BOSTON – It’s been years since the New York Knicks’ frontcourt has struck fear into its opponents.
They have finished dead last in points in the paint per game during each of the previous three seasons, and their 40.4 rebounds per game during the 2014-15 campaign ranked second-to-last in the league.
In an attempt to rise from the floor in those categories and improve their frontcourt presence, New York focused heavily on big man acquisitions during the offseason. It appears to be paying off so far, as they are corralling 47.4 boards per game, which has them tied for eighth among NBA teams this preseason.
Their summer additions have been a massive presence so far, figuratively and literally speaking.
There’s 7-foot-3 forward Kristaps Porzingis, who was the No. 4 overall pick in this year’s draft. There’s Kyle O’Quinn, a 6-10, 250-pound bruiser, who they acquired via sign-and-trade with Orlando. And then there are free agent signees: Robin Lopez (7-foot, 255 pounds), Kevin Seraphin (6-10, 278 pounds) and Derrick Williams (6-8, 240 pounds).
The C’s got their first look at that large, physical group Friday night at Madison Square Garden, and suffered their only loss of the preseason in the process. Boston will get its second taste Thursday night, and should be in for another body-banging battle.
“I think just as a whole we’ve done a great job of maintaining our intensity, building upon it and pushing ourselves,” Lopez said prior to New York’s shootaround Thursday morning at TD Garden. “Part of that has to do with the physicality. I think as a group we realize we want to be effective on the defensive end, and to do that you need to be able to enforce your will a little bit.”
Their will has stunned opposing offenses to a meager 93.0 points per game this preseason.
Defense will be a main focus for second-year coach Derek Fisher, as the Knicks have struggled in that category for years.
“I think it always has to be about defense,” said Fisher. “I don’t think you can really talk about much of anything else without defense being the staple, because it shouldn’t really change from night to night in terms of the mindset, the intensity of it, the commitment to it.”
One addition that increases that intensity is O’Quinn, a forward who Fisher said has added much-needed vocal leadership on the court.
“You always hear his voice, so you’re always going to know he’s in the room. That alone is why we were so excited to try and [bring him in] this summer,” said Fisher. “He does have a presence, he’s a good passer and he has some leadership qualities that are good for us.”
O’Quinn finished with 13 points and a game-high 11 boards Friday night against Boston, and should make another solid impact tonight.
But the man who the C’s really need to look out for is Williams, who was a key offensive and defensive cog when they played New York last week.
The 2011 No. 2 overall pick has had a quiet start to his career, relative to his draft position, but he has been on fire through five games. Williams has averaged 16.6 points per game including a 47.1 clip from 3-point range. His 19 points against the C’s on Friday marked the third consecutive contest in which he was the top scorer.
“When we’ve needed him, he’s stepped up big time,” said Lopez. “Obviously it’s just preseason, but he’s made huge contributions so far and hopefully that will continue during the regular season.”
Williams split his first five seasons between Minnesota and Sacramento. He believes coming to New York can help revive his career, as he claims to thrive in the spotlight.
“I wanted to be in a big market and that’s the reason why I came here,” said Williams. “You’re always on TV, you’re always being looked at, and I think that brings the best out of people.”
We’ll see how he handles the parquet floor Thursday night, as he leads New York’s second unit into Beantown. He believes both teams have stacked benches, which should make for an exciting night at TD Garden.
“[The Celtics] have a lot of bigs in the frontcourt and have a lot of depth just like us,” said Williams. “We have a good first and second unit, as well as [Boston], so this game is a good test for both of us going into the regular season.”
Thursday’s game will mark the final exhibition game for the Knicks before they tip off the regular season on Oct. 28, meaning it’s their final test.
But they’ll have to get through a flourishing 4-1 Celtics squad if they hope to pass it.
