The New York Knicks fought hard but couldn’t keep up with the L.A. Clippers, losing 115 to 129. The margin of defeat hides a game that was competitive and intense, especially for a matinee.
The Knicks vaunted defense ran into better offense and an onslaught of three pointers. But even with the Clippers’ stars in constant attack mode, the young upstart Knicks fought tooth and nail. New York came up short but proved up for the challenge with leadership from players among the youngest on the roster.
RJ Barrett went head-to-head with Kawhi Leonard. For every timely bucket from Paul George, Julius Randle fought back. Immanuel Quickley kept up with Reggie Jackson and Lou Williams almost single handedly. The Knicks got some impressive performances despite defeat. Let’s dive into the performances:
New York Knicks starters fight hard against the best of the West
Elfrid Payton: Elfrid Payton had less field goal attempts and a more muted role in the offense overall. With RJ Barrett and Julius Randle cooking from tip-off, Payton slid back to a secondary role both as scorer and playmaker. He did have a brief burst of scoring in the third quarter, but Reggie Jackson offset the points with buckets of his own. Less was more for Payton. His best recent performance comes with lower usage than normal.
Payton played 21 minutes and finished with 10 points, 3 assists and 3 rebounds with no turnovers. He shot 3/7 from the field, 1/2 from three and 3/4 from the free throw line. Payton wasn’t bad, even knocking down a three when the defense relaxed too much on him. His biggest issue was on defense, but that’s the case for pretty much every Knick.
With an overall decent performance in a reduced role, Payton grabs a 2 out of 5. The starting point guard wound up with back-up minutes because of stellar play from Immanuel Quickley. That meant less time to produce on top of less touches to begin with. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, by picking his spots Elfrid was more effective than in recent struggles.
Reggie Bullock: In a manner similar to Payton, Reggie Bullock took on a muted role in the offenses but did so effectively. The shooting guard hit his three-point opportunities and put up efficient numbers. Bullock’s production was limited, especially considering his amount of time on the floor but he made the most of touches when they came.
After 26 minutes, Reggie Bullock finished with 8 points, 1 assist, 1 rebound, and 1 block. He shot 3/6 from the field and 2/3 from three. Bullock’s presence is mainly for defense and shooting. With Randle and Barrett handling the lion’s share of the offense, making periodic three pointers was enough for Bullock to be a positive. The rest of his intangibles weren’t great as the entire defense struggled.
A 2 out of 5 says Bullock played commendable but forgettable. That’s not necessarily a bad thing. Bullock needing the ball less means more opportunity for RJ and Julius to lead the way. As long as Bullock is knocking down his looks, spacing the floor and playing defense he’s a helpful but replaceable presence.
RJ Barrett: The most memorable plays for RJ Barrett came inside the lane. Barrett powered his way inside for impressive finishes despite facing off with Kawhi Leonard often. What might be even more promising though, RJ knocked down jumpers in rhythm from mid and close range. We’re starting to get used to this output from RJ, but that he did so against defenders like Kawhi Leonard and Paul George makes this performance especially promising.
Barrett spent 31 minutes accumulating 23 points, 2 rebounds, 2 assists and 2 blocks with 2 TO’s to boot. He shot 9/14 from the field, 0/1 from three and 5/6 from the free throw line. RJ is really mastering deception in his attack. The sophomore changes speeds, varies his types of release, and looks more comfortable using a step back to create some distance for jump shots. Add in RJ’s strength and he’s become a handful for even the best defenders.
Not only was Barrett efficient and productive, but he played better defense than Kawhi Leonard’s numbers might suggest. RJ stuck to Leonard and was able to at least challenge most of the MVP caliber player’s shot attempts. The Knicks’ young wing seemed to embrace the challenge and never backed down. That defensive effort on top of the productivity boosts Barrett to a 3.5 out of 5 for impact score.
Julius Randle: It seemed like whenever the Knicks needed a bucket, Julius Randle was there to knock down a jumper. Randle’s long and midrange prowess both popped as he faced quality defenders all night but still managed to be a force. The big man didn’t have the standout defensive moments of Barrett but more than made up for it with his typical brand of smart kick-outs and strong rebounding.
Randle went off for 27 points, 12 rebounds, and 5 assists to 3 turnovers in 35 minutes of action. He shot 9/18 from the field, 4/5 from three, and 5/6 from the free throw line. The three point makes all seemed to come at times when the game felt like it might slip away. That could just be the pressure of playing an elite team, every basket feels crucial. But either way, Randle didn’t fade in the spotlight. He stepped up.
Randle locks in a 3.5 out of 5 thanks to his team-carrying production. The gap between his impact and Barrett’s narrows some because of the defense both played. Randle wasn’t bad defensively, but he was visible on some late rotations with guards like Reggie Jackson able to eat. Other than that, the Knicks’ star continued his quality play everywhere else. He needs to be an all-star.
Mitchell Robinson: Let’s not mince words, Mitchell Robinson ought to have been more utilized in this game. Serge Ibaka is a great shot-blocker, but it was apparent early on that Robinson is too tall for him. Mitch caught a quick alley-oop from Barrett and eventually had multiple second chance points where he simply took the ball out from above better positioned defenders. The Knicks’ players didn’t take much advantage of the size difference though and Clips’ back-up Zubac had more success against Mitch.
Robinson closed 30 minutes with 9 points, 6 boards and 1 block on 4/6 from the field and 1/2 from the free throw line. The shot blocker made the interior a no-go zone as usual but the Clippers boast a multitude of shot makers from midrange to long. That meant another game where Mitch could only do so much to prevent damage against a perimeter-oriented offense.
It felt like Mitch could go for more than his production against the Clippers. There were moments where he grabbed rebounds despite opponents having perfect position for the board. Slashers saw enough success on forays inside that they didn’t utilize their rim runner as often as usual. That leaves Mitch with a very average night and a 2.5 out of 5 for impact.
Quickley shines but bench lacks punch
Immanuel Quickley: IQ shook Lou Williams’ hand early in the game, a nod to a favorite player. Then Immanuel Quickley proceeded to drop 25 points in less than 30 minutes for yet another game. This time his three ball wasn’t dropping in automatic fashion, but IQ put his floater on display for the player that helped inspire it. The usual descriptors apply. New York’s rookie was elusive, clever and “fearless” as Paul George put it.
It took just 27 minutes for Quickley to manage 25 points, 3 assists, 3 rebounds, 1 block and no turnovers. IQ shot 9/16 from the field, 2/8 from three and 5/6 from the free throw line. His assist tally is low, but IQ made some beautiful reads and passes in this game. He doesn’t have the best ball handling, but patience and the threat to fire from anywhere on the floor helps offset those limitations. Quickley won’t break many ankles, but he’ll pump fake or draw fouls to equivalent effect.
The efficiency from this rookie is just insane. It’s rare enough to get a prospect that can put up 20 points on 50% shooting but Quickley manages to do so with little to no turnovers. That combination means that when the ball is in IQ’s hands, good things happen. “It” is an ambiguous phrase that sports fans throw around a little too often when someone gets hot, but I’ll attach it to Quickley. From his production to his demeanor on the court to the way other players describe him…IQ has whatever “it” is. He grabs a 4 out of 5 for injecting energy to every second he’s on the floor.
Austin Rivers: The strange thing about Austin Rivers’ game was that it just seemed like he wasn’t feeling it from very early on. Rivers passed on jumpers in decent space and reset when he had lanes to drive. With Quickley going off, the vet scorer didn’t have as many touches to work with, but his game felt passive even when he did receive the ball. It was all very out of character for Rivers.
The former Clipper managed 4 points, 2 assists to 1 turnover and a steal in 17 minutes. He shot just 1/4 from the field, 0/1 from three and 1/1 from the free throw line. Late in the third and early in the fourth quarter, we got a flash of aggressive Rivers. But the attack mode vanished almost as quickly and Rivers’ minutes did the same.
I’m dropping Austin Rivers to a 1.5 out of 5 for this performance. That’s not just because his production was low, but because of how uncharacteristic the whole thing felt. There wasn’t any threat with the ball in Rivers’ hands. He was just another ball handler out there, forgettable at best. We need the scoring threat to be aggressive.
Alec Burks: I’m still waiting for Alec Burks’ legs to come back. His jumper has mostly come up short ever since returning from the ankle injury. We still got plenty of diversity when Burks chose to attack though. He tries a bit of everything on offense. Burks might catch and shoot, then drive inside next, dribble into a pull-up after that and finally find a cutter for four straight possessions with different outcomes. But the automatic jump shot from any range with any room to breath…that’s the piece that turns Alec Burks from a decent role player into real problem.
Burks shot 3/8 from the field and 1/4 from three. In his 22 minutes of play, the shooter added 7 points, 4 assists, 3 rebounds, 2 steals and a block with no turnovers. He filled up the stat sheet with a little bit of everything. For a player with questionable defense, Burks actually popped a bit as he was visibly involved on that end. These are all good signs because the shooting wing is making a ton happen before his shot even hits peak form.
The strong production across the board leaves Burks with a 2.5 out of 5. He has always been one of the most dynamic weapons at Thibodeau’s disposal and he showed that off against the Clippers. Burks is at his best when he’s stacking production without being ball dominant. He’d started to slip into “force things” mode with his entry into the starting unit but has reeled it back in the past two games. Now we just need the jumper to start falling from deep.
Obi Toppin: Once again, Obi Toppin fell short of the 15 minutes mark. He scored 2 points and grabbed 1 board in 13 minutes of action. The college center was relegated to a perimeter role again, with only two attempts from the field…both three pointers. I’m more disappointed in Obi’s role right now than his actual play. You can spot Toppin making hard off-ball cuts and sprinting whenever he runs the floor. That stuff just never seems to be rewarded. Instead, the big man is looking for offense in long jumpers and face up situations. That’s not his game, at least not yet.
Taj Gibson: With Nerlens Noel out, we got a healthy does of Taj Gibson. Gibson played 18 minutes for no points, 5 boards, 1 assist and 1 block. He shot 0/4 from the field though and didn’t have the defensive impact that we’ve seen from the Mitch/Noel combination. I’m not giving him a game score because it was his first action all year. Gibson filled in with a commendable effort, but it wasn’t exactly a good performance.
Thibodeau finally gives starters a break
Tom Thibodeau: After writing over and over about my concerns for Tom Thibodeau burning out his starters, I found myself screaming “put Barrett back in” at the tv yesterday. Thibs finally gave me what I’d been asking for at exactly the wrong time. I’m not sure that sending in RJ for Rivers earlier would halt the Clippers late run or somehow change the trajectory of the game…but I’m certain it wouldn’t hurt.
Overall, I can’t be too mad at Thibodeau’s performance. The Knicks brought quality offense and their intensity never waned on a Sunday afternoon. But this wasn’t just a game of moral victories and Thibs had some decision-making blemishes. I understand Knox being benched, but the bench chemistry didn’t clique between IQ/Rivers/Burks with Rivers being the odd man out.
So with the double-digit loss that actually showed promise from young Knicks players, I’m only giving Thibodeau a 2 out of 5. I have an idea for how he can get IQ, Rivers, RJ and Burks all ample time…bench Elfrid Payton for a while. Payton’s game has lacked the playmaking to make him a no-brainer as PG. With Randle and RJ doing plenty of creation for the starting unit, it might not hurt to give one of the combo guards an audition as starting PG. IQ is the obvious choice, but even Rivers or Burks might work. At a minimum it would improve spacing.
Closing Thoughts: It’s funny that the entire fanbase came away from a 14-point loss with such optimism. We’re usually ready for everything to go bad at first signs of a storm. But just look at the post game comments from Paul George, Kawhi Leonard or Marcus Morris about their young opponents and you’ll understand. Knicks fans can see the difference with this team compared to the past. The record and the final scores are secondary to the visible hustle that every Knick brings daily.
So the Knicks lost and fell a half game out of the eighth seed…but I’m all smiles. As IQ joins RJ and Mitch for quality production in crunch time minutes, we’re getting a chance to see the future right now. The results today are less important than the results we envision when these players hit their primes. The Knicks have building blocks even if they might be missing a piece to pull it all together.
Maybe we’ll see another player step up to fill a last needed role. Or, maybe Leon Rose will find that piece elsewhere and maybe we have to wait another offseason to get what’s needed to truly compete with the elite. We’ll be able to have patience as long as the team we watch is fighting as hard as the Knicks have so far. I’ll see y’all for the next one!
