Hey Vegas, I’ll take the under.
Before the game, Jeff Van Gundy said the Knicks could win 45-50 games if the starters stay healthy. Given that the starters were between -19 and -24, I’m not sure if that’s true. The obvious problem was defense, as the team gave up 68 points in the half, including a putrid 41 point second quarter. If this is what the team will look like in the games Noah misses, then New York is in for a long winter.
I’m going to pass on the starters, and talk about the bench. Brandon Jennings made some nice looking passes, but I don’t care if he’s Magic Johnson, shooting 2-10 will never cut it. Justin Holliday appeared to be equally as cold (1-6, 4pts).
On the positive side, Willy Hernangomez earned some praise from Van Gundy who said something to the effect that he “looks like an NBA player.” Maurice Ndour was quietly +6, chipping in 2 steals. Mindaugas Kuzminskas somehow ended up with 7 points, but I can’t say I was fully paying attention to him.
The best takeaway from tonight’s game was Porzingis. In the first minute of play, he confidently took a mid-post jumper, blocked a shot, grabbed an offensive rebound, and made the Knicks first bucket. He sunk 5 of 6 from downtown, which was impressive. If this is the future, I can’t wait until tomorrow. (But I’m still taking the under…)