The Knicks didn’t enter the season with high expectations, but now, as the fourth seed in the Eastern Conference, Gio says the pressure is on to win their first-round series against the Cavaliers?
Why? Simply because the star the team could have had will be looking to send them home.
“The Knicks, not getting out of the first round, it would feel like they really didn’t progress as much,” Gio said. “And the Donovan Mitchell factor is huge.
“If the Cavaliers - let’s take Donovan Mitchell out and put another star in there who the Knicks never really had a shot at, like Luka Doncic - in that situation, if Luka Doncic takes over and wins the series in double overtime in game seven, you’re like ‘OK, fine.’ But because it’s Donovan Mitchell and you were this close to getting it done. There were reports that it was going to happen and it never did. Losing to that player is going to sting a lot.”
The Mitchell storyline will be one that is discussed heavily during this series, considering the Knicks seemed to be on the cusp of acquiring him this past offseason, but ultimately backed away from the high asking price of the Jazz. Now, the Knicks will have a chance to prove they were right in that decision, but a loss could bring back all the questions from the beginning of the season around why the team didn’t pull the trigger on a blockbuster deal.
“I think you have to get out of the first round for the fans to really be happy about what’s going on,” Gio said. “If the Knicks lose to the Cavaliers, and no matter how they lose, whether they get swept or go into double overtime in game seven and lose, I think that’s going to really sting. I think the Knicks fanbase is going to be really disappointed, because that means Donovan Mitchell is moving on and probably had a big part in this series.”
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