The Strickland’s Knicks/Pistons first-round roundtable
The essential playoff guide to one team named for pants meeting one named for a car part
The American president is a Russian stool pigeon/nepo baby sex criminal, the mayor of NYC so bottomlessly corrupt he makes Batman villains cringe and the most publicized candidate opposing him is another nepo baby sex criminal. Tired of all the ick? The grossness of our here and now? Let The Strickland’s first-round roundtable take the edge off, including insights from staff favorites and special guest contributor Warren Leight, of Law & Order fame. Sit down. Let your shoulders relax. The Knicks begin their postseason tomorrow against the Pistons! Your anxieties have only just begun.
Which Knick would you most like to see play well in this series? For the team’s sake or their own?
Drew Steele: Mikal Bridges, for both. Given the amount of draft capital used to acquire him, there is an “underperforming” tag attached to Bridges’ first year with the Knicks. Whether you want to fault the player or the coaching staff, a great playoff run would do wonders for shredding that perception.
Shwinnypooh: Pretty clear answer here is Bridges. He cost the Knicks a king’s ransom, and while he's had a good season in a vacuum that vacuum was never going to exist in New York. His screen navigation and willingness to battle physically, lacking at points throughout the season, will be at the forefront of this series.
Prez: I think Mikal and Deuce McBride can play meh or great and we can win. But I think OG Anunoby will be tasked with slowing Cade most often and being the third-option scorer against a physical defense that doesn’t play drop as much. I don’t think it’s a matchup that screams “Mikalsplosion!,” and I actually think that’s OK – so long as OG enters wing-demon-scorer mode versus the armada of skinny try-hards populating the Pistons roster.
Warren Leight: I'd of course like to see consistency from Mikal, for his own sake. But I don't know if that's in the cards. In terms of the team, it would be great to see OG be the dominant player he was while Brunson was out. He can really be a game changer if he takes command, instead of waiting for it to be given to him. Finally, I always root for Precious Achiuwa. (Ed. note: There really is something irresistibly lovable about him!)
Matthew Miranda: Pacôme Dadiet, ‘cuz if he’s balling that means the games are blowouts, and while I can see the Pistons winning I can’t see them repeatedly blowing the Knicks out. The Knick most likely to play I’d most like to see succeeding is Karl-Anthony Towns. I need a postseason that doesn’t feature the Knicks’ leading big man scorer struggling and being scapegoated – it’s been a while. KAT’s also the only accelerant on the roster powerful enough to combine with Brunson to fuel the Knicks to an altitude the Pistons can’t reach.
Alex Wolfe: Towns. Unfortunately, I think only so much of that is in his control when it seems like his own team’s gameplan is to actively keep him from shooting threes. He has kind of a spotty postseason resumé, but last year was one of the best in his career as the Wolves made it all the way to the Western Conference finals. The Knicks won’t find themselves in need a of a Nikola Jokić (or Joel Embiid – suck it, Philly) stopper during their playoff run, so defensive discipline against driving Pistons will be really important for KAT. If he gets in foul trouble that means more Mitchell Robinson, which means less spacing on offense, which means playing directly into what Detroit likely wants the Knicks to do: funnel into the paint and get beat up. So Thibs, please work in lots of pick-and-pop for KAT. And KAT, please keep your hands to yourself and just be a vertical presence on defense.
Luca Garofalo: To switch it up from the obvious Mikal Bridges, I’ll say Deuce McBride. We’ll need Deuce’s defense to be fully locked in this series, especially with the Knicks’ propensity to give up open threes. He’s lacked a bit on that end this year, as have all the Knicks, but playing straightjacket on-ball defense on Cade or shutting off Tim Hardaway Jr. or Malik Beasley’s water off-ball for one game can turn the tide of the series. The offense needs him to continue shooting with unwavering confidence and to step up to the plate when it’s time for self-creation, something he’s struggled with in a larger role this year.
Shax: Mikal. Bridges. For his own sake and the team's. The Knicks traded six million picks for him. He's got to show them something for it. This is what they got him for.
Series over/under: 5.5 games. Who ya got?
Drew: Knicks in five in a gentleman’s sweep. Be for real.
Shwinnypooh: I'll take the over, which is more about my lack of faith in Thibs at the moment than anything else.
Luca: As much as I’d love to take the under because of the Pistons’ lack of playoff experience and the Knicks’ overwhelming talent advantage, I don’t exactly trust many of Thibs’ decisions as of late. I’m taking the over.
Miranda: Knicks in four. Because the Knicks were basically locked into their position months ago – we knew they weren’t catching the Cavs and Celtics and knew no one behind them was likely to catch them – they didn’t play many games that felt like must-wins. In 2021 the Knicks entered the last day of the season able to end up anywhere from fourth to sixth; two years ago there was the suspense over whether Julius Randle would return for the playoffs; last year they had to win their last five games, including an overtime finale against the Bulls, to clinch the second-seed. We’re not used to waiting in New York, but Knick fans have been waiting a while for a game that means something real.
Meanwhile, the Pistons foul the crap out of teams, send a clown car of opponents to the line, turn the ball over and have pro’ly grown a bit soft after a month of having Vaseline rubbed on their heinies and hearing how their heinies are special and different from everyone else’s – all because after being lousy for nearly two decades and historically putrid last season, they’re now . . . the worst winning team in the East? Slow. Clap.
Alex: It’ll go six no matter who wins.
Prez: Over. Thibs won’t make any meaningful adjustments until game 3 at the earliest.
Shax: Over. People say the regular season doesn't matter, but Detroit won the season series (3-1) for a reason. It won't be easy, based on how the Knicks have gone about it in the previous matchups.
Warren: The".5" is the tell. There will be at least one game where we command a lead in the first half, only to cough it up midway through the third quarter and lose it in the fourth. So yes, 5.5. Which really means 6. And since the sixth game is in Detroit, I wouldn't rule out 7.
Two years ago, Tom Thibodeau’s Knicks bossed J.B. Bickerstaff’s Cavaliers. Does that matter in any kind of way now?
Drew: No. He’s coaching a different team with different players. The only person who doesn’t seem to learn from past mistakes is Thomas Joseph Thibodeau Jr.
Warren: No. Bickerstaff was at the helm of a remarkable turnaround for the Pistons this year. His confidence, like his team's, is up.
Shwinnypooh: This Pistons team is vastly different than those Cavaliers, and more importantly this Knicks team is far different from the Knicks of 2022-23.
Prez: Only in that these Pistons’ frontcourt players are terrible protecting their defensive glass, as those Cavs were. Back then, Thibs encouraged Mitch to pummel them on the glass. The Knicks have a chance to do that again – if they play bigger lineups featuring Mitch and KAT.
Alex: I’ll say yes, just in the sense that we’ve seen that Bickerstaff is the level of coach that Thibs can actually out-coach in a series. Both guys are floor-raising coaches who aren’t exactly genius in-game adjusters.
The Pistons are a physical, energetic team, unafraid to mix it up with opponents. Which Knick is most likely to get mixed up in any Motor City shenanigans?
Drew: The Pistons will specifically look to get into Towns’ head by fouling him every possession, forcing the refs to make the call. I think we should ask a different version of this question – what’s the over/under on 10 “OH MAI GAWDs!” from Karl. (Ed. note: Take the over and sleep easy)
Shwinnypooh: OG. Not just in terms of matching physicality, but also in shithousery.
Luca: Jalen Brunson. The Pistons were already overly-physical with him during the four regular-season matchups, so don’t be surprised if Beasley or Dennis Schröder poke the bear and wake The Captain.
Shax: OG had beef with Isaiah Stewart for a few possessions in the January game. Could also see Brunson getting pissed off.
Prez: Brunson and Mikal. I don’t think any Knick will do anything, e.g. fight, shove, etc., but I think people underestimate how much shit those two talk. They both relish the chance to give out disrespectful buckets and chirp.
Miranda: For reasons I can’t explain – the man seems more lover than fighter – I feel like Precious Achiuwa is destined to fight a Piston. Always have.
Alex: Most likely to throw a punch? Or do something otherwise out of pocket if provoked? Definitely OG – you can tell he always kinda relishes the opportunity to get in someone’s face when the opportunity arises. Most likely to be targeted? KAT. He’s shown if you rough him up and he’s not getting calls, he’ll start making dumb decisions on defense or just overtly offensively foul someone in retaliation and get in foul trouble. He’s gonna have to find some level of zen.
Warren: Donte DiVincenzo . . . sigh.
After the five starters plus Mitchell Robinson and Miles McBride, who will play the most for New York?
Drew: Landry Shamet, but Cam Payne will have a heater in one of the wins.
Shwinnypooh: Shamet.
Luca: Shamet. (And pray it's not Precious Achiuwa).
Prez: DEMON LANDRY.
Miranda: Taj Gibson. You’ll see!
Alex: Shamet. I’d go so far as to say he’ll swing at least one game in this series if the shooting keeps up.
Shax: Payne. I don’t know if Thibs trusts Shamet as much as he does Cam.
On a scale of 1-10 measuring “How much would it hurt to have this former Knick hit a buzzer-beating three to beat them in a playoff game?,” with 1 the least painful (Immanuel Quickley) and 10 the most (Enes Freedom), where does Tim Hardaway Jr. rank?
Shwinnypooh: 5. Timmy spent three and a half seasons on the Knicks. He spent more time in Dallas.
Luca: 4. Nobody cares about THJ anymore.
Prez: What Luca said.
Alex: 3. Mostly because, credit to him, he’s a pro’s pro and never really talked that much shit on the Knicks despite being shipped out twice. He’d hit it and not be overly-braggadocious about it.
Warren: Tim Hardaway Jr. ranks on this list where he does on most Knick lists: mid. A 5, say. He was far from the worst of our overpaid acquisitions, and far from the best. It is all but inevitable he'll hit one game-winner from the corner on a pass from Cade, but there's also The Curse of the Former Mavericks, which all but guarantees Brunson will hit one as well. When we get to the Celtics, the game winner from KP will hurt like a 9.
Shax: 10. I don’t care who hits the buzzer-beater, I’d be distraught either way.
Miranda: I’ll simply tip my cap. Anyone who ever worked as a teenager or a new hire somewhere you soon realized was wildly unprofessional but there was one co-worker who cared enough to keep it going, and give you some kind of grounding as a human being in an insane normality, can appreciate what THJ was while bringing what buckets he could in the forgettable famine years between Kristaps Porziņģis and Randle.
Drew: Hardaway Jr.’s on the Pistons?
Do you hate the Pistons? Do you expect to hate them whenever this series ends?
Drew: Hating the Pistons would involve a level of emotional energy I don’t care to spend on a team I couldn’t care less about. With that said, I will 100% hate them by the end of the series because I’m a hater at heart.
Shwinnypooh: I don't hate the Pistons, but I'm certain by the end of the series I will, given how prone they are to mixing things up physically and their general boisterous nature.
Warren: I don't now. I hope I don't later. They play rough, but there's not an Embiid or a Draymond, or to put it in Pistons terms a Bill Laimbeer-like villain on that team. I do worry that our two gangly, often ungainly centers are both accidents waiting to happen — each is just one dirty play away from an injury.
Prez: No, but if Thibs fucks around and coaches as bad as I suspect we may be grateful to them by the summer.
Luca: I don’t hate the Pistons, but I definitely hate the way they are covered and perceived around the league, especially coming into this matchup. I will definitely hate them by the time this series ends because of how they play and act.
Miranda: I haven’t hated the Pistons since Isiah Thomas retired (he was as much a dick as a player as he was a Knick exec). But the Knicks and Pistons never really come into conflict when both have something at stake; the last time they did in 1992, shit got feral. There was bloodlust, for sure. Winning in Detroit when the Pistons are good is one of the hardest road Ws to pull. I expect I’ll hate them in less than a week while watching their ascent with gnawing trepidation.
Shax: I do not hate the Pistons. They seem like a fun team. I like Beasley, Stewart and their theatrics, but they will be messing with my G.O.A.T. soon. I expect to eventually hate them.
Alex: I don’t hate them now, and I doubt I’ll hate them at the end of the series. Cade is way more likeable than, like, Trae Young, Tyrese Haliburton or [throw a dart and hit literally anyone associated with the Sixers, but mostly Joel Embiid – fucking asshole]. They’re a fun, scrappy young team, and even if they beat the Knicks it’ll be more because Thibs coached a shit series than anything, so it’d be kinda hard to hold a grudge. It’d be like shooting yourself in the foot and getting mad at the gun.
Two years ago, the Knicks beat the Cavaliers in five games. Last year, they beat the 76ers in six. This series will most differ from those two in that . . .
Drew: The Knicks will win in seven games? Four games? I’m covering all my bases.
Shwinnypooh: The Knicks are heavy favorites, a place and pressure they haven't known in their prior opening rounds, series they never trailed. How will they react if they fell behind early in this series? I'm very curious, but would rather not find out!
Warren: We are both more skilled and less scrappy. Healthier physically but weaker mentally. Individually better, but with less of a team identity. Put all that in a blender and we should still win. But if Game 7 comes down to who has more heart, we could be in trouble. It's late in the season for a team to find its voice — or cohesion, as Clyde might put it - but that is the Knicks’ challenge this year.
Luca: With Leon Rose cashing in his chips this year, this was the first regular season and is the first playoffs where the Knicks have serious expectations. There’s more pressure than ever to perform – specifically for Towns and Bridges.
Shax: The expectation to win. They're the betting favorite, they have more talent, they have the experience.
Miranda: If I can zag for a moment, what if something that’s happened the past two playoffs persists? Could there be a Thibodeau Knicks curse? Consider: every year the Thibs Knicks have reached the postseason, a team they faced quickly ran to ruin. The Hawks are a losing team since 2021 and one loss away from missing the playoffs entirely. Since eliminating the Knicks two years in 2023, the Heat’s postseason record is 6-11; after beating the Bulls in the 9/10 play-in game Miami faces Atlanta for the right to be eviscerated by Cleveland. And last year’s 76ers — well, sometimes, dead is better. So isn’t the real question who’s more likely to be a trainwreck come 2027: the Pistons or the Celtics? Sigh. A girl can dream . . .
Prez: To me there is a real chance the series isn’t close, despite the Knicks having an overwhelming talent advantage. The Pistons can win in 5 or 6 with some blowouts despite the Knicks having much more talent.
Alex: Against the Cavs, it was “Well, both these teams are on the come-up and pretty evenly matched.” Against the Sixers, it was 1) everyone outside of New York wanting to pretend the Sixers were better, and 2) this feeling that because of the injuries and the fact that the Knicks hadn’t made the “big move” yet, they were still playing with house money. This year, they’ve made the big moves, they’re a 50-win team for the second year in a row, they’re healthy and they should clean up in this series. If they don’t, I think the honeymoon is over, Thibs’ seat gets nuclear hot, and for the first time since being hired Leon & Co.’s seats get 30 seconds in the microwave. Just a little lukewarm.
