Knicks Are Watching Past Mistake Catch Up to 76ers

The Knicks prioritized one thing the 76ers didn't this season, and it's making all the difference.

Knicks guard Jose Alvarado reacts during a game. | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

One thing that's been apparent for the Knicks in their series against the 76ers is how much Philadelphia's still feeling the effects of Round 1. The Sixers went the distance in a matchup against the Celtics that presented challenges for both sides.

As a result, Philly came out sleepwalking in Game 1, which New York took control of quickly and easily. Even in a tighter Game 2, it's clear the Sixers ran out of gas, as their best effort to knot things up ultimately fell short.

Looking at both rosters, it's clear why the Knicks have gotten the early edge despite the teams boasting similar talent levels in their starting lineups—and that comes down to the 76ers sacrificing depth ahead of the postseason.

Knicks' bench investment is paying big dividends, while 76ers filled with regrets

A key difference in this series, one that has already impacted both games and will remain relevant, is the different ways these teams approached bench depth throughout the season.

The Knicks simply didn't stop adding pieces here even after the offseason rush, as they decided to bring back Landry Shamet in mid-September, along with inking Malcolm Brogdon.

This was despite seeking out former Sixth Man of the Year winner Jordan Clarkson early in free agency, signing Guerschon Yabusele after his Olympic resurgence, and drafting Mohamed Diawara, all of whom joined entrenched bench incumbents like Miles McBride, Mitchell Robinson and Tyler Kolek.

Knicks backup Jordan Clarkson has played a pivotal role in a revamped bench unit this season. | Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images

Leon Rose wasn't done there, though. He gave former top-10 pick Jeremy Sochan a chance to latch on after the All-Star Game. And Rose made the aggressive move of giving up two second-rounders for Jose Alvarado at the trade deadline.

All of those acquisitions have helped buoy New York despite a rash of injuries this season. Shamet turned into a top-two option off the bench, Clarkson carved out a productive role in limited time, while Alvarado has helped provide a jolt of energy among the reserves, including in the first round when the second unit started out sluggish.

Contrast that to the Sixers, who most notably trimmed away at their capable bench options in favor of cap savings down the stretch. Philly's biggest move at the deadline was trading away rising young guard Jared McCain for a package of draft picks. While the move helped with future ammo and the tax bill, it certainly hurt a bench unit that lost a secondary ball handler and had the ghost of Kyle Lowry as one of its only backup PG options.

Though the team did bring in veteran Cameron Payne down the stretch, they also cut him just days before the playoffs began due to a hamstring injury. That, too, was a short-sighted move, as he could've been healthy by the time the Sixers' seven-game series against Boston wrapped up. Instead, they dropped a backup guard with 72 career playoff appearances to carry a forward (Dalen Terry) who's averaging five minutes per game in the playoffs.

Things would look a lot different for Philadelphia if it had a capable bench stable on hand, especially at guard. They've asked the world of Maxey this season, as he logged a league-leading 38.0 MPG during the campaign, and that number has jumped to 40.1 in the postseason. It's no wonder he's come out less than stellar in the first two games of the second round despite having plenty of success versus the C's (26.9 PPG) to kick things off.

Meanwhile, McCain has gone on to have better averages with the Thunder (10.4 PPG, 57.0% effective field goal percentage) compared to his time with the Sixers (6.6 PPG, 48.3 eFG%) this season. He's also fresh off of making four three-pointers on Tuesday, when Philly's entire bench has only made five over the first two games of this series.

It's apparent the Sixers' problematic rotation, which often includes just one or two guys playing meaningfully off the bench, is taking its toll on the team's starters. Yet there's also nothing Nick Nurse can really do since the more proven options he could've turned to aren't on the roster anymore.

Meanwhile, even though the Knicks are grappling with the possibility that OG Anunoby misses time, they can feel comfortable slotting in McBride, Shamet, Clarkson, Robinson or Alvarado into bigger roles. They've even gotten use out of third-stringer Ariel Hukporti, while Kolek and Diawara are still on standby as players who had rotation roles that could be called upon in the playoffs.

That brings major solace and puts New York in a completely different place than the 76ers, who just played four of their starters 40-plus minutes in Game 2 and have little choice but to do so again, even as the wheels are dangerously close to falling right off.