Welcome to part V of the Knicks Pulse Check! Where we update the fans with the continuing trends of the New York Knicks.
Nothing worth having in life comes easy, and the Knicks have proved that to their fans at just about every step of the way this season. Despite winning nine of their last ten games, and receiving the news that both Jalen Brunson and Julius Randle were selected to this year’s All-Star game, the orange and blue also lost Randle, OG Anunoby, and Quentin Grimes to various injuries. Randle’s absence, of course, stands to make the biggest impact. However, fans let out a collective sigh of relief when ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported that the two-time All-NBA forward was projected to miss weeks rather than months with a shoulder injury. Neither Anunoby (elbow inflammation) nor Grimes (sprained right knee) has set timetables for recovery, but hopefully their injuries won’t be long-term issues.
Checking in on our favorite advanced metrics, the Knicks currently are ranked fifth in the league for net rating (up four spots from last check-in), ninth in the league for offensive rating (up one spot from last check-in), and sixth in the league for defensive rating (up six spots from last check-in). Without question, this has been the best 10-game stretch of the season, which included a nine-game winning streak and wins over the Denver Nuggets, Miami Heat, and a gutsy victory over the Indiana Pacers. The Knicks currently sit in fourth place in the Eastern Conference, but are only a game and a half out of the second seed.
King of New York
I wouldn’t be surprised if fans and beatwriters are running out of superlatives for Jalen Brunson. He’s quite literally the most important Knicks free-agent signing of my lifetime, which spans from 1987 to the present-day Knicks. And no, I don’t want to hear about Melo, who was traded here in 2011, and re-signed during the Phil Jackson era in 2014, when the magic from that 2012-2013 team was just about all gone.
Brunson has captivated this fanbase as the unquestioned leader of this team. His consistency in making winning plays, which doesn’t always include scoring the basketball, has had a tangible effect on his teammates. Brunson currently leads the league charges drawn (24), and he’s no stranger to putting his body on the line on the offensive side of the ball either. At no point during this season was this any clearer than during the win over the Pacers. Brunson’s 40-point MASTERCLASS concluded with a Hollywood movie-script sequence that saw our fearless leader play through an obvious elbow to the face from Andrew Nembhard, only to hit a lead-changing floater late in the fourth quarter.
Over the last ten games, Brunson is averaging 32.9 points while shooting 53.1 percent from the field, 36.8 percent from the three-point line, and 84 percent from the free-throw line. JB and his front-court teammate Julius Randle are the first pair of Knicks to make the same All-Star game since Melo and Tyson Chandler back in 2013, and they are also the first pair of Knicks teammates to average over 20 points per game since Melo and Amar’e Stoudemire during 2010-2011 season. If the Knicks’ success keeps up, there’s no doubt that Brunson’s name will start ringing in MVP conversations.
Pay that man his money
Amidst the storylines that have dominated this Knicks season, I’ve been surprised to see a lack of discussion regarding head coach Tom Thibodeau and his future with the Knicks. I believe Thibs deserves an extension, and I would be surprised if this front office hasn’t at least started negotiation talks with Thibs’ representatives. Per Spotrac, the last five NBA coaches to receive extensions include the Miami Heat’s Erik Spoelstra, Denver Nuggets’ Mike Malone, Indiana Pacers’ Rick Carlisle, Oklahoma City Thunder’s Mark Daigneault, and the San Antonio Spurs’ Gregg Popovich. Over the last three seasons, Thibs has more wins (116) than all but two coaches mentioned – Malone (135) and Spoelstra (123).
Fresh off receiving the Coach of the Month award for January – it feels easy to overlook the transformation coach Thibs has created since arriving in New York. In addition to establishing a strong culture with the Knicks, Thibs has pretty much beaten all the allegations laid against him since he was first hired in 2020. Thibs, the front office executive/coach, was a very flawed experiment that ultimately didn’t work out in Minnesota. As a result, the narrative surrounding Thibs was that he didn’t play younger players, didn’t know how to develop them, overworked his vets, and that both his offensive and defensive philosophies were out of date.
In regards to playing young players, I’d argue that almost every rookie, second-year, and even third-year player has received a fair shot to develop and showcase their talents with the exception of Obi Toppin. And if I’m being honest, I’m not even sure playing Obi 25-30 minutes a night would have moved the needle for this team regarding winning on a consistent level. Furthermore, under Thibs’ tutelage, players like RJ Barrett, Immanuel Quickley, Mitchell Robinson, Deuce McBride, and Quentin Grimes have absolutely developed to where they either became a productive rotation player for the Knicks or were sought after by another team in the league.
You can even throw Jalen Brunson and Julius Randle into this conversation as players who clearly became better after they started playing for Thibs. Randle has two All-Star selections and two All-NBA selections on his resume, and Brunson just made his first All-Star team with a possible All-NBA selection in tow. Thibs is not perfect, but he’s the captain of a ship that is currently top-10 in the league in both offensive and defensive rating and continues to improve. Add that to two playoff appearances over the last four seasons, and one series win, and you have the recipe for a coach that has done his job and then some.
Trade Deadline
The NBA trade deadline is February 8th at 3 pm. The Knicks have been rumored in connections with various players including Malcolm Brogdon, Jordan Clarkson, Bruce Brown, Dejounte Murray, and Alec Burks.
Since the OG Anunoby trade, fans have wanted the Knicks to add another scoring guard off the bench to back up Brunson, but I’m still not sure that’s the best route to take. Post OG trade, Deuce McBride is averaging 8.1 points per game while shooting 36.9 percent from the three-point line. But it’s what Deuce has added on the defensive end of the floor that is most enticing. McBride has been very consistent in getting over screens, blowing up dribble handoffs with his level of activity, and getting his hands in the passing lanes. It’s these reasons, along with the ones cited by Kevin O’Connor (below), that I’d rather see how Deuce develops as opposed to giving up draft capital for an established player.
SNY’s Ian Begley recently stated that the Knicks are “more likely than not” to make a move at the deadline given Julius Randle’s injury and reported timetable for recovery. This combined with the New York Post’s Stefan Bondy’s recent reports that the Knicks’ front office and CEO of Klutch Sports Rich Paul “hashed out” their differences only adds to the trade deadline smoke. In the end, if the Knicks do make a move, I would rather them target someone like Alec Burks – a player who already knows the landscape in New York, has familiarity with Thibs, and isn’t going to cost much to bring him here.
The next ten-game span features a schedule interrupted by the All-Star break and interesting match-ups with the Boston Celtics, Indiana Pacers, Dallas Mavericks, New Orleans Pelicans, and Philadelphia 76ers. And while you never root for injury, news regarding Joel Embiid’s meniscus and unclear timetable for recovery puts the Knicks in a position to really push for a top-three seed. By the time we check in with the sixth edition of the Knicks Pulse Check, we will know if Leon Rose pulled the trigger on a trade and/or if the Knicks have made up any more ground in the Eastern Conference.
Let us know your thoughts in the comment section below! Stay tuned to KnicksFanTV.com for the latest Knicks news, rumors, and recaps throughout the NBA season. Subscribe to the newsletter for KFTV content and events, shop discounts, and more at bit.ly/kftvmail. And in case you missed it, check out CP on WFAN to discuss the state of the Knicks with Evan Roberts and Tiki Barber.
