very much a series where New York can spread the floor and create shots, forcing Embiid or another player to come up and play defense, while also highlighting KAT’s playmaking skills as a big man.

Geoffrey: Josh Hart. I think his shooting, or the threat of shooting, will be big. Additionally, when you have two teams as talented as the Knicks and 76ers, it's about the battles along the margins. The 76ers don't have a player who can hang with Hart in that respect.

Remi: Just don't overthink things. The Hawks series started with him using lineups that barely played in the regular season. As CP always says: “We don't need that!” Keep it simple, trust the vets, and this should be a tough but winnable series.

Omar: Force the pace and attack the paint. The Sixers have a good starting lineup, but they really have no bench. Quentin Grimes is their main bench scorer, with Drummond, Edwards, and Barlow typically getting under 10 minutes each per game. A few downhill drives by Hart and some fastbreak opportunities by Bridges and OG could wear them down and potentially get starters into foul trouble. That will force Philly to play their bench, which is what Brown should want to do.

Jalen: Attack Embiid on defense in every way possible. If he guards KAT, spam the pick-and-roll. If he guards Josh Hart, put him in guard-guard screening actions. Push the pace to make him run. Attack the rim to challenge him to jump without fouling. I don’t think you win this series by letting him be ground-bound and take breaks while he’s on the floor.

Joseph: Mike Brown needs to not take the 76ers as a light opponent. We split the season series 2-2 with them. They are a very capable team of doing a lot of damage; however, I feel that Mike Brown needs to go into this thinking that this is our NBA Finals, because if we do not make it out of the second round, he could potentially be on the hot seat.

Geoff: Continue to make great adjustments. I believe the Hawks series was MB’s greatest contribution to the season so far. Just make sure the defensive matchups are working, and continue to find ways to make the offense fluid.

Remi: Tyrese Maxey is exactly the type of player that gives this defense headaches. But if their Knicks can slow him down, I think everything else will fall into place.

Omar: VJ Edgecombe. It goes without saying that Embiid and Maxey will get a ton of attention. Edgecombe had some great moments against Boston, but also showed his limitations as a rookie in the games they lost. Keeping him out of rhythm will be huge for the Knicks to win this series.

Jalen: Tyrese Maxey is obvious, but I’ll also say that Paul George is the kind of game-changing X-factor who can get hot and destroy your chances of winning. I don’t want to see him get too comfortable, either.

Joseph: This is a series that screams Tyrese Maxey is going to go off. We’ve seen what he can do against the Knicks in the regular season and in the playoffs. Maxey is very much a player who can explode at any given moment while also playmaking. If the Knicks allow him to score 40 points, that’s fine, but the key will also be to limit Maxey’s touches so he cannot create those offensive opportunities.

Remi: My mind’s telling me 6, but my gut is screaming Knicks in five. I went with my gut last series and got it right, so let's go Knicks in 5.

Omar: Knicks in 6. I could very well see this going 7 if you get a few awesome Maxey and Embiid games. But the Knicks feel like they've unlocked something and have a deeper and more reliable bench. Feels like they're in a great position to win this series, but it will be a long one.

Jalen: I’ll go Knicks in 6. Assuming health for all, this won’t be a series for the Knicks to ever let their guard down. 2024 Game 5 (the Maxey four-point play game) should still haunt them.

Joseph: I got the Knicks in 6 in the series. I believe this will be the same intensity and same impact that we saw against the Atlanta Hawks in Round 1. I would be shocked, but not surprised, if it went to seven games.

Geoffrey: Knicks in 5.

Remi: I don't expect the point differential to be +103 again, but I think they've got at least one double-digit dub coming. I'll go with a 14-point victory in one of the home games.

Omar: 22. I think there will be one awesome shooting night by OG and Brunson, where Maxey and Edgecombe struggle to get their shots. I'll say that will happen in Game 5 at MSG.

Jalen: 18. It’ll happen on the “road” in Philly, where Jalen Brunson is a basketball legend.

Joseph: I’m gonna go ahead and say the Knicks are going to get a 15+ point margin of victory on the road against Philadelphia. I believe the resurgence of Knicks fans pouring into the Philadelphia area will hopefully give the Knicks a lot of energy on the road. We also saw the Knicks place some of their best basketball on the road in Round 1.

Geoffrey: 10 points.

KFTV Geoff gives us the 76ers Scouting Report.

KFTV Omar highlights KAT’s dominance as a key to success.