The Knicks kicked off a shortened preseason against the Pistons last night in Detroit. It was the first time we got to see Tom Thibodeau’s Knicks in action with a revamped roster. The Knicks beat the Pistons 90-84 in their first game in nine months. Although it’s hard to make any conclusions from preseason, let’s take a closer look at some of the most important points of the game.
Obi Toppin Has Arrived
Knicks rookie Obi Toppin made his debut off the bench and never looked out of place. The former Dayton Flyer put up 11 points and 7 rebounds in 20 minutes in an energetic performance. Along with his scoring ability, Toppin showed flashes of great court vision and smart passing. Toppin provided the highlight play of the night after grabbing a rebound and kicking it out to Kevin Knox who proceeded to drive into the paint before returning it to Toppin who got up high for the Dunk. It wasn’t the perfect performance though, Toppin got caught sleeping defensively at times and committed 4 fouls in his 20 minutes. It’s just preseason, though, and he is still in the process of transitioning to the league. If he can build on this performance and do it consistently, he will undoubtedly be an exciting player to watch this season and a candidate for Rookie of the Year.
Shooting Woes
Shooting seemed to be a problem for the Knicks early on, epitomized by RJ Barrett’s first-half performance where he only made 2 of his 10 shots. Safe to say he was rusty after not playing in 9 months, but Barrett turned it around and hit 5 of his 6 shots in the second half finishing with 15 points in 29 minutes. Three-point shooting was a problem for the Knicks who shot only 21.7% from three, making 5 and taking 23. The reluctance to shoot threes along with the poor success rate could be a concern in an NBA that is more focused on the three-point line than ever before. The free throw percentage was also abysmal, making only 47.4% from the free-throw line. The inability to pick up free throw points could make things a lot more difficult for this team than it needs to be. Their biggest lead of the night sat at 18 points but was eventually whittled down to six by the end because of poor FT shooting and some defensive lapses.
Trusting the Vets
Thibodeau placed his trust in the veterans with his first starting line-up as Knicks head coach. Elfrid Payton, Alec Burks, RJ Barrett, Julius Randle, and Nerlens Noel all started together. Thibodeau used 11 players in the game bringing Obi Toppin, Dennis Smith Jr., Kevin Knox, Mitchell Robinson, Frank Ntilikina, and Reggie Bullock off the bench. This sent a clear message to the young players indicating that no one will be given playing time unless they earn it. The starters combined for 53 points in what was a solid performance. Elfrid Payton retained his starting point guard place in the first preseason game but that could be subject to change if another player proves his worth in the next few games. It was the first game in 9 months for Barrett, Payton, and Randle while Alec Burks and Nerlens Noel had both played in the NBA Bubble last season for the Philadelphia 76ers and the Oklahoma City Thunder respectively. There was no Debut for Immanuel Quickley, but Tom Thibodeau did speak highly of him during the week.
Check out CP’s Post-game analysis below. He broke down Obi’s debut, the point guard battle, and Julius Randle’s future with the team.
