TNT commentator and former NBA coach Stan Van Gundy, the brother of ex-Knicks coach Jeff Van Gundy, takes a timeout for some playoffs Q&A with Post columnist Steve Serby.
Q: What are your thoughts on a Knicks-Pistons first-round series?
A: The Pistons are good, and J.B. [Bickerstaff, coach] has done a fabulous job, and Cade Cunningham is maybe the most underrated star in the league. I think because of their lack of success last year and everything, it took people a while this year to realize they were for real, and I don’t think that people are still giving him their credit, so they’ve got a true star. They are really, really good at the defensive end. They rebound the heck out of the ball. Look, that team can match up with New York. I think that would be a tough series. I’m not a great predictor, but I think the games in that series would be hard-fought. … I’d probably take the Knicks in seven. I don’t think there’s that much separating those two teams. Actually, as far as the Knicks at full strength, I think that Detroit would scare me more if I were a Knick fan than Milwaukee or Indiana. Even though Indiana beat ’em last year, the Knicks weren’t at full strength. Now if [Damian] Lillard is there, whole different ballgame. I’d still take the Knicks, but now I think it would be a competitive series.
Q: So there’s no danger the Knicks would overlook the Pistons?
A: I know this: Tom [Thibodeau] and his coaching staff aren’t gonna overlook anybody. Tom never has. I think they’ll have great respect for Detroit and what they’ve done, I don’t think there’s any doubt about that. And I think the Knicks have veteran guys who have been through battles, and they’re mature. They understand that you respect everybody. There’s no way you could look at that Detroit team — how well they’ve played, how hard they play, how hard they compete — and think anything’s gonna be easy. There’s just no chance of that.
Q: What makes Cunningham so special?
A: It starts with his size, to me, as a guard. He’s long, he’s big. He gets half a step on you and drops that shoulder, you’re gonna have a hard time recovering and getting back in front of him. He’s a guy who uses change of pace very, very well, and he’s just a smart guy with great court vision and his decision-making throughout his career has really vastly improved, both his shot selection, his pass selection. He just understands the game better as he’s seen more of it. But I think it all starts with his ability as a big point guard. He’s not a guy now you don’t have to guard, he was when he came in the league. That gives him more chances to penetrate, obviously, because he’s not a non-shooter like he was when he came into the league. And he’s gotten better defensively in my opinion, too. He’s shooting 35 percent from 3 on six attempts a game, he gets to the free throw line and makes free throws. His turnovers are still a little high, but he’s a nine-assists guy. This guy’s really, really good. And that point guard matchup will be something. Now, [Jalen] Brunson’s not gonna guard Cade Cunningham, but just watching those two guys, to me, would be great in that series. I think KAT [Karl-Anthony Towns is] too much for them myself, I think that’ll be the difference. I mean, they got some tough guys, I don’t think they have anybody they can match with him.
Q: How do the Knicks overcome the psychological barrier against the Celtics should they meet in the second round?
A: It’s hard for me to comment on that because I’m not even sure that I buy the premise there’s a psychological barrier. I think teams beat other teams consistently because they’re better. The Celtics roster is a lot better than the Knicks roster, period. Their top nine guys — where’s the weakness there? They’re not only all good players, they’re all two-way guys. There’s nobody you can attack, there’s nobody that you don’t have to guard. If there’s a psychological thing, it’s not something that I would know about.
Q: What kind of effect can Madison Square Garden have in a playoff series?
A: It’s not gonna have any more of an effect than Boston will have at home. That’s another great home crowd. If we get into that second-round series, it’s gonna be unbelievable. I don’t think that Madison Square Garden is more of a home-court advantage than they have in Boston. The atmosphere in that series would be unbelievable at both places.
Q: Do you get a sense for the love affair between fans and the Knicks?
A: Well, they’re passionate … love affair? I don’t know. Love affair when they’re playing well, and hate affair when they’re not playing well. The Knicks fans and the Philly fans, they are … they’re front-running fans. They’re in love with their team when things are going well, but they’ll boo their team off the floor when they’re not playing well. That’s not a crowd that’s focused on lifting you up.
Q: What things have to happen for the Knicks to beat the Celtics?
A: They’re gonna have to be better defensively. The Knicks have not been a great defensive team. They’re gonna have to be very good, and I think against the Celtics, a lot of it comes down to individual defense, you’ve gotta be able to play the ball and contain the ball because if you’ve got to be bringing help on a consistent basis, their 3-point shooting is outstanding. New York can spread you out, break you down and shoot the 3 also, both are really dangerous teams. I think Boston’s edge is I think they have better individual defenders, and I think they can do a better job of playing the ball one-on-one against New York than New York can against them. I think if New York’s gonna win that series, they’re gonna have to be able to play the ball better than they have for a good part of the year. … Both those teams, but the Knicks are always gonna be really well-coached defensively in how they want to play, but to me, against the Celtics, they’re getting you in rotation on a consistent basis. You’re gonna have a hard time beating them four times. You might run into a game or two where they don’t shoot the 3 as well and they sorta shoot themselves out of it, but to try to get four wins if you can’t contain the ball one-on-one, it’s gonna be tough. … And then I think the Knicks have to be dominant on the boards against them. And the Celtics are a pretty good rebounding team, but I think the Knicks have the potential to really be bullies on the boards, and I think they’re gonna have to, if they get to that, be able to take advantage there. I think the Celtics have a bench advantage, but I don’t think that matters quite as much in a playoff series because Tom’s gonna play his guys 45 minutes anyway. I would say those two areas for the Knicks: Can they guard the ball, which keeps you out of rotation and limits 3s, and can they significantly win the battle on the glass?
Q: How much can a healthy Mitchell Robinson help in that area?
A: He helps you a lot defensively and on the boards. But what he also does is he allows [Kristaps] Porzingis and [Al] Horford, when he’s on the floor, they can stay around the basket, they don’t spread you out. But what I like is Tom’s got the flexibility to go back and forth depending on what you need at the time with the game. But if KAT’s gotta guard a 4 man in their starting lineup, who’s he guarding, [Jayson] Tatum or [Jaylen] Brown? Or Jrue Holiday? You get into tough matchups. So everything’s a trade-off, and I think that’s one of Boston’s big advantages is they don’t have to make those trade-offs. Their guys are all two-way guys. You’re gonna have to guard ’em on the perimeter, and they’re good against switches.
Q: How competitive would that series be?
A: I think it would be very hard-fought and competitive because I think that there’s a lot of pride there. I think Brunson, [Josh] Hart, [Mikal] Bridges, [OG] Anunoby, those guys are great, great, competitors. We saw it a year ago. But I think in the end, Boston’s just got a little too much. … It could be five [games], it could be seven, but I think the games’ll be competitive. Tom’s gonna have his team ready, they’re gonna be super-prepared and locked in. Brunson, we saw it last year all the way through, you get the game on the line, that guy’s as good to have as anybody in the league.
Q: How would you expect Thibs to handle Tatum?
A: You can only scheme so much. You can scheme against some of the stars in the league a little bit, and blitz pick-and-rolls, and run people at ’em and things like that. But when you have to bring a second defender to the ball on any kind of consistent basis against Boston, you’re just vulnerable there. Their spacing is great, every single guy can make the 3. If you can’t guard guys one-on-one, and if you’re not versatile enough to switch a lot of pick-and-rolls and be able to contain the ball, then it’s gonna get tough. The Knicks’ll be really well prepared, but guarding Boston comes down to, can you guard the ball? They’re not a great offensive rebounding team, they’re not a great running team, they don’t get to the free throw line a lot or anything, but you absolutely have to take care of all those areas. Your discipline in addition to your individual defense just has to be outstanding. And then at the other end, you’ve got to be able to create the right matchups and mismatches, but it’s hard because all of those guys can guard and they can guard all over the floor. The only roster close to theirs to me is Oklahoma City. I don’t even think Cleveland’s roster is close to Boston’s in terms of their ability to have guys on the floor who can play both ends of the floor, and it’s hard to catch any matchup disadvantages at any end.
Q:. Who could be an X-factor for the Knicks in a series against the Celtics?
A: I don’t know about an X-factor. … Josh is gonna have to make some shots. If you’re playing the Knicks, it’s not a knock on Josh, but you gotta sell out on Brunson and Towns, and then Bridges and Anunoby are both playing really well, Josh is the guy you’ve got to help off of and hope that he can’t make you pay, you’ve gotta keep him off the boards. And so if he’s knocking down some shots, now they become more Boston-like in terms of your ability to guard ’em. And then how much they can use and get out of Mitchell Robinson I think’ll be big for ’em. It’s a tough series. It’s not like Boston has just made one run, either. They’re deep in the playoffs every single year. Those guys are really, really good. That is one of, if not the best-constructed rosters I’ve ever seen in the league. Joe [Mazzulla, coach] sticks to his guns — people, “Ah they shoot too many 3s, they’re too reliant on the 3,” this and that. Joe believes in the way they play, the players believe in it, and it has worked. And they are tough to guard.
Q: Describe the Knicks-Celtics rivalry?
A: They’re two of the iconic franchises in the league, those two and the Lakers, I think, are the three iconic franchises in the league. Boston’s had far more success, but the rivalry is huge, and the passion for that series would be off the charts. If you’re an NBA fan, there’s no way you’re not tuning in to every game of that series.
Q: A Knicks-Cavaliers series?
A: I think that the Cleveland backcourt defensively, even though they’re decent, they’re not at the level of Boston’s guards, particularly on the defensive end of the floor. Now, they’re better offensively, but I think the Knicks have some matchups there that they can go at. I think that one would go right to the wire. I think as long as the Knicks’ playoff run goes this year, you’re gonna see a lot of competitive basketball. I think it’ll be a lot of fun watching them.
Q: What was your reaction when the Knicks traded for Karl-Anthony Towns last October?
A: I think the why they did it is they got more talent. He’s one of the best offensive players in the game. He gives them incredible versatility. Can play both spots up front. Can play with Mitchell Robinson or at center by himself, they can stretch the floor out. He can score in the post, he’s a great rebounder. … They just got more talent. That’s not a knock on Julius Randle, but they got one of the best big guys in the NBA, so that’s why they did it. Besides his scoring and what he does offensively, his rebounding has been incredible. They’ve become one of the better offensive teams in the league when they have everybody. You put he and Brunson out there, that’s a tough team to stop.
Q: So he makes them a more dangerous team in the playoffs because of his talent and offensive capability?
A: And his versatility, I think. Tom’s now got a lot of options, depending on who they’re playing or what the game situation is, to be able to play really big, or just a — they’re never gonna be small because he’s a big guy — or just a normal size lineup. They can get more defense on the floor, they can get a more offensive lineup on the floor. Because of his size and his shooting, and his ability to rebound the ball, so you’re not giving up rebounding to get shooting on the floor, he just gives them great versatility. Tom can pretty much do whatever he wants to do now. He’ll have an answer to almost everything. And then the attention that he draws just makes the game so much easier for everybody else. They’re all better because of having him out there. As good as Julius is, Julius is more of an iso guy. He’ll pass the ball, he’s an unselfish guy, Julius Randle, but he’s a ball stopper, and I’m not trying to be negative on him because he’s good, it’s just the way he plays. Whereas Karl, he catches it and shoots it or he drives against a closeout or he moves the ball and gets to another pick-and-roll, so they just play, I think, at a different tempo, a different pace in their half-court offense with him.
Q: How concerning is the Knicks’ 0-9 record against the Celtics, Cavs and Thunder, and 12-20 against winning teams?
A: Part of that’s injuries and things like that during the year, but still it’s concerning. And look, I don’t think it’s that surprising. I think the Knicks are good, but the teams you just mentioned are better teams than they are, they have better rosters. … I think the Knicks are better than they were a year ago, I think Towns has helped them a lot, but I don’t think they’re at the level of Cleveland, Boston, OKC, I just don’t.
Q: What was your feeling when the Knicks acquired Anunoby?
A: I think that what the Knicks have understood, especially when it comes playoff time, it’s not gonna come down to your ninth and 10th guys. Their main five guys are just vastly superior to what they had before those two trades, and I think both those trades make them a lot tougher. The Knicks were competitive last year in the playoffs, they’re better now. Anunoby wasn’t really healthy in the playoffs last year. They’re a much bigger threat now. I don’t think they’ve reached Boston’s level, but they’re a much bigger threat. Before those two trades, I don’t think they were really gonna be a threat to go beyond the second round in any event. They just weren’t that talented. Now they are.
Q: The third trade was the Bridges trade.
A: That one was, to me, a no-brainer. He got off to a slow start this year offensively and people were questioning things, but I think a guy like him, it took some time, he had gone from, “OK, I’m a role player in Phoenix to I’m a primary scorer in Brooklyn,” and now you come into a team that’s gonna be built around Brunson, and it’s a different role for him. It’s gonna take some time to adjust, but he’s ended up having a great year. Look, they’ve done a tremendous job with their roster, and Tom’s done a great job of fitting the pieces together. The combination of their front office and their coaching has been as good as any team in the league the way they’ve put all that together.
Q: What are your thoughts on Hart?
A: I coached Josh in New Orleans. Josh is as tough and competitive as anybody in the league. He plays a lot bigger than his size, he is a great rebounder, he’s one of the best open-court finishers in the NBA, and he’s absolutely afraid of no one or any situation. I think he is one of the best competitors in the NBA. That guy’s gonna step up and be at his best — my brother [Jeff] always said, especially going into playoff series, “You gotta be at your best when your best is needed,” and that’s who Josh is.
Q: Are you stunned that Brunson has become a superstar?
A: Yes. Yes. I don’t know stunned, that might be a little strong, but surprised. I’ll admit it, I thought he was really, really good in Dallas, and I thought the Knicks overpaid when they signed him. I thought they went too far. And as a matter of fact, they got one of the biggest bargains in the NBA. When you’re talking about not only skills but somebody’s competitive character, I’m not sure you know that just from watching on the outside, but then you see what he’s done as a lead guy. I’m surprised by it, but I love it because he is the type of guy that I love to watch — tough, all about winning, he’s not a numbers guy, he’s gonna go out there every night. It’s a great story.
Q: What do you like about Thibs?
A: He’s been at it a long time, he’s been through every situation, and he’s been successful everywhere he’s gone. He’s evolved with the game in the style of play, but he has stuck to his principles as far as they’re gonna be one of the best-prepared teams in the league every night. I think he has a great understanding of how to maximize the talents of his guys, he puts ’em in situations where they can be great. I don’t think it’s any coincidence that Julius Randle had great years playing for Thibs. And Jalen Brunson has taken off, OG Anunoby has taken off, Karl-Anthony Towns having the best year of his career. I think if you look back and you look at the emergence of Jimmy Butler in Chicago, if you look at Luol Deng, he’s always been able to play to guys’ strengths and maximize the abilities of people. He’s starting to get a little more credit now, but always been a very underrated offensive coach. He’s just a helluva basketball coach. He’s a teacher, he knows what it takes to win games.
Q: You won’t be surprised if the Celtics repeat as NBA champs?
A: No, I wouldn’t be surprised at all. Unless they hit a real shooting slump, which is hard to do when you’ve got eight different guys who can knock down 3s. Until somebody knocks ’em off, they’re the team to beat. To me, the Celtics, Cleveland, Oklahoma City, I’ll be interested to watch, certainly the Lakers and the Warriors have each looked like they can possibly contend. I think if any of those teams won it I wouldn’t be surprised. Anybody else I would be a little surprised. New York would surprise me, Denver would surprise me, Houston would surprise me.
Q: What would you say to the long-suffering Knicks fan as far as what they should expect from this team?
A: You could make a case they should win a first-round series, but after that, let’s face it, they’re gonna be the underdogs. But I think Knicks fans should expect that they got a team that’s gonna be competitive night in and night out in the playoffs, and I think you’ll see that. This is a very, very competitive team, they’re gonna be extremely well-prepared, they’ve got two real stars, they got good complementary guys. I think they’ve got some versatility with Mitchell Robinson. I mean, they’re good, they’re still not as talented as some of the teams ahead of ’em.
