Could the Knicks’ offensive rebounding prowess doom the Cavs in Round 1 of the NBA playoffs?

CLEVELAND, Ohio – When a Knicks ball handler drives by way of the paint, the opposing rim protector has two choices, and neither are good.

He might keep close to the rim (and his man) to guard in opposition to lobs and putbacks, which leaves the rim susceptible in opposition to the driving participant. Or they might prioritize the ball handler, thus leaving a New York huge in good place to seize the miss.

“When you do this,” Knicks heart Mitchell Robinson mentioned, “It’s over with.”

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Robinson, who averages 4.2 offensive rebounds per recreation and grabbed 9 throughout Friday’s 130-116 win over Cleveland, is considered one of 5 Knicks who averages no less than 1.8. As a workforce, New York rebounds 31.2% of its personal misses, second greatest within the league, which could possibly be an issue for the Cavs in a playoff sequence.

Regardless of deploying two 7-footers in Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley, Cleveland ranks simply 18th in defensive rebounding fee (71.8%) and has allowed 12.75 offensive boards per recreation in 4 matchups in opposition to the Knicks (two with out Allen), which is barely over New York’s season common (12.5).

Coach J.B. Bickerstaff mentioned his workforce wanted to be extra bodily on the glass earlier than his Allen-less Cavs allowed 16 offensive rebounds to the Knicks, and he can underline that assertion if Cleveland meets New York in Spherical 1, because the standings say they’d with 4 video games to play.

As a result of when a shot goes up, “we’re going (for the ball) each time,” mentioned Knicks ahead Jericho Sims, who averages 1.9 offensive rebounds per recreation. “It’s actually easy.”

That chase begins with the shot, and the Knicks shoot loads of the kind that may be recycled.

For starters, New York ranks eighth in 3-point makes an attempt this season, which may result in lengthy rebounds. for 6-5 guard Josh Hart, the shortest man on the primary web page of the NBA.com’s offensive rebounding leaders (1.9 per recreation, greater than Sixers heart Joel Embiid). Hart mentioned perimeter gamers aren’t used to specializing in rim vultures like himself, and he takes benefit.

His teammates see it on a regular basis.

“That guard turns his again, (Hart is) already on the rim,” Sims mentioned.

The Knicks additionally boast three of the NBA’s premiere floater fanatics in Jalen Brunson, R.J. Barrett and Immanuel Quickley, all of whom try pictures from “floater vary” (between 4 and 14 toes) extra usually than 86% of NBA gamers. Each Brunson (50%) and Quickley (51%) make no less than half of these pictures, which additional complicates the rim protector’s plight.

When the floater is a risk, a rim protector considers leaving his publish a step additional or a second earlier, which performs proper into Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau’s palms.

“Now you’re letting (Robinson) run to the rim unimpeded,” Thibodeau mentioned. “Otherwise you’ve received a small (participant) that’s sinking in to select him up.”

At that time, New York has gained the battle. If no person recovers to Robinson – or Sims, or Isaiah Hartenstein or Julius Randle – he’ll dunk residence the miss. If a guard or ahead rotates all the way down to field out a giant, that may go away Hart unblocked.

“Fixed stress,” Hartenstein mentioned. “You may have two folks making an attempt to field me out, after which Josh is available in.”

Even when each crasher is accounted for, the Knicks can nonetheless win with physicality. All three of Randle, Hartenstein and Sims outweigh Allen, Cleveland’s heaviest high-minute participant. Robinson weighs three kilos much less however stands three inches taller. And within the rush to maintain observe of that measurement, plus Hart, you possibly can lose observe of New York’s shooters.

Thibodeau mentioned the Knicks generate numerous 3-pointers from second probabilities, and his gamers can see the power leaving opponents’ our bodies when these pictures fall. Sims and Hart known as these moments “demoralizing” for defenses. Barrett mentioned they break a protection’s coronary heart.

That’s what the Knicks are relying on. And if Cleveland needs to keep away from its personal coronary heart throb within the playoffs, it’ll must preserve its glass clear.

The Cavs have extra expertise than New York. They’ll end with a greater document. However the Knicks by no means cease crashing, and as Barrett mentioned Friday night time, in case you give any workforce too many probabilities, they’ll ultimately convert.

“If we had three pictures at it, they most likely performed fairly good protection,” Barrett mentioned. “However we’re in a position to get a number of cracks at it. You give any workforce that many pictures, they’re going to win.”

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