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AS WE HEAD INTO THIS NBA POSTSEASON RUN, it feels totally different than the last few years for Knicks fans like me. I was not blessed with playoff runs after playoff runs growing up, so the playoffs, I was just happy they were there. Now entering a year with a weak Eastern Conference, my expectations, like the rest of the fanbase, are extremely high. They made many changes, especially after firing Tom Thibodeau, to revamp this offense under head coach Mike Brown. There is more pressure than ever for this organization to make a finals appearance.

Since my last discourse, the Knicks finished the regular season with a 16-8 record. Finishing the year with a 53-29 record, ending up with the 3 seed and playing the 6th seed Atlanta Hawks. They did not get a great draw with the Hawks, and I would much rather them play the Toronto Raptors.

In this discourse, we dive into some positives and negatives of the Knicks heading into the postseason. Then we will dive into the matchup with the Atlanta Hawks and what the Knicks will need to do to win this series. Scouting them through the film lens, analytics, and my basic thoughts. It is a series the Knicks cannot ease up on, and hopefully, they come out firing on Saturday in the Garden.

quick Regular Season Recap & Momentum

The regular season was one of the more abnormal seasons I have watched the Knicks play. Going in, I had high hopes with all the injuries in the Eastern Conference and the moves they had made in the offseason. Deeper bench with a head coach who has a better offensive philosophy than we have seen. So, in some ways, I do find this regular season a little disappointing. Just thought I would see a little bit more about them, but they still went 53-29, which is a better record than last year. They got a 3rd seed and got themselves in a position to make a run this year. I am very confident that this Knicks team will play its best brand of basketball in the coming months.

They built some momentum heading into this postseason, winning five of their last six games, including wins over the Toronto Raptors, Atlanta Hawks, and Boston Celtics. They also had some very big wins against the Denver Nuggets by 39 and the San Antonio Spurs by 25 in March. During this stretch, they also play the Thunder twice, where they gave them a battle in both. No doubt this team belongs against the best teams in the league. The Boston game gave me some real hope with how well the Celtics have been playing lately. This team matches up so well with anyone in the league when they are at full strength. KAT has become the vocal point on the offensive side of the ball as of late. Brunson has found a way to get him more looks; they will need to keep getting him looks throughout these playoffs.

There are a couple of things to look at that do worry me. First off, this starting lineup has not played well at all. They are +1.5 on the year, ranking third in total possessions. It is not just the plus or minus that worries me; if you have watched this group all year, it has been bad. It’s a weird dynamic, and if Josh Hart isn’t willing to shoot the three-ball in the playoffs, it could cause some real issues. As of late, though, he has been very solid and confident in taking jump shots. Another concern is how Mike Brown will handle the lineups. It has been hard to tell what he does with it in recent games, especially with the Miles McBride addition. The bench is a huge factor in this team’s success this year, and it will be interesting to see how he utilizes it in this Hawks series.

How to Handle this Hawks Team

This will no doubt be a tough series for the Knicks. The Hawks have great toughness and have the willingness to compete with anybody. The Knicks cannot take this series lightly and will have to execute at a high level. This series sets the tone for the rest of the playoffs and shows they are contenders for the title this year.

The Hawks are one of those teams that have a ton of length at the guard position. Nickeil Alexander Walker and Dyson Daniels will be the primary defenders on Jalen Brunson throughout this series. We are going to see a lot of blitzes from them to get the ball out of Brunson’s hands. This will not be a shocker for the Knicks because they have seen it all season long. If they adjust correctly and make good decisions out of the blitz, they can dismantle this Hawks defense.

Another part of attacking this Hawks defense is to get Karl Anthony Towns heavily involved. This is the Hawks’ area of concern because they do not match up well with Towns. I am looking for him to have a fantastic series and get himself into a rhythm for the rest of the playoffs.

Defensively, Nickeil Alexander Walker will be the one to dismantle the Knicks. He has been phenomenal this year and has really increased his offensive presence for this Hawks team. Would like to see Bridges stuck with him for most of this series. Has the ability to compete with his length and quickness off the dribble. While OG Anunoby will take the assignment of Jalen Johnson, who might end up being an All-NBA player this year. They have a huge veteran in CJ McCollum as well, which will help lead this team.

I am looking at Mikal Bridges, OG Anunoby, Mitchell Robinson, and the Knicks’ bench to make the Hawks super uncomfortable. They are the X factors, and they have the ability to make this team into a Finals team. They have too much talent and depth to get dismantled by this Hawks team.

This team has every chance to make a Finals run, and this series will give them the momentum and confidence for the next matchup against either the Philadelphia 76ers or the Boston Celtics. Playoff basketball is one of my favorite times of the year, and I can not wait for these series to begin. This will probably be my last full Knick’s discourse, and I will transition into thoughts on every playoff series after the first round. Below are my thoughts on the rest of the first-round series and other NBA topics. Let’s Go Knicks!