PREMIUM
Rogers' *10* TNT DYNO-MITE!! >> 98-67-2 Overall L44 Days!
(NBA) New York vs. Oklahoma City,
Total: 213.50 | -110.00 Under
Result: Loss
Total: 213.50 | -110.00 Under
Result: Loss
The set-up: I think the NBA schedule was set before the Knicks traded Carmelo to OKC but is sure seems like a "set up" that the first game of the 2017-18 season for both New York and Oklahoma City is the first game of tonight's TNT doubleheader between the Knicks and Thunder at Chesapeake Energy Arena. The Thunder made arguably the biggest 'splashes' of the off-season by bringing in All-Stars Carmelo Anthony and Paul George to pair with reigning MVP Russell Westbrook. As for the Knicks, they received center Enes Kanter, swingman Doug McDermott and a draft pick in that Anthony deal, finally committed to a youth movement centered around 22-year-old Latvian Kristaps Porzingis, who is ready to lead the team after averaging 18.1 PPG last season in Anthony's shadow. New York has missed teh postseason the last four seasons, averaging about 29 wins per season!
New York: "For myself, I wanted him to stay [in New York], and to play with him and learn from him and so on," Porzingis told reporters of Anthony. "But from the other side, I understand that he needed a new challenge in his career and he wants to win a championship one day, so I'm happy for him. He's in an environment where he might be able to do that soon." PG Derrick Rose is also gone from last season's squad and maybe the biggest "addition by subtraction" is that the Knicks no longer have Phil Jackson 'hanging over' the entire operation. 19-year-old Belgian rookie Frank Ntilikina has been impressing coaches and teammates in camp and will be counted on to step in for Rose.. "Usually for a young kid like that, you've got to spend a lot of time explaining plays, explaining NBA sets. You're not able to go to all the little tricks and all those things for a while," New York coach Jeff Hornacek told ESPN.com. "With Frank, you can talk about them already. So that's great." Joining Ntilikina in the backcourt is shooting guard Tim Hardaway Jr, who signed a $71 million deal with the team after averaging 14.5 PPG for the Atlanta Hawks last season.
Oklahoma City: Westbrook became the first player since Oscar Robertson to average a triple-double over the course of the season (31.6 points, 10.7 rebounds, 10.4 assists), but the individual success still led to a first-round playoff exit. OKC wasted little time over the summer jumping into the Western Conference arms race and nabbed a pair of stars disgruntled with their former situations in George and Anthony. Now, the biggest question is, how many shots does each player need to stay happy? Westbrook averaged a league-high 24 FG attempts last season while Anthony hoisted 18.8 shots and George put up 18 for the Indiana Pacers.
The pick: As the saying goes, "you can't make this up." Carmelo Anthony's first game for his new team will be against his most recent employer, the New York Knicks. Head coach Jeff Hornacek no longer has to worry about Phil Jackson's "triangle" and he let the Knicks run to their heart's content in the preseason. However, that also revealed the team's extreme defensive deficiencies. That style could be 'suicide' here in OKC. Make the Over a 10* play.
New York: "For myself, I wanted him to stay [in New York], and to play with him and learn from him and so on," Porzingis told reporters of Anthony. "But from the other side, I understand that he needed a new challenge in his career and he wants to win a championship one day, so I'm happy for him. He's in an environment where he might be able to do that soon." PG Derrick Rose is also gone from last season's squad and maybe the biggest "addition by subtraction" is that the Knicks no longer have Phil Jackson 'hanging over' the entire operation. 19-year-old Belgian rookie Frank Ntilikina has been impressing coaches and teammates in camp and will be counted on to step in for Rose.. "Usually for a young kid like that, you've got to spend a lot of time explaining plays, explaining NBA sets. You're not able to go to all the little tricks and all those things for a while," New York coach Jeff Hornacek told ESPN.com. "With Frank, you can talk about them already. So that's great." Joining Ntilikina in the backcourt is shooting guard Tim Hardaway Jr, who signed a $71 million deal with the team after averaging 14.5 PPG for the Atlanta Hawks last season.
Oklahoma City: Westbrook became the first player since Oscar Robertson to average a triple-double over the course of the season (31.6 points, 10.7 rebounds, 10.4 assists), but the individual success still led to a first-round playoff exit. OKC wasted little time over the summer jumping into the Western Conference arms race and nabbed a pair of stars disgruntled with their former situations in George and Anthony. Now, the biggest question is, how many shots does each player need to stay happy? Westbrook averaged a league-high 24 FG attempts last season while Anthony hoisted 18.8 shots and George put up 18 for the Indiana Pacers.
The pick: As the saying goes, "you can't make this up." Carmelo Anthony's first game for his new team will be against his most recent employer, the New York Knicks. Head coach Jeff Hornacek no longer has to worry about Phil Jackson's "triangle" and he let the Knicks run to their heart's content in the preseason. However, that also revealed the team's extreme defensive deficiencies. That style could be 'suicide' here in OKC. Make the Over a 10* play.
