Back in the summer of 2021, when the Knicks were humbled in a gentleman’s sweep during their first playoff appearance in nearly a decade, they were missing plenty of things.
To begin that series against the Hawks, New York coach Tom Thibodeau rolled out starting guard Elfrid Payton, a solid defender, but a clear offensive liability due to his suspect jumper. Aside from the postseason experience the team lacked in general, RJ Barrett—the team’s second-leading scorer that year—was 20, and still in his second year as a professional. And All-NBA forward Julius Randle, so good during that regular season, lost all semblance of his offensive game, shooting just under 30% as the Hawks befuddled him by walling off driving lanes and frequently putting two defenders in front of him.
But in light of Wednesday’s 106–95 series-clinching win for New York—the Knicks winning their first playoff series in a decade, by taking out the young, highly talented Cavaliers in five games—it’s worth remembering one other aspect New York lacked two years ago: Starting center Mitchell Robinson was injured, leaving the Knicks without their game-changing rim protector and offensive rebound machine.
