New York Knicks: 2018 preseason schedule breakdown
How will the New York Knicks’ 2018 preseason schedule play out this fall?
Training camp will soon start for the New York Knicks, a week-long process to prep the team for the 2018-19 season. In between is the preseason, the five-game schedule to give everyone real on-court reps, even if it means nothing towards the official record.
In August, the Knicks released their official preseason schedule, which starts with an October matchup on the road. Games continue the 12th, before the first regular-season game against the Atlanta Hawks on the 17th.
With games just two-plus weeks away from the preseason, how will everything break down for New York? Who do they receive an early look at?
Washington Wizards: Monday, Oct. 1 and Monday, Oct. 8
The Knicks will have two matchups against the Washington Wizards in the preseason, facing the trio of John Wall, Bradley Beal and Otto Porter for another season. However, if he plays, this s Dwight Howard’s Wizards debut.
Howard joined Washington with some fanfare in the offseason, as it became his fourth team in four years (Houston Rockets, Atlanta Hawks, Charlotte Hornets in the previous three seasons). It’s only the preseason, but how will he mesh with new teammates? New York will see this unfold twice in one week—the first on the road and the other at home.
Outside of Howard, Troy Brown will also make his Wizards debut, as the organization selected him in the 2018 NBA Draft. What, if anything, can be expected from the rookie?
New Orleans Pelicans: Friday, Oct. 5
The lone Western Conference team on the schedule, the New Orleans Pelicans will travel to Madison Square Garden for the third preseason game. They still have Anthony Davis and Jrue Holiday, but lost DeMarcus Cousins and Rajon Rondo in free agency.
This game won’t mean anything, so there’s a chance Davis sits out before the regular season arrives, but it’s a chance for the Knicks frontcourt to work against one of the NBA’s best if he does play.
Brooklyn Nets: Wednesday, Oct. 3 and Friday, Oct. 12
The second and final games of the preseason, the Knicks will stay in New York City to face the Brooklyn Nets. These games don’t have the feel of a New York Jets vs. New York Giants preseason game, since those teams face each other in-season every four years, and the Knicks and Nets battle four times each year. For bragging rights, though, it’s still interesting.
Brooklyn added Kenneth Faried and Shabazz Napier in the offseason, but it still projects to finish outside the top right for the Eastern Conference. That’s unless D’Angelo Russell takes a significant step forward in year two at the Barclays Center.
Top five point guards in NYK history. dark. Next
It’s a quiet preseason for the New York Knicks, which mostly places a spotlight on new faces, like Kevin Knox and Mario Hezonja. Let’s see what transpires on Oct. 1.