Week 4 features some solid lottery match-ups.
TUESDAY, NOV. 17
Hornets vs. Knicks
It’s a quick rematch after last week’s furious finish, during which Knicks rookie Kristaps Porzingis’ last-second splash from downtown was a hair late—this after Cody Zeller caught a baseline in-bounds pass from Spencer Hawes to take the lead with less than a second remaining.
New York is 5-6, and after last year’s 17-win campaign, this has to be a breath of fresh air for the Knick faithful. TLM’s Daniel Coughlin wrote a thorough breakdown of Porzingis last week, and I had the chance to watch him on Sunday at the Garden versus the Pelicans. The Latvian rookie was unfazed by Anthony Davis on either end. Davis went off for a game-high 36 points on 26 shots, but did the vast majority of his damage from outside of the painted area.
It’s not that Davis hitting outside shots is uncommon—he and DeMarcus Cousins are starting to scare the crap out of everyone now that they are stepping out and sinking threes—it’s that Porzingis is really that long and burdensome to score over. He has struggled with foul trouble thus far, but I’d argue that all four of his foul calls on Sunday were garbage, and I’m not secretly a Knicks fan. As Coughlin and others have alluded to, Porzingis has an excellent understanding of the verticality rule, and bewilders those who attempt to attack the rim.
On the Knicks opening offensive possession, he pulled the trigger on an open trey early in the shot clock—nothing but net. He didn’t have much success on Sunday, making only four of his 15 field goal attempts for 10 points—but he took the ball right at Davis every chance he had, and nearly delivered another poster-worthy put-back-slam. Porzingis is not a sure-fire star like Karl Anthony-Towns, at least in my opinion, but his potential has given good reason for folks to get out and enjoy the Garden party.
Meanwhile, the Hornets have responded well after a 0-3 start. They’re now 5-5, with wins against the Blazers, Wolves, Knicks, Mavericks, and Bulls. Charlotte has yet to lose to a team that is not projected to make the playoffs (Miami, Chicago, San Antonio, Atlanta twice), and Jeremy Lamb has played extremely well, making the most of his first opportunity to play a consistent role in the NBA. Nicolas Batum has returned to his old form after an injury-plagued 2014-15, veteran Marvin Williams has been playing the best ball of his career, Al Jefferson hasn’t looked like a dinosaur, and Jeremy Lin looks like a legit fit.
Look for Kemba Walker to go at Jose Calderon early and often as that seems to be the biggest mismatch among the starters, but don’t be surprised if Carmelo Anthony gets cooking—he’s hitting his stride scoring the ball as of late after a slow start to the year.
Nuggets vs. Pelicans
The Pelicans story is as the same as it was last year—injuries, injuries, and more injuries—except worse. New Orleans climbed out of quite a hole last season to make the playoffs, and *if* they do ever get fully healthy, I don’t think many people would be surprised to see them take flight once again.
Tyreke Evans will likely be a welcome addition to the Pels’ offense once he returns—which will reportedly be around Thanksgiving. Quincy Pondexter and Norris Cole are terrific defenders that will help out on the perimeter, and both are serviceable offensive players as well.
The Pelicans have played the most back-to-backs, and Jrue Holiday has been unavailable for those as part of the plan for his hopeful return to full health. That means on certain nights the Pelicans have been without their three primary ball-handlers and shot creators in pick and roll situations in Holiday, Evans, and Cole. Ish Smith and Toney Douglas have had their moments, but they just don’t stand much chance when asked to play heavy minutes against opposing teams’ starters. In effect, though Anthony Davis and his teammates could be playing better thus far, they are like a bird trying to fly with only one of its wings.
Pondexter figures to slide into the starting small forward spot as a corner-three specialist who covers the opposing team’s best wing. On Sunday, Alonzo Gee started and played 26 minutes, going 1-4 from the field and 0-2 from beyond the arc for a whopping two points.
The Nuggets, meanwhile, have continued to be more competitive than expected, and sit at 5-5 despite Wilson Chandler being out for the season. Kenneth Faried might not be able to give it a go, but I’m particularly curious to see if the Pelicans can string together a more focused effort for the full 48 minutes, particularly on defense. Most guards and scoring wings with the ability to shoot and put the ball on the floor have had their way with New Orleans, and Will Barton and Danilo Gallinari fit the bill as guys who could put big numbers on the scoreboard.
WEDNESDAY, NOV. 18
Wolves vs. Magic
Guards Ricky Rubio and Victor Oladipo both seem to be progressing, and could be back in action for Wednesday’s tilt. The Wolves are 4-6 and have now lost four in a row. Per Marc Stein, the team has lost the last 16 games that Rubio has missed. Orlando on the other hand is 5-6, and they have managed to pickup a few shorthanded wins to stay out of the cellar in their respective conference as well.
Oladipo has been working his way through the NBA’s concussion protocol, and hopefully he is able to return to full health soon. The Magic have seen surprise showings from Shabazz Napier, whom the Miami Heat dropped off on their doorstep this off-season. Tobias Harris has done much more than just score. Aaron Gordon continues to impress despite playing a limited role. Super-Mario Hezonja has helped make the Magic bench one of the most exciting second units in the league.
KAT has held his own against everyone he has faced. Kevin Garnett looks downright giddy on the sidelines cheering for him, Andrew Wiggins, Nemanja Bjelica and company. This team’s bandwagon is increasing by astronomical rates.
I’m most curious to see what rotation Scott Skiles goes with if Oladipo is still unable to play. The Grizzlies replaced Courtney Lee with Jeff Green on Sunday, perhaps in an effort to better match-up with the trees (Wiggins and Tayshaun Prince) in the Wolves’ starting lineup. If the Magic put Evan Fournier, a pretty solid defender, on Wiggins, there’s a good chance that the Wolves force-feed A.W. in the post, something they’ve done a fair amount of thus far.
When Oladipo has been healthy, Skiles has been rolling with three-guard starting lineups that include him, Elfrid Payton, and Fournier. Oladipo is a tough enough defender that if he is able to play he likely covers Wiggins for the majority of the game. If Oladipo is out though, the dynamic changes and it’s either Aaron Gordon or Channing Frye time. They could go with Gordon to avoid facing a size disadvantage on the perimeter, but Skiles could also go with Frye figuring that he can at least stick with K.G., letting Harris cover Wiggins and putting Fournier or Payton on Prince—whom the Wolves are unlikely to feed even if he does have an extreme height advantage.
Add The Sports Daily to your Google News Feed!
