The New York Knicks fell to the New Orleans Pelicans 96-87. RJ Barrett and Mitchell Robinson succeeded while everyone else struggled.
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The New York Knicks came out flat and lost to the New Orleans Pelicans 96 to 87. Three-point shooting was a strength in their first two games, but New York shot 19 percent from three in this game. That made life easy for New Orleans, who pressed ball-handlers and pushed the Knicks to 18 turnovers. New York never offered much resistance, and things got scrappy in extended garbage time.
The question is: Should we be concerned? We’re just three games into the season, but this start reflects a slow preseason. The Knicks’ best two players have struggled in two of the first three games, though there is a built-in excuse. New York played on short rest, while the Pelicans took an extended break before the action.
Let’s look at the performances to see what we should worry about and what can be improved.
New York’s starters struggle to make jumpers
Jalen Brunson: 14 PTS (4/14 FG, 1/5 3PT, 5/6 FT), 5 AST, 4 REB, 1 TO in 31 mins
Jalen Brunson faced another tough defensive match-up as New Orleans swarmed him with long wingspans and scrappy defenders. Brunson didn’t have the benefit of his three-ball to alleviate the pressure. The Knicks’ leader never got into a rhythm and was forced to pass the ball off to let teammates create.
To his credit, we still saw some playmaking and a respectable effort on the boards from Brunson. But his struggles from the field are becoming worrisome. Brunson’s made less than 30 percent of his attempts from two-point territory. Last season, he seemed impossible to contain from mid to close range. His 37 percent from the field thus far is eerily similar to the 36 percent he posted in three preseason games.
That said, it’s still too early to worry. Brunson has run into a pair of teams with elite perimeter defense before getting his legs under him. The rest of his game has held up fine, and it feels like he’s still getting to spots where he’d typically score. He gets a 1.5 of 5 for a bad performance against the Pelicans.
Quentin Grimes: 5 PTS (2/9 FG, 1/6 3PT), 1 AST, 2 REB, 2 STL in 27 mins
Quentin Grimes’ start to the season has been disappointing. He’s failed to assert himself when playing with the starters and hasn’t been automatic on open looks as we’d hoped. The youngster at least got shots up in this game, but they weren’t falling.
To make matters worse, Grimes hasn’t used his touches to impact the rest of the box score. He’s yet to register more than 1 assist in a game, and his 2 rebounds against New Orleans were a season-high. His defense held up against CJ Mccollum, but Brandon Ingram continued the trend of taller wings shooting over Grimes without much issue.
Three games is always too early to fret, but Grimes has to assert himself. He hasn’t done enough defensively to excuse poor shooting on top of his lack of assists or rebounds. We know he’s better than this, but are there enough touches with the starters to find rhythm? Grimes gets a 1 of 5 for a particularly rough night.
RJ Barrett: 18 PTS (7/16 FG, 1/6 3PT, 3/4 FT), 2 AST, 3 REB, 1 BLK, 3 TO in 30 mins
The only starter who looked comfortable attacking the Pelicans’ defense was RJ Barrett. He made 6/10 attempts inside the arc, and that’s despite shooting woes on the perimeter. Barrett’s finishing ability showed no ill effects against some rangy defenders in Herb Jones and Brandon Ingram.
But RJ lacked efficacy as a playmaker. His quicker decision-making still showed, but some passes were off-target, and he turned the ball over more than he picked up assists. We’ve seen Barrett elevate his game, but his next evolution requires picking up the players around him.
Barrett gets a shorter breakdown because there’s not much to be concerned about. He’s been New York’s best offensive player through three games and continued trends that go back to the last postseason. This is a hopeful start to the season, and he gets a 3 of 5 against New Orleans.
Julius Randle: 10 PTS (4/15 FG, 0/5 3PT, 2/2 FT), 4 AST, 12 REB, 8 TO in 34 mins
Julius Randle’s shooting struggles have left him at 27 percent from the field in the first three games. He missed every three-point attempt and wasn’t much better when attacking the interior. Randle even had trouble posting up smaller defenders, including the diminutive CJ McCollum.
Randle spent the first two games facilitating to make up for poor shooting, but that backfired in this game. It’s good to see him take on a passing role, but that still requires quick decisions. Even when he looked to create for teammates, Randle held onto the ball too long, leading to an abysmal 8 turnovers.
I won’t hit Randle too much for failing to contain Zion Williamson. I’m not sure many players in this league could keep up with a healthy Zion. But Randle’s only bright spot in this game was rebounding, and that’s hardly enough. Randle gets a 0.5 of 5, thanks to poor shooting and turnovers.
Mitchell Robinson: 8 PTS (4/8 FG), 15 REB, 1 STL, 2 BLK in 29 mins
If you’re searching for bright spots, Mitchell Robinson’s night is worth a double-take. Mitch couldn’t shut down the lane against New Orleans’ athletic finishers, but he certainly tried. Robinson challenged shooters and shut down Jonas Valanciunas, whose scoring came in a brief fourth-quarter burst against Hartenstein.
Mitchell’s rebounding was out of this world. He grabbed 10 offensive boards and held Valanciunas to just 4 rebounds total. Mitch created enough second chances to keep the Knicks from being blown out, and his boxouts and tip-outs helped the team win the rebounding battle.
I’m tempted to place Robinson ahead of RJ Barrett for the game’s top performer. Mitch was a necessary interior presence, and Tom Thibodeau even tried putting him on Zion for spells. Robinson was a key reason the Knicks had a puncher’s chance heading into the fourth quarter. He gets a 3.5 of 5 for the night.
The Knicks’ second-unit fade down the stretch
Immanuel Quickley: 10 PTS (4/9 FG, 0/3 3PT, 2/2 FT), 1 AST, 1 REB, 2 TO in 19 mins
Immanuel Quickley’s numbers don’t look so bad lined up with the rest of the team. But I’d pin many of the second unit’s struggles to IQ trying to do too much. Quickley fell into a similar trap as Julius Randle. He dribbled too much without making anything happen for himself or his teammates, then passed the ball off to teammates without leaving them time to create.
Against Atlanta, Quickley made up for poor shooting with playmaking and defense. He registered just one assist to two turnovers against New Orleans. His defense failed to stand out, with New Orleans turning second-unit turnovers and late shot clock misses into transition attacks.
IQ showed us what he could be in that first game against Boston. But he’s looked more like the player who struggled in the postseason in two games since. Let’s not forget that his first 20 games were rough last season; he may be a slow starter. Quickley gets a 1 of 5 for doing a lot without accomplishing much.
Donte DiVincenzo: 5 PTS (2/7 FG, 1/5 3PT), 1 AST, 4 REB, 2 STL, 2 TO in 20 mins
Donte DiVincenzo couldn’t get much going. He got similar looks to his successful night in Atlanta but bricked the shots. Donte even missed a fast break layup, adding to my concerns about his finishing around the rim. The newcomer faded to more of an off-ball role than he had during his success in Atlanta.
DiVincenzo did give us some quality defense and rebounding. He has a knack for drawing moving screen violations–similar to Jalen Brunson. DD’s work ethic yields positive results even in a lousy performance.
That’s right, I said it was a bad performance. He had more field goal attempts than points and more turnovers than assists. His defense and effort can’t make up for those struggles. DiVincenzo gets a 1.5 of 5 for the night.
Josh Hart: 3 PTS (1/5 FG, 1/3 3PT), 2 AST, 10 REB, 1 STL, 2 TO in 21 mins
Josh Hart still hasn’t found his rhythm from last season, but I thought this was a step in the right direction. The Pelicans are a tough match-up for him, as they have the athleticism to keep up with his chaotic full-court attack. Hart tried to get things going at the basket and took jumpers in space, but he couldn’t convert.
That said, Hart played with pace and reckless abandon that felt familiar. He crashed the boards, ran the floor, and made clever passes throughout his 21 minutes. The energy he brought to New Orleans will translate into more significant production with consistency.
This isn’t a stat line to get excited about, but it shows Hart trending in the right direction. He played fast, with no signs of hesitation. Hart picks up a 1.5 of 5, but it was better than Atlanta.
Isaiah Hartenstein: 4 PTS (1/1 FG, 2/4 FT), 1 AST, 3 REB in 15 mins
I wouldn’t categorize this as a bad game, but a quiet one from Isaiah Hartenstein. He didn’t score enough or produce boards and dimes to turn the struggling second unit’s momentum. If anything stood out, it was I-Hart’s poor free throw shooting when New York couldn’t afford to miss.
That said, Hartenstein wasn’t bad. He challenged shots, finished his lone opportunity, and drew a few whistles. That places him firmly ahead of many others who actively hurt the team. I-Hart gets a 2 of 5 for a quiet but not harmful performance.
Tom Thibodeau should use his depth
The Knicks have a deep roster, with talented players who struggle to see minutes. This back-to-back feels like a good place to lean into the logjams and give third-stringers a shot. That’s particularly true when the regulars look flat and play poorly.
But Tom Thibodeau played his typical rotation, including forcing Julius Randle to play through struggles for team-leading minutes. Thibs didn’t even bother to increase the second unit’s minutes, though that may have been due to their struggles.
Closing Thoughts
The Knicks have stumbled out the gate, and that’s frustrating for a team that should have instant chemistry. I don’t think anyone would be mad about a 1-2 start with the opponents they’ve faced, but it’s the pair of sub-38 percent from the field performances that has people on edge. I’m not ready to panic yet.
I think we’re seeing some players shake off rust. Jalen Brunson and Julius Randle are better than their production so far. Donte DiVincenzo is adjusting, and Josh Hart is rounding into form. Quentin Grimes and Immanuel Quickley are still figuring out how to balance attacking with fitting in. I think these are typical early-season issues exacerbated by tough opponents.
Over time, a lot of those struggles will work themselves out. Jalen Brunson won’t continue shooting sub-40 percent from two. Julius Randle has escaped worse shooting slumps. The other pieces will fall into place as the leaders find their paths. If RJ Barrett and Mitchell Robinson maintain their improvements while everyone else returns to form, this team will be good.
But for now, we have stress and ANOTHER back-to-back coming up. So, things might worsen before they get better, but pressure makes diamonds. I’ll see you after the double-header, Knicks fam!
Stay tuned to KnicksFanTV.com for the latest Knicks news, rumors, and recaps throughout the NBA season. And in case you missed it, check out the Knicks Fan TV x Knicks Film School x SNY crossover season preview.
