The New York Knicks rested Immanuel Quickley but still cruised to victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers 103-94.
The Knicks won on the back of two impressive rookie performances as two draft picks stepped up in Quickley’s absence. New York bounced back from a poor shooting night against Detroit by shooting 50% from the field and 54% from three. Without IQ, the spotlight moved to a pair of rookies in the backcourt. Miles McBride and Quentin Grimes led the way with a combined 51 points. They got help from a big second half by Obi Toppin and a surprising boost from the bench unit.
Defense was lacking from both sides, as the game resembled a three-point contest at times. New York held the lead most of the way but let a big margin slip. It came down to some clutch plays to close out the victory. Let’s take a closer look and see how the Knicks took home another victory in the summer league.
Rookie backcourt steals the show for New York’s starters
Deuce McBride: Miles McBride came through a screen to knock down a pull-up mid-range jumper to open the game. He quickly hit a second jumper from inside the arc before dropping back and bombing away from three. Deuce was an unstoppable scorer all night, hitting three-pointers at a ridiculous clip and adding points from all three levels. He played with his signature reckless abandon that kept the Cavs defense on their heels and led to some careless turnovers. When the game was down to a three-point lead late, McBride dropped five points and a dime to Grimes in closing it out.
McBride played for 33 minutes, compiling 23 points, 5 assists, 4 rebounds, 2 steals, 1 block, and 4 turnovers. He shot 9/14 from the field and 5/8 from three. He was patient in choosing when to attack; if he didn’t like a screen, then he would reset and try again. His ability to pull up from virtually anywhere meant the defense was off-balance at all times. The blemishes for Deuce are turnovers and a lack of free throws. He was on the ball and attacking too often not to draw some easy points at the charity stripe. The turnovers came on risky passes through closing windows. I’d categorize most of the TO’s as rookie passes that can be cleaned up with reps and experience.
McBride’s first start at summer league was a tremendous success. He didn’t create for others as comfortably as IQ has, but he made up for it with superior shooting. The team’s ball movement didn’t suffer, and the entire starting unit shared the playmaking burden. Deuce will want to work on protecting possessions without losing his attacking edge. I don’t think we have to worry about him losing that edge, though. It’s a defining aspect of his game.
Quentin Grimes: It was finally Quentin Grimes’ turn to have a signature game. We’d seen the other rookie and sophomore draft picks each steal the spotlight for a night, but Grimes’ shooting didn’t translate completely until this match-up with Cleveland. Grimes found his three-ball and sought it out frequently once he knew it was on. With the shot falling, he was able to find more success off the dribble as well. Grimes drew an and-one and a pair of free throws on drives early in the game and snaked his way into the lane more than the previous games combined. Everything he’d done well leading up to this game stuck, but the jumper falling turned this into a scoring eruption on top of them.
Grimes managed 28 points, 4 assists, 6 rebounds, 1 steal, and 3 turnovers in 36 minutes. He shot 8/20 from the field, 6/14 from three, and 6/7 from the free-throw line. He hunted the three-pointer and attempted a few midrange pops as well. However, the pull-up jumper was more effective from three, and the rest of his damage came at the line or in the paint. The head fake and hesitation dribble both made more appearances and were effective for a second-straight performance. His turnovers are a case of playing with the ball-in-hand more often and attacking more frequently. Grimes showed new wrinkles to his scoring without his defense or ball movement slipping in the least.
It felt like a matter of time before Quentin Grimes would have a night like this. His jumper was trending in the right direction, and he seemed to settle in with each ensuing game. The absence of IQ to lean on meant that Grimes had more reason to step up and seek his own offense. That meant pulling up from three and attacking through contact inside. He lacked off-the-dribble results before this performance, but the jumper aided the drives this time. His upside lies in being more than a shooter that defends well…he finally showed that he has more in his bag.
Wayne Selden: Wayne Selden got the start but only played 10 minutes of basketball. He started alright, with a nice finish inside but did little else. Selden finished his night with 2 points, 1 rebound, and 1 block while shooting 1/2 from the field. It was a nondescript night, mostly due to the short minutes he played.
Obi Toppin: Without Immanuel Quickley feeding him and with Jericho Sims clogging the lanes a bit more, Obi Toppin started slow. He was 1 for his first 6 attempts, missing some jumpers and drives with no sign of rhythm. But as the game progressed, Toppin found his footing and settled into his dominant summer league role again. We got some highlight dunks and fluid jumpers from the big man before his night was done although rebounding took a step back.
Toppin rocked for 37 minutes and knocked down 8/20 attempts, 2/4 threes, and 3/3 free throws. He added 21 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 block, and 3 turnovers during his run. At one point, the sophomore knocked down a pull-up three-pointer that he would never have even attempted last season. He looks like a completely different player from what we saw early last year, even improving on his playoff series against the Hawks. The kid’s game has made strides in all areas.
As Summer Leagues heads to a close, I think we’ve seen enough from Obi. It’s now a matter of figuring out how Tom Thibodeau can get the sophomore minutes and reps without disrupting star Julius Randle’s minutes too much. Randle probably could use a few more minutes rest compared to last season, so a lot of this can happen organically. But the jumper could open up brief stints at small forward while improving on strength, and rim protection could snag him time spot minutes at small-ball Center.
Jericho Sims: Knicks fans probably breathed a sigh of relief with Jericho Sims back. Evan Mobley might not have been playing, but the Knicks had no effective big men when Sims had rested against Detroit. With the Longhorn back on the court, New York had an interior presence again. The big man challenged players who drove, picking up a block that led to a beautiful transition early in the night. He grabbed offensive boards and scored inside with the signature patience and footwork we’ve seen throughout the summer league. He felt quiet compared to prior performances and still piled on points and effective moments out there.
Sims spent 29 minutes adding 8 points, 9 boards, 2 assists, and 1 block. He shot 2/3 from the field and made 4/6 free throws. Another promising sign comes in his 3 player fouls. He’d picked up some high foul totals in prior performances. The big man didn’t do anything that we haven’t seen in summer league, but his consistent play inside is another promising feather in his cap. The big man feels like a guarantee to score inside, at least so far, against summer league competition.
We’ve already said plenty about Sims playing above the rim and being an overwhelming physical presence. But there are other less obvious aspects to the kid’s game that are equally fun to watch. The 58th pick in the draft sets quality screens that seek contact every time. This was especially visual as McBride and Grimes were able to get ample separation for shots off the dribble. Sims’ patience doesn’t just mean good scoring. He passes the ball better than I’d expected as well. He will reset when there’s nothing inside and kick the ball out to make more happen. It’s all very promising, and I can’t wait to see how the Knicks’ staff molds him.
Knicks’ bench shoots the lights out
Trey Davis: It only took Trey Davis 8 minutes for me to appreciate the point guard skills that he brought to the table. Davis didn’t score but picked up 5 assists and 4 rebounds in his short time. He didn’t do anything too crazy but had patience and good instincts. The debuting point guard made correct reads out of virtually every pick and roll that he ran. In a summer league full of young players making mistakes, that sort of intelligent play is easy to appreciate.
Tyler Hall: Tyler Hall spent didn’t do a whole lot, but his shooting form is pretty. Hall knocked down 2/3 catch-and-shoot three-pointers while adding a pair of rebounds in 13 minutes. His six points didn’t jump off the screen, but his jumper looked sharp, and even the miss was a rim out.
MJ Walker: MJ Walker bounced back nicely from a tough performance against Detroit. His defensive aggression is easy to appreciate, even amid players like McBride and Sims. Walker also hit his looks this time. He caught the ball with intention and knocked down shots, even with small windows. Walker earned his 20 minutes of action, dropping 9 points, 5 rebounds, 2 steals, 1 block, and 2 turnovers. He shot 3/4 from the field and 3/3 from long distance. His aggressive nature led to a couple of errors again, but he had a strong performance overall. He was the best player off the bench for New York…and the entire bench played well.
Aamir Simms: Aamir Simms didn’t do anything too radical with his minutes but knocked down jumpers. Simms was a perfect 2/2 from three, knocking down baseline threes with ease. He finished 13 minutes with 6 points, 3 rebounds, and 1 assist. That’s a fairly productive night in a short time and not a bad showing overall.
The offense bounces back for Daisuke Yoshimoto
Daisuke Yoshimoto: It must have been a relief for Daisuke Yoshimoto to see his shooters knock down their open looks. The Knicks have been betrayed by their jumpers twice in 5 games. On this night, the law of averages decided to cover for those two nights. We saw hit 13/27 long balls while the bench went 7/11. When the game got close, McBride and Grimes both knocked down three-point shots to remove any doubt about the result.
It’s the result of selfless play that has been pervasive throughout these games. I mentioned that the Knicks are nearly devoid of the usual “this is my moment” type plays that are pervasive in the summer league. They play just as hard on defense as offense, and the ball movement has been quality even as players are encouraged to be aggressive. Grimes and McBride took a multitude of tough pull-up jumpers, but none of those shots felt overly forced in the moments that they came. There were heat-checks, sure, but nothing head-scratching. The team was happy to share with the open man.
Yoshimoto has handled the summer league well. He’s gotten big performances out of every player we’re watching for NBA potential. He plays the most important guys for big minutes and isn’t shy about leaving a hot hand out there or subbing him back in early. You can see Thibodeau’s influence in everything from the eye-test to the stat sheet right through how the rotation has a next-man-up mentality. Yoshimoto has done a great job.
Closing Thoughts
It’s hard not to get excited about this upcoming season as we watch New York’s summer league success. Their 3-2 record isn’t world-beating, but the players that have stood out count beyond any results. The sophomores are doing what they’re supposed to, controlling the tempo and being veteran presences for newcomers to work the ball through. The rookie draft picks are shining, bringing the same dogged mentality that Tom Thibodeau requires for anyone that wants to crack a rotation.
I talked about the good problem with logjams on this roster. In another season of COVID protocols and Thibodeau pacing, depth is crucial for team success. Miles McBride and Quentin Grimes may find themselves outside of the rotation looking in early, but I think there will be plenty of opportunities as other players rest. Obi Toppin might be watching Julius Randle eat the lion’s share of minutes at PF, but Toppin’s versatility could find him sneaking onto the floor in new and expanded roles. The youth we see now has shown enough to feel confident that they’ll step up when asked to…the rookies in the backcourt did just that against the Cavs.
New York has one more game before the Summer League playoffs begin. They’ll see the Hawks on Monday. I suspect we’ll see a player or two rested and opportunities for new guys to step up. I’m hoping to see even more from Grimes and McBride, but the youth has shown more than enough to consider this run a success. We’ll see what the rotation looks like and which players steal the spotlight after the action Knicks fam.
Stay tuned to KnicksFanTV.com for the latest Knicks news, rumors, and recaps throughout the Summer League and heading into the preseason. In case you missed it, catch CP’s latest live stream after the Knicks vs. Cavs game below!
