Even though neither the New York Knicks nor the Charlotte Bobcats are expected to make it to the playoffs, both teams are eager to prove their critics wrong. Thus, Gerald Wallace and the Bobcats will host the New York Knicks at Time Warner Cable Arena on Friday at 11 p.m. GMT.

Where as the Knicks are banking on the 2010 free agent bonanza, it is still unclear what the long-term plans of the Charlotte Bobcats might be. In many ways, the franchise missed out on the opportunity to improve over the summer and might have a hard time staying in the playoff race in the increasingly competitive Eastern Conference. Albeit GM Rod Higgins traded Emeka Okafor for Tyson Chandler, it appears to be fairly unlikely that the move will pay significant dividends, besides slightly less long-term payroll commitments. Moreover, the franchise from North Carolina exercised its team option on restricted free agent Raymond Felton. In conclusion, Charlotte might be stuck with the same team that failed to make the playoffs last year, but will find themselves in a better Eastern Conference than in 2008-09.

With everything at stake next summer, the New York Knicks are in a unique situation this season. Due to the possibility of the salary cap dropping by as much as $7 million in 2010, GM Donnie Walsh was unable to offer free agents Nate Robinson and David Lee more than a 1-year deal. More specifically, any further multi-year salary commitments could prevent the Knicks from offering two max contracts next summer to Dwayne Wade, LeBron James and the likes. Thus, coach Mike D’Antoni has to deal with the possible problem of key players like Robinson and Lee playing for personal stats instead of the Knicks’ success.

Taking said circumstances into account, both teams might find themselves on a level playing field when the game between New York and Charlotte gets underway on Friday night. While the Bobcats have proven to be the better team defensively, the Knicks’ up-tempo basketball can be dangerous on some nights or lead to constant defensive breakdowns on other days.

You can watch all games of the New York Knicks and Charlotte Bobcats right here on www.watchlivenba.com, the home of NBA live streaming.