Cleveland Cavaliers (4) vs. New York Knicks (5)
With the way the standings are at the moment, there’s a good chance that we’re going to get a 4-5 matchup that features the Cleveland Cavaliers and New York Knicks battling it out. Even though these two teams don’t really have that much of a history in the postseason, they are two of the up-and-coming teams in the Eastern Conference. And it would be excellent to watch them play it out.
Plus, there’s the whole Donovan Mitchell situation that would add another layer to the playoff series. During the offseason, Mitchell believed that he was going to be a Knick before the Cavaliers eventually made the move for him. Could the Knicks prove that they don’t really need him to be a contender? Or will Mitchell make the Knicks pay for not going completely all-in for the superstar during the offseason?
And from a basketball standpoint, these two teams would give us a really competitive series of basketball. Both teams have emerging young talent that could be looking to take their next step and announce themselves as stars on the stage that the postseason often gives players.
The Cavs and Knicks could be one of the better pure basketball matchups in the first round.