The New York Knicks fell to the Boston Celtics 123-110. This time, it was Quentin Grimes’ shine in the preseason action.
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The New York Knicks’ reserves made a valiant effort but fell to the Boston Celtics 123 to 110. I’ll emphasize “reserves” because Jalen Brunson, RJ Barrett, Julius Randle, Immanuel Quickley, and Josh Hart all rested. Meanwhile, Boston increased their intensity in preparation for a fast-approaching regular season. So, a Knicks unit comprised of a handful of rotation regulars backed by third-stringers battled against three all-stars and a unicorn.
The good news is New York fought, never letting the game out of reach. The starting kept things competitive during their stretches together. The bad news is that there wasn’t a lot of reliable new information about the rotation or how it will operate. But there are some interesting observations about the individual performers, so let’s dive into the recap.
The Knicks’ starters battle with Boston’s stars
Miles McBride: 16 PTS (6/18 FG, 2/8 3PT, 2/2 FT), 6 AST, 2 REB, 4 STL, 3 TO in 33 mins
Miles McBride locked horns with Jrue Holiday and showed us flashes of everything he needs to become a regular rotation piece. McBride knocked down a pair of threes early but struggled at a distance the rest of the way. He set the table for teammates competently but mixed in some bad turnovers, like an overzealous attempt at a full-court pass in the first quarter. Deuce’s defense was as brilliant as ever, especially when he picked ball-handler’s pockets in back-to-back plays during a third-quarter run.
McBride’s stand-out skill became his midrange jumper. He snaked between defenders through screens and confidently shot near the top of the key. Deuce could break the rotation on a team with less depth, but I think he’ll have to wait for opportunities on this deep roster.
Quentin Grimes: 22 PTS (7/13 FG, 7/12 3PT, 1/2 FT), 3 AST, 2 REB, 1 STL in 26 mins
Quentin Grimes shined in an opportunity to command the offense more freely. His three-point ball barely touched the net before passing through the cylinder. Grimes played aggressively off the dribble, pulling up for multiple threes and finding teammates on the drive and kick.
I’d have liked to see QG get his feet into the paint more often, but I’m nitpicking. He’s earned his starting role with sharp shooting and defense. The only question is whether he should spend extra time with the second unit to ensure more opportunities to take on a more active role in the offense. The starters don’t have many touches to spare, but Grimes could stay on for a few minutes after the reserves enter to take on a more active offensive role.
Donte DiVincenzo: 15 PTS (3/12 FG, 3/10 3PT, 6/6 FT), 3 AST, 3 REB, 1 STL, 6 TO in 25 mins
Donte DiVincenzo gave us a mixed bag. He played an aggressive brand of ball that earned free throws and kept his production high. But that came at the expense of some pressing in shot selection and passing, leading to a poor field goal percentage and high turnover rate.
I wouldn’t stress it, though. DiVincenzo’s performance felt like a net-positive, and he seems like a player who can fit with virtually any combination of players Thibodeau puts on the floor.
Jericho Sims: 2 PTS (1/2 FG), 3 AST, 10 REB, 1 STL, 3 BLK, 2 TO in 32 mins
It’s getting frustrating to watch Jericho Sims stuck in a PF role. He’s showing signs of improvement, grabbing boards and controlling the space around him. His defense looked versatile, including some effective switches onto perimeter players, even Jalen Brown. But Sims has no room to work on offense and seems to produce despite his odd fit.
I’m happy to see Sims get opportunities, but I’d love to see at least some of them come as a center. That’s his true position, and he should get a chance to showcase his improvements in an optimal role rather than a difficult spot. But perhaps these power forward reps will pay dividends in the long run.
Mitchell Robinson: 12 PTS (5/6 FG, 2/4 FT), 1 AST, 7 REB, 3 STL in 21 mins
I’ve praised Mitchell Robinson all preseason. He’s moving better than ever and controlling space just as well. While we’re not seeing any new wrinkles to the big man’s game, he seems more comfortable with the skillset he’s always had. Mitch commanded extra attention from the undersized Celtics, pulling defenders with him or cleaning up the glass when they lost track of him.
If Mitch is healthy, he’ll enter the all-defense team discussion and potentially the DPoY conversation. His presence inside is a lynchpin to the Knicks’ schemes at both ends of the floor.
New York’s second unit struggles to keep up
Ryan Arcidiacono: 0 PTS (0/4 FG, 0/2 3PT), 1 AST, 4 REB, in 15 mins
Ryan Arcidiacono didn’t do much with his minutes but proved a competent ball-handler. He can get the players into their places and run the offense without causing problems. He needs to shoot better, particularly on open looks, but Arcidiacono seems like an acceptable third or fourth PG option.
Evan Fournier: 10 PTS (3/10 FG, 1/4 3PT, 3/4 FT), 1 AST, 2 REB IN 22 mins
Evan Fournier continued to prove that he could still put up points. But he didn’t do anything else to stand out, which has been his problem for the past two seasons. He’ll continue to lose minutes to players who play better defense, chase boards more aggressively, and move the ball more effectively.
Daquan Jeffries: 8 PTS (3/6 FG, 2/5 3PT), 3 AST, 1 REB, 1 TO in 22 mins
I’ve been a Daquan Jeffries fan since last summer league when Feron Hunt stole the spotlight. Jeffries shot the ball well and found opportunities to create for teammates off the drive and kick. His defense was sloppy, as he closed out on shooters sloppily, over-pursuing the ball and flying past his man too often.
Isaiah Roby: 11 PTS (4/6 FG, 3/4 3PT), 1 AST, 3 REB in 16 mins
Isaiah Roby’s jumper helped the young player stand out. He provides some size at power forward but has to be productive to stay in the big picture. Roby knocking down multiple threes in just over fifteen minutes is an excellent sign from this performance.
Isaiah Hartenstein: 13 PTS (6/11 FG, 1/3 3PT), 2 AST, 8 REB, 1 STL, 2 TO in 23 mins
There aren’t too many notes for Isaiah Hartenstein that I haven’t mentioned in the first two recaps. I love his aggressive approach this offseason, particularly his willingness to shoot.
I have one fun note about Hartenstein. I’ve noticed he’s using a nifty crossover when big men give him too much space at the top of the key. It forces defending bigs to shift and allows Hartenstein to bump them off-balance on attempts inside.
Tom Thibodeau sticks to the big man experiment
My only note about Tom Thibodeau is that I’m tired of the two-center line-ups. We’ve seen just 7 minutes of Josh Hart in the preseason, which means most of the action has seen New York operate in limited space.
Closing Thoughts
I didn’t expect to have as much fun watching New York’s third-stringers take on a championship contender, but here we are. To make a long story short, every player on this team shows the sort of “fight” Tom Thibodeau demands from his rosters. It’s a testament to continuity and another reason I’m excited for the upcoming season.
I’m curious to see if Thibs treats the final preseason game as a dress rehearsal or takes it easy and trusts continuity. But beyond that, I think we’ve got enough notes from the preseason. I’ll take off the second night of the back-to-back and gear up for the real thing next week. I’ll see you when the regular season tips off, 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.
