Preview Game 20: Pistons at Knicks
When: 12:00 P.M
Where: MSG
Watch: MSG
Starting Lineups:
Pistons (11-7)
PG- Allen Iverson (17.6 ppg, 5.5 apg)
SG- Richard Hamilton (16.3 ppg, 3.5 apg, 3.5 rpg)
SF- Tayshaun Prince (14.7 ppg, 6.4 rpg)
PF- Rasheed Wallace (12.9 ppg, 8.2 rpg, 1.4 blocks)
C- Kwame Brown (4.1 ppg, 4.1 rpg)
Rest of rotation: Rodney Stuckey, Amir Johnson, Jason Maxiell, Aaron Afflalo
Knicks (8-11)
PG: Chris Duhon
SF: Wilson Chandler
PF: Al Harrington
C: David Lee
Rest of Rotation: Anthony Roberson, Malik Rose, Tim Thomas, Jared Jeffries, Nate Robinson (questionable?)
Injuries:
Pistons: None
Knicks: OUT: Eddy Curry (conditioning); Danilo Gallinari (back); Cuttino Mobley (heart condition)
What to Watch For:
Since the major trade between the Nuggets and Pistons, the Nuggets have been on a role and the Pistons have yet to reclaim the chemistry they once had. When you have a guy like Chauncey Billups running your team for that long, it is understandable that it would take a while to adjust to a player like Iverson at the point. In any case, the Pistons, while they are not what they used to be, are still a veteran team and a team that knows how to win. They have veterans in their starting five and then have young kids come off the bench (kind of like the Celtics).
As obvious as this might seem, the key for the Knicks today is to come out with some fire and come out knocking down their shots. The Pistons will defend well today, so it is key for the Knicks to hit the shots that they are given. After all, they might not get that many open looks. As for defense, the Knicks will have to play quality team defense. The Pistons don’t have a primary go-to guy, but as we all know, they still have players that can light up the scoreboard when given the opportunity.
This is not a must-win for the Knicks, but it is pretty close to that. Losers of 3 straight and 8 of their last 10, the Knicks have to get back on the winning side of things.
About Chris Alvino
Chris Alvino grew up in Crestwood, NY. He graduated from Regis High School in 2005. There he played both basketball and baseball. Chris is currently a student at Boston College, where he practices with the varsity Women's Basketball Team (... seriously). Chris has been a Knicks' fan for years and can literally talk about them all day long, every day of the week. Chris enjoys writing on this blog and seeing what everyone out there has to say about it. View all posts by Chris Alvino →-
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