5 Questions Ahead of New York Knicks vs. San Antonio Spurs

InsideTheSpurs.com spoke with All Knicks editor-in-chief and expert Geoff Magliocchetti to preview the San Antonio Spurs' Madison Square Garden showdown against the New York Knicks.

It's no secret that all eyes have been on Victor Wembanyama this NBA season. 

Since he stepped off of his private flight onto a San Antonio tarmac, that's been the case — though he was even being covered heavily in New York City in the days leading up to the draft. Either way, his skill level, talent and sheer height command attention. 

That's why the San Antonio Spurs have 19 nationally televised games this season — an 18-game increase from just one year ago. And this time, those cameras and attention will follow the French phenom back to New York City. 

Wembanyama is set to play inside Madison Square Garden — the other New York venue he hasn't been to yet — Wednesday night, looking to lead his team to a much-needed bounce-back victory over the New York Knicks. 

Both teams are looking to get back to .500, and a Spurs victory will by no means come easy. That's why InsidetheSpurs.com spoke with AllKnicks.com's Geoff Magliocchetti to preview the two teams' matchup. Here's what he had to say:

Jan 4, 2023; New York, New York, USA; San Antonio Spurs forward Zach Collins (23) controls the ball against New York Knicks center Jericho Sims (45) during the fourth quarter at Madison Square Garden / © Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

Q: The Knicks beating the Clippers on Monday at MSG was big. With the Spurs in town, how important is it to grab a win and start building some home advantage?

GM: I'll be frank, not that important. New York sports fans, observers, and critics are renowned for their patience, understanding, and ... oh, who are we kidding?

While no one obviously's regaling the Knicks down the Canyon of Heroes for Monday's victory, it's an undeniable provider of momentum for a team that looked rather lifeless over its prior two games. Put aside the fact that the Knicks opened the Clippers' supposed superteam era with a 14-point loss; Monday was a prime showcase of everything that came to define the Knicks last season as they put up their most lucrative season in a decade.

Julius Randle broke loose for a season-best 27 points. RJ Barrett, back from a two-game medical absence, was right behind him with 26. With concerns being raised about his offensive role, Mitchell Robinson kept up his solid defense and scored a season-best 13. Jalen Brunson was held in check but still dished out six assists. Through it all, New York avoided its first 0-3 start since the 2015-16 campaign.

Has the damage already been done, though? The Knicks are already 2.5 games behind division rival juggernauts Boston and Philadelphia and are ensnared in a Play-In logjam on the ridiculously premature Eastern Conference playoff bracket. Another win on Wednesday against the developing Spurs would clinch a victorious three-game homestand, which wraps against the lowly Charlotte Hornets on Sunday. With national eyes upon them, the Knicks have a prime opportunity to make a statement against the Spurs.

Q: Julius Randle has struggled from the floor pretty heavily to start this season. What’s going to be the key to getting him involved tonight, and do you see it being a long-term problem?

GM: Call it a cop-out, but it's far too early to tell because there's evidence for both sides. 

Yes, Randle looked somewhat lost over his first six games and New York has seen this movie before: one of the reasons last year's run looked so magical was because Randle's previous postseason follow-up (the 2021-22 season) was relatively dreadful and he responded with arguably the best outings of his career. At the same time, it's fair to dismiss any and all of Randle's shortcomings to the aftershocks of an ankle injury that cost him the last five games of the regular season and severely diluted his impact in the ensuing 11-game playoff run. 

Randle's early woes (entering the week dead-last in the Association in field goal percentage among those with at least five starts) feel fixable and he proved more than capable of game-changing efforts like the one shown on Monday. 

In the early stages of the Clippers' visit, Randle took advantage of the Clippers' depleted interior (further handicapped by the in-game loss of Mason Plumlee) to drive early and often before turning to the outside again. That'll be hard to do against San Antonio, who will have to play bigger with Devin Vassell out and Keldon Johnson working off injury woes of his own. Expect Randle to attempt to establish his outside game on Wednesday, as he's shown little, if any, hesitation despite his early struggles.

Q: Devin Vassell is unlikely to play tonight. How much do you think that helps the Knicks' defense to focus on other weapons?

GM: Absolutely; the Knicks' defense has been the team's undeniable foundation, sustaining them through brutal shooting efforts headlined by Randle's early woes. New York has already held opponents to less than 100 points on four occasions this season after doing so 11 times all of last year. 

Primary Mitchell Robinson has led the way with a team-best defensive rating of 99 in the early going and he's flanked in the interior by spell option Isaiah Hartenstein. In the backcourt, Donte DiVincenzo has been as advertised and is starting to find a facilitation game on offense. 

With Vassell out and Johnson somewhat ailing, it wouldn't be shocking to see the Spurs trust their interior threats more. Wembanyama obviously speaks for himself but San Antonio has the ability to crash further with Zach Collins, Jeremy Sochan, and maybe even a dash of more Cedi Osman. That'll put Robinson and Hartenstein in the spotlight in more ways than one and it'll make the battle on New York's offensive end even juicier: entering Wednesday's contest, the Knicks rank fourth in the Association's second chance points rankings.

Q: How can New York effectively slow down Wembanyama on either end of the floor?

GM: See above! 

In all seriousness, enough can't be said about the way Robinson has risen to the occasion this season, even if there's dissatisfaction from his camp about the way he's being used offensively. Mere minutes after the win over the Clippers, Robinson was quickly quizzed about the way he plans to guard Wembanyama, likening the teenage phenom to an eclectic mix of seven-footers.

“I’m going to play him just like he’s one of those like Kristaps Porzingis-kind of (players)," Robinson said after Monday's win per (h/t Ian Begley of SNY). "Who else plays like that? Bol Bol? Just got a mix them two together. I kind of got a feel of how it should go. He’s going to be on the perimeter a lot, so I’ve just got to move my feet ... just got to get ready for that.”

Is Robinson ready for a challenge like that? No one's going to argue about what he's done so far this season. Offensively, there's been no easier, no more reliable recipe for two Knicks points over the last half-decade than feeding Robinson. But his movement can be called into question when he has spent most, if not all, of his metropolitan career camped out no more than three feet away from the rim. Having Robinson man the interior would be a good start, but Hartenstein, Randle, and Josh better provide strong resistance as well.

The other key for the Knicks will be to establish an early dominion on the scoreboard. That goes for anyone facing a relatively massive underdog, but it doubles in New York's case when one views the second unit. Few, if anyone, is/has been prepared for Wembanyama's frame, as he has cultivated one of the most unique bodies in NBA history. But the Knicks' second unit remains drastically small beyond Hartenstein after the team traded Obi Toppin over the summer and did little to replace that size (Hart, for example, certainly has Toppin's frame but definitely not his height). 

Q: What is your game prediction?

GM: The Knicks certainly won't make things easy on themselves ... heck, the Spurs are perhaps indirectly responsible for getting that new century trend started with their Finals victory a quarter-century ago ... but there's no denying the opportunity ahead of them on Wednesday. They have the momentum and they have the assets possible to neutralize Wembanyama. 

San Antonio has enough strength to at least put up a fight but expect the Knicks to capitalize on what's ahead, especially with a defense that's playing to the best of its abilities.

Prediction: Knicks 114, Spurs 101