Discuss a playoff preview.
The Knicks already handed their first early-season temperature verify with a season-opening win over the Cleveland Cavaliers. Their subsequent main check — one that would carry postseason implications down the street — arrived Wednesday night time at Madison Sq. Backyard towards the Orlando Magic.
The Magic could not have stormed out of the gates as anticipated, however they nonetheless profile as one of many East’s most harmful potential playoff opponents — deep, versatile, and constructed to defend. The Knicks supply an analogous profile of depth, versatility and toughness, which might make for an attention-grabbing playoff sequence ought to these two groups meet in late April or early Could.
“I think it’s a great matchup,” stated Magic head coach Jamahl Mosley earlier than tipoff. “I think the expectations from the outside are always gonna be there no matter what we say. Our guys know exactly how they can play, how good this team has been playing and how we’re trending.”
Orlando, very similar to final yr’s Knicks, made an all-in transfer this summer time — sending 4 first-round picks, a swap, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Cole Anthony to Memphis for All-Star guard Desmond Bane.
Bane’s arrival gave the Magic a ground spacer and two-way presence to pair with a core that already consists of former Rookie of the Yr winner Paolo Banchero, breakout wing Franz Wagner, and tenacious level guard Jalen Suggs. It’s a bunch that believes it may well cling with the East’s elite — particularly as accidents to Tyrese Haliburton (Pacers) and Jayson Tatum (Celtics) shift the convention hierarchy.
“They’re a big team. They’re athletic. They’re long. They’re well-coached,” Knicks head coach Mike Brown stated pregame. “Jamahl Mosley’s done a fantastic job down there. They’re gonna be physical. They’re a lot better than what their record says.”
The trajectories of the 2 franchises, nonetheless, are at present divergent. The Knicks are coming off consecutive 50-win seasons and their first convention finals look in 25 years. The Magic, in the meantime, are in search of to lastly break by after back-to-back first-round exits.
They hope Bane will be the lacking piece — although the match stays a piece in progress. The previous Grizzlies guard entered Wednesday averaging simply 15 factors on 28% capturing from three by 11 video games.
“I think you’ve just gotta go through the experience,” Mosley stated. “That’s an enormous portion of it. You’ve gotta undergo the expertise of gaining one thing yearly. The primary spherical has been these previous two years, however then you definitely’ve gotta work out what it takes to get to the subsequent piece. Generally it’s including a bit.
“But the guys going through the experience throughout the year is gonna be very important. These games can get you battle-tested for those scenarios, and the more we can embrace, acknowledge and understand that, that’s how these guys gain the experience to know how they can take that next step forward.”
The Knicks and Magic have quietly constructed a gentleman’s rivalry over the previous two seasons, buying and selling regular-season sequence sweeps like respectful jabs throughout I-95. Orlando took the matchup 3–1 two years in the past; the Knicks returned the favor final season with a 3–1 mark towards a Magic roster limping by accidents.
The Magic regarded like world-beaters in October, ripping off 4 straight preseason wins, however stumbled to a 1–5 begin as soon as the actual video games started. They’ve since steadied themselves, successful 4 of six getting into Wednesday’s assembly at The Backyard.
Brown stated the Magic have a big edge of their capability to attract fouls and get to the free throw line, a very worrisome benefit given the Knicks’ propensity for undisciplined fouls.
“I think their starting five might be in the top five in net rating in the NBA, so they can hurt you in a lot of different ways,” Brown stated. “We just have to match their physicality without sending them to the free throw line.”
“For us, all the time but especially when you play good teams, you want to try to win the possession game,” Brown continued. “Free-throw attempts plus offensive rebounds minus turnovers. If a team is getting there 34, 35 times a game and we’re getting there 22, that’s a huge head start they got. So we have to be physical without fouling.”
