The New York Knicks lost their fourth game in a row to their city rivals, the Brooklyn Nets, 109-116. The Knicks continue to seek answers on the perimeter that two youngsters might provide.
That score is closer than the game felt. New York was down by 18 with about three minutes left when Kevin Durant and Joe Harris left the game. The Knicks were blown out when things mattered, deflated by another zone defense. Brooklyn sprinted out to a 16-point lead by halftime and hit shots to break momentum whenever the Knicks flirted with a run. New York isn’t scoring much in transition. The team can’t get to the line often. Worst of all, they can’t hit threes. The Knicks don’t generate easy points which means every opposing three-pointer feels like a back breaker.
Knicks fans can find hope in the contributions of New York’s youngest pieces. Immanuel Quickley and RJ Barrett broke out of their slumps. Mitchell Robinson and Kevin Knox continued to build on recent success. Meanwhile, Julius Randle is still playing great basketball. The players that matter most all showed promise.
That’s not to paint a rosy picture over an ugly stretch of basketball. During a season where development is the focus, it’s frustrating to see pieces that don’t quite fit together. The spacing was always going to bad but injuries have rendered it atrocious. RJ Barrett needs to be surrounded by shooters to get his best results. So do Elfrid Payton, Julius Randle and Mitchell Robinson. That will be true of Obi Toppin when he returns as well. For this team to even be competitive, the rotation needs a makeover beginning with the starters.
For now, we’re working with the usual suspects. Let’s take a dive into the individual performances.
Starters:
Elfrid Payton: Defenders don’t even pretend to respect Elfrid Payton’s jumper. At times they were playing so far off Payton that screens didn’t even seem necessary. Payton’s man was under the screen before Mitch had even set one. When the point guard was off the ball, his defender likely had at least one foot in the paint. This was true whether the Nets were in a zone or playing man-to-man. Payton couldn’t capitalize on the room given either. He often made the right decisions a split-second too late for a play to manifest.
Payton played 33 minutes and managed 7 points, 4 assists and 6 rebounds with 2 turnovers. He shot 3/11 from the field and 1/3 from three. The starting point guard doesn’t have a consistent weapon to take advantage of space. Defenders cheat on pick and rolls without being punished. He did take and make a pull jumper from midrange that’s legitimately there for him all day. Payton has no gravity whether he’s on or off the ball. The midrange jumper might help, then again he’ll need to be able to hit it consistently.
Payton gets a 1.5 out of 5 for poor shooting and slow pacing. He had the least efficient shooting night of any player, a sign of the stagnation in half court sets run by the point guard. It feels like the Knicks best offensive sets start with quick, crisp swing passes yet many Payton-led possessions feel the opposite. He has a more methodic approach, waiting for a screen and running attacking a two-man game. It’s as predictable as it is slow to develop and the whole offense stagnates as a result.
Austin Rivers: Austin Rivers couldn’t get much going until garbage time against the Nets. The sixth man turned starter struggled to produce in minutes that count. He did knock down a pair of three-point shots in the closing minutes of the game, but that was garbage time. The lack of ball movement for New York meant that a chunk of Rivers’ attempts came in isolation. He was more of a bailout shooter than a key target and it showed in tough takes for the guard.
Rivers spent 34 minutes putting up 8 points, 4 assists, 6 rebounds and 1 turnover. He was 3/10 from the field and 2/5 from three. The fact that Rivers never made it to the free throw line speaks volumes about the spacing. The combo guard can typically turn his night around with forays into the paint. That wasn’t an option against Brooklyn’s. He gets more opportunities to go into attack mode with the second unit, whereas the starting spot has defanged Rivers’ game a bit.
The disappointing performance nets a 1.5 out of 5 for Rivers. As much as I feel that the team situation and some chemistry issues hurt his performance, this was a poor one. It marks the worst score I’ve given Rivers though, he’s a better player than the game that he had. Hopefully those late makes will turn into momentum for his next outing.
RJ Barrett: The nightmare continued in RJ Barrett’s first half against the Nets. The sophomore was 0/5 at halftime and appeared to be slipping fast. But Barrett came out in the third quarter and quickly got to the free throw line. He followed with a three-pointer and eventually knocked down some midrange jumpers as well. RJ scored 14 points by the end of the quarter, salvaging his night and regaining some much-needed confidence.
Barrett played 38 minutes before finishing with 20 points, 5 rebounds and 3 assists. He shot 7/15 from the field, 1/4 from three and 5/6 from the free throw line. RJ’s midrange jumper continues to be the secret weapon that he doesn’t use enough. Part of that might be due to the spacing issues I’ve harped on. The sophomore got both his mid-range shots off after making a three and attempting a second shortly after. Forcing defenders to play just a bit tighter helped him to keep them off balance.
Barrett nets a 2.5 out of 5 for the 20-point game. I have high hopes for the youngster, but this may have been a mirage. RJ started cooking against a tired team holding a comfortable lead. His ability to get into the lane might have been the result of defenders letting up. That said, Barrett’s midrange and free throw success are undeniably positive indicators. He has to take open looks as they come, but if he can get those looks just a few feet closer then his efficiency might get a nice bump.
Julius Randle: Throughout the entire night, Julius Randle took and made difficult shots. This was the most aggressive approach to scoring that the big man has taken all season. That doesn’t mean Randle wasn’t finding other players. The Nets threw double-teams his way in a hurry, seeming content to get the ball out of his hands as fast as possible. Randle responded by finding open players to assists and hockey assists alike. No matter how often the Nets hit shot, Randle kept on fighting.
In 40 minutes of action, the former Kentucky big notched 30 points, 7 rebounds, 5 assists 2 steals and 2 turnovers. He shot 13/25 from the field, 2/7 from three and 2/2 from the free throw line. Randle’s inability to earn more free throws seemed like the result of the Nets giving him space to shoot at times. The big man was left wide open for three early in the game and he also got some free looks at midrange. It was only after he sunk a few jumpers that the Nets really deployed the hard doubles. He earned their attention and made plays for others from that adjustment.
Randle grabs a 3.5 out of 5 for dropping 30 points with the lion’s share of the defensive focus on him. The big man had to work hard for everything he got. The deck was stacked against the Knicks’ star on both ends with a KD match-up on defense. He came through. Randle had a strong performance. He simply never got the necessary help to keep New York in the game.
Mitchell Robinson: The Knicks’ first basket of the game came on a Mitchell Robinson put back. He had a second offensive rebound for quick points not long after. It was that kind of night for New York’s shot blocker who fought on the boards and scored inside for a double-double. The Center brought his usual defensive presence along too, though the Nets’ shooting prowess meant that they could avoid too much engagement with the big man.
Mitch played for 33 minutes and finished with 10 points, 12 rebounds, 2 assists and 2 blocks with 1 TO. The big man shot 5/9 from the field. A ridiculous 8 out of 12 boards came on the offensive end for Robinson. The big man was a menace and had plenty of opportunity to chase down bricks for second chance points. I was more impressed with the fact that I caught him boxing out Deandre Jordan on multiple defensive rebound opportunities though.
Mitch finishes up with a 3 out of 5 for another strong performance. A few more defensive boards or points on the other end would boost this score a bit more. Robinson is a positive presence virtually every time out. I found myself worried when Mitch appeared to hurt his finger at one point in the game. I think the Knicks’ vaunted defense will fall off a cliff without Blockinson in the middle.
Bench:
Immanuel Quickley: The latest player to follow a poor shooting performance with late night practice is Immanuel Quickley. Just like his predecessors, Quickley hung around for extra shots and delivered with a quality performance for his troubles. IQ led the Knicks in three-point makes and delivered on offense in several ways. It wasn’t all perfect, but this was a game where the good far outweighed the bad…even if the bad included some floaters from insane distances.
IQ spent 22 minutes putting up 19 points, 3 assists, 2 rebounds and a steal. He shot 7/15 from the field, 3/6 from three and 2/3 from the free throw line. The kid was putting up points as often as the ball was finding his hands. Quickley looked to draw whistles less often and that meant he got into his gathers closer to the basket most of the night. The rookie’s floater looks much better from inside 10 feet. It was also good to see the three-point stroke back. IQ hit from range both off the dribble and on the catch-and-shoot.
IQ scores himself a 3 out of 5 for putting up so many points in such short time. New York needed all the sparks it could get offensively, especially from the guards. Quickley outscored both backcourt starters, made more field goals, took and made for free throws, and also hit as many three’s on fewer attempts. For as up and down as the rookie’s play has been over the last few games, his aggression adds a dimension to the PG position that no one else on the roster has brought.
Kevin Knox: It’s amazing to see how far confidence can take a player. Kevin Knox turned in one of his most efficient nights of the season, riding confidence that has been building since training camp. Knox is drawing harder closeouts now and responded with a variety of counters. The forward drove past one close out for a nice lay-up inside and then hit his own midrange pull-up J the next time he got chased off the line. If Knox finds ways to score at all three levels, he’ll be a handful for every defender he faces.
After 24 minutes of play, Knox tallied 13 points, 2 rebounds and 1 turnover. He shot 5/6 from the field, 2/3 from three and converted his only free throw. Knox lived up to his floor spacing role, making the most of his touches. When teams spam the zone defense, Tom Thibodeau needs to extend Kev’s minutes. Until the youngster proves otherwise, he’s the most reliable three-point shooter on a team that desperately needs the shooting. Knox is hitting 42% of his attempts from three.
For quality shooting on limited touches, Knox nets a 2.5 out of 5. He provided the shooting but not much else. I’d have liked to see some of the hustle plays that Knox has flashed in recent games, the big defensive rebounds or steals or fast breaks. The developing wing can get himself some extra touches by making himself the catalyst for plays. Knox is great with a head of steam and defensive boards allow him to be the transition point man.
Nerlens Noel: There wasn’t a whole lot that stood out from Nerlens Noel’s back-up time on the floor. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, but it’s hardly a compliment. Noel is back to solidifying that spot with solid defense, but he lacks the mobility that helps Robinson shine as the anchor. There are little flashes of smart defense sprinkled in any stint from the back-up C though. He’ll poke a ball loose or make a rotation before the pass has even left a ball handler’s hands. But limited time means those moments don’t accumulate to form a bigger impact.
After 15 minutes of game time, Noel left the floor with 2 points, 3 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal and 1 block with 1 turnover in the mix. Despite a pedestrian appearance, the big man did find a way to tap every part of the score sheet. But none of it has any real punch behind it. I do want to give some cover to Noel’s second worst +/- on the night. The big man wasn’t part of the garbage time comeback façade which boosted some others in that category.
The back-up C just barely grabs a 2 out of 5 for me. He had just 15 minutes to compete and show something. Noel was barely visible in either good or bad terms. He had a performance with little of this, a little of that and a lot of shoulder shrug. I doubt his role is in jeopardy, but I also don’t see Noel doing anything to demand more minutes.
Tom Thibodeau: Until the starting line-up has better spacing, Tom Thibodeau’s performance scores are going to be capped. Opposing defenses have realized just how bad the Knicks shoot and all the space in the world hasn’t turned around Elfrid Payton or RJ Barrett’s jumpers. Even with Julius Randle making his shots early, the Nets stuck to their guns and camped out in the lane. I might start counting how often the Knicks have a ball handler on the perimeter while four defenders are camping inside. This starting line-up is an exercise in futility for as long as four players that can’t shoot are a part of it.
While I’m tough on the rotation, I think the limitations caused by injuries are still worth noting. Immanuel Quickley is on his way to forcing Thibs’ hand and Kevin Knox is starting to do the same by virtue of being the undisputed best floor spacing wing on the team (that’s healthy). Struggles are fresh enough that I won’t come down too hard on Thibs for avoiding changes unless injuries bring them on.
I give Thibs a 2 out of 5 for this one. At times you could see made shots by KD or Joe Harris draining the life from the team. Players’ body language started to worry me, but the caveat is that they didn’t quit. We’re Knicks fans here. We’ve seen players look lost, we’ve seen efforts wane from frustration or confusion. That chapter of the season has yet to appear and we’re getting a little bit of the opposite. Players make mistakes but are adjusting, sometimes this works and sometimes it doesn’t. The continued effort helps boost Thibodeau’s score out of the cellar.
Closing Thoughts: I like to close these recaps with a bit of optimism. That gets more difficult to find as a losing streak stretches on longer and longer. The best I have currently, is that this team has legitimate NBA pieces. We have witnessed some incredibly overmatched teams where the issue was talent first and foremost. I watch the current Knicks roster and see a collection of talented individuals who don’t quite fit together. But chemistry comes with time and young players develop raw skill into true impact.
For as much as the team struggles with specific needs, I’ve already seen growth from a number of young players. The Knicks have pieces that might not fit together yet, but they’re building themselves into that chemistry. When Alec Burks returns the spacing will get a boost, ditto for Bullock and maybe even Ntilikina. Speaking of Bullock and Ntilikina, those two will add much needed defense. In the meantime, a lot of extremely young players are getting opportunities to learn on the fly.
I doubt Thibs expected to lean so much on Mitchell Robinson or Immanuel Quickley with the veterans that he has on the roster. It just came about because the team needed someone to step up and the youngsters are putting in extra time. This team still has miles to go, but I’ll take videos of late night shooting sessions over a veteran laced win if I’m being honest. I prefer to watch this team win, lose or draw behind the strength of its youth. I think we’re getting to that point, not just because of injuries but also due to the youth forcing the issue. I’m not looking forward to the next game because of the team’s record; I’m excited to see how these youngsters continue to grow.
We’ve got a lot of games to watch and there will probably be many more blowouts. But as long as I can watch prospects work and develop, I’ll enjoy the ride regardless. Maybe the good fortunes of the first 8 games will return, maybe these last 4 are who the Knicks are this season. But Immanuel Quickley taking extra reps after a loss…that’s who these Knicks truly are. Let’s appreciate that work they put in.
Check out CP and J. Ellis’ biggest takeaways from last nights loss to Brooklyn below.
