Scouting Report | Wolves at Knicks

We’re back!

This is the first game back for both teams after the All-Star break.

These are teams in two different spots.

The Wolves are trying to make a push into the postseason. They won two-straight games heading into the break against the Clippers and Rockets, respectively, and sit at 27-30 overall, 11th in the West and four games back from the eighth seed.

The Knicks are 11-47 and just a loss away from having the worst record in the entire league.

This is a game the Wolves are expected to win, and it’s one they need if they are serious about a second-straight postseason appearance. 

This is the first matchup between the two teams this season. They’ll face off against on March 10 in Minnesota. 

One player who really started to find his rhythm heading into All-Star break was Dario Saric. In five games going into the break, Saric averaged 16.4 points and 6.8 rebounds per game while shooting 60.4 percent from the field and 66.7 percent from the 3-point line.

Interim head coach Ryan Saunders inserted Saric into the starting lineup, swapping him for Taj Gibson, in the last two games and I’d expect that to continue. The Wolves won both games and Saric was a +10 in both. 

It’s clear that Saric feels more comfortable starting than coming off the bench. And it’s nice the Wolves have a guy like Taj Gibson who doesn’t care about his role, as long as he’s helping the team win. I’d expect Saric to continue his success against Luke Kornet. [[{"fid":"95022","view_mode":"default","fields":{"format":"default","alignment":""},"link_text":null,"type":"media","field_deltas":{"2":{"format":"default","alignment":""}},"attributes":{"class":"media-element file-default","data-delta":"2"}}]]

At a glance, Dennis Smith Jr. getting traded to the Knicks seems to have increased his productivity. He’s averaging 17 points per game, up 4.1 from his time in Dallas. His 6.0 assists are also an improvement.

But he’s playing three minutes more per game and he’s also been less efficient, shooting just 42.7 percent from the field (-1.3 percent from time in Dallas) and 26.9 percent from the 3-point line (-7.5 percent). 

It’s only been seven games, so this is a pretty small sample size. When it comes to scoring options, the Knicks are limited. In his time with New York, he hasn’t been afraid to get shots up. He’s attempted 14.7 shots per game in his time in New York, which is a 3.5 increase from his time in Dallas. If the Knicks have a chance to win this one, it’s if Smith can get hot. 

Wolves: Robert Covington (knee) and Gorgui Dieng (personal) are out. Karl-Anthony Towns (rest) is questionable. 

Knicks: Frank Ntiilikina (groin) is out.

Wolves: PG - Teague, SG - Okogie, SF - Wiggins, PF - Saric, C - Towns

Knicks: PG – Smith Jr., SG – Dotson, SF – Knox, PF – Kornet, C - Jordan