Game Preview: Opening Night as Knicks Welcome Bulls
By TJ Jann
The New York Knicks will take on the Chicago Bulls tonight to open the regular season. An intriguing matchup to start off the year, the Knicks will have a lot to prove tonight against one of the NBA’s best teams. After Carmelo Anthony spurned the Bulls to re-sign with the Knicks (maybe $124 million had something to do with it?), all eyes will be on the franchise player to see if he made the right decision. While it will be silly to gauge whether he made the right decision or not based off of opening night, it would be a huge statement by Melo and company if they can pull off the victory tonight.
The Knicks had mixed results in a preseason that saw the team go 3-4. Derek Fisher tried a lot of different starting lineup combinations throughout the seven games, but due to various injuries, the Knicks have yet to settle on their starting five. Jose Calderon should make his return to the lineup tonight after missing the last couple of games with a calf strain. The Knicks will lean heavily on Calderon tonight in a game where the Knicks will need crisp ball movement against a stellar Chicago defense.
The excitement has been building around the Knicks since Phil Jackson took over the team at the end of the 2013-14 season, and tonight the Knicks will have the opportunity to show the world that last year was a fluke. Chicago and New York split the season series last year, so the Knicks will look to get the upper-hand on the Bulls tonight at The Garden.
Notable Injuries:
New York: Andrea Bargnani (Out)
Chicago: Jimmy Butler (Out)
What To Watch For…
- Point Guard Matchup: The Knicks and Bulls both have new players running the point for their teams tonight. While the Knicks have a completely different player, the Bulls welcome back their star who has been out the last two years with serious knee injuries. This is the most important matchup of the night as Derrick Rose is Chicago’s best offensive weapon, while Jose Calderon is New York’s biggest defensive liability. Will Fisher start Iman Shumpert on him to hopefully slow him down? How will Rose play after a two year absence?
- Rebounding the Basketball: The Bulls are one of the best rebounding teams in the NBA, and the Knicks were one of the worst rebounding teams last year. However, the Knicks have won the rebounding battle in nearly every game this preseason, so look for this match to be more even this time around. Joakim Noah and Tahj Gibson are good hard-nosed players, so the Knicks will need all the toughness they can get out of new acquisitions Samuel Dalembert, Quincy Acy, and Jason Smith.
- Who are the Starting Five?: The Knicks have yet to settle on starting lineup as of this morning. However, it would appear as though Fisher is leaning toward a Calderon, Shumpert, Melo, Jason Smith, and Dalembert lineup. While that is a good mix, would it be better to start Acy knowing the front court presence the Bulls have? And while these players may be the starters, who gets the crunch time minutes when the Knicks need the ability to score and get a big time stop? The rotations should be interesting to watch.
- Defense: Highlighted as one of the worst defensive teams in the NBA last year, the Knicks have made efforts to improve this year with their offseason acquisitions. They are also playing a new defensive style that is much different from Mike Woodson‘s constant switching. While they flashed improvement this preseason, the Knicks had serious lapses, most notably giving up 120 points to the Bucks.
- Who is Going to Stop Melo?: With Jimmy Butler out, who is going to matchup with Carmelo Anthony on defense? Melo has the ability to score 40 on any given night, but without Butler, the Bulls will be hard pressed to guard the offensive machine in Anthony. Look for Melo to have a big game tonight. Like last year, it may come down to whether or not his supporting cast can pull through.
Be sure to follow us on Twitter @DailyKnicksFS for up to date commentary. We also will be running a giveaway to our followers for tonight’s game. Check out the Twitter page for more details.
Game recap will be posted shortly after the game. Hopefully it will be a pleasant one.