thelesterlee
The Knicks and Nets will probably run into each other in the playoffs considering they are the two best teams in the Eastern Conference. I don’t want to hear about the Sixers are the Bucks. Doc Rivers has some fetish where he needs to blow 3-1 leads and the Bucks still have yet to discover the simple defensive scheme of ‘let Giannis shoot’.
So here are the reasons why the Knicks can beat the Nets:
1. Knicks D
The New York Knicks ranked 1st in opponents points allowed, 1st in opponent field goal percentage, 1st n 3-point percentage and 4th in defensive rating. You can tell me all about the Nets historic offense and all their weapons and blah blah. They are not scoring 125 points a night against this Knicks defense.
Nerlens Noel is second in blocks this year. Come to the rim and get murked. Also, with Elfrid Payton reminding the world this past month that he has no idea how to play basketball, that means Frank Ntilikina will most likely be getting those minutes. The clamps are coming out. Pray for Kyrie.
2. Julius Randle
Randle averaged 24 points, 10 boards and 6 assists on 45.6% shooting from the field and 41% from 3. Top 10 player in the league this season when you combine his ability to create his own shot, hit perimeter jumpers and distribute the ball to shooters waiting in the corner to hit 3’s.
Who on the Nets is stopping him?
Do the Nets want Kevin Durant and his weak ass legs getting bullied by Randle for 40 minutes? Blake Griffin already has 6 fouls just thinking about this matchup.
Their strongest defender is probably James Harden and good. Make Harden work on defense and then watch his step back jumper hit the front of the rim over and over because he’s exhausted.
3. 2020 Clippers
Last year’s Los Angeles Clippers thought they were talented enough to skate into the NBA Finals after a season of never actually playing together. Every single day was a load management situation where someone took a day off to ‘rest’ for the playoffs.
Then the playoffs began and they played as if they had never met each other before. Obviously, Harden, Kyrie and Durant have a better relationship with each other than Kawhi, Paul George and Reggie fucking Jackson but the point still stands.
Julius Randle and RJ Barrett played damn near every single game together. Kyrie might use his last few hours of PTO against the Knicks.
4. Injuries
Speaking of time off, are we sure Kevin Durant won’t be in a wheelchair by the end of the month? Not a great sign that he has been limping for about two consecutive calendar years. I honestly don’t believe Durant will even still be playing by the time these two teams face off.
James Harden didn’t even play the Nets last game of the season so they could let his hamstring rest. Very good idea to go from putting zero minutes on that hamstring to then putting 46 minutes on that hamstring. Nothing will go wrong there.
Knicks in 4.
