The Essentials:
Wizards (1-2) vs. Knicks (2-2)
7:30 p.m.
Madison Square Garden
TV: CSN+
Radio: 106.7 The Fan
Notable early Knicks numbers this season
11th in expected winning percentage (.534)
7th in pace factor (97.6 possessions per game
16th in offensive efficiency (106.3 points/100 possessions)
13th in defensive efficiency (105.3 points/100 possessions
| Tonight's Starters | ||
|---|---|---|
| Wizards | vs. | Knicks |
| John Wall (!!!) | PG | Raymond Felton |
| Kirk Hinrich | SG | Landry Fields |
| Al Thornton | SF | Danilo Gallinari |
| Andray Blatche | PF | Amare Stoudemire |
JaVale McGee | C | Timofey Mozgov |
Gilbert Arenas is playing! Gilbert Arenas is playing! Yippee! Look, for all the drama surrounding Arenas over the years, it's nice to see him actually playing and developing chemistry with John Wall. I'm not sure it'll click right away, but that's why you stay patient and see what happens. Playing against a Knicks team that isn't as good defensively as their early-season numbers indicate and is tired from last night will be a good thing. Arenas should be able to get open looks -- though unsung rookie Landry Fields is a good defender -- and if he is aggressive, he can get to the rack on these guys. The Knicks go for a lot of blocks, which should suit Arenas' style well, assuming he's healthy.
John Wall should do well tonight, but he has to take care of the ball. The Knicks forced a lot of turnovers on the Bulls last night, and will definitely go for big plays to get out in the open floor. Make quick decisions and you should be okay, but if you linger too much, they'll make you pay.
Speaking of the Bulls, I wrote about this for my daily SB Nation feature, but they had a poor scheme going against the Knicks. They tried to contain the point guard on the initial pick and roll, sagging off the Knicks' shooters too much. Right now, the biggest difference between these Knicks and the Mike D'Antoni Suns is that the Knicks don't have Steve Nash, so I don't get this strategy. I say let Raymond Felton or Toney Douglas beat you, not the shooters. I also think the Wizards should let Amare Stoudemire get his, to a certain extent. Double team off the dribble, not off the catch. The worst thing you can do is empower all those shooters.
Game time is at 7:30 tonight. GO WIZARDS!