Two seasons ago when the New York Knicks faced the Boston Celtics, they put on a show taking it all the way to double overtime. It was the Knicks who pulled away with the victory, and the NBA world was stunned.
On Tuesday night they will kick off the season squaring off each other in a much-anticipated match-up. Many will be watching, as Boston brought in even more firepower over the offseason.
The Celtics acquired the two-way point guard Jrue Holiday, along with the former New York star Kristaps Porzingis in trades. Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown were already cooking something up in Boston, but now they have arguably the best team on paper this season.
New York, on the other hand, had a pretty quiet offseason. The team did trade away power forward Obi Toppin, which leaves them without a true backup for that position. Donte DiVincenzo signed a four-year deal with the Knicks this offseason, which should bolster their perimeter defense and 3-point shooting.
The Knicks starting lineup has some legit stats, but they could be overmatched by the Celtic's elite unit. Jalen Brunson is going to have a tough first match-up against the defensive standout Holiday. New York's two-time All-NBA power forward will also have a challenge ahead of him, matching up with Tatum.
It's going to take more than just those two stars to overcome the rest of Boston's elite group, but Tom Thibodeau's Knicks might be able to do it. One thing New York's head coach won't let happen, is his squad being unprepared for anyone. Let's go over three ways the Knicks can pull off an upset over the Celtics in game one:
3. The Knicks bench performs at a high level
New York's bench is an advantage that the team has over many teams around the league. Losing Topin could hurt, but gaining DiVincenzo is going to help with behind the perimeter. The former Golden State Warrior shot 39.7 percent from deep last season, along with averaging 1.8 steals per 36 minutes.
Thibodeau has a lot of options to go to on his bench, as they have the Sixth-Man of the Year favorite Immanuel Quickley and the former Villanova star Josh Hart. New York has a loaded bench, which will come in handy against Boston on Tuesday night.
After getting traded to New York mid-season, Hart tallied up 10.2 points per game in 25 games. He also shot an impressive 58.6% from the field and 51.9 percent from deep. Quickley averaged 14.9 ppg last season and was the runner-up for the Sixth-Man of the Year award.
The Celtics lack reliable options off the bench after sending off many players in trade packages this offseason. Head coach Joe Mazzulla doesn't have a deep team this season. Outside of Payton Pritchard and Al Horford, the rest of the bench is unproven.
As great as Randle and Brunson are, Boston's stars are far more talented. It's going to be tough for those to outperform the former Eastern Conference Champion duo of Tatum and Brown. If the Knicks are going to take this game, their bench unit is going to be the area they need to see production from.
2. Thibodeau grants more minutes to Isaiah Hartenstein
Thibodeau has a great defensive center in Mitchell Robinson, as he's an elite shot blocker in the paint. The Louisiana native is currently averaging 2.9 blocks per 36 minutes at this point in his career. When Robinson's on the floor, opposing teams are cautious when entering the paint.
With Porzingis lined up to be Boston's starting center, it's going to cause problems for Robinson. Guarding the perimeter is an area where he struggles vastly, and when teams pull him out of the paint they can exploit the Knicks.
Isaiah Hartenstein always had a defense-first mentality, and he could be just the guy to go up against Boston's new big man. If Robinson is struggling early on, we could see Thibodeau make this move quickly.
Robinson isn't a bad defender by any stretch and is in no jeopardy of losing his starting job. This particular matchup doesn't favor him though, which is why Hartenstein should be seeing the floor a bit more.
New York's backup big man moves a lot better than Robinson, and they will need his mobility against Boston's high-powered offense.
1. Julius Randle shows up
As much as some New Yorkers hate to admit it, Randle is very good at basketball. Last season he wrapped up his fourth year with the Knicks, and it was his second time being elected to the All-NBA team.
There is no doubt that the two-time All-Star is an elite scorer, as he averaged 25.1 ppg last season. Going up against Tatum though will be a tough challenge, but if Randle shows up he could just lead the Knicks to an upset win.
In games where Randle had scored over 30 points with the Knicks, their record is 33-14. Last season in New York's and Boston's final matchup against each other, Randle dropped 31 points in a 131-129 overtime victory.
After reaching the second round last season, many will be expecting big things from the Knicks this season. The pressure is certainly higher than it was last season, and they have the perfect opportunity to start the season off with a statement win.
Upsetting Boston is going to be a tough task for New York. Playing in Madison Square Garden should certainly factor in, and Randle is hoping to feed off the crowd's energy. If he brings it Tuesday night, then the Knicks just might knock off the Celtics.
