The Knicks lost a grind ‘em out battle with the Miami Heat on Sunday afternoon 103 to 109. The Knicks traded success inside for perimeter shooting but failed to keep pace.
It was the second game in consecutive days for New York. They ran into a hungry Heat opponent that pressed hard on D. The Knicks fought against aggressive double teams from Miami and pushed the action to the perimeter at a faster pace than usual. New York kept things tight throughout the action. The day was filled with lead changes and clutch shots, but the Knicks came up short in crunch time.
The style of play lent itself to new players stepping up instead of the typical Randle, RJ, Mitch combo. Randle was still brilliant, but Barrett and Robinson were quiet. In their places, we saw Reggie Bullock and Alec Burks step up by hitting shots while Taj Gibson added a shot in the arm to the bench. Meanwhile, Thibs probably stuck with Elfrid Payton and Austin Rivers too long in the fourth. Let’s take a closer look at the tough loss.
Starters fight tough defense and tired legs
Elfrid Payton: For the couple of games prior to Miami, Elfrid Payton had begun to show signs of turning his struggles around. The starting PG was hitting the 20 point mark and finding more success on his forays inside. But Miami had more rim protection and perimeter aggression than the Blazers or the Bulls. That forced Payton’s scoring to regress although the collapsing interior defense did allow for some extra kick outs.
Payton put up 7 points, 5 assists, 2 rebounds and 2 steals with 2 turnovers as well. He shot 3/12 from the field, 0/2 from three and 1/2 from the free throw line in 31 minutes. The Heat didn’t allow for many easy baskets and Payton almost never made the tough ones. Defense popped a bit at least for Payton though. Kendrick Nunn and Tyler Herro are guards with a fair amount of size that allowed them to beat IQ on shots inside, Payton didn’t have the same issue guarding them.
The performance was a regression but at least included some defense and playmaking. The faster pace allowed Payton to push the rock at times and create some points for himself and others. That said, this was another example of the Knicks needing more from their starting PG. Elfrid’s game gets a 2 out of 5.
Reggie Bullock: For the first time all year, I found myself hoping the ball would make its way to Reggie Bullock for an entire half. The Heat’s aggressive doubling meant some Knicks were left open and Bullock capitalized more than anyone else. Reggie flirted with a record for three point makes in a half by a Knick. He knocked down 6 in the first two quarters before Miami adjusted and chased him off the line. Bullock also contributed his typical quality defense and hustle, rounding out one of his best performances all year.
The shooting barrage led Bullock to 21 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists, 4 steals and 2 turnovers in 31 minutes of play. He shot 7/17 from the field and 7/14 from three. The second half was tougher on Reggie. The Heat attacked him with hard closeouts, and he was ineffective inside the arc. But the one time that Bullock got space, he capitalized. He was a true floor spacer, providing the Knicks offense with much needed scoring.
The 3 and D wing lived up to his role fully. Bullock put up 20 points scoring and added notches all over the box score. I should add as well that the Knicks rotations were strong and Bullock’s help defense especially impressed. He closes out a 3 out of 5 performance that could have gone higher with a bit more versatility in his offense.
RJ Barrett: The Heat’s combination of interior aggression and perimeter double teams left RJ Barrett blanked for the first time this season. Barrett often found himself forced to swing the ball instead of taking forays inside. When he did attack, RJ found no success whether passing or shooting. Part of that can be attributed to fatigue, some of it to Reggie Bullock getting extra looks as well. But a lot of this was just a young player running into a defense that took away his favorite methods to attack.
The struggles saw RJ’s minutes cut to 19 minutes and he produced just 3 points, 2 rebounds, 1 steal and 1 turnover in that span. Barrett shot 1/6 from the field and 1/3 from three. His only make was a corner three in the second half and the shot chart shows that Barrett was forced to take his few shots on the outside. That’s never optimal for RJ but he’s typically able to at least pick some spots to do damage.
The minutes reduction and lack of production combine to give RJ a 1.5 out of 5. I give him credit for not forcing much of anything and limiting his shot selection. There’s a bit of maturity to the fact that Barrett didn’t drive into traffic and cause more harm than good. That’s a double-edged sword though as RJ does have to keep himself a threat and he failed to do that Sunday.
Julius Randle: Despite the Heat taking away the interior, Julius Randle found ways to produce all night. The big man used his jump shot to make up for a lack of options inside. Randle also used the Heat’s aggression against them. On multiple occasions you could catch the Knicks’ best player drawing defenders and kicking the ball to a wide-open shooter. This was clearest with Reggie Bullock who was the most common recipient and the player to make the most of those opportunities. Nothing came easy, but Randle was happy to put in the extra work.
Randle continued his role as the most important piece for the Knicks with 38 minutes of efficiency. He shot 10/18 and made 3/4 three pointers along with 3/4 free throws for 26 points, 13 rebounds and 7 assists to 3 turnovers. The former Kentucky big knocked down some difficult shots from midrange over elite defenders. He did slow down a pinch though, which is to be expected. Randle delivered against a tough defense.
From tough moves into made shots to drawn double-teams that he used for assists, Julius Randle was great. He looked like he might flirt with a triple-double in the first half. Heat adjustments and fatigue kept that from coming to fruition. Randle’s jumper is on fire right now, he’s shooting above 50% from three for the last 5 games. That has turned him into an unguardable nightmare for the opposition. He gets a 3.5 out of 5 for the strong game.
Mitchell Robinson: There wasn’t much daylight inside for Mitchell Robinson. He drew a difficult match-up in Bam Adebayo and put up a solid effort but didn’t keep up. That said, a decent chunk of Bam’s makes were contested and the Heat did their damage only when drawing Mitch away from the rim. Miami hit their jumpers, but the Knicks still had reliable rim protection from Blockinson.
Robinson finished 32 minutes of action 2/4 from the field and 2/2 from the free throw line. He put up 6 points, 7 rebounds and 1 block in a game that was statistically quiet but solid on impact. The Knicks guards rarely got the sort of penetration that free’s up a rim runner. The perimeter oriented game took Mitch out of the mix as a consistent weapon or lob threat, though he capitalized on what few opportunities he got.
Despite the lack of major box score production, I felt Mitch had a solid game. There wasn’t much he could do about many of Bam’s baskets while he otherwise served his role. Mitch kept things tough in the paint, was solid on the boards and did just enough to net a 2.5 out of 5.
Second unit gets a boost from Taj and Burks
Immanuel Quickley: There were some similarities to RJ Barrett in Immanuel Quickley’s struggles. The rookie took a long time to find any kind of success against the Heat’s perimeter defense. IQ more often found himself swinging the ball to Burks or Rivers more often than attacking. Quickley’s only field goal of the night came on a meaningless finish with the game out of reach and the shot clock turned off.
Quickley saw his minutes cut again, logging just 17 minutes for 5 points, 3 assists and 3 rebounds. He shot 1/4 from the field, 0/2 from three and 3/3 from the free throw line. By comparison, Payton played 14 more minutes and took 8 more attempts to score 2 more points and have 2 more assists than IQ. If Thibodeau was rewarding quality play, then Payton getting so much extra time is a confusing way to show it.
It’s entirely possible that more minutes would have just meant some more misses or struggles for Quickley. But because his time was cut short, the rookie’s production looks solid in the limited action. He looked increasingly more comfortable as the game wore on, adding a nice lob to Mitch in his final minutes on the floor. But we’re working with what happened and not what could have been. Quickley gets a 2 out of 5.
Austin Rivers: Slightly better than his recent struggles, Austin Rivers managed to find a couple of seams for finishes in the lane. The scoring guard still can’t find his shot though and continues to be a clunky fit with the new second unit. It was a drive and kick heavy game for Rivers who missed or passed up his open three pointers. His game lacks the confidence that I expect from a gunner and without that aggression, Rivers starts to look like a redundant presence next to Burks and IQ.
In 17 minutes of action, Rivers put up 6 points, 3 assists and 2 rebounds on 2/5 from the field, 0/3 from three and 2/2 from the line. It didn’t even look like Rivers wanted to shoot the three ball unless he was wide open and even then, he’d hesitate. Like everyone else, Austin rarely found seams to attack the paint and that muted his offense even further. The slight bump up in assists is welcome though.
Rivers moved from awful recent performances to a forgettable but respectable game against the Heat. He’d seen his minutes cut in past performances and I expected even less playing time than he got here. That’s because despite the decent numbers, it never felt like Rivers was making much happen. He got a lot of swing pass touches and capitalized only every now and again. He ekes out a 2 out of 5.
Alec Burks: Alec Burks’ game is finally rounding into the shape we saw pre-ankle injury. The sixth man added a scoring touch off the bench that New York sorely needed. Burks was money on his three-pointer like Bullock and cashed in some buckets inside like Rivers. I constantly point out the versatility of Burks’ attack and that characteristic set his game apart from the rest of the guards against Miami.
With 13 points, 2 assists to 2 TO’s and 5 rebounds; Burks had a productive 29 minutes of action. He shot 5/9 from the field and 3/6 from three. Outside of a rushed take in crunch time, nothing New York’s shooter did felt forced. He was back to the smooth operating scorer that draws attention and makes plays when needed. The Heat leaving guys open helped out too, as Burks got open looks at range.
A 3 out of 5 might seem high for a guy who dropped less than 15 points and had as many turnovers as assists. But it’s the way the combo guard led the second unit that mattered. IQ and Rivers were forced to play more perimeter-oriented offense than they’re used to. That put the ball in Burks’ hands often and he was able to capitalize with efficient scoring while contributing to ball movement. I’m hoping this trend continues, Burks can really open things up for everyone else.
Obi Toppin: The minutes are low but the flashes are getting more prominent for Obi Toppin. He logged just 10 minutes in total but still managed 7 points and 4 boards. The production came about in 5 minutes of fourth quarter production that probably warranted Obi staying out there a bit longer.
No performance score for Toppin, but he’s looking more assertive and comfortable despite the limited time to act. Obi’s also been a victim of making good cuts that never get rewarded. You can catch Toppin wide open and just waiting for anybody to notice him. It’s a travesty that Taj Gibson was the only player to reward any of the athletic big’s cuts.
Taj Gibson: Speaking of Taj Gibson, he really provided the Knicks with a bit of extra oomph when they needed it. This game was a war of attrition and Gibson’s first half contributions were especially crucial in keeping the game close. The Knicks lose some rebounding when Gibson replaced Nerlens Noel, but he’s got the best hands of the New York bigs and also has just a little bit of range.
Gibson rocked for 16 minutes, going 4/4 from the field for 9 points, 3 rebounds and 1 assist to 1 TO. He hit a corner three, going 1/1 there but also missed his only 2 free throws of the game. An interesting quirk, all of Taj’s rebounds came on the offensive glass. He did the dirty work on the defensive side, boxing people out so that others like Burks and Obi could clean up.
What more can you ask for? Taj has stepped up with Nerlens Noel out and he’s providing the type of veteran presence that helps. There’s nothing too flashy or gaudy about the production but Taj gave the second unit exactly what it needed. I wouldn’t count on more three pointers and I don’t think Noel’s back-up role is in jeopardy. But Taj Gibson showed that he’s capable of producing when called upon. He gets a 2.5 out of 5 for stepping up.
Shoddy rotations but good execution while the Knicks make news off the court
Tom Thibodeau: Tom Thibodeau is great on preparation but his rotations continue to leave a lot to be desired. One edge I’ll give to Thibodeau is that I can see a thru-line of logic to most of his decisions. With guys like Hornacek and Fizdale, some changes felt incoherent. With Thibodeau, the changes aren’t usually the problem but rather the lack of change. New York was referenced yesterday as one of the only teams in the entire league to have 4 of the same starters in every single game so far…that’s despite an offense that forced Leon Rose to make a trade yesterday.
The good for Thibodeau yesterday mainly comes down to keeping the Knicks active and aggressive against the Heat’s pressure. Knicks fans have seen their players wilt under the physicality and intensity that a Spoelstra coached team can bring. Thibodeau has New York playing their own physical brand and it held up against their arch nemesis. On the downside…too much Payton and Rivers. RJ Barrett for all of his struggles has still been the second-best player on the Knicks and deserved a shot late. That goes ditto for IQ who boasts some of the best fourth quarter and clutch statistics we could ask for. They’ve earned minutes as much as anyone not named Randle.
Anyone blaming Tom Thibodeau for the loss against Miami is well within their rights. The Knicks fourth quarter execution looked worrisome in wins over the Bulls and Blazers. Those struggles continued against Miami. Thibs’ remedy was to cut young players’ minutes. That didn’t change the fact that teams are forcing the ball out of Randle’s hands and nobody else can execute late. If anything, RJ and IQ are aggressive enough to figure out late game pressure. I don’t have that same trust for a Reggie Bullock or an Elfrid Payton that’s been through this all for years. Thibs gets a 2 out of 5 for coming up short.
Closing Thoughts: The loss against Miami was only half of the story for New York. During the game, it was confirmed that the Knicks had acquired Derrick Rose for Dennis Smith Jr and Charlotte’s second round pick. Amid a game where our prized rookie PG got his minutes cut (the third in a row), the Knicks acquired another point guard that we know Thibodeau loves. That leaves more questions than answers at least until we see how Tom Thibodeau incorporates the new addition.
The Rose trade creates an interesting risk-reward dynamic. Rose seems like a relatively low risk get. The second-round pick that the Knicks lost is replaceable by dealing any vet who slips out of the rotation. If Rose were to just replace Payton, he’s better at getting into the lane and finishing once there. There’s also familiarity for Rose who has played under Thibs in his best years and played for the Knicks before as well. But the risks come from Thibodeau’s trust in vets. If adding Rose means that Immanuel Quickley or RJ Barrett get less opportunities to continue rising though… then the trade is bad unless New York takes a major leap. An unsung worry is that the Knicks’ offense has been humming but we don’t know how Rose will gel.
I’ve harped on this for quite a few recaps now, the Knicks have been missing a piece that syncs up the offense. It has been clear all season that the piece ought to be a ball handler. That has been magnified in the Knicks’ late game execution lately. We’ve seen every guard turn the ball over and a ton of broken sets as the pressure rises late. As much as fans are concerned about the over reliance on veteran players, Derrick Rose does make a bit of sense here. I’m skeptical about how Thibodeau will handle the rotation, but confident that Rose does fit a lot of New York’s needs. We’ll have some interesting developments to watch as this unfolds!
