Knicks Fall to Charlotte

Kemba Walker pumped up

Once again, the Knicks got off to a slow start this time allowing 64 points in the first half to a team who is averaging about 85 points per game. Tyson Chandler left the game in the first half after his right knee was pushed inward by a falling Kemba Walker. The Knicks missed his inside presence and his communication on defense. There were multiple times tonight when there were wide open Bobcats due to miscommunication by New York. New York falls to 1-3 on the season but more importantly 1-2 at Madison Square Garden.
WHAT THEY'RE DOING WRONG ON DEFENSE: SWITCHING. The Knicks keep switching on screens which puts a guy like Kenyon Martin on someone like Kemba Walker at the three point line. Walker can either take advantage of Kenyon with his quickness or post up a big against a New York guard like Raymond Felton. The switching was something the Knicks did a lot in the beginning of the year last year but once they started fighting over screens or going under, their defense vastly improved. It's harder for an opposing team to drive when a player fights over a screen or hit a three when they go under as opposed to mismatches that screens cause the Knicks which give them nightmares. I can't stress it enough how much switching on screens has killed the Knicks and even gives the opposing team plenty of chances to get offense rebounds due to the facts that guys like Ray Felton can't outrebound forwards and centers. They need to either start fighting over screens or go under and let the opposition shoot threes all game.
WHAT THEY'RE DOING WRONG ON OFFENSE: HITTING SHOTS & GAIN CHEMISTRY. The Knicks had some good looks tonight but they're just not hitting their shots. This will come as the players play and get their shot better. I am not too concerned with guys like Melo and Bargnani shooting poorly because the return of J.R. Smith Sunday will help New York's offense tremendously. The core of the team is the same as last year but they have some key players like World Peace and Bargnani trying to fit in the offense which results in a stagnant offense. I've seen the Knicks try to run some plays and when it doesn't work (most of the time), they give the rock to Melo with a couple seconds left on the shot clock to chuck it up. That is why Anthony's shooting percentage is horrible, he's forced to put it up with guys in his face and can't get into a rhythm. Chemistry will come over time but Woodson needs to find the right lineups out there that click more offensively than defensively.
IMAN SHUMPERT + COACH WOODSON: SET IMAN UP FOR SUCCESS. With Woodson saying J.R. could start when he gets back and not setting Iman up for success, I'm sure Shumpert is getting a little aggravated. There are never any plays for Shumpert which is why he feels he has to take it upon himself to score, play good defense and rebound. Since he doesn't get the ball enough, Shumpert puts up bad shots. Since he is expected to play good defense, he is overly aggressive and gets into foul trouble by reaching in. The rebounding is one thing that Iman can do by himself and not hurt the team by doing it. He had some big rebounds tonight when there were multiple bigs in the paint that showed his dedication and hard work on the glass.
WHAT'S NEXT FOR NEW YORK: DEJA VU. The Knicks will have a couple days off before they go to Charlotte to take on these same Bobcats. Two of their best players, Al Jefferson and Ben Gordon, were out tonight and their status for Friday is uncertain but the Knicks better hope they don't play. The Knicks need to work on their communication on defense and find a rotation that clicks even though J.R., who will be a huge part of the rotation, is returning Sunday. Look for a Knicks team that comes out of the gates strong and look for Iman Shumpert to have a big game Friday. One other thing to look for depending on Tyson's Chandler injury is if Woodson still limits/rests Stoudemire & Martin without their starting center.