After nearly six months off, fans and media pundits alike can rejoice in the fact that it’s officially New York Knicks game-day.
Though for the majority of the league the preseason is already a few days underway, October 4 is the first time that the 2022-23 Knickerbockers will get to take to the hardwood for some actual exhibition play.
This offseason, Leon Rose and company acted as one of the most active front offices in the association, and, as a result, they managed to execute several salary-shedding trades and acquire some much-needed roster-bolstering talents on the open market, with highly-touted point guard Jalen Brunson headlining the list of newcomers.
After such a lackluster campaign that was 2021-22, the Knicks are hoping to make a sizable leap this season and, for them to accomplish this, it will take an all-hands-on-deck approach.
Tuesday’s preseason game against the Detroit Pistons will be the first time this updated roster will be able to square off against an opposing club.
And while fans and spectators may be excited to see every one of the team’s players perform, there are two veterans, in specific, that fans may want to keep an eye on in this matchup.
D-Rose Finally Healthy for Knicks
Though there is certainly an appeal to see how New York’s youngsters perform in game one of the preseason, to kick off the exhibition the team’s core players are almost guaranteed to see a large portion of the initial minute’s distribution and, of this group, Derrick Rose is someone fans may wish to keep a close eye on.
After a wildly successful 2020-21 season, where he served as a key component within Tom Thibodeau’s playoff-bound rotation, the veteran guard earned himself a lucrative deal the following offseason, netting a new three-year, $43 million contract to stay with the Knicks.
During the first season attached to his new deal, Rose lasted just 26 games before going down in mid-December with a right ankle injury that required surgery which, unfortunately, ran into several complications.
Now, just around 10 months since his initial operation, Rose is heading into the new season radiating with excitement, with the New York Post reporting that the 34-year-old is confident he can remain on the floor for his team.
“I feel very healthy. I feel like I’m gonna play in a lot of games — I mean, I know I’m gonna play in a lot of games this year,” Rose said during a post-practice presser, via the New York Post.
During this same media session, Rose was also seen boasting about his agility and shooting stroke.
“…I’m just thirsting to go out there and play. I feel lighter. I’m moving a lot better. I’m not worried about my shot. My shot looks great. ”
Game one of the preseason will be a perfect opportunity to show off this mobility and shooting efficiency that the three-time All-Star is raving about.
While there is a chance that Rose could show some signs of rust in his game and uneasiness to trust his right foot, with how he’s been speaking heading into the contest it seems that he’s not too worried about these two possible factors being present.
Fans will just have to see for themselves.
A Villanova Reunion in the Backcourt
Though he may not be the core contributor that Derrick Rose is by any stretch of the word, another veteran fans may wish to monitor during New York’s first preseason game against the Pistons is sixth-year combo guard, Ryan Arcidiacono.
After having played 10 games with the Knicks last season, the 28-year-old wound up inking a new one-year, $2.1 million non-guaranteed deal to return for a second stint with the franchise.
Now, though his production in said games was far from spectacular, as he logged a mere 7.6 minutes per game and averaged just 1.6 points, heading into his first preseason bout with the club Arcidiacono finds himself reuniting with his former Villanova backcourt running mate, Jalen Brunson.
Last we saw the two take to the court together, it was Arcidiacono who was viewed as top dog in the guard pecking order.
The, then, senior posted 12.5 points, 4.2 assists, 2.9 rebounds, and 1.1 steals per game on 50% shooting from the floor and 39.4% shooting from distance during their lone season together at the collegiate level back in 2015-16.
Together, they would go on to help guide the Wildcats to the 2016 NCAA title while Arcidiacono went on to earn the NCAA Tournament’s Most Outstanding Player Award.
Now, of course, no one should expect the 28-year-old to once again produce as the more seasoned and efficient talent of the two — after all, it’s Brunson who was given the guaranteed four-year, $104 million contract this summer.
However, with a familiar face now in tow, perhaps Arcidiacono’s confidence will improve a bit which, in turn, could result in better production from him overall. Considering the bevy of players that could be sidelined during game one of the preseason, the veteran could wind up seeing a sizable amount of playing time in the backcourt.
Maybe we could even see him and Brunson once again share the floor, creating a feel-good reunion for the former Wildcats.
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