| Marty Burns' Breakdown |
|---|
| Indiana |
|
New York |
| Rik Smits has size (7'4") and a sweet jumper, but he's slowing
down and has been woefully inconsistent during the playoffs. He needs to
make outside shots to pull Ewing out of the lane. On defense, he must be
physical while staying out of foul trouble.
|
CENTER The Edge:
 |
Like Smits, Patrick Ewing also has lost a step. But he's still
an effective defender, rebounder and shot maker. Against the Pacers in the regular season, he
averaged 18.8 points and 9.3 rebounds in four games, sinking the game-winning basket in an 83-81 victory in April. |
|
| Jalen Rose played big at both ends against Philadelphia's George
Lynch, but he now faces a much more skilled offensive player in Sprewell. He
must score his usual 16 to 20 points, keep Spree in check and -- perhaps most
important -- hit the boards. At power forward, All-Star Dale Davis has
been steady in the playoffs, even while playing through nagging injuries.
|
FORWARDS The Edge:
None |
Latrell Sprewell will have his hands full with the 6'8" lefty
Rose, but he showed against Jamal Mashburn that he can guard bigger forwards,
and his quickness gives Indiana fits. Against the Pacers this year,
Sprewell averaged 19.3 points on 57.6-percent shooting. Larry Johnson is a low-
post threat who still draws double teams and can defend any front-court
position.
|
|
| Reggie Miller averaged 17 points against the Knicks during the
season, but he shot just 38.3 percent. Still, he's a big-time player who seems to
save his best for the Knicks -- especially in Madison Square Garden. Point
guard Mark Jackson has hurt New York in the past by posting up Ward or
Childs, but new rules could lessen his effectiveness.
. |
GUARDS The Edge:
 |
Allan Houston won't be able to sag off on Miller as he did Dan
Majerle in the Heat series. He must stay in his face and fight through
the constant screens. Houston, who has a sore ankle, also must make
Miller burn energy guarding him. Charlie Ward came up huge against the
Heat and should be fine against Jackson if he can keep him out of the
post.
|
|
| Travis Best is the key to the Pacers' second unit, pressuring
the ball on defense and creating mayhem on offense. Forwards Austin
Croshere and Derrick McKey will be asked to help on the boards and keep a
body on Camby. Sam Perkins and Chris Mullin will hit big shots if left
open.
|
BENCH The Edge:
|
If Chris Childs can keep Best relatively in check, the Knicks
should gain a slight edge off the bench, because Indiana has nobody to
match up with 6'11" pogo-stick Marcus Camby (10.3 points, 10 boards vs.
Pacers this year). Kurt Thomas provides defense and rebounding, but he must
keep his temper in check.
|
|
| After four unsuccessful trips to the conference finals over the
past six years, the Pacers are desperate to reach the Promised Land. Like
the Heat, they also know the Knicks well and want badly to beat them.
They should be locked and loaded for Game 1, and if it goes seven, they
get the deciding game on their home court.
|
INTANGIBLES The Edge:
|
The Knicks are like Frankenstein. They just won't die. They
have a good combination of stars and role players, they believe in
themselves, and they always play stingy defense. However, their habit of
making things tough on themselves could come back to haunt them against
the Pacers.. |
|
| In his final season as coach, Larry Bird will be tested in this
series perhaps like never before. He must find a way to negate New York's
edge in quickness without slowing down his own offense. Look for him to
roll the dice with some matchups in an effort to get back to the Finals
one more time.. |
COACH The Edge:
None |
Jeff Van Gundy always has his team prepared, but even he'll be
hard-pressed to get his team ready after the grueling Miami series.
Still, he knows the Pacers so well that he should have no trouble making
adjustments. As long as he remembers to park his car in the remote lot at
the airport, he'll be OK.. |
|
| Smits has been so inconsistent he's thinking of retirement. The
Pacers desperately need him to provide a low-post presence, especially
since Ewing is starting to smell another shot at a long-elusive title. |
'X' FACTOR The Edge:
|
After a draining seven-game series with the Heat, the Knicks
must regroup mentally and physically. The Pacers figure to come at New
York with just as much intensity as Miami did, so how well the Knicks respond
could make the difference.
|
| Burns' Prediction: Knicks in 6 |
|---|
| |
