Who Ya Got, Round 2: FanNation Predicts Knicks-Heat

FanNation's experts are back for more prognostications as the New York Knicks prepare to do Eastern Conference semifinal battle with the Miami Heat starting on Sunday afternoon.

Jim Rassol-USA TODAY Sports

When it comes to forecasting the NBA Playoff series few, if any, saw coming, FanNation's NBA experts are on the case.

With the team having surprisingly gained homecourt advantage in the Eastern Conference semifinals, a developing championship trek continues for the New York Knicks, who reignite their long-standing postseason rivalry with the Miami Heat in a best-of-seven set starting on Sunday afternoon (1 p.m. ET, ABC). 

The fifth-ranked Knicks' win over No. 4 Cleveland was surprising enough ... only two of five respondents correctly had New York moving on and no one saw it happening in five games ... but no one had the eighth-seeded Heat taking down the top dogs from Milwaukee, which they did in a matching five contests. 

Is luck in their side this time around? 

Geoff Magliocchetti, Editor/Contributor, All Knicks

With pretty much everything else from the 1990s getting a follow-up ... this year already gave us a "Scream" sequel and continuations of "Mission: Impossible" and "King of the Hill" aren't far behind ... it stands to reason that the basketball world was due for another Knicks-Heat playoff matchup. Sure, there was a 2012 reboot but things are different this time around: whereas the Knicks of 11 years prior were simple cannon fodder for LeBron James' first title run, there's something equally exciting and sustainable forming in Manhattan.

Much will be made about the status of Julius Randle, especially due to his prior victorious antics against the Heat (win or lose, no Knicks fan will forget his last-second heroics in South Beach from March). But one could in fact argue that the Knicks carry themselves at a scarier, more potent pace with Randle sidelined, a different look that, again, could pay dividends now and later. 

Whereas Randle's All-Star resurgence masked shortcomings from high-profile talents throughout the season, newer heroes are emerging for the Knicks: the aforementioned strugglers like RJ Barrett and Obi Toppin have found metropolitan stability while Mitchell Robinson's offensive rebounding slowly drained Cleveland's willpower and placed him in the same sentence as Patrick Ewing and Charles Oakley. Jalen Brunson, of course, continues to live up to every expectation a $104 million contract placed upon him.

Randle's place in the Knicks' future is another discussion entirely. Without him, though, the Knicks remain well-equipped to deal with whatever comes their way, including an upstart Miami team standing as a late Cinderella. 

Prediction: Knicks in 6

Jeremy Brener, Contributor, All Knicks

The Knicks took care of business quickly against the Cavaliers, and while New York now finds itself as the higher seed in the series, this test against the Miami Heat should be more challenging.

The Cavs proved themselves to be inexperienced, which played into the Knicks' favor, but the Heat are a whole different animal with Jimmy Butler.

If the Knicks can find a way to cool Butler off after all he did against the Milwaukee Bucks, they can win the series. However, the Heat is seeing red and want to take down everyone in its path. After beating the best team in the NBA in only five games, the Heat's confidence is at an all-time high.

Butler loves the bright lights and he appears to succeed as the stage gets bigger ... and there's no bigger stage than Madison Square Garden and the Big Apple.

Prediction: Heat in 6

Dalton Trigg, Editor-In-Chief, DallasBasketball.com

My prediction for the first series was Knicks in six, and I obviously shortchanged them a little bit because they made even shorter work out of the Cavs than that in five games. There’s just something about playing against Donovan Mitchell in the postseason that brings out the best in Jalen Brunson. We’ve seen it two years in a row now on two different teams.

Coming off a dramatic gentlemen’s sweep of the top-seeded Bucks, I suspect that Jimmy Butler and the Heat won’t experience that same success against the Knicks. Brunson and RJ Barrett are playing phenomenal basketball. Mitchell Robinson has arguably been the most impactful center in the postseason so far.

I believe New York can do it in five again, but I think Miami has enough scrappiness to squeeze out a few wins.

Prediction: Knicks in 6

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Geoff Magliocchetti is on Twitter @GeoffJMags

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