The Knicks find themselves back in the playoffs for the third straight season as they get ready to face off against the Detroit Pistons in the first round starting on Saturday at Madison Square Garden.
Facing one of the league’s youngest teams, spearheaded by superstar Cade Cunningham, will pose a unique challenge as New York will have to match or even exceed the physicality the upstart Pistons have established as their identity this season.
However, the Knicks have been in this position before and have the experience and toughness of their own to match up against Detroit.
“We all know what the playoffs takes and we’re picking up the preparation mentally and physically,” said Josh Hart after practice on Wednesday.
Hart, now in his third season in New York which coincides with his team’s current playoff appearance streak, is no stranger to physicality as the Knicks’ do-it-all guard of sorts.
In fact, head coach Tom Thibodeau referred to Hart as a “unique” player because of his rebounding and playmaking prowess.
“I think he’s unique because he rebounds the ball at really an elite level and he’ll go get them when it matters the most, in traffic,” Thibodeau said. “And then it’s what he does after he gets it – his ability to push the ball, play with pace and he can out-quick most guys that are guarding him.”
In 77 regular season games, Hart set career-highs in rebounds per game (9.6), assists per game (5.9) and steals per game (1.5) while averaging 13.6 points in 37.6 minutes per game, another career-high. Only Jalen Brunson (7.3 assists, also a career-high) was better on the Knicks at getting his teammates involved.
“I take that onus of getting guys involved pretty seriously,” Hart said.
In regards to the Pistons’ physicality with players such as Cunningham, Jalen Duren, Isaiah Stewart and others, Hart knows New York will need to go above and beyond to be able to outwork them.
“We have to not just match that physicality, but exceed it,” he said. “I think there are times when you can use that to your advantage and to be able to get to the free throw line and draw fouls and do those kind of things.
“We know what kind of game it’s gonna be, we know what we have to be prepared for physically and mentally and obviously that physicality for the series is gonna be, you know probably one of the more physical series in the playoffs.”
OG Anunoby also chimed in, saying, “We’re a physical team as well, I think we just have to show it.”
But it’s not just Detroit.
According to Thibodeau, he’s noticed that the league is trending back towards allowing more physical play which is only heightened during the playoffs.
“I think that’s where the league is right now, there’s been a lot more physicality and so I think you have to embrace that and I think most teams have,” he said. “And then you step it up into a playoff [series] where you’re playing the same opponent over and over again, the intensity does get high and the physicality will be ramped up.”
One advantage that the Knicks will definitely have is home-court advantage. And it’s not just any home court, it’s Madison Square Garden where New York went 27-14 this year. For what it’s worth, the Pistons went 22-19 at home and on the road this season.
While Hart has experienced playoff atmosphere inside MSG in recent years, some of the Knicks players like starters Karl-Anthony Towns and Mikal Bridges have yet to discover what it’s like playing inside The Mecca during the postseason. They will soon enough.
“They’ll get a feel for The Garden and how electric it is in the playoffs,” Hart said. “… [I’m] excited to see how they are with that Garden, because that Garden come playoff time is one of the best arenas in the world.”
“I think you don’t know until you experience it,” added Anunoby who got his first taste of it last postseason.
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