Knicks Playoff Pressure Burdens More Than Tom Thibodeau

For New York Knicks fans, the waiting, to paraphrase fellow Madison Square Garden mainstay Sam Rosen, is almost over.

The weekend arrival will finally bring about the return of Knicks playoff basketball, which tips off against the Detroit Pistons at Madison Square Garden. Knicks fans are no doubt counting down the dwindling hours for obvious reasons, but one of the more subtle celebrations may be the cessation, or at least the pause, of multiple narratives surrounding their team.

A firestorm of playing the resurgent Pistons and recent surprise firings around the rest of the Association (namely that of champion Denver boss and former Knicks assistant Michael Malone) have caused some to run with a narrative of Tom Thibodeau's seat getting hotter. Supporters are likewise equally weary of hearing about the overachieving are blessed with a sense of healthy reckless abandon, under the presumed notion that this is the first of many playoff trips.

Played out as such narratives may be, there are no doubt several New Yorkers who have a little something more to play for this time around.

OG Anunoby

There's no use crying about last year's Knicks: the potential of last year's group at full strength will perhaps forever go down as one of the most prevalent "what if" debates in the history of metropolitan fandom but what's done is done. Anunoby, however, can perhaps keep the arguments rolling for at least a little while longer.

Anunoby's injury woes that resurfaced in the middle of last year's conference semifinal series against Indiana served as the unofficial harbinger of the Knicks' doom but that didn't stop management from granting him a hefty contract that became guaranteed fodder for the would-be hardwood comedians. Those same jokers have been silenced this spring, as Anunoby's offensive explosion (22.9 points since March 1) but they'll no doubt re-emerge if the Knicks stumble, even if Anunoby himself isn't directly responsible.

Pressure is on Anunoby to not only prove himself to basketball viewers but perhaps himself as well: injuries have defined his playoff career to date, including an emergency appendectomy that took him out of the 2019 Toronto Raptors; championship run.

Mikal Bridges/Karl-Anthony Towns

This is the culmination of the past nine months of New York basketball. The Knicks didn't sacrifice their past and future for regular season victories, though there were still plenty to be had from Bridges and Towns despite a few hiccups Any perceived shortcomings of the imported duo, however, can be easily forgiven with a sterling postseason effort from each.

New York traded for Bridges and Towns precisely because they were fed with the second-round ceiling. Even if glimpses of their potential at full strength have emerged (Towns was an All-Star starter and rebounding machine despite some defensive lapses), the good and the bad of the first 82 games completely vanish upon the formation of the bracket.

Beneath their steely exterior, New Yorkers can be quite forgiving if a supposed transgressor steps up come playoff time — look no further than the continued advocacy for Eli Manning's Pro Football Hall of Fame entry. But if Bridges and Towns fail to rise to the occasion after sizable sacrifices, only the national debate programs will be grateful, as it'll tip off a summer of questions and narratives about the Knicks' core as constructed.

Mitchell Robinson

There are few certainties left in New York basketball but Robinson's presence is perhaps at the top of that shortlist.

The Knicks spent almost all of this season trapped in the East's third seed after some early issues allowed Cleveland and Boston to break away at the top. The most glaring factor beyond the new faces looking to establish a metropolitan groove was the absence Robinson, who missed the first 58 games of the seasons with ankle woes that lingered from last year. Robinson was a de facto MVP in absentia and helped partly stabilize the Knicks' defense upon his return.

Robinson's presence is an x-factor in any series considering he's one of the last traditional centers in the Association, one more concerned with the time-honored duties of rejecting paint visitors, cleaning up on the glass, and taking shot attempts that rarely exceed five feet. Detroit, however, may be one of the few teams that has him beat, as it features two such centers in Jalen Duren and Isaiah Stewart. Combine that with the idea that Robinson is one of the Knicks most tradeable assets, he might be putting together an audition tape for the 2025-26 campaign.

Landry Shamet

No matter where one lies in the debate over whether this year's Knicks team has lost the aura and vibes that the last one produced, the undeniable truth is that their outside game has taken a hit since Donte DiVincenzo was transferred to Minnesota: entering this postseason, the Knicks try 34 three-pointers a game, which is third-worst among playoff participants.

Shamet did what he could to boost those numbers: granted an extended opportunity when injuries and rest ate away at backcourt attendance, Shamet sank multiple triples in all but three of the last 11 games of the regular season, posting a success rate of just under 49 percent with an extra point on the line in that span. With Detroit set to crack down on the Knicks' interior, Shamet might have some extra opportunities to create separation — provided, of course, Thibodeau opts to keep him in the restocked backcourt rotation.

If Shamet does get his chances, he must take full advantage of his opportunities, which could help him generate some long-sought longevity in his basketball career: the Knicks are Shamet's sixth different team in his seven seasons of action and he could be hunting for his seventh in eight as a 2025 free agent. Whether a long-term deal comes from New York or elsewhere remains to be seen but a solid postseason showing could go a long way toward earning it.

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