Denver Nuggets vs. New York Knicks: Nikola Jokic vs. Kristaps Porzingis Round 1

Success is the sweetest revenge

On February 21st back in 2011, the Nuggets sent Carmelo Anthony (along with Denver favorite Chauncey Billups) to New York in a blockbuster trade that determined the fate of the next decade in Nuggets basketball. Fast foward five years and we find ourselves at the cusp of yet another bout to determine who came out on top of the trade.

Considering the fact that the Nuggets are a young team on the rise and the Knicks are a non-contender whose window is quickly closing, it is now safe to say that the Nuggets were the victors of the deal, especially considering the fact that Masai Ujiri’s insistence secured a Knicks pick-swap that has yet to come to fruition. Excellent foresight from the now-Raptors general manager.

Any game against Anthony instantly becomes must-see television, as victory is always sweeter against the ex-Nugget. Although his points per game are down to 21.1 (lowest since his second season), he’s averaging a career-high in assists dishing out 4.2 per game. For reference, Gallinari — a gifted passer in his own right — is only averaging 2.5 assists. Has Melo finally become the player Nuggets fans have always wanted to see?

Arron Afflalo continues his solid career and would be nice to have in Denver this year, but one must remember that the team traded him for Will ‘The Thrill’ Barton, a spectacular player under an amazing three-year, $10.6 million contract. Don’t forget about the first round pick either, if the Trail Blazers manage to snatch that elusive eighth seed.

Afflalo will be in matched up against Gary Harris in what is a sneaky-good advantage for the Nuggets. Never managing to become a natural ball-handler, Harris should bother him with his lightning quick hands and sharp anticipation. Expect a slew of turnovers resulting in Harris’ patented strip-and-slam one-man fast-breaks.

Injury report:

Nuggets: Wilson Chandler – out (right hip arthroscopic surgery), Jameer Nelson – out (sprained left wrist), Darrell Arthur – questionable (sore left quad)

Knicks: Carmelo Anthony – probable (left knee soreness), Lance Thomas – probable (concussion), Cleanthony Early – out (gunshot wound in right leg)

The new kid in town

Porzingis has been a revelation for the Knicks, winning over fans not only in the country but all over the world. He’s had an immense impact on the floor at just 20 years-old, similar to the Nuggets’ own Jokic. Let’s compare their stats per every 36 minutes in order to account for the difference in playtime:

Pretty similar stats on the surface, as both players have similar points and rebounds per game as well as turnovers, but as we look closer we can see that Player A is a much more efficient shooter, as well as a better passer who may have the same amount of turnovers but on many more opportunities averaging more than twice the assists. Player A is more adept at getting steals while Player B is the better shot blocker, as well as free throw shooter.

As you may have guessed by now, Jokic is player A and Porzingis is player B. The Latvian menace has been wrecking havoc all over the court, draining 34.9 percent of his threes and swatting two shots per game. Even though they’re not matched up with each other specifically, look for a heated rookie duel to take place as each player makes their case for the second best rookie big next to Minnesota’s Karl-Anthony Towns.