We’ve had some good NBA on TNT Thursday doubleheader matchups so far this NBA season, but this Thursday night largely features disappointing teams.

Odds courtesy of OddsShark.com

The opener is the New York Knicks at the Boston Celtics. The NBA’s broadcast partners knew the Knicks were going to stink this year because the team lost franchise player Kristaps Porzingis to a torn ACL last February. Players generally need a full year to return to action and perhaps 18 months to get back to pre-injury form. Porzingis hasn’t played yet in 2018/19 and isn’t close to doing so.

To no surprise, then, the Knicks are one of the worst teams in the Eastern Conference. Probably not the worst thing for that franchise to stay terrible, get a very high 2019 draft pick and then start the climb back toward respectability.