Cleveland’s Frontcourt
As stated earlier, the Knicks have found enormous success running the offense through Towns. The ball movement has improved, the spacing feels cleaner and Mitchell Robinson continues to be an absolute menace on the glass. Robinson grabs offensive rebounds like rent is due the next morning. So far, New York has enjoyed a massive edge from its center rotation against smaller or compromised frontcourts.
If given the choice between the Cavaliers or Pistons, the Knicks should probably lean Cleveland here too despite Evan Mobley’s presence. The Cavaliers’ twin towers have been wildly inconsistent throughout the postseason. One night Jarrett Allen looks like prime Moses Malone with a 22-point, 19-rebound performance. The next night he finishes with two points. Two. That’s not a typo by the way. Mobley has also struggled to consistently impose himself offensively despite the supermax expectations surrounding him. At times his stat lines feel suspiciously copy-and-pasted: 17 points, eight rebounds, excellent defense, everybody claps politely and moves on.
Detroit’s frontcourt carries a different kind of danger. Duren has been disappointing overall this postseason and probably cost himself tens of millions of dollars heading into the summer. Yet there are still flashes where you remember why he could finish on an all-NBA team this season. Game 6 was one of those reminders. Duren bullied his way to a 15-point, 11-rebound double-double to help stave off elimination. If he suddenly figures things out for four games in the 2026 ECF, that changes the equation dramatically.
Then there’s Isaiah Stewart, Detroit’s resident enforcer, who seems fueled by unresolved anger. Stewart matches up physically with Robinson while Paul Reed has quietly become Detroit’s spark plug off the bench. The Pistons just have more ruggedness across the rotation and that’s not the kind of series New York would prefer after already surviving two rounds.
