Insider Reveals Knicks Keys to Victory vs. Pistons

The New York Knicks face a challenge in the Detroit Pistons for the first round of the Eastern Conference playoffs.

The Athletic insider James Edwards III, who covered the Knicks this season after years on the Pistons beat, spoke about what it will take for New York to down Detroit in the series.

"The Knicks need to find a way to slow down Cunningham. As you mentioned, Hunter, Detroit really doesn’t have a No. 2 option right now, so forcing anyone other than Cunningham to make plays should be priority No. 1 for New York," Edwards writes.

"After that, the Knicks need to get up more 3-pointers. They finished the regular season ranked 27th in 3-point attempts. That’s partially why, despite having an efficient offense, certain teams were able to give New York trouble. The Knicks play at a slow pace, don’t shoot the 3-ball a ton and, for most of the year, allowed teams to shoot well from 3 against them. New York needs to make sure it creates opportunities for Towns to be able to shoot from 3-ball, especially against a Pistons team that has really struggled against pick-and-pop bigs. The players also need to make sure they’re disciplined with their spacing and make on-time, on-target passes."

The Knicks had Donte DiVincenzo in that 3-point role last season, and this year, that responsibility will belong to Mikal Bridges, who shot just over 35 percent from distance in his first year with New York.

That's a step lower than DiVincenzo's 40 percent from a year ago, but if the Knicks can shoot the ball with confidence throughout the series, it will make the Pistons' job that much harder to pull off the upset.

The Pistons have to win at least one game in Madison Square Garden, and every time a 3-pointer goes up, the crowd goes crazy, so playing into that homecourt advantage will be an immense help for the Knicks.