Former Boston Celtics stars Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce are bullish on the New York Knicks after acquiring OG Anunoby.
Pierce believes the Knicks can reach the Eastern Conference Finals if all the stars align for them.
“I’m looking at the East. It’s the Celtics and everybody else a couple of tiers below. Even Milwaukee is a tier below the Celtics. If the Knicks could find a way to avoid the Celtics in the second round [of the playoffs], they can be in the conference finals,” Pierce said on the January 12 episode of the “KG Certified podcast” of Showtime Basketball.
Garnett loves the way this Knicks team has come together under Tom Thibodeau, who was their defensive coach in Boston when they led the Celtics to the 2008 NBA championship.
“They’re playing not only the defense that [Tom Thibodeau] loves, but they are starting to put a defensive momentum together,” Garnett said. “[Julius] Randle is playing better. [Jalen] Brunson is leading that whole charge.”
Kevin Garnett Impressed with Knicks’ New Starting Wing
Garnett was impressed with Anunoby’s historic plus-111 in his first five games with the Knicks and their stunning rout of another East contender Philadelphia 76ers right at their home.
Pierce was surprised at the Anunoby trade at first as the Knicks gave up RJ Barrett and Immanuel Quickley.
“But now that I think about it, Anunoby really fits the mold of [a Thibodeau player] and that’s why the chemistry [is good]. He fits that mold of a defender [and] knockdown shooter. He could finish and you could put him on the best perimeter players,” Pierce said.
“Man, [Anunoby] locked down [Tyrese] Maxey,” Garnett added. “They blew the f*cking Sixers out! Do you feel me? By 30!”
Maxey finished with 27 points on 9 of 20 shooting but he was 1 of 7 from deep during their 128-92 loss to the Knicks on January 5. Anunoby held Maxey to six points on 2 of 8 shooting as his primary defender in 44 possessions, according to NBA’s matchup tracking data.
Carmelo Anthony Calls RJ Barrett ‘Bland’
Former Knicks star Carmelo Anthony, who beat Pierce and Garnett to lead the Knicks over the Celtics in the 2013 NBA playoffs, also dished his take on the trade.
Anthony was unimpressed with Barrett.
“He’s just a bland player, bro,” Anthony said on the January 12 episode of the “7 PM in Brooklyn” show, Anthony’s digital series show with Kid Mero. “That’s not a shot. That’s not disrespect. I ask a lot of people who are Knicks fans to see what they say, it’s just like, ‘He’s good, he gets it done sometimes, but he’s not an exciting player.’ You don’t know if he’s going to get 4 [points] or 26.”
Anthony believes Anunoby is the better fit.
“OG is doing the same thing RJ doing. He just doesn’t demand it the way RJ demanded to be a part of the offense,” Anthony said. “Like, OG is cool sitting around on the wing and cutting and waiting for somebody to swing it to him and knock down a 3. He will still play defense no matter what, whereas, RJ got to score 20.”
The Knicks are 5-1 while the Raptors are 3-7 since the trade.
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Paul Pierce Believes Knicks Will Reach Conference Finals on 1 Condition