The perception is the race for positioning in the NBA playoffs doesn’t start until after the Super Bowl. But the reality is every game counts the same which means they all should be viewed as equally important, including the ones in late October and November.
The Knicks began their 82-game grind against the Bucks on Wednesday night at the Garden in one of those games that was a must win, even if it seems ridiculous to say that.
Yes, there are six months of the season to play before the playoffs, but the Knicks won’t achieve the coveted home-court advantage in the first round unless they establish some dominance at the Garden and get off to a solid start over the early weeks of the season.
A 90-83 victory over the Bucks was a good beginning, though a 25-point lead at halftime was lost in the fourth quarter when Milwaukee’s Caron Butler hit a jumper to tie the game at 80-80 with 4:40 left.
After playing a fluid first half when the defense forced 16 turnovers and the offense was active, the Knicks became stagnant in the second half and struggled for open shots. They committed turnovers (22 for the game), softened on defense and lost focus.
“We let our foot off the gas,” Carmelo Anthony said.
Eventually, after falling behind, they held off the Bucks, using two huge baskets by Anthony, and a dunk and a block by Tyson Chandler to pull out the win.
“It’s a learning experience,” Chandler said. “But I’d rather learn with a win than with a loss.”
The night was spiced with the glitz of opening night. A transformed building with a new huge Garden Vision and celebrities outlining the court helped the Knicks’ early swagger. But any hopes of stringing together more good nights could be jeopardized by a preseason spent more on resting key players than building any kind of chemistry. With the Heat, Bulls, Pacers and Nets expected to have good seasons, the Knicks need to keep pace and avoid facing an uphill battle caused by an early stumble.
As good as the Knicks looked at times against the Bucks this still is training camp for Amar’e Stoudemire, J.R. Smith, and Kenyon Martin. Offseason knee surgeries made Stoudemire and Smith unavailable, while Martin’s court time was limited to preserve his knees and ankles. All three players made their first appearance in the final preseason game Friday against Charlotte and aren’t close to being dependable. That could hurt the Knicks chances of building a workable chemistry as they face tougher teams such as the Bulls in Chicago on Thursday.
“We still have guys that are still trying to find their way and their rhythm,” Chandler said. “Once we get those guys comfortable and clicking on all cylinders we can be a dangerous team.”
It could take a while before everyone gets “comfortable.” Martin, entering his 13th season, was the only one of the three who saw action against the Bucks (three points in five minutes). Smith began serving a five-game suspension for violating the league’s substance abuse policy, while Stoudemire was on “standby,” resting for the Bulls. Coach Mike Woodson said the plan is for Stoudemire and Martin not to play in back-to-back games with one playing while the other sits.
“I’m on limit restrictions,” Woodson said. “We’ll just have to play it by ear. This is something new I’m trying based on their availability. We’ll see what happens.”
Woodson admitted he was concerned about how quickly his team would jell.
“All coaches when you start a season worry about chemistry,” he said. “Right now I’m searching a little bit.”
Last year’s Knicks raced to a 6-0 start and an 11-4 mark in November. The early spurt helped them compile a 54-28 record with 31 wins coming at home. It was good enough to win the Atlantic Division for the first time since 1993 and a second seed in the East.
That cushion might not be there if the Knicks struggle to find consistency through chemistry.