Jeff Van Gundy continued to refute the notion the Raptors are going down because of their lack of playoff experience. Last week he called it “the stupidest thing I’ve ever heard.”
Yesterday, Van Gundy was bombarded by questions on the topic and said playoff experience is “overrated.”
Vince Carter and Tracy McGrady, Toronto’s two best players, have never played in a playoff game. Neither has the franchise.
“I wish it was [a factor],” Van Gundy said. “Last year, we took three guys in our rotation to Miami – Latrell Sprewell, Marcus Camby, Kurt Thomas. None of them had ever won a playoff game. That says enough about experience right there. If you’ve got talented, hard-working guys who want to compete, that will override experience.
“Experience can be important, and for us it has to be important, but it doesn’t preclude anyone from having success. I think it can help the team that has it. It doesn’t preclude Vince Carter, Tracy McGrady and Doug Christie from having success.”
One theory is the winner of Game One wins the series.
Said Camby, “We need to set the tone in the first quarter. If you look at all our losses, they’ve beaten us in the first quarter, which tells you we’ve come out not ready to play. I don’t think it’s Vince Carter. I think it’s us.”
In the seven meetings dating to last season, the Raptors have outscored the Knicks each time in the first period. “We need to win Game One,” Van Gundy said.
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Yes, Carter has teammates, and none is more talented than McGrady. In his third NBA season since being drafted out of high school, the athletic 6-foot-7 guard/forward has created problems in the four games against the Knicks by averaging 13.8 points, 6.8 rebounds (2.8 offensive), 1.5 blocks and 1.5 steals.
While the Knicks might throw three or four players at a time at Carter, McGrady could wind up being the top Knick killer of all.
“He’s played consistently well this whole year and even more so since he became a starter,” Van Gundy said. “He has some unique abilities. People don’t realize that he’s the premier perimeter shot-blocker in the league. He’s probably the premier perimeter offensive rebounder in the league.
“He’s got a very good post-up game. He’s an improved jump-shooter. Good passer and, obviously, he’s done a very good job defensively.”