Preview: Knicks Face Rising Pistons
The Knicks, a team that has not showed a strong ability to rebound the ball through two games, will face the NBA’s top rebounder Andre Drummond and the Detroit Pistons Tuesday night
In the small sample the Knicks have been able to give us this season, they have proved less than average on the ability to secure rebounds. According to NBA.com, the Knicks’ 41.5 rebounds per game is tied-fifth worst in the NBA, compared to the Pistons’ 50.3, fourth best.
Perhaps the toughest task the Knicks will have to complete to topple the Pistons is cracking what has been phenomenal play by Detroit’s defense. The Pistons are only allowing 91.3 opponent points per game, a whopping 19 points lower than the Knicks’ 110.5.
The team’s offensive scoring efforts are very similar; the Knicks scoring 99.5 points per game to the Pistons 99.
The one saving grace for New York is that arguably its strongest weakness over the last handful of years, defending strong opponent point guards, should be less of a factor due to the fact that Ish Smith is the starting point guard for the Pistons. Are there less talented point guards? Yes. Should Ish Smith be a topic of concern? Hopefully not.
One key matchup in this game is Carmelo Anthony vs. Tobias Harris. Harris was the Pistons’ big trade deadlin acquisition, and it has looked like a solid one so far. Harris is averaging 18.7 points per game so far, leading the Pistons.
Carmelo is Carmelo. Though it would seem he is taking on a lesser role this season to play alongside Derrick Rose and Kristaps Porzingis, he is still Carmelo Anthony, and Anthony gives defenders, especially young ones, hell. Harris has also proven to be an above-average defender, and will have his hands full with Melo. Anthony’s ability to lose Harris with off-ball screens and the promising two-man game with Joakim Noah will be the key factor in his ability to get open and utilize his dominance as a catch and shoot player.
Another matchup that will be fun to watch is Kristaps Porzingis vs. Drummond. Kristaps looks mature, poised and ready to take over the NBA. Drummond has five solid NBA seasons under his belt and is only 23 years old. Porzingis is less experienced and only 21. The combined age of 44 years old makes it safe to say this is a battle we may be getting used to seeing. Drummond’s rebounding ability is very apparent, but he has also made himself a much better offensive player over the course of the last two seasons and will be not be an easy cover for Porzingis. Porzingis will likely spend a lot of time in the post defending Drummond, and will need to be locked in to create good spacing and avoid foul trouble to play the most minutes possible to continue his impact on both ends of the floor.
It is way too early to tell what any NBA team is going to be this season. However, it would seem that both the Knicks and Pistons are trending up the Eastern Conference pecking order. This game will test the Knick’s ability to put up points on a stifling defense and also stop a pair of emerging, young and dominant big men.
— Bailey Carlin, site writer
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