The New York Knicks left fans and even Jeff Van Gundy frustrated with a poor performance against the Miami Heat as the Knicks lost 96-110.
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The New York Knicks were beaten from start to finish by the Miami Heat, losing 96 to 110. New York gave up a nine to nothing run to start this game and it never got much better. They trailed by double-digits for the last 39 minutes of action. The starting unit was lifeless, besides the odd drive from Barrett or offensive board by Robinson. The second unit did what it could to reduce deficits, but couldn’t make a dent in the damage done by the starters. The most entertaining part was listening to Jeff Van Gundy call the Knicks’ performance out for some catharsis.
RJ Barrett did a solid job for an otherwise inept starting unit. All eight players off the bench had positive +/- splits, however, with Toppin, Grimes, and Quickley providing a silver lining. We can find hope in the performances of the young up-and-comers, while we consider necessary changes for the future. Let’s see what happened in one of the toughest losses of a brutal season.
New York’s problems start with the starters
Kemba Walker: 7 PTS (2/8 FG, 2/7 3PT, 1/1 FT), 1 TO in 19 mins
Kemba Walker struggled to make a difference in this game. He couldn’t break through the perimeter defense of Miami, settling for jumpers that bricked for the most part. That inability to beat defenders took any chance for playmaking away from Walker.
Walker’s defense fared no better. The entire starting unit had trouble keeping ball handlers in front of them or making rotations to close out on shooters. Walker wasn’t great on the ball with Gabe Vincent and rarely made a difference as a help defender.
This breakdown is short because there’s not much to talk about. Walker was bad on both ends of the floor. He never felt involved enough to make a difference in this game. Walker gets a 1 out of 5 for his impact in the listless performance.
Evan Fournier: 7 PTS (2/7 FG, 2/5 3PT, 1/2 FT), 2 REB, 1 STL, 3 TO in 20 mins
Evan Fournier tried to make some things happen, but his attempts were clumsy for the most part. Heat defenders chased Fournier off the arc often, which meant he was attacking off the dribble or rushing his shot attempts. That meant poor shooting splits and a three-turnover night.
Fournier may have tried to do more than Walker on offense, but his defense was worse than his backcourt partner. Duncan Robinson led all scorers as effortlessly as coming off screens and waiting for kick-out passes to shoot. Robinson was left open to the tune of 7 three-pointers and a game-leading 25-points. Fournier wasn’t the only culprit here, but he had the toughest time keeping up.
I’ll give Fournier his props for effort. He actually dribbled into the lane and tried to get things going inside. But he never managed to piece together positive results. His defensive play was a disaster on top of the offensive ineptitude. That leaves the French wing with a 1 out of 5 for his inability to impact the game.
RJ Barrett: 17 PTS (6/11 FG, 3/5 3PT, 2/4 FT), 2 AST, 3 REB, 1 STL, 2 TO in 24 mins
RJ Barrett was the life force for New York. He hit two three-pointers and scored half of New York’s points in the first quarter. The third-year piece attacked Miami inside and managed to finish despite their physicality and Bam Adebayo patrolling. The youngster finished with 17 points on 11 attempts, an impressive feat against a tough defense with very little help.
Barrett’s defense was unimpressive, however. He had a tough match-up with Jimmy Butler, so we could give him some leeway. But the fact of the matter is that the Heat star faced far too little resistance from New York’s up-and-coming wing. At least RJ seemed to take his match-ups personally, jawing with Heat players after a particularly tough finish.
RJ Barrett had a pulse when most of his teammates were sleepwalking. He was efficient against a tough defense, and never let his aggression slip. That said, his defense has to be better and with so many touches I’d like to see more playmaking. Barrett had a nice lob to Mitchell Robinson, but he’ll need to find teammates more frequently to get them into a rhythm. Barrett gets a 3 out of 5 for showing some fight.
Julius Randle: 11 PTS (5/12 FG, 0/3 3PT, 1/1 FT), 4 AST, 6 REB, 4 TO in 27 mins
To call Julius Randle’s recent play worrying is an understatement. He refused to catch and shoot the ball, dribbling his way into tougher shots instead. Miami didn’t let him get much going with frequent double-teams and took the pressure off by rarely making meaningful cuts off-ball. That left him starting with the rock far from the basket and facing a double before he could get momentum.
Randle had some nice passes early, but it seemed like he mentally checked out as the game wore on him. His body language wasn’t good and he finished with fewer dimes and boards than we’re used to seeing. The big man did have some nice moments posting up on mismatches, but those opportunities were few and far between.
The big man’s defense was tough to watch as well. Nothing worried me more than seeing Duncan Robinson’s screen come from Julius Randle’s assignment. Randle seemed disinterested on both ends and it’s hard for me to think that something isn’t wrong. Be it injury or some other issue, Randle just seems thrown off his game. He gets a 1 out of 5 for impact.
Mitchell Robinson: 7 PTS (3/4 FG, 1/2 FT), 1 AST, 10 REB, 1 STL, 1 TO in 29 mins
I’ve been pretty tough on the starters, but Mitchell Robinson deserves at least some credit. He may not have filled up the baskets, but he did clean up the offensive glass well. Mitch also showed off some improving hands by snagging a bounce pass that Bam Adebayo was close to stealing. Surrounded by players that looked shell-shocked, at least Mitch got after the ball.
Robinson’s defense fell victim to the Heat’s frequent forays inside. He often found himself chasing a slasher who would pass off to a cutter or shooter. Although, to Robinson’s credit, he had a few deflections and at least denied the initial ball-handler from easy looks at the basket (most of the time). But his defense looked a step slow against the Heat’s constant pressure inside.
Robinson seems to have taken a step up in rebounding. He’s routinely pushing double-digit rebounding thanks to strong effort at both sides on the glass. His hustle earned him some extra time while most starters got benched. Mitch may not have been as good offensively as he’s been lately, but his effort still deserves respect. Robinson gets a 2 out of 5 for showing some heart when teammates seemed to give up.
Knicks’ bench shows all the heart that the starting unit lacks
Immanuel Quickley: 12 PTS (4/9 FG, 2/5 3PT, 2/2 FT), 7 AST, 3 REB, 2 STL, 2 TO in 31 mins
I both appreciated Immanuel Quickley’s effort and saw some blemishes in his performance. The young guard put together another nice performance as a passer. He’s gotten far better at feeding players going toward the basket. That’s a helpful tool when for the point guard that runs with Obi Toppin and a second big man.
IQ’s scoring wasn’t bad either. But it caught a nice boost from a pair of threes off the dribble which he hit in the fourth quarter. Prior to those two shots, he had trouble getting much off. Quickley continued his success with the jumper by adding a midrange shot though, and I hope he uses that more often.
For as solid as this performance was, I’m still not sold on IQ as a floor general. I think we’re seeing him make fast strides in the right direction but sometimes his control over the game slips. Ill-timed shot selection, inaccurate passes, or turnovers combine to keep him close but not all the way there as a ball-handler. I think he’ll get there though, and this wasn’t bad a performance at all. IQ gets a 3 out of 5 for solid contributions.
Alec Burks: 3 PTS (1/8 FG, 1/5 3PT, 0/2 FT), 3 AST, 4 REB, 1 STL, 1 TO in 15 mins
The best thing I can say about Alec Burks’ performance is that it was cut short. He shot the ball miserably again, for what feels like the umpteenth time this year. That’s all the more worrisome because this problem seemed prevalent as a starter but less likely when he comes off the bench. Burks also managed a couple of transition misses that really killed some Knick momentum.
To Burks’ credit, he finds ways to get some production in. Three assists and four rebounds are nothing to scoff at in just fifteen minutes of action. But that’s far from enough to cover his poor shooting. I couldn’t shake my frustration with his soft takes inside enough to appreciate his passing in this one.
If Cam Reddish is taking anybody’s minutes, it should be Burks. The microwave scorer seems to have lost his scoring edge recently. He’s doing some playmaking, but poor shooting takes away from those limited contributions. Mark this one as another disappointing performance in a season that’s quickly following suit for Burks who gets a 1 out 5 for impact.
Quentin Grimes: 6 PTS (2/6 FG, 2/6 3PT), 3 AST, 5 REB, 1 STL, 1 TO in 31 mins
There was a telling moment late in the second quarter. RJ Barrett had shouldered the offense, but Jimmy Butler was beginning to go right at the tired shooting guard. Tom Thibodeau quickly chose Quentin Grimes to spell Barrett and slow Butler. That’s how quickly Quentin Grimes has become a staple as the best perimeter option on defense.
Grimes’ value doesn’t rest solely in his defensive play, though it’s fantastic. He didn’t shoot the ball particularly well, but he had some nice drive and kick moments past closeouts. The rookie isn’t afraid to put the ball on the ground and he got some separation with a couple of his hesitation moves and step-backs. Add in some help on the defensive boards, and Grimes was able to help despite Miami making his shots difficult.
Grimes is a breath of fresh air when he fills in for struggling starters. His ball-hawk tendencies stand out and create opportunities for fellow defenders to force turnovers. But it’s his ability to help beyond jump shooting and defense that makes him such an intriguing prospect. He’s a heady player with confidence and a motor to produce even when he’s defended well. Grimes picks up a 2.5 out of 5, driven by his injection of energy onto the floor.
Obi Toppin: 18 PTS (7/9 FG, 2/3 3PT, 2/2 FT), 1 AST, 5 REB, 1 BLK, 1 TO in 21 mins
Obi Toppin finally cracked the twenty minutes mark, and I’m still telling you that he deserved to play more minutes. Toppin started the game with an offensive rebound, two nice finishes inside, and a three-pointer in quick succession. He would continue to ignite the Knicks with acrobatic finishes inside and even add a second three to his stat-line. Toppin was a force that the Heat had no answer for.
The sophomore also showed some heart and effort on defense. Five rebounds might not sound particularly impressive, but Toppin got a few in traffic which was impressive. He also had some nice rotations inside, challenging players at the rim that were too quick for the other Knicks’ big men. He gave New York a boost on both ends of the floor with a motor that draws a stark contrast to Randle’s recent performances.
Take note that Toppin has just had two impressive performances in a row against quality opponents with good interior defense. The Cavs are a tough defense to crack and the Heat have elite defenders at multiple positions. Obi is the kind of athlete that can overcome those challenges with sheer athleticism. That’s not to say he can shoulder the burden of carrying an offense, but if he’s on the floor he can help out virtually any ball handler by virtue of hard cuts and constant effort. Toppin gets a 4 out of 5 for big production on high efficiency in a short amount of time.
Taj Gibson: 1 AST, 4 REB, 2 BLK in 17 mins
Taj Gibson’s night felt short. He had some positive possessions for the offense, with an offensive bound and a dime. But for the most part, his 17 minutes weren’t very visible on that end of the floor.
Gibson’s defense also left me disappointed. He had two blocks in his backup role, which is solid. But the Heat ball-handlers got into the paint and scored frequently. I typically expect more aggressive rotations from Taj, but maybe the Heat’s shooting caused him to fall behind.
Overall, Gibson was more forgettable than bad. For his few good moments, Gibson had some miscues as well. He leaves this game with a 2 out of 5 for his pedestrian performance.
Cam Reddish: 6 PTS (2/6 FG, 1/3 3PT, 1/1 FT), 2 REB, 1 BLK, 1 TO in 10 mins
Cam Reddish got ten minutes to show us something. He clearly felt the need to make an impression, because he forced some ugly shots. He had some ugly misses with a couple of nice makes mixed in, but one thing stood out through it all. Cam was able to get his shot off with relative ease.
Reddish also flashed some nice defense in spells. He had a nice trailing block and proved willing to defend with honest effort. I caught him boxing out for his rebounds, which was nice to see for a team that always seems to give up second-chance buckets at inopportune times.
The new Knick didn’t show great decision-making, but his tools and skillset are impressive. I hope that the new environment helps him tap into his potential and find his groove.
Miles McBride and Jericho Sims:
I won’t list the stats for New York’s second-round rookies, because they played 4 minutes combined. But I want to shout them out because McBride and Sims connected for a beautiful alley-oop. Defensively, McBride was pressing full-court which Jeff Van Gully loved and Sims denied a pass inside for a steal. The rookies showed some promise but didn’t have enough time for us to say much about it.
Van Gundy spots five problems with Thibodeau’s rotation
Tom Thibodeau:
It’s not our collective imagination, Tom Thibodeau’s starting line-up is broken and has been broken all season long. Former Knicks coach Jeff Van Gundy said he’d consider benching the entire starting lineup in the first quarter, then proclaimed that New York’s starters had a “five-man problem” near the end of the game. Their problems are a season-long issue that the stats make clear, but it only takes an eye test to recognize. Yet Thibodeau trots out the same players in the same rotation without fail.
There weren’t many tough decisions to highlight because this game was over before any tough choices needed to be made. Thibodeau let the starters linger on the floor long enough to put New York down by big margins on multiple occasions. They started the game poorly, they closed the first half by giving up a run, and then they buried the team before the end of the third. But Thibodeau could have helped these players out with some substitutions and some simple accountability.
Think about the Cavs’ substitution patterns last game. Starters mixed with bench players frequently as Bickerstaff chased mismatches and kept hot hands going. Rotations don’t have to be so rigid and when players outperform their teammates, they deserve the opportunity to keep it going. Tom Thibodeau feels like a coach that has lost his starters and simply refuses to trust the players that have given him the best effort on the roster. It’s bizarre and for coaching such a tough game that even JVG was critical all night, Thibs gets a 0.5 out of 5 for his performance score.
Closing Thoughts
I’ve all but lost patience with the Knicks after seeing another poor effort like this. The players that I enjoy watching routinely show fight only to cede time to the guys whose low-effort play consistently costs the team. I’m looking at the schedule ahead and there’s no daylight to make a run anymore, that ship has sailed. Unless Derrick Rose comes back and completely turns everything around for every vet, the Knicks need to consider being sellers at the trade deadline.
The timing seems perfect for this strategy. New York has young players proving they can help in short stints, that deserve longer runs and more reps to see how far they can go. The play-in format has given most of the league a reason to seek out extra help to remain competitive as parity defines everyone but the top two teams in the West. Everyone is competitive, most teams want help, and the Knicks have enough depth not to stress about trading away rotation pieces.
That might actually save Tom Thibodeau from himself. Last year the fanbase was at odds with him over Elfrid Payton. Now he’s losing the fanbase over his entire rotation, and pushing last year’s star to a place that I’m not sure he can recover from.
The case for selling might get even stronger with the Milwaukee Bucks up next on Friday. The schedule is unforgiving from here on out and if the Knicks want to dig themselves out, they’ll need to turn things around immediately. We’ll see if the starters can find some heart between now and Friday when they tip-off against the Bucks. I’ll see you then Knicks fam!
Stay tuned to KnicksFanTV.com for the latest Knicks news, rumors, and recaps throughout the 2021-22 NBA season. And in case you missed it, make sure to check out CP’s interview with Chris Herring, author of Blood in the Garden: The Flagrant History of the 1990’s New York Knicks.
