The New York Knicks have a loaded roster led by two All-Stars, Jalen Brunson and Julius Randle. They were missing Randle all throughout the postseason, which played a part in their short stay in this past year’s edition of the playoffs despite Brunson’s brilliance.
The Boston Celtics, meanwhile, had the luxury of their All-Star duo, Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, remain healthy all season long on their way to a dominant championship run.
The Knicks have a strong duo capable of outplaying the Celtics’ star duo
The Knicks will try to be the team that prevents the Celtics from repeating as champions this upcoming season, and they are well-equipped to do exactly that. The duo of Brunson and Randle doesn’t get as much credit as some of the other imposing duos in the league, but the reality is that the Knicks have one of the NBA’s best tandems.
Combining the two’s season averages from last season, Brunson and Randle averaged 26.9 points per game and 6.1 assists, both of which are higher than the averages of Tatum and Brown combined (h/t KnicksMuse via X).
Brunson has quickly grown into a superstar, coming off of a season where he averaged the fourth-highest points per game at 28.7 and finished fifth in MVP voting. Randle has proven to give similar scoring production while being effective as a rebounder and a playmaker.
While they may have the offensive edge over Boston, it is important to note that Tatum and Brown have them beaten defensively by a wide margin — a massive component of their success. Brunson’s small stature and Randle’s mishaps on that side of the ball create a mismatch for Celtics players to expose.
However, the Knicks have addressed the defensive issue from the All-Star duo by adding two of the best wing defenders in the NBA in OG Anunoby and Mikal Bridges. Undoubtedly, those two would be tasked with guarding Tatum and Brown whenever the two teams matchup, and if they are able to prevent them from taking over a game, the Knicks would be set up to succeed behind Brunson and Randle.
Julius Randle makes the Knicks a force to be reckoned with
The addition of Anunoby last December helped Randle play to his strengths more, which are found inside the restricted area. The spacing that Anunoby provides allowed this to happen, which resulted in Randle playing arguably the best stretch of basketball in his career.
Immediately following the trade, Randle averaged 24.9 points, 8.3 rebounds, 5.3 assists, and shot 47% from the field and 37% from three-point range in 14 games before suffering a dislocated shoulder that would ultimately end his season abruptly.
The Knicks were badly missing Randle’s playmaking abilities during the playoffs, as injuries to the rest of the roster made it easier for Brunson to get swarmed. When Randle is out there, life is a lot easier for Brunson and others to get open looks by him passing out of double teams that his athleticism draws. When the team has all of their pieces together, they can be an unstoppable group of players with no true letdown.
Looking at the Celtics, Tatum and Brown have the luxury of being surrounded by other All-Star caliber players in Jrue Holiday, Derrick White, and Kristaps Porzingis. Those guys have demonstrated that they can take over games as well, so the Knicks will need to have an answer for those guys even if they are able to slow down their star duo.
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The Knicks have a true playoff riser in Jalen Brunson
A big factor to consider, however, is that the Knicks might have a better playoff performer in Brunson than Tatum or Brown. Despite Brown winning Finals MVP this past season, he did so averaging 20.8 points per game in the series, the lowest for a Finals MVP winner since Andre Iguodala with the Golden State Warriors in 2015. That is not to discredit Brown’s terrific performance to lead them to a championship, but the Knicks have a guy who is capable of producing better numbers that can lead to the same success.
Brunson was on an absolute heater in the playoffs despite missing several important complementary pieces, as he averaged 32.4 points in 13 playoff games which included a stretch of four consecutive 40-point games.
Therefore, the Knicks could have the upper hand in a potential playoff matchup with the Celtics, as they have the defensive duo to stop Boston’s two best players while also having a guy who can take over a game at any given moment and another All-Star to pair with him. The Celtics obviously have the edge in terms of championship pedigree and overall playoff success, but the Knicks are in a great position to take over as kings of the East this upcoming season.
