For the first time since the 2012-2013 season, the Knicks have achieved the 50 win total and lock up the number 2 seed in the Eastern Conference! A total rollercoaster ride of a season for New York with tons of devastating injuries and obstacles overcame each and every game day.
The Knicks came into the season with a very similar team from their 2nd round exit team just a season ago with a couple of minor additions. Then about 30 games into the season the Knicks totally changed the dynamic of their season by trading away two cornerstone pieces, RJ Barrett and Immanuel Quickley. OG Anunoby and Precious Achiwua was the return and they have made their impact well known.
Anunoby has not been as healthy as the Knicks imagined he would be, but in the 23 games he played the Knicks won 20 of them. Having him healthy in the playoffs as the defensive catalyst and the dominant offensive player he is, is vital towards this team's success.
The offseason add, that seemed small at the time, of Donte DiVincenzo now looks like one of the biggest steals of this past free agency. DiVincenzo ended the season top 3 in the league for the most three pointers made and average around 16 points per game as the team's starting shooting guard. Nicknamed Divo, Donte has turned into one of my favorite players as well on this year's Knickerbockers.
The Knicks also made a trade deadline deal to acquire Alec Burks and Bojan Bogdanovic. At the time I was very excited to land two veterans that would give this team very good minutes and shoot the ball very well, but my expectations were wrong. Bogdanovic has come on to play efficiently as of late, but Burks has been a total disappointment to the point where he has been benched. Bogdanovic playing good minutes will be key towards this team's success.
As the #2 seed, the Knicks will take on the #7 seed, the Philadelphia 76ers. This is a bit of a tough matchup for the Knicks because of the stars which the Sixers have. The Sixers could have been a much higher seed, but the long-term injury to Embiid dropped them very far in the East. Luckily for the Knicks, after watching the Sixers play-in game, Embiid still does not look 100 percent healthy.
If the Knicks can attack Embiid's vulnerability and capitalize, then they can easily win this series. The Sixers without Embiid have been horrific and having him off the court on the bench will be key. Ultimately, I think the Knicks have a good shot to win this series. Many people are portraying them as the underdog although they are the 2 seed. The series starts tomorrow at the World's Most Famous Arena.
