Game Preview: Knicks vs Cavs, 11/18/19

And so it goes. The Knicks (3-10) get back to it tonight against the Cavs (4-8), a mere 13 games behind the 95th place Bozeman Buckaroos. I got some cousins up there. They’re crazy. Cleveland had a rough go yesterday. It was vaguely reminiscent of the thorough stomping they pressed on the Knicks last week. This affair will probably be a bit of a challenge to prepare for. It’s an afternoon/night back-to-back set for them. At one point in the first half yesterday Philly went on a 44-13 bombardment. Not overly perplexed by Collin Sexton. Philly saw Chucky the doll and simply kicked him away.

Damn, Coward, that’s some pretty good defense. Anyway, Sexton obliterated the frail Knicks defense, which fell into an off-kilter and half-hearted zone since he hurt them. Show me on the doll where Collin Sexton’d you. New York lost shooters repeatedly. Instead of closing out, they were chasing rebounds that proved to be inbounds. It was shameful and David Fizdale got a publicly-televised talking-to as a result.

So the commitment to making it better starts right now — otherwise there will have to be wild changes to the roster and the management. And if the Knicks had managed anything properly over the past two decades there would be a way around that. But they haven’t done that, because they’re the Knicks. Let us laugh.

Imagine the Knicks had any amount of sustained success. Everyone around the league would be lauding the genius of the front office for hitting all their marks. Instead every past sin is a condemned eternity.

Projected Starters

The NBA’s number one sweetheart, Mitchell Robinson, didn’t practice on Sunday because of his sprained ankle, but is probable for tonight’s action. If Mitch can’t dunk on everybody, where do we turn?

The Cavs are basically healthy. I hope they’re tired and play like shit and not because of any desire for revenge. Nothing like that at all.

Key Matchups & Predictions

The debate over whether or not David Fizdale is a good coach has raged on NBA tweeter. I was done with him before the season even started. His inability to make the required adjustments during games has broken me. The play-calling after time outs and breaks are poorly thought out, substitution patterns are a total shot in the dark and the damage-been-done time outs are the nail in the coffin.

Nevertheless, I’m of the belief that coaches can learn and grow and get much better as time goes on and experience is gained. So maybe Fizdale isn’t a great in-game manager. That’s fine, so long as he can make the requisite changes from game to game. Right? I know I’m several decades ahead of myself but— if Fiz can prepare for each game effectively, that’s how the playoffs work. And the Knicks are just 34 games behind the 53rd-place Omaha Orioles.

LOL! Knicks by -32. Fiz in the dumpster by December 15.

Warm Up Music

Mike Love sucks. Here’s a pull up thumper for that stank butt loser.