John Wall, Wizards Beat Knicks 110-98 as Kevin Knox Fails to Impress
Bradley Beal scored 20 points and John Wall added 14 points, nine assists and six rebounds as they led the Washington Wizards to a 110-98 preseason victory over the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden on Monday.
Tim Hardaway Jr. and Allonzo Trier led the Knicks with 18 points each, and Frank Ntilikina added 10 points and four rebounds.
A few starters did not play. Wizards center Dwight Howard is battling a back injury, and power forward Markieff Morris sat with a sore abdominal. Knicks center Enes Kanter was given a night of rest.
Knicks Looking Like Contender for Best League Pass Team
Knicks fans are used to watching lazy, uninspired and losing basketball since the Patrick Ewing era ended in 2000.
While losing hoops should be the norm this year as the team undergoes a significant rebuilding plan, New York is young, hungry and fun to watch.
Under new head coach David Fizdale, the new-look Knicks have a different feel. As Marc Berman of the New York Post noted after the team's 3-0 preseason start, "the young players look promising and the defense is charged up—just like their animated coach on the sidelines."
The Knicks were tripped up against the hot-shooting Wizards starters, who combined for 73 of the team's points on 61.3 percent shooting. However, there were a few encouraging signs moving forward.
For one, the team hustles on defense. Center Luke Kornet showcased some of that intensity Monday as he blocked two straight shots on the same possession:
New York combined for 15 steals and seven blocks on the night.
Second, the Knicks didn't fold like a house of cards after falling behind by 19 points after the third quarter. Led by Trier and Isaiah Hicks, the Knicks bench took over in the fourth quarter thanks to an 11-0 run that cut the Washington lead to 100-91.
The team is filled with young and promising players looking to make their stamp on the league. At times, Knicks fans will be reminded of the hustle and heart of successful teams of old.
There will be some growing pains along the way, especially with star big man Kristaps Porzingis recovering from a torn ACL (he has no timetable to return). However, it should be fun to watch the team develop and potentially grow into an Eastern Conference contender within a few years.
Wizards Haven't Improved Enough to Make Dent Atop the East
As OddsShark notes, the Boston Celtics, Philadelphia 76ers and Toronto Raptors are the top three contenders to take the Eastern Conference crown this year.
The rest of the East is a mix of rebuilding teams that have an uphill climb to make the postseason (like the Knicks) and those stuck in neutral between contending for an NBA Finals berth and a No. 1 draft pick.
The Wizards have been one of those teams stuck in pro basketball purgatory, as they've made the postseason four of their last five seasons but haven't won 50 games (or made the conference finals) since 1979.
It doesn't look like things will change much this year. The bench had a plus/minus last year of -1.5, per NBA.com, which was the ninth-worst differential in the league. On Monday, the second unit struggled, as they were outscored 57-37 by the New York bench. Of note, every single Wizard reserve had a negative plus/minus or zero in the box score.
Granted, the bench will have more depth when Morris and Howard get healthy, but Washington may not be deep enough to hang with the East's best.
Kevin Knox Takes Step Back in Off-Night
The Knicks selected Kentucky forward Kevin Knox with the ninth overall pick in the 2018 NBA draft. The ex-Wildcat star was a summer league sensation thanks to 21.3 points and 6.5 rebounds per game.
Knox registered a couple of double-doubles through three preseason contests, but his shot had been off as he made just 38.2 percent of his field goals.
That shooting slump continued Monday as he went just 2-of-9 from the field for nine points. He grabbed five rebounds but also committed five turnovers.
Any NBA player is vulnerable to off-nights, especially 19-year-old rookies learning their way around the league. Knox hasn't even suited up for the regular season yet, and this is largely a learning and rebuilding year for him and the team in a new era.
Therefore, it's not a big deal that Knox's shot is off right now, but it's clearly the No. 1 point of emphasis to improve as the season moves along. If he does that, then he could be an excellent player.
