King James Gospel
Fansided

3 players the Knicks have and that the Cavaliers lack

By Josh Cornelissen

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - MARCH 29: (NEW YORK DAILIES OUT) Josh Hart #3 and Immanuel Quickley #5 of the New York Knicks in action against the Miami Heat at Madison Square Garden on March 29, 2023 in New York City. The Knicks defeated the Heat 101-92. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - MARCH 29: (NEW YORK DAILIES OUT) Josh Hart #3 and Immanuel Quickley #5 of the New York Knicks in action against the Miami Heat at Madison Square Garden on March 29, 2023 in New York City. The Knicks defeated the Heat 101-92. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images) /
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The Cleveland Cavaliers will almost certainly have an All-NBA player this season in Donovan Mitchell; the New York Knicks will probably have none. Three players on the Cavs have made an All-Star Game in the past two seasons; just one on the Knicks has. Evan Mobley of the Cavs was a Defensive Player of the Year finalist and will make an All-Defense Team; the Knicks didn’t have a single player receive a vote.

The star players on the Cavs are both better and more decorated than the Knicks, partly because Cleveland has four and the Knicks have two. If playoff series were decided solely by stars, then the Cavs would have been handed the victory before the first round began. Why, then, are the Knicks up 3-1 after their Game 4 victory at Madison Square Garden on Sunday?

The Cavaliers are losing because of what they do not have

The reason is depth. You may not need 10 or 12 players taking the court in a playoff game, but you do need enough players to build actual plus lineups that can go to battle. Thus far in this series the Cavs have had just a couple of standout performances from their non-stars while the Knicks have had them up and down the roster.

We are going to highlight three such players on the Knicks who have stepped up in the playoffs and represent a type of player that the Cavaliers do not have. If the Knicks go on to win this series it won’t be because of star power (although Jalen Brunson has been excellent), it will be because of the players the Knicks have that the Cavaliers do not.