Thursday, November 15th, 2012
Pre-Game News and Notes
New York Knicks vs. San Antonio Spurs
The Knicks look to continue their hot
start to the season with their biggest test thus far against the Spurs in San
Antonio. Thus far, the Knicks look like
the Eastern Conference Spurs; a team playing selflessly with no egos and trusting
in a system. This is a heavyweight
match-up for the NBA in the early going, as the Knicks (5-0) and Spurs (7-1)
sport the best records in the NBA. Here are
some things to look for in the game tonight.
-Who Starts and Finishes Stronger?
The Knicks sport the biggest first
quarter scoring differential in the NBA at a +6.4. This is key tonight, as the Spurs are
actually negative in the early part of the season with a -0.2. The Knicks need to take advantage of this;
being on the road against a top team it is imperative to get off to a good
start.
The combination of a two-point guard
starting lineup and Carmelo Anthony’s blazing starts, averaging 10.4 points per
first quarter, have helped the Knicks set the tone in the early going. Getting confidence early on will go a long
way for the Knicks in what will be a hostile environment in San Antonio.
The fourth quarter is where something
will have to give, as the Spurs and Knicks are one and two respectively in the
NBA in fourth quarter scoring margin at +5.4 and +4.6. The fourth quarter is when Anthony and J.R.
Smith get going.
Anthony and Smith average 6.0 and 5.2
points respectively in the fourth quarter, being the go-to options for the
Knicks down the stretch when they need a basket.
Another reason both the Knicks and Spurs
have had success is the low amount of turnovers each team commits, as each are
at the top of the league in assist-to-turnover ratio. With each team having great ball security,
one turnover or mistake at the end of the game could equal a huge swing in
momentum.
-Limit Paint Opportunities
Tim Duncan has found the fountain of
youth for the Spurs, increasing his stats from last season across the
board. Thus far, Duncan is averaging
18.8 points, 9.6 rebounds, 2.6 blocks and 1.3 steals per game. Tyson Chandler will have the onus fall on his
shoulders in slowing down Duncan and the rest of the Spurs bigs.
In addition to Duncan, the Spurs can
throw a bevy of talented big men on the court in Boris Diaw, Tiago Splitter and
DeJuan Blair. Chandler will have his
hands full slowing them down, so expect to see a larger dose of Marcus Camby
than in games past.
The Knicks need to gang rebound tonight,
as they are at a disadvantage in the middle.
Anthony has accounted for 70 percent of the Knicks post ups, one of the
disadvantages of having Amar’e Stoudemire out with an injury. They have also been outrebounded on the
season, as even the Magic dominated the boards against the Knicks Tuesday
night. The Knicks will need a much more
concerted effort on the boards against a strong Spurs team.
-Slow Tony Parker
Tony Parker and Duncan make one of the
best pick-and-roll combinations to ever walk onto an NBA court. Parker is the quintessential point guard;
loves to penetrate into the paint and make plays not only for himself but his
teammates.
Getting back on defense will be of the
utmost importance against the Spurs, as they are very good in transition and on
secondary fast breaks. Duncan is known
for setting drag screens for Parker while in transition, setting up quick
strike scoring opportunities to exploit the defense unexpectedly. That is not a set play; it is something that
is developed over time after playing with someone for as long as Parker and
Duncan have been together.
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