The New York Knicks defeated the Boston Celtics 114-107. Immanuel Quickley shines while most of the starters get their rest.
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New York Knicks basketball returned with a preseason victory over the Boston Celtics 114 to 107. Nothing says “preseason” like a matchup against the Boston Celtics backups, except maybe for Evan Fournier playing more minutes than Jalen Brunson and Julius Randle combined. This is the warm-up portion of the season, where line-up experiments are typical and final scores only matter for rabid gamblers.
But after a long and uneventful offseason, it’s nice to watch our Knicks return to the floor. There were notes worth taking, and we at least have a baseline for expectations. So, let’s take a quick look at the notable aspects of each key player’s performance.
The Knicks’ starters have chemistry already
Jalen Brunson: 10 PTS (4/5 FG, 1/1 3PT, 1/2 FT), 1 AST in 6 mins
It only took Jalen Brunson six minutes to convince me he’s ready to repeat last season’s success. There wasn’t anything new about Brunson’s 10 points in 6 minutes. He scored at will, and once the defense overcompensated to stop him, Brunson found Mitchell Robinson for a lob. There wasn’t enough time to show us anything else, but New York’s leader seems poised to continue his ascent.
Quentin Grimes: 6 PTS (2/6 FG, 2/5 3PT), 4 AST, 3 REB, 1 STL, 3 TO in 22 mins
Quentin Grimes felt like an afterthought when he ran with the starters. Brunson, Randle, and Barrett ran the offense, which relegated Grimes to floor spacer. I suspect that with those players on the floor for a longer run, Grimes would have eventually received some open looks.
But the assertive version of Grimes showed up once the second unit worked onto the floor. We saw him attack off the dribble and attempt some playmaking. He threw some nice passes and some ugly turnovers. More importantly, the third-year shooter hit a step-back three-pointer with impeccable footwork. Hopefully, that’s a hint of things to come.
RJ Barrett: 12 PTS (1/6 FG, 1/5 3PT, 9/9 FT), 2 AST, 2 REB in 16 mins
It was a tale of two RJ Barretts in this game. There was Broadway Barrett whenever he attacked the basket, drawing fouls and making cross-court reads that he often missed last year. Then there was Struggle Barrett, rushing three-point attempts in a manner that made me think he was simply trying to get some extra reps up.
When Barrett finally caught the ball with space and time for his jumper, he knocked down his only field goal. But RJ still managed 12 points on 6 attempts because the Celtics couldn’t keep him out of the paint without fouling. That’s a promising sign that the highest Knicks’ draft pick can find and continue his success from last season’s playoffs.
Julius Randle: 11 PTS (3/4 FG, 1/2 3PT, 4/4 FT), 4 REB, 1 TO in 13 mins
Julius Randle’s shot selection was the biggest standout of his 13 minutes in action. Randle had chances to settle for jumpers but used footwork to generate looks closer to the basket. The big man’s scoring came within the flow of New York’s offense. His efficiency has a chance to improve with this shot selection.
My only other note is that Randle’s ankle looks fully healed. Randle moved well and got wherever he wanted with authority. This is a season to solidify his place as a genuine top player in the league.
Mitchell Robinson: 10 PTS (5/6 FG, 0/3 FT), 7 REB, 2 STL, 3 BLK in 23 mins
Mitchell Robinson looked physically dominant in a surprisingly extended time. The big man controlled the glass and dominated the defensive end of things. He protected the rim as usual and added a blocked three-pointer that turned into a fast-break dunk.
One more note: Mitch is carrying his weight well. He moved around the floor with more agility than I can recall since he bulked up–his strength hasn’t slipped in exchange for the mobility.
New York’s second unit takes time to gel
Immanuel Quickley: 21 PTS (8/14 FG, 2/5 3PT, 3/5 FT), 3 AST, 1 REB, 3 STL, 3 TO in 23 mins
I hate overreacting to one preseason performance, but Immanuel Quickley looks ready to earn his next big contract. He looks physically stronger, and his midrange stop and pop was lethal. IQ found his offense any time Boston started to gain momentum. Jalen Brunson has a knack for timely buckets, and I’m hoping Quickley picked up the same trait.
Quick’s always been a bit streaky. Consistency in his jumper and decision-making will be the marks of another leap. This first game was a positive sign, but only time will tell if consistency sticks.
Evan Fournier: 11 PTS (4/10 FG, 3/7 3PT), 1 AST, 3 REB, 1 STL in 21 mins
Despite an offseason loaded with complaints and trade demands, Evan Fournier arrived and got to work. He was tentative early, with his defensive blemishes showing more than anything else. But once Fournier settled in, he started to knock down jumpers and show that his floor spacing abilities hadn’t gone anywhere.
It wasn’t a performance that will steal minutes from any Knicks wings, but Fournier is a serviceable player who could become necessary if New York runs into shooting woes.
Donte Divincenzo: 8 PTS (2/8 FG, 2/5 3PT, 2/2 FT), 2 AST, 3 REB, 1 TO in 23 mins
Donte DiVincenzo might have been nervous for his first minutes with New York. Despite good looks, he shot the ball poorly, and it took him some time to settle into a rhythm. Those could be signs of rust or working with new teammates. More importantly, DiVincenzo’s impact and comfort seemed to mount as the game progressed. Even with struggles and odd line-up combinations, the recent acquisition was productive.
Jericho Sims: 0 PTS (0/1 FG), 3 AST, 7 REB, 1 BLK in 26 mins
I’m not sold on Jericho Sims as a backup power forward. This performance didn’t alleviate that skepticism. Sims had a palpable impact on the glass and turned rebounds into clever passes. He looked more comfortable than ever at taking and controlling his spaces on the floor.
But floor spacing was an issue whenever Sims played. His minutes next to Mitchell Robinson were utterly ineffective. While he looked more comfortable next to Hartenstein, he never found ways to score. I like Sims much more as a prospect for the center position.
Isaiah Hartenstein: 9 PTS (3/5 FG, 0/2 3PT, 3/4 FT), 3 AST, 3 REB, 1 BLK, 4 TO in 20 mins
It was nice to see Isaiah Hartenstein play with aggression. The big man threw some beautiful dimes but mixed in overzealous turnovers. He fired away from three more confidently than we saw last season, though the results weren’t great. I-Hart looked similar to last year but more comfortable than ever. Repeating last year’s performance would be good, especially if he doesn’t repeat the slow start.
Miles McBride: 6 PTS (3/10 FG, 0/4 3PT), 4 AST, 3 REB, 1 TO in 19 mins
Miles McBride earned a shout-out for putting together an excellent all-around game despite missing the critical element that would help him force his way into the rotation. McBride did everything well except for shooting. His jumper missed badly on some attempts, and he looked far more comfortable pulling up from midrange.
That’s unfortunate because I think McBride must hit his jump shots to steal minutes on this deep roster. But he shows promise at everything else, from playmaking to defense.
Quick notes on the rest
Jacob Toppin was the standout of the garbage time performers. He flashed some quality defense and effort with a pair of blocks while finishing an alley-oop for an appropriate first-career field goal. The other end-of-bench players (Nathan Knight, Daquan Jeffries, and Charlie Brown Jr) failed to stand out in a limited time.
Of course, Tom Thibodeau goes big with his first experiment
It’s preseason, so coaches get to experiment with impunity. But I had to bring up that Tom Thibodeau’s first preseason experiment was to go with a jumbo line-up. While the rest of the league goes small, Thibs continues to look for ways to play big. I’m not mad at it, but it’s a funny quirk, and we’re still waiting for one of these jumbo line-ups to work.
Closing Thoughts
It’s good to be back. This game was a blatant exhibition, but it felt refreshing to talk about Knicks basketball rather than speculate over offseason moves. This offseason was dull–zero big trades and a mid-level exception signing as the only acquisition. That left fans impatiently watching as Eastern Conference superpowers stacked the decks. So, why am I so confident?
It’s the continuity. The Bucks and the Celtics made big moves that could pay off significantly but might backfire. The Sixers have drama, the Heat lost vital pieces, and the Cavs made moves that scream, “This is because of how we lost to the Knicks.” Everyone else made significant changes, while the Knicks returned with pieces we can trust.
I’m looking forward to this season, and one night against a collective of back-ups solidified my excitement. I’ll see you after the next one, Knicks fam!
Stay tuned to KnicksFanTV.com for the latest Knicks news, rumors, and recaps throughout the NBA season. And in case you missed it, check out CP and The Athletic’s Fred Katz breaking down the Knicks training camp.
