Preview
Knicks Host Wizards as Season Winds Down
Only four more games for New York, how low can they go?
Washington (47–31) has destroyed New York (30–48) in all three previous matchups this season. But the Knicks are fresh off the heels of victory against the Chicago Bulls, who were on a four-game win streak before crashing headfirst into the late, great ghost of Carmelo Anthony (may he rest in peace on a contender).
The fourth and final game between these two teams is shaping up to be very interesting. The Wizards, a half game behind the Toronto Raptors, look to regain their share of third seed in the Eastern Conference, while the Knicks seem hellbent on playing spoiler.
With the season at its end, let’s take a look at the state of the Knicks.
Porzingis doubtful against Wizards
Kristaps Porzingis sat out of Tuesday’s win over the Bulls with back pain, and he’s still listed as day-to-day heading into tonight’s matchup with the Wizards. He could be dealing with some real issues, or this could be the front office desperately trying to lose games to better their draft position (more on this later). Or it could be both, although if the Knicks want to tank that bad, why play ‘Melo? Just do what the Lakers do and roll out an AAU team.
Tank Watch postponed
The Knicks are winning at the worst possible time from a tanking perspective. With Derrick Rose’s (very) underwhelming season ending to the sound of silent-but-deadly flatulence — via a meniscus tear in his left knee — the Knicks are in need of a point guard. Really, they’ve needed one for a long time. Can you even remember the last great Knicks floor general? Linsanity? Jason “I’m two months away from coaching” Kidd? Vaseline-eating, greatest player to ever play in the Chinese Basketball Association Stephon Marbury? Wait, what am I talking about? The answer is definitely Ron Baker.
There’s a serious need for the Knicks to do something productive with their pick in the draft this year. A loaded point guard class is incoming, and New York is projected to land high in the lottery. Which is why fans are furious that the Knicks chose now, of all times, to start playing decent to below-average basketball.
This may seem counter-intuitive to non-sports fans, but Knicks diehards will pray to their Andrea Bargnani shrines tonight that they lose against the Wizards.
Ron Baker, playmaker
This isn’t a joke. Baker is a legit combo guard. He’ll never start at the 1 for a good team, but he can fill heavy minutes at either backcourt position. That kind of lineup flexibility is what coaching staffs use to build solid rotations around their bigger stars. It’s what hoops minds really mean when they refer to “glue guys” — malleable players that hold misshapen, but talented pieces together on the court.
Here’s what head coach Jeff Hornacek had to say about Baker (from the NY Post):
“Guys like that [combo guards] are valuable in the league,’’ Hornacek said. “You’re not just strictly just relying on him at the 2. You can play him off the ball, you can play him on the ball. If he’s playing the point, he can get us into the offense. He’s smart about calling out the plays. And he’s a tough defender. Early on, playing against point guards, he was keeping guys in front of him.’’
No, the man ‘Melo calls “Ron Burgundy” isn’t Chris Paul. But he’s bigger than most point guards, he’s got sharp court vision, and his basketball I.Q. is healthy enough that he can create small advantages within an offense. Not flashy, but invaluable. Every championship team needs non-superstars that can do this…
In the first play of that clip, Baker probes the pick-and-roll until he finds the right window to zip the ball over to Willy Hernangómez. Simple, right? Yes, and no. Baker does all the little things right, even if the pass isn’t a gorgeous no-look like the ones you’d find in a Ricky Rubio highlight. Baker’s tempo is excellent, his handle is well-protected, and the pass comes as soon as Big Willy rolls into his window. Opportunities like these mostly vanish in the playoffs. Initial high-screen coverage gets tighter, and teams can perfect specific game plans for every opposing ball-handler. All a team can expect from the first screen-and-roll in a playoff game is to soften up the defense. And to do that, you need a reliable, steady, se.fless playmaker. Enter Ron Baker.
(Addendum: Sometimes, those initial high screens from non-superstars do yield great results. Remember when Matthew Dellavedova exploded against the Warriors in the NBA Finals? Well, you might want to sit down when I tell you this, but Ron Baker is the rich man’s Matthew Dellavedova. And mark my words, he’ll make a significant contribution in the postseason at some point in his career. Hopefully, it’ll be with the Knicks.)
Tip-off is at 7:30 pm EST at Madison Square Garden.
UPDATE: 6:49pm EST.
Kristaps Porzingis is out tonight. Sorry, folks (via ESPN’s Ian Begley).
— Harrison Liao, site writer
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