The Raptors have had trouble with the Knicks recently. It’s time to turn that around.
The Toronto Raptors visit the Big Apple to meet the perpetually rebuilding Knicks. I had postulated a few weeks ago that Dwane Casey should be a Coach of the Year candidate if the Raptors post a 50+ win season, and enjoy a deep playoff run. Another factor in his favour: the number of coaches who have been fired this season. Dwane hasn’t got as many competitors! Derek Fisher was dumped by Knicks GM Phil Jackson several weeks ago, and Kurt Rambis is now the bench boss. Fisher was the fifth coach fired so far in 2105-16.
Apparently Fisher angered the Knicks’ suits when he went on the record as saying that making the playoffs wasn’t his primary goal. I’ve no idea why that opinion got up their nose; unless you bleed blue & orange, you can’t seriously have believed this team was top-8 material.
The Knicks are certainly better than last year’s 17-65 pushovers. Their rookie centre/forward Kristaps Porzingis has electrified the fans with a most impressive display of skills. In most years, he’d be a shoo-in for Rookie of the Year, though I suspect he’ll take second money to Minnesota’s youthful beast, Karl-Anthony Towns. Carmelo Anthony can still score at an All-Star rate, though he needs a lot of help on defense. Robin Lopez is the lesser of the Lopez twins, but he’s a useful defender who contributes the occasional bucket. Arron Afflalo is a wily veteran who isn’t flashy, takes what the defense offers, and hits a bunch of shots. Jose Calderon is listed as the point guard, which should bring a smile to Kyle Lowry’s face. I love Jose, but he was a poor defender 8 years ago, and is nearly hopeless today. That he’s playing so many minutes is an indicator of the Knicks’ weakness at a critical position.
The Knicks’ bench isn’t much to brag about. They have scraped together some kids (Jerian Grant, Cleanthony Early, who’s out for an extended period after being shot(!) in the knee), retreads (Lou Amundson, Derrick Williams, Kevin Seraphin), D-League “graduates” (Langston Galloway, Jimmer Fredette, if he signs in time)…not much to build on.
Yet the Knicks manage to hang around a lot of games. It’s rather silly to say they have taken on the personality of their coach; Rambis just got there. But he was perhaps the least talented player I’ve ever seen enjoy a lengthy career in the NBA. He hustled, tipped passes, battled on the boards (like Dennis Rodman, Rambis seldom shot after pulling down an offensive rebound), and his teams won.
Expect a battle, but one the Raptors can win easily if they…:
- …keep the Knicks’ scorers in check. Thank you, Captain Obvious. But the question is how to keep ‘Melo and Porzingis from dominating. The answer is to work Anthony extremely hard at the defensive end. Clear out the paint, and let DeMar DeRozan make some magic one on one. With KP6, the tactics are different. He’s young and eager, but not physically strong. Lean on him.
- …keep them out of the paint. This team shots 33.6% from deep, which is waaay down there. In a chicken and egg fashion, they don’t try long balls either. With few floor spacers, the Raptors can play loose. Let them prove they can make shots.
- …run. The Knicks are dead last in fast-break points, which isn’t a surprise considering the number of career minutes played by Calderon and Anthony. They can’t score that way, and they aren’t likely to be able to defend either.
The Raptors donated a victory to this team early in the season. It’s payback time. Toronto 106-New York 89.