The New York Knicks continued to defy expectations with another road victory, this time defeating the Atlanta Hawks 113-108.
The Knicks were down by as many as 15 points in the third quarter before Immanuel Quickley and Austin Rivers entered to spark a comeback. While the back-up guards helped the late turn around, it was the starting forward tandem of Julius Randle and RJ Barrett who kept the team fighting throughout the night.
The Hawks employed more switching and single coverage, a strategy that meant less open shooters but plenty of mismatches in isolation. New York needed every contribution to pull off the victory. Trae Young was a terror with help from De’Andre Hunter and John Collins. But Tom Thibodeau’s defense bent without ever truly breaking. They held the rest of the supporting cast in check, managing to contain a Hawks offense that has run wild so far this season.
The Knicks are now 4-3 on the season despite facing quality opposition with a depleted roster and a road heavy schedule. Let’s look at how they got there against Atlanta.
Elfrid Payton: Despite a strong start, Elfrid Payton seemed to tire and fade as the night wore on against Atlanta. The Hawks dared Payton to score inside and he was successful early on with floaters. But as the game wore on, the Knicks starting point guard struggled more and more. To make matters worse, Trae Young pushed the pace off virtually every missed attempt.
Payton spent 29 minutes collecting 14 points, 5 assists to 2 turnovers, 3 rebounds and 2 blocks. He had more field goal attempts than points though, shooting 6/18 from the field without a three-point attempt. He seemed to drive with more intent to draw whistles than finish the basket. Then he got mad if the whistles didn’t go his way. This dragged his impact down as the game wore on.
With his struggles at both ends of the court, Payton lands at 1.5 out of 5. The defensive side of the ball was especially frustrating to watch. At one point in the first half, Payton accepted a switch all the way by half court and left Kevin Knox to guard Trae Young in isolation. Knox picked up a foul and Young got two easy points at the line. Contrast that play with the intensity that Austin Rivers brought at the Hawks’ star in the fourth quarter. Payton may have been fatigued, but his effort left a lot to be desired.
Reggie Bullock: While his ranged shooting continues to lack consistency, Reggie Bullock at least found ways to produce inside and off the bounce in this game. The Hawks’ defensive approach meant less shots long range and more forays into the teeth of the defense. It was a night where quiet but efficient scoring and solid defense were just enough to get by. Bullock’s night almost managed to end on a sour note though.
The Knicks’ starting shooting guard played 26 minutes for 7 points, 3 assists to 2 TO’s and 3 boards. He shot 3/6 from the field, 0/2 from three and 1/2 from the free throw line. There were some nice passes in there, including a lob to Robinson. Bullock’s night will be most remembered for a nightmare in the clutch however. He came on as a defensive substitution with less than a minute to go and the Knicks up by 6. He promptly turned the ball over with the lead down to 4 and then missed one of two free throw attempts with ten seconds on the clock.
Bullock’s rough finish came after an otherwise solid night. It was scary enough to drop an average performance down to a 2 out of 5. The shooter is taking three’s but not making enough of them. His production continues to lag without those makes to give it a boost. Reggie Bullock’s defense is still valuable, but he’s a clear candidate for reduced minutes when other players heal up.
RJ Barrett: His three ball was off, but RJ Barrett didn’t need it to shine. The maple mamba was a bully inside and knocked down multiple midrange jumpers to accent his forays into the paint. Barrett got plenty of opportunities to create as the pick and roll ball handler, but he also shined moving without the ball. The Knicks’ small forward seemed energized by frequent matchups with Cam Reddish, his old running mate at Duke. RJ did have some trouble keeping wings from scoring inside when Mitchell Robinson wasn’t there to help, but he more than made up for it with an inspired night on the defensive glass.
Tom Thibodeau leaned on Barrett for 44 minutes of playtime. The Small Forward responded with 26 points, 11 rebounds, 5 assists and no turnovers. He shot 10/19 from the field, 1/5 from three and 5/7 the free throw line. RJ’s game never felt forced in this one, he waited for advantageous situations and got after it. He sought those opportunities actively off the ball, not only with cuts but also through setting screens and working in transition.
Barrett’s performance comes in at a 4.5 out of 5. The perfect score eludes him off missed three pointers and some defensive lapses, but I’m nitpicking. RJ played a game well beyond his years, making it difficult for Thibodeau to give him even a few minutes of time to catch his breath. That he was the second-best player on the team speaks to Barrett’s chemistry with Randle at least for one night. This was a dominant performance from a second year player, only 20 years old. RJ Barrett’s ceiling is higher than he gets credit for.
Julius Randle: In similar fashion to Barrett, Julius Randle proved almost impossible to sit down. With Nerlens Noel out, Randle spent extended minutes as the back-up center on top of his regular role at PF. The Hawks offered Randle many an isolation against an undersized wing, and the big man feasted early. Randle hit everything but his three pointers, almost perfect from midrange and inside. When the Hawks shifted to “anyone but Randle” defense, the big man picked up assist after assist.
Randle played 43 minutes to finish with 28 points, 11 rebounds, 9 assists to 7 TOs and 1 steal. He shot 11/19 from the field, 0/5 from three and 6/8 from the free throw line. In the closing minute of the game, Julius Randle had a tip-in that sealed the victory. The effort saw him beat multiple players to position and rise almost above the rim to finish. This was made all the more impressive by the fact that Randle was visibly exhausted, having played with almost no breaks on the night.
While 7 turnovers and a lack of rim protection as C prevent Randle from a perfect score, he easily grabs a 4.5 out of 5. This was a game where Randle scored at will early and it would have been easy for him to force shots when the defense began to crash on him. But the Knicks’ leader remained disciplined, feeding others and generating offense when Capela gave him too much space or when opportunity knocked inside. The ability to adjust as the defense changed approaches is yet another reason to be optimistic about Julius Randle maintaining his stellar level of play.
Mitchell Robinson: This is nothing new, but it bares repeating often. When Mitchell Robinson was on the floor, the entire Knicks defense was better. The buckets inside that Payton and the wings gave up were reduced and Trae Young had to rely on drawing fouls to maintain a scoring pace. I mentioned Nerlens Noel’s active hands last game; Robinson might have taken note as well. The big man was a shot blocker as usual, but also disrupted plays by forcing turnovers. To bring the positivity to a crescendo, Lobinson was back in effect as multiple Knicks players found Mitch inside without sailing the ball over his head for a change!
Mitch spent 28 minutes putting up 8 points, 7 boards, 4 steals, 2 blocks and 1 turnover. He shot 4/7 from the field and it’s worth noting that he only picked up 3 fouls. Robinson’s impact shined most when he came off the floor. Without Nerlens Noel to back him up, the Knicks lacked rim protection and their defense lost shape whenever Robinson left the game. With two minutes left, Mitch blocked an attempt inside by Trae Young. It was the second straight game where Robinson had a major block in crunch time minutes.
Mitch nets a 3.5 out of 5, buoyed by his defensive performance. But that doesn’t mean his offensive impact should be ignored. The shot blocker’s gravity is a permanent feature and he still manages to terrorize the offensive glass. Robinson has been a huge key to the Knicks defensive identity and he’s doing it without picking up the quick fouls that have plagued him in the past. He’ll have to face a bigger, stronger and peaking match-up in Rudy Gobert soon. That will be a major test for the emerging defensive big man.
Immanuel Quickley: Immanuel Quickley barely got a chance to break a sweat in the first half, but his second half impact loomed large over the winning the result. IQ continued his trend of attacking, drawing fouls and knocking down shots against Atlanta. The rookie point guard is always trying to make a play, whether that’s scoring, creating for others or making a defensive stand. My favorite moment came when IQ drew three free throws against Trae Young. It was the same kind of call that Young had drawn against the Knicks multiple times over the course of the night. It put the Knicks up five with less than five minutes on the clock.
Quickley played 19 mostly second half minutes and put up 16 points, 2 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal, 1 block and 1 turnover. He shot 4/7 from the field, 2/3 from three and 6/6 from the free throw line. The rookie’s shooting arrives as advertised from college. He makes opponents pay for any daylight they give him. His ability to draw contact and fouls has the same “pick your poison” dynamic that Trae Young has mastered. Though Young’s masterful ball handling and playmaking set him apart from the developing prospect. IQ can emulate a lot of what makes Trae Young so dangerous because he’s crafty.
With 16 points on just 7 attempts, on just 19 minutes, Quickley grabs a 4 out of 5. He was nothing short of brilliant in the second half, breathing life into the offense by taking every touch with purpose. IQ is going to score because he doesn’t let up and if a defense focuses on stopping him, then players like Randle, Rivers, Barrett and eventually Burks will reap the benefits. This kid needs to be playing 25 minutes a night minimum.
Austin Rivers: With offensive play more solid than great, it was Austin Rivers’ fourth quarter defense that defined best defined his performance. Rivers refused to back down from a tough assignment in Trae Young. He stayed physical despite some questionable calls. The pressure forced Young into some turnovers, missed shots and eventually an offensive foul that was frustration in motion. Rivers’ focus on Young defensively helped create momentum for their offensive attack. He also added a key three pointer to the Knicks’ fourth quarter scoring as well.
Rivers spent 33 minutes accumulating 8 points, 1 assist, 2 rebounds and a steal. He shot 3/6 from the field and 2/3 from three. The production looks pedestrian on the score sheet, but Rivers’ defense on Young only shows up in that final score. It’s telling that he played more minutes than the rest of the guards. Coach Thibodeau will be able to trot out some suffocating defensive units once Frank Ntilikina and Nerlens Noel are available again. If Rivers keeps up this defensive play, the entire defensive scheme gets scary.
Rivers grabs a 3.5 out of 5 and his defense alone almost bumped that to a 4. He hit a key bucket, made multiple fourth quarter stops and seemed to pass the chip on his shoulder to everybody else. Austin Rivers entered the game with the Knicks down 15 and didn’t leave until they had the win. The second unit backcourt feels tough to break-up even at this early stage and even though both players add more elements to the offense that Payton simply hasn’t.
Kevin Knox: Foul trouble chased Kevin Knox to the bench in the first half, but he was part of the second unit spark in the third quarter. Knox found himself isolated and defending Trae Young a bit too often in this game, partially due to Elfrid Payton accepting the switch too easily. It left the young forward to chase after one of the toughest defensive assignments in the game. In the second half, Knox was able to catch a break with Rivers and Quickley far more inclined stick to a ball handler. That gave Knox enough floor time to try a few things and get into a rhythm.
The third year forward played 18 minutes and put up 6 points, 2 assists and a block. The nature of three’s is interesting to watch. Knox missed his first look, then turned down consecutive opportunities along the baselines to drive instead. While those off-the-dribble attacks were futile, they did lead to extra space from defenders. Knox capitalized on that, making his next two three pointers with a third quarter buzzer beater included. That three-pointer cut a 7-point deficit to 4 heading into the final stanza.
Knox finishes with a 2 out of 5, but once again has the caveat of showing promising development. The young prospect is looking for seams and opportunities more forcefully. While the results have been mixed, his focus on attacking has led to some quick scoring outbursts. We’ve also seen flashes of better court vision and defense this season. The past couple of games have been marked by Knox heading to the sideline and immediately discussing his possessions with the coaching staff. It’s the kind of attention that can keep a streaky player confident and active.
Tom Thibodeau: The Knicks have played one of the toughest schedules in the NBA. That’s not just based on opposition. They’ve spent most of their time on the road. To make matters worse, players just keep popping up on the injured list. Nerlens Noel was a late scratch in Atlanta. That left Thibs with two legitimate big men on the active roster. That didn’t stop the Knicks from finding a way to win against yet another quality opponent.
The depleted roster has made it more difficult to question the big minutes for star players. Julius Randle and RJ Barrett played well over 40 minutes but that was because they HAD to. The Knicks didn’t have enough firepower to cover for the forwards. It will be interesting to watch minute allotments once the roster is healthy. The tighter rotation means everybody has time and touches to work into a rhythm. Quickley and Knox started sloppy before finding their way. Hot hands like Randle and Barrett never lost their flames. Thibs’ rotation worked and has been working so far.
Thibs nets a 3 out of 5. He gets docked a bit because he gave Elfrid Payton too much leash for the caliber of defense that came with it. Quickley could have done with more first half minutes. Maybe Payton’s legs would have held up better as the game wore on. But that begs the question, would Quickley have been as effective in extended second half minutes had he spent more energy in the first half? It’s hard to say, but I’d like to have found out. It’s hard to picture five more minutes being anything but beneficial for everybody. IQ played too well to think otherwise.
Closing thoughts: So here we are, just 7 games into the season and so familiar with let downs that a lot of the enthusiasm feels tepid. I keep looking for ways this could fall apart. Maybe the guys getting massive minutes will break down and lose efficacy. It’s possible that the Knicks just showed up in better shape. That other teams will come on in the latter half of the season. My general nihilism toward the Knicks won’t allow me to get too excited too early…
Who am I kidding? I spent last night screaming at the TV like I used to watch my pops yell when Anthony Mason or John Starks tried to do too much in the early 90’s. It was a playoff atmosphere in my living room. There was one MVP chant, a “where’s Quickley” moment and I need a confession booth for curses I yelled at Young and the refs for collusion. Seven games into the season, I’ve found myself treating every game like it’s do or die…kind of like the Knicks players and coaches have as well.
My early themes for the New York Knicks recaps have been intent and purpose. Knicks players are performing by receiving the ball with clear intentions to make something happen. When there’s no room to create, they swing the ball to a weak side ball handler for another go at it. That focus on impact carries over to defensive possessions where lazy switches or rotations stand out amid the action surrounding them. We’re watching a Knicks team that tries to make every minute count and I’ll fully admit that it’s rubbing off on me. I’m fiending for a chance to visit the Garden and show love for this squad, we’re not even 10 games into the season and I feel like New York basketball is back…not just basketball but real New York style ball, a brand you can’t get at the Barclays.
Stay tuned to knicksfantv.com for the latest Knicks news, rumors and recaps throughout the season. Also, CP and J. Ellis went live after the Knicks’ big win against the Atlanta Hawks. Check it out below.
