Blazers @ NYK Game Preview (12/7/14):
Them: 4-17, 4th in NBA Atlantic Division
Our Last game: W v. MEM 88-82, 12/4/14.
ESPN said:
The Blazers shot a season-worst 39.8 percent and scored what is by far their season low but still defeated Indiana 88-82 on Thursday night.
"That was one of those grind-it-out, ugly wins. Both teams missed shots, 3s, everything. But a win's a win," said LaMarcus Aldridge, who had 18 points and 13 rebounds but was 7 of 21 from the field.
Damian Lillard, who scored 23, jammed his finger during the game and appeared to be in a lot of pain, but X-rays were negative and he should be good to go against the Knicks.
Their Last game: L @ CHA, 103-102
ESPN said:
The Knicks stormed back from 20 down late in the third quarter behind 32 points from Carmelo Anthony to take the lead with less than a minute left. But Anthony missed a midrange jumper and the Hornets grabbed the rebound to set up the winning shot.
The Knicks were outrebounded 41-34 and fell behind 80-60 late in the third quarter.
"Once (the deficit) was so bad, we didn't have any choice but to compete," Fisher said. "It is good they showed that, but it was too late."
Changes to their roster
BasketballInsiders said:
The New York Knicks appeared to be a team on the rise in 2013 but embarrassingly came crashing back down to earth, with a thud, during the 2013-14 campaign. Newly crowned president of basketball operations Phil Jackson started the housecleaning process at the end of the season, shipping starters Raymond Felton and Tyson Chandler to the Dallas Mavericks for Jose Calderon. Jackson then hired freshly retired Derek Fisher to serve as the team’s head coach for his rebuilding project. Lastly, Jackson was able to convince All-Star forward Carmelo Anthony to re-sign with the organization after a whirlwind free agency process. The Knicks don’t have the hype they did this time last year heading into training camp, but expect the team to be better on the court.
Barring trade, the Knicks roster appears set at 15 players, with 14 fully guaranteed, and almost half of Samuel Dalembert’s $4.1 million deal locked in. New York should have spending power next summer, with Amar’e Stoudemire’s $23.4 million and Andrea Bargnani’s $11.5 million coming off the team’s books. In the meantime, the Knicks are deep into the luxury tax with an early estimate of $27.2 million in penalties. The team used its primary spending tool, the Taxpayer Mid-Level Exception, on Jason Smith, limited since to minimum contracts. New York does have a $3.6 million traded player exception for Raymond Felton that won’t expire until June 25, 2015. As a team over the tax threshold, the Knicks do not have access to the $2.1 million Bi-Annual Exception
Injury Updates: CJ McCollum, Out (finger). Will Barton (day-to-day)
New York: Andrea Bargnani (out), Cleanthony Early (day-to-day)
Matchups:
PG: Damian Lillard v. Jose Calderon (12.1ppg, 4.1rpg, 4.9apg, 47% 3pt)
SG: Wesley Matthews v. Iman Shumpert (9.9ppg, 3.5rpg, 3.1apg)/JR Smith (9.5ppg, 3.4apg, 30% 3pt)
SF: Nic Batum v. Carmelo Anthony (23.2ppg, 6.4rpg, 3.4apg)
PF: LaMarcus Aldridge v. Amar’e Stoudamire (12.8ppg, 7.8rpg)
C: Robin Lopez v. Samuel Dalembert (4.2ppg, 5.6rpg)
Give-a-Rip (City) Factor—a.k.a. why you should watch: First game on a long road trip (for some chat about it, take a look at
this shameless plug). A chance to get off the offensive schneid. To see how jacked up Derek Fisher (and his implementation of the Triangle Offense) is. To see if Barton, Leonard, and Robinson will combine for more than 20 minutes. To see some long-range shooting between Dame/Wes and Calderon/Prigioni. To see if Amar’e’s carcass (can you use two apostrophes like that) does enough that LaMarcus actually has to play defense today.
Current Power Rankings:
RipCityTwo (PtldPlatypus): (24) A spate of injuries to their starters would actually be the best thing that could happen to this squad. A Larkin/Hardaway/Early lineup will only happen in my imagination.
ESPN: (27) The committee happened to be in the building for the Knicks' two finest performances of the season: Cleveland away and Dallas away. Yet our ability to brag about this promptly perished after we dared to follow the Knicks to OKC, where they no-showed against the returning Russell Westbrook?
Covers.com (26) I don't care if they run the triangle or around in circles, this team stinks.
NBA.com (27) Pace: 92.1 (30), OffRtg: 100.8 (22), DefRtg: 107.2 (26), NetRtg: -6.4 (25)
The Knicks are a weird team. They rank seventh in 3-point percentage, but 22nd in offensive efficiency. And they rank first in opponent field goal percentage in the restricted area, but 26th in defensive efficiency. The problems are that they don't get enough shots near the basket, can't defend shots away from it, and have a huge free throw disparity.
Link to Grandpa Blaze's Prediction Game
No MediocreMan's Over/Under game today
Links to other team’s site(s):
http://www.nba.com/knicks/ Knicks’ NBA page
Final Thoughts: Interested to see how long Stotts leaves the starters in. But I think our offense is too much for their D, and our Defense too strong for whatever is being called an “offense” in Gotham. I get the feeling that some of you in the forum would look less overmatched than Fisher, and I can’t possibly see Phil Jackson look uncomfortable enough. Blazers big, and resting the guys early.
Blazers 122
NYK 97
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BLAZERS' GAME NOTES 
