The New York Knicks kick off the 2025 NBA Playoffs on Saturday evening at home against the Detroit Pistons. After making considerable roster upgrades prior to the season and subsequently securing a second-straight 50-win season, expectations are understandably high. But so are nerves. And plenty of people believe that coach Tom Thibodeau could be on the hot seat if the Knicks fail to build on last season.
But looking ahead is a fool’s errand. How can New York ensure they don’t end up becoming a cautionary tale? It begins with attacking the Pistons’ strengths in Game 1. And their strength is perimeter play.
Detroit scores 115.5 points per game, and 78 of those points come from four pediment players. That means that the Knicks’ wings will have to be at their defensive best.
A majority of Pistons’ scorers will be defended by Knicks’ wings
Detroit’s leading scorers are all likely to be defended by the Knicks’ wings. First and foremost, there’s the six-foot-six Cade Cunningham, who led the way this season (26.1 points per game). Cunningham is too big for Jalen Brunson to defend, and too good to be defended by most individual defenders.
While Cunningham is the most important member of the Pistons, there are a number of other guys whom the defense must focus on. Six-foot-four Malik Beasley was the Pistons’ third-leading scorer (16.3), and he gives Detroit a significant boost off the bench. Six-foot-eight Tobias Harris averaged 13.7 points per game. And six-foot-five Tim Hardaway Jr., scored 11 per game. And those four players will pose a significant challenge for the likes of OG Anunoby, Josh Hart, and Mikal Bridges.
