Knicks Pulse Check: First Round Edition

Part of the New York Knicks’ gradual climb towards becoming one of better franchises in the NBA is that fans don’t just expect to win, but they expect to win convincingly.

A tough fought victory in the first-round of playoffs no longer carries the same weight - fans want style points. And while playoff basketball rarely looks like that, it’s also fair to say that Knicks fans did not expect a series where, for parts of it, the Pistons looked like the better team.

This six-game series was ultimately separated by six points in favor of the orange and blue. Even without Isaiah Stewart, the Pistons averaged more rebounds per game (43.8) than the Knicks (40.0), and grabbed more rebounds over the course of the series (255) than the Knicks (240).

There was a virtual tie in field goal percentage, with both teams shooting 45% for the series, however, the Knicks held the edge in both three-point shooting percentage (36.5% versus 32.4%) and assists, where the Knicks dished out 20 assists per game versus the Pistons’ 19.

But aside from the statistical comparison, almost every contest came down to late-game execution, and that’s where the Knicks held one major advantage - Jalen Brunson (more on him later).

This series also featured major contributions from three of Brunson’s teammates. Of course I’m talking about Karl-Anthony Towns and Mikal Bridges. And who could forget about OG Anunoby’s stellar defense.

Let’s review the keys to the New York Knicks first-round victory over the Detroit Pistons.

OG’s Defense

Prior to the start of the first round of the playoffs, I wrote about the keys to defending Cade Cunningham. Cunningham was a beast during this series, averaging 25 points a game, along with 8.3 assists per game and 8.7 rebounds.

However, efficiency was where the first-time All-Star fell short.

Cunningham shot 42.6% from the field and a ghastly 17.6% from the three-point line. And you can bet OG Anunoby had plenty to do with it.

Per NBA.com’s tracking stats, Anunoby spent 54:07 guarding Cade as the primary defender. During those possessions, Cunningham shot 25-for-59 and scored 58 points - essentially averaging out to 42% shooting for the series and 9.6 points per game.

Anunoby’s ball pressure was excellent, as he kept Cade from living in the paint and helped forced him to commit 5.3 turnovers per game, which was above his season’s average of 4.4.

Mikal Bridges

The other half of wingstop, Mikal Bridges, also spent time guarding Cade Cunningham, and he did a terrific job. Cade actually shot a lower percentage (38%) than when he was guarded by OG Anunoby and he had more turnovers than assists during those possessions.

On the offensive side of the ball, there were plenty of times during this series where the Knicks offense went stagnant. Possessions were too iso heavy, or the Pistons just ramped up their defense. That being said, the Mikal Bridges mid-range fadeaway jumper was a momentum buster if the Pistons were pulling away, and a momentum builder if the Knicks were adding to a lead.

Bridges, similar to Karl-Anthony Towns, received plenty of criticism this past season. Of course, some of it was deserved, but Bridges answered the bell during this series versus the Pistons. In the close-out game, Bridges dropped 25 points and added four rebounds and three assists.

But no shot that Bridges hit during the series was more important than this thunderous dunk on Cade Cunningham.

And that finally brings us to Jalen Marquis Brunson, The Captain.

Jalen Brunson

For me, the best part of Jalen Brunson’s first-round performance versus the Pistons (aside from his game six winner) was his passing. Fans will remember that after a loss in game two, Brunson’s ability as a facilitator was called into question. He responded with nine assists in game three and accomplished the mission of getting KAT more involved in the offense.

Moving on to game six, outside of his game-high 40 points, it was his dishing that caught my eye the most.

But of course nothing tops the cinematic, iconic, and legendary ending to game six. Leading up to Brunson’s final shot, the Knicks were down seven (112-105) with just over two minutes and 30 seconds left to play in the fourth. Needless to say, things didn’t look good.

But the captain scored eight of the Knicks final 11 points including this…

The Knicks now move on to the second round of the playoffs where the Boston Celtics will be waiting for them. The orange and blue failed to grab a win versus the C’s during the regular season, but that all goes out the window now.

Of course the Knicks will be major underdogs to win this series (the Celtics are currently -820 on FanDuel), but if they can keep the game close in the fourth quarter, they have the NBA’s best closer in Jalen Brunson.

And I’m willing to bet that Brunson’s late-game magic is only just beginning this postseason.

ICYMI: Get Ready for Round 2

Knicks vs. Celtics Preview w/ Dexter Henry and KFS

Knicks vs. Celtics Game 1 w/ Dexter Henry and KFS

KFTV Court Vision: Knicks vs. Celtics Film Review