The New York Knicks are showing that they want to play deep into June as they have shutdown the opposition. With Mike Woodson at the helm and the Knicks veterans cliquing, they should have what it takes to continue winning as the season progresses.
By the Numbers
So far in the season, the Knicks are 8-1. Their lone loss came against the Memphis Grizzlies and just when it looked like they had lost their cool, they bounced back to whoop the Indiana Pacers and then got past the New Orleans Hornets.
Their record gives them a .889 winning percentage for the best in the NBA.
They are scoring the 6th most points in the league averaging 100.67. Best of all, they are scoring and stopping on defense as they are 1st in the NBA holding opponents to an average 88.89 points per game.
That is a point differential of 11.78 points per game, also the best in the NBA.
They are 9th hitting 45 percent of their shots and hold opponents to 43 percent for 6th lowest in the NBA. Not to mention they are shooting almost 40 percent from beyond the arc for the 4th highest percentage in the league.
The numbers show the Knicks are firing in all cylinders. They can't be stopped and they make the stops necessary to win ball games.
Carmelo Anthony deserves a lot of credit as he has been a completely different player out on the floor. Knick fans are astonished at his defensive efforts and he's not doing too bad on offense either as he is 4th in the NBA with 24.2 points scored per game.
Can the Knicks play this way later in the season?
I think so, of course, if they stay healthy.
Jason Kidd and Raymond Felton have been playing a lot right now averaging 25 and 32 minutes per game respectively.
Granted, Kidd is a bit old and Felton might drop off from his incredible start, Iman Shumpert should be returning by January. Though not an offensive presence, last year's rookie was definitely key on the defensive end.
Also, Mike Woodson is working on getting Amar'e Stoudemire to work with Anthony as the superstar should soon be returning to the Knicks lineup.
Coach Woodson is making the Knicks look so good at the start of the season one can only trust that he will find a way to fit Stoudemire into the offense without breaking up the sweet chemistry the team has been playing with.
Though it's still early to tell, if they keep this up, the Knicks will in fact be able to compete against the powerhouses in the NBA.
