New York Knicks: What To Watch For In Preseason Game 1

It’s back! Well kind of. No, you know what, I’ve waited long enough … it’s back!

Wednesday night, the New York Knicks open up their 2015-16 campaign with a preseason bout against Brazil’s Paschoalotto/Bauru.

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The only thing more unknown than the Knicks’ opponents is the Knicks themselves. With a barrage of change, Phil Jackson has begun the overhaul and in the process, piqued the interest of a fanbase desperate for change.

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There aren’t too many things that can be taken away from the first preseason game, especially against a non-NBA opponent. However, there are a few scenarios we can start keeping tabs on that will hopefully play out over the course of the preseason and into the main event:

Kristaps Porzingis

Besides a mix of Pau Gasol and Dirk Nowitzki … what is he? Will he start? Will he play center? Will he be a stretch-4? Could he play some small forward? The good news is, these are all plausible scenarios. The bad news is those three roles have vastly different roles in the triangle offense.

Head coach Derek Fisher has not committed to a starting role for Porzingis, but all signs are pointing towards the rookie starting at power forward Wednesday night. Comparison jokes aside, it’s not hard to envision Porzingis playing the “Pau” role in the triangle offense. He can pass, he can run, he can shoot. I’d look for a lot of elbow jumpers tonight.

The Backcourt

Jose Calderon was injured most of last season, butPhil Jackson spoke very highly of him this offseason. The Knicks drafted a point guard as well, Jerian Grant out of Notre Dame who is already viewed as a great fit for the Knicks’ offense. Given Grant’s ability to penetrate and Calderon’s ability to hit open shots at a high clip, there’s no doubt they’ll share the floor plenty this season.

Here’s the big disclaimer: you would assume that once Arron Afflalo is healthy, he will be starting at the 2 to form a more traditional backcourt. But given Afflalo’s hamstring injury, look for Fisher to experiment with Calderon and the rook sharing backcourt duties.

Not to be forgotten is Langston Galloway, who had a shaky summer league and would be wise to use Afflalo’s missed time as an opportunity to prove he’s worth a roster spot.

Don’t let the smile fool you… O’Quinn isn’t afraid to do the dirty work. Credit: William Hauser-USA TODAY Sports /

Free Agent Big Man Trio

There aren’t many guarantees in life. One of them is Robin Lopez starting at center for the Knicks. Porzingis will likely snag the starting PF role, but there’s three guys who will put up a fight: Kevin Seraphin, Kyle O’Quinn and Derrick Williams. Seraphin is a big-bodied center who fits the mold perfectly. He’s been posting videos on Instagram all summer long touting his offensive abilities.

My money is on Seraphin seeing 15-20 minutes a night as the backup to Lopez. Williams is a little more interesting. He’s one of the biggest draft busts in recent memory, but there’s untapped potential to be realized. Fisher clearly sees him as a stretch-4, but he’s a poor shooter outside 10 feet and statistically one of the worst defenders in the league.

The wildcard is O’Quinn, a rugged but undersized PF who does the dirty work with the ability to step out and hit a jumper. Williams has been mentioned as another potential starting 4, but I wouldn’t be shocked to see O’Quinn work his way into this conversation.

The obvious omission is Carmelo Anthony. We don’t need to watch him. We know what he is. He’s going to get his shots off, he’s going to score. What we should be much more interested in is everything around him. If there’s one thing that’s held true about Carmelo’s career it’s that he needs a solid supporting cast.

Does he have one? Starting tonight, that’s a discussion we’ll be able to have.

Next: NBA: Top 10 Candidates For 2015-16 Sixth Man of the Year

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