Game On: Knicks @ Hornets

Published: November 20, 2012

The Hornets take on the 7-1 New York Knicks in the New Orleans Arena tonight.

The Hornets have a tough matchup tonight. Over the past two games the team has struggled to defend the three-point shot. That’s bad news with the Knicks in the arena tonight. For the season, the Knicks are sporting an eFG% of 61.6 from deep while making 11 per game. Anyway, let’s do this…

3 Things to Watch For

Clamp Down On Shooters

Not only are the Knicks deadly from deep, they shoot well from most anywhere on the floor. The Hornets will need to stay on their man and contest every jumper taken. That means hands in shooters faces and staying in position to close out on open Knick shooters.

Strong Rotations and Help Defense

By playing close on the perimeter and not sagging off their marks, the Hornets are going to have people beat their defenders and drive into the paint. To counter this and now allow easy points in the paint, the Hornets will need to keep their heads on a swivel while also knowing where their man is. It’s not always easy–especially with a very young team–but with two days to prepare, Monty hopefully will have the defense looking sharp. Anthony Davis has been mixed at this so far and he’ll need to be on his (defensive) game tonight if the Hornets want to keep the score close.

Defensive Rebounding

The Hornets allowed the Bucks to pull down 36% of their own misses. That’s not okay. Against a top offensive team like the Knicks, the Hornets need to do everything they can to prevent second chances. Team rebounding–even at the sake of players getting out in transition–is highly important. Expect a very slow pace tonight.

Lagniappe to Watch For

Attendance

I won’t go as far as saying home game attendance has been lackluster, but it hasn’t been great either. The Knicks bring some star power with them so I’m hoping for a good crowd tonight.

(Anthony Davis is out with stress reaction in foot, listed as Day-to-Day)