New York Knicks: Three players to watch against Nuggets

When the New York Knicks face the Denver Nuggets on Thursday, Dec. 5, who will be the players to watch?

On Thursday, Dec. 5, the New York Knicks will face the Denver Nuggets. Eyeing the end of a long losing streak, the Knicks have yet another difficult opponent to face, making an improvement on 4-17 a daunting task.

Who are the players that could make or break this game for both sides? Let’s take a look:

Nikola Jokic

A “no-brainer” player to list, sure, but Nikola Jokic‘s numbers are actually down from last season in points, rebounds, assists, steals, blocks, field goal percentage, and three-point percentage. His effective field goal percentage is also a current career-low of 48.4.

However, if Jokic needs an explosive game to recalibrate his scoring ability, the Knicks are that team.

Against the Bucks, New York allowed 54 points in the paint. Giannis Antetokounmpo dominated them and others had their way inside. Jokic still shoots a fine 54.2 percent on two-pointers, but against the Knicks he could realistically make 75 percent of his inside shots, especially battling the undersized Taj Gibson and the foul-prone Mitchell Robinson.

On just 22.5 percent from behind the arc, Jokic can rebound against a team that allows opponents to shoot 37.8 percent on three-pointers. So the recipe exists to make a somewhat underwhelming season into an intriguing one overnight.

Elfrid Payton

At Wednesday’s practice, per SNY’s Ian Begley, coach David Fizdale said it’s possible for three of the New York Knicks’ injured players to return against Denver—including Elfrid Payton.

Having only played in four games, Payton has missed the last 17 games with a strained hamstring. He was the starting point guard but Frank Ntilikina lapped him in the weeks since. Dennis Smith Jr. also returned from his own absence as the backup.

While it’s difficult to see Payton return to a full role immediately, pending he plays Thursday night, he should inch his way into the rotation. It would take time from Ntilikina and Smith Jr., both of whom are 21-year-old third-year players. Kadeem Allen probably returns to Westchester, as well. Over time, perhaps the ex-Pelican takes more on-court minutes away.

If Payton struggles, though, he could find himself as a “DNP-CD” candidate, joining fellow free-agent signing Wayne Ellington, who has frequently received this so far. That won’t happen based on one performance, but if Ntilikina and Smith Jr. play well, it makes for an interesting situation.

Kevin Knox

Coinciding with the players potentially returning, it impacts the current rotation.

Kevin Knox recently received the first “DNP-CD” of his career. For a short time, it seemed indefinite due to his struggles at both ends of the court. However, Marcus Morris‘ neck injury halted everything, allowing the second-year forward to not just return to the rotation but start the previous two games.

The results were nothing special: 8.0 points and 4.0 rebounds on 27.8 percent shooting. He added two blocks, but those became irrelevant when he posted a 1-for-9 dud against Milwaukee.

So why is Knox a player to watch for? If he plays, Fizdale saw something positive in those two games. If he sits, this will restart the stay in the head coach’s doghouse.