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The New York Knicks kick off the 2025 NBA Playoffs on Saturday evening at home against the Detroit Pistons. After making considerable roster upgrades prior to the season and subsequently securing a second-straight 50-win season, expectations are understandably high. But so are nerves. And plenty of people believe that coach Tom Thibodeau could be on the hot seat if the Knicks fail to build on last season.
But looking ahead is a fool's errand. How can New York ensure they don't end up becoming a cautionary tale? It begins with attacking the Pistons' strengths in Game 1. And their strength is perimeter play.
Detroit scores 115.5 points per game, and 78 of those points come from four pediment players. That means that the Knicks' wings will have to be at their defensive best.
A majority of Pistons' scorers will be defended by Knicks' wings
Detroit's leading scorers are all likely to be defended by the Knicks' wings. First and foremost, there's the six-foot-six Cade Cunningham, who led the way this season (26.1 points per game). Cunningham is too big for Jalen Brunson to defend, and too good to be defended by most individual defenders.
While Cunningham is the most important member of the Pistons, there are a number of other guys whom the defense must focus on. Six-foot-four Malik Beasley was the Pistons' third-leading scorer (16.3), and he gives Detroit a significant boost off the bench. Six-foot-eight Tobias Harris averaged 13.7 points per game. And six-foot-five Tim Hardaway Jr., scored 11 per game. And those four players will pose a significant challenge for the likes of OG Anunoby, Josh Hart, and Mikal Bridges.
How should the Knicks gameplay for the Pistons' length?
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Everything Detroit does begins with Cunningham. He shoots a majority of his shot attempts from two-point range (71.3%), with more than one-third coming from between three and 10 feet from the basket. Thus, it is imperative that the Knicks keep a body on Cunningham in the midrange and keep him from weaving away from defenders near the basket.
But New York should also avoid the temptation of consistently double-teaming Cunningham. He is going to get his points. Sending too many double teams will enable other Pistons to get going, as Cunningham is a gifted distributor. Instead, give Bridges or Anunoby the assignment. And let them do whatever they can to slow Cunningham down without sending other defenders.
The other three guys the Knicks must worry about present their own unique challenges, and that's where the game will be won or lost. First, there's Beasley, who connected on 41.5% of his three-pointers, which make up 71.5% of his shot attempts. While Beasley won't begin the game as a starter, he's as lethal as any member of the Pistons other than Cunningham. And he can get hot quickly. Whomever draws the assignment of guarding Beasley must stick with him. They must fight over screens and reject the allure of doubling other Pistons.
Hardaway shot 36.8% on three-pointers, which made up 67.2% of his attempts. Hardaway, like Beasley, cannot be allowed to float. He can get hot quickly, too, and giving him even a foot of space is probably too much.
Both Beasley and Hardaway prey on defenses that let their guard down and send double teams. Remaining connected to Beasley and Hardaway should theoretically help neutralize them. But Harris is an entirely different player. He shot slightly more than two-thirds of his shot attempts from inside the arc, connecting on 54.2% of two-pointers. Harris is sneaky and fundamentally sound—and strong. So, whether it's Hart or Anunoby, whoever defends Harris must avoid falling for pump fakes and fronting him on post-up opportunities (especially when Mitchell Robinson is in the game).
While New York will rely heavily on Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns to carry the offensive load, they also need their wings to do their part—and that involves restricting what their Detroit counterparts do. If Anunoby, Bridges, and Hart can limit the impact of Cunningham, Beasley, Harris, and Hardaway, then the Knicks should be in good shape. But that's a tall order for any team's wings. Hopefully, the team's pre-season maneuvers pay off.
