Pacers’ Depth and Knicks’ Strategy in NBA Playoffs

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00:00One of the keys for the Pacers both this year and a season ago,

00:04the balance and the depth that Rick Carlisle's crew has

00:07in seven of their eight victories so far in this NBA playoff run.

00:12They have had at least six guys in double figures.

00:14The only win where they did not have at least six in double digits,

00:18that was the Game 5 series clincher against Cleveland.

00:22On the other side, J.Y., we know Tom Thibodeau's rotation

00:25may be a little bit more tight than what we will see out of the Pacers

00:28in this Eastern Conference Finals.

00:30And one guy you highlighted above all else, that's Carl Anthony Towns.

00:35His points prop for game number one of the Eastern Conference Finals

00:38stands at 22 and a half.

00:41The New York Knicks are going to take game one inside MSU tonight.

00:45What does New York need out of Cap?

00:49They need about 25 points.

00:51So I think you're going right to where I'm thinking about, right?

00:53That's over 22 and a half points for Carl Anthony Towns.

00:56Like I said, averaged 30.3 points per game in the three series games

01:01versus Indiana during the regular season.

01:04So I look at Cat as looking the guy to go over.

01:07You also mentioned the bench play of Indiana.

01:10That's going to be a key.

01:11So the guy I'm looking at is actually a former Knick,

01:14and that's Obi Toppin, over seven and a half points.

01:17I know he went under five out of six games in the previous years versus Cleveland.

01:20This is going to go more up and down a little bit.

01:22They're going to use Obi to kind of get out in transition and make one,

01:25which obviously forces the Knicks to get back and use their legs.

01:30I think not in the last 12 games, including the playoffs,

01:32Obi Toppin's going to over seven and a half points.

01:34Look for Obi Toppin to get about 10 points tonight.

01:36Oh, Obi, over seven and a half points tonight.

01:40How about Miles McBride?

01:41Coach, come on, man.

01:41Six and a half points in game number one.

01:44A couple triples from deep.

01:45And by the way, just to let you know,

01:46I do think Carl Anthony Towns has a decent night.

01:48But you know where I went?

01:49I went in under problem Carl Anthony Towns, under one and a half,

01:52three-point shots made it, plus money.

01:54It's been seven games since he made more than one triple.

01:57Do I expect him to knock one down?

01:58Yes, but not two.

01:59But give me a little Miles McBride.

02:00Give me somebody way down that list.

02:02Maybe a TJ McConnell or even a Josh Hart at this point.

02:05Who exceeds expectations for game number one that we can dabble in?

02:09Yeah, forget Obi.

02:09Well, I think he has Obi one, Kenobi's one, but Deuce could get loose.

02:14You know, I don't know, it's deep.

02:16We're not talking like P.J. Tucker, three and a half,

02:19when he was with, you know, Milwaukee deep.

02:22That's deep.

02:23That's deep.

02:23And in the corner, drop a triple.

02:25Yeah, just hit a three and a foul shot, and you get over to three and a half.

02:28But yeah, I think Deuce could get loose for about six and a half.

02:31Listen, Deuce obviously played Donnie much better in the series versus Boston

02:36than versus Detroit.

02:38Because he's going to have to get extended minutes,

02:40and they're going to have to get bros.

02:41I think Deuce can get loose and knock down a couple of threes.

02:44You also mentioned the pest, and that is McConnell.

02:47And McConnell has done – he's going to be a critical part in the series

02:51because if you guys remember last year,

02:53he got into it a little bit with Jalen Brunson at times during the series.

02:58So I do look at another player like McConnell to go over his points prop.

03:02The bench is where you're going to find your value

03:05because those guys are going to get extended run in the series,

03:08especially if you expect it to be a seven-game series.

03:11These guys got to get a lot of runs, particularly more on the front end

03:14to kind of save their likes.

03:16Because remember, guys, this series only one – I think it's only one day

03:19in between every game for I think the totality of the series.

03:23So you've got to use your bench, guys, a lot.

03:26Yeah, you certainly do.

03:27J.Y., I do think in that series against Boston, even with a healthy Jason Tatum,

03:32one of the key differences for New York, the excellent wing play out of OG Ananobi

03:37and Mikael Bridges, as we saw in that game six finale.

03:40Those two combining for 45 points, Ananobi 23, 22 out of Bridges,

03:45each hitting four triples.

03:47How critical are both of those wings for Tibbs and the Knicks

03:51in this Eastern Conference Finals?

03:52You know where we're going.

03:55You know, they'll be serving him for hopefully all seven games,

03:58and that's wing stop.

04:00So you could look at either OG Ananobi over one-and-a-half steals at minus 122,

04:06or the same thing with Mikael Bridges over one-and-a-half steals at plus 116.

04:11Why?

04:11Because Mikael's going to have the primary assignment versus Halliburton,

04:15and then OG's going to have the primary assignment versus, obviously, Pascal Siakam.

04:19And those are the two primary ball handlers,

04:22and those are the two primarily guys that set the teammates up.

04:26So maybe look at steals or stocks if you could find them

04:30for both Mikael Bridges and OG Ananobi.

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