The Knicks are fighting for their playoff lives, while the Raptors are enjoying their winning streak. Which team will be disappointed tonight?
The New York Knicks arrive at the Air Canada Centre for the sixth of seven games in the Toronto Raptors homestand. Like the departed Washington Wizards, the Knicks are in a foul mood. The blue & orange men have lost 3 straight, and may be without the services of Carmelo Anthony. He did not dress in Tuesday night’s OT loss to the OKC Thunder and is listed as questionable for this game.
Similarly, the Raptors may be without Kyle Lowry, whose wrist was badly sprained late in the Wiz game. If both teams are missing their marquee players, guessing the game’s outcome becomes all but impossible.
The Knicks have been energized by the amazingly rapid emergence of Latvian rookie Kristaps Porzingis. The skinny giant was booed by Knicks fans when his name was called in the draft, but he’s turned frowns upside-down with his fine play. He’s an all-columns-full player already; he scores from near and far, crashes the boards, blocks shots, makes his free throws. His future’s so bright he’ll have to wear shades.
Robin Lopez, Brook’s brother, mans the centre position, meaning the Knicks are about as far away from small ball as a team can get. Robin isn’t the player his twin is, but he’s better than an empty locker, and will bother Jonas Valanciunas without mercy.
If Anthony plays, the Knicks have an All-Star calibre small forward. If he sits, presumably Derrick Williams will get the prestige slot. Williams was the #2 pick in the 2011 draft, but wore out his welcome in Minnesota and Sacramento. He’s unlikely ever to become someone worthy of the high selection, but he’s not a trainwreck either. He seems to get his baskets in the flow of the game, and is coming off 2 straight 19-point performances.
The Knicks backcourt features two starters on the backend of their careers, Arron Afflalo and Jose Calderon. Afflalo, now with his fifth team (or sixth, if you count Denver twice) in 8 years, can shoot and move well within a team’s offensive structure. He’s not a quality defender, a statement which can be made in CAPITALS about Calderon. Even as a young man in Toronto, he couldn’t stay in front of many opponents’ quick point guards. At age 34, he’s got little chance, and best hope Kyle Lowry is sidelined. Jose didn’t last as long as he has without being cagey, and can steer his driving opponent into the paint protectors. He will not be able to prevent Kyle from getting off his jump shot.
The Knicks’ bench can’t compare with the Raptors’ at the moment. Kevin Seraphin has never moved past the promising stage, and is lucky to have a job. Langston Galloway’s story gives hope to everyone still banging around the D-League in their mid-twenties. He’s the Knicks’ version of Jamario Moon. I don’t think he’ll have a long career, but to have one at all, given where he was, is remarkable. Jerian Grant will be a player within a few years, but Lou Amundson, Sasha Vujacic and the others won’t.
The Raptors would dearly love to set a team record with their tenth straight victory, and can do so if they…:
- …get a body on Porzingis. Is it crazy to suggest starting both JV and Bismack Biyombo? Of course it is, but if the Raptors are going to contain the Knicks’ Twin Towers, they’ll need to do something different. Put Patrick Patterson on Porzingis? That’s what I’m talking about.
- …run – no, faster than that. Their backcourt has no chance in a sprint with ours. It’s time to play speedball. Watch the transition game. If the Raptors win that handily, the game is theirs.
- …burn their second unit. Theirs has little chance of having 4 men in double figures, ours does. Terrence Ross needs to be the trigger man once again.
The Raptors have not played well recently against the Knicks, including an irksome home defeat in November. Time to turn that around. Toronto 105-Knicks 96.