The brain trust weighs in.
Here’s another edition of our Round(Ball) Table, where the Posting & Toasting crew convene to share our speculations, worries, and frustrations. With the first-round series between your New York Knicks and the Detroit Pistons tipping off Saturday night, it’s time to assemble the Avengers.
Here are the questions:
1) What is your expected outcome of the series?
Kento: This may be the first round matchup that has the NBA fanbase the most divided. Some people think it will be a hard-fought seven-game series going either way, some think the Knicks will dominate the Pistons, and some think the Knicks will continue their subpar play and bow out unceremoniously to the young, hungry Pistons. I do think Detroit’s defense, physicality, and outside shooting can give New York some fits. But with home court advantage, depth, and experience all favoring the Knicks, I have the Knicks winning in five games, but with at least three of them being very close.
Michael Zeno: I didn’t watch a whole lot of the most recent matchup between these two in the Motor City earlier this month, but the Knicks dominated that matchup deep into the third quarter until Cade Cunningham took over and the Knicks broke down offensively. Considering OG Anunoby, Cade’s likely defender and recent offensive dynamo, was out along with Josh Hart and Mitchell Robinson, I don’t take too much stock in how it ended. The Pistons will fight extremely hard, and how physical the refs allow them to be could decide a game or two. Gimme Knicks in 6, just like last year vs Philly.
Losada: Fo-fo-fo! Now, seriously, it might be a tough one, but I’m fully expecting the Knicks to win the series reasonably comfortably. I don’t see any outcome having us covering a win-or-go-home Game 7 here, and I’d even consider it a miracle if the Pistons force a sixth game down the road. Not happening this soon for Detroit—sadly for nationwide pundits.
Sam Stein: The Knicks advance. I’m not sure how easy it will be – the Pistons are one of the toughest and most physical teams in the NBA – but it goes without saying that anything short of a series win would spell nothing but disappointment for New York. There’s no doubt that Cade Cunningham is a rising star, but in a battle of all-star point guards, Jalen Brunson simply has more experience and savvy. Take into account that the Knicks also have KAT, Bridges, Anunoby, and Hart to round out the starting lineup, and there’s simply too much star power in a seven game series for a young Pistons squad to handle. While Detroit’s depth and shooting talent should make every single game competitive, the Knicks should close this series out comfortably in five or six.
Russell Richardson: Knicks in six.
Andrew Polaniecki: I’ll be the pessimist of the group, and stick with my gut instincts from a month ago when I was saying that Detroit is the one team that the Knicks don’t want to face in the first round. Knicks have the experience, and you can flip a coin on who has the best player in the series is… but Cade and Duren are no joke. Neither are JB and Kat obviously. But this is not going to be a walk in the park, and I don’t see it going anything less than 6, and if it came down to a 7th game, it would be another coin toss where as a Knicks fan their experience would hopefully come into play.
2) What gives you the most confidence in success?
Kento: While I mentioned a few of the things that should give the Knicks the upper hand earlier, the thing, or in this case, the player, who gives me the most confidence in success is none other than Jalen Brunson. The Knicks’ captain has looked and sounded locked in over the last few days. Between him coming into this postseason being slept on yet again, which is inexplicably becoming a trend this time of year, and the fact that the season ended in a rather disappointing way for the Knicks, I just can’t see Brunson letting this team lose in the first round.
Zeno: Jalen Brunson. Easy. The man has been doing things that we haven’t seen in the playoffs since Michael Jeffrey Jordan. That said, I’m also very confident in the Knicks’ having considerably more experience and the way that I don’t believe Detroit can easily counter the double big lineup (Duren and Stewart, their two bigs, have logged just eight minutes with each other and for good reason). Winning the possession battle has been key to recent playoff runs, and that’ll continue this year.
Losada: The Pistons not having the best player in this series. I am still finding myself confused about such a claim when the Knicks have two All-Star starters in their lineup and vast postseason experience coming from both Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns, as well as the rest of the folks in the squad.
Sam: Jalen Brunson is the easy answer here, but I’ll touch on something else that makes me feel great heading into the postseason: the Knicks are healthy! New York played with a much depleted squad during last year’s playoffs, with Julius Randle, Mitchell Robinson, OG Anunoby, and Bojan Bogdanovic all sidelined by the end of the inspiring run. The year before that, Randle again was dealing with an ankle sprain that impacted his play the entirety of the playoffs. The fact that the entire Knicks’ rotation is healthy, rested, and in game shape heading into playoff time is something that the New Yorkers have not been able to lay claim to for a long time. The Pistons are getting all that the Knicks have this series.
Russell: As has been said elsewhere, Jalen Brunson, Cade Cunningham is the second best, and the next four best guys play for the Knicks. Jalen will be locked in and poised to lead. Add in the rare gift of a fully healthy rotation—something we haven’t had in years—and Detroit’s in for the full-force version of this team.
Andrew: The invaluable experience that the team gained from the previous two seasons playoff runs. Pistons just don’t have that. In addition, going into the Playoffs unlike last season, everyone is healthy.
3) What has you stressing about the matchup?
Kento: The Knicks finished third in the Eastern Conference and finished with 51 wins, but they haven’t come close to playing their best brand of basketball in a while now. Their net rating since the All-Star break is negative, their defense, despite showing improvements, still can’t consistently defend threes, and their offense remains maybe the most infuriating and heliocentric offense to finish top five in offensive rating. Simply put, their overall form heading into the playoffs is concerning, to say the least, especially considering the fact that the Pistons seem to be close to peaking at the right time. But what does this all come down to? Tom Thibodeau. I don’t think he’ll lose them the series, and I don’t think Bickerstaff will necessarily out coach him. But I do think that his stubbornness, reluctance to sit Josh Hart, and inability to put his best players in the best position to succeed will keep this series closer than it needs to be, or should be.
Zeno: I’m worried about Brunson not being 100%. When he’s 100%, he can carry the offense and single-handedly win close games. Since his return, the Knicks are 0-3 in close games, and part of it is that the man who should win Clutch Player of the Year didn’t look like himself. Sure, he dropped 27 twice, but the shots he usually makes weren’t going down, and when you’re a high-usage player being faceguarded, being a step slow can hurt a lot. I don’t know if anyone on the team has the ability to step up late in games and reduce the burden on Brunson.
Losada: This team is hella strong but it’s the Knicks at the end of the day. They need to make quick work of the Pistons or else I’ll start to worry about what might end up happening. The Pacers are the latest kinda-subpar team to beat the Knicks unexpectedly, and I don’t see it happening this time—let alone this early—but there’s a chance everything spins out of control and New York is face-painted. Health could be key in this and all other series the Knicks are part of, because losing any of the starters has a huge impact, considering every player in the Knicks puzzle adds something unique to the team, with few pieces available to use as strong replacements.
Sam: Despite winning 51 games, the overall character of the team hasn’t shown up when tested this season. Reminiscent of last year’s Philadelphia series, matching up against the Pistons means that New York will have to grind out wins. They’ll need to play hard and as a unit to advance. Where’s the toughness? Where’s the will to win? We haven’t had those questions answered during the regular season, made painfully clear by the team’s 0-8 record against the Cavs and Celtics this regular season. Now, it’s winning time. Can New York harness the pressure and emotions of the big moments as a team to succeed on the biggest stage?
Russell: These Knicks haven’t hit their stride yet—or maybe they have. Maybe they’re a mismatched team of talented players who can’t beat a top tier club (Celts, Cavs, Thunder) and will falter against the more physical Detroit. The offense is clunky at times, the perimeter defense is shaky, and Thibodeau’s lack of creativity is always concern. There’s a chance that Jalen still isn’t back to his level of play since spraining his ankle and relying on his iso-ball in late game situations will shoot New York in the foot. If Detroit draws first blood, it could be a confidence killer for a Knicks squad that hasn’t looked overly confident this season.
Andrew: Let’s hope that the last matchup between these two teams in which Detroit beat the Knicks 115-106 is no indication of how the series will turn out. Granted Hart was out, but Cade still had 36 in 35 minutes along with 8 assists.
4) Which players will you watch most closely?
Kento: Brunson will be elite, OG Anunoby will at the very least be great on defense, and Josh Hart, even if he isn’t the perfect fit with the starters, will battle and surely come up with a few game-winning plays this series. That leaves Karl-Anthony Towns and Mikal Bridges. Towns has had a few subpar playoff games in his career, but I still believe in him to at least be a factor and make his presence felt to a degree. Bridges, though, I am not as confident about. He still disappears way too often. With how much the Knicks gave up for him, all eyes should, and likely will, be on Bridges, his defense, and shooting, both from three, and from midrange-where I do expect him to be a difference maker in the playoffs.
Zeno: Mitchell Robinson and OG Anunoby. The two best defenders on the team can not only transform that side of the ball, but the offensive side as well. Anunoby will be tasked with following Cade Cunningham across the observable universe, and how he fares against their relentless off-ball action to free him up will be crucial. Robinson’s wind will be something to watch, as if he is built up enough to play a high-energy 20-25 minutes, it’ll transform this series. The Pistons have no answer for a potential double-big lineup and if Robinson can be as big of a menace on the boards as he was in Cleveland two years ago, it’s curtains.
Losada: I’d be lying if I said any name other than Mitchell Robinson. We’ll have time to delight ourselves in watching Brunson and Towns go to war against the Celtics in May, but in an easier matchup against a physical team, I can’t wait to watch Mitchell Robinson against the wannabe-tough Pistons. Let’s make them sweat, Mitch.
Sam: Mikal Bridges. Bridges has been the one player that hasn’t quite been able to unlock his full talent alongside last offseason’s additions, and he might be the last piece missing from the Knicks being a true championship contender. We know what we’re getting out of Jalen Brunson. We’ve seen KAT shine this year. Anunoby upped his level of play in a big way down the stretch of the season. Bridges has had huge moments – highlighted by his 41 point Christmas day performance – but he’s also disappeared, seemingly stuck in the corner for games at a time. It’s been an up and down year, and New York can’t afford much more down out of him. The version of Bridges we see on the court on Saturday and beyond could tell us a lot about what can we can expect out of the Knicks these playoffs.
Russell: OG. Surely, he will be assigned to Cade as often as possible, and on offense, I want to see if he can continue his great offensive play of the past month with Jalen Brunson running the point.
Andrew– Josh Hart. Knicks in my opinion live or die based on Hart’s presence. I expect Thib’s to let him play for as many minutes as he wants, and if last year’s playoffs were an indication of what to expect from him, plus the addition of his significant year over year statistical improvements, then Knicks fans could be in for a treat from Hart.
5) What would surprise you most in this series?
Kento: I had a few contenders here. I’d be surprised if Brunson didn’t look like vintage Brunson. I’d be surprised if the Knicks swept. I’d be surprised if Hart didn’t look fresh, both physically and mentally, after a long and grueling second half of the season. I’d also be surprised if the bench didn’t take a step up after the strong finish from Landry Shamet, paired with Deuce McBride having some time to work on his shot before the postseason. But more than any of that, the thing that would absolutely surprise me the most would be if the Knicks lost this series. This isn’t a knock on Detroit. As I outlined earlier, I think they’ll take a game and keep a few of the other games close, too. Everybody on the roster knows their roles, and they play hard. But unless a major injury happens (knock on wood), I just can’t see how this team loses four out of seven games to the Pistons.
Zeno: If a rookie played a single serious minute. On a slightly more realistic tone, I’d be surprised if the Pistons dominated the possession battle like they did in the last meeting when PJ Tucker closed at power forward. Isaiah Stewart and Jalen Duren are their bigs, and aside from Cade being a tall point guard, they’re a very small team. I’d also be surprised if we saw a new starting lineup, but like the rookies, that feels more obvious.
Losada: Thibodeau using more than three reserves at the same time, the Pistons winning more than two (dare I say one!?) games, KAT not having a 40-point outing, Hart not bagging a triple-double, Cunningham playing a better series—not just having a one-off masterpiece—for the sustained duration of them, Beef Stew escaping an ejection, one of OG/Mitch not giving us a collective scare and missing one game leaving early with an injury….
Sam: The only thing that would really floor me on New York’s end would be Jalen Brunson coming out flat. We learned over the last two years that JB shows up night after night come playoff time. He’s the Knicks’ lifeline; the squad lives and dies with him. And he wouldn’t have it any other way. The whole NBA world is counting on him being able to sustain his high level of postseason play, and I’d be shocked if he didn’t perform at an all-NBA level. While the Pistons are a strong defensive team, Brunson scored 30+ in each of the first three matchups between the two teams this year. Barring something unforeseen, he should be able to keep the buckets coming this series.
Russell: A sweep by either team.
Andrew: If the Knicks make it out of the first round as healthy as they are first starting it.
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— NEW YORK KNICKS (@nyknicks) April 16, 2025