Five Reasons Why the Knicks Will Be Victorious on Opening Night
The New York Knicks will face the Cleveland Cavaliers on opening night. They have a very good chance to start the season off right with a victory.
It’s time to celebrate, New York Knicks fans. The next time we see the Knicks, it’ll be the 2016-17 NBA regular season.
As we all know, and I’m sure we have all had it marked on our calendars, The Knicks will open the season against the reigning NBA champions: the Cleveland Cavaliers.
The Knicks are seen as underdogs by almost everyone for this game, as the Cavaliers have already been picked to go to the NBA Finals.
But obviously as Knicks fans, we disagree. Almost all Knicks fans have put their faith in to this roster.
There’s no reason why the Knicks cannot win or at least be competitive. For this game, the Knicks have a lot going for them. It surely will be a fun one to watch.
Here are five reasons why the Knicks will defeat the Cavaliers on Opening Night.
5. Ring Day Jitters
The Cleveland Cavaliers will be receiving their NBA championship rings on opening night. This Championship means a ton more than recent championships.
The Cavs will be celebrating their first title ever. They’re will definitely be some nervousness throughout the game.
In LeBron James’ first game back in Cleveland a few years prior, they faced the Knicks and lost. That team featured Travis Wear and Samuel Dalembert getting big minutes. This was also the Knicks team that only won 17 games.
The 2016-17 squad is obviously better than that team, and the Cavaliers getting their ring is bigger than James’ first game back in Cleveland.
4. The Knicks’ Championship Motivation
To go in hand with Cleveland receiving their rings, the Knicks have to watch them do that. No team ever wants to watch that.
Only two players on the Knicks’ roster have won a championship—Justin Holiday and Sasha Vujacic—so everyone will be fired up.
Coach Hornacek has said in an interview that he wants the Knicks to be angry while the rings are being distributed. That was the best thing a coach could say for that situation.
The team should be motivated very heavily by having to watch another team celebrate in front of them.
3. Media Naysayers
The Knicks have been the most scrutinized NBA team in the media. Everyone criticizes the Knicks and thinks that it’s crazy to believe that New York will make the playoffs.
The media continued on and on for weeks about Derrick Rose calling the Knicks a “super team,” although that’s not exactly what he said. Stephen A. Smith ranted about Carmelo Anthony saying he would be content with his career if he never won a championship. He later apologized.
The Knicks can begin to prove the media wrong by hanging with the Cavaliers opening night, and hopefully they will begin to open their eyes.
2. Derrick Rose’s Frustration
Derrick Rose’s trial recently came to an end. While the trial was going on, the media turned on him completely, bashing him at every chance they got.
Now that he was ruled as innocent, he now has a chance to prove to the basketball world that he still has what it takes to be an elite player.
Rose is also in the last year of his contract, so he has a lot more to prove.
From his only preseason game, Rose looked very good. He pushed the ball up court very quickly, and finished layups at the rim like he use to.
1. Potentially Having More Talent
Yes, the most controversial one: the Knicks may be more talented than the Cavaliers. Lets look at the match-ups.
A healthy Derrick Rose can be better than Kyrie Irving and that was shown in the 2015 Eastern Conference Semifinals.
Courtney Lee plays with more efficiency than J.R. Smith, as well as taking better shots, but his credit is never given to him.
Carmelo Anthony is great, but it’s obvious that LeBron James is better.
Kevin Love’s decline in play is obvious to everyone and Kristaps Porzingis is on the rise, therefore one could favor the young forward from Latvia.
.Lastly, Noah defends better than Tristan Thompson, but Thompson’s rebounding is on another level, so the edge may have to go to Thompson.
Must Read: Five keys to defeating the Cleveland Cavaliers
What do you think? Can the Knicks upset the Cavaliers? Hit the comments section and let us know.