The East Finals are not very suspense! Why are the Knicks being looked down upon by the outside world? There are 5 reasons

The 2024-25 NBA Eastern Conference Finals are about to begin. The showdown between the Knicks and the Pacers should be a close match, but the public opinion trend is almost one-sided. Why did this team that just eliminated the defending champion Celtics fall into the dilemma of "collapse before the battle" after advancing to the Eastern Conference Final? The answer is hidden in the depth of the lineup, tactical style, and the health risks of core players. The sharp comments from netizens - "Tibodeau's 'Five Donkeys Tactics' will be a historical miracle if it wins the championship", which accurately points out the fatal weakness of this New York powerhouse.

Lineup depth: The "dead cycle" of thin rotation

The rise of the Knicks is inseparable from the "internal and external dual core" drive of Brunson and Towns. The two averaged 50+ points per game in the regular season, and the power of the playoffs remains undiminished, but the Knicks' rotation shortcomings are fully exposed. Data shows that the Knicks' bench scored only 21.7 points per 100 rounds, ranking at the bottom of the league. In the high-intensity confrontation in the playoffs, McBride scored the most on the bench, with only 6 points per game, and the Pacers have a "national basketball" system with 7 players averaging doubles per game, and the substitutes ranks fifth in the league. The Knicks' main rotations are only McBride and Mitchell Robinson, who also have broken playing time due to fouls. In contrast, the Pacers, the role players such as Matherine, McConnell, and Toppin on the bench can provide stable output.

What's more fatal is that Knicks coach Thibodeau adheres to the "five donkey tactics", and the main players are at the forefront of the league in average playing time. Brunson averaged 39 minutes per game in the playoffs, and Hart even played for 48 minutes in two consecutive games in the second round. Although this extreme squeeze worked in the short term, it laid the hidden danger of physical collapse. Netizens joked: "Thibodeau's tactical manual has only one page - 'Squeeze the main force until it falls'."

Tactical style: The "shackles" of positional warfare

Knicks' offense relies heavily on Brunson's pick-and-roll holding ball and Towns' low-post singles. This half-court positional warfare model is always good in the regular season, but it just hits the Pacers' "natural enemy" attribute. The Pacers are known for their "pressure defense + lightning counterattack". They rank third in the league in terms of rounds per game, and are good at tearing off their opponents' defenses through quick offensive and defensive conversions. In addition, the Pacers' forward team Siakam and Turner have both size and mobility, and can unlimitedly switch to limit Brunson's breakthrough and force him to fall into a double-team trap.

Downs's outside line will further exacerbate the Knicks' dilemma. In the playoffs, his three-point shooting percentage fell to 34.1%, and his overall shooting percentage fell to 48%. If the space cannot be opened, the Pacers can unscrupulously shrink the penalty area, making Brunson's breakthrough difficult. In contrast, Halliburton's magic attributes complement Siakam's championship experience, and the team's offensive fluency and tactical diversity are better.

Core Player: The "double-edged sword" of injury and dependence

Brunson is the absolute core of the Knicks, but his right ankle injury repeatedly occurred against the Celtics in the second round, and his average consumption of nearly 40 minutes has approached the physiological limit. Once he is absent due to injury or his condition declines, the Knicks' offensive system will collapse instantly - in the games Brunson missed this season, the team's winning rate is less than 30%. Although Towns is the core of the inside, the label of weak performance in the high-end game has not been removed. If the sluggish feel continues, the Knicks' inside offense and defense will be completely lost. In contrast, Halliburton, the core of the Pacers, not only has the "big heart" attribute, but its tandem organizational ability supports the concept of team basketball. Even though he felt cold, he could still use his top pass vision to help Siakam, Turner and others take over the game, while the Knicks' fault tolerance rate was almost zero.

The "tuition fee" of the upstart and the "shadow" of the old injury

The Knicks' dual-core Brunson and Towns have not experienced the baptism of the division finals, and the Pacers have both champion members like Siakam and Halliburton who has experience in the Eastern Conference Finals last year. The psychological pressure of historical clashes cannot be ignored. In the Eastern Conference semifinals last season, the Pacers eliminated the Knicks in the tiebreak battle. At that time, the shadow of Brunson's absence due to injury has still enveloped Madison Garden. Although the Knicks strengthened Towns and Bridges this season, the overlap of the core lineup made the players feel unhappy. Netizens joked: "In addition to 'fighting to the point where the ammunition and food are exhausted', the Knicks' tactical board also says 'How to forget the nightmare that was reversed last year'."

Structural dilemma and the coach's "big bet"

The Knicks' dilemma is not accidental, but an inevitable result of lineup construction. Although Thibodeau's "Five Donkeys Tactics" stimulates the main potential in the short term, it comes at the expense of players' health and team sustainability. As netizens said: "If you could win the championship by 48 minutes by squeezing the main force, the NBA should have given Thibodouli statues."

In contrast, Carlisle's "random offensive philosophy" gives players more freedom, and the long rotation strategy not only ensures physical fitness but also reduces the risk of injury. This people-oriented tactical concept is in sharp contrast to the Knicks' "dry-squeezing" style of play. The eastern finals have not yet begun, and the Knicks' sky is half collapsed. But the charm of competitive sports lies in its unpredictability - if Brunson can continue his super-good performance, Towns suddenly awakens, and Thibodeau's big bet may become a legend. However, on the balance of rational analysis, the Pacers' team resilience, experience advantages and tactical restraint are obviously closer to the ticket to the finals.