Quick Rewind: Pacers 105, Knicks 103

Box Score

The Pacers pulled off a dramatic win at the Garden on Friday 105-103 thanks to the game winning jumper by Jarrett Jack with 0.9 seconds remaining.  Jack was the difference as he scored his 29 points on 10-14 shooting.  The Knicks had a poor start to the game as they did not have a lead until they made their run in the fourth quarter.  They actually built a 5 point lead with a few minutes to play but could not secure the advantage.  Their poor play had a lot to do with their offense which was not pushing the ball enough and turning the ball over at will (they finished with 21 total turnovers).  It would also be nice to see the Knicks play with some desperation every game.  They go through these lapses in games when they don’t get after it enough on both ends.

The Knicks made their move in the second half when their offense got in gear.  A lot of that had to do with the performance of Al Harrington who scored 22 of his 27 points in the second half.  But as we are all to used to seeing, the Knicks could not get the big stop at the end of the game.  The Knicks led 100-99 with about a minute remaining.  Jarrett Jack gets a switch with David Lee on him and nails the jumper.  The next Pacers possession, with Indy up 101-100, the Pacers set a pick for Jack at the top of the key and the Knicks had some miscommunication as Lee failed to provide the help or at least slow down Jack who drove right down the lane for the easy deuce.  Then with the score tied the Pacers run an isolation for Jack who nails the clutch jumper for the win.

Three Pacer possessions, three buckets by Jarrett Jack.  Give credit to Jim O’Brien for not calling timeout after the Knicks tied it.  With a stoppage I have to assume D’Antoni would have subbed Jared Jeffries in for the final possession to guard Jack who had the hot hand down the stretch.  Jeffries’ length may have bothered Jack and would have given him less space for him to get off the final jumper.  The Knicks are clearly still having trouble finding a way to finish games which has a lot to do with their inability to get crucial stops in crunch time.

Some other people postgame thoughts:

Alan Hahn of Newsday:

But while five steals is five steals…reality is David Lee has more to give on the defensive end. But the Knicks aren’t getting it.

The most critical play was with 24.1 seconds left and the Knicks trailing 101-100. Lee was supposed to switch on a screen to pick up Jarrett Jack but seemed to hesitate as if waiting for Nate Robinson to slide through. Jack used Lee’s hesitation to blow right by him and down the wide-open lane for a layup to put the Pacers ahead, 103-100. Lee, who had three fouls at the time, could have tried to pursue and clobber Jack just to avoid the freebie, but instead he went matador and turned spectator.

Marc Berman of the New York Post:

It’s one thing to get outclassed by Denver’s Carmelo Anthony. It’s another to get whipped by Indiana’s Jarrett Jack.

The Pacers point guard ambushed the Knicks last night, dominating all game, going wild in the final minute and hitting the game-winning 19-foot jumper over Chris Duhon with 0.9 seconds left as the Knicks dropped a 105-103 Garden heartbreaker.

Joshua Robinson of the New York Times:

With four miserable teams packed in the span of six games, this chunk of the Knicks’ schedule was supposed to be their buoy, a spell to keep them afloat and lift them back toward a .500 record.

Instead, it has been a stretch of stunning mediocrity — a sorry defeat against the Minnesota Timberwolves, an expected failure against the Denver Nuggets, and only modest success against the Charlotte Bobcats. Friday’s 105-103 defeat to the Indiana Pacers (11-21) was simply the latest in a string of forgettable nights at Madison Square Garden.

Frank Isola of the Daily News:

Yes, the Knicks knew what was coming and no, they didn’t stop it. Only the Knicks can make Jack, a solid veteran guard, look like LeBron James and open a new year with the same old way of losing: not understanding how to close out games.

And a Pacer perspective via Indy Cornrows:

Jarrett Jack had a big overall game to go along with the last-second heroics. Jack finished with 29 points on only 10-14 shooting from the floor. He knocked down his first four 3-balls, so obviously he was feeling it all night. Of course, Jack doesn’t play a perfect game and a couple of his five turnovers were critical in letting the Knicks back in the game. No since dwelling on those tonight though. Since Jack has had to play so many minutes and grind through the “Heartbreak Hotel” games as he calls them, he has become the emotional leader for this team. He sets the tone for the team’s heart, soul and guts on the floor.

Marbury Could Be Joining the Celtics

Ah yes it’s a new year which means more time to discuss the saga that is the Stephon Marbury situation.  The buyout talks between Steph and Donnie Walsh had reached a stalemate but there were rumors flying around that Walsh would start the talks back up in early January.  Marbury also wrote a blog post for the New York Post that was somewhat bizarre to read.  Everyone knows when Steph blogs, he really drops some knowledge:

I once heard it said that experience is not what happens to a man, experience is what a man does with what happens to him. That’s real science, so I’ll drop that one again. Experience is not what happens to a man, experience is what a man does with what happens to him.

He did even express the fact that he just wants to have a chance to play.  He also claims he didn’t want to be a distraction despite the fact that he sat courtside for a Lakers-Knicks game in LA like a creepy stalker:

I didn’t want to be a distraction for the team first and me second. I honestly came to help the team win. Real talk. I was willing to put in the work necessary to earn my starting spot and humble enough to accept coming off of the bench.

It was unfortunate that the coach wanted to go in a different direction and didn’t want me to be part of the team. I just wish it had been handled correctly from jump. I could understand the fact they didn’t want Chris Duhon looking over his shoulder but if you don’t want me, just pay me and let me go. I just want to play basketball.

Now Marc Stein of ESPN.com is reporting that both the Celtics and Marbury are interested in a deal provided that he can secure a buyout from the Knicks:

Although it has been widely assumed that Celtics forward Kevin Garnett would resist a reunion with the controversial point guard — after Marbury broke up their Minnesota parternship in less than three seasons together by forcing a trade to New Jersey — one Celtics source insists that Garnett has voiced no opposition to the idea of signing Marbury for the rest of the season to strengthen Boston’s backcourt depth behind starters Rajon Rondo and Ray Allen.

When asked specifically about the likelihood of Marbury joining the Celtics this season, the source predicted that “it will happen.”

I’m still not entirely convinced that we will have a resolution to the situation anytime soon.  For someone who claims to be desperate to just have another chance to play, he sure does not seem eager to part with any of the $20+ million that is owed to him this year.  I just don’t think this buyout is going to be as simple as one might think.  Donnie Walsh is very opposed to the idea of paying Marbury his entire salary, or close to it, and still have to watch him play on a winning team and contend for a title.  The only question for the Knicks is how desperate they will be to free up the roster space.

From the perspective of the Celtics, I’m not really sure what to think.  They do need to add some depth to their roster because the truth is that the Cavaliers and Lakers are deeper than them.  Their bench could be what causes their downfall in the postseason if they do not address it.  But they really could use some depth with their bigs as I think you can survive with Eddie House backing up Rajon Rondo.  Plus with the way Rondo has improved this season, there will not be all that many minutes for the backup PG to have.  Rondo has a PER of 19.93 which is 7th best among point guards.

I just don’t think it would be worth the risk to bring Steph in here when the amount of minutes for him to get will be fairly low.  Marbury is also a guy that has quit on his team many times in the past, and who knows how his relationship would be with Kevin Garnett at this point.  Plus I don’t buy the idea of Marbury being able to really help a team when he has never done that in his career.  He has been shipped to a different team three times and each time that team has regressed.  The Nets lost 12 more games with Marbury his first year, the Suns dropped 15 more games from the previous year, and the Knicks had a 4 game drop.  The Celtics should be careful with this decision.

Even if the buyout doesn’t work out for Steph he still seems content with collecting his paycheck.  Who can forget his memorable quote while being interviewed on television at the Lakers-Knicks game?  “I’m still earning my check by doing nothing.”  Classy as always.

Coming Up: Pacers @ Knicks

• Records: Knicks 12-18 (11th in Eastern Conference); Pacers 10-21 (14th in Eastern Conference)
• Pace: Knicks 100.6 possessions per game (1st in NBA); Pacers 97.8 (3rd in NBA)
• Offensive Efficiency: Knicks 103.0 points per 100 possessions (19th in NBA); Pacers 102.7 points per 100 possessions (20th in NBA)
• Defensive Efficiency: Knicks 107.3 points allowed per 100 possessions (25th in NBA); Pacers 105.2 points allowed per 100 possessions (18th in NBA)
• Effective FG% (eFG%): Knicks 49.8% (12th in NBA); Pacers 49.1% (14th in NBA)
• Rebound Rate: Knicks 47.4 (28th in NBA); Pacers 50.5 (11th in NBA)

From ESPN Preview:

The Indiana Pacers are still struggling to close out games, while the New York Knicks needed a matchup with the league’s lowest-scoring team to snap their longest losing streak of the season.

Knicks players think their latest win could be a step in the right direction.  New York shot just 42.4 percent from the field but had five players score in double figures, including Wilson Chandler, who had seven of his team-high 19 points in the final four minutes.

Both clubs, however, are optimistic that they can turn things around.The Knicks look to build on their first win in more than two weeks Friday night when they host the Pacers, losers of 11 of their last 14.  New York (12-18) has shed some of its biggest salaries in a rebuilding season, and as a result, the Knicks have struggled to stay competitive in the Eastern Conference.  They’ve lost 15 of 21 since their 6-3 start, and had dropped six straight before escaping with a 93-89 win over lowly Charlotte on Tuesday night.

Despite his team’s struggles, first-year coach Mike D’Antoni is convinced New York will improve.  “I’m not backing off what I told you before, that we can be a good team,” D’Antoni said. “It’s up to us to prove it.”

Key to the Game: The stats indicate how even these two teams appear to be.  Let’s be honest.  The Knicks matched up well with Charlotte because they are not a very good shooting team and couldn’t take advantage of any open looks they got.  The Knicks had better effort on defense but that was still the Bobcats shooting the ball.

The big thing the Knicks need to improve to win tonight is their offense.  They have not been running as much as they need to.  They looked great early on against Charlotte but they eventually got out of rhythm and stopped running as much.  It is obviously still an adjustment for some of these players to play in this system.  They need to get in the mindset of staying aggressive throughout the game and not stop running. 

Coming Up: Knicks @ Bobcats

• Records: Knicks 11-18 (12th in Eastern Conference); Bobcats 11-20 (13th in Eastern Conference)
• Pace: Knicks 100.6 possessions per game (2nd in NBA); Bobcats 90.1 (28th in NBA)
• Offensive Efficiency: Knicks 103.3 points per 100 possessions (17th in NBA); Bobcats 100.1 points per 100 possessions (25th in NBA)
• Defensive Efficiency: Knicks 107.8 points allowed per 100 possessions (25th in NBA); Bobcats 103.1 points allowed per 100 possessions (15th in NBA)
• Effective FG% (eFG%): Knicks 49.9% (12th in NBA); Bobcats 48.1% (23rd in NBA)
• Rebound Rate: Knicks 47.3 (28th in NBA); Bobcats 49.5 (19th in NBA)

Knicks Notes: The Knicks may have hit rock bottom back on Friday night when they fell to the Minnesota Timberwolves in an embarassing loss at home.  On Sunday they played better and with a little more energy but their second quarter defense and poor play in crunch time ultimately let them down as they watched Carmelo Anthony take things over.  The main problem for me has been their defense and especially not being able to prevent dribble penetration.  They could not keep Telfair out of the paint and we saw similar things against Chauncey Billups.  That has left them vulnerable to giving up easy buckets inside especially when you consider that the Knicks don’t have any legitimate shot blockers on their roster, which might be their most glaring need in terms of personnel.

The offense has not been bad as long as the Knicks do not start to play 1 on 1 basketball.  If they keep the ball moving they should be fine offensively.  I would like to see them run a little more but their offense still has been fairly decent.  One thing that needs to improve is their spacing on the court and getting back to the screen and roll game with Duhon and Lee.  I felt like they had great success when they went to it early in the season as it became their bread and butter.  Off the screen you can hit a cutting Lee who is good need the basket with his ability to use both hands, Duhon can take an opening and drive hard to the hoop, or if help defense comes you have a drive and kick scenario for them to get an open look on the perimeter.  Without much of a post scorer I think they need to go back to executing this well.

The other concern floating around is the possibility that this team has just gotten fatigued as the season has gone on.  Due to injuries and the exile of Starbury, the Knicks have basically been playing with just a seven man rotation throughout the season.  I’m not sure if I buy that theory completely.  Duhon might be tired because he has played a lot but everyone else on the team has played a reasonable amount of minutes.  The main problem may be the lack of depth.  They just need another couple options that can help score and give the team a boost of energy.  Eddy Curry could be back in two weeks which wouldn’t help the defense but would at least give them a low post scoring option.  Rumors have been floating about Carlos Delfino which is an option I like.  However, I think Donnie Walsh will wait until he hears if they will receive salary cap relief from the Cuttino Mobley retirment situation before he does anything.

The lineup changes may not have resulted in a win on Sunday but I thought they helped a little.  Jared Jeffries needs to be out there more because good things have happened when he’s been on the court, especially on the defensive end.  He has a -6 rating for the season which leads the Knicks when you don’t count fat paycheck collector, Jerome James.

A Look at the Bobcats: The Bobcats had been playing well recently, winning four out of five since acquiring Boris Diaw and Raja Bell in the Jason Richardson trade, until they fell to the Nets in their last game.  The big blow was Raja Bell leaving the game with a groin injury so his status for now is uncertain.  The trade made sense to me just because I didn’t think Richardson seemed like a Larry Brown type of player.  It is also hard to argue with the trade’s success since it has definitely improved their defense.  Their defensive efficiency has improved from 108.2 to 103.1 after the trade.

For me the Bobcats will only go as far as Emeka Okafor and Gerald Wallace will take them.  Okafor has been an All-Star caliber center this year who can pound you on the glass in addition to being one of the better shot blockers in the league.  Wallace is just an athletic freak and one of the toughest players to defend.  He can fill all columns in the box score and is capable of dominating a game on both ends.  The only problem with him is inconsistency and his propensity to have problems with turnovers.

Oh and Adam Morrison?  He was taken over Brandon Roy and Rudy Gay.  Yikes.

Keys to the Game: Obviously it comes down to the defense for the Knicks.  They need to be able to get enough stops to win games.  They also need to get off to a good start on the road to help their spirit as a team.

I think it’s pretty simple to determine which teams the Knicks should struggle against.  They have trouble stopping good shooting teams because they just aren’t very good defensively.  They are now 0-10 against teams ranked in the top 10 in eFG%.  However, Charlotte ranks 23rd in that department and will likely be without Raja Bell.  This is a big positive for the Knicks coming in.

The main area of concern will be rebounding and not letting Okafor and Diaw dominate the Knicks due to the size advantage they may have.  Another key will be containing the explosive Gerald Wallace who the Knicks have struggled with in the past.  Don’t let Wallace make plays driving to the hoop and turn him into a jump shooter.

Game tips at 7 PM EST on Tuesday.  That’s it and I won’t be back until Friday due to New Year’s festivities.  I’ll be back then to preview the game with the Pacers.

The Uptempo Coach’s Criticism

Mike D’Antoni has always been accused of not bothering coaching defense which is rediculous.  A lot of times people have looked at the amount of points per game his team’s have given up and automatically assumed that they were terrible defensively.  The truth is that in Mike D’Antoni’s uptempo system, they take shots quicker and therefore there are more possessions in the game for both teams.  So obviously teams they play against will allow more points because they get more chances than they would against most other teams.  This is why defensive efficiency, or points allowed per 100 possessions, is a much better measure of a team’s defense.  

George Karl brought his Nuggets to the Garden on Sunday and his teams of the passed have come under similar criticism.  He plays an uptempo style and always here the same things that D’Antoni has.  Ken Berger of Sportsline.com chatted with George Karl who had some interesting things to say about that type of crticism and of the new coach in New York:

“I feel for him,” Karl said after the Nuggets escaped the dreaded matinee at Madison Square Garden with a 117-110 victory over the Knicks. “My feeling is, when you give up a lot of points, nobody’s going to think you’re defending. Last year in our halfcourt defense, we were a pretty good defensive team. But no one would ever write that, because we were awful in transition and we were awful in giving up a lot of numbers. So I don’t know that anybody is ever going to give the due.”

On the cusp of the 30-game mark in D’Antoni’s first year in New York, the Knicks (11-18) are a far cry from the hardnosed, defensive-minded teams that had so much success in the 1990s. They also are nothing at all like the meandering teams that occupied basketball’s most famous venue for all the years since — bumbling along with no apparent plan other than spending money and committing the worst sin of all: failing to entertain.

The Knicks are nothing if not entertaining. For the first time in years, they inspire curiosity for the right reasons. The last vestige of the previous failed regime, Stephon Marbury, is enjoying a paid vacation until after New Year’s, when buyout talks will crank up again. Other than that, the Knicks are embroiled in the most drama-free six-game losing streak in their recent history. The Knicks are still losing, but who cares? Can’t you see the future?

Karl can. The first difference he noticed in watching film of D’Antoni’s Knicks is how frustrating they are to play. He noticed upon personal inspection that the energy has returned to the building, too. And it was nothing like the sky-is-falling drama that Karl remembers from past visits, such as the one marred by the infamous brawl between the Knicks and Nuggets two years ago.

“You can’t grow or build without a positive belief that this is going to be better in a year or three years,” Karl said.

There is reason to root for this team again, reason to hope. Many believe this is because of the future plans of a certain MVP candidate who wears No. 23 in Cleveland. In reality, it all emanates from a regular-looking guy with salt-and-pepper hair and a mustache, stomping around on the sideline in an expensive Italian suit and flashing indecipherable hand signals.

“Mike is an interesting hire,” Karl said. “My recollection of New York is the city game, the street game, the playground game. And he plays as fast and free as any coach I’ve ever played against. I know the Knick (teams) have been based on defense. But I was kidding with one of my assistants that I would like to see Mike D’Antoni get a Carolina or Kentucky or Kansas job, because people don’t think (his style) can win. People don’t think it can win championships. And I think that’s crazy.

“I think if you get the best players,” Karl said, “this style will be incredibly difficult to play against –- impossible, maybe, to play against. But we have so many experts who think that you have to play defense, you have to rebound, you have to be a possession coach, you have to execute. I just laugh. Explosive offense is not as intimidating as dominant defense. But it is scary when you don’t know how to stop someone.”

NYKC Power Rankings: 12/29/08

This is the first edition of our weekly power rankings here at NY Knicks Central.  These rankings are based on a mathematical formula that takes into account certain numbers and stats such as offensive efficiency, defensive efficiency, W-L record, and strength of schedule.  To see an explanation of how the ratings are calculated go here.

Here are some things to note in this week’s edition:

• Yes that is the Cleveland Cavaliers at the top ahead of Boston and LA.  Cleveland deserves the credit for simply blowing the competition out of the water.  They have blown out the bad teams they were supposed to and their efficiency ratings are so good that they project an expected winning percentage of .909.  That’s a 74-8 projected record.  No they won’t do it but that’s how good they have been.  A 25-2 stretch will do that for you.
• One team that needs to be in the discussion of the elite is the Orlando Magic as the numbers indicate.  This team is quietly 24-6 and everyone knows they can score with the shooting of Hedo Turkoglu and Rashard Lewis.  Having Dwight Howard to clean up and mistakes in the lane sure helps a lot also.
• After the slow start the Spurs have climbed back to being a legit title contender as they slide in at #5.  Age and depth is still a concern but at least the defense is back to where it should be.  Roger Mason is a good fit there.
• My one sleeper team going forward is Milwaukee.  Scott Skiles has gotten this team to play really good defense as their defensive efficency is alost identical to that of the Spurs.  They can’t win a title without a legit go to scorer but they’ll be in the mix come playoff time.
• One team that should get hot soon is Portland.  Based on their efficiency ratings they are a low-50 win team and they have played a rather tough schedule.  This young club will be on the rise again soon.
• Enough already.  Here are the rankings in their entirety.

 

Rank	Team	Off Eff	Def Eff	Exp Win %	Win %	Win % L10	SOS	NYKC Power Rating
1		110.5	96.1	.909	.867	.900	.472	85.1797
2		107.6	95.3	.881	.875	.800	.485	83.1553
3		109.7	99.9	.824	.833	.800	.489	79.0927
4		106.4	97.0	.821	.800	.900	.439	78.4622
5		105.4	101.2	.662	.667	.800	.466	65.7458
6		106.8	102.7	.656	.655	.700	.496	64.4195
7		105.7	101.4	.665	.645	.600	.518	63.7806
8		105.7	102.3	.632	.667	.700	.515	63.7345
9		111.0	105.9	.685	.613	.500	.518	62.8088
10		104.6	101.3	.629	.645	.700	.496	62.7767
11		104.9	101.7	.625	.600	.700	.491	61.1641
12		104.8	101.6	.625	.563	.500	.476	57.8949
13		108.4	106.6	.569	.571	.500	.540	55.9746
14		104.1	103.4	.528	.607	.600	.459	55.1944
15		103.4	102.4	.540	.552	.600	.451	54.0618
16		100.5	101.5	.459	.452	.500	.522	46.7308
17		106.6	108.9	.413	.500	.400	.453	44.1722
18		102.2	105.3	.379	.433	.400	.550	41.4588
19		98.9	101.9	.379	.414	.400	.492	40.2924
20		102.7	105.9	.376	.400	.400	.542	40.2234
21		102.7	104.9	.413	.333	.300	.557	39.2425
22		100.1	103.1	.381	.355	.400	.508	38.7524
23		101.7	106.3	.325	.333	.500	.481	36.0705
24		103.3	107.8	.331	.379	.300	.508	36.0104
25		96.7	103.2	.255	.276	.500	.499	31.0036
26		103.0	109.8	.258	.281	.200	.517	28.5221
27		101.4	109.1	.230	.179	.200	.532	24.1829
28		99.4	110.3	.152	.226	.200	.533	21.7180
29		98.9	108.4	.180	.172	.100	.510	20.2945
30		96.1	106.9	.147	.097	.100	.499	16.2495

Quick Rewind: Nuggets 117, Knicks 110

Recap from AP: “A week of rest was all Carmelo Anthony needed to rediscover his scoring touch.  Playing the defenseless New York Knicks probably helped, too.  Anthony scored 32 points after missing three games with a bruised right elbow, and the Denver Nuggetssent the Knicks to their sixth straight loss with a 117-110 victory Sunday.  It was only the third 30-point game this season for Anthony, who has been bothered by the elbow since he was originally hurt in a victory over Houston on Nov. 30. The Nuggets decided to give their leading scorer a break after he averaged just 11.5 points on 8-of-27 shooting in losses to Cleveland and Phoenix on consecutive nights.  ”I think that was the best thing that ever happened to me,” Anthony said. “At first I was a little hesitant about doing it. Any time you can get rest during a long season like this, it helps.”  The Nuggets blew the double-digit lead they seized by making 15 of 20 shots in the second quarter, but recovered behind Anthony’s flawless fourth.”

———————————————————————————————————————————————————————————-

Mike D’Antoni tried to shake things up by inserting Jared Jeffries and Tim Thomas into the starting lineup against the Nuggets on Sunday.  However, it was not enough as the Knicks dropped their sixth straight game.  The defense continues to be a problem for the Knicks as they cannot make stops when they need them.  On Sunday, the Knicks started off the game well and with much better intensity than they had on Friday night.  They were able to build a 20-13 lead early on and seemed to be in good spirits.

However, the Knicks defense was nonexistent in the second quarter.  The game may have been close down the stretch which would give the impression that the Knicks lost it in the closing minutes.  But actually they lost this game with their second quarter which was pretty horrendous on the defensive end.  The Nuggets shot 15/20 in the second to help them build a 10 point halftime lead.  It was in this period when the Knicks did not deny any dribble penetration as it seemed that the Nuggets did whatever they wanted in the paint.  Denver had 42 points in the paint in the first half alone.  Overall, their offensive numbers for the game show that the defense of the Knicks was not up to the challenge.  Denver shot 57% from the field, had an offensive efficiency of 123.2, and an eFG% of 60.8%.  

It was nice to see the Knicks battle back in the third as their ball movement improved which allowed them to get their offense on track.  Denver did not help themselves with poor defense and poor shot selection in the second half either.  The Knicks had an offensive efficency rating of 115.8, and most of the second half was spent with the teams trading buckets.  Defense was not required for you to participate in this one.

The Knicks then couldn’t make many stops in the fourth but that was more because of the fact that Carmelo Anthony caught fire.  Anthony made tough shots and was 5/5 in the final quarter.  The defensive energy in the fourth was there for New York but they are just not good enough to stop Melo when he gets hot.  But their second quarter defense is not defendable and ultimately cost them the game.

Now the losing streak is 6 and we now begin to wonder if the Knicks have the confidence and spirit to turn it around.  We shall see.

Live Game Blog: Knicks vs. Nuggets

Be sure to join us for the showdown between the Knicks and the Nuggets which tips at 1 PM EST.  To join us at the live blog Click Here

Coming Up: Knicks vs. Nuggets

Get ready for the Sunday afternoon showdown between the Knicks and the Nuggets at 1 PM EST.  

Pre-Game Notes:

• Denver Nuggets: 19-11 (4th in West), 97.1 possessions per game (6th), 105.2 points per 100 possessions (11th), 101 points allowed per 100 possessions (5th).
• New York Knicks: 11-17 (12th in East), 100.7 possessions per game (1st), 103 points per 100 possessions (17th), 107.4 points allowed per 100 possessions (25th).
• Carmelo Anthony expects to return to the lineup on Sunday after missing the last 3 games.  Anthony has averaged 27.4 points in 10 career games against the Knicks.
• Chauncey Billups has made a real impact with the Nuggets.  Their starting unit of Billups, Smith, Anthony, Martin, and Nene has a Net +/- per 48 minutes of +23, which ranks 6th among NBA starting units.
• The Knicks struggle with defending good shooting teams.  They are 0-9 when facing teams that rank in the top 10 of eFG%.  The Nuggets are currently ranked 8th in that department.  Uh oh.  

Quick Rewind: Timberwolves 120, Knicks 107

 

 

Recap from AP: “Kevin McHale turned to prayer, though it wasn’t really needed. The combination of Al Jefferson inside and some sizzling 3-point shooting was more than enough.  The Timberwolves snapped a 13-game losing streak and won for the first time this season under McHale, getting a season-best 23 points fromRashad McCants in a 120-107 victory over the New York Knicks on Friday night.  ”The guys have been playing hard and we really needed this one,” McHale said. “At the end of the game I said, ‘Thank God,’ and I meant it.”  Jefferson added 21 points and 15 rebounds in the Timberwolves’ first victory since beating Oklahoma City on Nov. 28. They had dropped their first eight games under McHale, who took over when Randy Wittman was fired Dec. 8.”

———————————————————————————————————————————————————————————-

The Knicks have suffered their worst loss of the season as the losing streak has now reached five games.  As the numbers do indicate, this is a loss that has to be put on the defense.  They simply did not bring the energy tonight defensively which was the main reason that they fell into a hole in this one and couldn’t find a way to climb out of it.  The pace of the game, at 99.0, was at the Knicks liking (their season average was 100.7) but a lot of that may have had to do with the fact that Minnesota had way too many open looks to turn down.  After the game Coach D’Antoni was quoted as saying, “We weren’t mentally sharp.”

The offensive numbers that the T-Wolves put up on Friday night were pretty rediculous.  They had an offensive efficiency rating of 121.2 which pretty much tells you what you need to know as that is extraordinary (the current median for Offensive Efficiency in the league right now is around 104).  Minnesota entered tonight game ranked 28th in the NBA in that category, averaging 98.3.  That tells you how poor the Knicks defense really was tonight and why they could not mount a comeback.  There are other ugly stats: the T-Wolves shot 51% from the field, 54% from behind the arc, and that translates to a silly effective field goal percentage of 60.1%.  One of the big keys for the T-Wolves was the play of Rashad McCants.  He scored 23 points on just 12 shots which included 7 big treys in just 21 minutes.  He hit a lot of big shots from the perimeter that really deflated the Knicks.

The numbers show that the Knicks were actually pretty good offensively but it wasn’t enough to make up for the poor defensive effort.  They made a couple runs, one at the end of the first half and one in the fourth quarter, but when you don’t make stops you can’t comeback to win.  The Knicks really need to start defending the screen and roll better.  They were putrid against it on Friday as Sebastian Telfair really had his way and seemed to get in the paint at will.  Give Telfair credit because he played extremely well, but the Knicks have to figure out a way to get on the same page defensively.  

The Knicks have now fallen to 11-17 and the losses are starting to pile up.  One of the worst teams in the NBA came to Madison Square Garden and pretty much had their way.  Things are tough right now as the .500 mark drifts farther and farther out of their reach.  We’ve all seen this story before.  Will the Knicks fall apart like they have in the past or will they find a way to get it straightened out?  A big key will be if they can keep the spirits up in the locker room and get the team to play with intensity night in and night out.  What we do know is the defense needs improvement.  Now Eddy Curry could be back in a couple of weeks.  Oh boy.  I love ya Mr. D’Antoni, but trying to improve your defense while putting Eddy Curry on the floor is a lot harder than you think.  Sunday’s tilt with the Nuggets will be a test for sure.