The New York Knicks lost to the Denver Nuggets. The first quarter gave the appearance of a completive game until Denver blew the doors off.
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The New York Knicks ran out of steam and failed to keep up with the Denver Nuggets, losing 115-132. They came out of the gate firing and played hard throughout the night, but each quarter played out in a similar manner. The Knicks would keep pace with the Nuggets early, and even gain some ground before slowing down as Denver would continue to run and build their lead higher than it had been before.
New York’s defense sorely missed Grimes, Robinson, and Noel in this match-up. They gave up more than 80 points in the first half. Whether they were too tired to get around screens or playing good defense against better offense from Nikola Jokic and Bones Hyland, the Knicks couldn’t piece together enough stops to sustain a comeback. The end result was a double-digit loss with RJ Barrett limping off to add injury to the insulting result.
But the Knicks offense did show signs of life. Young players off the bench learned tough lessons. There’s plenty to extract from this tough loss, so let’s dive in and see how each player fared.
Randle and Fournier continue to find success, but Knicks starters fail to keep up
Kemba Walker: 2 PTS (1/6 FG, 0/3 3PT), 8 AST, 2 REB, 2 TO in 22 mins
Kemba Walker still can’t find his scoring. He missed decent looks from threes and only finished on one trip into the paint. The diminutive point guard had life in his legs and a soft defense to break through, but still couldn’t piece together more than two points in over twenty minutes of action. He’s less emphasized in the offense and it shows in his vanishing act as a scorer.
On the bright side, Walker made some fantastic passes. His playmaking showed the value of having an actual point guard to run sets through. Walker makes reads across the court, which is easy to catch after watching wings and forwards run the show. I’m not knocking Barrett, Randle, Burks, or Immanuel Quickley when I say that their vision is limited compared to that of a veteran point guard.
But the eight assists are drowned out by two points in six tries. Walker’s not to blame for the defensive ineptitude of the Knicks, but his inability to have a positive impact on that end means that he can’t afford to be so inefficient. The Knicks need a playmaker, but he can’t be just a playmaker. Walker gets 1.5 out of 5 for his impact by providing great passes but little else.
Evan Fournier: 21 PTS (8/16 FG, 4/10 3PT, 1/1 FT), 2 AST, 7 REB, 3 STL, 1 BLK, 2 TO in 32 mins
New York got off to a hot start and Evan Fournier played a key role. He knocked down a pair of threes early that sparked an early shooting streak for the rest of the team. Fournier would continue to knock down shots and find middling success off the dribble for the rest of the night. He provided a nice offensive punch that New York needed.
The French wing’s defensive effort picked up also. Fournier’s anticipation can make up for his lateral movement through steals in the passing lane or clever doubles. He can surprise opponents with well-timed double teams when he sets his mind to it. He also chipped in on the boards which is where his improved efforts have been most visible in recent weeks.
Over the past six games, Fournier is averaging 21 points while shooting over 50 percent from the field and 47 percent from three. That’s not far off from his averages of 18 points on 47 percent from the field and 46 percent from three since the new year’s ball dropped. He looks like the player we expected when he signed, and even his defensive effort is showing signs of improvement. Fournier gets a 3.5 out of 5 for giving the Knicks a second-option when other players looked tired.
RJ Barrett: 18 PTS (7/19 FG, 4/6 3PT), 2 AST, 2 REB in 35 mins
Speaking of tired players, RJ Barrett didn’t have his typical energy. The young wing couldn’t get much going to the basket despite flashing some clever moves inside. Barrett would take a backseat to Julius Randle’s hot hand for a decent chunk of the action.
He stepped up, however, when the Knicks needed to make a run in the second half. The prized prospect knocked down some threes and began to drive with more intensity. Unfortunately, the game was out of reach and that success meant coach Thibodeau left RJ on the court for far too long. The tired, but hustling Barrett would step on a foot and sprain his ankle badly with the Knicks down 17 points and no time for a comeback.
I feel bad being hard on RJ after this performance. He didn’t have a good game, but he showed plenty of heart. The end result was an unnecessary injury as Barrett refused to let up even when the game was out of reach. He was inefficient and quiet in areas of the game other than scoring, but Barrett fought until he literally couldn’t walk. RJ gets a 1.5 out of 5 for the tough night.
Julius Randle: 28 PTS (11/22 FG, 3/8 3PT, 3/4 FT), 6 AST, 10 REB, 3 STL, 1 TO in 34 mins
The brightest mark on this game is Julius Randle continuing to find his way. The former All-NBA player hit the ground running, literally. He helped New York play at a faster pace, by pushing the ball or passing it up the court on defensive rebounds. Randle would capitalize on the pace by isolating defenders or driving into space before the Nuggets’ defense could settle in.
Randle’s passing was impressive as well. He wasn’t simply making the right reads, but dribbling players open. He spotted Fournier in the corner with a defender nearby and faked a drive to that side in order to force the defender inside. The move gave Fournier the extra space for a wide-open look instead of a contested one. That’s last year’s Randle finally showing up.
The other big news from this performance is that Randle’s jumper and hustle from last year were back as well. He knocked down three’s and midrange shots no matter who was guarding him. The big man flew up and down the court even in the mile-high thin air. Randle was great, but couldn’t provide enough to beat the hyper-talented Nuggets. Randle gets a 4 out of 5 for his strong night.
Taj Gibson: 12 PTS (5/6 FG, 2/3 3PT), 1 AST, 4 REB, 2 STL in 27 mins
There are two versions of Taj Gibson’s game last night. The first is the feel-good story where Taj, thrust into a starting role against a top-two MVP candidate, matched up and scored buckets. The power forward turned center had some nice finishes inside, drew a few whistles off the short roll, and looked shockingly comfortable letting shots fly from the corner and elbow outside the arc.
But the other version of Gibson’s game is the one where he was outmatched defensively. That’s not particularly an insult because Nikola Jokic torches everybody. But Gibson was no different, too undersized to stop the Joker’s post-ups inside or keep him from stealing some rebounds. Gibson dealt with foul trouble all night and used all six of his personals before the end of his night.
Gibson’s performance was gutsy. He faced up a much bigger opponent and dropped two points for every attempt he took. The big man played with physicality but it was tough to move the giant that is Jokic. Gibson had a decent night, but he lost the match-up with an MVP. Taj gets a 2.5 out of 5 for managing the Herculean task of looking average against Jokic.
Burks and Toppin help the struggling Knicks bench
Immanuel Quickley: 5 PTS (2/9 FG, 0/5 3PT, 1/1 FT), 3 AST, 3 REB, 1 TO in 18 mins
Immanuel Quickley’s first-half performance was concerning. He missed shots, was late on his reads, and picked up a brutal turnover that led to a dunk. The sophomore was visibly down on himself after that last error in particular. It felt like a continuation of his struggles from the previous night, but he would start to bounce back in the second half.
IQ never got his scoring going beyond a couple of flourishes inside. But he knocked down a truly difficult shot from inside with contact and completed the and-one. He would make some very clever passes during this span, and backed it up by challenging Bones Hyland defensively. Quickley did enough to earn some extra minutes as the Knicks tried to mount a comeback in the fourth.
But this wasn’t a complete turnaround by any means. IQ missed all of his three-point attempts and was inefficient from the field. His three assists were nice, but not enough for nearly twenty minutes of action predominantly at point guard. He had trouble spotting Cam Reddish, which makes sense as they’re not used to each other. Regardless, IQ took a small step forward after recent struggles but we’ll take what we can get. Quickley gets a 1.5 out of 5 on the night.
Alec Burks: 14 PTS (6/10 FG, 1/4 3PT, 1/1 FT), 2 AST, 4 REB, 1 BLK in 26 mins
Alec Burks was back in his more familiar role and the result was his first efficient game in over a week. Burks was able to collect swing passes and drive into the weak side of the defense for frequent finishes on runners and lay-ups. He surprisingly failed to draw whistles, but that means he had space to finish his attempts.
On the downside, the microwave scorer still couldn’t find his range from beyond the arc. He also failed to put much of a stamp anywhere else on the floor. Burks was a tertiary playmaker with limited touches and that meant few assists or standout moments creating for others. He chased down a few boards, but his scoring was his only major contribution.
The real source of frustration for Burks was his defense. It’s hard to pick on any individual player when the Knicks defended terribly as a whole, but this is becoming a theme. Burks has been struggling through screens and unable to change shots from behind or at the side of shooters. Bones Hyland shot out of his mind and Burks was the victim. Burks gets a 2 out of 5 for contributing points but nothing else.
Cam Reddish: 2 PTS (0/2 FG, 0/2 3PT, 2/2 FT), 1 REB in 14 mins
This Cam Reddish appearance wasn’t like the last one. He didn’t get the ball off cuts to the basket and rarely had the momentum to attack inside. That’s not entirely his fault though, as players missed him a few times which I’ll chalk up to lack of familiarity. Reddish didn’t get many useful touches, and his pair of shots seemed to be more about seeking a rhythm than anything.
Reddish did get to the line again, off the one time his work inside was rewarded. He forced defenders off-balance with a hop step and drew contact on the way up. He’ll have to continue to make cuts and find his range to earn more time. For now, players don’t look quite adjusted to his play yet.
Obi Toppin: 11 PTS (4/8 FG, 1/2 3PT, 2/3 FT), 1 AST, 3 REB, 1 STL, 1 TO in 14 mins
Obi Toppin put a stamp on this game with eight points in his first five minutes of action. He cut into the paint for a tremendous dunk to start, but his assertiveness didn’t stop there. Obi actively sought a few post-ups, finishing one through contact and drawing more free throws after beating an opponent with a mini spin move.
Unfortunately, he quieted down in the second half. The game became more perimeter-oriented as the Knicks tried to rush back from a massive deficit. The end result was that Obi didn’t see many touches, despite frequently sealing smaller defenders with space to the basket. RJ Barrett found him for a lob and the passes inside seemed like they’d be there for other ball handlers. Without the touches, Toppin was benched before he hit the fifteen-minute threshold.
Jericho Sims: 2 PTS (1/2 FG), 5 REB, 1 BLK in 18 mins
Jericho Sims came on after Taj Gibson got into early foul trouble. Sims would have to match with Nikola Jokic. The rookie proved unafraid to back down, wrestling away two offensive rebounds from Jokic on his first two possessions in the offense. One of those boards led him to a quick emphatic dunk.
But that play might have awoken the sleeping giant. Jokic would post up Sims for the next two possessions, backing him to the rim and finishing over the contest. That was Jericho Sims’ theme for the night, he would defend well and challenge shots but give up the points anyway. He had a fantastic possession of on-ball defense in a switch onto Bones Hyland. Sims shut down all of the guard’s dribble moves, only to have his opponent knock down a contested jumper anyway.
A bigger blemish for Sims was that Denver killed New York on the boards while he was out there. Toppin and Sims as a frontcourt can’t work if they can’t complete stops with a rebound. Sims, for all of his athleticism, still has a lot to learn about positioning and using his physicality efficiently. The rookie put up a valiant effort in his eighteen minutes and earns a 1.5 out of 5 that could be higher if he’d grab defensive boards consistently.
Stubborn decisions lead to an unnecessary injury
Tom Thibodeau:
I can’t imagine that Knicks fans are happy with Tom Thibodeau right now. The Knicks spent the second-half trailing by double-digits and giving up runs for every push they made. Yet Thibodeau left his starters out there for the second night of a back-to-back and had them playing extended minutes. The inevitable happened, as RJ Barrett went down with an injury that didn’t have to happen. Thibs left his best guys in for a blowout loss and he lost one of his budding stars in the process.
But I have another bone to pick with Thibodeau’s coaching. His rigid rotations came back to bite him again. The Nuggets were faster on the trigger to remove star players and add fresh legs on the court. Those fresh second-unit pieces would capitalize on tired Knicks’ and then the Nuggets stars would return to beat up on a depleted New York second-unit. Thibs never adjusted, he let players go on runs until they tired out and gave all the points back.
Coaching in New York probably feels like a thankless task. But this wouldn’t be the first city that scrutinizes Thibodeau’s rotation choices, that was his reputation coming in. The minutes are fine when the team is successful, but that he sticks to his rotation after half a season of attrition is tough to forgive. It will be even harder to forgive if RJ Barrett misses extended time. Thibodeau gets a 1 out of 5 for being outcoached and leaving stars in a lost game.
Closing Thoughts
As tough as the double-digit loss was, I have to commend New York’s effort. The Knicks showed a lot of fight, but couldn’t get past tired legs and missing pieces. That loss was far less frustrating than dealing with the rumors after a series of trades yesterday. CJ Mccollum went to the New Orleans Pelicans for little more than expiring contracts, Domantas Sabonis went to the Sacramento Kings for Tyrese Halliburton, and Caris Levert wound up on the Cleveland Cavaliers…and that’s where I got a little frustrated.
The Levert news was coupled with a report that New York balked at the 11th hour on a trade sending Evan Fournier and a first-round pick to Indiana for Levert. My question is why even make that deal? Levert’s contract isn’t even a million dollars cheaper per year. He’s not nearly the shooter that Fournier is, and his age doesn’t align with the young Knicks of the future. So his game is a poor fit, his age doesn’t line up, he’s not cheaper, and the Knicks almost gave away a first-round pick. I hope this rumor is bogus.
But that’s the state we’re in now. The Knicks have been rumored to be chasing more wings instead of the point guards they need. The word is that they can’t give away their vets, and every name on the block is an admission of mistaken signings in this past offseason. We’ve put the coaches and star players on the hot seat, but I’ll have the front office under fire if they can’t show me a clear direction for this team. At least if you’re blowing up the future, do it for a CJ Mccollum and not a Caris Levert.
The Golden State Warriors are up next which feels like another nightmare waiting to happen. RJ might be hurt, every defensive piece is day-to-day, and the young guys are starting to look less confident as their minutes are trimmed. We might dodge bullets on the trade front, but the Warriors never miss. But we’re Knicks fans, we’ve seen worse and we’ll ride for blue and orange even if we show tough love and a few boos. We’ll see if the deadline and the tough opponent can give us more clarity for the future after the next one. 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 on WFAN where he discusses the Knicks before the NBA Trade Deadline.
