Stan Van Gundy opens up on the harsh playoff reality facing Knicks

TNT commentator and erstwhile NBA coach Stan Van Gundy, nan relative of ex-Knicks coach Jeff Van Gundy, takes a timeout for immoderate playoffs Q&A pinch Post columnist Steve Serby.

Q: What are your thoughts connected a Knicks-Pistons first-round series?

A: The Pistons are good, and J.B. [Bickerstaff, coach] has done a fabulous job, and Cade Cunningham is possibly nan astir underrated prima successful nan league. I deliberation because of their deficiency of occurrence past twelvemonth and everything, it took group a while this twelvemonth to recognize they were for real, and I don’t deliberation that group are still giving him their credit, truthful they’ve sewage a existent star. They are really, really bully astatine nan protect end. They rebound nan heck retired of nan ball. Look, that squad tin lucifer up pinch New York. I deliberation that would beryllium a reliable series. I’m not a awesome predictor, but I deliberation nan games successful that bid would beryllium hard-fought. … I’d astir apt return nan Knicks successful seven. I don’t deliberation there’s that overmuch separating those 2 teams. Actually, arsenic acold arsenic nan Knicks astatine afloat strength, I deliberation that Detroit would scare maine much if I were a Knick instrumentality than Milwaukee aliases Indiana. Even though Indiana hit ’em past year, nan Knicks weren’t astatine afloat strength. Now if [Damian] Lillard is there, full different ballgame. I’d still return nan Knicks, but now I deliberation it would beryllium a competitory series.

Q: So there’s nary threat nan Knicks would place nan Pistons?

A: I cognize this: Tom [Thibodeau] and his coaching unit aren’t gonna place anybody. Tom ne'er has. I deliberation they’ll person awesome respect for Detroit and what they’ve done, I don’t deliberation there’s immoderate uncertainty astir that. And I deliberation nan Knicks person seasoned guys who person been done battles, and they’re mature. They understand that you respect everybody. There’s nary measurement you could look astatine that Detroit squad — really good they’ve played, really difficult they play, really difficult they compete — and deliberation anything’s gonna beryllium easy. There’s conscionable nary chance of that.

Q: What makes Cunningham truthful special?

A: It starts pinch his size, to me, arsenic a guard. He’s long, he’s big. He gets half a measurement connected you and drops that shoulder, you’re gonna person a difficult clip recovering and getting backmost successful beforehand of him. He’s a feline who uses alteration of gait very, very well, and he’s conscionable a smart feline pinch awesome tribunal imagination and his decision-making passim his profession has really vastly improved, some his changeable selection, his walk selection. He conscionable understands nan crippled amended arsenic he’s seen much of it. But I deliberation it each starts pinch his expertise arsenic a large constituent guard. He’s not a feline now you don’t person to guard, he was erstwhile he came successful nan league. That gives him much chances to penetrate, obviously, because he’s not a non-shooter for illustration he was erstwhile he came into nan league. And he’s gotten amended defensively successful my opinion, too. He’s shooting 35 percent from 3 connected six attempts a game, he gets to nan free propulsion statement and makes free throws. His turnovers are still a small high, but he’s a nine-assists guy. This guy’s really, really good. And that constituent defender matchup will beryllium something. Now, [Jalen] Brunson’s not gonna defender Cade Cunningham, but conscionable watching those 2 guys, to me, would beryllium awesome successful that series. I deliberation KAT [Karl-Anthony Towns is] excessively overmuch for them myself, I deliberation that’ll beryllium nan difference. I mean, they sewage immoderate reliable guys, I don’t deliberation they person anybody they tin lucifer pinch him.

Q: How do nan Knicks flooded nan psychological obstruction against nan Celtics should they meet successful nan 2nd round?

A: It’s difficult for maine to remark connected that because I’m not moreover judge that I bargain nan premise there’s a psychological barrier. I deliberation teams hit different teams consistently because they’re better. The Celtics roster is simply a batch amended than nan Knicks roster, period. Their apical 9 guys — where’s nan weakness there? They’re not only each bully players, they’re each two-way guys. There’s cipher you tin attack, there’s cipher that you don’t person to guard. If there’s a psychological thing, it’s not thing that I would cognize about.

Q: What benignant of effect tin Madison Square Garden person successful a playoff series?

A: It’s not gonna person immoderate much of an effect than Boston will person astatine home. That’s different awesome location crowd. If we get into that second-round series, it’s gonna beryllium unbelievable. I don’t deliberation that Madison Square Garden is much of a home-court advantage than they person successful Boston. The ambiance successful that bid would beryllium unbelievable astatine some places.

Q: Do you get a consciousness for nan emotion matter betwixt fans and nan Knicks?

A: Well, they’re passionate … emotion affair? I don’t know. Love matter erstwhile they’re playing well, and dislike matter erstwhile they’re not playing well. The Knicks fans and nan Philly fans, they are … they’re front-running fans. They’re successful emotion pinch their squad erstwhile things are going well, but they’ll boo their squad disconnected nan level erstwhile they’re not playing well. That’s not a crowd that’s focused connected lifting you up.

Q: What things person to hap for nan Knicks to hit nan Celtics?

A: They’re gonna person to beryllium amended defensively. The Knicks person not been a awesome protect team. They’re gonna person to beryllium very good, and I deliberation against nan Celtics, a batch of it comes down to individual defense, you’ve gotta beryllium capable to play nan shot and incorporate nan shot because if you’ve sewage to beryllium bringing thief connected a accordant basis, their 3-point shooting is outstanding. New York tin dispersed you out, break you down and sprout nan 3 also, some are really vulnerable teams. I deliberation Boston’s separator is I deliberation they person amended individual defenders, and I deliberation they tin do a amended occupation of playing nan shot one-on-one against New York than New York tin against them. I deliberation if New York’s gonna triumph that series, they’re gonna person to beryllium capable to play nan shot amended than they person for a bully portion of nan year. … Both those teams, but nan Knicks are ever gonna beryllium really well-coached defensively successful really they want to play, but to me, against nan Celtics, they’re getting you successful rotation connected a accordant basis. You’re gonna person a difficult clip beating them 4 times. You mightiness tally into a crippled aliases 2 wherever they don’t sprout nan 3 arsenic good and they sorta sprout themselves retired of it, but to effort to get 4 wins if you can’t incorporate nan shot one-on-one, it’s gonna beryllium tough. … And past I deliberation nan Knicks person to beryllium ascendant connected nan boards against them. And nan Celtics are a beautiful bully rebounding team, but I deliberation nan Knicks person nan imaginable to really beryllium bullies connected nan boards, and I deliberation they’re gonna person to, if they get to that, beryllium capable to return advantage there. I deliberation nan Celtics person a chair advantage, but I don’t deliberation that matters rather arsenic overmuch successful a playoff bid because Tom’s gonna play his guys 45 minutes anyway. I would opportunity those 2 areas for nan Knicks: Can they defender nan ball, which keeps you retired of rotation and limits 3s, and tin they importantly triumph nan conflict connected nan glass?

Q: How overmuch tin a patient Mitchell Robinson thief successful that area?

A: He helps you a batch defensively and connected nan boards. But what he besides does is he allows [Kristaps] Porzingis and [Al] Horford, erstwhile he’s connected nan floor, they tin enactment astir nan basket, they don’t dispersed you out. But what I for illustration is Tom’s sewage nan elasticity to spell backmost and distant depending connected what you request astatine nan clip pinch nan game. But if KAT’s gotta defender a 4 man successful their starting lineup, who’s he guarding, [Jayson] Tatum aliases [Jaylen] Brown? Or Jrue Holiday? You get into reliable matchups. So everything’s a trade-off, and I deliberation that’s 1 of Boston’s large advantages is they don’t person to make those trade-offs. Their guys are each two-way guys. You’re gonna person to defender ’em connected nan perimeter, and they’re bully against switches.

Q: How competitory would that bid be?

A: I deliberation it would beryllium very hard-fought and competitory because I deliberation that there’s a batch of pridefulness there. I deliberation Brunson, [Josh] Hart, [Mikal] Bridges, [OG] Anunoby, those guys are great, great, competitors. We saw it a twelvemonth ago. But I deliberation successful nan end, Boston’s conscionable sewage a small excessively much. … It could beryllium 5 [games], it could beryllium seven, but I deliberation nan games’ll beryllium competitive. Tom’s gonna person his squad ready, they’re gonna beryllium super-prepared and locked in. Brunson, we saw it past twelvemonth each nan measurement through, you get nan crippled connected nan line, that guy’s arsenic bully to person arsenic anybody successful nan league.

Q: How would you expect Thibs to grip Tatum?

A: You tin only strategy truthful much. You tin strategy against immoderate of nan stars successful nan convention a small bit, and blitz pick-and-rolls, and tally group astatine ’em and things for illustration that. But erstwhile you person to bring a 2nd defender to nan shot connected immoderate benignant of accordant ground against Boston, you’re conscionable susceptible there. Their spacing is great, each azygous feline tin make nan 3. If you can’t defender guys one-on-one, and if you’re not versatile capable to move a batch of pick-and-rolls and beryllium capable to incorporate nan ball, past it’s gonna get tough. The Knicks’ll beryllium really good prepared, but guarding Boston comes down to, tin you defender nan ball? They’re not a awesome violative rebounding team, they’re not a awesome moving team, they don’t get to nan free propulsion statement a batch aliases anything, but you perfectly person to return attraction of each those areas. Your subject successful summation to your individual defense conscionable has to beryllium outstanding. And past astatine nan different end, you’ve sewage to beryllium capable to create nan correct matchups and mismatches, but it’s difficult because each of those guys tin defender and they tin defender each complete nan floor. The only roster adjacent to theirs to maine is Oklahoma City. I don’t moreover deliberation Cleveland’s roster is adjacent to Boston’s successful position of their expertise to person guys connected nan level who tin play some ends of nan floor, and it’s difficult to drawback immoderate matchup disadvantages astatine immoderate end.

Q:. Who could beryllium an X-factor for nan Knicks successful a bid against nan Celtics?

A: I don’t cognize astir an X-factor. … Josh is gonna person to make immoderate shots. If you’re playing nan Knicks, it’s not a sound connected Josh, but you gotta waste retired connected Brunson and Towns, and past Bridges and Anunoby are some playing really well, Josh is nan feline you’ve sewage to thief disconnected of and dream that he can’t make you pay, you’ve gotta support him disconnected nan boards. And truthful if he’s knocking down immoderate shots, now they go much Boston-like successful position of your expertise to defender ’em. And past really overmuch they tin usage and get retired of Mitchell Robinson I think’ll beryllium large for ’em. It’s a reliable series. It’s not for illustration Boston has conscionable made 1 run, either. They’re heavy successful nan playoffs each azygous year. Those guys are really, really good. That is 1 of, if not nan best-constructed rosters I’ve ever seen successful nan league. Joe [Mazzulla, coach] sticks to his guns — people, “Ah they sprout excessively galore 3s, they’re excessively reliant connected nan 3,” this and that. Joe believes successful nan measurement they play, nan players judge successful it, and it has worked. And they are reliable to guard.

Q: Describe nan Knicks-Celtics rivalry?

A: They’re 2 of nan iconic franchises successful nan league, those 2 and nan Lakers, I think, are nan 3 iconic franchises successful nan league. Boston’s had acold much success, but nan rivalry is huge, and nan passion for that bid would beryllium disconnected nan charts. If you’re an NBA fan, there’s nary measurement you’re not tuning successful to each crippled of that series.

Q: A Knicks-Cavaliers series?

A: I deliberation that nan Cleveland backcourt defensively, moreover though they’re decent, they’re not astatine nan level of Boston’s guards, peculiarly connected nan protect extremity of nan floor. Now, they’re amended offensively, but I deliberation nan Knicks person immoderate matchups location that they tin spell at. I deliberation that 1 would spell correct to nan wire. I deliberation arsenic agelong arsenic nan Knicks’ playoff tally goes this year, you’re gonna spot a batch of competitory basketball. I deliberation it’ll beryllium a batch of nosy watching them.

Q: What was your guidance erstwhile nan Knicks traded for Karl-Anthony Towns past October?

A: I deliberation nan why they did it is they sewage much talent. He’s 1 of nan champion violative players successful nan game. He gives them unthinkable versatility. Can play some spots up front. Can play pinch Mitchell Robinson aliases astatine halfway by himself, they tin agelong nan level out. He tin people successful nan post, he’s a awesome rebounder. … They conscionable sewage much talent. That’s not a sound connected Julius Randle, but they sewage 1 of nan champion large guys successful nan NBA, truthful that’s why they did it. Besides his scoring and what he does offensively, his rebounding has been incredible. They’ve go 1 of nan amended violative teams successful nan convention erstwhile they person everybody. You put he and Brunson retired there, that’s a reliable squad to stop.

Q: So he makes them a much vulnerable squad successful nan playoffs because of his talent and violative capability?

A: And his versatility, I think. Tom’s now sewage a batch of options, depending connected who they’re playing aliases what nan crippled business is, to beryllium capable to play really big, aliases conscionable a — they’re ne'er gonna beryllium mini because he’s a large feline — aliases conscionable a normal size lineup. They tin get much defense connected nan floor, they tin get a much violative lineup connected nan floor. Because of his size and his shooting, and his expertise to rebound nan ball, truthful you’re not giving up rebounding to get shooting connected nan floor, he conscionable gives them awesome versatility. Tom tin beautiful overmuch do immoderate he wants to do now. He’ll person an reply to almost everything. And past nan attraction that he draws conscionable makes nan crippled truthful overmuch easier for everybody else. They’re each amended because of having him retired there. As bully arsenic Julius is, Julius is much of an iso guy. He’ll walk nan ball, he’s an unselfish guy, Julius Randle, but he’s a shot stopper, and I’m not trying to beryllium antagonistic connected him because he’s good, it’s conscionable nan measurement he plays. Whereas Karl, he catches it and shoots it aliases he drives against a closeout aliases he moves nan shot and gets to different pick-and-roll, truthful they conscionable play, I think, astatine a different tempo, a different gait successful their half-court discourtesy pinch him.

Q: How concerning is nan Knicks’ 0-9 grounds against nan Celtics, Cavs and Thunder, and 12-20 against winning teams?

A: Part of that’s injuries and things for illustration that during nan year, but still it’s concerning. And look, I don’t deliberation it’s that surprising. I deliberation nan Knicks are good, but nan teams you conscionable mentioned are amended teams than they are, they person amended rosters. … I deliberation nan Knicks are amended than they were a twelvemonth ago, I deliberation Towns has helped them a lot, but I don’t deliberation they’re astatine nan level of Cleveland, Boston, OKC, I conscionable don’t.

Q: What was your emotion erstwhile nan Knicks acquired Anunoby?

A: I deliberation that what nan Knicks person understood, particularly erstwhile it comes playoff time, it’s not gonna travel down to your ninth and 10th guys. Their main 5 guys are conscionable vastly superior to what they had earlier those 2 trades, and I deliberation some those trades make them a batch tougher. The Knicks were competitory past twelvemonth successful nan playoffs, they’re amended now. Anunoby wasn’t really patient successful nan playoffs past year. They’re a overmuch bigger threat now. I don’t deliberation they’ve reached Boston’s level, but they’re a overmuch bigger threat. Before those 2 trades, I don’t deliberation they were really gonna beryllium a threat to spell beyond nan 2nd information successful immoderate event. They conscionable weren’t that talented. Now they are.

Q: The 3rd waste and acquisition was nan Bridges trade.

A: That 1 was, to me, a no-brainer. He sewage disconnected to a slow commencement this twelvemonth offensively and group were questioning things, but I deliberation a feline for illustration him, it took immoderate time, he had gone from, “OK, I’m a domiciled subordinate successful Phoenix to I’m a superior scorer successful Brooklyn,” and now you travel into a squad that’s gonna beryllium built astir Brunson, and it’s a different domiciled for him. It’s gonna return immoderate clip to adjust, but he’s ended up having a awesome year. Look, they’ve done a tremendous occupation pinch their roster, and Tom’s done a awesome occupation of fitting nan pieces together. The operation of their beforehand agency and their coaching has been arsenic bully arsenic immoderate squad successful nan convention nan measurement they’ve put each that together.

Q: What are your thoughts connected Hart?

A: I coached Josh successful New Orleans. Josh is arsenic reliable and competitory arsenic anybody successful nan league. He plays a batch bigger than his size, he is simply a awesome rebounder, he’s 1 of nan champion open-court finishers successful nan NBA, and he’s perfectly acrophobic of nary 1 aliases immoderate situation. I deliberation he is 1 of nan champion competitors successful nan NBA. That guy’s gonna measurement up and beryllium astatine his champion — my relative [Jeff] ever said, particularly going into playoff series, “You gotta beryllium astatine your champion erstwhile your champion is needed,” and that’s who Josh is.

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Q: Are you stunned that Brunson has go a superstar?

A: Yes. Yes. I don’t cognize stunned, that mightiness beryllium a small strong, but surprised. I’ll admit it, I thought he was really, really bully successful Dallas, and I thought nan Knicks overpaid erstwhile they signed him. I thought they went excessively far. And arsenic a matter of fact, they sewage 1 of nan biggest bargains successful nan NBA. When you’re talking astir not only skills but somebody’s competitory character, I’m not judge you cognize that conscionable from watching connected nan outside, but past you spot what he’s done arsenic a lead guy. I’m amazed by it, but I emotion it because he is nan type of feline that I emotion to watch — tough, each astir winning, he’s not a numbers guy, he’s gonna spell retired location each night. It’s a awesome story.

Q: What do you for illustration astir Thibs?

A: He’s been astatine it a agelong time, he’s been done each situation, and he’s been successful everyplace he’s gone. He’s evolved pinch nan crippled successful nan style of play, but he has stuck to his principles arsenic acold arsenic they’re gonna beryllium 1 of nan best-prepared teams successful nan convention each night. I deliberation he has a awesome knowing of really to maximize nan talents of his guys, he puts ’em successful situations wherever they tin beryllium great. I don’t deliberation it’s immoderate coincidence that Julius Randle had awesome years playing for Thibs. And Jalen Brunson has taken off, OG Anunoby has taken off, Karl-Anthony Towns having nan champion twelvemonth of his career. I deliberation if you look backmost and you look astatine nan emergence of Jimmy Butler successful Chicago, if you look astatine Luol Deng, he’s ever been capable to play to guys’ strengths and maximize nan abilities of people. He’s starting to get a small much in installments now, but ever been a very underrated violative coach. He’s conscionable a helluva hoops coach. He’s a teacher, he knows what it takes to triumph games.

Q: You won’t beryllium amazed if nan Celtics repetition arsenic NBA champs?

A: No, I wouldn’t beryllium amazed astatine all. Unless they deed a existent shooting slump, which is difficult to do erstwhile you’ve sewage 8 different guys who tin sound down 3s. Until personification knocks ’em off, they’re nan squad to beat. To me, nan Celtics, Cleveland, Oklahoma City, I’ll beryllium willing to watch, surely nan Lakers and nan Warriors person each looked for illustration they tin perchance contend. I deliberation if immoderate of those teams won it I wouldn’t beryllium surprised. Anybody other I would beryllium a small surprised. New York would astonishment me, Denver would astonishment me, Houston would astonishment me.

Q: What would you opportunity to nan long-suffering Knicks instrumentality arsenic acold arsenic what they should expect from this team?

A: You could make a lawsuit they should triumph a first-round series, but aft that, let’s look it, they’re gonna beryllium nan underdogs. But I deliberation Knicks fans should expect that they sewage a squad that’s gonna beryllium competitory nighttime successful and nighttime retired successful nan playoffs, and I deliberation you’ll spot that. This is simply a very, very competitory team, they’re gonna beryllium highly well-prepared, they’ve sewage 2 existent stars, they sewage bully complementary guys. I deliberation they’ve sewage immoderate versatility pinch Mitchell Robinson. I mean, they’re good, they’re still not arsenic talented arsenic immoderate of nan teams up of ’em.