Well, now that the afterglow has faded from the Knicks beating up on a team more dysfunctional than they are, the Trailblazers, it's back to reality. Tonight the Knicks face the Indiana Pacers who are on a two game winning streak, including a blow out win over the same hapless Blazers, at MSG and will be a tough match up for the Knicks.
The Pacers (25-16) have had a nice season with impressive wins that have fallen under the radar. They have been a good road team beating the Lakers, Mavericks, Bulls and Timberwolves (with Rubio) without much fanfare around the league. Such is the life for a small-market team.
The Pacers have a diverse set of players that can hurt the Knicks in different ways. From David West & Roy Hibbert and their inside game to outside shooters including three players shooting at least 40% from the three point line (Jones, Collison, George). While Danny Granger has never become the franchise player many thought he would be after back to back seasons with a 25 ppg avg ('09, 10), he's still the Pacers leading scorer at 18 ppg. However, Granger is shooting a career low 40% from the field. To be fair, Granger has played a lot better since the all-star break.
Overall, this looks to be a tough game for the Knicks , who must face them again tomorrow at Indiana, and will be a true test for Woodson's new system especially on defense. If the Knicks, especially the "stars" Stat/Melo, don't put pressure on their shooters, this could get ugly.
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