NBA Schedule: New York Knicks Trying To Break Even Against Portland Trail Blazers

Thanks to a very active summer of transactions, the New York Knicks were the talk of the NBA. People felt that they were either going to become the next super team or they were going to become a huge disappointment. On Tuesday, they have a chance to break even with their win-loss record in the game against the Portland Trail Blazers, as reported by ESPN.

Hard to stop. #Knicks pic.twitter.com/nIYSzX4r9W

— NEW YORK KNICKS (@nyknicks) November 22, 2016

Right now, the New York Knicks are sitting on a 6-7 record. A win over the Portland Trail Blazers would obviously mean that they would improve to 7-7. Not having a losing record is something that would be huge for the Knicks fan base. It was not until January last season until the team was able to break even.

Those that truly understand how things work in the NBA know that it takes time for a team to build chemistry after making so many changes in the off season.

New York Knicks president Phil Jackson was hellbent on trying to turn things around for the team after winning just 32 games last season. He went out and acquired several players in hopes of having them be able to provide the support that Carmelo Anthony and Kristaps Porzingis need.

Phil Jackson decided to pluck two members of the Chicago Bulls who were vital during their most recent successful years.

The New York Knicks traded for Derrick Rose, a former MVP in the NBA. Though he is not the same player that he used to be because of various injuries, Rose was considered by many to be a much needed upgrade in the back court. As much as the Knicks valued the veteran leadership that Jose Calderon provided, they knew that he was simply not enough for them to be competitive. Calderon is now with the Los Angeles Lakers.

The other piece that the New York Knicks picked up was Joakim Noah. He was signed in free agency to a contract that was a bit bigger than what fans thought that he would receive after being reduced to a role player with the Chicago Bulls. Phil Jackson feels that there is something left in the tank from a center that was once the NBA Defensive Player of the Year.

Courtney Lee, a well respected three-point shooter and defender in the NBA, was signed in free agency after he decided to leave the Charlotte Hornets.

Kristaps Porzingis, a strong candidate for NBA Rookie of the Year last season, is starting to understand that he can take full advantage of the defensive attention that his more high profile teammates attract. With so many coaches worried about Carmelo Anthony having a big night, that has opened things up for the seven-foot-three power forward. He is learning when to step up and take charge.

Since Kristaps Porzingis is a nightmare matchup for most NBA teams, Portland Trail Blazers head coach Terry Stotts is going to have to figure out how to make his defensive game plan work out on Tuesday. He also needs to figure out how to prevent Carmelo Anthony from having one of those explosive scoring nights that he used to have all the time. Anthony has toned down his aggressiveness to enable his teammates to get involved.

On the flip side, the New York Knicks are going to need to figure out how to slow down Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum. They are one of the most explosive back courts in the NBA. On some nights, they can be as dangerous as Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson of the Golden State Warriors. If they have a night like that, then the Knicks are going to have a losing record for a couple of more games.

[Featured Image by Rob Carr/Getty Images]