The longtime Garden Nemesis Reggie Miller has chosen the Knicks to shoot a first-round playoff series with the Pistons, but his forecast Friday was a harsh warning.
“This will be a fun series to watch. I hope the Knicks respect them and don’t overlook them, because if they do, we can see the upset,” Miller said in response to a question from a TNT conference post. “For me, it’s a problem for me, and I know everyone is saying that, but no. 1, I don’t think this will be an easy series for New York.
“I think they’re going to win this series, but this is something they can’t. They can’t overlook Detroit due to experience factors.”
Miller clearly knows one or two things about the game’s late playoff heroics (particularly against the Knicks in MSG).
He added that he hopes the All-Star point guard will be named NBA clutch player of the year.
TNT analyst Stan Van Gandy also hopes the Knicks will win a tough first-round set against budding Starcade Cunningham and emerging Detroit.
“Look, Detroit is good… This team surprised everyone and I think it was very, very good,” Van Gundy said. “But I’m with Reggie. I think I’m in New York. Not just experience, but [Karl-Anthony] town. I think I’m going with Branson, town, Cade Cunningham. I look at it and say, “Who is the top five or six players in that series?” And I’m probably taking 4 out of 5 of New York’s top 5 or 5 people.
“New York doesn’t defend the way to expect a New York team most years. But they’ve been getting a little better and healthy recently, and OG Anunoby is playing the best basketball of his career. Like Reggie, he said he has experience.
From there, neither analyst has acquired much stock for the Knicks this season against Cleveland and Boston’s top two seeds (0-8).
Still, Van Gundy said that the “realistic expectations” for the Knicks this year will be “won in the first round and then face defending NBA champions Celtics, who will face Orlando in the first round.
“Look, the New York Boston series is going crazy… that series will be off the charts in terms of fan interest,” SVG said. “I don’t have a lot of stock. [head-to-head records]. That being said, I think Boston is a better team now. I think they showed a stretch 18-3 to end the season, not just that series, but also the Eastern and perhaps the league, that they are the teams they’ll lose.
“But New York is really, really good. Like I said New York and Detroit, it’s not an easy series for Boston. New York can make it difficult. … I think Boston’s defense is good.”
Miller never completely dismissed the possibility of a Knicks having an extra run following two consecutive second departures.
“You’ll throw away that 0-10 [record] against all these other teams. Miller is totally different in the playoffs, considering the Knicks’ two losses to Western-leading Oklahoma City.
“We know what the Boston and Knicks record has been over the last two seasons. But once again, it’s the playoffs. It’s a new season. Anything is possible.”
