Was the Knicks’ elimination in the Eastern Conference finals just delaying the inevitable?
New York certainly had the star power coming out of the East as opposed to the Pacers, but Warriors guard Brandin Podziemski doesn’t think the Knicks could have held up against the Thunder.
“I’m glad it was the Pacers, not the Knicks … if it was the Knicks, it would have been a sweep,” Podziemski told Kay Adams on the “Up and Adams” on Tuesday. “I don’t think the Knicks had enough to compete with OKC both offensively and defensively.
The Knicks, who knocked off the heavily favored Celtics in the second round, succumbed to the Pacers in six games in the Eastern Conference finals, New York’s first time making it that far since 2000.
While the Warriors didn’t see the Thunder in the playoffs after they were bounced in the second round by the Timberwolves, Podziemski might know the formula to beating Oklahoma City, as the Warriors won two of the three matchups in the regular season.
“I think the Pacers, on any given night, they play with 10 guys and there’s games where all 10 of them score in double figures,” Podziemski added. “It can come from anywhere with Indiana, and I think that’s the thing that’s gonna be challenging for OKC.”
Aside from a seven-game series against the Nuggets, the Thunder have rolled through their competition this postseason.
Even in Game 7 against Denver, Oklahoma City sent Nikola Jokic & Co. packing in resounding fashion with a 32-point win.
The Thunder are led by MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and co-stars Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren.
But Podziemski credits Oklahoma City’s defense as the reason for why New York would have struggled in a finals matchup.
With the Knicks’ offense so heavily reliant on Jalen Brunson’s isolation opportunities, Podziemski noted, “that’s what OKC is really good at stopping —you look at the Timberwolves, [the Thunder] know the majority of the points are from [Julius] Randle and [Anthony Edwards], so they’re really good at taking that away and forcing others to beat you.”
As for the Pacers, their role players have stepped up time and time again throughout the playoffs, even when their star Tyrese Haliburton falls flat.
Though he thinks Indiana will have more of a fighting chance than the Knicks would’ve, Podziemski concluded that “OKC is the best team in the NBA for a reason and they won 68 games not by mistake.”