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Schmeelk: Knicks' Season Couldn't Have Possibly Started Any Better

By John Schmeelk
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That went pretty well, didn't it?

The Knicks started their season with a bang on Wednesday night, scoring 122 points in a game that Carmelo Anthony shot just 4-of-16. With the way the Knicks played in past seasons that would have been impossible. But with all the new players on the roster this year, there's a new style of play. The Knicks played much harder and much faster than the Bucks for most of the game.

The Knicks played at an unrelenting pace in the first half (equivalent of 105 possessions per game, which would be 10 more than they averaged last year). For segments of the game it was clear that the Knicks were simply playing harder than the Bucks, a good shift for a team that often looked uninterested the last couple of seasons. They ran off of makes and misses, and took advantage of every opportunity in the open floor. It was refreshing.

The ball moving around the perimeter didn't end in a contested jumper or Anthony isolation, but rather toward the basket and then to the open man. Derrick Williams and Jerian Grant were constantly attacking the rim and either getting to the line or creating open looks for their teammates. The Knicks shot 35 free throws, and attacked the rim with reckless abandon.

After a bad first five minutes, Kristaps Porzingis went to the bench, cleared away those nerves and played a great remainder of the game. He only hit one jumper and shot just 3-of-11, but Porzingis did everything else. He attacked smaller defenders and took them into the paint. He ran the floor and fought for loose balls. He was only credited for one blocked shot, but constantly forced the Bucks to change shots around the rim because of his length. Zinger looked comfortable and anything but overmatched. It would be hard to imagine a better first game.

Grant played more minutes than Jose Calderon (though it might have been because of the blowout), and was also effective. He scored 10 points on an efficient 4-of-7 shooting, to go along with 5 assists. He got into the paint on screen and rolls, and was responsible for at least one of Langston Galloway's three pointers. I would like to see him be even more aggressive driving the ball.

But it was Williams who was the real catalyst. He took some bad shots and forced some things, but his high-octane attacking style helped speed the entire team up and put the Bucks on their heels. I'm not completely sold that he is going to be a legit secondary offensive option, but if he maintains his effort level he will be a very important player off the bench. He draws fouls as well as anyone else on the roster. It wasn't until he entered, along with the rest of the second unit to replace the starters, that the team really hit its stride.

Kyle O'Quinn outplayed starting center Robin Lopez, scoring 8 points with 11 rebounds, 3 assists and 2 blocked shots. He had a couple of very pretty assists and showed some toughness in the middle when he committed a very hard foul, reminiscent of the 90s Knicks.

There were plenty of things needing correction. Anthony shot poorly, but you do love his 5 assists. Lopez seemed unable to box out Greg Monroe in the first quarter. Calderon and Sasha Vujacic in the backcourt was as ineffectual a combination as many expected. The perimeter defense very early in the game was awful, not surprising given the personnel that was on the floor. You would also love to see Arron Afflalo and Kevin Seraphin healthy enough to get on the floor.

There is no debate, however, that the Knicks team on the floor last year never would have been capable of playing nearly this well. That's how good the Knicks were on Wednesday night. It will interesting to see how they handle a back-to-back. Guys like Grant and Porzingis will have to adjust to the rigors of the NBA schedule, and it will be important to see how some of the older players play on the second night of an early-season back-to-back.

Given the score, Derek Fisher was able to manage minutes well on Wednesday night, with no one playing more than 30 minutes. It should give the team the needed energy to take on a Hawks team that will test the Knicks' ability to close out on three-point shooters. Calderon will also have the tall task of keeping Jeff Teague out of the paint. It will not be easy. The Knicks are 1-0, and it doesn't get any better than that.

You can follow me on Twitter @Schmeelk for everything Knicks, Giants and the world of sports. 

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