New York Knicks: Players Who Need To Step Up Against Denver Nuggets

The New York Knicks will complete the five-game road trip with a game against the Denver Nuggets. Who needs to step up against the Nuggets?

Mar 8, 2016; Denver, CO, USA; New York Knicks forward Carmelo Anthony (7) controls the ball against Denver Nuggets forward Darrell Arthur (00) in the first quarter at the Pepsi Center. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports

The New York Knicks have done a solid job of surviving an extensive stretch of games on the road. New York has played its past four games, as well as five of its past six outings, away from Madison Square Garden.

Having gone 3-2 during that five-game run and 2-2 over the past four outings, New York will have a chance to end this run on a high note and improve to 3-2.

Next on the schedule for the 14-12 Knicks will be the 10-16 Denver Nuggets. Led by a pair of former Knicks, Wilson Chandler and Danilo Gallinari, the Nuggets are in the process of finding their identity in the post-Karl era.

Though Carmelo Anthony left Denver in 2011, a road game against the Nuggets is all but certain to evoke an emotional response from both the star and the fans.

New York has gone 2-2 through the first four games of its five-game road trip, but it’s dropped two in a row. The Knicks fell 113-111 to the Phoenix Suns in a brutal overtime affair and lost 103-90 to the Golden State Warriors with both Anthony and Derrick Rose sidelined by injuries.

The question is: who must step up in order for the Knicks to secure a victory and complete this five-game road trip with a winning record?

December 11, 2016; Los Angeles, CA, USA; New York Knicks guard Courtney Lee (5) reacts after scoring a three point basket against the Los Angeles Lakers during the second half at Staples Center. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

5. Courtney Lee

Position: Shooting Guard
Age: 31 (10/3/1985)
Experience:
9th Season
2016-17 Slash Line:
.461/.467/.864
2016-17 Season Averages:
30.2 MPG, 10.1 PPG, 2.9 RPG, 1.9 APG, 0.9 SPG, 1.5 3PM

The New York Knicks signed shooting guard Courtney Lee to a four-year contract worth $48 million. The purpose of the contract was to solidify the position, acquire an end-of-the-shot-clock scorer, and legitimize the perimeter from a defensive perspective.

Though Lee is far more than the 3-and-D player that he’s been mislabeled as, he’ll need to step up on defense and as a shooter against the Denver Nuggets.

Lee is shooting remarkably well with averages of 10.1 points and 1.5 3-point field goals made per game on a mark of 46.7 percent from beyond the arc. He’s upped those averages to 11.7 points and 2.1 3-point field goals made over his past 10 appearances.

If Lee continues to produce and shoot with that volume and efficiency against Denver, the Knicks should be able to execute well as a team.

On the opposite end of the floor, the Knicks have defensive ratings of 106.4 with Lee on the court and 108.9 without him. He’s holding opponents to 43.5 percent shooting from the field and a mark of 33.3 percent from beyond the arc.

The Knicks need to be able to slow down the likes of Will Barton, Wilson Chandler, and Gary Harris in Denver, and Lee will be the primary player tasked with doing so.

Nov 22, 2016; New York, NY, USA; New York Knicks guard Brandon Jennings (3) reacts during the first half against the Portland Trail Blazers at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Adam Hunger-USA TODAY Sports

4. Brandon Jennings

Position: Point Guard
Age: 27 (9/23/1989)
Experience:
8th Season
2016-17 Slash Line:
.381/.301/.784
2016-17 Season Averages:
23.4 MPG, 8.0 PPG, 5.2 APG, 2.8 RPG, 0.9 SPG, 1.0 3PM

Whether or not Derrick Rose plays, sixth man Brandon Jennings will need to have a stellar performance on the road. Denver Nuggets head coach Michael Malone is a master of drawing up plays for his point guard, as well as finding ways to disrupt his opponent’s efforts.

If the New York Knicks hope to secure a victory on the road, then Jennings will need to either complement Rose or fill in as a high-quality replacement with a stellar performance.

Jennings is currently averaging 12.4 points, 8.0 assists, 4.4 rebounds, 1.4 steals, and 1.5 3-point field goals made per 36 minutes. He’s been the Knicks’ primary facilitator and one of the most dynamic scoring threats on the roster.

If nothing else, the Knicks will need Jennings to create for others and enable the offense to live up to its full potential.

The most ideal turn of events would be for Jennings to find his form as a scorer. He posted 19 points against the Sacramento Kings and Los Angeles Lakers, 16 points against the Cleveland Cavaliers, and had 13 points and seven assists in a second game against the Kings.

If the Knicks can get that type of performance out of Jennings in Denver, the Knicks should improve to 15-12.

Feb 7, 2016; New York, NY, USA; New York Knicks forward Kristaps Porzingis (6) and Denver Nuggets forward Danilo Gallinari (8) battle for a loose ball during second half at Madison Square Garden. The Denver Nuggets defeated the New York Knicks 101-96. Mandatory Credit: Noah K. Murray-USA TODAY Sports

3. Kristaps Porzingis

Position: Power Forward
Age: 21 (8/2/1995)
Experience:
2nd Season
2016-17 Slash Line:
.455/.393/.773
2016-17 Season Averages:
34.5 MPG, 20.1 PPG, 7.6 RPG, 1.9 ORPG, 1.3 APG, 1.8 BPG, 0.7 SPG, 2.1 3PM

The single most appealing aspect of Kristaps Porzingis’ mental makeup is his willingness to take on new challenges. Porzingis certainly did that against the Golden State Warriors, when he attempted to go at defensive ace Draymond Green.

Following a rough performance against the best team in the NBA, Porzingis needs to come out strong against the Denver Nuggets.

Porzingis posted eight points and five rebounds on 4-of-13 shooting against Golden State, but he dominated the previous two outings. He tallied 26 points, 12 rebounds, and seven blocks against the Los Angeles Lakers, and had 34 points against the Phoenix Suns.

The obvious and fair question is quite simple: can Porzingis bounce back from a rough showing to play with the same confidence he displayed before the Golden State game?

Prior to Porzingis’ massive performances at Los Angeles and Phoenix, he shot below 40 percent from the field in five consecutive games. He also averaged 13.5 points, 9.0 rebounds, 2.5 assists, and 2.0 blocks on a slash line of .382/.167/.000 against the Nuggets in 2015-16.

For what it’s worth, Porzingis will be squaring off against fellow European sensation Nikola Jokic—a matchup that should push KP to excel.

Dec 6, 2016; Miami, FL, USA; New York Knicks center Joakim Noah (13) warms up prior to the game against the Miami Heat at American Airlines Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports

2. Joakim Noah

Position: Center
Age: 31 (2/25/1985)
Experience:
10th Season
2016-17 Slash Line:
.468/.000/.306
2016-17 Season Averages:
21.6 MPG, 4.5 PPG, 7.9 RPG, 3.1 ORPG, 2.7 APG, 0.9 BPG, 0.7 SPG

Joakim Noah has found his niche with the New York Knicks: rebounding, facilitating, and competing on defense. His physicality is of great aid to the defense and his mental toughness helps set a tone for a competitive Knicks squad.

The Denver Nuggets lead the league in rebounds per game and have the personnel to put up points in the paint, which is why Noah must excel.

Noah is currently averaging 13.1 rebounds, 5.1 offensive boards, 4.5 assists, 1.4 blocks, and 1.1 steals per 36 minutes. Those are extraordinary numbers, specifically in the rebounding and assists departments.

Unfortunately, he’s been inconsistent as a scorer in the sense that he’s been an erratic finisher and atrocious free throw shooter.

Noah has been making harder cuts to the rim in recent games, especially when working the pick and roll. He was making shots from the post early in the season, but he’s since begun to rush and convert with efficiency.

The Knicks don’t need Noah to have an elite performance, but against the No. 1 rebounding team in the NBA, his presence on the boards will be vital.

December 11, 2016; Los Angeles, CA, USA; New York Knicks forward Carmelo Anthony (7) reacts during the 118-112 victory against the Los Angeles Lakers at Staples Center. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

1. Carmelo Anthony

Position: Small Forward
Age: 32 (5/29/1984)
Experience:
14th Season
2016-17 Slash Line:
.421/.327/.865
2016-17 Season Averages:
34.2 MPG, 22.0 PPG, 6.1 RPG, 2.8 APG, 1.0 SPG, 1.9 3PM

The New York Knicks rested Carmelo Anthony against the Golden State Warriors due to what was reported as a shoulder injury. He’d struggled in recent games and many hypothesized that sitting Anthony against Golden State was a precautionary measure to help him find his rhythm.

Though he missed Thursday’s game against the Golden State Warriors with a shoulder injury, Ian Begley of ESPN New York reports that he expects to play against Denver.

No one needs to be better against Anthony’s former team than Anthony himself.

In the first game following Phil Jackson’s controversial comments, Anthony went off for 33 points against the Sacramento Kings. In the two games that followed, however, he scored a combined 26 points on 7-of-31 shooting from the field and 0-of-6 shooting from distance.

Anthony tallied 14 rebounds and 12 assists between those two games, but his uncharacteristically horrific shooting was clearly concerning.

Anthony will look to rediscover his form against the team he played for between 2003 and 2011: the Denver Nuggets. That could be exactly what he needs, as the six-time All-NBA honoree has a career average of 25.6 points per game against the Nuggets.

Regardless of what’s transpired in the past, Anthony will be the player whom the Knicks need to step up and shine in the present after taking Thursday’s game off.

Anthony has called the encounter with the Nuggets a must-win game. It’s hard to disagree.