(USA TODAY Sports)
The New York Knicks and Brooklyn Nets play tonight. But isn’t there a middle school game you’d rather be at?
Yes, the Knicks and Nets are not good this season. That’s fine and all. The Eastern Conference woes are a big story line this year, and they’re not helping things, but sometimes teams are bad. Most bad teams are avoidable, though.
The Nets were scheduled to be on national TV 24 times this season. The Knicks clocked in at 33 appearances. That includes all four of their regular-season meetings, making for a whopping 53 total games. And that’s not even counting the strength of New York teams for NBATV’s fan nights, where the matchups are voted on.
Watching bad basketball every once in a while can be a creature comfort, a reminder of how good LeBron James is and how good the San Antonio Spurs are every year and how good the Portland Trail Blazers have been this season. It will be fun tonight to watch these trainwreck teams slog out what is sure to be an ugly game. They’re so injured and so mediocre and so old that it’s tough to imagine anything else.
But if the Knicks or Nets or (ideally) both don’t make big strides soon, this is going to be a problem. NBA fans can’t avoid these teams. The networks won’t let us. The Los Angeles Lakers are on the same boat, but they’ve been much more interesting in their mediocrity.
Enjoy this. By that April 2 Battle for New York, it might not be as fun or funny.
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Here’s what else to watch for tonight:
The Miami Heat and Chicago Bulls finish off TNT’s doubleheader at 9:30 ET. That’s the type of game that would be much more interesting with a healthy Derrick Rose, but he did speak today.
The best game of the day is the Los Angeles Clippers at the Memphis Grizzlies, but of course that’s the one not on national TV. If you have league pass, check out a game between two very good teams that really dislike each other after meeting in the playoffs in consecutive seasons.
COMPLETE SCHEDULE (TIMES P.M. EASTERN):
New York Knicks at Brooklyn Nets, 7, TNT
Los Angeles Clippers at Memphis Grizzlies, 8
Miami Heat at Chicago Bulls, 9:30, TNT
