Half way through the season defenders and I won’t lie to you: it has been a tough season for the orange and blue. I want to know how everyone sees this going down, check out this survey and please take the time to be honest about these knicks.

The New York Knicks (5-11) will face the New Jersey Nets (9-9) for the first time this season tonight at the Izod Center (Meadowlands for the old school) in East Rutherford, New Jersey.

New York may or may not have Stephon Marbury available to start at point guard, since he is still mourning the loss of his father Don Marbury. If Marbury is out, look for Mardy Collins or Nate Robinson to get the nod.

Nets point guard Jason Kidd is in a duel with Cavs forward LeBron James for near Oscar Robinsonesque triple-double averages (Kidd: 11.3p 8.7r 10.4a, James: 30.7p 7.6r 8.1a) and the Nets also have Vince Carter back in the lineup, so it would be an accomplishment for the Knicks to get their first road victory of the season against this Nets ball club. Over the past five years, the Nets have simply dominated the Knicks.

NBA.com has the preview article of Knicks-Nets 2007 round I here.

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In a related story (NJ basketball), I checked out the brand new Prudential Center in Newark last night at a Seton Hall-Saint Peters college basketball game. The new arena sparkles, none of the sticky floors or crappy seating of MSG and infinitely easier to get to than the Izod center via public transportation. Of course the Knicks are supposed to be getting a new building of their own, one of these years (behind the post office/future Moynihan station) but if the Nets franchise continues to struggle securing the Brooklyn Railyards property as they have been, the Nets are invited to move into this new building which seats 18,500 and currently hosts NHL’s NJ Devils. Regardless of where they end up, once the Nets move out of the Izod Center, that arena will probably be demolished.

Game time is at 7:30pm. For the defenders who live outside of the tri state area, NBA league pass is still $169 for the entire season. The price will go up in a few weeks.

The rumors are Jason Kidd will play, and I’m hoping he does get some PT because I’d like to see what the new Nate can do against him. That would be a fun match-up.