New York Knicks:
Offense: (103.8) 29th
Defense: (111.9) 24th
Net: (minus -8.1) 28th
Games Week 10 (2-1): Won vs Nets: 94-82, at Wizards: 107-100, Lost to Wizards 115-121
Games Week 11 (3 games): Weds vs Blazers | Fri at Suns | Sun at Clippers
Although the nods are being extended to Mike Miller as noted in last week’s power ranking it has much more to do with the return of Elfrid Payton than it does the coach.
The Knicks vacillate between effort matches and listless showings and are easily lulled into tit for tat offense as demonstrated in the two contests versus the Wizards this past week.
They enter week 11 with an intriguing mixture of opponents – the Blazers who tend to perform well against the lower tier, a struggling Suns team trying to gain relevance and the elite Clippers club who utilize these matches almost as practice sessions to iron out kinks in their offensive flow.
Paul George (as you’ll see later) needs one of those breakout offensive performances and always seems to have big nights at the Mecca.