The New York Knicks start their quest for a championship Saturday night in Round 1 against the Detroit Pistons. While New York is the heavy favorite in this matchup, Detroit is not a pushover and shouldn’t be underestimated as this series gets underway.
Knicks’ Mitchell Robinson expects tough series against Pistons
The Pistons play with a ton of physicality and defensive prowess, which are two things that helped mold “The Bad Boys” Pistons squads from the early 90s. Detroit embarked on one of the most remarkable one-year turnarounds the league has seen after finishing with the league’s worst record last year, and they will look to make some noise this year.
Knicks center Mitchell Robinson is prepared for what is to come, and expects the series to be an all-out physical battle.
“It’s going to be a dirty series,” Robinson said, via SNY. “We’re going to get out there and fight. That’s the biggest part about it, physicality with Detroit and us and that’s something we just have to bring.”
The Knicks will need to match the Pistons’ physicality
Robinson will be a very important piece for the Knicks given Detroit’s presence around the rim. Jalen Duren and Isaiah Stewart are both pure inside bigs who are not afraid to take contact in the paint to fight for rebounds and loose balls.
When he is healthy, Robinson is one of the league’s best rim protectors and offensive rebounders, and he will serve as a deterrent to Detroit’s physical frontcourt. The Knicks were missing his interior presence for a large part of the season, as he was out for the first 58 games of the regular season while recovering from offseason ankle surgery.
Now, he and the whole team are healthy, and they are going to need everybody to contribute in what will likely be a hard-fought series. Game 1 tips off at Madison Square Garden on Saturday at 6 P.M. EST.