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The Cavs return home to take on the New York Knicks for the third and final time this season. These teams have not played since they split two games in the first week of the season, four months ago. Since then the Knicks are a much different team, having traded Barrett, Quickley and Grimes while Randle and Robinson are out with injuries. They’ve added Achiuwa, Burks, Bogdanovic, and Anunoby, but Anunoby is also out.
The Knicks are 35-25 overall and 15-14 on the road. With their entire starting front line of Robinson, Randle, and Anunoby out they have lost 8 of their last 11. The wins have come against lottery teams Detroit and Memphis, and against Philly without Embiid. Their most recent losses were to Golden State by 11, New Orleans by 23, Boston by 14, Orlando by 18, Houston by 2, Indy by 14, and Dallas by 14. In other words, the good teams have been beating them by double digits.
Over the last two weeks the Knicks rank 19th in offense efficiency and 25th in defense efficiency.
The Knicks are starting 7’0” Isaiah Hartenstein at center. He’s backed up by 6’10” Jericho Sims. They combine to average 12 points and 15 rebounds. Their next tallest player is Precious Achiuwa at 6’’8”. Their other five rotation players are 6’5” or under.
The Knicks’ starters are playing heavy minutes due to the injuries. Four of their starters averaged 38-40 minutes in February while Hartenstein and Sims split the minutes at center. For this preview I’m looking at their February stats instead of the whole season since their personnel has changed so much, but their team in February is the same as what they have now.
As a team the Knicks averaged just 106.3 points in February on 44% from the field and 36% on 3’s. They averaged only 22 assists per game (the Cavs averaged 31) and 3.9 blocked shots per game.
Jalen Brunson has picked up the scoring slack, averaging 32 points and 7 assists. He’s taking 25 shots per game since the injuries, up from his season average of 20. The Cavs have done a good job on him defensively this year, holding him to 38% overall and 20% on 3’s in two games.
Donte DiVicenzo averaged 21.7 points on 47% from the field and 33% on 3’s last month while Josh Hart has a February line of 13.4/10.3/5.2. He’s probably the best 6’4” rebounder in the league. He’s only shooting 39%, however, and the Cavs held him to 35% and 25% in the first two games.
Achiuwa averaged 12.2 points and 10.7 rebounds in 39 minutes, shooting 51% overall but just 22% from deep. Bojan Bogdanovic, the 34-year-old sniper off the bench, is averaging 13.3 points and hitting 40% from deep in seven games since coming to the Knicks. Alec Burks in eight games with the Knicks is shooting only 32%.
The Knicks are struggling without OG Anunoby and Julius Randle. They’ve had two days off to get ready, however, so I expect they will come out firing on all cylinders. They are in a battle with the Sixers, Magic, and Heat for the 4-7 seeds; all are within 1.5 games of each other.
The Knicks are somewhat undersized compared to the Cavaliers. They will have either Hartenstein or Sims at center and the 6’8”, 243 pound Achiuwa averages 39 minutes at power forward. But the other three positions will be manned for the entire game by guys who are 6’1” to 6’5”.
The Knicks also play at the slowest pace of any NBA team. The Cavs are slower than average, ranking 22nd. This could be a low scoring contest on both sides.
In 495 minutes since coming to the Knicks, OG Anunoby has been nothing short of spectacular. The team is outscoring opponents by an insane 31.7 points per 100 possessions when he is on the floor. Julius Randle is a +6.3, but OG is the guy they are really missing.
The Cavaliers are at home and are the better team as long as Randle and Anunoby are out. Hopefully Donovan Mitchell can go; he’s averaged 28 points in the first two games between these teams. Caris LeVert and Mitchell are listed as game time decisions.
The Knicks averaged 99 points in the first two games and are ranked 19th in offensive efficiency over the last two weeks. The Cavs should be able to hold them to around 100 points, if not less. Detroit is averaging 112 points the last two weeks and the Cavs held them to 100 on Friday.
Darius Garland is 15-for-26 on 3’s his last two games. Isaac Okoro is making 46.7% of his 3’s in his last 16 games. In his last two games Evan Mobley has scored 47 points with 30 rebounds, 8 assists, and 6 blocked shots while shooting 60% from the field.
Hartenstein and Sims each weigh 250 pounds so Jarrett Allen will have his hands full no matter which of them is on the floor. They will obviously try to bully him and get offensive rebounds (the Knicks lead the NBA in offensive rebound percentage). Achiuwa and Josh Hart will also be crashing the offensive glass. The Cavs need to help out on the defensive glass and not stand around watching after the shot goes up.
Evan Mobley has 30 rebounds the last two games so he needs to keep hitting the defensive glass hard. Boxing out will be huge in this game. In the first two games the Knicks had 28 offensive rebounds but 17 were by players who have been traded or are injured, including 11 by Mitch Robinson.
The Knicks are 35-25 overall and 15-14 on the road. With their entire starting front line of Robinson, Randle, and Anunoby out they have lost 8 of their last 11. The wins have come against lottery teams Detroit and Memphis, and against Philly without Embiid. Their most recent losses were to Golden State by 11, New Orleans by 23, Boston by 14, Orlando by 18, Houston by 2, Indy by 14, and Dallas by 14. In other words, the good teams have been beating them by double digits.
Over the last two weeks the Knicks rank 19th in offense efficiency and 25th in defense efficiency.
The Knicks are starting 7’0” Isaiah Hartenstein at center. He’s backed up by 6’10” Jericho Sims. They combine to average 12 points and 15 rebounds. Their next tallest player is Precious Achiuwa at 6’’8”. Their other five rotation players are 6’5” or under.
The Knicks’ starters are playing heavy minutes due to the injuries. Four of their starters averaged 38-40 minutes in February while Hartenstein and Sims split the minutes at center. For this preview I’m looking at their February stats instead of the whole season since their personnel has changed so much, but their team in February is the same as what they have now.
As a team the Knicks averaged just 106.3 points in February on 44% from the field and 36% on 3’s. They averaged only 22 assists per game (the Cavs averaged 31) and 3.9 blocked shots per game.
Jalen Brunson has picked up the scoring slack, averaging 32 points and 7 assists. He’s taking 25 shots per game since the injuries, up from his season average of 20. The Cavs have done a good job on him defensively this year, holding him to 38% overall and 20% on 3’s in two games.
Donte DiVicenzo averaged 21.7 points on 47% from the field and 33% on 3’s last month while Josh Hart has a February line of 13.4/10.3/5.2. He’s probably the best 6’4” rebounder in the league. He’s only shooting 39%, however, and the Cavs held him to 35% and 25% in the first two games.
Achiuwa averaged 12.2 points and 10.7 rebounds in 39 minutes, shooting 51% overall but just 22% from deep. Bojan Bogdanovic, the 34-year-old sniper off the bench, is averaging 13.3 points and hitting 40% from deep in seven games since coming to the Knicks. Alec Burks in eight games with the Knicks is shooting only 32%.
The Knicks are struggling without OG Anunoby and Julius Randle. They’ve had two days off to get ready, however, so I expect they will come out firing on all cylinders. They are in a battle with the Sixers, Magic, and Heat for the 4-7 seeds; all are within 1.5 games of each other.
The Knicks are somewhat undersized compared to the Cavaliers. They will have either Hartenstein or Sims at center and the 6’8”, 243 pound Achiuwa averages 39 minutes at power forward. But the other three positions will be manned for the entire game by guys who are 6’1” to 6’5”.
The Knicks also play at the slowest pace of any NBA team. The Cavs are slower than average, ranking 22nd. This could be a low scoring contest on both sides.
In 495 minutes since coming to the Knicks, OG Anunoby has been nothing short of spectacular. The team is outscoring opponents by an insane 31.7 points per 100 possessions when he is on the floor. Julius Randle is a +6.3, but OG is the guy they are really missing.
The Cavaliers are at home and are the better team as long as Randle and Anunoby are out. Hopefully Donovan Mitchell can go; he’s averaged 28 points in the first two games between these teams. Caris LeVert and Mitchell are listed as game time decisions.
The Knicks averaged 99 points in the first two games and are ranked 19th in offensive efficiency over the last two weeks. The Cavs should be able to hold them to around 100 points, if not less. Detroit is averaging 112 points the last two weeks and the Cavs held them to 100 on Friday.
Darius Garland is 15-for-26 on 3’s his last two games. Isaac Okoro is making 46.7% of his 3’s in his last 16 games. In his last two games Evan Mobley has scored 47 points with 30 rebounds, 8 assists, and 6 blocked shots while shooting 60% from the field.
Hartenstein and Sims each weigh 250 pounds so Jarrett Allen will have his hands full no matter which of them is on the floor. They will obviously try to bully him and get offensive rebounds (the Knicks lead the NBA in offensive rebound percentage). Achiuwa and Josh Hart will also be crashing the offensive glass. The Cavs need to help out on the defensive glass and not stand around watching after the shot goes up.
Evan Mobley has 30 rebounds the last two games so he needs to keep hitting the defensive glass hard. Boxing out will be huge in this game. In the first two games the Knicks had 28 offensive rebounds but 17 were by players who have been traded or are injured, including 11 by Mitch Robinson.
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