BOSTON — The Knicks bench predictably emerged as a weak spot within the first spherical towards the Pistons.
Now, they match up with the perfect bench participant within the league.
Already with most likely the perfect beginning 5 within the league, the Celtics bench supplies little reprieve for the Knicks.
Payton Pritchard — the NBA’s Sixth Man of the 12 months — leads the way in which.
“He had a terrific season for them,” coach Tom Thibodeau stated after Knicks observe Sunday. “[Sam] Hauser’s played really well for them as well. [Luke] Kornet’s given them good minutes. The challenge is the shooting aspect of it. They usually have five 3-point shooters on the floor.”
Pritchard averaged a career-high 14.3 factors per recreation within the common season on 47.2 % taking pictures from the sphere and 40.7 % on 3-pointers, taking part in a mean of 28.4 minutes a recreation.
Within the postseason, that has decreased a bit to 26.8 minutes a recreation, and he’s averaging 9.2 factors on 51.6 % taking pictures from the sphere and 50.0 % from deep.
Lack of depth was typically a difficulty for the Knicks within the common season, but it surely was magnified by Miles McBride’s struggles within the first spherical.
He scored simply 3.8 factors per recreation on brutal 26.7 % taking pictures from the sphere and 26.3 from 3-point vary.
He’s more likely to match up loads with Pritchard when the 2 groups go to their benches.
It could possibly be a matchup that gives the Celtics a giant edge.
“It’s not one particular guy, it’s how the group functions when they’re out there,” Thibodeau stated of McBride. “Our bench has been productive throughout the year. So just bounce back, be good in the next one.”
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The one shiny spot for the Knicks bench within the first spherical was Mitchell Robinson, who at instances had very productive stints — significantly on the glass.
And his protection could possibly be vital, with the Celtics often conserving two bigs who can shoot from deep — Kristaps Porzingis and Al Horford — on the court docket on the identical time.
Cities struggled defensively in 4 regular-season matchups towards the Celtics, getting hunted on pick-and-rolls.
He isn’t significantly fast to protect Porzingis or Horford exterior the perimeter.
Robinson is more proficient.
Robinson was solely lively for the ultimate of the 4 regular-season matchups, and it was by far their best — a 119-117 loss in additional time.
“Mitch gives us rim protection, he gives us versatility,” Thibodeau stated. “The rebounding, offensive rebounding, the switchability on pick-and-rolls is important, he gives us that as well.”
