5 Advantages Knicks Have Over Cavaliers Entering Game 1

Apr 23, 2023; New York, New York, USA; New York Knicks center Mitchell Robinson (23) dunks during game four of the 2023 NBA playoffs against the Cleveland Cavaliers at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images | Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images

The Knicks, well rested after eight full days off, begin their Eastern Conference Finals matchup against a good, but exhausted Cavaliers team.

This gap in energy, combined with where Cleveland struggles and New York excels, creates clear weakness for the Cavs that the Knicks can use to advance.

The Knicks have the best player in the series

This doesn't always matter. We've seen the Pistons, and Nuggets lose while having the best player in the series this postseason. But assuming the teams are generally close in talent, the team with the best player often comes out on top in the NBA. And in this series, the Knicks should have the advantage here.

Donovan Mitchell is a really good player, and there will likely be moments, if not games, where he looks like the best player on the court. But in general, Brunson should have the upper hand.

Brunson is currently averaging 27.4 PPG, and 6.1 APG while shooting 48.5% from the field, and 40.9% from deep in just 34.7 MPG during the playoffs. Mitchell is having a solid postseason, but his averages of 25.6 PPG, 3.3 APG, and 5.2 RPG on 44.5% shooting from the field, and 31.1% shooting from three just don't stack up.

Obviously, the series will come down to more than one player. But if Game 1 goes down to the wire, I expect the better, and more rested, Brunson to find a way to come out with a win -- and that goes for the rest of the series as well.

Cavaliers three-point defense

The Cavaliers have not been great at defending the three-point line this postseason. They currently rank 13th in opponent three-point percentage at 37.3%, and are the only team remaining that allows opponents to shoot higher than 36% from deep.

Jalen Brunson and the Knicks could punish Cleveland from deep. | Brad Penner-Imagn Images

Those numbers already raise some red flags, but adding to their concerns is the fact that they posted those numbers despite playing the Raptors and Pistons, who ranked 21st and 17th in three-point percentages, respectively, during the regular season.

The Knicks may not be able to sustain their current 40.8% three-point percentage, but even if they were to revert closer to the 37.3% mark that they shot at during the regular season, they should have the advantage from deep.

The Cavaliers do a solid job of limiting opportunities from three though, so the Knicks will have to make a conceited effort to up their attempts to capitalize on this.

Fast break discrepancy

The Knicks are middle of the pack in terms of turnovers forced at 14.6 turnovers per game, which ranks just eighth this postseason. But the Cavaliers average the second most turnovers per game at 16.6, and enter the series 11th in fastbreak points given up per game at 14.4 PPG.

That bodes incredibly well for the Knicks, who have the highest points per possession on transition opportunities, and are fourth in transition points per game this postseason at 22.7 PPG.

Against a turnover-happy Cavaliers team that is coming off of a long series and may take some time to adjust to the Knicks' defense, New York could have a very large advantage here.

The Cavaliers did just have to play the Raptors and Pistons, two athletic teams that ranked fourth and first, respectively, in turnovers forced per game during the regular season. There's a chance they get some of their turnover problems under control now that they play a Knicks team that is solid, but nowhere near the level of those two when it comes to turning their opponents over.

That being said, in a series that could come down to the possession battle, the Knicks could benefit greatly here, especially early on in the series.

Rebounding

The Cavaliers are 14th in defensive rebounding percentage, have given up the third most offensive rebounds per game to opponents, and just seventh in overall rebounding percentage. And that's despite playing a Raptors team in the first round that was not an elite offensive rebounding team during the regular season by any measure.

The Cavaliers have become a better offensive rebounding team, which is one of the major reasons they were able to advance past the Pistons. But they still struggle at keeping opponents off the offensive glass.

Rebounds will be crucial for the Knicks in the ECF. | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

The Knicks on the other hand, remain elite on the boards. Thanks in large part to the duo of Mitchell Robinson and Karl-Anthony Towns, the Knicks rank third in defensive rebounding percentage, fourth in offensive rebounding percentage, first overall in rebounding percentage, give up the second least offensive rebounds per game, and the least defensive rebounds per game.

And that's without Josh Hart having a big offensive rebounding playoff run. If he can grab a few more than the 0.8 offensive rebounds he's averaging this postseason, that, along with Towns (2.7), Robinson (2.3). Jordan Clarkson (1.5), and Anunoby (1.1) could wear down an already exhausted Cavaliers team.

There isn't a single Knicks fan that has forgotten just how badly Robinson, Hart, and the Knicks dominated the boards against the Cavaliers in the 2023 playoffs. Kenny Atkinson has surely drilled it into the heads of Evan Mobley, Jarrett Allen, and the rest of the team just how imperative it is that they attack the boards.

They showed glimpses of being more physical and better at securing rebounds at times this postseason, but it still remains an odd weakness for a team that deploys a double-big lineup.

Rest

It is impossible to talk about this series, and especially Tuesday night's series opener, without mentioning rest.

The Knicks will enter Game 1 having not played a game since last Sunday. That gives them eight full days of rest in between those games. And that's without mentioning the fact that the Knicks starters didn't even play a single second in the fourth quarter due to the blowout nature of Game 6.

Meanwhile, the Cavaliers have the incredibly tough task of trying to steal a game on the road after playing their second straight physically draining seven-game series. They have to reset their mentality and emotions after an elimination game, travel, and then also gameplan for a completely different opponent.

Rust is definitely a concern, and Knicks fans may have felt a bit more comfortable with say, a five or six day break instead of eight. But as was covered here, the Knicks could benefit greatly from this break.

Not only was OG Anunoby out for the last two games of the 76ers series with a hamstring injury, Josh Hart has a finger injury, Jalen Brunson has been dealing with ankle issues since January, and Deuce McBride still isn't that far removed from an operation that addressed his sports hernia.

In the 201 instances in which an NBA playoff team has had five or more days of rest in between series, those teams are 113-88 in Game 1's, and 124-77 in the following series. There's an argument for causation, and correlation.

Is the rest helping these teams win? Or, are they winning because they were good enough to close out a series and earn the extra days of rest? It's hard to tell. But the fact that history is on their side remains.

The Knicks are more rested, should be better prepared, regardless of if this is a short series or long one.