NBA Picks 2/29 – Golden State Warriors @ New York Knicks

NBA Picks 2/29 – Golden State Warriors @ New York Knicks

by Thomas Quaynor for Wannamakeabet.com

The Golden State Warriors (30-27) visit the New York Knicks (35-24) tonight at Madison Square Garden on TNT. Golden State is a 3.5-point favorite and the total is 222.5. This is the first of two meetings between these teams. Tonight is the second of a four-game East Coast road trip for Golden State, they defeated the Washington Wizards 123-112 on Tuesday night. Klay Thompson led Golden State with 25 points off the bench. The injury-depleted New York Knicks are coming off a 115-92 drubbing at the hands of the visiting New Orleans Pelicans on Tuesday night, Donte DiVincenzo led the Knicks with 23 points. All-Star guard Jalen Brunson missed the game due to neck spasms. New York has lost four straight games at home.

GAME STORYLINES: GOLDEN STATE

The Golden State Warriors dynasty appeared to be over after losing 2019 NBA Finals in 6 games to the Toronto Raptors. Superstar Kevin Durant left the team via free agency in the summer of 2022 and the team would fail to even qualify for the playoffs due to a string of injuries to the Big Three of Steph Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green. Golden State was able to resurrect themselves during 2021-22 season and win the NBA championship as The Big Three remained healthy and a mixture of draft picks and free agents provided a tremendous boost. 

Unfortunately for Golden State, injuries and off-court issues have re-emerged since they won the NBA title in 2022. Last season got off to an inauspicious start when video of Draymond Green punching teammate Jordan Poole in the face was leaked to the public before the season started in October 2022. Golden State would then lose their first 9 road games of the 2022-23 season while Steph Curry (26 games) and Andrew Wiggins (45 games) would miss a significant amount of time due to injuries. Golden State was able to regroup and finish as the No.6 seed in the West with a 44-38 record. They knocked off Sacramento in a grueling 7-game series in the first round and then fell to the No. 7 seed Los Angeles Lakers in 6 games. 

This season has also been marred by all sorts of issues for Golden State beginning with Draymond Green being suspended twice for a total of 17 games due to altercations with Minnesota’s Rudy Gobert in November and then Phoenix’s Jusuf Nurkic in December. Golden State is 11-13 without Draymond this season. Offseason acquisition Chris Paul missed 24 games with a fractured hand, he returned to the court on Tuesday in Washington after being out since Jan. 5. Klay Thompson and Andrew Wiggins have also experienced dips in their production this season. Golden State made the decision to bring Thompson off the bench prior to a Feb. 15 game at Utah, he responded by scoring a season-high 35 points in a 140-137 win. Thompson has scored over 20 points in three of the five games he’s come off the bench. 

Through all the trials and tribulations of this season for the Warriors, future Hall of Famer Steph Curry continues to dominate in his 15th NBA season. The 35-year-old, 9-time All-Star is averaging 27.5 points, 5.1 assists, 4.2 rebounds while shooting 45.1 percent from the floor, 41 percent from beyond the arc and 92.8 percent from the free throw line across 54 games. The two-time MVP has almost single-handedly kept Golden State afloat through the first half of the season, they may be poised to make a run into the top six of the tough Western Conference if Draymond Green and Chris Paul can stay on the court, and Klay Thompson can regain/maintain his shooting stroke.

GAME STORYLINES: NEW YORK

In July 2022, the New York Knicks signed free agent guard Jalen Brunson to a four-year, $104 million deal. At the time, it seemed like a puzzling move considering Brunson had spent four somewhat unremarkable years in Dallas after being selected in the second round of the 2018 NBA draft. Brunson was coming off a career-high 16.3 ppg average in his last season with Dallas in 2021-22. His signing has ended up being one of the most impactful decisions in Knicks history as Brunson immediately became an elite player and led the Knicks to a surprising 47-35 record in his first season as a Knick. The 47 wins was the Knicks highest win total since the 2012-13 season, they also won a playoff series for the first time since that 2013 season. 

Jalen Brunson increased his scoring average by almost 8 points from 16.3 to 24.0 in his first season with New York, he added 6.2 assists, 3.5 rebounds while shooting 49.1 percent from the floor and 41.6 percent from beyond the arc in 68 games. Brunson has been even better this season, averaging 27.7 points, 6.7 assists, 3.7 rebounds, 1 steal on 47.8 percent from the floor and 40.3 percent from long distance. He was named an All-Star for the first time in his career this season. Brunson has been on fire this month averaging 32.7 points and 7.7 assists through 10 games. He’s had to carry a hefty load of late with all of the Knicks injuries. 

Unfortunately, New York has dealt with a slew of injuries that have dropped them to the middle of the playoff pack in the Eastern Conference. All-Star forward Julius Randle (24.0 ppg, 9.2 rebs, 5 asts) has been out since Jan. 27 with a dislocated right shoulder. He’s attempting to avoid surgery which could keep him out for the rest of season and possibly the postseason. Newly acquired forward OG Annuoby suffered an elbow injury in the same Jan. 27 game in which Randle was injured, he’s expected to be out for the next several weeks. The athletic 26-year-old forward was acquired by the Knicks via trade on Dec. 30. He’s averaging 15.6 points, 4.6 rebounds, 1.8 steals, 1.1 blocks on 51.6 percent shooting from the floor across 14 games with the Knicks. Oft-injured center Mitchell Robinson (6.2 pts, 10.8 rebs, 1.5 stls, 1.3 blks) has been out since Dec. 8 with an ankle injury. 

Shooting guard Donte DiVincenzo (13.9 ppg, 3.3 rebs, 1.2 stls, 45.5% from 2, 41.6% from 3), swingman Josh Hart (8.5 pts, 7.2 rebs, 3.3 asts) and center Isaiah Hartenstein (7 ppg, 8.5 rebs, 1.1 blks, 1.1 stls, 61.6% from 2) have been reliable and consistent performers for the Knicks with all the injuries and trade defections that have occurred this season. DiVincenzo’s 13.9 ppg is a career best, he’s really stepped up his game of late for the injury-depleted Knicks. DiVencenzo is averaging 22.3 ppg game in the month of February and has knocked down at least 4 three-pointers in 12 of his last 13 games. DiVincenzo, Hart and Brunson were all teammates (2015-2017) for some great Villanova teams under Jay Wright. 

THE PICK

The Knicks are just very undermanned right now and I think Steph will be primed to break out of his slump at the Mecca on TNT,  Lay the Points and take the Warriors!