It was opening night in the NBA this past Wednesday!

Following the disappointing early exit for my beloved Yankees (we just can’t seem to get over that ALCS hump), we turn to basketball season to get us through the fall and winter. I’ve challenged myself to watch and all 82 Knicks games for the 2019-20 season, one I believe will lay the will lay the groundwork for a competitive future. It’s been a long dry spell for the orange and blue—this year is the 50th anniversary of the Knicks first title—and we need something to look forward to. I’ve predicted a 38-44 season this year, which is more than double last season’s franchise-worst win total. It may be enough to sneak us into the playoffs, but more realistically, it’ll likely land us another lottery pick. I’m going to try to write about the games as I watch them, and post my stream of consciousness about it.

I’m also curious about the Brooklyn Nets. I mean, for most of my life, the Nets were Jersey. It’s not their fault, I guess, but still. Back then, being Jersey was almost as bad as being Boston. Now, they’re on Flatbush and Atlantic Avenues, and have been for almost a decade. Do I have Jersey hate for them? No, of course not. They shed the label and wholly embraced being Brooklyn’s team. I can respect that. I grew up a Knicks fan, though, and I can’t break that fandom. The Nets will just end up as my number 2 team. Yes, I grew up in Brooklyn. No, that doesn’t entitle them to my unwavering support. I will cheer for them, except when they play the Knicks.

Cool? Let’s begin.

(Note: I watched this game on Thursday via NBA All Access)

1st Quarter:

The Knicks unveiled an unexpected starting 5 tonight, with rookie R.J. Barrett at the point guard and Allonzo Trier at the 2. Marcus Morris got the start over Kevin Knox and the Spurs fans do NOT like him. Julius Randle is starting at the 3 and Bobby Portis is starting at center for the injured Mitchell Robinson.

RJ seems comfortable handling the ball. He seems to have settled more into his game since Summer League.

Morris is getting booed every time he touches the ball. Not unexpected.

RJ looks solid defensively.

We need to rebound better, especially on offense.

Team defense already looks better than last year, but we need to defend the perimeter better.

We can’t buy a bucket in the early going. That’s frustrating. 1-6 from three-point range is unacceptable. That’s, like, John Starks in the 1994 finals bad. Sorry Starks, you’re still one of my favorite all-time Knicks.

Maybe RJ shouldn’t run the offense.

Morris is aggressive on D, and I’m a huge fan of that.

The Knicks are forcing enough turnovers to mitigate the lack of offense. It shouldn’t be close for as bad as we’ve shot the ball so far.

Randle shoots a lot.

Good hands from RJ Barrett as he forces a turnover to score. Knicks cut the lead to 1.

Knox in for Morris.

Taj Gibson has never been a 3PT shooter in my memory. Why is he chucking them up?

Wayne Ellington in for Barrett. The defense seems to lag when Barrett and Morris are off the floor.

Dennis Smith, Jr. is great at getting to the rim. Defensively struggling against Paddy Mills. Smith’s shot seems weak, but I’ll attribute that to his back injury. His pull-up 3 barely made the rim. He looks like his legs aren’t quite there yet.

Knox seems lost on defense.

Ellington misses a 3. Team is 1-9 from deep.

1st Quarter score: Spurs 22, Knicks 15.

High-level defense has kept us in this game, as bad as we’ve shot so far.

2nd Quarter:

Interior defense seems improved with Gibson and Morris on the floor.

DSJ is still not finding his shot.

Transition defense is a problem.

Knox hit a 3. If he’s consistent, that’s a great weapon at his size.

At 6’9”, Taj Gibson is a little undersized at center. It makes passing out of double-teams an issue.

Knox looks confident putting the ball on the floor and driving to the hoop. The extra size he put on serves a purpose.

The Knicks’ perimeter defense issues from the preseason continue. They’re taking and making a bunch.

Marcus Morris has great footwork in the low block. Bully-ball, for real. He could give teams some serious headaches.

Transition defense is subpar. Perimeter defense is subpar. Oy.

Morris with 3PT range. He’s our only consistent scorer so far, it seems. Underrated as a player.

Elfrid Payton is in for DSJ. He’s more of a traditional, pass-first point guard.

Our best defensive lineup tonight includes Barrett, Morris, and Portis. Payton isn’t a slouch either.

Knicks are playing some really tough D. If we could only score consistently.

End of 2nd Quarter. Spurs 59, Knicks 51.

Julius Randle found his stride. He and Marcus Morris make a good scoring tandem.

3rd Quarter:

Allonzo Trier is sitting to open the 2nd half, and Payton is running the point. RJ is moved to the off-guard slot. We’ve learned that RJ Barrett is not a point guard.

Barrett is really impressing me with his ballhandling and drive skills. He gets to the basket whenever he wants to. He’s imposing his will and not forcing the issue. That’s a unique combo. His basketball IQ is a big plus. He’s in the right place at the right time and moves well without the ball. And he avoids dumb fouls on defense, which is a big deal, especially for a rookie.

When Morris gets hot, he’s the best player on this team.

Wow, RJ Barrett is fearless!

End of 3rd Quarter: Knicks 84, Spurs 83.

The defense has been stellar. Barrett is impressing me as a rookie with how well he defends his position.

4th Quarter:

Kevin Knox can hit an open 3. That’s a good thing to know.

Our interior defense is better with Portis than Gibson.

Perimeter defense is still a problem.

Randle’s stat line so far is solid: 25 points, 9 rebounds, 5 assists.

Knox can’t stay in front of DeMar DeRozan.

Uh-oh. Randle’s hurt.

I think we’re learning that Knox is not a good defender.

The Spurs are mounting a comeback, and we’re getting desperate. We’re chucking up bad shots. The Spurs have gone on a 10-0 run.

Randle’s back up. That’s a good sign.

Barrett attacks the rim mercilessly. We haven’t had a player this good at the drive since Latrell Sprewell.

Randle had a cramp. He’s back.

The Knicks lost the lead on an 18-0 run. Our best defensive lineup seems to be Payton, Morris, Barrett, Portis, and Randle. At least until Mitchell Robinson is back from injury.

Final score: Spurs 120, Knicks 111

The Knicks showed a ton of heart and upside, but there’s some kinks to work out, especially regarding our point guard rotation. Payton has the starter job right now, in my opinion. DSJ looked not quite right, probably because of his lower back injury. Frank Ntilikina wasn’t on the floor long enough to get a real read on him. Allonzo Trier shouldn’t start… at least not yet. Kevin Knox needs to do some serious work on defense if he ever expects to regain a starting role.

Marcus Morris led all scorers with 26. Julius Randle settled down and ended with a double-double, 25 points and 11 boards. RJ Barrett had a solid debut with 25 points and 5 boards. He got to the rim frequently and shot efficiently, 9-13 on the night. If the Knicks are serious about winning this year, those three guys need to be on the floor. A lot.

#basketball #2019 #Knicks #NBA #sports #NewYork