It's official: Hawks and Knicks will meet in Round One of the 2026 NBA Playoffs. It wasn't the expected outcome, but it's certainly going to be a fun one. These two squads seem evenly matched on paper, but there's one key advantage New York holds, at least for right now. Size.
This shouldn't have been a problem, either. It became one when Orlando's Goga Bitadze made a dirty play on Jock Landale under the rim in an early April matchup, leaving a significant hole in Atlanta's frontcourt. While Landale could return at the start of the first round, it's no guarantee. In order to beat this Knicks team, the Hawks are going to need him.
Jock Landale gives Atlanta much more comfortability in the post
How does a team control the interior attack of Karl-Anthony Towns and Mitchell Robinson? On both ends of the floor, the versatile skillsets of these two bigs gives New York an insurance option, leaving more room for their guards to make mistakes. It's brilliant roster construction.
Teams built like the Knicks are a key reason why Atlanta traded for Landale in the first place. At this year's trade deadline, General Manager Onsi Saleh recognized the need for additional help down low. They were linked to a variety of names, ultimately landing on the 30-year-old big man.
Hawks fans knew the front office found a hidden gem upon his debut for the team. In his first action as an Atlanta Hawk, Landale exploded for a career-high 26 points, 11 rebounds, five assists and four blocks. Of course, this level of production was unsustainable, but it confirmed that he'd be a major part of the nightly rotation moving forward.
His presence gives Atlanta a reliable backup center who can seamlessly enter the starting lineup if Onyeka Okongwu is ever unable to go. Not many teams have that luxury. To Atlanta's luck, though, one of the few other teams with two starting-caliber centers is the New York Knicks.
Towns and Robinson have been giving Atlanta problems for some time
It's why the Landale injury happening was the worst case scenario, but again, his availability for the series is unknown. Could he return by the first game? Sure, but he could also miss the entirety of the series. His re-evaluation date is soon, and Hawks fans will be holding their breath until given some clarity.
If he comes back in time, the dynamic suddenly shifts. This Hawks team as currently constructed with no Landale may just get bullied in the post, resulting in a dominant series win for the Knicks. If he's back, though, New York needs to watch out.
With Atlanta having the better set of defensive-minded guards, a boost in the paint could be all they need to shock the world and advance to the second round.