The New York Knicks open the season against the Milwaukee Bucks on Wednesday and Arron Afflalo is expected to miss the game with a hamstring injury and Derek Fisher said Langston Galloway or Sasha Vujacic could start in his place. The team has Carmelo Anthony, Jose Calderon, Robin Lopez and Kristaps Porzingis in the lineup and the injury report also has Lou Amundson and Kevin Seraphin out.
The Knicks are coming into the season with expectations of improvement over last year, as the team on just 17 games and finished near the bottom of the league in the standings. Phil Jackson has made some major moves on the roster and while the team did not snag Greg Monroe or DeAndre Jordan in free agency, players like Robin Lopez, Derrick Williams and Afflalo have added talent to the roster. The Knicks will have to wait for the regular season debut of Afflalo though, as he is dealing with an injury coming into Wednesday.
Afflalo has been hampered by a hamstring injury this preseason and according to Ian Begley at ESPN, Afflalo is "doubtful" for the game against the Bucks. Fisher said that Vujacic, Langston Galloway and Jerry Grant all could see extra time at shooting guard with Afflalo out. The Knicks bench also could be short on Wednesday, as the Knicks PR Twitter account writes that Afflalo, Lou Amundson and Kevin Seraphin are all doubtful for the game.
The Knicks are starting rookie Kristaps Porzingis to open the season and Derek Fisher said he liked how Porzingis handled himself in the preseason. Porzingis is considered a project player, but the Knicks feel that he can become a star and they want to give him a chance to shine. The Knicks may not be ready to win a title, but the team has the chance to make the playoffs in the weak east. If Anthony can stay healthy, the team has a chance to make the playoffs this season.
The Knicks open the season against the Bucks and then have their home opener on Thursday against the Atlanta Hawks. The team will go on the road next and play against the Washington Wizards before picking up games in November. The team hosts the San Antonio Spurs and then plays against the Cavaliers on the road in Cleveland. Those will be tough tests and then after that the team has the Bucks and the Lakers on the schedule.
