Knicks Pistons 2025 Playoffs

What Makes Me Worried For Knicks Playoffs Matchup vs. Pistons

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NBA

If you are on the outside looking in, the Knicks playoffs picture looks good on paper – 51 wins and the third seed – but man, there’s this nagging problems that have been on blast in the recent months. The Pistons owned New York this season. Not just once, not just in a fluke game, but three times out of four matchups. When a team has your number like this, seeding doesn’t matter nearly as much as the head-to-head history. Cade Cunningham was truly impressive against the Knicks this season, averaging 30.8 points per game in these matchups. Now in Game 1, everyone will see if that carries into the playoffs. 

I’ve watched enough playoff basketball to know when something smells fishy, and this matchup has warning signs of a potential upset. The Knicks might be the Vegas favorite, but some of these nagging problems were not addressed to close the season. We’re looking at defensive breakdowns, troubling historical patterns, and a young Pistons team playing with absolutely nothing to lose. If Thibs doesn’t make some serious adjustments fast, MSG might be in for a very uncomfortable first round.

Favorites despite losing the season series

The Knicks are walking into the playoffs with a strange mental battle ahead of them. They’ve got home-court advantage, but Vegas oddsmakers and basketball pundits have the Knicks penciled in as the heaviest favorites in the first round. The favorites couldn’t handle their business in the regular season. You want a gut punch? The Pistons strolled into Madison Square Garden twice this year and walked out with wins both times. Sure, the standings look pretty with New York’s impressive 51-31 record towering over Detroit’s more modest 44-38 mark.

Thibs and company limped into the postseason looking anything but championship-ready. They dropped three of their final four games, getting knocked around by the Cavaliers, Celtics, and yes, these Pistons again. That Cleveland game was particularly brutal – blowing a 23-point lead right before the playoffs is the basketball equivalent of a face-plant at prom. The truly terrifying stat everyone is talking about? An 0-10 record against the NBA’s elite teams – Cleveland, Boston, and Oklahoma City. Zero wins. None. Zilch. This isn’t just a Detroit problem; the Knicks have been mediocre against winning teams all season with a barely-above-.500 record of 15-13. And if you’re looking for a predictor of playoff success, check this out – a sad 9-20 record against the league’s top-10 defenses. Guess where Detroit ranks defensively? Yep, right in that top 10. Not exactly confidence-inspiring.

New York Expectations

MSG during playoff time will be its electric self with, the celebrities courtside, the crowd when the Knicks go on a run – there’s nothing like it in basketball. The numbers back it up – the Knicks won 66% of their home games this season, good enough for eighth in the league. That’s the kind of advantage that typically swings playoff series. Meanwhile, Detroit’s road record sits at a more pedestrian 54%. But don’t forget – that didn’t phase Detroit at all. 

That pressure can either elevate players or crush them. Last summer’s blockbuster moves for Karl-Anthony Towns and Mikal Bridges weren’t just about getting better – they were about championship expectations. Seven first-round picks walked out the door in those deals. Seven! That’s the kind of all-in move that demands results. Fans thought at the very least the scariest series would be against Boston in round two. These weren’t minor upgrades; they were supposed to launch the Knicks into the NBA’s upper echelon. Instead, we’re all left wondering if this team is actually any better than last year’s squad. And while the Knicks shoulder all this pressure, Detroit strolls in playing with house money. After winning just 14 games last season, they’ve already exceeded every expectation. Think about that mental freedom – Detroit has absolutely nothing to lose, while New York has everything to prove.

The Pistons team won a measly 14 games last season! Every playoff minute they get now is pure gravy. There’s zero pressure on these guys. None. Detroit pulled off one of the most dramatic single-season turnarounds in recent memory, jumping from a franchise-worst 14 wins to a respectable 44 this year. That’s the kind of improvement that usually takes three seasons of rebuilding. Coach J.B. Bickerstaff knows exactly what card he’s holding here. He’s sending his team out with that fearless underdog mentality that makes playoff veterans nervous. Notably they went 4-2 during a stretch without their star Cunningham only proving it’s an overall team effort. 

Cade Cunningham

In those games against New York, this guy averaged a ridiculous 30.8 points, 8.3 assists and 5 rebounds while shooting 57.4% from the field. The Knicks have absolutely no answer for him. His shot selection has been great reading when to post up on smaller guards while picking the right time to shoot from the outside. His emergence against the Knicks inconsistent defense at times will be the center of focus this Saturday. 

Defensive Vulnerabilities Exposed

You want to know the real reason why Detroit dominated the Knicks during the regular season? It’s those glaring defensive holes that nobody in the Knicks organization wants to talk about. Having watched all four matchups, the patterns are painfully obvious. These aren’t minor issues, folks. They’re fundamental flaws that could absolutely sink the Knicks and Thibs’ job if not addressed now. No team is gonna win anything when they don’t protect the paint well or rank among one of the worst perimeter defenses in the league. The offense is not the nuclear problem in my opinion. It just gets harder to run a good one when you’re getting cooked on defense. 

Mitchell Robinson’s return could completely flip this matchup. His rim protection would neutralize the pick-and-roll attack that’s absolutely shredded other Knicks defenders. Robinson’s length and timing changes everything about New York’s defensive capabilities and has brought them back to relevance since his return. 

Perimeter containment issues

How does a team with supposedly elite wing defenders like Anunoby, Bridges, and Hart rank amongst the worst in perimeter defense? It’s not just bad – it’s nearly bottom-of-the-barrel terrible. The eye test matches the stats here. Detroit shooters repeatedly found open looks beyond the arc in these matchups. Let’s not dance around the KAT-sized elephant in the room. Karl-Anthony Towns struggles in pick-and-roll coverage. His inability to recover quickly leaves shooters wide open time and again. He has specifically struggled with:

  • Slow recovery to stretch bigs
  • Poor positioning in drop coverage
  • Inadequate rim protection

These aren’t fixable issues in a week of playoff prep. These are fundamental limitations that Detroit has already proven they can exploit. I sound like a broken record 

Transition defense weaknesses

The Knicks transition defense might be their most exploitable weakness. They rank bottom-10 in transition defense points per possession, which is a death sentence against a young, athletic team like Detroit. It is inexcusable in regular season games, let alone playoff basketball. Meanwhile, Detroit ranks second in fast-break points league-wide. 

Controlling tempo isn’t just important – it’s absolutely essential. Detroit ranks 11th in pace while the Knicks plod along at the 26th slowest pace in the league. Allowing the Pistons to play at their preferred speed is basketball suicide. Detroit thrives in transition, ranking third in percentage of points from fast breaks. The Knicks need to eliminate those opportunities while also cutting down on their own isolation tendencies that stagnate offensive flow.

Thibs’ rotation decisions will make or break this series. His willingness to adjust defensive coverages throughout games isn’t just a coaching strategy – it’s the potential difference between advancing and an embarrassing first-round exit. The evidence shows what works; now it’s about having the flexibility to implement those changes when they matter most.

Tactical Adjustments for Playoff Success

Alright, so what adjustments can turn this whole series around for the Knicks? We’ve seen the problems, but solutions exist if Thibs is willing to actually implement them. The coaching staff needs to completely rethink their approach against a Detroit team that clearly has their number in the regular season. Let’s break down the specific changes needed. Karl-Anthony Towns represents the X-factor the Knicks absolutely must leverage. He dropped 24 points per game against Detroit in their season series. That’s not some fluke – his skillset creates natural mismatches against the Pistons’ bigs that New York would be foolish not to exploit. Detroit simply hasn’t shown any effective counter to contain him with their current rotation. This isn’t complicated – feed your most efficient scorer against a team with no answer for him.

OG Anunoby’s brute force approach gives the Knicks another weapon. During March, he was “bulldozing his way through the paint” like a man possessed. Detroit might have athleticism, but their defenders lack the strength to handle Anunoby’s physical drives. The turnover battle tells the entire story of this matchup. In their only win against Detroit, the Knicks committed just 10 turnovers. Their three losses? A sloppy 15, 18, and 17 turnovers respectively. Clean basketball isn’t just important – it’s the difference between winning and losing. Both squads shoot below league average from three, but whoever heats up from downtown walks away with the W. It’s a simple formula that’s played out in every matchup so far. 

If OG and Bridges contribute early it will only put the crowd and themselves at ease. The early statement would be to send OG  defensively early on Cunningham. His physical profile and defensive instincts match up better than anyone else on the roster. They’ll need someone to try and throw Cunningham off by playing physical early on. Physical defense isn’t just an option here – he would just have to do it staying out of foul trouble. 

Game 1 at MSG

It all starts Saturday night when Game 1 tips off at Madison Square Garden on April 19 at 6 PM ET. This moment means everything for Detroit fans who’ve been waiting patiently since 2019 for another taste of playoff basketball. The Pistons are dragging an NBA record 14-game playoff losing streak behind them – they haven’t celebrated a postseason win since 2008.

These franchises haven’t battled in the playoffs since 1992. Back then, the Knicks advanced 3-2 in what was still a best-of-five format. Different era, different game. Even though Vegas sees New York as comfortable 7.5-point favorites for the opener we’ve all seen how meaningless those predictions can be when Detroit already owns the season series. This will go the limit because the Pistons are a difficult matchup for the Knicks. The stage is set. The adjustments are coming. Now we wait to see if the Knicks can overcome their regular season demons against a Detroit team playing with absolutely nothing to lose.

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