Game Day: Knicks @ Celtics, 1/17/21
The Knicks are still on the road, this time in Boston, to face a depleted Celtics team. Can they snap their five game losing streak?
Losers of five consecutive, New York (5-8) shuttles into Boston (8-3) to tangle with the Celtics, an Eastern mini-power that only seems to be struggling with maintaining health. Right now Kemba Walker may be pushing to return to action against his hometown team but that ain’t lookin’ so hot at the moment. Yet to play so far this season and coming off a left knee injury that required stem cell injections, Walker has been available in practice for just over a week now. After Friday’s thumping he was upgraded to questionable, not exactly a thumbs up.
Even without Kemba, the Knicks will have their work cut out for them as they continue to start, and give significant minutes, to four non-shooters.
About that time
Yep, looks like its Elfrid Payton’s role has got to change o’clock. As detailed here, a lot of us at dot land are suffering from Mr. Payton’s degenerate space gambling. The Knicks are positively languishing with a point guard who just can’t help set the table for others and can’t punish a defense for leaving him mercilessly open. Through the first four games of the year, Elf connected on six threes and in the last nine games has made only three. At what point are they wasting the begginning of Julius Randle’s prime?
It begs the question, who even is Elfrid on the court? I get no satisfaction from him, even on his spectacle nights. Where is the debauchery? There’s no artistry, no malice, no raw power, no unctuous forkfuls. Elfrid is melba toast. When he’s feeling frisky he starts his day with a small glass of grapefruit juice.
The ascension of Immanuel Quickley can’t come soon enough. Same goes for the return of Frank Ntilikina. With RJ Barrett and Randle — capable half court hubs that need the room and the touches to drive into the middle and confidently kick to the open shooters — it would be nice to have shooting threats. Even if they aren’t making-threats just yet, Quickley is only shooting 32% from deep and Ntilikina is shooting an unsustainably high 55%. The key difference is Manny Man is tossing up 10 per 100 possessions and Frank is just under 11. Payton meanwhile is a paltry 3.7 per 100. That, my friends, is issue-matic. Until that has some formal resolution…
Knicks by -26
