Three factors in potential Philadelphia 76ers and New York Knicks playoff rematch
After the New York Knicks slayed the Philadelphia 76ers 4-2 in the Eastern Conference Quarter-Finals last season, many expected that the rivalry between the two Atlantic Division teams would carry on into the near future.
Following a disastrous second-round exit at the hands of the Indiana Pacers, the Knicks joined Philadelphia on the couch for the rest of the postseason.
With both teams suffering from an early playoff exit, the two contenders stacked up all their chips to maximize their championship odds this upcoming season.
The Knicks struck first, acquiring battle-tested wing Mikal Bridges in a blockbuster trade with the Brooklyn Nets. Philadelphia swung back, signing star Paul George to a maximum four-year contract.
Just as the NBA world thought both Eastern Conference heavyweights made their last major additions, New York landed star center Karl-Anthony Towns in another blockbuster move that gave the Minnesota Timberwolves Julius Randle and Donte DiVincenzo.
With the 76ers and Knicks expected to be amongst the NBA’s finest this season, here are three points of emphasis in a potential playoff rematch:
Will the Knicks have an answer to stopping Joel Embiid?
76ers superstar Joel Embiid was going through a lot during Philadelphia’s first round series against the Knicks, suffering from Bells Palsy, recovering from a torn meniscus, facing slander from New York fans after his tangle up with Mitchell Robinson, and animosity from France due to him suiting up for Team USA.
Despite that, Embiid was able to achieve career-best postseason success, posting per-game averages of 33.0 points, 10.8 rebounds, and 5.7 assists, on 59.2% true-shooting, against a Knicks team who finished top 10 in defensive rating.
New York’s interior defense was manned by a combination of Isaiah Hartenstein, Mitchell Robinson, and OG Anunoby, who defended in a free-safety role against Embiid.
With such size and physicality, any big man would struggle against this defensive front, but Embiid dominated at the price of only him and Tyrese Maxey being competent scorers, which partly costed the 76ers the series.
Without Hartenstein, who joined the Oklahoma City Thunder via free agency, Karl-Anthony Towns will be tasked to guard Embiid, which may end poorly for the Knicks as Embiid averages 28.6 points on 64.9% true-shooting against Towns.
New York’s best bet is to have Anunboy sag off from the weak-side corner and constantly crash the the restricted area to double team Embiid, but with Tyrese Maxey and Paul George, that could be a dangerous game to play.
The 76ers/Knicks rebounding battle
Perhaps the biggest culprit for the 76ers’ early playoff exit was their lack of rebounding, size, and overall intensity off the boards, especially in game two as their inability to clean up the glass led to a Donte DiVincenzo three that allowed the Knicks to go up 2-0.
New York out-rebounded Philadelphia 273-247 throughout the series with Josh Hart playing pivotal role in the cause, averaging 12.3 rebounds. Hart was able to repeatedly crash the glass from the perimeter, out-hustling the 76ers, often leading to second-chance buckets or quick threes.
While Isaiah Hartenstein is undoubtedly a better defender than Karl-Anthony Towns, they are both equally impactful rebounders. With the Knicks having stellar size at the wing and down low, the 76ers will once again likely have difficulty rebounding the ball.
Philadelphia will need to rely on new additions Andre Drummond and Guerschon Yabusele to provide adequate front-court size in non-Embiid minutes, or perhaps with Embiid in Yabusele’s case.
The Knicks’ versatile wings could be detrimental to the 76ers
While the Knicks’ interior defense didn’t improve this offseason, the addition of Mikal Bridges bolstered their already elite perimeter defense alongside Josh Hart, OG Anunoby, and reserve guard Miles McBride.
With such a talented group of wings, New York can challenge just about any contending team, especially the Boston Celtics with star wings Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown. But, the Knicks’ stacked perimeter defense could prove to be vital against Tyrese Maxey and Paul George.
During last season’s playoffs, Maxey was the only 76ers player to average more than 15 points per game in the series, despite being guarded by the likes of Josh Hart and Donte DiVincenzo as well as facing occasional blitzes and double teams.
Maxey was able to respond well to the different coverages that were thrown at him, going as far as exploding for 46 points in a do-or-die game five and with his likely progression this season, there may not be cause for much worry.
However, with Paul George’s playoff struggles since the Los Angeles Clippers’ Western Conference Finals run in 2021 and inevitable decline due to age, there could be a some cause for concern.
Mikal Bridges and OG Anunoby will likely be George’s primary defenders depending on the situation and with both wings being elite perimeter defenders, who can navigate screen and lock up off the dribble.
To George’s benefit, he’ll be the third option behind Maxey and Embiid and his shot creation won’t be constantly relied on at the same rate is has been throughout his career up to this point.
Mandatory Credit: (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)
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