It has been a tough season for the New York Knicks to navigate through as they have fallen well below the .500 mark. The Knicks are coming off a narrow win over the Orlando Magic.
Meanwhile, things haven’t been any easier for the Detroit Pistons as they have continued to head south as the season has worn along. The Pistons are heading into the contest after a road win over the Phoenix Suns.
Knicks hoping to stay on the right path
It has been more of the same for the Knicks as they have continued to stumble as the season has worn along. They haven’t been able to showcase any positive steps forward as their busy offseason hasn’t equated to them finding any sustainable progress on the court. Instead, it has seen them in the same route that they have been in for well over the last decade. That alone has been quite concerning as there is no true sense of direction for the franchise. It’s one of the most beloved organizations in the league, but the team just hasn’t been able to piece it together in any way that would create a great of optimism ahead.
It hasn’t been completely bad as the Knicks have had some bright spots with their roster that has seen big man Julius Randle pick it up in spots offensively as he has shown to be a more than capable scorer. That could see him grab a more prominent offensive role with Marcus Morris being moved at the trade deadline. Randle has picked it up as of late as he’s averaging 19.0 points and 9.5 rebounds per contest while shooting 45.3 percent from the floor. He has tallied more than 20 points three times in the last five games played, including a pair of double-doubles. Randle’s play could be the guiding light that pushes them past the shorthanded Pistons.
Pistons stumbling south in a hurry
In the months ahead of the 2019-20 season, the Pistons had much hope that they could bounce back from what was a disappointing campaign. However, it’s been one that has continued to head south as they have struggled to find any sustained success. They have had major issues with injuries along the way to some core pieces of the puzzle. That has already seen All-Star big man Blake Griffin be declared out for the season due to a knee injury, which leaves a gaping hole offensively that’s going to quite difficult for them to push their way through this season. It just went from a disastrous to a worse situation in Detroit.
It also doesn’t help their effort that they traded star big man Andre Drummond to the Cleveland Cavaliers for an underwhelming haul in return. His departure leaves them without any stability in the frontcourt as he was the lone consistent factor for the franchise. The team’s direction is clear that they are moving to a full rebuild that is going to take some time for them to get back on track. The team is also dealing with their primary scorer Derrick Rose being out of the mix, which could bleed over into Saturday’s game. Even if he’s able to play, it’s hard to envision his production being enough to give them the edge at home.
