Photo by Matthew Emmons-US PRESSWIRE
To be the best of the best, you must win where it counts–on the road. Despite a 8-0 record at home, Mike Woodson’s team presents a 4-4 stance away from Madison Square Garden.
In this early stage of the 2012-13 season, there should be no shock that the Knicks sit on top of the NBA Eastern Conference standings due to their strength of schedule.
Looking at New York’s away games, there has been a low level of difficulty in playing against teams like the Philadelphia 76ers, Orlando Magic, New Orleans Hornets, and Detroit Pistons–all four were victories.
The three biggest tests on the road this year were their win against the San Antonio Spurs (perhaps the biggest win of the season) and their defeats against the Memphis Grizzlies and Brooklyn Nets.
There will be hiccups on the road, but the bounce back and intense mentality from a loss will make the team build chemistry and a stature. In this case, the Knicks didn’t present a pleasant trip to Texas losing back-to-back contests to the Houston Rockets and Dallas Mavericks last week.
Two factors that come into play in terms of their troubles on the road are their defense and rebounding. In this season, New York allows 94.7 points per game, which is ninth in the NBA. Good right? Subsequently on the road, the team allows 99 points per game, which is fairly high given who they have played.
Another aspect of the team’s game that raises eyebrows is their rebounding numbers, ranked 25th in the NBA. Led by Tyson Chandler and Carmelo Anthony, it’s pretty astonishing to see them undertake in this category.
New York will play the uprising Charlotte Bobcats (7-9) on Wednesday at 7 p.m. Not a true test for the road, but they will have to compete against a young and experienced team.
