New York Knicks' Schedule Breakdown and Predictions for Season's Final 6 Weeks
A miserable season is coming to a close.
The New York Knicks struggled mightily in 2014-15, but at least the franchise has its first-round draft pick.
With Carmelo Anthony sidelined and Amar'e Stoudemire now a member of the Dallas Mavericks, there's little to expect moving forward out of this organization. The final six weeks of the year will be troublesome, but it will at least offer up the opportunity to see how New York's youngsters develop and which role players are worth holding onto for the long haul.
The Knicks face some stiff competition on the home stretch of this tumultuous year. Some games will be difficult to watch, others will be entertaining for fans of the opposing teams.
Week 1: 3/03-3/07
Most Notable Matchup: Sacramento Kings vs. New York Knicks (March 3)
The Knicks will face the Indiana Pacers twice (March 4 and 7) in what should be a challenging game. Although the Pacers aren't the dominant team they were in prior seasons, Indiana is still far more talented than New York.
The Knicks will struggle with Indiana's bigs, and it could be an ugly couple of games that fans tune out of.
New York also faces the Kings, which will be even more difficult. The Knicks will have no chance at containing DeMarcus Cousins, and he is very likely to post season-best numbers against the struggling franchise.
Cousins has become the NBA's best center, and he will have his way with New York's makeshift front line. Expect this game to a blowout and for Cousins to score at least 30 points.
Weekly Record: 0-3
Week 2: 3/09-3/14
Most Notable Matchup: New York Knicks vs. Golden State Warriors (March 14)
In Week 2, the Knicks only face one team with a winning record. New York kicks things off against the Denver Nuggets.
Denver has been disappointing but should still be a formidable opponent and the favorite. Expect Ty Lawson to have his way with New York's 1s, getting into the paint and feeding rookie big man Jusuf Nurkic. The two of them should post double-doubles against the Knicks.
New York also faces the immensely talented Utah Jazz led by Gordon Hayward. The small forward should be good for at least 20 points, five rebounds and five assists. Rudy Gobert will be a dark horse in this one to steal the show.
The youngster is developing into a premier player who will be a force in this league on both ends for a long time.
The Knicks face the Los Angeles Lakers next in what should be a battle for the No. 1 draft pick. Both franchises are disembodied and better suited to lose as many games as possible.
New York's matchup against the Warriors should be a fun one for fans of the Splash Brothers. Expect Steph Curry and Klay Thompson to drop at least 10 threes combined.
Draymond Green will also be a spectacle, potentially contributing a triple-double and furthering his worthiness of a max contract in the offseason.
Weekly Record: 1-3
Week 3: 3/15-3/20
Most Notable Matchup: San Antonio Spurs vs. New York Knicks (March 17)
The Knicks kick off Week 3 against the Phoenix Suns. Guards Eric Bledsoe and Brandon Knight will be a handful for New York and should explode for 30 points between them. New York will also struggle with Alex Len and the Morris twins, Markieff and Marcus.
Facing the Minnesota Timberwolves with Kevin Garnett back in the mix should be a fun game to watch. The T'Wolves have an exciting core, and under Garnett's tutelage they should be energized to finish the season strong on both ends of the court. Seeing Andrew Wiggins will be a must for basketball fans.
New York's matchup against the Philadelphia 76ers will be an ugly one. Both teams are in the mix for the worst record in the NBA and severely lack talent.
The real matchup to look out for is against the Spurs. San Antonio plays a beautiful brand of basketball regardless of which five players are on the court. Expect the Spurs to possibly rest some of its stars but still dominate against New York.
Weekly Record: 1-3
Week 4: 3/22-3/28
Most Notable Matchup: Memphis Grizzlies vs. New York Knicks (March 23)
New York plays five games in Week 4, and only one is against a ballclub below .500. The Toronto Raptors, Los Angeles Clippers and Chicago Bulls should have their way with the Knicks.
All three organizations are elite in comparison to New York and should have zero problems with the Knicks roster. New York's only chance at winning a game during this week is against the Boston Celtics.
Although the Celtics are struggling in their own right, Boston is still a better team than New York so a victory isn't guaranteed.
The best game in Week 4 is New York's bout against the Grizzlies. Memphis should blow the Knicks out by 20, but the Grizzlies are a serious dark horse at winning an NBA championship this season. Seeing Memphis in stride should be an entertaining game for basketball fans.
Weekly Record: 1-4
Week 5: 4/01-4/03
Most Notable Matchup: New York Knicks vs. Washington Wizards (April 3)
New York kicks off Week 5 against the Brooklyn Nets for the last time this season. Knicks vs. Nets is usually a decent game for pride, but both franchises have struggled this year and are nowhere near as good as many had hoped.
Expect the Nets to take control of this game early and not look back, although the Knicks will try to make a comeback at the end of the game.
The premier matchup is against the Wizards. John Wall and Paul Pierce should have big outings against New York's subpar defense, and the Knicks should see themselves losing by at least 10.
It won't be a beautiful game to watch, but seeing how brilliant Wall has become is always a treat for basketball fans.
Weekly Record: 0-2
Week 6: 4/05-4/15
Most Notable Matchup: New York Knicks vs. Atlanta Hawks (April 13)
New York's last slate of games features the 76ers, Pacers, Milwaukee Bucks, Orlando Magic, Atlanta Hawks and Detroit Pistons.
The Knicks will have a chance at pulling out a couple of victories, but they will probably fall short and only steal one game against Philly. The Pacers and Bucks will give New York fits, and Orlando is talented enough of a ballclub to not play down to its opponent.
The Hawks will be New York's most formidable opponent and should blow the Knicks out by at least 10. Atlanta plays a beautiful style of unselfish basketball, very similar to the Spurs, and their movement and shooting will be no match for New York's mediocre defense.
Weekly Record: 1-5
Recap
Record: 4-20
Knicks fans have little to smile about moving forward, unless they take solace in the fact that a top-three draft pick seems inevitable.
New York has a difficult road to end the season, and if the franchise pulls out more than four wins, it'll be very impressive.
This has been a disappointing season for the Knicks. Anthony played the majority of the year hurt, and the franchise never seemed to jell and buy into head coach Derek Fisher's Triangle offense.
Fisher has a promising career as a head coach, but year one was definitely a struggle for him. The Knicks bottomed out in 2014-15 and should only improve in future years as Phil Jackson adds more talent to the roster.