The Knicks were desperate for more guard help in a 20-point loss to the Philadelphia 76ers, 89-109. Julius Randle continued his second year turn around with another strong performance, and Alec Burks continues to provide a dynamic weapon off the bench. But the pair received little help from anyone else on the roster. The rest of the Knicks shot 2/27 from the three-point line while struggling to contain Philadelphia’s star players. Two lingering issues continue to hound the Knicks’ offense – poor shooting and a lack of point guard play. Players aren’t generating enough easy looks and aren’t converting the looks they do create.
New York’s second game of the season didn’t stray far from their first. The Knicks were scrappy during the first half, but the game moved beyond their control before the third quarter finished. To make matters worse, both Knick rookies sat out the game and the rest of the youth struggled. But the Knicks have the youngest team in the league and what we’re looking for is development. Let’s take a closer look at how the players performed.
Elfrid Payton: The nightmare beginning to Elfrid Payton’s season only got worse with Philadelphia. The Knicks’ lead point guard shot the ball poorly and was generally ineffective to the extent that his minutes were cut in the second half. As the Knicks continue to work the ball through Julius Randle and RJ Barrett, Payton’s inability to impact the game off-the-ball is impossible to hide.
Payton went scoreless with 1 assist and 3 rebounds in 18 minutes of play. He was 0/6 from the field and 0/3 from the three-point line. Payton doesn’t look to shoot and rarely moves with authority off-the-ball. He doesn’t have the ball in his hands and isn’t doing anything to earn more touches. His defense hasn’t been anything special either.
This was as 1 star a performance as it gets. The only positive note is that Payton didn’t add more turnovers, but that’s only because he spent less time with the ball in his hands and didn’t attack when he did have it. If Immanuel Quickley or Austin Rivers were healthy, I can’t imagine Payton starting much longer.
RJ Barrett: It was a nightmare game for RJ Barrett who spent the night guarded by one of the best defenders in the league. Ben Simmons made life hard whether Barrett was attacking off the dribble, trying to create, or even just moving off the ball. But Barrett made things easy for Simmons early by settling for jumpers without converting. After he missed a couple of good looks, RJ seemed to search for his shot instead of adjusting. When RJ did shift his focus inside, he was turned over multiple times while still struggling to convert field goals.
Barrett received 37 minutes and managed 10 points, 6 rebounds and 4 assists to 4 turnovers. He shot a miserable 2/15 from the field, 0/6 from three and 6/8 from the free throw line. Drawing free throws was about the only positive thing RJ did as a scorer. He did make some nice passes and look to create a bit, but with Simmons all over him even that led to trouble often. Barrett couldn’t create separation from Simmons and that meant an absolutely brutal night.
I’m giving RJ 1.5 out of 5 on this one. Clyde and Breen remarked on the fact that RJ never let his struggles bleed into his effort, and that’s all that staves off a dreaded 1-star game. Barrett continued to look for ways to attack and gave effort defensively. He never looked discouraged, though he did press at times which led to avoidable misses and turnovers. This was a bad game, but one you hope the sophomore learns and grows from. Maybe I’m being too nice though, 2 makes in 15 tries is almost impossible to overcome.
Reggie Bullock: Outside of a couple of scoring bursts that lasted a few minutes each, Reggie Bullock really hasn’t been very good so far this season. His jumper has been streaky to the point that even good looks are a crap shoot. His defense has failed to stand out at any point since preseason started. The Knicks are starting a 3 and D wing who has been mediocre at both over the course of 6 games (preseason included).
Bullock put up 6 points, 2 assists and 3 rebounds in 27 minutes of play. The production wasn’t efficient either as he shot 2/7 from the field, 1/4 from three and 1/2 from the line. I’ll repeat this, Bullock’s defense hasn’t been nearly good enough to make up for the meager production he puts up.
This marks three for three on poor performances from starters last night. Bullock gets a 1.5 out of 5 from me. It makes sense that a player who relies on off-ball movement and cutting is struggling while the Knicks get nothing out of the point guard spot. But that’s no excuse. Reggie is an all-around player who should be filling in tertiary production wherever the team has needs. This is a team with needs everywhere and he isn’t providing much of anything as starter.
Julius Randle: Usually, after a 20-point defeat, I ask myself “where would we be without Julius Randle” as a complaint. But last night, the only thing that kept the Knicks afloat was Julius Randle crushing Tobias Harris and forcing the defense to collapse. What propelled this performance wasn’t just the scoring; Randle made some truly nice reads and passes that punished the defenders who cheated over to him. He was finding and, more importantly, trusting open players. On an assist to Kevin Knox, Randle drove into the lane and head faked to one wing before whipping a pass the opposite way. I don’t think I’ve seen Randle read and manipulate a defense like that ever before.
The big man spent 35 minutes putting up 25 points, 7 rebounds and 3 assists to 4 TO’s while shooting 11/15 from the field, 2/2 from three and 1/2 from the line. While he had more turnovers than assists, part of that is open shooters missing the shots he produced. The fact that Randle continued to trust his shooters despite that is an improvement. You’re going to have to put up with the turnovers if Randle is going to have the ball in his hands this much but it was without a doubt the best option for the team last night.
Randle manages a 4 out 5 despite the blowout loss. He did press a few times in the second half, he did make some mistakes and you can still spot him out of place at times defensively. But none of that can take away from how effective he was scoring or how much quicker he made decisions on the night. The Kentucky big man has shown all sorts of encouraging signs early.
Mitchell Robinson: We got another uneven performance from Mitchell Robinson. He started the game disciplined, not going for pump fakes and staying on the court without fouling for his first stint on the floor. But eventually Joel Embiid wore the big man down and drew quick fouls or otherwise scored on the Knicks defensive anchor. It wasn’t all bad though, Mitch was a terror on the offensive glass and his defensive motor led to some nice blocks and a steal. Still, the big man continues to struggle against bigger bigs.
Mitch put up 11 points, 9 rebounds, a steal and 2 blocks over 25 minutes on the floor. He shot 5/8 from the field and 1/2 from the line. If you’re keeping track, that’s 4 starters combining for 3/6 from the free throw line. Robinson is still relying on dunks and putbacks for scoring, and we haven’t seen the jumper or any other new wrinkles to his game. Brief spurts of disciplined defense are about all we have in terms of growth. Mitch did have a big moment at least, stealing the ball and taking the break by himself for a dunk.
For Mitchell Robinson, I rate a 2.5 out of 5 which is generous but feels earned relative to what everyone else on the team provided. Mitch has faced back-to-back elite true C’s and he has struggled, but he hasn’t been terrible. It doesn’t help that both of those big men knocked down jumpers early to force Mitch into defending tighter from farther out. It is a bit concerning that the big man’s mobility isn’t popping like it did in prior seasons, but at least some of that comes after spending extended time facing bigs like Sabonis, Embiid and Howard which will slow anyone down.
Dennis Smith Jr: While Dennis Smith Jr. is lightyears ahead of where he was last season mentally, his play on the court hasn’t shown the same growth. Smith shot poorly and didn’t create particularly well either. There weren’t many opportunities to attack in transition and DSJ failed to push the pace otherwise. The bright spot is that he never pouted or let mistakes hamper his efforts elsewhere. But four years into his career, staying locked in shouldn’t be a positive that I’m even looking for.
Smith played for 18 minutes and produced 4 points, 2 assists to 1 TO, 2 rebounds and a steal on 1/5 shooting, 0/2 from three and 2/2 from the line. There was a play late where Frank Ntilikina swung a pass to DSJ and Smith immediately attacked the lane to draw a foul. It was the one time all night that DSJ’s athleticism was displayed and it came at a point where instincts took over in transition. He needs to tap into that! It’s obvious that he’s thinking out there and it limits his ability to overwhelm a defense with his explosiveness.
Unfortunately, Smith didn’t do enough to warrant more than a 1.5 out of 5. As bad as Elfrid Payton performed, there was never a moment that Smith forced a conversation about which of the two should start. Instead it was a night where the PG rotation left everyone wondering where the alternatives are. How much worse could a Frank Ntilikina and Jared Harper rotation have been when the point guards that did play provided so little?
Alec Burks: Finally, I get a chance to be positive. Alec Burks’ offensive play builds off his great jump shot but the fact that he’s dynamic is what has kept it working. While a player like Reggie Bullock can be chased off the line and lose efficacy, Burks drew fouls or attacked inside when pushed off the three. This is the Knicks’ best jump shooter right now and yet he’s still among the best on the team at drawing free throws. It wasn’t a flawless night though, the Burks at PG experiment continues to be more bad than good. But with the PG play being as bad as it was, there’s a “might as well” to that whole subplot of the early season.
In 31 minutes, Burks put up 22 points, 3 assists to 5 TO’s, 5 rebounds, 2 steals and a block. Burks shot 6/13 from the field and 4/6 from three while making all 6 of his free throw attempts. He’s pumping in 20-point games without forcing shots. The turnovers feel like the result of playing out of position for chunks of time. Burks isn’t a point guard and he’s best served feasting on a swing pass after someone collapses the defense. He only needs a bit of space to find a seam for production.
Burks lands at 3.5 out of 5 for my scale. He was markedly above average, but this is the second time where most of his production came in the first half. Playing the odd small ball point guard that’s actually big and out of position is holding him back some. We’re still waiting for an end-to-end performance from Burks, but it’s clear that he’s a better wing option than Reggie Bullock right now.
Kevin Knox: It seems like Kevin Knox does just enough to keep me intrigued. Knox was in a similar boat to Reggie Bullock, playing big minutes for pedestrian production. But With the third-year player, we’re at least seeing strides in terms of his motor, passing and defense. Knox grabs one or two boards a game that spark transitions and pop. He’s gotten some easy buckets inside via cuts that end with highlight dunks. The quick bursts of energy from Knox feel like something he can build on despite still going invisible at times.
Knox put up 7 points, 4 rebounds and 3 assists to 1 turnover in his 29 minutes of play. He shot 3/6 from the field despite going 1/3 from three. It was both worrisome and kind of nice that Knox’s jumper seemed out of sorts but he managed 50% from the field by getting inside. Kev’s first touch came after he curled through around a screen inside and that play has produced easy points in each of the first two games. I’d love to see Thibodeau try to add more set plays that work Knox off the ball and through screens. Anything to get the kid into an early rhythm and keep his motor up.
Knox may have shown some promise but he’s still getting a below average 2 out of 5 from me. There’s a gap between his actual production and his effort now, like DSJ but not as worrisome. With Knox, I can see a path to getting those numbers up. This is still a very young prospect and he’s playing a more motivated and thoughtful game, marked by the assists he’s picked up. There’s not too much that has to click for the third year forward to be a positive sum player. I also liked seeing Knox get some minutes at PF…Knox has the size and tools to play stretch-4 in stints.
Nerlens Noel: The most memorable part of Nerlens Noel’s night was probably Dwight Howard bullying him and acting out of pocket. But Noel’s driving dunk is a close second. The Sixers didn’t respect the big man’s offense and he didn’t do enough to punish that, but he did try things that I’d like to see from Mitch in similar situations. Noel took a baseline jumper when defenders weren’t around, he missed but he tried it. The big man dribbled from the perimeter into a gather and a big dunk, which is something we’d love to see from Mitch occasionally. That said, Noel trying some things while struggling doesn’t mean he was the better player, it’s just a bit of veteran play I’d like to see rub off on the prospect.
Noel played 16 minutes and put up 4 points, 4 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal and 1 block on 2/5 from the field while missing his only free throw attempt. Noel had the ball in his hands too often for the limited numbers and he struggled mightily to contain Dwight Howard. Mitch was the better defender last night, though both guys had it tough. It was nice to see the back-up Center come in and try to take what was given to him but it was also a display of his limitations.
Noel rates a 2 out of 5 on this one. His offensive play wasn’t good and he gave Howard way too many chances. There’s a reason that Tom Thibodeau switched to small ball instead of sticking with Noel in the second half. Noel doesn’t offer enough to an offense to stage comebacks and he wasn’t defending well enough last night to work around his limitations.
Ntilikina and Pinson: They got 2 minutes of garbage time each, missed 3 three pointers between them and didn’t have enough time to do much else. Maybe we’ll see these two get a more realistic shot to impact the game tonight on the second of a back-to-back, but if we don’t, despite the rotation struggling mightily; then that will tell us a lot about where both guards stand in the pecking order.
Tom Thibodeau: It’s still tough to judge Tom Thibodeau because of how poorly the PG’s are playing. We saw just enough from Quickley to realize that a point guard who is forceful about it can make a difference for this team. We’ve also seen enough of Payton, DSJ and Frank to not pin their or the offense’s struggles on the coach. The players still look motivated and growth from guys like Randle are bright spots at least.
The point guard situation being a nightmare aside, there are other choices from Thibs that are worth questioning. Bullock in the starting line-up has flopped and Mitchell Robinson didn’t see a single minute in the fourth quarter despite having three fouls to give. I also feel like the Burks at PG concept makes a bit of sense, but also deserves some scrutiny here. That rotation change has hurt momentum whenever deployed and it takes Burks out of the role he’s been thriving in thus far. I get the idea behind it, but if this adjustment is just meant to be a band-aid than it’s not even accomplishing that much.
Thibs gets a 2 of 5 for this one. The emergence of Randle’s passing and an injury depleted PG rotation is all that keeps him afloat above the 1 star range. This isn’t cause for panic though, if only because we need to see more before any worries set in. There are promising signs of development and he’s giving players opportunities to play through mistakes. Let’s give it a month or two and see if this team looks different when players are healthy and youth has had more work with coaches.
Closing Thoughts: The offseason punt essentially set the Knicks up for situations like this. New York’s roster doesn’t have the depth to withstand injuries in key roles, especially at point guard. While we might see RJ Barrett’s struggle and overthink it; he’s got 5 performances prior that all looked really promising. While the offense looks terrible run by Payton, Immanuel Quickley had it humming off the strength of good shooting and aggression. Players like Knox and Robinson need to turn spurts of good play into consistent quality, but the coaching staff has only had a few weeks to already have some nice results.
Whether the glass is at half, full or empty is up to you. The season always looked to be another tough one with lottery aspirations. It’s too soon to know if the developmental approach will be rewarded. The product on the floor wasn’t good last night, but what we watch in the present is all about what they’re building for the future. RJ Barrett had a nightmare game, yet he still had the ball in his hands and still played for 37 minutes. I’ll take that for now and hope the results improve in time. Things won’t be any easier tonight with the Bucks, but I’ll be keeping track of the progress for every die-hard fan that’s geared up for this long haul.
CP and J. Ellis broke down their main takeaways from last night’s loss to the Sixers and took live phone call reactions from fans around the world. Check it out below.
