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Well, ain't this a familiar sight. Once again, the New York Knicks are back in the NBA playoffs. Just like their most recent appearance, New York is playing in the 4-5 game (albeit now as the fifth seed). And once again, they face one of the young stars of the league in Donovan Mitchell and the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Winning a playoff series would be so big for the Knicks, for many reasons. Despite the name power, New York hasn't won a playoff series in quite some time. The new-look Knicks squad is really the first time any team of this franchise found consistent regular-season success. They aren't favorites in this series (not by a long shot), but one person can change their fortunes.
Knicks X-Factor: Josh Hart
On paper, the Knicks should be able to match up to the Cavs pretty well. Jalen Brunson and Julius Randle are the most unlikely duo to be successful this season, and they're backed up by a slew of talented role players. Add to that RJ Barrett's abilities, and you have a team that can give most NBA teams fits on any given day.
However, if the Knicks want any chance of advancing to the second round of the playoffs, they need to stop Donovan Mitchell's rampage. Yes, they have Darius Garland as another option. Evan Mobley is also always a threat to any team. Spida's venom, though, is so much more dangerous than any other weapon the Cavs can throw at New York.
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Mitchell is currently averaging 28.3 points per game on 48% shooting from the field and 38% from deep. He's easily the biggest threat on the Cavs, and stopping him should be the number one priority for the Cavs. It's not going to be easy, though: Mitchell has a deep bag of tricks he can use to score at will.
This is where the Knicks' X-Factor comes it. New York has a trio of guards who have the defense to keep up with Mitchell: Quentin Grimes, Immanuel Quickley, and Josh Hart. All three are worthy selections to be the X-Factor, but Hart easily takes the cake to be the most crucial piece to this team.
Traded during the offseason to the Knicks, Hart quickly turned himself into a crowd darling. He captured the hearts of New York fans with his electric defense and hustle on the court. Hart was always known for his defense, but the bright lights of the Big Apple shone a spotlight on his abilities.
It also helps that Hart is essentially a Swiss Army knife of basketball talents. The Knicks guard/forward is averaging just over ten points per game, 6.7 rebounds per game, and 3.5 assists. He's also shooting an absurd 56.5% from three on moderate volume. That white-hot shooting might not be sustainable, but his rebounding and assists do seem to be something that can translate in the playoffs.
That rebounding, in particular, might be useful to the Knicks in the playoffs. One of the advantages New York has over their opponents is their rebounding. Hart's ability to rebound from the 2 or 3 spot will help the team secure key defensive possessions come clutch time.
Hart will most likely be tasked to defend Donovan Mitchell for most of the Knicks-Cavs playoff series. In addition, Hart will also likely get a chance to defend Darius Garland when Spida is not on the court. He'll have a tough task ahead of him, and his play might make or break the series.
