The New York Knicks head into the week at a moment when things feel slightly unsettled. They’re still frontrunners for best of the conference, if not the league, but they’re searching for traction after a rough stretch. A tough road test, a brief return home, and a late-night stop out West will offer a clearer picture of where this group stands by the end of the week.
Monday, January 5: Knicks at Detroit Pistons (7:00 PM ET, Peacock)
To start the week, the New York Knicks face a tough road test against the Eastern Conference-leading Detroit Pistons.
The Motor City
club enters with a 25-9 record and a strong home advantage at Little Caesars Arena. The Detroit Pistons succeed with an elite defense (second in the NBA) and a top ten offense that scores almost 119 points per attempt. Despite losing four of their last 10, the Pistons remain the lead bunny that New York has chased all season. They’re led by Cade Cunningham (26.7 PPG, 9.6 APG, and 6.3 RPG) and fellow starters Jalen Duren, Ausar Thompson, Tobias Harris, and Duncan Robinson. In the small favors department, Duren and Harris are both sidelined for the next week or two with injuries, meaning they won’t suit up for the Knicks contest.
Our heroes have looked more mortal in their last three games, with increasingly deflating losses to the Spurs, Hawks, and Sixers. Without Josh Hart, they’re missing a connective tissue that fills the gaps on both ends; without him, it’s been bone-on-bone painful to watch. It doesn’t appear that he will be ready to take the floor on Monday, and a fourth-straight loss is highly probable. If so, be careful of Knicks fans jumping from high places Tuesday morning.
Watch this on Peacock.
Wednesday, January 7: Knicks vs Los Angeles Clippers (7:30 PM ET)
The Knicks make a brief return to the Garden before a four-game West coast trip. On Wednesday, they will host the L.A. Clippers in an interconference battle that pits our beloved ‘Bockers against a Western play-in hopeful.
Kawhi Leonard is back to producing at a star level, leading the team in scoring and steals, while James Harden and Ivica Zubac pace them in playmaking and rebounding. Their top-end production did not translate into wins, however, and starting 5-16 seemed to be a death knell. It’s hard to focus on basketball when that pesky Pablo Torre constantly trails you with a magnifying glass!
The Clips started the season poorly but have found a groove of late. As of this writing, they have won six of their last 10 games, including a six-game winning streak over not awful teams. They shoot the three-ball fairly well, but not as often as most, and their defense is fairly terrible. Without too much effort, the Knicks should knock out a win and hit the road on a high note.
Watch this on MSG.
Friday, January 9: Knicks at Phoenix Suns (9:00 PM ET)
The Knicks wrap up the work week with a stop at Mortgage Matchup Center (what a stupid name) in Arizona. They’ll face the Phoenix Suns (20-14) in a late-night (for me) Western Conference tilt.
Phoenix has been surprisingly competitive in a challenging conference. They currently sit seventh in the West and have outperformed modest preseason expectations behind a balanced attack, top-12 efficiency on both ends, and a positive net rating. They’re not Finals materials, but they’re a serious pain nonetheless. Devin Booker, Dillon Brooks, and Grayson Allen are their scoring leaders while Mark Williams has held down the paint.
The good news for the Knickerbockers? There are reports that Dillon Brooks will be joining his sworn life enemy LeBron James in Los Angeles. Many have cited Brooks as the primary reason for Phoenix’s impressive run, which explains why J.J. Redick’s desperation to add him and his dastardly defense to the roster. We’ll see if the Suns are as tough without him.
Watch this one on MSG.
Enjoy the week, Knicks fans.
