Knicks Drop Sloppy Game in Chicago

Saturday, December 8, 2012

Post Game Recap

Final Score: New York Knicks: 85 Chicago Bulls: 93

Knicks Drop Sloppy Game in Chicago

The Knicks dropped a tough, hard fought and sloppy game in Chicago Saturday night, falling to the Bulls 93-85.  It was the fourth game in five nights for the Bulls and third in four nights for the Knicks; it showed as both teams looked tired, having trouble knocking down shots and struggling to get anything going.

The Bulls came into the game sporting the best rated defense, and it showed as the Knicks shot only 32.1 percent from the field.  As expected, the Bulls out-rebounded the Knicks, but the margin was much closer than expected at 47-40 in favor of the Bulls.  Here are some positives and negatives from the game tonight:

-Positives

•             James White gave the Knicks good minutes off the bench again with Carmelo Anthony sitting out with a laceration to his left middle finger that required five stitches.  White was rewarded with 13 more minutes tonight after 17 against Miami Thursday and made the most of them.  White finished with a team high +10 +/- and gave the Knicks a good defensive effort, doing a solid job on Luol Deng for the portions he was in the game.

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•            Tyson Chandler was again a monster in the middle for the Knicks, grabbing a season high 18 rebounds to go along with 14 points.  Chandler also showed up big time on the defensive end like Knick fans have become accustomed to seeing, taking his counter-part for the night Joakim Noah out of the game and out playing him.  Noah scored 10 points and had 11 rebounds, but turned the ball over a career high nine times.  It is an impressive feat for Chandler, as Noah came off a career game Friday in which he went for 30 points and 23  rebounds and added six assists.

•             Kurt Thomas again put in a strong effort for the Knicks.  He does not play many minutes,   but you know what you are going to get when he is on the court.  Thomas also helps the Knicks in areas they are weak in, like rebounding.  The Knicks were outrebounded by the Bulls tonight, but they showed effort and energy in attacking the glass even though they were under-manned and lacking some size.  The Knicks were paced by Chandler’s 18 rebounds.

-Negatives

•          The offense lacked without Anthony tonight.  The Knicks were unable to find a consistent scoring threat, as no one had the hot hand for the Knicks tonight.  Against the Heat, the Knicks relied on the pick-and-roll; against the Bulls they had no such success.  Because of this, the Knicks were unable to get many open looks from the perimeter, making only eight three pointers compared to the 12.1 per game they had been making entering the game.

•          J.R. Smith once again struggled, unable to pick up the slack left with Anthony being injured.  It wasn’t for an effort of trying for Smith, as he took 14 shots, eight of which were three pointers, but made only four shots and two from long range.  Smith also struggled with his handle tonight, turning the ball over five times.
•          Ball Security was not where it needed to be for the Knicks tonight, as they turned the ball over 15 times.  The Bulls scored 14 points off the Knicks turnovers and the lack of cohesion led to a stagnant offense that the Knicks could never get going.  The defensive pressure put on by the Bulls definitely played a part, but some of the struggles for the Knicks tonight were self-inflicted.

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•         Raymond Felton put on a masterful performance Thursday against the Heat, but he struggled some against the Bulls.  With Anthony out, the onus fell upon Felton to carry the offense, leading to Felton taking 30 shots from the field.  Felton was able to only make nine of his attempts, scoring 27 points but not doing it efficiently.  Felton said after the game that taking 30 shots is not something he wants to do often.  Not to make excuses for him, but he was hit on his injured left hand early in the game and could have affected him as the game went on.

Knicks Blown Out by Raptors in Montreal

Friday, October 19 2012

Final Score: New York Knicks: 88 Toronto Raptors: 107

Knicks Blown Out by Raptors in Montreal

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The Knicks struggled tonight against the Toronto Raptors, getting blown out most of the game after a very strong first quarter eventually falling 107-88 to the Raptors.  The Knicks struggled with continuity and had a lot of lapses on the defensive end, leading to easy baskets for the opposition.

Amar’e Stoudemire made his first appearance this preseason and played well in his return.  Stoudemire finished with 18 points and five rebounds and one block in 27 minutes. 

Stoudemire clearly needs to get his endurance up, as he had his shot blocked a few times as his left started to wane as the game went on but showed great burst when getting some rest as he had some monstrous dunks.  Stoudemire also had his jump shot working, scoring from multiple areas on the court.

Carmelo Anthony struggled with his shot tonight, going 0 for 7 from three point range and 8 for 20 overall.  Anthony was able to get to the line frequently, knocking down 8 of 11 free throws.  Anthony finished the game with 24 points, six rebounds and three assists. 

Anthony and Stoudemire need to step up on the defensive end, as offense is no longer the main problem with both of them on the court.  Anthony finished -18 tonight and Stoudemire -15, as the effort just was not where it needed to be tonight on the defensive end of the court. 

Raymond Felton really struggled tonight also; turning the ball over six times and being badly outplayed by Raptors point guard Kyle Lowry.  With the point guard struggling, the offense was never able to get into a rhythm and was off all night.  The Knicks need to get back to the pick-and-roll offense, as at times they were very stagnant tonight and just hoisted jump shots from the perimeter.

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Pablo Prigioni and Jason Kidd did have solid games in the backcourt off the bench, combining for nine assists and only two turnovers between them.  Prigioni also showed great effort on the defensive end, getting three steals.

James White was solid for the Knicks tonight too.  After a slow start, White got a talking to from the coaching staff and came back into the game with a sense of urgency and played with higher intensity.  White’s stats won’t jump off the stat sheet, as he scored six points and had two assists, but did play great on the defensive end.  If White can knock down the corner three point shot, he will have a valuable role on the second unit for the Knicks.

The glaring problem tonight for the Knicks was in the paint, as the Raptors outscored the Knicks 46-44 in the paint and out rebounded the Knicks 45-32.  The Knicks did not bring the intensity needed tonight, as the Raptors showed up and brought it to the Knicks.  The Knicks struggled to get second opportunities, as the Raptors attempted 19 more shots than the Knicks did.

Another big discrepancy in the game was in shooting percentages, as the Raptors shot 46.2 percent from the three point line, going 12 for 26 and the Knicks shot a putrid 5 for 27, good for 18.5 percent.  Perimeter defense is something that should be shored up once Ronnie Brewer and Iman Shumpert return from injury, but perimeter shooting can be a problem for the Knicks all season as Steve Novak is the only consistent threat the Knicks have from deep.

Next up for the Knicks is another game against the Celtics Saturday night at 7:30 P.M. in Albany, New York.  The Knicks lineup will have a different look to it, as many starters may not see the court at all.  Amar’e Stoudemire has already been ruled out of the game, as it is the second game of a back to back.

Knicks Take Preseason Opener in Washington

Thursday, October 11, 2012

Final Score: New York Knicks: 108 Washington Wizards: 101

Knicks Take Preseason Opener in Washington

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In what is out of character for a Mike Woodson led team, the Knicks did not have to rely on defense tonight as they scored at a ferocious pace in beating the Wizards 108-101.  The first preseason game saw the Knicks knock down 18 of 33 three point attempts, good for 54.5 percent.

The Knicks got off to a hot start tonight, as Raymond Felton was working the pick-and-roll game fluently with Tyson Chandler.  The Knicks scored 38 points off 11 assists, four of which were from Felton, in the first quarter which ended with the Knicks up 17. 

Felton, whose conditioning has been called into question, looked to be in great shape last night, running the offense well and pushing the tempo when needed.  He showed great explosion and looked like he could have played a full compliment of minutes. 

For as good as the first quarter went, the second quarter was bad.  The starting lineup in the second quarter was Felton, Pablo Prigioni, John Shurna, Steve Novak and Chris Copeland, an average lineup at best that has a very small likelihood of being on the court in regular season play.  The Wizards took advantage of the Knicks lineup, racking up a 22-0 run to start the quarter and get them back in the game. 

The pick-and-roll options were no where to be seen, as Chandler was getting a rest and Amar’e Stoudemire and Marcus Camby were both out with injuries.  The Knicks offense became very stagnant in the second quarter, as they settled for too many jump shots and allowed the Wizards to get into a rhythm and get back into the game. 

The game was close until the fourth quarter, when the Knicks, specifically Steve Novak, J.R. Smith and Prigioni started to heat up and light it up from distance.

Novak was a big difference maker in the game, as he continued right where he left off last season as the best 3 point shooter in the NBA, going 7 for 7 from downtown.  Novak led the Knicks in scoring tonight, totaling 21 points.  Carmelo Anthony, who rested for long portions of the game, totaled 17 points thanks mostly to a strong opening quarter ands taking the Knicks to an early lead.

Anthony will be someone to keep an eye on this season.  He is now the most prominent player in the NBA without a ring with Lebron James winning his first last season and has a lot of people to prove wrong.  Could that change this season?

Anthony is said to be in the best shape of his career, after winning another Olympic gold medal this summer.  Anthony is also healthy this season, as last year he battled through right thumb and left wrist injuries that played into him losing accuracy on his shot.  If Anthony can bring the perimeter shooting from the Olympics with him to the Knicks, he will be a major headache for opposing defenses.  It will be yet another weapon in the arsenal for the Knicks and Mike Woodson to put to use.

The injury report for the Knicks tonight was pretty lengthy, with Stoudemire sitting out with a bruised knee, Camby out with a left calf strain, James White with a sore right hamstring, Rasheed Wallace with a lack of conditioning and Ronnie Brewer, Iman Shumpert and Chris Smith all with knee-related injuries. 

Next up for the Knicks is a visit to the XL Center in Hartford, Connecticut to take on the rival Boston Celtics on October 13 at 7:30 P.M.

Knicks Agree to Contract with James White

Knicks and James White Agree to Contract

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The New York Knicks and forward James White have agreed to a contract.  Specifics were not released, but a person with the agency that represents White believes the contract is a one year deal worth just under the $1.4 million veteran’s minimum.

Many people have no idea who the 6’7” 200 lbs. White is, but he can play.  White had runs in the NBA with the San Antonio Spurs and Houston Rockets in 2006-2007 and 2008-2009 but only appeared in 10 games total.

White has spent his time recently in Italy, where he was very successful.  For the 2010-2011 season, White led the league in scoring at 21.0 points per game for Dinamo Sassari in a transition offense.  This past season, a new revamped offense with Pesaro, White was top three in scoring at 17.1 points per game. 

White will be with the Knicks in Las Vegas, but will not participate in games.  He will be there to meet his new teammates and coaches and to work out, learning the new system he will be a part of with the Knicks.

For anyone who is unfamiliar with White, which is a large portion of fans, follow this link for a ridiculous display he puts on at a slam dunk contest.  White earned the nickname “Flight 75” for his leaping ability.  To see how outstanding it really is, check out this link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vR2XFpaoOxo  

White is notorious for being able to dunk from the foul line, making it look routine.  He is also capable of dunking from that distance while putting the ball between his legs.