Knicks look to get back over .500 in road trip finale before a tough stretch of games.
Is tonight’s game against the Hawks a must-win? Conventionally speaking, far from it.
The Knicks have struggled to maintain any sort of consistency early on, looking formidable and cohesive on some nights while disheveled, stagnant, and weak defensively on other nights. But everybody, at least the patient fans, knew that this would be a work in progress, and it’s been just six games. A Wednesday night game in early November shouldn’t hold so much weight. But look at the schedule ahead.
Awaiting the Knicks are the Bucks, Pacers, and Sixers. And yes, we’re well aware that those three teams have a combined record of 5-15. But that record isn’t indicative of just how good any of those teams can be on any given night.
The Bucks recently lost to the undefeated Cavaliers by just two points despite missing Giannis Antetokounmpo. The Pacers just beat the two finals teams from last season, the Celtics and Mavericks, in the span of three games and will likely be looking to avenge their embarrassing loss to the Knicks from a couple of weeks ago. And the Sixers, who’ll be looking for some revenge of their own, just got Paul George back and could very well welcome back Joel Embiid when they play the Knicks in the NBA Cup opener.
Moreover, even when the “tough” stretch of the schedule passes, the Knicks will face off against a Bulls team followed by back-to-back games against the Nets. Neither teams strike fear in anyone but both have over-performed thus far this season and there’s no guaranteeing that the Knicks win all of those games either.
New York, given their recent success against most of those teams, could come out of the upcoming stretch looking tested and better for it. But it would behoove them to take care of business tonight against a rebuilding 3-5 Hawks team tonight. Luckily for the Knicks, the numbers and matchup suggests they have a good chance to do so.
Atlanta has struggled mightily defensively and comes into tonight ranking 28th in the league in points given up per game at a whopping 121.9 PPG, and also last in the league in opponent three-point percentage at 39.8%. Offensively though, they’ve been much better. They rank in the top 10 in points per game, free throws made per game, and assist %, but a lot of it seems to be somewhat buoyed by their fast pace (third fastest in the league) as they rank in the bottom half in overall offensive rating.
That bodes well for a Knicks team that is the slowest-paced team in the league. If they can take control of the game’s pace, stay out of foul trouble (something they’ve been good at), and take advantage of the Hawks’ poor defense, New York should be able to win this one comfortably.
Projected Starters
All eyes will be on the point guard matchup as Jalen Brunson squares off against Trae Young. The latter has put up some decent counting stats, averaging 23.9 PPG, and a league-leading 11 APG. But he’s struggled with efficiency, shooting just 39.2% from the field and 30.7% from three.
Young is joined by third-year standout, Dyson Daniels, who has taken a big leap in his first season as a Hawk. Despite starting just 27 games in his first two seasons as a Pelican, the 6’7” guard has turned into an almost ideal backcourt mate to Young with his relentless defense, and ability to play off the ball. He’s currently averaging 12.5 PPG, and 4 RPG, and will be the one guarding Brunson for the majority of the night.
Starting at small forward will be Jalen Johnson, who as many had expected, has taken another step this season. So far, he’s posting career-highs across the board, averaging 18.4 PPG, 10 RPG, and 5.1 APG, while shooting 43% from the field.
Rookie Zaccharie Risacher, who was the number-one pick this past summer, has started six of their eight games and figures to do so again tonight. As most rookies do, the French national has had his share of ups and downs, scoring less than eight points in four of their eight games, while shooting just 35.4% from the field on the season. That being said, he is coming off of back-to-back double-digit scoring games.
Clint Capela, who has seemingly been on the trading block forever now, remains a Hawk, and remains the starter. But he isn’t even the center that averages the most minutes per game on this team. That honor goes to 23-year-old Onyeka Okongwu, who averages 1.7 minutes per game more than the veteran Capela.
Injury Report
Atlanta: Trae Young (ribs) probable, De’Andre Hunter (knee) questionable, David Roddy (illness) questionable, Cody Zeller (personal) out, Seth Lundy (ankle) out
New York: Cameron Payne (hamstring) is doubtful; Mitchell Robinson (foot), Precious Achiuwa (hamstring), and Kevin McCullar Jr. (knee) all remain out
Prediction
Despite being just 3-5, the Hawks do some things nicely. They play with a fast pace, are adept at drawing fouls, and are led by a point guard who can take over and win a game by himself on any given night. Meanwhile, New York is still looking to solidify their identity as they try to gel as they go and that’s led to them struggling to look like the best versions of themselves on a consistent basis. But the Knicks just have much more talent, and experience. On top of that, the Hawks have leaned towards playing in drop coverage, something that the Pacers, Heat, and Pistons all did to limited success against the Knicks. If New York can attack that drop coverage with better play from Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns, they should be able to take advantage of the Hawks’ horrendous three-point defense and end their road trip with a comfortable win to improve to 4-3.
Game Details
Who: New York Knicks at Atlanta Hawks
When: Wednesday November 6, 2024 at 7:30 p.m. ET
Where: State Farm Arena, Atlanta, GA
Watch: MSG Network, NBA League Pass
Follow: @ptknicksblog