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The New York Knicks will officially enter the 2025 NBA Playoffs as the third seed in the Eastern Conference. After a debatably successful season, the Knicks will face the Detroit Pistons, a team that beat New York in three of their four games this season. But the playoffs are an entirely different beast. And while an ESPN analyst claims Cade Cunningham might be the best player in the series, the Pistons should be extra cautious before getting too confident, as New York still holds a number of advantages.
Madison Square Garden will shake the Pistons' confidence
This one is a given. Home playoff crowds are notoriously rowdy. However, The Garden is on a different level. Granted, this is subjective and difficult to measure. It's not merely about decibel level. It's about the history. The intelligence of the fans in attendance. And the wittiness of the chants and jeers.
Granted, sometimes MSG elevates opponent playoff performances. Reggie Miller and Michael Joran are obvious foes for whom it served as a motivating factor. But that is reserved for all-time greats. Might Cunningham fit that mold? Maybe. But if he is, he'll have to prove it beginning on Saturday evening.
But think back to last season. And recall the impact the Garden had on opponents. Then consider that the Knicks won 66% of their home games this season, which is tied for eighth in the NBA. And the fact that the Pistons won only 54% of their road games. All of that adds up to a favorable situation for New York.
Knicks Mitchell Robinson will make a major difference
Mitchell Robinson is an obvious difference-maker. He averaged a career-high +3.3 box plus-minus, as well as a 108.2 defensive rating this season. For context, Robinson had the second-highest box plus-minus of any member of the Knicks who played more than 20 minutes (overall) this season. And he owns the third-best defensive rating on the team, as well.
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Further, Robinson came back and gave the Knicks something else they'd been missing—rebounding. Per 36 minutes of action, Robinson would've averaged 12.5 rebounds per game, 6.5 of which would've been offensive boards.
We say all of that to explain that Robinson is a differentiator. And the Pistons haven't faced him all season. In the only game he was technically able to play (April 10), he sat for rest, given that it was the front end of a back-to-back. Or maybe coach Tom Thibodeau wanted Detroit to remain off balance with how to prepare for Robinson, considering it already looked like a Knicks-Pistons matchup was inevitable.
Granted, coach Thibodeau was operating cautiously with Robinson, but that's in the past. There are no back-to-backs in the playoffs, and there is nothing left to save Robinson for. So, now is the time to unleash him. And we all know what Robinson is capable. Case in point, he dominated the 2024 first-round series against the Philadelphia —and he wasn't even entirely healthy. Just think about the impact he'll have now.
Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns are too much to stop
And finally, there's the big two to address. While the Pistons were 3-1 against the Knicks this season, they were 1-1 against New York with Brunson and Towns in the lineup. New York's lone loss with both of their big two came at home, with Brunson shooting just one-for-seven on 3-pointers. And Cunningham scoring 36—10 above his season average.
Granted, Brunson might have some off games. And Cunningham can easily have dominant ones. However, playoff Brunson is definitely a thing, and he's different. He steps up in big moments and makes big shots. And while Towns has not historically done so, playing alongside Brunson takes a lot of pressure off of him. He can pick his spots and dish to Brunson—or Anunoby, Bridges, Hart, etc.
Conversely, this series represents Cunningham's first playoff experience. And while Detroit boasts a few veterans around Cunningham, its core is still relatively inexperienced.
While this playoff series will probably be closer than many Knicks fans would like, New York still has a few major advantages. Detroit will only get better next season and beyond. But first, they have to figure out what the playoffs are all about. And the playoffs in the Garden against Brunson, Towns, and Robinson present an extremely difficult learning experience.
