Game Preview: Knicks @ Nuggets, 12/15/2019

Closing the book on their fairly successful road trip, New York (6-20) squares up with Denver (16-8) at the Pepsi Center tonight. It wasn’t all that long ago the Nuggets squeezed the absolute doo doo out of the Knickerbockers.

Mike Miller has made some simple alterations to an ill fitting suit of players. Now the team appears a little more hobo chic. Looking over the plains, descending into valleys and now rambling up the mountainous terrain to Colorado, the Knicks may have used this road trip to help determine just who they are. How the pieces fit. Maybe the right leg is a high water and the left is a cuff dragger. It’s odd. What ya gonna do?

Projected Starters

Paul Millsap missed last night’s game against the Thunder with a quad injury. While the Knicks may be on a tiny upswing, they are still one of the worst teams in the NBA and it would be unlikely to see him tonight simply because Denver should have enough depth to absorb the loss and let Millsap get healthy.

If the Knicks do welcome Kadeem Allen into the fold, it could spell doom for Dennis Smith Jr. who has been struggling mightily all season. Perhaps a little time in the G-League could help Dennis find a groove. I’m sure he’d have fun connecting with this guy:

Keys & Predictions

I anticipated a horrific beatdown from Denver in their last meeting. Quoth me a mere ten days ago:

Something tells me this game is gonna get Jokic back on track

Sure Jokic only had six points, eight assists and ten rebounds in a little over twenty minutes but you could sense that was the first crack in the dam. The Knicks have shown a lot more tact on the defensive side since Denver helped scooch David Fizdale off the premises. Once a Knick, always, Dave. See ya never.

This Denver team is still a little too wavy for these deliberate Knicks. It will be nice to see a more competitive affair. Hopefully none of that Jamal Murray facocta carnival bullshit. Mumble mentally and so forth.

Road weary Knicks by -12.

Warm Up Music

If it weren’t for the hard times, how would you know to cherish a good one? A little clarity under the crushing weight of ego.

RIP, Daniel.