Training camp has begun and everyone in New York City can feel the NBA in the air as the 2013-2014 season quickly approaches. This year is definitely shaping up to be a great one for both the Knicks, and I hate to admit it but the Nets as well, as both squads will benefit from each other’s revamped rosters. Finally, a city that was deprived of good basketball for most of the millennium, will see what is shaping up to be one of the most heated cross-town rivalries Gotham has ever been apart of.
With that, today begins a new blogging year for Knickstape and it’s going to be a good one. Over the next couple of weeks as we approach the home opener vs. the Bucks we’ll try to answer the burning questions that are most likely on all of our Knick fan minds. Let’s get to the first one…it’s quiet smokey.
JR’s 3-year deal. A guaranteed mess?
Time will tell, but so far the 3-year $17.95 million extension the 27-year old signed over the summer isn’t looking so sweet. Swish has already endured off-season knee surgery and Stern threw 5 game suspension at him for violating the league’s substance abuse policy after a third positive drug test…Do you think he at least tried the medical marijuana defense?? Maybe it was helping his knee heal quicker?? Anyway, they say there is no hope in dope, which was a sentiment that Coach Woody Johnson reiterated to JR early this week when he told the 6th man of the year “to grow up”. Fortunately, Woody has his ear and according to Ian Begley of ESPN New York, Swish apologized to all of his teammates, coaches and even Dolan – Dolan, that CRAZY Dolan – and promised to shape up.
I think, and hope for the sake of all of us, that JR realizes the positive impact he can have on this team and has learned from his past mistakes. When he’s on, he is on and could be the X factor that brings us back to the Eastern Conference Finals and maybe even further. I’m envisioning a lot of #JRING occuring this year….
Official NBA regular season schedules were released last night, and the excitement is already building around the Knicks who lead the NBA with 25 nationally televised games (ESPN/ABC/TNT)!
Unlike last year where all Knick-Nets games were finished in the first half of the season, these fierce rivals will battle it out twice in the first half and twice in April, which are shaping up to be some very pivotal affairs.
Other key games to look out for are our four matchups with the Heat and our January and March faceoffs with the Pacers. All are sure to be must wins. As basketball fans we all have to be excited to see our team face the new look Rockets in November and January, as well as the Thunder on Christmas Day and our four games against Derrick Rose's Bulls.
Can't wait for the season to start, its only 83 days away - that's less than three months! Let's go #KNICKSTAPE!!!!
2013-14 New York Knicks
Regular Season Schedule
Nationally televised games are noted in BOLD.
October
Wednesday 30.. vs. Milwaukee....... 7:30 p.m.
Thursday 31.. at Chicago............. 8:00 p.m.
November
Sunday 3.. vs. Minnesota....... 7:30 p.m.
Tuesday 5.. vs. Charlotte......... 7:30 p.m.
Friday 8.. at Charlotte........... 7:00 p.m.
Sunday 10.. vs. San Antonio............ noon
Wednesday 13.. at Atlanta............... 8:00 p.m.
Thursday 14.. vs. Houston........... 8:00 p.m.
Saturday 16.. vs. Atlanta............ 7:30 p.m.
Tuesday 19.. at Detroit............... 7:30 p.m.
Wednesday 20.. vs. Indiana............ 7:00 p.m.
Saturday 23.. at Washington....... 7:00 p.m.
Monday 25.. at Portland........... 10:00 p.m.
Wednesday 27.. at L.A. Clippers.... 10:30 p.m.
Friday 29.. at Denver.............. 9:00 p.m.
December
Sunday 1.. vs. New Orleans... 7:30 p.m.
Thursday 5.. at Brooklyn............ 7:00 p.m.
Friday 6.. vs. Orlando............ 7:30 p.m.
Sunday 8.. vs. Boston..................... noon
Tuesday 10.. at Cleveland........... 7:00 p.m.
Wednesday 11.. vs. Chicago............ 8:00 p.m.
Friday 13.. at Boston............... 7:30 p.m.
Saturday 14.. vs. Atlanta............ 7:30 p.m.
Monday 16.. vs. Washington.... 7:30 p.m.
Wednesday 18.. at Milwaukee.......... 8:00 p.m.
Saturday 21 vs. Memphis.................. noon
Monday 23 at Orlando.............. 7:00 p.m.
Wednesday 25.. vs. Oklahoma City 2:30 p.m.
Friday 27.. vs. Toronto............ 7:30 p.m.
Saturday 28.. at Toronto............. 7:00 p.m.
January
Thursday 2.. at San Antonio....... 8:30 p.m.
Friday 3.. at Houston............ 8:00 p.m.
Sunday 5.. at Dallas................. 7:30 p.m.
Tuesday 7.. vs. Detroit............. 7:30 p.m.
Thursday 9.. vs. Miami............... 8:00 p.m.
Saturday 11.. at Philadelphia....... 7:30 p.m.
Monday 13.. vs. Phoenix........... 7:30 p.m.
Tuesday 14.. at Charlotte........... 7:00 p.m.
Thursday 16.. at Indiana.............. 7:00 p.m.
Friday 17.. vs. L.A. Clippers.... 7:00 p.m.
Monday 20.. vs. Brooklyn.......... 2:30 p.m.
Wednesday 22.. vs. Philadelphia.... 7:30 p.m.
Friday. 24.. vs. Charlotte......... 7:30 p.m.
Sunday 26.. vs. L.A. Lakers...... 3:30 p.m.
Tuesday 28.. vs. Boston............. 7:30 p.m.
Thursday 30.. vs. Cleveland........ 8:00 p.m.
February
Saturday 1.. vs. Miami............... 8:30 p.m.
Monday 3.. at Milwaukee.......... 8:00 p.m.
Wednesday 5.. vs. Portland.......... 7:30 p.m.
Friday 7.. vs. Denver............. 7:30 p.m.
Sunday 9.. at Oklahoma City... 1:00 p.m.
Wednesday 12.. vs. Sacramento.... 7:30 p.m.
Tuesday 18.. at Memphis........... 8:00 p.m.
Wednesday 19.. at New Orleans...... 8:00 p.m.
Friday 21.. at Orlando.............. 7:00 p.m.
Saturday 22.. at Atlanta............... 7:30 p.m.
Monday 24.. vs. Dallas............... 7:30 p.m.
Thursday 27.. at Miami................. 8:00 p.m.
Friday 28.. vs. Golden State... 8:00 p.m.
March
Sunday 2.. at Chicago............. 1:00 p.m.
Monday 3.. at Detroit............... 7:30 p.m.
Wednesday 5.. at Minnesota.......... 8:00 p.m.
Friday 7.. vs. Utah................. 7:30 p.m.
Saturday 8.. at Cleveland........... 7:30 p.m.
Monday 10.. vs. Philadelphia.... 7:30 p.m.
Wednesday 12.. at Boston............... 7:30 p.m.
Saturday 15.. vs. Milwaukee............... noon
Wednesday 19.. vs. Indiana............ 8:00 p.m.
Friday 21.. at Philadelphia....... 7:00 p.m.
Sunday 23.. vs. Cleveland........ 7:30 p.m.
Tuesday 25.. at L.A. Lakers....... 10:30 p.m.
Wednesday 26.. at Sacramento..... 10:00 p.m.
Friday 28.. at Phoenix........... 10:00 p.m.
Sunday 30.. at Golden State..... 9:00 p.m.
Monday 31.. at Utah.................. 9:00 p.m.
April
Wednesday 2.. vs. Brooklyn.......... 7:00 p.m.
Friday 4.. vs. Washington.... 7:30 p.m.
Sunday 6.. at Miami................. 1:00 p.m.
Friday 11.. at Toronto............. 7:00 p.m.
Sunday 13.. vs. Chicago............ 1:00 p.m.
Tuesday 15.. at Brooklyn............ 8:00 p.m.
Wednesday 16.. vs. Toronto............ 8:00 p.m.
