How strong are the Five Tigers in New York? Towns win-win trade: Knicks break the curse and win the championship

Sports Weekly All-Media Reporter Li Xilin

eliminated the defending champion Celtics 4-2. The Knicks reached the Eastern Conference Finals after 25 years. They are becoming a force that cannot be ignored on the road to the championship this season. The New York Five Tigers have been developed and their goal is not to be satisfied with entering the Eastern Conference Finals. The Knicks, who are both good at offense and defense, will launch an attack on the finals and even the championship.

How scary are the Five Tigers in New York? On May 17, 119-81, the Knicks scored 20+, while the other scored a triple-double. Brunson made steady output, scoring 23 points, 6 rebounds and 6 assists, with a plus-negative value of +30. Anunobi contributed 23 points, 9 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals and 2 blocks. Bridges scored 22 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal and 2 blocks. Towns scored 21 points and 12 rebounds. Hart scored a triple-double with 10 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists.

coach Thibodeau used 8-player regular rotation in the playoffs, and Mitchell Robinson, McBride and Achuva on the bench. With the creation of Thibodeau, this Knicks lineup has formed an excellent chemistry. They trust each other, support each other, and never give up in adversity. Because of this, the Knicks made a super big reversal of 20 points behind in the first two away games in the Eastern Conference semi-finals.

That was at the league's famous home court of the Devils, TD Garden Arena, which was against the defending champion Celtics who scored 61 wins and 21 losses in the regular season. Many people think that the Knicks can pass the Celtics level, which is largely due to Tatum being injured and falling down.

Authentic, Tatum's fall made the Knicks advance to the Eastern Conference. But the key is that even when Tatum is on the court, the Knicks are not afraid of the Celtics. In fact, before Tatum was injured in the fourth game of the Eastern Conference semi-finals, the Knicks had basically completed the reversal and had the confidence to win - with 3 minutes left to lead by 9 points.

The Knicks do have the strength to compete with the Full-Shaped Celtics. They have a lineup of offense and defense, and an excellent coach commands the battle.

The Knicks are not short of offensive firepower points, and the starting five Tigers all have the ability to score in double digits, or even score 20+ points. They allow a certain tolerance rate. For example, if a certain player feels badly, other players can increase their shooting rights.

In other words, the Knicks can allow Brunson to feel bad in the first half or even the first three quarters, and the support of his teammates can help the team get through the difficulties. Brunson is the number one key player in the playoffs. He has scored 43 points at critical moments and is far ahead in the overall score list at critical moments. Jokic scored 26 points at the critical moment and ranked second, while Gordon and Towns scored 21 points at the critical moment and tied for third.

This is what makes the Knicks powerful. The Knicks reached the Eastern Conference semi-finals last season and fought with the Pacers for seven games before losing. The Knicks were far less powerful than they are now. In the summer of 2024, the Knicks made two big deals in a row, poaching Bridges and Towns.

Knicks used Randall and Divinchenzo as main bargaining chips to exchange for Towns's hand, and strengthened the inside position in one fell swoop. Towns became the Knicks' inside pillar this season, raising the team's ceiling.

The original deal now seems to be a win-win situation, with the Timberwolves and the Knicks reaching the division finals. The Knicks need a center, and the lineup of Towns and the Knicks is more suitable. Randall served as the main power forward in the Timberwolves, and Gobert was at the center. He unleashed his offensive and organizational skills and shone in the playoffs.

Downs also showed his value in the Knicks. He is no longer a player who was always weak in the playoffs a few years ago. "Soft Tang" has become "Hard Tang". Towns has a $224 million deal for four years. Judging from his performance this season, he is worth it.

In the first round of the playoffs, Towns averaged 19.7 points, 10.0 rebounds, 1.7 assists, 1.2 steals and 1.3 blocks per game, averaged 2.0 three-pointers, 48.0% of three-point shooting percentage, 48.9% of the field goal percentage, and 90.0% of the free throw percentage. Towns played as an all-around center.

In the Eastern Conference semi-finals, Towns' three-pointers' touch was reduced, but he still performed well, averaging 19.8 points and 12.7 rebounds per game, shooting percentage of 47.3%, three-point shooting percentage of 15.8%, and free throw shooting percentage of 93.3%. In the battle with the Celtics, Towns took control of the inside. Celtics inside players Porzingis, Horford and Connett really can't beat Towns at the peak. This season, Towns was selected for the regular season All-Star lineup, and his performance in the playoffs is worthy of his All-Star center.

When he played for the Timberwolves, Towns was eliminated in the first round of the playoffs in the first three times. His efficiency in the playoffs has declined, so it has been questioned. But last season, Towns helped the Timberwolves reach the Western Conference Finals, and to a certain extent he made his name.

Objectively speaking, Towns is not suitable to be the boss of the team, but is an excellent candidate to be the second-in-command. He was very successful in assisting Edwards last season and was willing to take a step back and let Edwards be the boss of the team. But unexpectedly, he was still traded by the Timberwolves in the summer. Towns was very disappointed after being traded. He fought for the Timberwolves for 9 years, but in the end he was kicked away.

Fortunately, Towns was traded to the Knicks, a team with good strength, and it was a big market team. Moreover, the Knicks coach is Thibodeau, who once coached him. "These guys have played very chic content here, and last season, Brunson built something special with them. I came here to help them and be the best teammates," said Towns when he joined the Knicks.

He is very clear about his positioning and is Brunson's helper to help the Knicks improve their strength. Towns did, and the Knicks ranked third in the Eastern Conference with a record of 51 wins and 31 losses in the regular season. In the playoffs, the Knicks eliminated the Pistons and the Celtics to enter the Eastern Conference Finals, and will compete with the Pacers for the finals tickets.. "It's a great victory and we successfully advanced. But we also understand that we have to prepare for the next round of the series. The Pacers are a good team and we have to be on the verge of ready." Coach Thibodeau has already set his sights for the Eastern Conference Finals.