2013 NBA Playoff Eastern Conference Semifinals Picks: Indiana Pacers vs New York Knicks Odds and Predictions

2013 NBA Playoff Picks: Eastern Conference Semifinals Indiana Pacers vs New York Knicks Odds and Predictions: After both teams took out their first-round opponents in six games, the third-seeded Indiana Pacers and second-seeded New York Knicks are set to meet in the Eastern Conference semifinals. It is the second year in a row that the Pacers have advanced to the second round of the playoffs, but the semifinal appearance is basically uncharted territory for the Knicks. The series will also be a clash of styles as the Indiana prefers a defensive-minded approach while New York loves to spread the floor with a smaller lineup loaded with perimeter firepower. Needless to say, tempo will be crucial through the best-of-seven series that kicks off Sunday in New York.

In many ways, Indiana has embraced an old-school approach on both ends of the court. The Pacers like to slow the pace on offense, pounding the ball inside to true center Roy Hibbert and veteran power forward David West. The strategy isn’t always pretty, and Indiana ranked eighth-last in the NBA in scoring during the year. However, the methodical offense does allow the Pacers to exert a ton of effort on the defensive end despite a lack of depth, and they had the stingiest defense in the Eastern Conference during the regular season. While no player on Indiana’s roster qualifies as a star scorer, small forward Paul George is becoming one of the top two-way players in the game and has become the team’s go-to option down the stretch.

Led by this year’s scoring champ Carmelo Anthony, the Knicks have been at their best this year when they are pushing the pace and getting open perimeter looks. In fact, the Knicks led the NBA in 3-pointers made per game this year. Whether it is J.R. Smith, Steve Novak, Raymond Felton, Jason Kidd or someone else, New York has waves of quality shooters to surround center Tyson Chandler and Anthony. Of course, the fact that a leaner, athletic center like Chandler and Anthony comprise the Knicks’ frontcourt says something about the team’s tendency to go with a smaller lineup. The tendency will practically be a necessity in this series since power forward Amar’e Stoudemire is expected to miss at the least the first few games.

The Pacers Win If:

If the Pacers are going to knock off the Knicks, they have to pound the ball inside early and often. They have a huge size advantage with Hibbert, West and George inside, and if Indiana is getting quality looks inside, getting to the foul line and crashing the offensive glass, it is going to be very tough for the Knicks to establish their up-tempo style. On the defensive end, the Pacers need to lock down the perimeter and force Anthony and the Knicks to manufacture their points in half-court sets. Indiana doesn’t have enough offensive firepower to beat the Knicks in shooting contest, but if the Pacers can make sure that a majority of the games in the series become defensive-oriented and low-scoring, they should be able to frustrate the Knicks’ scorers and advance to the next round.

The Knicks Win If:

Establishing a fast pace to the games will be crucial for New York, and in order do that, the Knicks need to move the ball and spread the wealth on the offensive end. Yes, Anthony is one of the best individual scorers in the game, but there is nothing the Pacers would love more than for Anthony to isolate every possession and slow things down. If the Knicks are instead getting open looks from the perimeter and are able to build early leads, the Pacers’ lack of depth is going to be put to the test as they have to expend extra energy to keep pace. Defensively, the Knicks top priority has to be holding their own against the big Indiana frontcourt, especially on the boards. The last thing New York can afford is for the Pacers to get a bunch of second possessions and chew up a bunch of clock. At the end of the day, the Knicks should march on if they force the Pacers to try to win with their offense instead of their stout defense.

Bottom Line:

In many ways, the Knicks just got a nice tune-up for this series in their first-round series against Boston. Granted, the Pacers have a heck of a lot more athleticism than the Celtics, but they can be just as awful when it comes to putting the ball in the basket. Unless Indiana suddenly starts hitting a bunch of shots, the Pacers are going to have a tough time controlling the pace even with their enormous size advantage inside. Granted, Indiana has been excellent at defending the perimeter this year, but few teams have as many shooters as the Knicks, and the Pacers don’t have much in the way of the bench to help keep their defenders fresh. Meanwhile, Anthony poses a matchup nightmare for the Pacers because he is two strong for George to defend in the post and two fast for the veteran West. New York should be able to establish some consistent offense by using Anthony as a scorer and a facilitator, and steady scoring should eventually wear down an Indiana team that has been living and dying with its defense.

Prediction: New York Knicks Win in 7 Games

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