The New York Knicks have taken a 3-1 lead in the first round of the playoffs against the Cleveland Cavaliers, who are now facing a teamwide issue that needs fixing if they want to become the 14th NBA team to recover from a 3-1 series deficit to advance. Star player Donovan Mitchell, who was expected to lead the Knicks to playoff victories, has struggled in the series, admitting that he played poorly in Game 3. However, Mitchell’s struggles are not the only issue plaguing the Cavaliers.
Offensive Rebounding and Scoring Woes
The Knicks have taken advantage of their second-best offensive rebounding team status, posting a 37.3% offensive rebounding rate, which is higher than any team has posted over a regular season since the Utah Jazz in the 2003-04 season. Despite Cleveland starting a pair of talented bigs in Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen, the Knicks have controlled the paint, with Mitchell Robinson and Josh Hart attacking the glass. Meanwhile, the Cavaliers have struggled with a 101.3 offensive rating through the first four games of the series, which is the worst in the playoffs and lower than any team over the course of a full season since 2015-16. Mitchell and fellow star guard Darius Garland have struggled to replicate their regular-season form, with Garland shooting 4-for-21 in Game 3, and Mitchell shooting 27.8% in Game 4.
Defensive Challenges and Offensive Opportunities
The Cavaliers have struggled defensively, with their team turning the ball over on 3.3% of their passes, which is the highest rate in the NBA, according to Second Spectrum tracking data. However, there have been flashes of success running pick-and-rolls with the two guards, creating mismatches to expose. Mitchell ranks second in points per direct pick among the 21 players who have run at least 75 pick-and-rolls during the postseason, per Second Spectrum tracking. Part of the reason Mitchell struggled at MSG is that the Knicks ignored whoever Cavaliers coach J.B. Bickerstaff played on the wing alongside his four stars: Mitchell, Garland, Mobley, and Allen. Who Bickerstaff has leaned on to be that fifth player have shot a combined 16-for-59 from 3-point range.
Despite their struggles, the Cavaliers have found ways to create room for Garland and Mitchell to operate. For example, they shouldn’t put Garland on Knicks guard Jalen Brunson, who has been effective when Garland is his primary defender. While the Knicks have some offensive challenges of their own, the Cavaliers have the opportunity to drag themselves back into this series with modest steps forward.
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