The short-handed Knicks continue to tread water, splitting their Pistons/Pelicans back-to-back matchups at home.
The New York Knicks split back-to-back games against the Detroit Pistons and the New Orleans Pelicans. The Knicks defeated the Pistons 113-111 in a nail-biter, which left Jalen Brunson and Isaiah Hartenstein on the injured list. One night later, what was left of the Knicks lost to the New Orleans Pelicans 115-92 in a surprisingly competitive game through three quarters. If there’s a lesson from this pair of games, it’s that New York desperately needs to get healthy or do a better job filling in the last roster spots with players who can help.
The Knicks started fast against Detroit, thanks to Jalen Brunson going off. New York held the lead for most of the first three quarters but never shut the door on Detroit. When their defense let up in the fourth quarter, Detroit came storming back behind 14 points from Quentin Grimes and even took the lead. But Josh Hart’s late layup and offensive rebounds saved the Knicks’ victory.
Without Brunson and Hartenstein, the Knicks had limited options against a tough New Orleans Pelicans. The Pelicans looked similar to New York the night before; they held the lead for most of the first three quarters but kept letting New York back into the game. The difference is that New York ran out of gas in the fourth quarter, and the Pelicans ran away with the game.
It’s impossible to blame the players for tiring out with a tightened rotation on the second night of a back-to-back. But their depleted lineups have become so common that it’s hard not to worry. Let’s recap the play performances to see how it all unfolded.
The Knicks’ starters look good when they are healthy
Jalen Brunson:
Vs Detroit: 35 PTS (11/26 FG, 3/11 3PT, 10/11 FT), 12 AST, 1 REB, 2 STL, 4 TO in 40 mins
Vs New Orleans: DNP
Jalen Brunson played brilliant basketball for most of the contest with Detroit. He overwhelmed Detroit’s defense early and picked them apart with passing when they adjusted to his scoring. But Brunson seemed to fatigue as the action wore on, settling for jumpers and missing some bunnies. He had turnovers and struggles throughout the Piston’s fourth-quarter run.
Brunson’s leadership shined as he picked the team up from the doldrums on multiple occasions. When the team took its foot off the gas in the second quarter, Brunson brought energy by diving for a loose ball. He tried to draw charges and illegal screen calls and hustled at both ends. But the work took a toll as he slowed down late and couldn’t play a day later.
Brunson gets a 4.5 out of 5 despite late struggles in his performance against Detroit. He brought intangibles with his leadership, hustle, and timely playmaking. The difference in the offense was night and day without him.
Donte DiVincenzo:
Vs Detroit: 21 PTS (8/13 FG, 5/10 3PT), 4 AST, 3 REB, 2 STL, 2 TO in 32 mins
Vs New Orleans: 23 PTS (8/21 FG, 7/18 3PT), 2 AST, 4 REB, 2 STL, 3 TO in 37 mins
Donte DiVincenzo shouldered a heavy load in the back-to-back games, firing off 28 three-pointers while knocking down 43% of them. Defenses have stayed closer to him since the All-Star Break, but his constant movement and willingness to fire from great distance have kept him effective.
Surprisingly, DiVo’s slashing has taken the biggest hit. He got to the basket occasionally but missed more shots than he made. The fact that DiVincenzo took 34 shots without earning a free throw is frustrating because a bit more craft in the paint would turn his 20-point performances into 30s.
The Big Ragu carried the offense through most of the game against New Orleans. He showed versatility by switching from an off-ball killer against the Pistons to an on-ball creator against the Pelicans. But his game had some warts, and his legs looked fried as his jumpers fell short by the latter portion of the Pelicans game. He gets a 3.5 out of 5 for his pair of performances.
Josh Hart:
Vs Detroit: 23 PTS (8/17 FG, 3/5 3PT, 4/7 FT ) 6 AST, 8 REB, 2 STL, 1 BLK, 1 TO in 42 mins
Vs New Orleans: 15 PTS (6/15 FG, 1/4 3PT, 2/6 FT), 5 AST, 10 REB, 2 STL, 1 TO in 40 mins
Josh Hart hit his stride recently and came up huge against Detroit. He continued an upward three-point shooting trend while mixing in all his usual hallmarks. Hart’s biggest moments came with less than 10 seconds in the game, as he finished a go-ahead layup with a foul. He missed the ensuing free throw but rebounded his miss to kill the clock.
Hart couldn’t match that intensity against New Orleans, but he tried. The former Blazer hustled for boards and hit some nice midrange jumpers off the dribble. I’ve complimented his transition playmaking before, but he also picked up dimes off weakside drives and kicks.
Hart’s only true blemish came at the free-throw line. He shot 6/13 from the charity stripe in the two games combined, and many of those misses came in the fourth quarters. But he was a helpful presence for a depleted Knicks side in almost every other aspect of the games. Hart gets a 4 out of 5 for his hard work.
Precious Achiuwa:
Vs Detroit: 4 PTS (2/7 FG, 0/1 3PT), 1 AST, 11 REB, 2 STL, 2 BLK, 2 TO in 34 mins
Vs New Orleans: 15 PTS (4/10 FG, 0/3 3PT, 7/8 FT), 2 AST, 7 REB, 1 BLK, 1 TO in 40 mins
We’re still riding the feel-good vibes of Precious Achiuwa’s play, but he’s coming down to Earth a bit. Precious didn’t get much offense going against Detroit and scored nearly half his points from the free-throw line against New Orleans. His relentless work on the boards buoyed otherwise rough shooting nights with easy putbacks and drew fouls.
But Precious mixed in some head-scratching decisions. At times, he shot unnecessary threes, and on other occasions, he drove in traffic. It’s like the ghost of Lance Thomas possesses Achiuwa two or three times a night. I hear CP’s “We don’t need that” after every mishap.
Achiuwa’s defense is still fun, but he had some tough matchups in these games. The Pistons left him chasing wings all night while New Orleans attacked him with Zion in the post. He held his own, but I can’t blame the guy for giving up some baskets. Precious gets a 2.5 out of 5 for some hard work with a bit of “doing too much” mixed in.
Isaiah Hartenstein:
Vs Detroit: 6 PTS (2/5 FG, 2/2 FT), 4 AST, 8 REB, 1 BLK, 1 TO in 27 mins
Vs New Orleans: DNP
Isaiah Hartenstein seemed to be returning to the form against Detroit. I can’t stress enough how much he helps ball-handlers on the wings and corners. He can slash to the short post or keep running out to set a screen. He makes useful plays out of both situations. It creates an offensive flow unmatched by any other Knicks’ Center.
On the glass and defensively, I-Hart was good but not quite himself. He was the overwhelming force inside that chews up space and rebounds, though he was still a handful. He didn’t have his typical disruptive impact in drop coverage against Pick and Rolls, but that’s partially due to Cade Cunningham’s brilliance in those situations.
Hartenstein sat for New Orleans, and considering his Achilles issues, I’m fine with that. He’s in a contract year, and I’d rather see him rest than risk a worse injury. I-Hart gets a 2.5 out of 5 for a decent performance in Detroit that wasn’t his best.
New York’s second unit still hasn’t clicked
Miles McBride:
Vs Detroit: 2 PTS (1/2 FG, 0/1 3PT) in 10 mins
Vs New Orleans: 10 PTS (3/11 FG, 2/7 3PT, 2/2 FT), 8 AST, 3 REB, 1 STL, 1 BLK in 40 mins
Miles McBride went from barely playing against Detroit to starting against New Orleans. Detroit has a lot of size at the guard positions, which may explain his limited playing time. He also lacked assertiveness on offense, which made it easier to justify sitting him. He looked far more aggressive against the Pelicans, and while his efficiency suffered, I liked his overall impact.
The big note from Deuce against the Pelicans is that he showed real playmaking chops. He probed the defense in a multitude of ways throughout the game. Sometimes, he attacked the paint, while at others, he’d drive to a baseline for a pull-up jumper. He’d drive East to West, which I don’t always love, but he used that motion to free up shooters at the corners. Of course, it didn’t always work out, but his 8 assists are a revelation from a player who rarely gets on-ball opportunities.
McBride’s Pistons performance drags his impact grade down slightly, but he stepped up against New Orleans. That’s enough to earn a 3 out of 5 for the combination because New York needed the extra help.
Alec Burks:
Vs Detroit: 7 PTS (3/9 FG, 1/3 3PT, 0/1 FT), 1 AST, 1 REB, 1 STL, 2 TO in 14 mins
Vs New Orleans: 2 PTS (1/7 FG, 0/2 3PT), 1 AST, 2 REB, 1 BLK in 16 mins
Alec Burks’ struggles continued. He shot a combined 4/16 in 30 minutes across the back-to-back. That’s bad on its face, but it’s exacerbated by his poor defense, lax rebounding, and inability to create for others. It’s a minor miracle he picked up an assist per game, considering how quickly he calls his own number.
I’ve never liked Burks’ defense, but I don’t recall it being this bad last time. He’s combined with Bogdanovic to hamstring the second unit’s defense. It doesn’t matter who plays with that pairing, because teams will seek out the mismatch with Burks or Bojan every time.
We’re getting past the point where we can chalk Burks’ struggles up to pressing. He isn’t hitting open looks and forces bad shots too often. He hasn’t looked comfortable in the flow of offense since arriving, which is strange considering his prior experience. Burks gets a 1 out of 5 for his continued struggles.
Bojan Bogdanovic:
Vs Detroit: 13 PTS (5/11 FG, 3/8 3PT), 1 AST, 6 REB, 1 TO in 22 mins
Vs New Orleans: 20 PTS (6/14 FG, 4/10 3PT, 4/4 FT), 5 AST, 4 REB, 1 STL, 4 TO in 29 mins
Bojan Bogdanovic is worse than Burks defensively, but at least he’s found an offensive rhythm. Bojan finds open space on the floor, and teammates are increasingly spotting him. That helped him get off plenty of open looks, and he knocked down seven three-point shots in two nights. But Bogdanovic didn’t just shoot; he made some clever cuts, attacked off the dribble, and flashed the occasional post-up move.
I came down pretty hard on Bojan for a lack of passing recently. But he moved the ball well in both games. He’s begun to make drive and kick plays, mainly to cutting big men. He swung the ball and moved to open space to get it back. Bogdanovic has found an offensive flow.
But Bojan’s contributions on offense are hampered by his defense. He lacks lateral movement to get consistent stops, and teams are already picking him out as a target. To his credit, he was willing to dive for loose balls, and I blame his struggles on physical limitations rather than effort. Bogie gets a 2.5 out of 5 for the pair of games, and he’s gaining steam.
Jericho Sims:
Vs Detroit: 2 PTS (1/2 FG), 2 AST, 6 REB, 1 TO in 20 mins
Vs New Orleans: 7 PTS (3/3 FG, 1/3 FT), 3 AST, 7 REB, 1 BLK, 2 TO in 29 mins
Jericho Sims is a fun young player I could see showing off more on a younger developmental squad. With the Knicks, he’s in a win-now situation, which sometimes leaves him out of his depth. But Sims flashed his physical potential as a force on the boards who could get a good position with strength and leaping.
Once a night, Sims will switch onto a wing player and play shut-down defense that flashes untapped potential. He can leap to stop bigger guys but has lateral movement that surprises even guards.
I’m also a big fan of Sims’ heads-up passing off offensive rebounds. I once complained about Mitchell Robinson’s inability to convert offensive boards into quick easy looks for teammates, watch Sims to get an idea of why I got annoyed. Sims turned offensive boards into 5 assists across the two games, and he created a few more open looks that weren’t converted.
Sims gets a 2 out of 5, for seeming more like an effective backup than a player ready to start. But his potential is still as promising as the day he was drafted.
Tom Thibodeau can’t work miracles
I don’t know how to critique Tom Thibodeau’s work when he has such limited options. I don’t love Josh Hart playing 40 minutes on consecutive nights, but what else should Thibs do? The best compliment for Thibodeau is that his team fought with a limited lineup and only slowed down after 84 minutes of fighting across two nights.
Closing Thoughts:
I thought we were past the point of injury-depleted 7-man rotations. But we’re barely past the ASB and back to praying for health. I hang some of the blame on Leon Rose. The Knicks had three available players last night who couldn’t crack the rotation until garbage time. Those three roster spots could have gone to useful fill-ins for nights like last night.
I like Daquan Jeffries and get good vibes from the Knicks rewarding hard work in the G-League. But there’s an issue when Jacob Toppin, Charlie Brown Jr, and Daquan Jeffries can’t get on the floor with this many injuries on a back-to-back. We’re in the season’s home stretch, and the Knicks can’t afford to carry dead weight on top of all the injured players.
The Knicks will get a day break before another tough opponent, the Golden State Warriors. Hopefully, Brunson and Hartenstein are back because this team was tough to watch without any of its top three players or defenders. I’ll see you next time, Knicks fam!
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