Knicks Continue Strong Play at MSG

Sunday, December 9^th, 2012

Post Game Recap

Final Score: Denver Nuggets: 106 New York Knicks: 112

Knicks Stay Undefeated with Hard Fought Victory

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In his first game back after a two game absence, Carmelo Anthony returned to the court, helping the Knicks back into the win column.  With the victory, the Knicks continued their home winning streak, winning all their home games thus far this season. 

Under Mike Woodson, the Knicks are 19-1 at home in the regular season.  Also, the Knicks continued an amazing stretch in which they have only lost back-to-back games in the regular season only once.

Anthony struggled early, but got his shot going when the Knicks needed it most; Anthony missed 12 of his first 17 shots. The fourth quarter Anthony finished strong, going five of seven and scoring nine key points as the Knicks were able to hold off a scrappy Nuggets squad. 

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Anthony finished with 34 points and six rebounds, going 10 of 24 from the field and 11 of 16 from the foul line.  Anthony showed tonight how much he really means to this Knicks team and how much a team can benefit from having a superstar to close out games.

The Knicks struggled as a whole from the free throw line tonight, but thankfully it did not hurt them at the end.  Even when struggling from the line, going 36 for 27, they made more free throws than the Nuggets, who went 21 for 29.  If the Knicks had knocked down more free throws, the end of the game would not have been so close and in question. 

Ball security was at a premium for the Knicks coming into the game, as the Nuggets thrive in the open court and on fast breaks.  The Knicks were able to limit those opportunities by turning the ball over only nine times. 

When the Knicks turn the ball over 12 times or less, they are now 13-0; but when they turn it over 13 times or more they are 2-5.  The Knicks shot poorly from the field, at only 43 percent, but was able to make up for that by not turning the ball over. 

They also made up for it with their hustle on the boards.  The Nuggets came into the game as one of the top rebounding teams in the NBA with players like Kenneth Faried and JaVale McGee in the middle.  Without Rasheed Wallace tonight and Marcus Camby, the Knicks were dangerously thin up front with only Tyson Chandler and Kurt Thomas, equaling a potentially disastrous situation on the boards. 

The Knicks weren’t having any of that though, as they were outrebounded by the Nuggets by only one, 40-39, thanks to a dominant performance by Chandler with a game high 12 and a surprising nine from J.R. Smith.

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Chandler continued his spirited play Sunday night, playing with tenacity and energy knowing the Knicks really needed him with Wallace and Camby both sitting out; he responded with another double-double, his eighth of the season.  Chandler finished with 15 points, 12 rebounds and two blocks, changing the Nuggets shots on numerous occasions.

The Knicks were able to pull the game out night, but it should not have been this close.  The combination of poor defense (the Nuggets shot 55.6 percent from the field) and poor shooting (43.0 percent from the field for the Knicks) goes together like oil and vinegar.  Nonetheless, the Knicks scored when they needed to and got the stops that were necessary in picking up the victory tonight.

Jason Kidd was amazing for the Knicks tonight, showing that age is just a number once again.  As Alan Hahn has said plenty of times, Kidd’s body is 39 years old but his hands are still 24.  Kidd was instrumental in the Knicks coming back tonight and holding onto the lead.  He made timely baskets and led the Knicks with seven assists.  The Knicks look much better on the court when Kidd plays.

This opinion of mine has a chance to be proven correct soon, as next up for the Knicks is round two in the Battle of the Boroughs as the Knicks head to Brooklyn to take on the Nets Tuesday night and will look to exact some revenge from the loss earlier in the season the Nets handed them.  Kidd sat out the first meeting this season and I firmly believe that if Kidd had played the Knicks would have come away with the victory.

What to Watch For: Washington Wizards vs. New York Knicks November 30th

Friday, November 30^th, 2012

Pre-Game News and Notes

Washington Wizards vs. New York Knicks

Wednesday night the Knicks had an impressive victory over the Central Division leading Bucks even without veteran guard Jason Kidd.  Kidd will again be sitting out Friday night because of back spasms, meaning the Knicks will go with the same starting lineup in Raymond Felton, Ronnie Brewer, Carmelo Anthony, Kurt Thomas and Tyson Chandler.  Here are some things to keep an eye on for the game tonight:

-Avoid a Letdown

The Wizards come into tonight’s game sporting the worst record in the NBA at 1-12 and 0-6 on the road.  The Knicks need to avoid complacency against them, coming out strong and setting the tone from the opening tip.

One way for this to happen is Anthony continuing his hot start in the first quarter.  Anthony leads the NBA in first quarter scoring around 11 points per and he usually dominates the Wizards, scoring 27.1 points per game against them in his career, his third highest mark against any team. 

Anthony is in the midst of one of the hottest stretches of his career and definitely hottest since coming to New York and it should continue against the Wizards; they are an average team at best when they have their best player in John Wall, but with him sidelined the Wizards are one of the worst teams in the NBA.

-Battle on the Boards

The Wizards are not a good team, but one thing they do well is rebound.  They are 10^th in the NBA at rebounding with 43.2 per game led by Emeka Okafor with 6.1 per game.  The return of Nene gives the Wizards another big body capable of grabbing rebounds as well.

It will come down to Tyson Chandler battling those big bodies once again with Anthony hopefully chipping in again.  Chandler and Anthony have been battling on the boards the last two games, giving the Knicks their two best rebounding games of the season.

They should have some more help tonight, as head coach Mike Woodson has hinted at the possibility of seeing Rasheed Wallace and Marcus Camby on the court together, giving the Knicks two big men on the court more than capable of rebounding.

-Bench Play

The Knicks are far superior to the Wizards on the bench and they will have to make that known when given the chance.  Giving the starters some rest will only be possible if the second unit plays well; if they come out like they did Wednesday in Milwaukee that will be no problem.

Pablo Prigioni had his best game as a Knick Wednesday, leading the second unit with Kidd being hurt and doing it masterfully.  He had a career high 28 minutes played and put them to good use, tying a career high 11 points and handing out a career high seven assists.  If asked, there is no doubt Prigioni would be able to run this offense smoothly.

Steve Novak also lit up Milwaukee, playing his best game of the season.  He set career and season highs across the board, playing a career high 40 minutes while posting season highs in points, rebounds, steals and three pointers made.

J.R. Smith and Wallace struggled scoring the ball for the second consecutive game but were picked up by Prigioni and Wallace.  It is good to see the Knicks have different players pick up the slack every night, as when they all get on the same page opposing teams will have a lot to deal with. 

Keep in mind the Knicks are still without two important players in Amar’e Stoudemire and Iman Shumpert; their return will only make an already deep team that much more difficult for teams to handle.

What to Watch For: New York Knicks vs. Milwaukee Bucks November 28

Wednesday, November 28, 2012

Pre-Game News and Notes

New York Knicks vs. Milwaukee Bucks

The Knicks will look to bounce back against the Central Division leading Milwaukee Bucks Wednesday night after a tough overtime loss at the hands of the Brooklyn Nets Monday night.  This will be no cake walk for the Knicks, as they have struggled with the Bucks in recent seasons and they finally have some offensive firepower to go along with a suffocating defense.  

The Knicks will be without Jason Kidd for the second game, who did not make the trip because of back spasms and is said to be day-to-day by head coach Mike Woodson. Here are some things to watch for tonight:

-Ball Movement

The Knicks struggled mightily Monday without Kidd in the lineup, placing an immense amount of responsibility on the shoulders of Raymond Felton to run the offense.  Felton responded with his worst performance of the season, shooting three of 19 with only five assists.

The lack of another facilitator also saw Carmelo Anthony revert back to his old ways of hero-ball and a ton of isolation.  This made things easier on the Nets, as they just threw everything they had at Anthony knowing he was the only thing the Knicks had going for them.  That needs to change against a Bucks team that has more ammunition than the Nets did to throw at Anthony. 

The Knicks assisted on only 14 of 33 makes against the Nets, a number that has to improve as that indicates that the Knicks were not moving the ball enough and relied too heavily on tough shots going one-on-one.

-Get Back to Basics

The most basic play in basketball is the pick-and-roll; a simple play that every team uses extensively yet is one of the hardest things to defend.  The Knicks need to utilize this more tonight than they did against the Nets; meaning Felton has to put together a solid effort against a tough backcourt in Brandon Jennings and Monta Ellis.

With Jennings and Ellis in the backcourt, the Bucks have a very quick and swift perimeter, helping them in allowing the least amount of three point attempts per game at 16.7.  Running the pick-and-roll will open up the lanes and create easy scoring opportunities for the Knicks.  If they can open up the middle some, it will make the Bucks’ wing defenders help off their man equaling open jump shots.

-Slow Down the Backcourt

Without Kidd, the Knicks will most likely go with a more traditional lineup with Kurt Thomas starting at the 4 and Anthony sliding back to the 3.  This means Felton and Ronnie Brewer, if he starts after dislocating his finger Monday night, will get the first shot at slowing down the dynamic combination of Jennings and Ellis.

Jennings historically has lit up the Knicks, averaging 20.3 points per game against them in his career, his highest against any Eastern Conference team.  The Knicks passed on Jennings in the 2008 NBA Draft in favor of Jordan Hill. 

Brewer or whoever starts at the 2 will be manned with the responsibility of slowing Ellis down and keeping him out of the paint.  If the Knicks can force Ellis into jump shots, it will go a long way in stopping him as his efficiency and shooting percentage drops the further away he gets from the basket.

-Bench Play

The Knicks bench struggled mightily Monday night against the Knicks, giving almost no help whatsoever to the starting lineup in the way of scoring.  The bench mustered only 13 points Monday, their lowest output of the season by 15.  J.R. Smith scored a season low five points and Rasheed Wallace shot an ugly two of 11 from the field. 

The Knicks bench will need to step up tonight with Kidd and possibly Brewer out of the lineup.  The Bucks have depth for days at virtually every position with some shuffling done, so the Knicks will have to be prepared for many different matchups and schemes from the Bucks. 

One person the Knicks will have to keep an eye on is Mike Dunleavy, who torched the Knicks last season for 25, 26 and 19 points in the last three meetings the teams had last season.

What to Watch For: New York Knicks vs. Houston Rockets November 23

Friday, November 23, 2012

Pre-Game News and Notes

New York Knicks vs. Houston Rockets

The Knicks head into Houston after a tough defeat at the hands of the Dallas Mavericks Wednesday night looking to bounce back and win the last game of their road trip.  The Knicks have not lost two consecutive games with Mike Woodson has head coach and they will look to continue that streak against the Rockets.  The biggest headline for Knicks fans will be Jeremy Lin, but to win this game there are more pressing needs to take care of; here are a few to look at throughout the game.

-Stop James Harden

Knick fans will focus on Lin, but he has struggled mightily this season, shooting 33.3 percent from the field and 22.9 from 3 point land, averaging only 10 point per game to go along with 4.4 rebounds and 6.3 assists. The bigger threat is the biggest catch the Rockets have had in recent memory in James Harden.

Harden has become the vocal point of the offense and franchise player for the first time since being traded from Oklahoma City.  Harden is averaging 24.5 points per game thus far this season, relishing in his role as the go-to player. 

The Knicks would be smart to focus their defensive efforts on Harden, as he is the only real scoring threat the Rockets have.  He handles the ball a lot and is put in isolation situations, but is prone to turning the ball over, so the Knicks should double him whenever they have a chance.  He is a good playmaker, but turns the ball over 4.2 times per game.

If the Knicks can limit Harden, it would make getting a victory tonight that much easier.  The Rockets are ranked only 17^th in offensive efficiency and if you take Harden away they most likely would not break the top 25.

-Win the Turnover Battle

As just stated, Harden turns the ball over quite frequently, one of the reasons the Rockets are last in the NBA in turnovers per game with 17.3.

The Knicks are on the opposite spectrum of the turnover list, as the Knicks turn the ball over the least amount of times in the NBA per game, with 10.7.  The Knicks actually set a franchise record for turnover differential, +58, through ten games in a season.

Turnovers hurt the Knicks Wednesday against the Mavericks, so getting back to what they had been doing and putting a premium on ball security.  This is a good opportunity to take advantage of; as the Knicks thrive on teams turning the ball over and the Rockets do that better than any team in the NBA.

-Rebounding

The Knicks rebounding woes have been well documented thus far this season and could very well continue tonight.

The Rockets are fifth in the NBA in rebounding, which means the Knicks have a big problem on their hands tonight.  It will take gang rebounding and an asserted effort on the boards to keep the numbers close.

 

If I were Mike Woodson, I would have to use Marcus Camby and Kurt Thomas tonight.  They bring a defensive mentality and rebounding to the court, something the Knicks sorely lack right now.  Rasheed Wallace has done a great job thus far off the bench, but the problem is with Anthony logging all his minutes at the 4, the Knicks are at a disadvantage rebounding.

I do not mind Anthony starting the game at the 4, as it has gotten the Knicks off to hot starts nightly; the problem is as the game goes on and the rebounding differential starts to grow.  Woodson has to adjust and get those rebounding numbers closer to even or in the Knicks favor; it would go a long way and make a great start to the season that much more sustainable. 

Furious Knicks Comeback Falls Short, Lose to Mavericks

Wednesday, November 21, 2012

Post Game Recap

Final Score: New York Knicks: 111 Dallas Mavericks: 114

Furious Comeback Falls Short for Knicks

The Knicks fell tonight to the Dallas Mavericks 114-111, as they just did not have enough in the tank in the end to pull off the comeback.  Dallas built a 12 point lead in the fourth quarter, yet the Knicks never laid down and had a chance to win right up to the final buzzer.

The biggest problem in the game for the Knicks was on the defensive end of the court, as they surrendered 65 second half points.  The Knicks had no answer for the Mavericks perimeter players tonight, as Darren Collison, O.J. Mayo and Vince Carter all had great games.

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Collison scored 19 on seven of 11 shooting, adding seven assists.  Mayo continued his hot shooting start to the season, knocking down 10 of 17 shots for 27 points and two assists.  Carter was the Knicks killer tonight, as he knocked down five of 10 three point attempts and nine of 17 shots overall for 25 points.

Jae Crowder also stuffed the stat sheet for the Mavericks, as he scored 12 points and grabbed four to go along with one assist and a steal.  Crowder knocked down some big shots for the Mavericks, killing the Knicks momentum whenever they would start building some.

Overall, the Mavericks shot 49.4 percent from the field overall and 44.8 from the three point line.

The Knicks also had problems taking care of the ball for portions of the game in Dallas, turning the ball over 14 times in the game.  Carmelo Anthony turned the ball over seven times alone, and Raymond Felton had four turnovers of his own.

Felton was strong otherwise in the game, scoring 18 points and dishing 11 assists, continuing his outstanding start to the season and proving all his doubters wrong thus far.

Anthony was the recipient of two very questionable calls down the stretch of the game.  The first was on a circus lay-up that Anthony did a 180-turn in the air, banking it in; but it was waived off as the refs called an charging foul against Anthony when Carter slide underneath him. 

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The second call Anthony drove to the basket and was hit in the face with a Chris Kaman elbow after blowing by Shawn Marion.  What happens after the ball is out of a players hand is supposed to be irrelevant, but jump shooters get those types of calls all the time.  Anthony does not receive the start treatment from refs that many other All-Star caliber players do.

Anthony finished the game with 23 points, six rebounds and four assists but missed the game winning shot with 6 seconds left, fouling out afterwards.  Anthony’s stat line didn’t end up looking to bad, but he struggled in the first half shooting only one of six for four points in the first half. 

In their returns to Dallas, Jason Kidd and Tyson Chandler had arguably their best games of the season.  Kidd looked like vintage Kidd, putting on a show for the Dallas fans.  Kidd finished the game with 17 points, five assists, six rebounds and five steals.  Again, Kidd had no turnovers and the Knicks played best with him on the court, as the Knicks were a +12 with him on the court.

Chandler showed up for the Knicks tonight and dominated when he was on the court.  Chandler finished with 21 points and 13 rebounds and showed why he won Defensive Player of the Year last season.  Chandler finished with one block and one steal, all the while having multiple plays that will not show up in a box score; there were a number of times Chandler changed the shots of Mavericks’ players and made it difficult on anyone who drove the paint. 

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Mike Woodson was out coached tonight plan and simple, but he held himself accountable like he does with his players post game.  Woodson admitted that his strategy of an eight-man rotation in the game tonight did not work, as the energy just was not the same on the defensive end of the court with the cut down rotation.  It was a questionable decision by Woodson, as the Knicks were coming off the second night of a back-to-back and normally play nine or 10 players double-digit minutes.

It was also surprising to not see Marcus Camby of Kurt Thomas come off the bench tonight, as the Knicks struggled on the boards once again.  Camby, even in his older age, is a dominant rebounder; he led the NBA in rebounding percentage last season.  Thomas offers veteran leadership and a no back-down mentality and would have helped slow down the Mavericks onslaught tonight. 

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Next up for the Knicks is a visit to Houston to take on Jeremy Lin and the Rockets.  Lin will not be the only person the Knicks need to keep an eye on, as James Harden has taken to his new role as lead dog and ran with it in Houston. 

What to Watch For: New York Knicks vs. Orlando Magic November 13

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Tuesday, November 13, 2012

Pre-Game News and Notes

New York Knicks vs. Orlando Magic

The Knicks will look to move to 5-0 for the third time in franchise history Tuesday night against the Magic.  Good things happen when the Knicks start seasons this strong, as in 1993-1994 they lost in the NBA Finals and in 1969-1970 they won the NBA Championship.  Tonight is the start of four games in six nights, the first three of which are on the road.  Here are some things to keep an eye on for the game tonight.

-Keep up Defensive Pressure

The Magic’s offense thus far this season has been offensive.  They are averaging just 87.8 points per game, lowest in the NBA.  It has been even uglier for the Magic in their last four games, all losses, averaging only 77.5 points per game in that span. 

This is something that should continue, as the Knicks are the top team in defensive efficiency currently in the NBA.  The Knicks are playing suffocating defense, holding opponents to a lowly 40.7 percent shooting from the field.  This one has ugly spelled all over it if you are not a Knicks fan.

-Match-ups Against Carmelo Anthony

Early reports are that the Magic will start with Arron Afflalo getting the assignment of guarding Carmelo Anthony, who is leading the NBA with 27.3 points per game.  It will be an interesting thing to keep an eye on throughout the night as Afflalo is a good defender but does not have the size to match-up with players like Anthony; he is more suited guarding shooting and point guards.

If Anthony takes Afflalo to the paint like he should, it will be interesting to see who the Magic turn to.  Power forward Glen Davis does not have the lateral quickness or speed to keep up with Anthony on the perimeter.  In the post, Davis could pose a problem for Anthony but Mike Woodson will definitely put Anthony in position to take advantage of whoever guards him. 

Where the Magic can attack Anthony is on the defensive end, as he has expended much more energy there compared to past seasons.  Because of that extra effort, forcing Anthony to guard someone like Davis would take a toll and theoretically make Anthony less effective on the offensive end of the court because of his energy level being lowered.

-Bench Play

The Knicks bench will play a pivotal role in the game tonight and should be a strength going forward.  The bench for the Knicks is far superior to the one the Magic will use and the Knicks need to take advantage.

J.R. Smith has been playing some of the best basketball of his career and has been a consistent second scoring option behind Anthony for the Knicks with Amar’e Stoudemire.  Smith has helped out on the defensive end and on the boards also, doing everything the Knicks wanted from him and more. 

-Avoid a letdown

This is a quintessential trap game for the Knicks, as the Magic are an opponent that will be looked over by plenty of opponents this season.  With big games against the San Antonio Spurs and Memphis Grizzlies Thursday and Friday it is not uncommon for players to look past tonight’s game and to the future ones instead. 

This is where the presence of veterans like Kurt Thomas, Marcus Camby, Jason Kidd and Rasheed Wallace come in handy.  They know the ropes of the NBA game and will have to keep everyone focused on the task at hand.  This is a game the Knicks should win by double-digits easily and command right from the opening tip.