Before the game had even begun, the smell of gunpowder was already hanging thick between Link and the New York media.
As a result, this matchup between the Grizzlies and Knicks—two teams that had had nothing to do with each other over the past few years—drew even more attention than the other two opening-night games, Warriors vs. Spurs and Cavaliers vs. Raptors.
Of course, the New York media's confidence was not unfounded. On paper, the Knicks truly had a powerful roster.
There was no need to even mention Anthony. Although the gap between him and James had grown wider in recent years, and he had even failed to lead his team into the playoffs last season, he was still considered one of the league's best scorers.
As for Porzingis, the Latvian kid, Knicks fans had booed him mercilessly on draft night, but he had already proven himself fully worthy of the fourth overall pick.
Last season, rookie Porzingis averaged 14.3 points and 7.3 rebounds per game. He also put up performances like 24 points, 14 rebounds, and 7 blocks in a single game, as well as 16 points in one quarter.
By now, he was undoubtedly the darling of Knicks fans.
As for Rose, he played 66 games last season and posted averages of 16.4 points, 4.7 assists, and 3.4 rebounds. He was still highly competitive. Though he could not compare to his Most Valuable Player Award form, people always held high hopes for Rose.
If this "lottery ticket" really paid off, the Knicks would take off on the spot.
Noah had suffered serious injuries last season, but as a two-time All-Star and former All-NBA First Team and All-Defensive First Team selection, people believed he could at least do better than the Knicks' previous starting center, Robin Lopez.
That kind