After beginning their West Coast road trip with a 16-point offensive masterpiece against the Suns last Wednesday night, it looked like the Knicks had turned things around. But just a few days later, they gave us one of the worst games of the season with a 15-point loss to the Jazz in which Jalen Brunson, Karl-Anthony Towns and Mikal Bridges combined for just 46 points while going a miserable 17:52 stayed off the field. And it ultimately reminded us once and for all that this team is still a work in progress.

Saturday night’s embarrassing loss to the 4-12 Jazz was by no means an encouraging sign, but the good news is that there is at least progress. Fans would have been a lot more worried if there hadn’t been improvements. New York may not be where they or their fans want them to be, but through 16 games we’ve already seen this team develop into one of the best offenses in the league and add reinforcements in the form of Mitchell Robinson, Deuce McBride and . .. The precious Achiuwa should arrive at some point. The bad news, however, is that the defense is still bad – very bad. And that bad news gets even worse tonight as they have to go to Denver and face a Nuggets team that is 8-4 this season when Nikola Jokic, who recently returned from a brief absence, plays.

Unlike the Knicks, the Nuggets are a much more balanced team when it comes to both sides of the game. Offensively they are Second in assist percentage, Sixth in pace, Sixth in points per game (which is just one spot behind the Knicks), Eighth in offensive ratingand 12th in both effective field goal percentageAnd true shot rate. All impressive numbers given their efficiency and explosiveness coupled with their high speed. Defensively, contrary to what many people assume, they were actually solid. They rank Sixth in opponent three-point percentageAnd Free throws made per game, 12th in defensive ratingAnd 14th in opponent field goal percentage. However, some context needs to be added as their aforementioned high pace has resulted in them being below the Knicks in points given up per game, despite the Knicks having a noticeably worse defensive rating. For this reason, it is imperative that both teams try to control the tempo and play the game on their own terms – which is often easier for the home team.

Planned starters

Once considered a borderline All-Star, Jamal Murray has become somewhat of an enigma. The Nuggets’ starting point guard is still a solid player capable of taking over a game, as evidenced by the 27-point game he had against the Grizzlies last week. But the injuries seem to have taken a toll on the 27-year-old in his current condition averaging just 17.6 PPG, which would be his lowest since 2018, while shooting just 39.8% from the field this season.

With Kentavious Caldwell-Pope heading to Orlando in the offseason, 23-year-old swingman Christian Braun has been thrust into the starting lineup and has been incredibly good for them so far. Braun has been great on defense while also improving as a shooter, which has led to a jump in his performance averaging a career-high 16.2 PPG, 5.1 RPG, 1.3 SPG and 0.7 BPG while shooting an incredibly efficient 57.7% from the field and 46.7% from three.

Aaron Gordon, who is usually a starter, is out for the foreseeable future with a right calf strain. In his place was Peyton Watson. Like Braun, the third-year man from UCLA is enjoying and is having a good start to the season in his new role averaging Career highs across the board with averages of 10 PPG, 3.7 RPG, 1.3 APG, 1.1 BPG and 0.8 SPG while shooting 47.1% from the field and 38.5% from three.

As usual, Michael Porter Jr. will start as power forward, whose performance has also increased slightly due to the loss of Gordon. The 1.90 meter tall striker is only 26 years old averaging 18.6 PPG, 7.1 RPG and 3 APG (twice as much as last year), which are all career highs.

The middle is occupied by Nikola Jokic, who is currently putting up video game numbers. As if the three-time MVP wasn’t good enough, he’s somehow found a different gear this season. The Serbian center, widely considered the best player in the world at the moment, is averaging an absurd 30.3 PPG, 13.9 RPG and 11.3 APG while shooting 56.8% from the field and 56.3% from three.

Injury report

Denver: Peyton Watson (adductor) likely, Vlatko Cancar (knee) out, Aaron Gordon (calf) out, DaRon Holmes II (Achilles) out

New York: Karl-Anthony Towns (calf) questionable, Deuce McBride (knee) questionable, Mitchell Robinson (ankle) out, Precious Achiuwa (hamstring) out, Kevin McCullar Jr. (knee) out

forecast

This is a tough game. There is no sugarcoating it. As you can see above, Denver has three players who have had careers for years, the best player in the world playing near-perfect basketball at peak efficiency, and the only “weakness” in the starting lineup is still a player who is in can score 20+ points any given night. New York faces the unfortunate task of managing all of that while playing in Denver, which is a difficult task regardless of who is playing. This Knicks team, especially with Towns on the roster, still has the talent on offense to compete with any team. A great night from Towns and Brunson, coupled with the way OG Anunoby played on both ends of the floor, could make this game interesting. That being said, I just don’t see who or how the Knicks can slow down Jokic. Denver wins this game in a shootout 130-120.

Game details

New York Knicks (9-7) vs. Denver Nuggets (9-6)
Location: Ball Arena, Denver, Colorado
Date: November 25, 2024
Time: 9pm ET
Regard: MSG Network, NBA League Pass
Consequences: @ptknicksblog And bsky