Throughout the preseason, the question raged: Who owns New York? Was it the Carmelo Anthony-led, Manhattan-based Knicks? Or was it the retooled, overhauled Brooklyn Nets?
Well, with a win at Madison Square Garden on Wednesday, the Indiana Pacers can make that claim. The Pacers, the team that eliminated the Knicks in the playoffs last May, already have beaten the Nets in Brooklyn. So beating the Knicks would give them a two-fer, making them the first team to win on both floors in the embryonic stages of the season.
But, like any good, smart team, the Pacers, whose 9-1 record gave them more wins by far than the Knicks (3-7) and Nets (3-7) combined, made the Knicks sound like a powder keg ready to explode.
“We know they’re one of the top teams and we know they’re capable of going on a win streak, so we hold them in the same regard we hold Chicago, Miami, Brooklyn,” Pacers forward David West said at Wednesday’s shootaround. “Regardless of the way the year started, we know they’re going to be there in the end. Plus, you can’t look at them right now and think this is what they’re going to be two or three months from now.”
In two or three months, the Knicks should have at least 10 wins, the way things are going.
Still, the Knicks have a weapon, Carmelo Anthony, who makes them a dangerous opponent for any team at any time.
“He’s a threat at any time on the floor. His ability to shoot the ball really keeps you on your toes and stretches the floor,” MVP-caliber forward Paul George said. “I have my work cut out tonight, but I’ve guarded him enough times now to where I’m locked into his tendencies and what he likes to do.”
What the Knicks don’t have — center Tyson Chandler is sidelined with a broken leg — also factors into the equation.
“Not having Tyson in there as the anchor to the defense, it changes them in the same way if Roy Hibbert was out,” Indiana coach Frank Vogel said, referring to his own All-Star center.
“Tyson, that’s a huge, huge, huge guy to replace,” West said. “The way we view it, we know they’re going to hit their stride soon.”
They better or the ugliness at the Garden will continue, directed at players, owners and coaches. Vogel defended his coaching counterpart Mike Woodson, saying it is unfair to heap blame on him.
“They’re battling. They’re playing really hard for Coach Woodson and just the execution hasn’t been up to where they want it to be. But they’re very capable of turning this thing around very quickly,” Vogel said. “We started 3-6 last year, too. When you’re well-coached like this team is you’re always a short burst away from getting on that winning streak.
“You always feel for a coach. Look, he’s a good person, he’s a great coach. He’s proven that here. He’s proven it in Atlanta. It’s only a matter of time before they go on a winning streak and turn it around.”