I think both teams have reason for optimism, so it's hard to choose: The Wolves are much healthier, while the Knicks have a greater theoretical talent advantage over their second-round opponent. I'll lean ever so slightly toward New York because the Knicks would have home court advantage in a potential Game 7 and the Wolves wouldn't.
The Wolves, who can, at the very least, still trot out their preferred seven-player rotation. One could argue that unlocking a new game plan and sense of urgency from the best player in the world is as prohibitive as it gets when it comes to one's own odds. Nikola Jokic is warping the calculus for the Wolves' big men by initiating his attack far faster and from farther out. But there is still enough top-end talent and playable depth in Minnesota to make the necessary adjustments.
I don't doubt the Knicks' grit and resolve, but there are simply fewer levers to pull with the entire starting lineup banged up, OG Anunoby still not able to run, and human vacuum Mitchell Robinson out for the remainder of the playoffs. There is so much pressure on Jalen Brunson and Josh Hart to play up to a Herculean standard, and carrying that weight sometimes looks like it did on Sunday: battered, utterly helpless. The Knicks could very well take back control of this series by doing what they've done all year.
[
add
]
[
|
|
...
]