How do we match up with the Knicks this year?

[Celtics18]

Boston matches up very well against New York.

Kevin Garnett gives Boston the matchup advantage at center over Tyson Chandler. Comparable defensive presences but KG is a much more skilled offensive player. Garnett will also be able to drag T.Chandler out of the paint offensively with his long two point jump-shooting and high post passing whereas Tyson Chandler's limitations will allow Garnett to roam around the paint and make more defensive plays around the rim.

Jeff Green and Paul Pierce give Boston two big quick forwards who can matchup against New York's small ball lineups. The Knicks only really have one big quick forward themselves with Carmelo Anthony so one of Boston's guys should have an advantageous matchup there too.

The Knicks offense is too reliant on Carmelo Anthony. It lacks versatility (in number of creators). Raymond Felton and JR Smith are the 2nd and 3rd options in the Knicks offense. Avery Bradley gives Boston the best on-ball defensive PG in the league to throw on Felton and have Courtney Lee to put on JR Smith.

The Knicks frequently play small in the backcourt with Felton, Kidd and/or Prigioni so there will be lots of opportunities to get Jason Terry or Jordan Crawford on the floor without their defensive limitations being exploited.

The injury to Amare Stoudemire was a huge blow for the Knicks. He was the only guy Boston had no answer too. A major advantage off the bench. But now he is out of commission.

In his place, Kenyon Martin will take over but in a matchup against Chris Wilcox, this shouldn't hurt Boston too much. Martin not much of an offensive threat but will give NY better interior D. If it's Bass, K-Mart will give NY a slightly larger advantage.

Steve Novak and Chris Copeland are threats if Doc doesn't control the matchups well but if he can keep Jeff Green out there and force one of them to pickup J.Green then the matchup is firmly in Boston's favour. If he does something stupid like use Bass, then NY's three point shooters will create the advantage for their team.

Bass should only really play if NY goes big and puts a proper power forward alongside their center (Tyson Chandler). Kenyon Martin or Kurt Thomas. Other than that, Doc needs to keep Bass' butt glued to the bench because the matchups here are not favourable to him and Bass will cause more damage than harm if used against them.

So yeah, overall, this is a very good matchup for Boston.

The Celtics starters have a strong advantage over the Knicks counterparts. The bench battle depends quite a bit on Doc but the talent is there for him to minimize NY's threats (K-Mart, JR Smith) and to even turn some of threats into liabilities (Novak, Copeland). He (Doc) just needs to his job well which unfortunately hasn't happened as often as it should have this year.

Boston should be favoured in a series against New York.

That's a great analysis.  I do think that Doc will end up using Brandon quite a bit, though.  Unfortunately, he can't play KG at the 5 and Jeff at the four for 48 minutes. 

Although, I would agree that it's not ideal, I wouldn't be surprised to see Bass get his share of minutes at center.  I think that Randolph and Wilcox will both play, but that neither will see more than 10 to 15 minutes per game, and I don't think it's likely that they both get those minutes in the same game. 

I've been a big proponent of Chris Wilcox all season, but his proclivity to fall asleep on the defensive end can be frustrating to watch considering his great physical tools.  I love what Randolph's been showing, but he's still too green to be given big minutes in the playoffs. 

[Moranis]

New York is the team I most want Boston to play in the first round, because that is the team Boston has the best chance of beating.  New York, even in the 12 game streak, doesn't play defense.  Chandler is a great defender, but as a team they are horrid.  The Knicks won't shoot nearly as well during a grueling grinding playoff series.  The Knicks are a great match-up for Boston and I fully expect Boston to win the series, I'd say in 6 games.

[The Rondo Show]

Let Shav dominate TC 

[Eigild]

I would rather play the Pacers then the Knicks as of now, because it in my opinion would be easier to overcome the Pacers defense compared to the Knicks offense.

Lets lay that aside and look at the matchup position for position in a probable series against the Knicks.

As Who already mentioned, NY prefers to play with only one real big in Chandler/K. Martin. If thats the case I'm not sure if we should counter with a small lineup ourself (KG-Green-Pierce-Lee-Bradley), or if we should let Bass give it a try - he defends at a pretty high level and seems to have found his shooting touch from last season?
Will a Kidd/Felton/J.R. backcourt use their physical advantage against the smaller Lee-Bradley-Terry rotation?
(without Rondo we can't use our quickness advantage as much as we want because we are missing a primary ballhandler).

If NY goes big with both Chandler and K. Martin, we have to counter with go big ourselfes, because otherwise we'll be crushed on the boards. Shavlik should see some minutes in this case.

Otherwise I'm not impressed by the Knicks depth, their frontcourts mileage is really hurting them now.
Is Amar'e out for the season or is he expected to be back at some point in the postseason?

1) Ball pressure - we have to use the pitbulls
2) Minimize the damage from their 3p threats over the course of a series
3) Bench production (the JET has to come through)
4) Vintage Truth on offense - he has to carry us offensively (distributor AND scorer)
5) I'm not expecting an offensive outburst from KG at this point in his career anymore, but he has to anchor the defense like he has in the past
6) Post all-star production from Jeff Green (at least 15 PPG)

It will be a great, great series and I hope and believe we can push the Knicks to one more year without a series win in the postseason.

[Celtics18]

I would rather play the Pacers then the Knicks as of now, because it in my opinion would be easier to overcome the Pacers defense compared to the Knicks offense.

Lets lay that aside and look at the matchup position for position in a probable series against the Knicks.

As Who already mentioned, NY prefers to play with only one real big in Chandler/K. Martin. If thats the case I'm not sure if we should counter with a small lineup ourself (KG-Green-Pierce-Lee-Bradley), or if we should let Bass give it a try - he defends at a pretty high level and seems to have found his shooting touch from last season?
Will a Kidd/Felton/J.R. backcourt use their physical advantage against the smaller Lee-Bradley-Terry rotation?
(without Rondo we can't use our quickness advantage as much as we want because we are missing a primary ballhandler).

If NY goes big with both Chandler and K. Martin, we have to counter with go big ourselfes, because otherwise we'll be crushed on the boards. Shavlik should see some minutes in this case.

Otherwise I'm not impressed by the Knicks depth, their frontcourts mileage is really hurting them now.
Is Amar'e out for the season or is he expected to be back at some point in the postseason?

1) Ball pressure - we have to use the pitbulls
2) Minimize the damage from their 3p threats over the course of a series
3) Bench production (the JET has to come through)
4) Vintage Truth on offense - he has to carry us offensively (distributor AND scorer)
5) I'm not expecting an offensive outburst from KG at this point in his career anymore, but he has to anchor the defense like he has in the past
6) Post all-star production from Jeff Green (at least 15 PPG)

It will be a great, great series and I hope and believe we can push the Knicks to one more year without a series win in the postseason.

Another good analysis.  To me the biggest key, and this relates to point number two, is that if we can get away with not having to double too much on Anthony, and point one, Avery and (to a lesser degree Lee) can put tons of ball pressure on the guards, disrupting their offense flow, then we have a good shot of slowing down their vaunted offense.

I want to add that every time I see them play, I marvel at the job Mike Woodson has done with that team.  In my mind, he should clearly be a leading COY candidate.   

[Fafnir]

Have to control the pick and roll easy baskets for Chandler and the 3 point shots the bench gets.

[slamtheking]

If healthy, the C's should dominate at the guard position, hold their own at SF if not have an advantage in the 8 minutes Melo is off the floor but probably get creamed on the boards by their frontcourt of Chandler, Amare and Copeland.  3 very active bigs that can rebound against pretty much a less-than-stellar rebounding frontcourt of the Celtics.

[scaryjerry]

This is silly to think we match up better with the heat...um no. both teams play the same way and the heat have the better players.

Not to disregard the knicks, which is the second most annoying thing in this thread...the sense of entitlement over them....they're a better team then us folks and have proven it during the season and head to head, we'll be lucky to beat them in the playoffs

[Moranis]

This is silly to think we match up better with the heat...um no. both teams play the same way and the heat have the better players.

Not to disregard the knicks, which is the second most annoying thing in this thread...the sense of entitlement over them....they're a better team then us folks and have proven it during the season and head to head, we'll be lucky to beat them in the playoffs

season series don't mean a thing in the playoffs.

[pearljammer10]

The Knicks are a Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde type team. We could sweep the Knicks or they could sweep us depending on the momentum of the series. They are playing lights out currently and Melo is putting together a crazy stretch.

With that being said I am fine with playing the Knicks. Anyone who says they would rather play Miami is crazy.

[SHAQATTACK]

If we had Sully and Rondo  ......I think C's would actually have the clear edge .

As it is,  Now I GIVE US A   50 -50  chance  , maybe a little better if KG is truely  healthy and we have no more injuries.


KG and Pierce have to play like stars to carry the team against the cream of the NBA......we can get by lesser team with them on the bench , IMHO not so against the top 10 teams, KG and Pierce are gonna have to play BIG minutes....

we are sooooooooo screwed when KG sits.

[CelticSooner]

It's not a coincidence that since Amar'e went out they got hot again. Hopefully he returns soon. Melo at the 4 is a really tough matchup.

[coco]

The way we are defending,  I'd avoid playing the Heat or Knicks at all cost.

Is not how we match (which I think we do) -  but the way both of those teams are moving the ball and playing like a team. 

There is a big gap between the Heat and the rest of the East,  and a smaller gap (but a gap nonetheless) between NYK and the remaining ECF teams

[PhoSita]

the sense of entitlement over them....they're a better team then us folks and have proven it during the season and head to head, we'll be lucky to beat them in the playoffs

Yeah, this was my reaction to most of this thread, too.

People think just because one team is the Celtics and the other is the Knicks that they know how it'll go once the playoffs begin.  Sorry to say it, guys, but one of these teams is a 55+ win squad (i.e. elite) and the other will be lucky to finish over .500 (i.e. mediocre).

[Celtics18]

the sense of entitlement over them....they're a better team then us folks and have proven it during the season and head to head, we'll be lucky to beat them in the playoffs

Yeah, this was my reaction to most of this thread, too.

People think just because one team is the Celtics and the other is the Knicks that they know how it'll go once the playoffs begin.  Sorry to say it, guys, but one of these teams is a 55+ win squad (i.e. elite) and the other will be lucky to finish over .500 (i.e. mediocre).

Huh?  I don't see a sense of entitlement.  I see some of us trying to answer the question of how to best match up against the Knicks, is all. 

Personally, I'm not saying that I think it will be easy or that we'll even be the favorites in the series, but I definitely think we can beat them.