The Knicks get a taste of playoff atmosphere in the NBA Cup. They compete in the knockout rounds against contenders in the East and West. The NBA Cup is in its third year. It was created to drum up hype and a competitive atmosphere early into the season. There are many fan opinions on the NBA Cup, and it varies player-to-player as to whether or not they buy into the stakes. Aside from the trophy, players qualify for a bonus prize pool if they exit group play and enter the knockout rounds, with more money in the pool as you place higher. Regardless, the Knicks needs to take the NBA Cup seriously.
The Knicks Should Be Taking The NBA Cup Seriously
NBA Cup Importance And The Road Ahead
Undoubtedly, the NBA Cup provides Mike Brown and his team an opportunity to experience a playoff atmosphere. Brown is in his first year coaching the Knicks, and building chemistry is just as important for him as it is to his players. Regular season basketball is a balancing act. It requires load management of star players like Jalen Brunson to bench contributors like Tyler Kolek. Load management tends to fight with chemistry building, and therein lies the balance. There are no additional games added to the schedule besides the NBA Cup championship. Brown should feel confident that he can extend minutes during the next three weeks of the tournament in order to test himself and the team.
The Eastern Conference teams in the NBA Cup knockout rounds are the Knicks, Raptors, Heat, and Magic. The Cade Cunningham led Pistons did not make it past group stage, dropping games to the Celtics and Magic. In the West, the Oklahoma City Thunder certainly look untouchable. They will most likely run through the Suns and handle either the Lakers or Spurs. Should the Knicks find themselves coming up against the Thunder on Dec. 16 in the NBA Cup championship, expect a finals-like atmosphere.
Building Upon Strengths And Identifying Opportunities
Brown looks to replicate the success they found against the Raptors on Nov. 30, where they sunk 16 three-pointers and out-rebounded them by 21. The strengths and weaknesses of this Knicks team will start to come into focus and it is up to Brown to read and react. Players like Josh Hart and Mikal Bridges standout and really impact the outcomes of games. Bridges is constantly looking to fill gaps and put himself in a position to score, where strong passers like Brunson and Hart can feed him.
Crashing the offensive glass is a key identity of this Knicks team, and they are 3rd in the NBA at offensive rebounds per game. This ability to generate second chance shots allows them to fire 41 three-pointers per game, which places them at 5th in the league. With the play making ability of Brunson drawing defenders, shooters like Miles “Deuce” McBride can simply make themselves available beyond the arc and keep their hands ready.
While the Knicks can score, they don’t have many players that can prevent scoring themselves. Who will step up during this NBA Cup run, and show that they can handle the points of attack? With middling perimeter defense, it certainly becomes match up dependent. Karl-Anthony Towns, at times, to need Mitchell Robinson to provide a tough paint presence. Can the Knicks slow down the top scorers on playoff contending teams? Management of the lineup will be key. The Knicks are deep enough to put many different looks out on the court.
Featured Image: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images
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