Knicks vs Hawks Tactical Breakdown: 3 Ways New York Can Beat Atlanta

The New York Knicks are embarking on their fifth playoff run in six years, solidifying that the 2020s are the Mecca's decade. To finally end a 53-year drought and hang another banner from The World's Most Famous Arena's rafters, first the Knicks will need to get past the Atlanta Hawks.

The Hawks were the third team in NBA history to be four or more games under .500 at the break and finish the season 10 or more games over .500. Atlanta is hot coming into this matchup. There will have to be a hard-fought effort to slow down a team that got much better after trading away Trae Young in January.

In order for Mike Brown to leave his first series unscathed, he'll need to be tactful about these three specific aspects of their first-round matchup:

1. Onyeka Okongwu's foul proneness

The Knicks could win this inside by forcing Onyeka Okongwu into foul trouble. Karl-Anthony Towns is a nightmare matchup for Okongwu, but New York has plenty of athletes who can get to the rim and force the issue on the wing as well. Okongwu averaged 3.3 fouls per game in 31 minutes per game. He's vulnerable. Atlanta is vulnerable at large, too, since Jock Landale will be missing the first two weeks of the playoffs. Tony Bradley and Mo Gueye are Okongwu's backups, so getting the former USC Trojan out of the game early can leave the Hawks easily exploitable in the paint.

2. The Hawks' reliance on fast-break offense

Quinn Snyder's team likes to initiate the break and scores more points than every team but the Toronto Raptors and Miami Heat. Towns and Mitchell Robinson's 58% rebounding rate as a duo holding up, or even going up during the playoffs, is the best way to cut those Atlanta fastbreaks at the source. New York has enough high-effort players throughout the rotation to keep the Hawks from getting up and down the floor off of Knicks misses.

Jalen Johnson's struggles in the halfcourt

Jalen Johnson is no Joe Johnson in isolation. While "Iso Joe" won many games with the Hawks over the years off his hero-ball, Jalen is one of the worst players with at least 100 isolation possessions this season, shooting below 35% in the sample. Johnson is Atlanta's best table-setter in transition, but if the Knicks can force him to beat them in the halfcourt game, it's tough envisioning a star-making performance on Broadway.