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Utah Jazz (2-4) @ New York Knicks (1-6)
Probable Line-Ups:
Jazz: Deron, Brewer, AK-47, Booze, Okur
Knicks: Duhon, Hughes, Chandler, Gallinari, Lee
Coming In:
Continuing in true Mike D'Antoni fashion, the Knicks have started this season off launching treys & not playing much defense. The Knicks were bad last season and much of the same was expected this season... their off-season consisted of adding Darko Milicic (via one of many off-season Quentin Richardson trades) and drafting Jordan Hill (when Stephen Curry didn't fall to them) and Toney Douglas. Oh, and they re-upped David Lee & Nate Robinson for a year each or something. They still refuse to spend money in hopes that they can attract LBJ to a team full of not-so-good players that they had to go after to save money for him. And I'm sure it's enticing to him... who could say no to a team that has been run into the ground recently and could surround him with the likes of Chris Duhon, Darko Milicic & Jared Jeffries?
They've started the season off 1-6, with the only win coming against CP3 and his crew of not-so-good players (okay, not all of them... but mostly). They did lose to a Charlotte team coming off of a horrible performance, but other than that, I'm sure they've been the "underdog" in most of the games.
As for the Jazz. You know. I know. We all know. After their most complete game of the season, in which they dominated the Spurs, they came out and laid yet another 2nd-half egg, this time AT HOME against the Kevin Martin-less Kings. And now they're on a 4-game (in 6-days) Eastern Conference road swing, with stops against the Celtics and LBJ's current team included. As our favorite Craig Bolerjack would say... "Buckle Up!"
What We Know About The Knicks... Through 7 Games
(AKA: Overreactions & small sample sizes be ****ed.)
- They have 5 guys averaging double-digits, led by 6th man Al Harrington (19.9 ppg).
- They are first in the league in treys taken.
- GUARD THE PERIMETER!!!
- That said, they are tied for 24th in the league in 3PT%. That's D'Antoni's offense, I guess.
- Darko Milicic... 7 games, less than 10 minutes/game, 2.3 ppg. Oops?
- Rookies Toney Douglas (6 games, 58 minutes) & Jordan Hill (3 games, 19 minutes) have seen limited action. They also have rookie Marcus Landry (2 games, 14 minutes).
- Their "limited" action makes Eric Maynor (4 games, 15 minutes) jealous.
- They get a lot of steals, led by Larry Hughes & Chris Duhon.
- Larry Hughes burnt the Jazz last season when he was on the Bulls with a game-winner.
- GUARD Larry Hughes!
- Jared Jeffries is getting almost 21 mpg, and getting just 2.9 ppg. Role player for the win.
- They get a lot of assists (8 guys with double-digit assists so far... the Jazz have 4) and a lot of turnovers.
- They're not shooting a lot of FTs (relative to the rest of the league), but they're 3rd in FT%.
- DON'T FOUL!
- The Knicks are giving up 110.3 ppg. That includes giving up 102 (in OT) to Charlotte 2 days after the Bobcats were held to 59 by Boston and 141 in OT to Philly the night after that.
- In fact, the fewest points they've allowed is 100... to Cleveland.
- The Knicks are ranked 24th in defensive efficiency (the Jazz are 25th) and 24th in offesnive efficiency (the Jazz are 11th).
- 6 of their 7 key players (all except for Lee... Nate Robinson out though) + Douglas & Jeffries (in limited time) have no qualms from putting it up from downtown given the slightest opening.
Other Stuff To Know/Consider/Think About/Ignore
slow doesn't think Harpring will be back, which is sad (yes, this is UtesFan89 saying this). Mostly because I just want him to come in and beat up on half the team... There are rumors that the Knicks might want Allen Iverson. I'd like for them to trade players they have for him today (making them short-handed tonight, because the Jazz need all the help they can get) and then have one of the players involved fail his physical (so that AI doesn't make the Knicks better this season). Of course, given that it's Memphis, I'm sure that as long as his contract expired after the season, you could send over a dead guy and they'd take it... Siler & Luhm have this post up titled Jazz Shooting Themselves In The Foot. Given recent sports events (Vicente Padilla & New York's own Plaxico Burress), I'm sure you might not want to mention that in NY... The 5 most expensive players between the 2 teams: AK-47, Larry Hughes, Booze, Eddy Curry, Al Harrington. That sound you hear is the US Economy weeping... The Jazz are 0-2 on the road this season... The Knicks gave up 40 points in the 1st quarter to the Bucks last time out, and were down by 31 at half-time. Duhon was benched after 20 minutes... This is one of the 2 games where the Jazz could have an impact on the pick they're getting after the season. Which means everyone that has a chance of being around next season has added motivation to win. Who does that eliminate? I'm counting Booze & maybe Brewer... I have a NY Knicks baseball cap I received years ago (is it still a baseball cap if it's got a NBA logo on it?). I actually used it quite a bit, until I got my True Blue Jazz 'baseball cap'. Now it (the Knicks one) sits atop a teddy bear next to my computer...
Quotes Of The Day
"But I do like what I’ve been seeing out of Toney Douglas. He’s seems to get better all the time. And Jordan did some stuff.”
(Mike D'Antoni, on the Milwaukee game.) That's right. Jordan Hill "did some stuff." That's exactly what you're looking for from a top-10 pick. Some stuff.
"You play younger guys and, one or two things go wrong, and they hang their head a little bit and feel bad. But that's how you learn how to be a better play."
Yeah... um no. See slow, that's what we all think. But then you go and pull them, bench them & send them to the dog-house in 1 swift motion after 1 mistake, and that's that. So much for learning how to play better... after that, they just play scared.
Stat Comparison
Comparing 2 guys who were RFAs this off-season. One got his long-term contract, one didn't.
- David Lee: 35 mpg, 19.3 ppg, 10+ rpg, 2+ apg
- Paul Millsap: 23 mpg, 9.0 ppg, 5+ rpg, 1+ bpg
Yes, there are extraneous factors (Carlos Boozer; the Knicks miss a lot of shots... 1st in the league in FGA, 27th in the league in FG%; Carlos Boozer; Lee is starting; Carlos Boozer), but still. Worth keeping an eye on. Maybe.
Keys For The Jazz
What the Jazz have to do to win the game.
- From above... GUARD THE PERIMETER!!!
- From above... GUARD Larry Hughes!
- From above... DON'T FOUL!
- DO NOT leave Danilo Gallinari open outside. Especially in the corner.
- Get the rebounds.
- Work your offense, don't settle for crappy jumpers just because the Knicks are.
- Get to the line.
- Play Fesenko! (Okay, maybe this is just a personal bias.)
- They (the Knicks) are getting a lot of turnovers... steal the ball.
- Drive in & draw the fouls. They don't have much in terms of back-up bigs.
- Remember the importance of the game, draft wise.
- Don't play down to the competition.
- Don't allow anyone to explode.
- Score more than them. (I'd ask for it not to be too close, but this is the Jazz...)
Sleeping With The Enemy
...Or at least fraternizing with them.
Jazzardous Materials
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