Pre-Game: Knicks vs. Bobcats- 11/5/13

The Knicks play the Bobcats tonight, then again on Friday. They should win both games because the Bobcats are bad. There exists, however, a decent chance that they won't win both games because even a bad team could beat the Knicks if they keep playing crowded offense and delinquent defense. A team led by Kemba Walker and stocked with fast, sneaky types like Michael Kidd-Gilchrist and Jeffery Taylor seems a little dangerous, does it not? Oh god, and they have Ramon Sessions. Don't fall into this trap, Knicks, because it's definitely a trap. Use that preseason loss as motivation if you must.

Some things:

- The starting five, unless Mike Woodson makes a last-minute change, will be Raymond Felton, Iman Shumpert, Andrea Bargnani, Carmelo Anthony, and Tyson Chandler. I'm listing Bargnani third in an effort to voodoo him into playing more like a small forward on offense. Spread the floor, sir.

- Al Jefferson is out for Charlotte and it looks like they'll start Bismack Biyombo alongside Josh McRoberts up front.

- J.R. Smith rode a CitiBike to the Garden. Not sure riding a shitty bike around Manhattan is the best way to treat a rehabilitated knee, but okay.

- Two great pre-game reads on things we've been grumbling about over here for the last week: Chris Herring on the Knicks' lack of spacing and how it ruins everything and Kevin McElroy on their determination to avoid those consistently successful two-point-guard lineups.

- The Rufus on Fire preview and ruthless pre-game diss rap are both worth a look.

Tip-off's at 7:30. Game thread coming soon!