NEW YORK — It’s all set.
The most intriguing first-round matchup in the East, a series that will center around a juicy storyline — the summer of Donovan Mitchell — and represent a chance for New York to advance to the conference semis for the first time in a decade.
There’s still plenty of time before Game 1 of the No. 5 Knicks against the No. 4 Cavs in mid-April, but it’s also the only thing worth discussing as the remaining meaningless regular-season games finish.
Here’s an early look at the five things to watch in the series, starting with the obvious:
To Mitchell, or not to Mitchell
Fair or not, the series will serve as an indictment on the trade that didn’t happen. We don’t need to rehash the entire saga, only that the Knicks wanted Donovan Mitchell and watched him go to Cleveland. Since then, Mitchell further ascended into one of the league’s best guards — a strong candidate for First Team All-NBA — and averaged over 28 points. Normally, that would be a crushing development for the front office that failed in trade negotiations. But Leon Rose hit a home run with a different point guard, Jalen Brunson, and this series is a chance to justify the restraint in the Mitchell trade negotiations. On the other hand, a defeat to Cleveland — particularly if Mitchell is dominant — would cast a cloud over the season and leave the impression the Knicks screwed up.
Julius Randle’s health
The Knicks All-Star is scheduled to undergo a re-evaluation on his sprained ankle on April 13, which is either two days or one day before the start of the series. Even if he’s available for Game 1, the injury — which had Randle in a walking boot on the Knicks’ sideline recently — will likely have prohibited him from running for a significant time. Not a good way to step into a grueling playoff series, when rhythm and conditioning will win or lose games. Beyond Randle’s health, there are questions about his effectiveness under intense playoff defense following his debut dud two years ago against Atlanta. If he forces shots under pressure, the Knicks are in trouble. Randle’s the wild card.
Cracking Cleveland’s top defense
The Cavaliers won at least 50 games this season with the NBA’s top-rated defense, a system around two stalwart big men, Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley, controlling the paint, protecting the rim and switching on the perimeter. They also have two defensive-minded wings, Isaac Okoro and Lamar Stevens, who helped hold opponents to the fewest 3-pointers made in the Eastern Conference. The Cavs play slow — they’re last in pace in the NBA — which typically translates well in the playoffs when offenses become more deliberate. But the Knicks are also adept at the halfcourt style. Something has to budge.
NY’s bench advantage
Led by Sixth Man of the Year candidate Immanuel Quickley, the Knicks boast arguably the NBA’s top bench and should win the battle of depth. It’s potentially less of an advantage in the playoffs when starters log more minutes, but Quickley, Josh Hart and Isaiah Hartenstein are all the caliber of NBA starters. They’ve formed a group with the league’s best net rating among benches. Cleveland’s reserves are led by Caris LeVert.
The experience factor
They say you have to fail in the playoffs before you succeed, which may or may not be true but sounds good enough to contemplate. In this case, neither the Knicks nor the Cavs are playoff-tested. Brunson, at 26 years old, is the only player in New York’s rotation with more than five playoff appearances. Mitchell, at 26 years old, is the only player in Cleveland’s lineup with more than nine playoff appearances. It’s two exceptionally young teams. On that note, it’s worth remembering last year when Brunson, then with Dallas, outplayed Mitchell, then with Utah, and won the first-round series. They’re head-to-head again.
