NBA Record: 5-8
I'm taking a break but Dallas only plays the Knicks twice a year, this being the last time they play so I have to dip my feet into this one.
Why the interest?
1. The Trade
...The trade that sent Tyson Chandler to Dallas and brought back Calderon, Dalembert and Larkin.
Folks, the Knicks don't have much to go with concerning their lineup. Shumpert is gone. JR is questionable and probably won't go. So we need the bodies on the floor that we have to score.
Can we depend on them?
Well, we have to look to Calderon, Dalembert and Larkin, the ex-Mavs to step up against their former team.
In a 109-102 OT loss on 11/26, did those three step up?
Calderon averages 8p/4a/3r.
The game vs. his former team? Off the charts..
21points; 10!!! rebounds; 4 assists; 7-9 from 3!
Dalembert averages 4p/5a/1r.
The game vs. his former team? For him, damn good!
13 pts 13 Rebounds 2 steals 2 blocks.
BOTH these guys stepped up in a big way and propelled the Knicks to OT in Dallas as FOURTEEN point dogs eventually losing by 7.
So we need BOTH to step up in a big way again in this game.
Larkin? No discernable difference between his averages and this game.
Here is one problem.
Dalembert has been so brutal of late, he is now coming off the bench. Still, I really hope Fisher sees that he will want to perform against his former team and did in a big way the last game. If he does not give him the start, it will be a problem. That is another unknown, along with JR's status that messes with this pick.
2. Tyson Chandler
Well if Dalembert and Calderon stepped up, you must be wondering about how Chandler did last game.
He's averages 10p/11r/1block
That night...OFF THE CHARTS.
17pts 25 Rebounds! and 2 blocks and one steal.
So in some regard Tyson's play neutralized the step up games of Jose and Samuel.
3. So how did the Knicks go into OT with the Mavs last game and get the cover?
Because the Mavs were running plays through Chandler.
Right from the get-go, Dirk was deferring to Chandler on offense. Yes, Dirk.
This lead to a breakdown in many plays, lots of iso's underneath and short jumpers for Tyson and it couldn't be sustained over the course of the game, keeping the Knicks in it. Combine this with Calderon and Dalembert and the nights they had and you get a game that goes to OT.
So what will the Mavs do tonight? It's important because if the Mavs play their up-tempo offense and move away from Tyson and what they did last game, they have a much better shot at covering this number.
Two thoughts:
1) Carlisle is smart and will realize that the Knicks are terrible but deferring to Chandler puts the game in jeopardy.
2) Chandler overrides any intention of his coach (if there is even any intention in the first place and their should be) and demands the ball continuously on offense to fill up his box score and burn the Knicks in his old stomping grounds where he was unceremoniously dismissed.
Make no mistake, the veiled shots at Chandler from the Knicks last season were many by coaches, media and players. It is a dream come true for Tyson to be with the team he won a championship with and he will be looking forward to his MSG return in a BIG WAY far more than the game in Dallas.
That is why I suggest looking at Chandler props along with Calderon (Dalembert) props are a stretch.
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