Notes from a Knicks season gone awry
Iman Shumpert and Amare Stoudemire look on late in the game against Brandon Jennings of the Milwaukee Bucks. (Jan. 20, 2012) Credit: Jim McIsaac
Yes, the Knicks beat the 4-19 Pistons on Tuesday night to emerge from a three-game losing streak and nab another win during a stretch in which New York has gone only 2-9. Up next are games against Chicago and Boston, two decidedly tougher opponents than the teams the Knicks have normally been taking advantage of this season.
Let's take a break from our essay-style entries and break this one down in list-form:
-- The Knicks are 5-1 against teams that currently have four or less wins (Charlotte, Detroit and Washington).
-- They're 3-12 against everyone else.
-- The Knicks have beaten just one team with a record better than .500, the 15-6 Philadelphia 76ers.
-- They've only beaten two teams with at least a .500 record (Boston, Philadelphia)
-- The Knicks averaged 95.3 points and allowed an average of 93.7 points through their first 10 games, during which they went 6-4.
-- In the 11 games since, they've averaged 94 points (it was only 92.1 before Tuesday night's 113-point performance) and allowed an average of 96.45 points. They've gone 2-9 in those games.
-- The Knicks scored 100 or more points four times during their first 10 games and allowed at least 100 points just twice. That trend has flipped now, and in the last 11 games the Knicks have scored at least 100 points twice (once during a double-overtime game) and have given up 100 or more points four times.
-- During their first 10 games, the Knicks played eight teams that currently boast records of .500 or less. Over the last 11, they've played just five teams that are currently sitting at .500 or worse.
-- It's no secret Carmelo Anthony hasn't seemed himself this season, but to find out just how different Melo has been as opposed to last season, let's compare stats through the first 18 games (how many games Anthony has played so far this season): In 2010-11, Anthony went 145-for-325 (44.6 percent), scoring 420 points. That's good for 1.29 points-per-shot. This season, he's 143-for-354 (40.3 percent), scoring 426 points. That's 1.20 points-per-shot. Basically, Anthony has taken 29 more shots to make two less buckets than at this time last season.
Cody Derespina's “The Numbers Game” is a Newsday app-only exclusive
