Knicks @ Celtics (Preseason) Preview

Last year, when the two teams met in the Preseason there were technicals and a lot of shoving. I don't expect this year to be any different, aside from the fact that the Celtics earned themselves a ring.

The New York Knicks look to make a statement tonight when they travel to Boston to take on the defending NBA champion Celtics.

Despite a 1-2 record in the preseason, the Knicks have been very impressive under new head coach Mike D’Antoni. Another strong showing against Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, Ray Allen and company will go a long way to proving to skeptics that the first three games haven’t been a fluke.

“The talent is a lot better than I expected, and I’m excited about it,” said D’Antoni. “Obviously there is some stuff we’ve got to do, and we’ve got to get a lot better defensively, but we have enough (talent here).”

Offensively, New York has been superb, averaging 110 points per game with six players in double-figures in scoring. Leading the charge has been David Lee, who projects to crack the starting lineup after being a key reserve for the majority of his three previous NBA seasons. Lee is averaging a double-double in the preseason with 19.3 points and 10.3 rebounds, along with 3.3 assists in 33 minutes of action.

Joining him up-front is Zach Randolph, who has also thrived in the team’s new fast-paced offense. The 6-foot-9, 260-pound forward averages a double-double as well, posting 18 points and 10.7 boards to start the preseason.

Together, Lee and Randolph will have their hands full guarding Garnett, a former league MVP who finished last year averaging 18.8 points, 11.2 rebounds, 4.4 assists, 1.6 blocks and 1.4 steals in his first season in Boston.

In the regular season, the Knicks have struggled against the Celtics lately, dropping six straight to the defending champions, and they haven’t won in Boston since 2006.

Nonetheless, D’Antoni isn’t worried so much about history or the opponent as much as seeing the Knicks continue to improve with each game.

“I thought we’ve done some really good stuff,” said D’Antoni following the team’s narrow 116-109 loss to the Philadelphia 76ers on Tuesday night at The Garden. “Obviously down in the end, we haven’t been together long enough and I haven’t been with them long enough to be real smooth. But we’ll figure it out, and we will as we go forward.”

Knicks @ Celtics Preview