Getty Caris LeVert of the Cleveland Cavaliers controls the ball in the first half against RJ Barrett of the New York Knicks.
The New York Knicks and Cleveland Cavaliers are slated to square off against one another in the first round of the 2023 playoffs and, according to Cleveland.com’s Chris Fedor, the outcome of this quarterfinals matchup could be determined by one specific player.
When appearing on SNY’s The Putback With Ian Begley, Fedor was asked how the Cavs could wind up winning their series against the Knicks. While the beat reporter noted several different factors, he went on to zero in on the likes of wing Caris LeVert as being the player that he believes could be Cleveland’s x-factor.
“The Cavs have been built on the strength of a formidable starting five. It’s as good of a starting five as you’re going to find in the NBA. It’s as productive as a starting five that you’re going to find in the NBA. They’re going to have to find somebody else to supplement that kind of production and I’m looking at Caris LeVert. If he can do that and play the way he did in March, that would be a big boost for the Cavs in this series against the Knicks, especially because the Knicks have somebody like [Immanuel] Quickley coming off the bench, and Josh Hart,” Fedor said.
The Knicks will win their first-round series against the Cavs IF…
Ian, @SBondyNYDN, and @ChrisFedor answer on The Putback with @IanBegley: t.co/KTTMSkmZCy
Caris LeVert started the first 14 games of the season, but head coach JB Bickerstaff ultimately decided to pull him from the first five due to his questionable pairing alongside centerpieces Donovan Mitchell and Darius Garland.
However, since making the transition to the second unit, the wing has been quite a high-end contributor for the club, particularly during the final month of the season when he was posting impressive averages of 14.1 points, 3.6 rebounds, 3.5 assists, and 1.5 steals per game while shooting 51.0% from the field and 48.8% from distance.
Fedor believes that this level of play will need to carry over to this year’s postseason to give the Cavs a chance against New York and to simply match the production put forth by Knicks sixth-man extraordinaire, Immanuel Quickley.
Ricky Rubio Praises Knicks Coach Prior to Playoff Series
During a recent media session, Cavaliers point guard Ricky Rubio was asked whether he was surprised to see his former coach Tom Thibodeau (both were members of the Minnesota Timberwolves during the 2016-17 season) emphasizing his Knicks’ offensive scheme considering his defensive-oriented coaching mentality.
In response, the veteran opened up about his experience with the two-time Coach of the Year, noting that, despite the belief of him being solely one-sided with his approach, Thibodeau has a history of focusing on both ends of the floor.
“When I played for him, he was that defensive coach, but he had a lot of good offense out there too as well,” Rubio said. “I think he’s a complete coach. You can tell now with the Knicks. He’s been doing a great job I know he wants to play defense, play hard defense, but the offense is working.”
Cavs Ricky Rubio on Timberwolves coach Thibs: “When I played for him, defensive coach, but he had a lot of good offense out there too as well. I think he’s a complete coach. You can tell now with the Knicks. He’s been doing a great job. I know he wants to play defense 😄 play…
It may come as a surprise for those who assume Tom Thibodeau is only focused on the defensive side of the ball, but the New York Knicks actually finished off the 2022-23 campaign with the fourth-best offensive rating (117.0) in the league while ranking seventh in net rating (2.8).
Julius Randle Listed as Questionable for Knicks in Game 1
With just hours separating now and tip-off, the question that seems to be on every Knicks fan’s mind: Will Julius Randle be available for Game 1 against the Cavaliers?
Though the big man has been sidelined for the past two weeks as a result of a grueling ankle sprain, during the morning hours of April 15, the 28-year-old finds himself listed as “questionable” to play in the contest.
Julius Randle (sprained left ankle) is questionable for Game 1 at Cleveland.
Having Randle back in the fold could prove to be a major boost for the Knicks during their opening game of the postseason, as he’s been arguably their most productive contributor all throughout this year’s campaign.
Through 77 games played, the two-time All-Star has posted stellar averages of 25.1 points, 10.0 rebounds, and 4.1 assists while shooting 45.9% from the field.
Should he not suit up, however, Knicks fans should expect third-year power forward Obi Toppin to continue serving as the club’s starting four in Randle’s absence.