Wednesday, December 5, 2012
What to Watch For
New York Knicks vs. Charlotte Bobcats
The Knicks are riding a three game win
streak as they enter Charlotte to take on the Bobcats Wednesday night. This is the first game of a three game road
trip so winning tonight would set a positive tone for the remainder of the
trip. These Bobcats are much improved
from last season and cannot be overlooked, as they already tied their win
amount from last season in the first month of the season. Here are some things to look for tonight in
the game:
-Players Returning From Injury
The Knicks will be getting a boost
tonight, as Raymond Felton is expected to play even after bruising his hand
Sunday afternoon and Jason Kidd is expected to return after missing the last
four games with back spasms.
Felton will wear added padding on his
left hand to protect his thumb and wrist; it might affect his ability to catch
the ball a little he said but his catch-and-shoot ability should not be
affected.
Kidd will be taking the court for the
first time in 10 days and how he responds will be something to look at. How good will his conditioning be and how
many minutes can he give the Knicks tonight?
They have an important game against the heat Thursday night in which
they will need Kidd more than against the Bobcats.
Point guard play as been a driving force
behind the Knicks strong 12-4 start, as the Knicks turn the ball over the least
in the NBA. Having capable point guards
on the court at all times is very beneficial, as the Knicks have struggled at
times with Kidd off the court.
-Avoid a Let Down
The Knicks have to avoid a letdown
against what is assumed to be an inferior opponent. The Knicks have a huge game against the Heat
Thursday night but they cannot look past their opponent tonight.
The Knicks have plenty of reason to get
up for this game, as they watched the Heat lose to the worst team in the NBA,
the Washington Wizards, Wednesday night.
The Knicks have lost three of their last
four road games but if they put forth the necessary effort they should get back
on track tonight. The Knicks rank first
in offensive efficiency and 10th in defensive efficiency compared to
27th and 22nd for the Bobcats respectively.
The rebounding rates are also similar
between the teams, so this is a night the Knicks should look to take advantage
of, getting ahead early and resting their main pieces for the showdown with the
Heat Thursday.
-Slow Down Kemba Walker
Much like the Knicks with Carmelo
Anthony, the Bobcats go on offense as Kemba Walker goes. In wins, Walker has been dynamic scoring 20.7
points per game this season compared to 13.4 points per game in losses.
His shooting percentages are also
different from wins and losses, as he shoots 43.0 percent in wins and 37.2
percent in losses.
If the Knicks can slow down Walker, it
will drastically affect the Bobcats offense and should lead to an easy
victory.
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