So Ewing didn't play in the '99 finals?

[Upgrayedd]

Just realized this now. I had taken a break from watching the NBA for a while when Jordan retired in '98. I didn't realize that Ewing didn't play in the finals in '99. If he had been healthy how would that finals have turned out? Would the Spurs still have won or the Knicks? That Knicks team was pretty stacked without Ewing. With Ewing they could have been crazy good.

[cos88]

you've been watching the nba for 27 years also haven't you?

[kuniva_dAMiGhTy]

Didn't NY win every series in the playoffs that year...WITHOUT Ewing? Could be wrong...

[houston]

Spurs would still won Duncan was the difference. The Knicks actually played better without Ewing.

[magnax1]

Ewing sucked by then. He was an offensive cancer.

[jzek]

Ewing was past his prime in 99. He was an inconsistent spot-up jump shooter then. His appearance wouldn't be enough to overcome a young and emerging Timmay (plus Robinson).

[DonDadda59]

[kennethgriffin]

duncan just shat all over that knicks front line

i think ewing would atleast have made it interesting

maybe he gets duncan or robinson in foul trouble

[NumberSix]

Darth Ewing.

[ImKobe]

A healthy Ewing would have at least made Duncan work on the defensive end, the Finals were too easy for the Spurs. Ironically, the 98-99 season was the first time Ewing didn't average over 20 ppg in his career & he broke down in the ECF.
Ewing was out for the year with an achilles injury & he never looked the same after coming back, what a sad story. Knicks were a legit contender & he has a career-ending injury(potentially). I think a healthy Ewing would have made it a 7 game series.

[Rake2204]

I'll say, I don't remember how Ewing was doing in those playoffs before his injury, but I do recall the Knicks embracing a Ewing-less roster with Latrell Sprewell, Allan Houston, and Marcus Camby all stepping up and going big. It sort of felt like a lightning-in-a-bottle situation. To be honest, I didn't even recall that Ewing had played the first two rounds. I think I'd taught myself to remember he was out for that entire run.

Either way, with Ewing heading into the twilight as he was, I'm not sure how much his presence would have altered the outcome. Best case scenario, he's still wily enough to give Tim Duncan a go and the Knicks make a gritty run. Worst case, the Knicks lack inspiration and upstart Camby never really gets his feet off the ground, leading the Knicks to come up short of the finals in the first place.

[Lebron23]

1993 Patrick Ewing with the 1999 Knicks vs. the Spurs would be a competitive series.

[SamuraiSWISH]

If Krause wasn't such an egotistical retard. The Bulls keep PJ, and Pippen? MJ doesn't retire. And if the Knicks sans Ewing got to the Finals and went 7 games with the Spurs. Bulls could've won another ring. The extended lock out rest would've even been good for their legs.

[Trentknicks]

If Krause wasn't such an egotistical retard. The Bulls keep PJ, and Pippen? MJ doesn't retire. And if the Knicks sans Ewing got to the Finals and went 7 games with the Spurs. Bulls could've won another ring. The extended lock out rest would've even been good for their legs.

Didn't NY win every series in the playoffs that year...WITHOUT Ewing? Could be wrong...

Ewing only got injured after the 2nd game in the ECF. The Knicks only won 3 more games in that series without him and 1 game in the finals. The 'Ewing theory' which was proposed by Bill Simmons was pretty much bullshit.

The Knicks weren't better without Ewing overall, but they did match up against Indiana a little bit better with the more mobile bigs in Thomas/Camby. In saying this, the Knicks don't get out of the first round without Ewing, dude (playing on injuries) held his own, and got close to outplaying a prime Alonzo Mourning.

[Eric Cartman]

Wouldn't have been able to beat Miami in the first round.