Recap: Knicks 90, 76ers 98
The Knicks dropped their third consecutive game of the preseason, a 98-90 decision to the Philadelphia 76ers. The game was played at the Syracuse University Carrier Dome, making it a homecoming for Carmelo Anthony. Anthony didn’t disappoint his fans at his former stomping ground, scoring 23 points and filling up the stat sheet (six rebounds, five assists and four steals. Raymond Felton also had a strong game, scoring 23 points while shooting 5-for-7 from three-point land. However, it wasn’t enough for the Knicks, as they fell into an early hole they couldn’t recover from.
Knicks Weekend Wrap-Up vs Raptors & Celtics
With the Knicks set to take on the Philadelphia 76ers in their fifth preseason game, let’s take a look at notes from their two losses this weekend against the Toronto Raptors (a 107-88 loss on Friday) and Boston Celtics (a 109-88 loss on Saturday).
Point Guard Pairing Could Be Best Bet For New York Backcourt
If you’re a Knicks fan — a real Knicks fan — you don’t have many possible choices as to what your favorite team-related moment from the past ten years could be, and, in fact, one of them isn’t even directly related to the ‘Bockers.
The Ronnie Brewer Effect
From Ronnie Brewer’s player capsule on Gothic Ginobili:
I’d entreat you to ask Dwyane Wade how that turned out in the 2011 Eastern Conference Finals. Rather astounding set of statistics, here — with Brewer on Wade, the Dwyane Wade who proceeded to run wild in the finals averaged a paltry 15 points a contest on abysmal shooting and rare free throws. THAT’S how guards can impact the court — by keeping stars like Wade both off the line and out of rhythm, Brewer and other perimeter stoppers can do incredibly valuable things for any team willing to take a shot on them. Which brings us to his role next year, on the Knicks. Why, exactly, didn’t anyone else pick him up? Seriously. Look at the contract he got — a single year at the minimum. This guy is still in his mid twenties, just played 25 MPG as a primary perimeter stopper for one of the best defenses in the league, and is barely a year removed from being played extended minutes on shutdown duty in the Eastern Conference Finals. And you’re telling me nobody was willing to give him more than the minimum? Insane. I think his impact on this Knicks team will be far more broad than most think, so long as he can keep from chucking up random shots. Counterintuitively, being a team featuring ball-dominant iso-heavy players may actually help him achieve that goal. If Melo and Amare are freezing him out on every possession, he essentially has no choice but to play his solid defense and fade into the ether on offense. Which means he can focus on what he’s good at and play to his strengths. Brewer can produce everything Shumpert gave this team, and a little bit more. And in my view? He’s the only new Knick that actively improves their bottom line. So yeah. I do think Knicks fans should be excited about Brewer. He was a major cog on a team that’s won about 75% of their games over the past 2 seasons, and they got him for the minimum at their weakest position. An exciting pickup, to be sure.
Player Profiles: Ronnie Brewer
Ronnie Brewer followed in his father’s footsteps by playing shooting guard at the University of Arkansas, before getting drafted to the NBA. Brewer had high expectations when he was drafted with a lottery pick by the Utah Jazz in the 2006 NBA Draft. Through his first three seasons, Brewer looked like a solid NBA starter, but a trade to the Memphis Grizzlies derailed much of his success. After a stint in Memphis marred by injuries, Brewer signed with the Chicago Bulls where he played a variety of roles, including a stretch at the beginning of this past season where he was the starting shooting guard for first place Chicago. Ultimately, however, Brewer fell out of favor in Chicago to the point where he only played 16 minutes per game. Now Brewer is looking for a fresh start for the Knicks.
Another Knee Injury For The Knicks
Today we have learned that Ronnie Brewer underwent a successful surgery for a tear in his left meniscus, after suffering an injury in the past two weeks. Assuming the rehab goes well, he should be back with the team about two weeks into the official team training camp, which is set to begin on October 2nd.
The Knicks’ Spacing, Shooting Guards, and 15th Man
Despite their numerous options, their multitude of weapons, the Knicks were a below average offensive team in 2011-12. Although they played at the fifth fastest pace in the league (nearly 96 possessions per game), they were 19th in offensive efficiency, averaging 101.4 points per 100 possessions. Needless to say, this isn’t what the Knicks’ front office imagined when they paired Amar’e Stoudemire and Carmelo Anthony together.
Ronnie Brewer Agrees To One-Year Deal With Knicks
According to David Aldridge, the New York Knicks have come to terms on a one-year deal with free-agent shooting guard Ronnie Brewer. Brewer has spent his past two years in Chicago and he averaged 6.9 points, 2.1 assists and 3.5 rebounds a game last year, while playing 24.8 minutes a game.









