The New York Knicks lost to the Denver Nuggets 113-99. New York looked lifeless for most of this game as they let Denver have their way.
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The New York Knicks lost to the Denver Nuggets 113 to 99 in what was undoubtedly their most frustrating loss of the season. The Knicks felt lost and listless throughout the night, trailing by five before the end of the first and by as much as thirty during the dreaded third quarter of doom. Players missed rotations, nobody could shoot, and the Nuggets’ star player Nikola Jokic got to take the entire fourth quarter off. It was a low-effort performance that took New York a game below .500 for the first time this season.
Evan Fournier provided some energy while Julius Randle was good on one end of the court and terrible on the other. Derrick Rose gave some punch to the bench, but there wasn’t much help otherwise. It felt like the culmination of weeks of struggles in MSG, now let’s pick at the scabs and see how this went so bad.
Knicks’ starters still struggling despite changes:
Alec Burks: 11 PTS (2/6 FG, 2/3 3 PT, 5/6 FT), 1 REB, 2 STL in 27 mins
It was a pedestrian night for Alec Burks, which won’t be enough for him to continue to justify him as a starter. Since Burks is the de facto starting point guard, a goose egg in the assists column in 27 minutes of action is worrisome. When the offense shoots below 40 percent from the field and 30 percent from three, all eyes typically fall to the lead guard.
But I’m not sure if that’s being fair. The offense ran through Randle first and foremost, with a healthy dose of possessions for Fournier and Barrett. I think the Burks and Kemba switch was specifically to free up touches for those three players to get into a rhythm. Burks got to the line and put up 11 points on just 6 attempts, which isn’t a bad night’s work.
So was this a good game since Burks played within himself and didn’t hurt, or a bad game because his elevated role requires more? I’m not sure, but that question is ample proof that the Knicks’ starters have bigger issues than anyone change could address. This wasn’t a bad game, but it lacked much impact on any teammates which is generally bad news for any point guard. Burks gets a 2 out of 5 for his impact.
RJ Barrett: 13 PTS (5/13. FG, 1/7 3 PT, 2/2 FT), 1 AST, 4 REB, 1 BLK, 1 TO in 25 mins
RJ Barrett was back, but his jumper is still somewhere in New Orleans or Toronto. Outside of Zeke Nnaji and Nikola Jokic, Barrett got the best looks from three out of any player and the rim needs its screws tightened from all those clanks. He had mixed success going to the basket, but without the jumper, everything else becomes much more difficult.
Barrett’s settling into a bit of a new role, playing more minutes with the second unit at the top of the second quarter. That was an area where his struggles stood out a bit, only because he missed some shots that Burks normally knocks down. I don’t want to make too big a deal of this, because I think that those types of fluid looks will help him find the jumper eventually. He had a tough game, but I liked the looks he was getting from both units.
The big question is how much longer do we wait? In the 14 games since RJ shot lights out against the Pelicans and Raptors, he has shot 25 percent from three. He’s a young, promising player and we aren’t competing for a title so you let him take the lumps. We’ve seen Barrett bounce back from long slumps before, but this team’s ceiling is tied to his performances. For now, Barrett gets a 2 out of 5, but I’m still preaching patience for a 21-year old with a long career ahead.
Evan Fournier: 15 PTS (6/14 FG, 3/8 3 PT), 5 AST, 4 REB, 1 STL, 2 TO in 36 mins
If there was one player that actually showed real life for the starters, it was Evan Fournier. He was far from perfect, but Fournier hit some important shots that kept the game from falling apart even earlier than it did. From a fade-away jumper inside to a couple of timely threes, Fournier seemed like the one player that actually wanted to fight.
Fournier’s defense will never be his strong suit, but he’s back to bother ball handlers. He did that early in the season, sneaking up on the point of attack or sliding into passing lanes to create turnovers. That’s something I’ve seen more of in the past two games than I had in the ten games prior. It’s a smallish wrinkle that gives Fournier a little added value and keeps him viable long enough to get some open looks.
That said, this game falls into the “pretty good” category rather than anything beyond that. It was nice to see the French wing take on a playmaking role, but he seems to give up an ugly turnover or two every night. He’s certainly finding a better stride than recent struggles, but there’s another level he’ll need to hit to justify his contract. Fournier gets a 2.5 out of 5 for a solid night when most players had duds.
Julius Randle: 24 PTS (9/18 FG, 2/7 3 PT, 4/5 FT), 8 AST, 7 REB, 1 TO in 35 mins
I’m throwing two highlights into this player profile because Julius Randle’s production looks great, but it’s fool’s gold. Randle was having a decent game offensively but bumped his numbers into impressive territory by playing the last 6 minutes or so against the Nuggets’ back-ups’ back-ups. He was never bad on offense, but hardly a world-beater, and his defensive effort was absolutely horrendous.
Here’s the thing about letting a star player set the tone for your offense; they generally wind up setting the tone on both ends of the floor. Randle missed rotations, left his man behind to help players that didn’t even have the ball, and rarely bothered to run out to open shooters. He was beaten down the court in transition, weak on the boards, and appeared disinterested. There’s no Kemba Walker to blame this time, and Randle was clearly a problem.
This team lives and dies by Julius Randle’s play, and that’s a dangerous proposition with his inconsistency this season. Effort should be the one piece of the puzzle that Randle has control over. Zeke Nnaji just dropped a career-high in New York, and that comes down to New York’s star failing to give the same effort on defense that he did on offense. Randle gets a 1.5 out of 5 because his impact was more negative than his stats suggest.
Mitchell Robinson: 4 PTS (2/5 FG, 0/1 FT), 1 AST, 6 REB, 1 STL, 2 BLK in 22 mins
Maybe it’s the injuries or maybe the bulk, but Mitchell Robinson had nothing for Nikola Jokic in their match-up. The Nuggets’ MVP scored any time Robinson dropped too far or strayed to help with anyone else. Robinson’s defensive issues weren’t effort-related like Randle’s, but that might make them even more worrisome. New York’s shot blocker didn’t have the mobility to execute the defensive scheme.
To be fair, Jokic is a special kind of big man. There aren’t many Centers that can shoot and pass with such ease from anywhere on the floor. But Robinson didn’t produce enough to overlook that he took one on the chin defensively. He was average on the boards and his blocks and steal are drowned out by images of Jokic splashing three-pointers in way too much space.
Robinson’s struggles meant that his minutes were cut down. He wasn’t particularly worse than any of the starters though. The problems were team-wide and Mitch was just another piece of the woeful puzzle. He stands out because he faced an MVP, and unfortunately that means he gets a 1 out of 5 for losing his match-up decisively.
Not much help from the Knicks’ bench unit this time:
Derrick Rose: 11 PTS ( 5/10 FG, 1/5 3 PT), 4 AST, 4 REB, 4 TO in 24 mins
Despite an efficient scoring night, I was a bit disappointed in Derrick Rose’s night. I’ve spent the past few games talking about how Rose is the steady hand at PG. He comes into the games and provides a calming presence with effective ball movement mixed in his attack. That wasn’t really the case against the Nuggets, he never quite took control of the game like we’ve become accustomed to seeing.
Don’t get me wrong though, he was one of the Knicks’ better players. But Rose typically has an uplifting effect on the players around him. This time his ability to break down the defense felt a bit more strained. He settled for jumpers often and never got to the free-throw line.
While Rose’s production looks solid, I think the missing piece to his game is reflected more by the struggles of the bench unit’s big men. Rose generally makes the game easy for his supporting cast, but no one else off the bench came close to an efficient night. That’s not to put all the blame on Rose, but it just highlights that he wasn’t quite the point guard we’ve been used to. Rose gets a 2.5 out of 5 for at least giving us something.
Immanuel Quickley: 3 PTS (1/7 FG, 0/3 3 PT, 1/1 FT), 1 AST, 1 REB, 2 TO in 20 mins
Immanuel Quickley had one really nice finish and a nightmare game otherwise. The sophomore got good looks from three but couldn’t cash them in and he shot a similar brick when he tried to fire from midrange. IQ’s shooting woes made it hard for him to get the step on defenders and work into the lane as well.
This was a rare occasion where Quickley didn’t seem on the same page as his bigs. From miscommunications about which side to set the screen to poorly timed lobs, IQ never found a rhythm with teammates. That’s a hard one to explain. His role has shifted quite a bit in the past three games because of injuries and circumstances, but that’s purely guesswork for me.
It’s far from time to panic, but this was a good reminder that Quickley’s still young. He’s going to have off nights and maybe that’s why Thibodeau has put more burden on vets with his initial rotation adjustments. In a secondary role, IQ can afford to have a tough night without the scrutiny that a Randle or a Fournier faces. Either way, Quickley had a rough night worth 1 out of 5 on impact.
Obi Toppin: 7 PTS (2/8 FG, 1/3 3 PT, 2/2 FT), 8 REB, 1 STL, 1 TO in 20 mins
This was one of Obi Toppin’s weakest performances in recent memory. Relative to his teammates, I could make the case that it’s not as bad as it looks. But it’s hard to argue with the inefficiency that appears on the stat sheet. Obi didn’t get many free looks inside and he missed the one alley-oop that did find him.
Defensively, Toppin another beneficiary of the “Joker’s not in right now” effect. He didn’t look quite as bad as the starters but was in the game for a three-point barrage from the Nuggets’ depleted bench at the start of the fourth. He at least tried to close out which is a step above Randle in most cases, but they both gave up buckets.
The one reason I’m tempted to defend Toppin is that his effort and motor didn’t wane. He had a few instances of being out of control, but at least he was trying to make things happen. We can also celebrate that he made another three-pointer and is willing to shoot them despite early struggles. I’m probably just fishing for compliments because he’s one of the few young bright spots…he gets a 1.5 out of 5 on the night.
Nerlens Noel: 5 PTS (1/3 FG, 3/4 FT), 1 AST, 5 REB, 2 STL in 19 mins
For as much heat as I gave Mitchell Robinson for defensive struggles, Nerlens Noel wasn’t much different. Noel just had the benefit of playing minutes when Jokic rested, which included the whole fourth quarter. But our shot blocker off the bench did come away with one of the only feel-good moments of the game by turning a steal into two points in an unlikely transition.
The problem for Noel is that a lot of his game was forgettable. Guards had trouble getting passes inside or breaking down the defense. Since Noel doesn’t have tools to create his own offense, that left him with few ways to impact the game beyond a few balls poked loose and shots challenged.
If there’s one bit of credit I can hand Noel, his hands on defense is always admirable. When he hedges against a ball-handler, he frequently pokes at the ball and slows them down a step. It’s a small thing that makes a big difference for the guy fighting through a screen. Noel gets a 2 out of 5 for not standing out for anything bad when most of his teammates couldn’t even manage that.
Quentin Grimes: 6 PTS (2/4 FG, 2/4 3 PT), 2 AST, 1 REB in 12 mins
Quentin Grimes got the fourth quarter, which was essentially garbage time. That said, this is a performance that can endear itself to fans. Grimes works hard on defense, has a lovely shot, and isn’t afraid to put the ball on the ground. He’s probably not a solution for New York’s woes, but he’s a promising young player worth some optimism.
Accountability should start at the top with Tom Thibodeau:
Tom Thibodeau:
I wouldn’t want to be in Tom Thibodeau’s shoes right now. The offense barely looks competent when Randle is running well, and the bench rearrangement could take away one of New York’s only consistent weapons. That means when Randle spends an entire half loafing on defense and giving sideways looks to teammates for his own blunders, Thibs has few easy solutions.
The other problem is that Randle isn’t the only issue any more than Kemba Walker was before him. The struggles are team-wide from missing open three-pointers to important free throws to simple rotations; nobody is on the right page. Thibodeau needs to help the Knicks find their defensive intensity and identity from last season, but if his star doesn’t have it then no one will.
This type of game leaves me with very few key choices to point out. I guess we can credit Thibodeau for getting Grimes a full quarter of action. But then I take away twice as much for shoehorning in Randle and Fournier late to pad their stats and make the final score slightly less embarrassing. This team looks lost and that will inevitably fall on the coach, Thibodeau gets a 1.5 out of 5 for the continued struggles of his team.
Closing Thoughts:
I think a lot of Knicks fans spent most of November hoping for one of the ugly losses to be a wake-up call. Or hoping that one of the spirited performances would begin a turnaround of sorts. New York just needs that something to click and then we’ll get back to path from the preseason. By the end of the month, Kemba Walker to the bench was a necessary Hail-Mary.
But a week later and three losses in a row, we’re still searching for a spark. I don’t think there’s any big move on the pipeline, no Derrick Rose trade to shift the energy. What New York needs is for the players that had success last year to find the traits that helped them last year. Julius Randle put in all-NBA efforts nightly, RJ Barrett shot 40 percent from three, and every player took pride on defense. The Knicks don’t need these players to match that output exactly, but they can’t regress so far and expect to still succeed.
New York has a couple of days off to lick their wounds before facing a beatable San Antonio Spurs. The Knicks have been better on the road and if they can’t find fire after falling below .500 then I don’t know if there’s a way to bounce back without the front office stepping in. We’ll see if they can reverse the downward trends and talk about it after Knicks fam!
Stay tuned to KnicksFanTV.com for the latest Knicks news, rumors, and recaps throughout the 2021-22 NBA season. In case you missed it, catch CP, CK, and the fans’ reactions to the brutal crunchtime loss to the Chicago Bulls!
