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By Malcolm Merritt
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| The Knicks are looking to put their season back on the right trajectory with this game against the Charlotte Bobcats. |
The beginning of the New York Knicks’ (1-2) season thus far
is completely different from last year’s. New players and new struggles have
contributed to their consecutive losses, the heartbreaker in Chicago (1-2) and the
stunner at home against the Minnesota
Timberwolves (3-1). The latter of the two was a defensive disaster. The
Knicks gave up 40 first quarter points and 109 in total, dropping to 3rd
in the league on defense (91.3 ppg). The Knicks host the Charlotte
Bobcats (1-2) tonight and this game is all about redemption. It is about
re-establishing themselves in the East after an abysmal game against a team
that hasn’t made the playoffs since they lost
Kevin Garnett. It is about, showing the competitive Eastern Conference that
the New York Knicks are still a team to keep on your radar, no matter what the
situation is.
As they gear up for Charlotte, the key would be the absence
of Al Jefferson.
He has only played one game, but he has done his job well. His status is listed
as “Day-to-Day” and intends to sit out of tonight’s game due to a sprained
ankle. That will be the Knicks’ ticket to a win tonight. Jefferson has averaged
16 points and 9 boards for his career, as he was recently acquired in free
agency. His upside this year was supposed to be unimaginable, as he was viewed
as a gem. Look for the Knicks to compete on the boards this game with Tyson
Chandler doing his usual work and Carmelo Anthony
contributing somewhere other than points somewhat consistently.
In addition to the Knicks’ rebounding situation, the Knicks
need to move the ball around quickly and generate points. Their half-court
offense has not been able to generate too many points and their fast break
points are not going to do it for them (16.7 per
game). I constantly reiterate to my peers that in order for the Knicks to
generate points in a half-court setting, they need to be able to rely on their
bigs. Relying on their big men will be a result of swift ball movement. The
ball movement will lead to open men on the perimeter as the defense tries to
stay with the ball. Carmelo Anthony does not need isolation. Of course he can
use his exceptional one-on-one abilities, but New York should not be reliant on
it. His shooting stroke will be an added ability in a fast paced offense. These
are things that winning teams do. Increased ball movement will also make
penetration on easier and less expected. Take a look at the Clippers
game last night, they moved the ball frequently and efficiently (minus the
bad defense), posting 78 points in the first half. The Knicks are fully capable
of that if they commit to ball movement and trusting the inside man.
New York will even up their record tonight for their second
home win of the season with a score of 100-85. Carmelo Anthony will once again
lead all scorers, this time with a 30+point performance. He should have a double-double posting
16 rebounds. Tyson Chandler will also have his second double-double of the
season, with 15 points and 15 rebounds. His defensive prowess will be visible
as well, as he will record 6 blocks in 34 minutes. With Bargnani back in the
lineup for another start, he will struggle from the field and not grab many
boards, a representation of his distance from the rim. Every other Knick will
score in single figures. Their ball movement won’t be too great, but Melo’s hot
hand will carry them for the night.
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| Look for Anthony to have the hot hand in this matchup. |
The Charlotte Bobcats are going to be looking for their win
at home on Friday. Its never a simple task to beat the Knicks at home, as was
shown when the Knicks stormed back into the game against the Timberwolves. In
their first home and home of the season, point guard Kemba Walker will lead the
way with 20 points. They wont be able to force too many turnovers as the night
goes along but expect them to try. The simulator predicts 15 fouls. Their
quickness and tenacity will give them the advantage overall In the rebounds
battle, as Michael Kidd-Gilchrist and African Shot-blocker, Bismack Biyombo
both reach the double digit margin.
With a dull mood hovering over the Knicks, a game against a
team that has totaled 63 wins over the last four seasons (27% winning
percentage) is a necessity to get back on track. The biggest challenge for the
Knicks will be to not look ahead towards the game against San Antonio on
Sunday, because the Bobcats have shown, they can make a game extremely difficult when
overlooked, especially at home.
Tune into the game tonight at 7:30PM ET on MSG Network.
Boldest Prediction: Ben
Gordon will not make more than five shots in the game tonight.
Stats generated by whatifsports.com
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