3 Ways Knicks' Rest Advantage in Finals Will Be Different Than ECF

Breaking down the Knicks' rest advantage in the NBA Finals. | David Richard-Imagn Images

Another sweep in the playoffs means another extended break for the Knicks. Except this time, the layoff will come ahead of the NBA Finals, where the team needs just four wins to end this fairytale season with a championship.

While the rest vs. rust debate is repeating itself so soon, the circumstances this time around are different, making this a much more complex factor that will impact New York's last series of the campaign.

Difference No. 1: Less schedule mystery adds to Knicks' rest advantage

A huge talking point after the Knicks swept the 76ers was when they'd play next. The Eastern Conference Finals had two potential start dates -- May 17 or 19. The earlier date was in play until the Cavs lost Game 6 against the Pistons, forcing the series to go seven and then making May 19 the beginning of the ECF.

Matchup uncertainty is prevalent ahead of the Finals, with the Spurs and Thunder also tied 2-2 in the Western Conference Finals. But this time, New York doesn't have any start date mystery to work around. The NBA Finals will begin, without any exceptions, on Wednesday, June 3. So no matter whether OKC and San Antonio wrap up in six contests or seven, the beginning of the Knicks' next series won't be impacted.

This is a new wrinkle on the topic of rest that works in New York's favor. Not knowing exactly when the ECF would start was a logistical problem that affected the team negatively.

It's hard to design an optimal practice schedule, as balancing the load between low and high-intensity to ramp up properly. And not to mention, it was unclear when things were tipping off.

This also keeps players from building toward live-game readiness while putting them in an awkward spot to play before having to pause prep.

Now, Mike Brown and his staff can design the perfect pre-Finals curriculum that revolves around the June 3 start date. That should help avoid a slower start like the Knicks had in Game 1 against Cleveland, which will be vital, as any win given away to the Spurs or Thunder due to early execution lapses could end New York's title dreams.

Difference No. 2: Knicks' Finals opponent won't be as gassed as the Cavs were

One major plus that came from the break before the ECF was that a rusty Knicks lineup got to face the exhausted Cavaliers, who went seven games with Detroit before emerging victorious. Though Oklahoma City and San Antonio may go the distance to determine the West's Finals representative, they will not enter that series as the Cavs did.

Should the Thunder and Spurs require all seven games, their last matchup will take place on Saturday, May 30. That gives either side three full days of rest and recovery ahead of the Finals. Cleveland had just one single day between Game 7 against the Pistons and Game 1 at The Garden.

The effects of this were on full display throughout the Knicks' second sweep, as the Cavs didn't have enough in the tank to pull off an opening-game upset despite being close. They then went on to lose the next three matchups by 16, 13, and 37 points, with the lack of fresh legs clearly becoming a huge influence on things getting away from Cleveland.

OKC and San Antonio won't face this same challenge, however, with rest built in for the winner of the WCF. Both teams also haven't been pushed to the brink during these playoffs, unlike both the Knicks' sweep victims.

The Thunder didn't lose a game until they met the Spurs, so they've been able to preserve a ton of energy for the high-stakes moments with just 12 postseason contests played so far. Meanwhile, Victor Wembanyama and Co. won 4-1 in the first round against the Trail Blazers and 4-2 in the second round against Minnesota, so they haven't needed to break out the reserve fuel tanks either.

Though each squad is paying a higher toll in this tightly contested series than they have in all the playoffs, a guaranteed break before the Finals means every player doesn't have to worry about saving a slice of energy for the next series.

And if either the Spurs or Thunder can wrap this up in six games instead of seven, they'd be done on Thursday, May 28, which would generate two extra days of rest before Finals Game 1 on June 3.

The rest is undoubtedly a good thing for New York, but it won't create the kind of series-changing disparity that it's done previously for the Knicks this playoffs.

Difference No. 3: Knicks as Finals road team cuts into rest edge

Another curveball for New York in the Finals will be serving as the road team for the first time this playoffs. The team with the best regular-season record gets home-court advantage in the NBA Finals, so the 53-win Knicks must visit either the 64-win Thunder or 62-win Spurs to tip things off in Games 1 and 2.

Not having the Madison Square Garden crowd behind them for Games 1 and 2, as well as Games 5 or 7 if necessary, is already a blow. But it will take a little from the team's rest, since they'll have to travel -- as opposed to waiting and preparing at home for their next opponent.

This roster of veteran players is fully familiar with the hassle of traveling throughout the NBA regular season and postseason, so this isn't a new obstacle. But it makes this a less smooth transition from the break to playing in live games again. There's always the possibility that travel hiccups will provide headaches in the Finals and get some guys off their laser focus.

Maybe breaking apart another week-plus of rest with some travel is exactly what this team needs to approach this mammoth task differently. Yet there's no denying that shaking off the rust and picking up where things left off would be easier if MSG was hosting Game 1 of the Finals.