The Knicks closed out the preseason on a high note, smacking the Cleveland Cavaliers to the tune of 119 – 83. They close out preseason 3-1 and while you can make what you want about the competition; this team is riding a bit of momentum led by rookie guard Immanuel Quickley. It hasn’t taken long for Quickley to endear himself to the Knicks’ faithful. His decisive play and ability to stretch the floor elevated just about every player that touched the floor. The rookie from Kentucky led New York to a quick start and they never looked back.
The rest of the team seemed to feed off of the new lead guard’s enthusiasm. The shooters were knocking down shots, the big men were moving the ball and everybody was active on defense. This was a fun trip, let’s relive it player-by-player.
Immanuel Quickley: Immanuel Quickley started off this game the same way he left Wednesday night. That is as the biggest presence on the floor. He attacked pick and rolls early, drawing an and-one behind his floater and then knocking down three’s. IQ didn’t just push his own offense though, he also sprayed the ball around the perimeter and picked out cutting bigs periodically as well. The rookie’s quick ball movement had everyone on the court making extra passes and finding open men. His willingness to pull-up from anywhere forced defenders to stay tight and created more lanes for ball handlers and cutters alike. IQ’s impact was immense.
Quickley played 29 minutes and produced 22 points, 5 assists to 2 TO’s and 5 steals in that time. He shot 7/12 from the field, 3/5 from three and 5/7 from the free throw line. Quickley’s ability to draw fouls can’t be understated. He has a strong floater and a feel for when to be theatric about contact from a defender. His jumper draws them in and his ability to sell contact gets him to the line.
If there’s anything to nitpick about, he might be a little bit lob happy. His steals were no fluke as he was active in the passing lanes all night, but he did give up a couple of backdoor cuts. That’s all I can muster to try to complain about and the best part about it…all of his flaws speak to an aggressive mindset. He’s always attacking and I’ll take that in a heartbeat, mistakes and all.
Reggie Bullock: It felt like a bit of revenge for Reggie Bullock bouncing back from a bad shooting night on Wednesday. The vet drew a foul on his first three-point attempt and didn’t stop scoring whenever the Cavs left him room. Bullock was a terror on the baseline and put up a solid effort defending as well.
Bullock closed 18 minutes with 17 points and 5 rebounds plus a steal and a block. He shot 6/7 from the field and 3/4 from three. While IQ, RJ and Randle all took turns leading the offense, Bullock was the pressure valve for everyone and he was near flawless in that role.
RJ Barrett: The promising preseason continued for RJ Barrett as he continues to do everything well besides shoot threes. Barrett put together another efficient game and has brought defensive intensity on the opposite end. His hands were especially strong in this one, disrupting ball handlers and passing lanes early and often. Not much new is a good thing in RJ’s case, he’s been the most consistent Knick so far.
It was a lighter night for Barrett, spending 25 minutes to add 15 points, 2 assists, 5 rebounds and 3 steals. He was 5/10 from the field despite going 0/3 from three. He’s hitting midrange shots well and he also shot perfect from the free throw line 5/5. The sophomore has a reputation for hard work, and it feels like when, not if, that three-point range will come along.
Julius Randle: His lowest scoring night also marked the best performance of the preseason for Julius Randle. The big man has been solid, if inconsistent in prior games. Randle has moved the ball more and forced the ball less with each passing game, but there have always been glaring mistakes…except on Friday night. On Friday, the Knicks big man forced was by and large under control to the benefit of everyone around him.
Randle needed just 24 minutes for 11 points, 8 assists and 3 rebounds. The big man shot 3/6 from the field and 5/6 from the free throw line. Shooting as many free throw attempts as FGA’s isn’t the only sign that Randle let the game come to him, he boasted an 8:2 assist to turnover ratio. We haven’t seen him trust teammates to this level before as a Knick.
With less demand to create on the ball, Randle’s strong points really did pop. He even seemed more determined on the defensive end despite some late rotations. Maybe this new coaching staff can get the most from Randle after all.
Mitchell Robinson: Without Andre Drummond to stand in his way, Mitchell Robinson proved too much for the Cavaliers bigs. The big man was a terror on the defensive end all night, dominating the boards and challenging everything inside. Most important of all, Mitch was under control and locked in throughout. He didn’t pick up a single foul.
Robinson spent 27 minutes on the floor and dropped 8 points, 12 rebounds and 4 blocks. He went 3/4 from the field and 2/4 from the free throw line. It was especially nice to watch Mitch diving for loose balls on two separate occasions despite the Knicks leading by huge margins.
The shot blocker has improved with every game of the preseason. For all the talk surrounding his jumper, avoiding foul trouble is a more important development for Mitch. His defensive impact has always been through the roof and, if he can stay on the floor for 30 minutes a night then he’ll be a force whether he stretches the floor or not.
Jared Harper: Jared Harper displayed quickness and a jumper that are both promising. The undersized point guard was solid on the attack although he left a bit to be desired in terms of creation. He was respectable on defense as well, turning in a beauty of a block late and adding in a pair of steals.
In 19 minutes, Harper produced 10 points, 1 assist and 1 rebound on 3/9 from the field and 2/4 from three. Harper may not have the highest ceiling, but he showed some promise and NBA talent. He’s a nice depth piece with a lot of qualities that recall Isaiah Thomas, an effective point guard despite his diminutive size.
Theo Pinson: It felt like Theo Pinson was involved in a little bit of everything. Pinson’s motor was fantastic. The guard proved an especially willing passer and an aggressive defender. He played at high speed throughout the night and while he struggled scoring, he did enough else well to warrant praise.
In 19 minutes, Pinson had 4 points, 3 assists, 2 rebounds, 3 steals and a block. He shot just 1/4 from the field, but the production across the stat-line shows his added value. Pinson’s another a nice depth piece if nothing else. He provided strong defense and his passing is a plus.
Kevin Knox: The preseason hype hit a crescendo as Kevin Knox shot the lights out for New York. Knox was quiet in other aspects of the game, but it’s hard to complain about a player knocking down three pointers whenever the defense gave him an inch. Knox has built confidence throughout camp and he closed with an exclamation point.
Knox managed 20 points, 1 rebound and 1 assist over the course of 24 minutes. He shot 7/10 from the field and 6/7 from three. He punctuated the performance curling off the ball and finishing a dunk on a set piece. If Knox can add effective off ball work to a consistent three-point shot, he’ll become a nightmare off the bench for the Knicks. Add in that he has shown improved vision and passing this preseason and the third year player feels poised for a comeback year.
While I would like to see more rebounding and some secondary production in there, it’s impossible to be mad about the explosion that Knox had. He was a key player in this victory, through and through.
Ignas Brazdeikis: It was a disappointing night for Ignas Brazdeikis. He was solid on the boards and made some decent passes but lacked any “oomph” to his game. Iggy simply didn’t do much to stand out in his only opportunity of the preseason.
Brazdeikis played for 17 minutes and notched 1 point, 5 rebounds, 2 assists and a block. It wasn’t a horrendous night for the youngster, but his failure to separate from the pack is disappointing after a strong summer league and great G-league production as a rookie.
Obi Toppin: A bit of tentativeness slipped into Obi Toppin’s game against the Cavs but he still showed plenty of promise in the form of his passing. After preseason struggles with his jumper, the lottery pick seemed hesitant in space. Toppin passed up some good looks and then forced a couple of shots that seemed like he wanted to make up for the mental lapses prior. It wasn’t all bad though, because he had some beautiful dimes in the process. He had an especially nice bounce pass to a cutter from the post. He barely touched the ball before redirecting it for an open dunk.
Toppin played 27 minutes and scored 6 points, 6 rebounds and 4 assists with 2 TO’s. He spent extended time with a second unit that included players pushing to prove their worth, so that did cut into some touches. But Toppin is capable of a much better game than he had regardless. He was 2/5 from the field and 0/1 from three. The Knicks top pick has to get more than 5 FGA’s in 27 minutes, even if that means forcing the issue at times.
Bryce Brown and Myles Powell: Bryce Brown and Myles Powell played 5 and 6 minutes respectively. Both players are ear marked for Westchester and it looked like they still have development to go before they can be ready for the pro game. They might make noise in the future, but for now they didn’t get to show much in brief appearances. They went 2/7 combined with 1 assist to Powell and no rebounds for either player.
Tom Thibodeau: Maybe it’s the new season after a long layoff; or the fact that they’re a team of young upstarts; or just new coach energy…but this whole team has appeared to buy-in early. Look no further than Julius Randle for the best example of players being flawed but clearly trying to improve in ways that help the team. The entire squad is playing defense with an intensity they lacked in most or all regular season games last year. This particular game didn’t demand much from Tom Thibodeau as the Knicks were bullies from the opening tip, but this preseason as a collective has made a strong first impression.
A lot of players came in with some rust from the long break and lack of team activities. Thibs has been patient with everyone, Reggie Bullock struggled mightily last game and got another start last night. He delivered. Knox got training camp hype but failed to show much early; Thibs stuck with him. He delivered. That’s been the story for a lot of players. They finished preseason with momentum, better than how they started.
I think the best view of new coaching dynamics is to watch both players and coaches after anyone makes a mistake. Last season, there were long faces after even a slight mistake. Positional logjams left a lot of young players tight and worried about being benched. This season, after a mistaken rotation or a bad turnover; you’ll catch coaches and players discussing the play in real-time. That’s rubbed off on the team, Immanuel Quickley was vocal all night between sets. On multiple occasions, the camera caught communication between players during deadball situations.
It’s early, the hard part is down the line. But the coaching staff deserves an A for the preseason the Knicks just delivered.
Closing Thoughts: The league threw the Knicks a bone with a pair of soft preseason opponents and NY delivered. The regular season schedule is not nearly as kind to the youngest team in the league. Ups and downs this season will likely come down to perception. Are we watching for wins and losses or trying to find the Knicks’ identity and development?
I think most Knicks fans are realistically looking for growth first. We want RJ Barrett to break out and Obi Toppin to shine. We want Immanuel Quickley to answer the questions at point guard and for Mitchell Robinson to be a DPOY candidate. Any or all of those would be more meaningful steps for the franchise than a few extra wins on the record. As a matter of fact, those steps would go a long way to generating the wins anyway.
I might just be intoxicated by the return of basketball after so long and a smooth 3-1 preseason run. It might be Christmas spirit and coquito. It’s hard to pinpoint where all this optimism is coming from. Maybe it’s just Quickley. But for the first time in a very long time, it feels like the Knicks are moving meaningfully in the right direction. Watching the Knicks hasn’t always been this fun and I’m savoring the moment for sure. Let’s enjoy this ride into the regular season.
CP and J. Ellis went live after the Knicks vs. Cavs game. They discuss their takeaways and take live phone calls from fans around the world, including a special guest caller! Check it out below.
