Welcome to Knicks Pulse Check! Where we update the fans with the continuing trends of the New York Knicks.
Introducing part one of Knicks Pulse Check! Over the course of 82 games, I will break down the good, the bad, and hopefully not too much ugly from this Knicks season. This will be a seven-part series including 10-game intervals (except for the last part, which will include 12 games). Each piece will prioritize the hottest current events and analyze what we, as fans, see on the court.
After ten games, the Knicks were 5-5, owning the 14th-ranked offensive rating and the 4th-ranked defensive rating in the NBA. With two losses at the hands of the Celtics and victories against the Cavaliers and Clippers, the Knicks are probably where they should be .500.
October 25th – November 13th Record (5-5)
Two-headed horse
It feels appropriate to start with the two most important players on this team–Jalen Brunson and Julius Randle. Both players are coming off an atypical summer. You have Brunson, who played for Team USA during the FIBA World Cup. Then you have Randle, who had ankle surgery, which limited his usual offseason workout schedule.
Despite dropping 45 points in a losing effort against the Milwaukee Bucks, it’s fair to say that Brunson’s start to the 2023-2024 season has been lukewarm at best. Unlike his teammate, RJ Barrett, Brunson appeared to struggle with the extra workload from all the FIBA games played during the summer. Most notably, that additional workload has affected Brunson’s offensive efficiency and his turnovers. During the first ten games of last season, Brunson only committed 17 turnovers, as opposed to 22 this season. Additionally, Brunson shot 50.7 percent from the field last season during the first ten games; this year, that percentage has dipped to 42.3 percent.
Of course, after last season’s impressive campaign, Brunson will be the main focus of the opposition’s defensive gameplan–and if his shot is not falling, he has to affect the game with his playmaking. With that said, I believe Brunson will return to last season’s form, and I would be willing to bet that Brunson can reach an even higher level of play than he produced last year.
Switching gears to Randle, Brunson’s slow start probably looks like Usain Bolt’s 2009 World Championship run compared to what the All-NBA forward has been experiencing. Poor quality shots, bad decision-making, and questionable defense have all been a part of Randle’s start to this season. However, I can’t kill the totality of his effort. The Knicks lack depth in size in their front-court, and Randle, on a nightly basis, is charged with rebounding, along with Mitchell Robinson, who has been tremendous. Through the ten-game mark, Randle has grabbed double-digit boards in all but three games this season.
The two-time All-Star has played much better lately. Since the Knicks beat the Clippers, Julius averaged 24.5 points and 10 rebounds per game. Prior to the start of the season, Julius stated that, due to his status as a veteran player, his efficiency would improve based on how he processes the game compared to when he first came into the league. His efficiency, thus far, has been rough, but Randle has shown a tendency to make the extra pass when his shot is not falling.
Musical Chairs (Guard Edition)
Over the summer, there was so much talk about how Tom Thibodeau would utilize Josh Hart, Donte DiVincenzo, Immanuel Quickley, and Quentin Grimes. With Thibs having faith in Hart to play minutes at the four, the majority of overall minutes have followed him compared to the other three players. Through ten games in the books, Hart is averaging 28.5 minutes per game, while Quickley is playing 24.4 minutes per game, Grimes is playing 24.3 minutes per game, and DiVinchenzo is playing 19.4 minutes per game.
However, despite Hart playing more minutes, Grimes led the pack in +/- (2.3) over the first ten games. Hart played 41 more minutes than Quickley and 42 more minutes than Grimes and has a +/- of (0.1). My early season mild take is that Josh Hart plays too many minutes. If he’s shooting well (like in the Celtics game), then I understand leaving him out there, but in general, both IQ and Grimes bring much more from an offensive creation standpoint without sacrificing defense. Teams will continue to help off Hart, and if he can’t hit open threes, that will clog driving lanes for Randle and Brunson.
Per Synergy stats, the Knicks have a 66.9 percent effective field goal percentage on pick and rolls initiated by Immanuel Quickley. This ranks second in the league. Grimes is shooting 40 percent from the three-point line on 5.5 attempts per game. I love Josh Hart, but at the very least, Quickley, and possibly Grimes, need to be playing more. Thibs has often talked about plus/minus as it relates to lineup/rotations decisions (i.e., Evan Fournier); he has to stick with data in this case as well.
The Greatest Hits from 2018 and 2019
It’s 2023, and RJ Barrett and Mitchell Robinson are both playing like the best players on the team. Player development has often been a bad joke regarding the Knicks. However, Barrett and Robinson have been repaying the faith laid upon them by this die-hard fanbase. To be fair, Robinson has been a defensive force in the NBA for quite some time, and although RJ has shown flashes, rarely have both of New York’s young talents been playing well AT THE SAME TIME!
Barrett’s ascension has been significant, especially with the early struggles of both Brunson and Randle. Up until the Knicks defeated the Atlanta Hawks, they were 0-3 when RJ missed a game and 5-2 when he played. Broadway Barrett is currently shooting 50 percent from the three-point line and 84.8 percent from the free-throw line. The Athletic’s Fred Katz has talked about Barrett’s improvements in how RJ sees and processes the game, which has clearly translated to his shooting.
Robinson, for his part, has been an early front-runner candidate for Defensive Player of the Year honors. The Blockness Monster is leading the NBA in total offensive rebounds, has decreased his fouls per game, and is finally setting legitimate screens with his seven-foot, 240-pound frame. The San Antonio Spurs’ Victor Wembanyama came into the garden with incredible hype, and Mitch held him to 28 percent shooting and his third-lowest point total of the season.
Maybe even more impressive than the stats is Robinson’s continued commitment to his team and, more specifically, his role on this team. In the past, Mitch complained about his lack of touches and offensive role. Make no mistake, it’s not easy to focus on the dirty work on the defensive end while settling for under ten shots a game. That being said, MSG’s Rebecca Harlow recently reported that “[Mitch] wants to run through a wall for this team because of how much loyalty they’ve shown him.”
With a team that has complete buy-in from players 1-15, the next ten games will likely showcase the Knicks as one of the premier teams in the Eastern Conference.
Let us know your thoughts in the comment section below! Also, 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 CP on SNY talking about Julius Randle’s hot stretch!
