New York vs New York - Analyzing the Knicks and Nets So Far

Published: Thursday, November 14, 2024

by Matthew Nazario

New York Knicks (5-6, 4th in Eastern Conference)
The initial white-hot expectations of the New York Knicks heading into the season, while not extinguished, have significantly cooled down through 10 games. With a long road still to go, there are some questions New York must address.

While they are second in the NBA regarding offensive efficiency (119.5), they are near the bottom of the league when it comes to defense, which is unusual for a Tom Thibodeau-coached squad.  Their perimeter defense has been a recurring issue during their first few games this season.

They rank 21st in defense with an efficiency rating of 115.5, including an embarrassing first impression on opening night where the Celtics manhandled them 132-109. Boston scored 29 three-pointers off a lackadaisical defense from New York.

So far, the keyword for the Knicks’ is inconsistency; three of their four wins this season have been in dominant fashion by 20 points or more (Bucks, Pistons, Pacers). However, alongside this have been six losses which, excluding the previously mentioned 23-point beating from the Celtics, have been filled with fourth-quarter meltdowns and throwing away winnable games.

The most infuriating fourth quarter disaster for New York was their November 6th contest against the Atlanta Hawks; the Knicks led 110-105 with just about two minutes to play in the game, but a 13-1 Atlanta run secured the Hawks’ victory.

While many Knicks fans, myself included, were skeptical as to how their blockbuster offseason would affect the incredible team chemistry, Karl-Anthony Towns has been as good as advertised... if not better. Averaging a double-double (26.5 points and 12.2 rebounds per game) so far this season, Towns has been the most consistent option on the offensive end for the Knicks. He is coming off a 46-point, six threes, 10-rebound showing in their loss against Chicago.

But Towns' interior defense leaves a little to be desired, most evidently with Nikola Vucevic’s dominant 19-point, 11 rebound performance with many clutch buckets down the stretch within the Knicks 114-113 loss to the Chicago Bulls.

Mikal Bridges, the man who was supposed to complete the Nova Knicks core, has slowly but surely begun to bounce back after a streak of some inefficient shooting nights. He had a 20-point performance against the Bulls on 53% shooting.

Jalen Brunson, OG Anunoby, Miles McBride and Josh Hart have picked up right where they left with last season’s magical campaign, but there is one giant issue. The bench depth is simply not there, which was one of the Knicks’ strengths last season. New York sorely misses the likes of Donte DiVincenzo and Bojan Bogdanovic, as well as a healthy version of both Precious Achiuwa and Mitchell Robinson.  
 
Brooklyn Nets (5-7, 8th in Eastern Conference)
The abrupt, albeit much-expected exit of Mikal Bridges last summer signaled a major turning point for the franchise. But Brooklyn has officially set their sights on the future after a variety of circumstances; they are a few years removed from the odd saga of the Durant, Irving and Harden Nets, have a new head coach in Jordi Fernandez, and received first-round draft picks from the Knicks in the Bridges trade.

From a team that many expected nothing significant of this season, Brooklyn has shown some positive signs of life. Even in defeat, most of their losses have been incredibly winnable games. They have been in quite a few close losses with some of the NBA’s elite, including taking the now 13-0 Cavaliers, Celtics, and Nuggets, as well impressive gritty displays in their victories against the Grizzlies, Bucks, and Pelicans.  

One consistent negative for Brooklyn, however, has been Ben Simmons. The Simmons situation continues to be a frustrating one, as he missed yet another game when the Nets hosted the Celtics this week. Already missing four games at the start of this young season is certainly not a great sign for a player making $40 million this summer. While he has shown promise, especially in the assist department, it may be the end of the road for Simmons if improvement is not evident fast.

Point guard Cam Thomas has been leading the charge for the Nets, averaging 24.5 points per game and being the fire starter for Brooklyn when they need it most. The Nets are currently running with a team that's on the younger side, with an average age of 25.1.  While Thomas is the only player averaging over 20 points, Brooklyn has surrounded him with a team full of contributors and veteran leadership.

Dennis Schroder and Dorian Finney-Smith are two in particular, with Schroder being the team's second leading scorer. Among these contributors is Cam Johnson, who has been a great offensive option for Brooklyn with 16.5 points a game. Nic Claxton continues to show his rebounding prowess, averaging about eight rebounds with nine points a game, off an efficient 65% shooting. More nice surprises for Brooklyn have come in the form of Ziare Williams and Jalen Wilson, with Williams coming off a 23-point and six-rebound outing against the Celtics.

If the current positive trends were to continue for the Nets, something to keep an eye on would be their game plan for the trade deadline in the wintertime. Will they try to ship out Schroder or Finney-Smith, or will they opt to keep the veterans around? Will they make use of the abundance of draft picks they received from the Knicks? Regardless, I would certainly keep a very close watch on these Nets as the season progresses. 
 
A Big Weekend for the Big Apple 
Amongst these teams' upcoming schedules are back-to-back contests with one another, with the battle of New York in Madison Square Garden this weekend.  

The two New York squads will meet Friday, Nov. 15th at 7:30 p.m. for Emirates NBA Cup group play action, as well as Sunday, Nov. 17th at 7:00 p.m. Both games will be held at Madison Square Garden

While these two contests may not seem to be anything more than a fun city rivalry, they mean much more. For Brooklyn, it is a chance to push on and prove themselves amongst the league’s best teams, potentially upsetting the supposed-crown jewel of basketball amongst the five boroughs.  For the Knicks, it is a crucial weekend to adjust bad habits, as well as attempt to start a run to remedy the “win one lose one” start to the season they have had. 

The Eastern Conference has been quite a mess to start the 2024 season, and what better way to begin and push towards the top of the standings than against your crosstown rival. 

Matthew Nazario can be reached at matthew.nazario@student.shu.edu. 

 

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