CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Five thoughts on Monday’s queasy 109-91 Knicks loss in the Queen City:
1. The Knicks’ home-road statistical differentials are staggering, so it’s no surprise the records are so disparate.
The Knicks are second in the NBA in home wins with a 14-5 record, but Monday’s meltdown dropped them to 2-9 on the road — with one of those two wins coming in Brooklyn last week.
The player most freaked out by the road is Sixth Man Doug McDermott. Knicks coach Jeff Hornacek, a dead-eye shooter in his day, has talked this season about how the road affects the pure shooter because of different rims and sight lines. Monday, McDermott was 1-of-7. He’s shooting 40.5 percent on the road and 52.6 percent at the Garden.
Courtney Lee also has to iron out his 3-point shooting on the road. He was 0-for-4 from the 3-point line Monday in Charlotte, where he enjoyed one of his best seasons two years ago. Lee shoots 47 percent from 3 at home, 37 percent on the road.
In all, the Knicks score 108 points at home and 97.9 on the road. They allow 108.5 points on the road and 101.2 at the Garden. It has not helped that of the six games Kristaps Porzingis has missed, four have been on the road.
The Knicks have played eight more home games than road games, which is why there’s concern the 16-14 record needs an asterisk.
After the Christmas Day battle with the 76ers, 16 of the Knicks’ next 20 games are away from 33rd Street.
2. While some try to pump Hornacek for Coach of the Year after the Knicks’ home-heavy first 30 games, he’ll face the legitimate top candidate in a chess match Thursday at the Garden. Celtics coach Brad Stevens, despite the traumatic, season-opening injury to Gordon Hayward, is 26-7. Back to his Butler days, Stevens has been nothing short of genius. He’s credited for being the first college coach to take analytics seriously. Stevens’ record at Butler was 166-49, with two NCAA Final Four appearances. He’ll likely win his first Coach of the Year.
3. Beauty — or Beasley — is in the eye of the beholder. Some readers claim MSG analyst Wally Szczerbiak has fallen head over heels for southpaw Michael Beasley and became highly complimentary of his 23-point performance in Charlotte on 9-of-20 shooting. Szczerbiak may have overlooked the four turnovers and poor defense after the first few minutes — when he made two blocks — and a team-worst minus-16. The theory is Beasley’s style reminds Szczerbiak of himself as a player. Beast on offense, not so much on defense. It’s a vexing call for Hornacek on whether Beasley sticks in the rotation over defensive-minded co-captain Lance Thomas once Porzingis and Tim Hardaway Jr. are back.
4. Center Enes Kanter has used crutches and a neck brace in the past 10 days to battle back, neck and hip woes, but still plays on. He didn’t look himself on the boards Monday with just three (one offensive) in 23 minutes as Dwight Howard got the better of him. Beasley made the point that if the bigs are wrestling with Howard underneath, it’s up to the wings to snatch some boards.
5. There has been speculation about Michael Jordan being interested as one of the buyers for the suddenly for-sale Carolina Panthers. Jordan declined comment to the Charlotte Observer. Jordan’s reign as an NBA owner has seen lousy results on the court. However, off the court, the Charlotte franchise has done well. In 2010, Jordan bought the Charlotte Bobcats for $275 million. He brought back the Hornets name, increased ticket sales, and Forbes has it estimated at $780 million, proving Air Jordan still is a top-flight salesman.