Ranking 10 games Knicks fans should be amped up for in 2022-23

9. New York Knicks vs Memphis Grizzlies (Nov. 27)

Did you guess that I’d go with the Barrett v. Morant matchup over Barrett v. Zion?

It’s a tough comparison because Zion showed flashes of greatness his rookie season and the story of two former teammates facing off as stars in the NBA is exciting. However, Williamson just hasn’t been on the court since his injury, and Ja Morant has been one of the league’s most polarizing players.

It may not be a rivalry, partly because Barrett still trails Morant by a bit as far as which player has more stardom. The teams also haven’t had much beef. Instead, that would belong to the Warriors and Grizzlies.

But why not start now?

Both young stars are still years away from their primes, which is exceptionally hard to believe in Morant’s case, given he’s coming off a year averaging 27.4 points, 6.7 assists, and 5.7 rebounds per game.

Barrett took off down the stretch last season, seemingly taking over as the Knicks’ go-to scoring piece, as Julius Randle’s image faded off.

It sets up for a perfect early-season battle between two of the league’s brightest young stars. And it takes place at Madison Square Garden, where you know that someone like Ja Morant would be dying to leave an impression and add to the history of the Mecca.