Joel Embiid’s return anchors the Philadelphia 76ers against a revamped, free-flowing New York Knicks squad. Discover how Philly’s star power matches New York’s depth in this razor-thin postseason clash.
A series between the Philadelphia 76ers and the New York Knicks seems far closer on paper than a preview concerning Philadelphia and the Boston Celtics.
While this is in large part due to the Knicks seeming like a more beatable team, it is also due to Joel Embiid being projected to play the entire series. When Embiid is on the court, the offense gains a new dimension, one that allows them to play a slower pace than you expect from a playoff team but also speed things up with players such as Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe.
New York, meanwhile, has become a much more free-flowing offense under Mike Brown. Brown has been an NBA coach for a long time and is known for implementing systems that keep the ball moving across the court.
This is in contrast to the previous coach, Tom Thibodeau, who is known for his tough defensive units but stagnant offense. Karl-Anthony Towns has become more of an offensive hub than ever, being utilized for spacing and facilitation; the offense is being maximized rather than being run through a single player and set. That is why the Knicks group feels more egalitarian than some of New York's recent teams.
However, the stars of the teams are still the stars. Jalen Brunson has been the catalyst for New York's offense this postseason. Averaging 26.2 points and 6.2 assists, his best performance was a 39-point explosion in a Game 5 victory.
Towns is also someone to worry about, as he posted his first postseason triple-double in Game 4 of that Hawks series, showing he can function as a scorer, passer, and floor spacer when the defense loads up on Brunson. If the Sixers are going to win Game 1, they have to find a way to make both of those players work harder for clean looks.
This is where the contrast with the Celtics series stands out. Boston entered that matchup with a clear edge with Embiid out; this feels more narrow because the Knicks match the 76ers in having a star duo, along with a decent supporting cast.
New York does have superior bench production; however, the Knicks' bench ranks second in the playoffs, while Philadelphia's bench ranked 13th in the first round. That doesn't make the Knicks unbeatable, but it does make for a very even-looking matchup that neither team can afford to take lightly.
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Wes Dixon is a contributing writer to 76ersRoundtable. He can be reached at dixonwesley286@gmail.com.