Playoffs 2000:Dr. Jack's Breakdown: Knicks-Pacers

Dr. Jack's Breakdown: Knicks-Pacers
By Dr. Jack Ramsay
Special to ESPN.com

No. 3 Knicks (50-32) vs. No. 1 Pacers (56-26)

Hall of Fame coach Dr. Jack Ramsay provides analysis for ESPN on SportsCenter and NBA Today. Here he breaks down the playoffs for ESPN.com. The color analyst for the Heat, Ramsay's impressive résumé includes making the playoffs in 16 of his 20 seasons as coach and winning an NBA title with Portland in 1977.
Throughout the 2000 playoffs, Dr. Jack will break down each series from the backcourts to intangibles. Look for his analysis from the first round all the way through to the NBA Finals.

BACKCOURT

EDGE

There are some great backcourt matchups in this series. You have to start with Reggie Miller against Allan Houston, especially in Game 1. It will be tough for New York because Houston isn't 100 percent with an ankle injury. Plus, Miller is one of the best in the league, if not the best, at moving without the ball. Miller is persistent and relentless in running his man off screens just to get the catch before drilling the shot, and he has been great in the playoffs. The Pacers would be gone without Miller. If Houston can't guard Miller, that will leave the defensive chores to Latrell Sprewell, who can probably guard Miller better than Houston anyway. But moving Sprewell over to Miller changes what the Knicks want to do up front against Jalen Rose. At point guard, the Pacers start with Mark Jackson, who has had good success posting up against both Charlie Ward and Chris Childs. If the Knicks try to double-team Jackson, he's excellent at finding open shooters. To spell Jackson, the Pacers bring in the quicker and more dynamic Travis Best. The Knicks, however, are better equipped to defend Best than they are Jackson. Overall, the Pacers have a big advantage if Houston isn't healthy.

FRONTCOURT

EDGE

The matchup between Rose and Sprewell is a great one. Rose is a little longer and probably a better post-up player in the traditional sense --- playing with his back to the basket, then turning and shooting the jumper. He should be able to get his shot off against Sprewell, but the Knicks swingman will take Rose to the post and drive on him. There might not be a better open-court player in the league than Sprewell. He was great against Miami after the first two games of the series. He is a very unselfish, team-oriented player who makes good passes and doesn't force shots. At big forward, I'm not sure how the Knicks are going to match up because Dale Davis can play the post better than Rik Smits and might be guarding Patrick Ewing. Neither Ewing nor Smits are the most mobile players. Both big men shoot well facing the basket, but players can blow by them on defense. That's not a big issue for New York like it was against Miami when Ewing had to defend Alonzo Mourning. If Smits is matched against Ewing, then Davis will defend Larry Johnson, who will take Davis outside and either shoot from the perimeter or drive on him. Davis is a good all-around defender, but if he has to chase Johnson outside, that will take him off the boards. Marcus Camby and Austin Croshere are the key frontcourt players off the bench for the Knicks and Pacers respectively. Croshere is more of an offensive threat. He has a complete game --- hitting 3-pointers, posting up and driving to the basket. He has an injured ankle, but I expect him to be 100 percent. Camby, meanwhile, is an open-court runner, slasher, rebounder, and shot-blocker. The Knicks need production from him.

EVEN

BENCH	EDGE
The Pacers have a better and a deeper bench, with Croshere, Best, Derrick McKey and Sam Perkins. The Knicks have a much shorter bench with Camby, Childs and Kurt Thomas, although I wouldn't be surprised to see John Wallace in this series because Jeff Van Gundy needs more production.

INTANGIBLES

EDGE

I can't see much of a difference between these two teams in the intangible category. Both the Pacers and the Knicks are highly motivated. It's the last good chance for both teams to get to the NBA Finals, and I think they are aware of that. In the regular season, neither team had the distinct edge. The series was even at 2-2, with the home team winning every game. However, even though Indiana has the home-court advantage in the series, it won't matter. The further along you go in the playoffs, the less home-court advantage matters. Both teams can win on the road.

EVEN

PREDICTION

Pacers in seven. This series will be a dogfight, but I pick the Pacers only because I don't expect Houston to be 100 percent. The Knicks need him to be fully healthy or the series could end even sooner than seven games. But if Houston is playing up to his norm, I think the Knicks will win in seven because of their superior team defense, their balance, and the ability of different players to step up. On the other side, Miller must maintain his current level of play through the series. Indiana is the best shooting team in the league from 3-point range and the foul line, but the Pacers also have shown the undesirable quality of having bad games from start to finish in the playoffs.