Knicks vs. Heat: Who has the edge?
Carmelo Anthony of the New York Knicks drives against Dwyane Wade of the Miami Heat. (April 15, 2012) Credit: Jim McIsaac
This first-round series has all the star power and thick plotlines of a Hollywood blockbuster.
The Knicks and Heat meet for the fifth time in the postseason starting this afternoon. The prior four series all went the distance, and the Knicks won the last three. Most of the faces have changed, but Riley remains in Miami. Still, those defeats probably sting.
Miami could erase some of that pain in this must-see series. It's only Round 1, but the winner of this best-of-seven battle could represent the Eastern Conference in the NBA Finals.
Here's how the two teams match up.
James may be the NBA's best all-around player and Anthony the best pure scorer. They always go at one another, leading to some exciting basketball. But James' drive and ability to do everything, including lock-in defensively, make him tough to beat. Anthony ended the regular season on quite an offensive run and his scoring will be needed in the fourth quarter when Miami turns up the defensive heat. Amar'e Stoudemire, whose legs look lively since returning from a 13-game absence because of his back injury, needs to be the Knicks' true second scoring option to help neutralize Chris Bosh and Miami's overall attack. Bosh had a good playoffs last year and good regular season, playing off Miami's two bigger stars. Stoudemire and Anthony haven't proven they can play together and succeed sharing the ball the way Wade and James have. This would be a good time for them to start.
This has become a major strength for the Knicks. Smith and Steve Novak can change a game with their shot-making. But you can expect the Heat to give Novak little breathing room. Smith's overall energy, ability to defend and have big scoring nights could make a big difference in the series, but he has to stay level-headed and controlled against the explosive Heat. Landry Fields has played better as a backup later in the season and veterans Jeffries and Bibby can make plays. The Heat come off the bench with Shane Battier, who can impact games with his defense and three-point shooting. Mike Miller is inconsistent and not as productive as he used to be. Norris Cole can provide a lift along with James Jones. But the Knicks have more depth, talent and get more production from their reserves.
Mike Woodson replacing Mike D'Antoni ultimately had a bigger impact on the Knicks than Jeremy Lin's rise. The Knicks went 18-6 under Woodson. He got them to play defense, play harder and held everyone accountable. If he can get Anthony and Stoudemire to be effective together, the Knicks may not only win the series, but could become a force. Erik Spoelstra has reached the playoffs all four seasons as Miami's coach and went to the Finals last year. His teams are stingy defensively, ranking 27th in points allowed and 26th in opponent's field goal percentage. They're also among the leaders in causing turnovers. If the Knicks don't take care of the ball, James and Wade can demoralize you with their open-court alley oops and dunks.
