The 10 Biggest Storylines to Watch as the Season Opens for the Knicks

Congratulations, Knicks fans. We’ve made it! After more than nine grueling months of being unable to watch our beloved ‘Bockers take the hardwood for any type of meaningful game, we’re finally on the verge of seeing them duke it out with a formidable Pacers team in Wednesday’s season opener. While the Knicks certainly showed their warts in an up-and-down preseason, there were still plenty of positive takeaways as they finished 3-1 on the backs of several young core pieces. With a revamped front office, a brand-new coaching staff and a lot of intriguing talent in tow, we’ve been gifted some exciting storylines to follow this year. Something is finally brewing in the Garden. As we get our popcorn ready for opening night, here are the 10 biggest subplots we’ll be watching:

1. Maple Mamba Mentality: Will RJ Take the Next Step?

RJ Barrett’s improved game was one of the biggest storylines of the preseason. The “Maple Mamba” flashed impressive consistency across the Knicks’ four exhibition games, shooting a star-like 50.9% from the field and 86.7% from the charity stripe en route to 17.8 points per game. From the looks of it, his offseason work with NBA trainer Drew Hanlen is already paying dividends. The 20-year-old lottery pick out of Duke became infamous for his free throw shooting woes as a rookie, finishing a paltry 61.4% from the line. A true student of the game, RJ worked with Hanlen on his shooting mechanics: focusing on improving his posture, his shot pocket (where you place the ball before going into your shot motion) and his follow-through on jumpers.

Barrett was already one of the best in the business at drawing fouls, so converting anywhere near 85% of his attempts at the line this season would completely transform his game. Furthermore, if he can maintain his newfound efficiency from the field, RJ should blossom into one of the most feared wings in the league whenever he drives to the rim. The jury is still out on Barrett as a three-point shooter after only hitting 2-of-16 triples in the preseason, but if his improved mechanics also help him build on his rookie rate of 32.0% from beyond the arc – the Knicks will have a legitimate star on their hands.

2. Knoxing at the Door: Is Kev on the Verge of a Breakout?

While he didn’t exactly light the world on fire during the first two games, Kevin Knox looked like his last name should be “Durant” for the final five quarters of the Knicks’ preseason. Knox made a trio of clutch 3-pointers down the stretch to help the Knicks pull off a miraculous 19-2 run in a come-from-behind victory against the Cavs, and followed it up with a easy 20-piece on a scorching 6-of-7 from deep in a blowout win against Cleveland two days later. Knox finished the preseason with 2.2 triples per game at an impressive 52.9% clip – and showed that he might be blossoming into a high-level shooter.

Knox has always had the talent and tools required to become a star in this league, he just hasn’t been able to put it all together in a meaningful way. Sure, Kev made some noise in his rookie year, reaching the 20-point threshold on ten occasions – but he fizzled out under former coach David Fizdale and finished Year 2 with a measly 6.4 points per game. Let’s not forget that Knox’s coach at the University of Kentucky, the great John Calipari, warned us ahead of the 2018 NBA Draft that he’d take time to blossom.

As we kick off Year 3 of the Knox experiment, will Coach Cal’s “third time’s the charm” prediction come to fruition? Knox certainly thinks so, as he told reporters in early December that he is expecting a “huge season” from himself. On the heels of an impressive shooting display in the preseason, Knox’s potential breakout will be one of the biggest Knicks stories to follow this year.

3. Escalating Quickley: What Role Will “IQ” Play?

Without a doubt, the most fun storyline from the Knicks’ preseason was the emergence of Immanuel “IQ” Quickley. With all of the team’s point guard options ailing (not to mention underperforming), the 25th pick out of the University of Kentucky was finally let loose – and fully cashed in on his opportunities. In his first career start at point guard, Quickley dropped 21 points, 5 assists, 5 steals and hit 3-of-5 from beyond the arc while also waking several other Knicks players out of their slumber.

By simply representing a deep-range threat and having sound skills as a floor general, IQ transformed the Knicks offense and proved himself instrumental in their last two preseason wins. He may have proved even more than that, with speculation (and sheer hope on the part of Knicks fans) that IQ could draw the start at point guard over Elfrid Payton on opening night. Will that actually happen?! After sub-optimal preseason showings from all of the Knicks point guard options, it certainly seems Immanuel Quickley has already proven himself to be the most competent, multi-dimensional choice on the roster. But Thibs likes to lean on his veterans, and could opt to set things off with Payton as his floor general on opening day.

Whether or not Quickley starts, there’s no question that he’s secured a sizable role on this Knicks team. Besides, with his high energy play, IQ projects more as a spark plug sixth man long-term, in the mold of a Lou Williams. Even coming off of the bench, his blend of shooting and playmaking will help stretch the floor and maximize the potential of several young Knicks players – such as Kevin Knox, RJ Barrett, Obi Toppin and Mitchell Robinson.

4. Mitch Please: Will Robinson Be Able to Win Thibs Over?

When the Knicks hired Tom Thibodeau, most of us blindly assumed Mitchell Robinson would be a surefire Thibs disciple and that he’d become Joakim Noah 2.0 in his eyes. That all went to hell during a press conference at the start of training camp, in which Thibs used words like “professionalism” and “discipline” to describe what Mitch needs to work on. Coach Thibs suggested Mitch still had a “long way to go,” and then pivoted to instead gush about presumed backup center Nerlens Noel. Within minutes, the Knicks underworld shifted the entire narrative on Mitch – questioning his maturity as well as his future in the orange and blue. Then, to make matters worse, some of their fears felt as if they were confirmed when Noel was named the starting center in the preseason opener.

Noel started the first two preseason affairs and performed admirably due to his rim protection, athleticism and veteran presence. While Noel endeared himself to Knicks fans in those contests, his production came at the expense of Mitchell Robinson – who played 21 minutes and 19 minutes, respectively. Then, Noel succumbed to a knee injury and missed the final two preseason games, giving Mitchell Robinson a chance to start and win back his coach’s admiration. Sure enough, the “Blockness Monster” rose to the occasion and put forth sensational efforts in the final two tune-up games: with a 13-point, 10-rebound double-double on Wednesday and a stat line of 8 points, 12 rebounds, 4 blocks, zero fouls (and a mind-boggling plus-minus of +46) in the Knicks’ finale on Friday.

Mitch seized his opportunities and reminded all of us – but most importantly Coach Thibs – of just how special of a player he projects to become in this league. While his game will always be similar to Noel’s, Robinson is younger, more electrifying and possesses the higher overall upside. It’ll be exciting to watch the Blockness Monster strive to fully live up to the hype this season and prove to Thibs that he is in fact the disciple he needs.

5. The Jedi Order: Is The Force with “Obi-1” Yet?

Obi Toppin, better known as “Obi-1,” was advertised as a proven Jedi Master coming out of Dayton at a ripe 22 years old. But is the Force with him yet? Following the 2020 NBA Draft, most pundits had him pegged as the most NBA-ready prospect and a steal for the Knicks with the eighth pick – even calling him a shoe-in for Rookie of the Year honors. However, after being relegated to a bench role and struggling mightily with his jumper throughout the preseason, those initial predictions might be a little optimistic. Make no mistake, Obi has tremendous upside, the question is whether or not he can be a core contributor as soon as this season.

Obi did flash some of his potential this preseason with impressive rim-rattling dunks, solid post moves and surprising playmaking. But he also had several defensive lapses and, without the shooting touch he displayed in college carrying over, found it hard to get anything going offensively whenever the paint was closed off (which was often). When it was all said and done, Toppin ended the preseason shooting 11-of-29 (37.9%) from the field and 1-of-11 (9.1%) from beyond the arc while playing 25.4 minutes per game. Like most rookies, Obi Toppin will likely take some time to really develop – so overzealous Knicks fans should temper expectations for now and just rejoice in the fact we seem to have secured a dynamic and promising future starter at power forward.

6. Rivers Run Deep: What Impact Will Austin’s Return Have?

One of the most interesting storylines will be the return and debut of Austin Rivers, who the Knicks inked to a 3-year, $10 million partially guaranteed contract in the offseason. The son of former Knick Doc Rivers strategically selected New York over contenders, betting on himself to prove that he’s more than just a solid role player in this league. This tactic paid off in a major way for Marcus Morris last year, who ditched his role on the Boston Celtics to become the de facto leader of a rebuilding Knicks team – something Rivers most likely noticed and felt he could replicate. While Rivers has thrived as a role player, make no mistake: he views himself as someone who could still be a force as the NBA. Remember his tweet after not receiving an invite to the USA Showcase in 2015?:

The 2015 USA Showcase included Bradley Beal, Kawhi Leonard, Klay Thompson, Rudy Gay, Draymond Green, Andre Drummond, Blake Griffin, DeMar DeRozan and…(wait for it)…Elfrid Payton, among others. Shots fired at Elf? Fun fact: Thibs coached the USA White Team in that scrimmage, going up against Elfrid’s team. In the case of Rivers, he could open some eyes with added responsibility on a superstar-less Knicks team. While playing for the Houston Rockets last season in the bubble, Rivers capitalized on a night Russell Westbrook was out, dropping a career-high 41 points on 14-of-20 shooting and 6-of-11 from beyond the arc. His scoring prowess is evident whenever he asked to be a main weapon, now let’s see if he can put it all together this season as one of the alpha dogs for the Knicks.

7. Child’s Play: Will Thibs Lean on Vets or Go Young?

Tom Thibodeau’s reputation in the league precedes him. In his eight seasons as a head coach, Thibs has developed a reputation for keeping his rotations tight, placing big minutes on his core guys and leaning on veteran players. By contrast, in the midst of a rebuild, most Knicks fans are dying to see the young talents play in a “trial by fire” situation – a blasphemous proposal to someone like to Thibodeau. While the Knicks have as much young talent as anyone in the league, the roster contains several proven veteran options such as Reggie Bullock, Julius Randle, Elfrid Payton, Austin Rivers and Nerlens Noel that Thibs could lean heavily on. However, encouragingly strong preseason play from several of the young Knicks may force Thibs to defer from his past tendencies.

What role will the team’s young core ultimately settle into? On the bright side, Thibs has been adamant in telling reporters that performance will trump experience. This would leave the door wide open for guys like Mitchell Robinson, Kevin Knox, Immanuel Quickley and Obi Toppin to carve out significant roles and vie for starting spots. By this merit, could the inexperienced Quickley usurp veterans Elfrid Payton and Dennis Smith Jr. and open games as the primary floor general? Will Mitchell Robinson steal the starting center role from Nerlens Noel if he continues his spirited play? Will Alec Burks and Austin Rivers ultimately dominate the backcourt? What will become of Dennis Smith Jr. and Frank Ntilikina? There are so many possibilities for Thibs to explore in shaping his rotation, and it’ll be intriguing to watch how this all shakes out.

8. Can’t Randle the Truth: Will Julius Be the Focal Point?

Avid Knicks fans have been pushing Julius Randle out of town for the better part of a year now. After watching him mostly flail as the team’s de facto #1 option last season – repeatedly stumbling and bumbling his way into turnovers using his patented spin move – Knicks fans have seen about all they can stomach from Julius “No Handle” Randle. To be fair, Julius was asked to take on the bulk of the scoring and playmaking responsibilities last season by the past Knicks regime, which was clearly more than he is equipped to handle as a player. While he’s still currently the closest thing to a star on the roster and the highest-paid Knick, Julius will need to play within himself as well as the team’s offense if he wants to impact winning basketball and win back the affection of Knicks fans.

In the Knicks’ preseason finale, Julius looked great out there – finishing with a modest 11 points but a game-high 8 assists, many of which were timely passes to open shooters that he normally wouldn’t have made last season. This newer, more poised version of Julius Randle will be one to keep an eye on as the Knicks’ season sets off. Let’s not sugarcoat it: Julius has been named in every trade rumor for months now, but he is the starting power forward and will be an extremely important cog on this team for however long he remains a Knick. Given that he’s a Kentucky product, there’s a reality in which the front office looks to keep him on board.

9. Calling in a Lifeline: Will Leon & Co. Deal for a Star?

As reported by Knicks Fan TV, the Knicks front office viewed moving Julius Randle via trade as their top priority this past offseason. The Knicks were being linked to players like veteran point guard Mike Conley and sharpshooting wing Buddy Hield, and even found themselves in the Chris Paul sweepstakes with a package that featured Randle. While none of the rumored offseason Randle trades came to fruition, the Knicks could still be looking to shop Julius aggressively between now and the March 25th trade deadline. After going out and getting Obi Toppin in the draft, the front office doubled down on the notion that Julius’ days could still be numbered. If a trade does go down, what could it mean for this Knicks team?

Bringing in Buddy Hield would be an absolute boon for the shooting-starved Knicks, as the sweet-stroking Bohemian baller has proven to be a lethal shooter behind a career rate of 41.1% from deep. Through Quickley, we’ve gotten glimpses of how much shooting can open up every other facet of the game for everyone on the roster; Buddy Hield would represent a star-level deep range threat who would help bring the Knicks offense to life night in and night out. Alternatively, the Knicks could move Julius for a modest trade package including draft capital and a decent veteran role player on an expiring contract to provide temporary help, while also opening up more cap space for the loaded 2021 free agency class. With guys like Lonzo Ball, Lauri Markkanen and John Collins failing to reach contract extensions, there will be plenty of intriguing options for the Knicks to explore in either scenario.

10. Defying All Odds: Can This Team Surpass Expectations?

Despite finishing 3-1 in the preseason, the Knicks are projected to win less than 23 of their 72 games this upcoming year. Winning that few games would certainly place them among the NBA’s worst yet again – along with the likes of the Oklahoma City Thunder, the Detroit Pistons and the Cleveland Cavaliers. Despite what Vegas says, it still only took a handful of exhibition games for Tom Thibodeau to prove that he will in fact be a significant upgrade over the last several Knicks head coaches. Thibs pushes hard to bring the very best out of his players and never hesitates to make all of the adjustments required to squeeze out every possible win. That’s part of why he has a career 58.9% winning percentage across eight seasons of experience and a reputation as one of the best active coaches.

Let’s not forget that former interim coach Mike Miller inherited a less talented roster than this one last season and had the team playing at a 30-win pace. The Knicks’ young core is also a year older, wiser and more ready to make an impact than they’ve been in the past – and the savvy offseason acquisitions should compliment them surprisingly well. If some of our favorite storylines listed above have a happy ending, strong play from pieces like RJ, Knox, Mitch, Rivers, Quickley, Randle and Obi could propel this team to an unexpected level. Of course, the trade market is always there for them as well, and Leon Rose’s Knicks could look to cash in on their bevy of draft capital to boost this team’s trajectory immediately. No matter what happens, it should be very fun to watch this coaching staff continue to mold the young guys and reshape the culture of the Knicks organization for years to come.

CP from KnicksFanTV joined SNY’s The Putback with Ian Begley, Chris Williamson and Marc Berman of the NY Post to preview the first game of the regular season. Check it out below.