Boston put together their third dominant performance against the Knicks in as many games this season. Despite several massive offseason moves, New York can’t crack the code to beating the Celtics.
The Knicks are having a good season, no doubt about it, but there are a few fundamental issues that make Boston a particularly bad matchup for them. They’re talented, confident and hungry, but Boston needs to eat, too… and they hunt as a pack.
Boston’s self-described killer whale offense can find the seal in any matchup. Surprisingly, they don’t have to look too hard against the Knicks. To put it kindly, NYK’s two best players are also their weakest defenders. Additionally, none of their three capable wing defenders — and hypothetical Jay-stoppers — have bothered the Celtics’ stars in the slightest.
Across their three matchups, Boston has outscored New York 381-318. Their offensive execution has been stellar, but the Knicks personnel and coverages almost make it easy.
Attacking Karl-Anthony Towns in the pick & roll has been fruitful. His lateral movement makes him an easy mark, because he’s not capable of taking away the drive without conceding a pull-up.
This has been the common denominator in each meeting, and a big reason why Jayson Tatum continues to dominate. By forcing KAT to defend ball screens, it simplifies the decision-making process.
Here’s a helpful flow chart:
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As you can see, when KAT is up closer to the level of the screen, that’s a drive waiting to happen.
If Towns compensates by dropping back a step further, Tatum & Co. will gladly walk right into the pull-up 3.
This is an unfortunate weakness for the Knicks, and not one that they can afford to live with. Boston has gotten whatever they want, and will continue to do so. At some point, New York will need to lean into blitzes or more switching, which invites other problems, but could force the Celtics to go in another direction.
The pick-and-roll game has been so successful, that it makes up a bulk of the C’s offensive approach. They’ve been able to get out and run often, but for the sake of variety, they hunt mismatches from inside out, too.
Jalen Brunson has strength and competitiveness on his side, but it’s not enough to make up for his lack of size and length. Holiday, Brown, Tatum, Horford and Porzingis can consistently win that 1v1. Working this mismatch enough sends NYK into help mode, and that’s where things get out of hand. Boston thrives against a rotating defense.
He’s also not the most effective pick navigator; solid screens are enough to knock him out of the play and create openings. This gets even more drastic when he and Towns are involved in the same action.
There are other avenues for Boston to pursue, but it’s troubling for New York that their two stars give up so much defensively. The Knicks defensive wing trio of Hart, Bridges and Anunoby can hold their own occasionally against the Jays. However, when they’re being screened every time down the floor, it greatly limits the impact of their on-ball ability.
I say they occasionally hold their own, because Brown and Tatum do not fear any of them.
For a team that established themselves as a tough, defensive-minded unit, it’s difficult for the Knicks to overcome these deficiencies against a team built to punish them. This doesn’t hurt them as much against most of the league, but an 0-7 record against the top-3 teams exasperates these issues.
If the two teams meet in the playoffs, it looks like New York lacks the versatility to hang. It would require a lot of major adjustments, and a healthy Mitchell Robinson to change the direction this matchup has gone so far.
Even so, Boston has the weapons to identify and punish weakness in any form. Fortunately, the Knicks employee two unsuspecting seals, that happen to be slower than the rest. The hunt has never been easier.
