It’s here, it’s finally here. The New York Knicks will play a regular season basketball game tonight in Memphis against the Grizzlies. The preseason was fun, but it’s time for the real thing.
The Knicks will start their 82-game slate off with a tough test against a team that finished with the second-best record in the league last year at 56-26. The Grizzlies were topped by the Warriors in the conference semifinals, so Wednesday starts their journey toward what they hope will be a deep playoff run.
The odds are in Memphis’ favor in the season opener, but it wouldn’t be all that surprising if New York were to win this game. Before we get too ahead of ourselves, let’s take look at what fans should realistically expect to see from the Knicks at FedExForum.
3 realistic expectations for Knicks’ regular-season opener against Grizzlies
3: Knicks’ defense to slow down the Grizzlies
New York’s defense won’t have room for many mistakes against Memphis, who finished fifth in offensive rating last season. Ja Morant’s coming off a preseason where he averaged 32.1 points per 36 minutes, and the Knicks should expect him to come out hot.
In order for New York to have a chance to win, Morant’s going to need to feel the pressure. He’s quick and flashy, but with RJ Barrett no longer having to carry the load on the offensive end, we could see Barrett contain Morant.
With Mitchell Robinson down low, the Grizzlies should struggle in the paint, especially with Jaren Jackson Jr. out. His interior defense is what could end up keeping the Knicks in the game.
Defense is Tom Thibodeau’s specialty, and he’s had a couple of months now to think about how to attack Memphis’ offense. New York needs to establish a strong defensive identity similar to the one that it had two years ago, and it’ll start with Morant and the Grizzlies.
2: A solid showing from the Knicks’ bench
New York’s depth is its main strength, and depth is something that Memphis is currently lacking. However, the Knicks could be without both Quentin Grimes and Obi Toppin. If both end up not playing, or if one ends up not playing (with the one not playing presumably being Grimes), the bench should still be one of the team’s strong points against the Grizzlies.
It helps significantly that Derrick Rose is healthy after he missed the majority of last season due to a nagging ankle injury. The 34-year-old veteran makes New York’s second unit even stronger with his leadership.
Isaiah Hartenstein will be making his Knicks regular-season debut, and fans were able to see what it’s like to have a true stretch five on the floor during the preseason. Immanuel Quickley’s another player to watch too, although he didn’t perform as expected over the past couple of weeks.
New York’s bench had its highs and lows during the preseason, but the reserves could end up claiming their first victim on Wednesday night.
1: RJ Barrett to be the Knicks’ leading scorer
One of the storylines swirling around about New York and Memphis facing off on Wednesday night is RJ Barrett versus Ja Morant. The Grizzlies point guard was selected one spot above Barrett in the 2019 NBA Draft.
Ultimately, both players ended up where they were meant to be, although Morant and Memphis have spent far more time in the spotlight than Barrett and New York.
Morant should be the Grizzlies’ leading scorer on Wednesday as Barrett should be the Knicks’ leading scorer. Barrett averaged 19.8 points in New York’s four preseason games and shot 48.2% from the field and 50% from the three-point line in 27.5 minutes.
Barrett expanded his offensive game during the offseason, and he showed that during the preseason. It helps that Jalen Brunson leads the offense now, and speaking of Brunson, if Barrett isn’t the Knicks’ leading scorer, Brunson likely will be.
There’s been a lot of talk about New York extending Barrett over the summer, with most of it unsurprisingly being negative. One big game against Memphis on national television won’t change people’s minds, nor does it matter what those people think. RJ knows what he’s capable of, as do Knicks fans. After watching Barrett dominate in the preseason, it’s time for him to carry that over to the regular season.
If New York ends up spoiling Memphis’ home opener, RJ Barrett will be a large part of the reason why.
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