Hawks vs. Knicks: NBA Playoffs first round series preview

The New York Knicks are back in the playoffs! Tom Thibodeau's scrappy squad is set to face-off against the upstart Atlanta Hawks in a seven-game series beginning on Saturday, May 22.

The Knicks owned the Hawks during the regular season

The Knicks dominated the regular season series, winning all three games. Those three victories came by an average margin of eight points, although the most recent victory was a 10-point overtime win.

While the Knicks pride themselves as a defense-first team, it was the offense that paved the way to victory in each of those wins.

Let’s dive into this eagerly anticipated series and predict who will advance to the second round.

The Hawks have soared under Nate McMillan

The Atlanta Hawks are the fifth seed in the Eastern Conference after narrowly winning the Southeast Division with a 41-31 record. They were 9-3 within their competitive division, and enter the playoffs on a four-game winning streak. Midway through the season the Hawks fired head coach Lloyd Pierce and replaced him with longtime NBA coach Nate McMillan. Under McMillan, the Hawks are an impressive 27-11 and clearly a better team than they were to start the season.

Young and Capela have been Atlanta's heart and soul

The star of the roster is dynamic guard Trae Young, the sharpshooter with range comparable to Steph Curry. He averaged 25.3 points and 9.4 assists per game. The workhorse for the Hawks, however, is center Clint Capela, who leads the league in rebounds at 14.3 per game. The former Houston Rocket is listed at only 6’10” but is incredibly active and uses his strength to find the ball under the rim. He is an elite defender and serves as a cleanup scorer for lobs from Young.

The strength of this Hawks team is their youth and willingness to move off the ball on offense. They have above average shooters and have successfully convinced Young he can be effective as a passer as well. Where they falter is when Young tries to do much. If he can play within himself and create shots for teammates they can be a dangerous team.

The Knicks need a monster series from Randle

The New York Knicks have the Most Improved Player in the NBA in Julius Randle. The athletic power forward has been a stat-stuffing machine in 2020-21, and will be relied on to carry the load throughout this playoff series. Randle averaged 24.1 points, 10.2 rebounds, and 6 assists per game.

Thanks to Randle’s elite play, the Knicks also found themselves at 41-31 on the season, good enough for fourth overall, and third in the elite Atlantic Division. They began the season well and used a nine-game winning streak this spring to cement their playoff spot.

Thibs has left his imprint on the Knicks' defense

Tom Thibodeau is a notorious defensive mastermind who has led the Knicks to the third-best defense in the NBA this season. They are anchored by Nerlens Noel, who is second in the NBA with 2.2 blocks per game. The biggest weakness of the Knicks is their lack of postseason experience and their extreme reliance on Randle.

Hawks vs. Knicks X-Factors

The Atlanta Hawks have clearly been a different team in the second half thanks to McMillan, but another key change occurred when Bogdan Bogdanovic joined the roster from the Sacramento Kings. Bogdanovic is an elite three-point shooter, averaging 18 points per game under McMillan and shooting 43.8% from deep. His ability to stretch the court and hit big threes in the fourth quarter may decide the series.

For the Knicks, prepare to fully enjoy the Thibodeau postseason-experience. New York led the NBA in points allowed per game this season, but Thibodeau almost certainly has a few tricks up his sleeve to slow down the Hawks. The ways in which Thibodeau will attempt to confuse and frustrate players like Young and John Collins will be key to watch.

Hawks vs. Knicks series prediction

The line for this series is effectively a pick 'em, with the Knicks only very slightly favored to win the series despite home court advantage and a 3-0 regular season record. It seems obvious this is a trap, yet I can’t help but side with the Knicks here.

Randle scored 28, 44, and 40 points in the three prior matchups, and Derrick Rose is leading a tough Knicks second-unit off the bench. Thibodeau has his team believing in defense, and that can oftentimes make all the difference in the postseason.

Series prediction: Knicks in 6