NFL
By: Mark T. Wilson
Raise your hand if you saw this coming at the start of the 2022-23 NBA season. How many people besides the New York Knicks faithful can actually say they saw the Knicks this close to the Eastern Conference Finals? While they still have to get past the Miami Heat for that to become true, the fact they’re this close speaks volumes about what they have accomplished so far.
With the offseason headlines centered around trade rumors involving Donovan Mitchell and some of their own, the Knicks turned that into one hell of a success story. By adding Jalen Brunson, the Knicks fixed one of their glaring issues of season’s priors. They found a point-of-attack scorer. Brunson was outstanding during the regular season but in the playoffs against the Cleveland Cavaliers, he more than earned his money and proved the Knicks made the right decision in choosing him over Mitchell.
But here they are with facing a team in the Heat who just upset the No. 1 team in the NBA, the Milwaukee Bucks 4-1. On paper, some will say this will go the Heat’s way due to their playoff experience. But not so fast. This New York Knicks bunch is not some wet-behind-the-ears youngsters many are pegging them to be. They believe they belong here and best of all, they believe they can win it all.
Can The New York Knicks Make The Conference Finals
Looking at their roster, what can’t the New York Knicks do on the court? If you want scoring, they have Brunson and All-Star Julius Randle. They can also throw out secondary scorers on RJ Barrett and Immanuel Quickley. On the defensive end, they still have Mitchell Robinson controlling the paint and Josh Hart shutting things down on the perimeter.
Despite all that, the Heat will not be an easy out. Much like the Cavaliers series prior, the Knicks beat the Heat 3 of 4 games. But once again, many are still predicting it will come down to that experience. Going the Knicks way will be the absence of sharp-shooter Tyler Herro. In his place, the Heat will need to find perimeter scoring. While they managed to get past the Bucks with grit and the excellent play of Jimmy Butler, the Bucks do not have the scoring balance that the Knicks have in their starting rotation or on the bench.
What Thibs will have to do is keep his players focused on what’s at stake. The City of New York is buzzing with the resurgence of the New York Knicks and rightfully so. But a series win here will put them in a place they haven’t been since the days of Patrick Ewing and John Starks. NYC is craving for an NBA champion and the team no one expected is heading in the right direction.
