Coming off their biggest win of the century, the Knicks (7-21) travel to Florida face the Heat (20-8). Hopefully they still feel like there is work to be done and don’t intend to just settle for an early retirement in Miami. The Heat may be overwhelming for this fairly green Knicks group. Sure, there are lots of new faces and young players, but they have a top-down agenda with a coach that requires and inspires excellence.
It certainly helps when your star player expects just the same from himself and his teammates. Jimmy Butler will face the Knicks for the first time as a member of the Heat, and he might be matched up with the Philly brutalist Marcus Morris, who is certainly having a career year.