The Knicks end the regular season tonight against a Bobcats
team riding a 22 game losing streak.
This is an important game still for the Knicks, as their playoff seed is
still not set. If the Knicks and 76ers
share the same result tonight, the Knicks will get the 7th seed in
the Eastern Conference and a first round match up against the Miami Heat. If the Knicks win and 76ers lose they also
get the 7th seed. The only
way the Knicks can fall behind the 76ers tonight is a lose in combination with
a 76er win. So the question now comes,
do the Knicks lose on purpose, trying to avoid Miami
in the first round? As a fan I do not
want to watch my favorite team be the ones who end the Bobcats 22 game losing
streak. I may be in the minority
tonight, but I want to see the Knicks come out firing trying to end the regular
season on a high note and not lose to the Bobcats even if it means a match up
with the Heat in the first.
-Lots of Lineup Changes
The Knicks will start a very different looking lineup
tonight, giving multiple players the night off.
Tonight’s starting lineup for the Knicks will be Mike Bibby, Iman
Shumpert, Landry Fields, Josh Harrellson and Amar’e Stoudemire. Baron Davis, Carmelo Anthony, Tyson Chandler
and Toney Douglas are all sitting tonight.
Douglas is the only one who is actually not
healthy enough to play, as he is sitting out because he is sick. This will be an interesting game for the
bench, as they will get extended playing time.
It is an opportunity for many of them to showcase what they have going
into the playoffs trying to earn playing time from Mike Woodson. Woodson has said he will use tonight to see
who deserves minutes going forward into the playoffs.
-Show Up Tonight
The playoffs are right around the corner, so why not start
with the intensity tonight? It should
not be hard to get the bench players to play hard tonight. They are all fighting for a spot in the
rotation for the playoffs and have nothing to lose. There should be no drop off in intensity and
work ethic with this group. I actually
believe the Knicks have a better chance of beating the Bobcats with this group
because they will match the energy the Bobcats will bring trying to end their
losing streak.
The Knicks want to ride a wave of momentum into the
playoffs, especially because it will be a tough opponent in either the Bulls or
Heat. Losing to the Bobcats would
destroy any good feelings the Knicks are building up, so tonight is a game they
should come out in and try dominating from the start.
-Going for Recognition
Steve Novak has come out of oblivion this year and has
turned in a great season for the Knicks.
Tonight he has a chance to secure the league lead in 3 point shooting if
he knocks down a couple of jumpers. The
Knicks should do everything they can to get Novak that title. He deserves any recognition he can get
because of how well he has played this season, playing most of it out of
nowhere. He is better known for his championship
belt maneuver than actually playing.
No comments:
Post a Comment