New York Knicks vs. Cleveland Cavaliers Pre-Game News and Notes April 20

Friday April 20^th 7:30 P.M. ET
New York Knicks vs. Cleveland Cavaliers

The Knicks awoke tonight to the news that they are now definitely playoff bound.  With the loss suffered by the Milwaukee Bucks last night to the Indiana Pacers, the Knicks locked up a playoff spot for the second consecutive year.  The Knicks cannot take it easy now, as they need wins if they want to win the division or move up the standings.  The Knicks will finish up the regular season by traveling to Atlanta for a game Sunday then finishing up with two home games against the Clippers and Bobcats next week. 

-Team News and Notes

With Amar’e Stoudemire returning to the lineup tonight, moves and decisions had to be made.  Stoudemire will be inserted into the starting lineup from the start, which means someone has to go back to the bench.  Mike Woodson has decided that man will be Landry Fields, leaving Iman Shumpert in the starting lineup along with Baron Davis, Carmelo Anthony and Tyson Chandler.  Fields can still be in for big minutes because Davis and Stoudemire will be on minute restrictions to start. 

The Knicks also made some front office decisions today.  Jared Jeffries is expected to sit out the remainder of the regular season in hopes that his knee will heal in time for the playoffs.  With this news, the Knicks made a roster move, signing Dan Gadzuric.  Gadzuric will add a big body and depth to the Knicks for the playoffs and end of the season.  He is very active around the basket and is very aggressive on the boards.  This is something that the Knicks desperately need facing a potential first round match up with the Chicago Bulls. 

To make room for Gadzuric, the Knicks waived Bill Walker.  Walker was just returning from left elbow surgery and had not been receiving minutes upon his return. 

-Get off to a quick start

Much like Wednesday night when the Knicks jumped out to an early 21 point lead over the Nets and cruised to a win, doing the same tonight would be beneficial.  If they jump out to an early start they can ease their way to victory in a game which is expected to be lopsided in favor of the Knicks.  Getting some rest for players like Carmelo Anthony and Tyson Chandler would also be very beneficial for the playoff stretch.

-Maintain Rhythm

The Knicks have been in a nice groove on the offensive end running the offense through Carmelo Anthony.  They must figure out a way to continue this with Amar’e Stoudemire returning to the lineup.  The Knicks at times struggle with both Anthony and Stoudemire on the court together, looking confused and lacking an idea of how to score.  They have a total of four games to start getting it together before the playoffs start. 

-Continued Bench Production

With the playoff now a lock, bench production will become even that more crucial.  The presence of the bench will be very important if the Knicks want to make some noise during the post season.  The Knicks have compiled a very deep bench with the possibility to cause problems for opposing teams.  Specialists like Steve Novak and Jared Jeffries and instant offense from J.R. Smith are all important when it comes to playoff time.  Mike Woodson will be looking to tighten his rotation and really set up playing time and situations for players in these last four games.  

Chicago Bulls vs. New York Knicks Pre-Game News and Notes April 8

Sunday, April 8, 2012 1:00 P.M. ET 
Chicago Bulls vs. New York Knicks 

The Knicks continue their tough stretch of games this afternoon, in the first game of a home and home series against the Chicago Bulls. The Knicks are coming off another blow-out win of the Orlando Magic on Thursday night and look to continue their hot play of late. This is the 3rd meeting of the season between the Knicks and Bulls, with the Bulls taking the first 2 games. Each of the first 2 games was close, coming right down to the end. 

-Injury Updates 

This afternoon, both the Knicks and Bulls are expected to have people return to their lineups. The Bulls are expecting MVP Derrick Rose to return this afternoon from his 12 game hiatus because of a strained groin. It could not have been worse timing for the Knicks, but they have some players of their own returning that should help the cause. Jared Jeffries is expected to play on Sunday, giving the Knicks another defender to throw at Derrick Rose. Bill Walker is also expected to see his role expand, as he received only 16 seconds of token garbage time against the Magic on Thursday. 

-Contain Derrick Rose 

The Knicks have struggled all season containing the opposing teams’ guards, more specifically the Point Guard. Derrick Rose has been no exception, going for 32 points in each game. It was not the easiest 32 points in his career, but 32 points is still 32 points and the Knicks have to find a way to better contain him. With Iman Shumpert now in the starting lineup, the defensive assignments will be something to watch throughout the game. The emergence of J.R. Smith off the bench and the return of Jared Jeffries gives the Knicks plenty of capable defenders to throw at Rose throughout the game. 

-Control the Paint 

With Amar’e Stoudemire being out, the Knicks have gone with a small starting lineup. It is something that works against certain teams like the Magic, Bucks, and Cavaliers who do not employ the most conventional lineups such as the Knicks. But the Bulls play bruising Power Forward Carlos Boozer and high energy Center Joakim Noah. The Knicks will have their hands full throughout the game with those two, and will need a collective effort from everyone in controlling the paint. Again, the return of Jared Jeffries can not be overstated because this is yet another area in which his return will be a great help in. The Bulls are one of the best rebounding teams in the NBA, dominating the Knicks on the glass in the last meeting between the two teams which ultimately led to the Knicks demise. 

-Bench Play 

The Bulls bench has gotten some great experience because of injuries throughout the season to the starting lineup. They have more than serviceable big man Taj Gibson, sharp shooter Kyle Korver, and battle tested Ronnie Brewer. The Knicks bench will have to bring energy and toughness tonight to match-up with the Bulls tonight. Look for J.R. Smith and Steve Novak to come out firing to contend with the lack of size the Knicks have in the middle. 

New York Knicks vs. Dallas Mavericks Pre-Game News and Notes March 6th

Knicks News: 
It was announced earlier this afternoon that Shooting Guard/Small Forward Bill Walker will be sidelined for 4-6 weeks after undergoing surgery to his left elbow. Walker had been a part of the Knicks rotation through January and the early February before suffering the injury February 17th against the New Orleans Hornets. It is widely considered that if need Walker could have toughed through the injury, but because of the new found depth of the Knicks roster, minutes for Walker would have been hard to come by. Coach Mike D’Antoni is hopeful to have Walker back in time for the playoffs, but in the mean time will have to make due without the services of Sky-Walker. 

There are a number of people that are starting to become aware of Iman Shumpert’s play thus far in his rookie season and want to see him on the court more. These are mostly the same people that would like to see Shumpert take over the starting role from current Shooting Guard Landry Fields. D’Antoni acknowledges that Shumpert has been playing well, but has no intentions of changing the lineup. "I’m sticking with guys, we’re getting better," D'Antoni said. "You never know what the ripple effect is. The team is always fluid. That’s why I always said, even Baron, that’s always fluid. I’m never going to put a ceiling on somebody. But I like what we’ve got. Landry didn’t have a great game yesterday, but I’ve got complete confidence in him." In my opinion, there is no reason to mess with a good thing. Yes the Knicks have a losing record, but changing the lineup would only cause more chaos for D’Antoni in managing minutes for everyone. As long as the Knicks keep developing as they seem to currently be, everyone should be happy in the end. 

What To Watch For vs. Mavericks 

-How Tyson Chandler responds to his injuries 
Tyson Chandler has had his fair share of injuries throughout his career, and this season seems to be no different. Chandler has been battling through nagging injuries to his back and both wrists, and it seems now that the injury to his left wrist could cause some problems. When asked about the injury, Chandler responded with "It’s a lot of doctor stuff that me and you both would have to go back to school to understand. We’ll just say it’s sprains and stuff..... It’s a couple of different things." An MRI taken 3 days ago revealed the damage but Chandler intends to continue playing through the injury. It is believed as of now that the left wrist injury will not require any surgery, but will require plenty of rest. It will be interesting to see how Chandler comes out in the game against the Mavericks as he will be running on high adrenaline receiving his NBA Finals Championship ring and returning to the place he called home last season. 

-Can The Bench Keep It Going 
In the first meeting against the Mavericks, a 104-97 Knicks win, the bench play was lackluster for the Knicks. Jeremy Lin led the Knicks to a fast start, but Iman Shumpert was unable to run the offense allowing the Mavericks back into the game. This time around the Knicks will have Baron Davis to replace Lin, which should make the offense run a little bit smoother this time around. Bench play has been strength for the Knicks the past couple of games and look to continue their strong play against a formidable Mavericks bench which sports annual 6th man of the year candidate Jason Terry as well as veteran Lamar Odom and up and coming youngster Roddy Beaubois. 

-New Face In The Starting Lineup For Mavericks 
The Mavericks have been able to keep healthy for most of the season, but may have suffered a blow to their starting lineup. Starting Center Brandon Haywood badly rolled his ankle in the first minute of the game against the Oklahoma City Thunder on Monday and did not return. Replacing him was Ian Mahinmi, who had a strong game in his place against a tough Thunder interior of Serge Ibaka and Kendrick Perkins, finishing with 13 points on 5-6FG’s with 5 rebounds 2 assists 1 block and 2 steals. Judging from those stats and his 6 fouls, Mahinmi showed a lot of energy and hustle off the bench and was prepared to play. The Knicks have to watch out for him and make him commit fouls just as the Thunder did to take him out of the game. The less inside presence the Mavericks show the easier it will be for the Knicks to work the paint with Amar’e Stoudemire and Tyson Chandler.