The Knicks beat the Rockets 121-99 for their second blowout victory in a row. The arrival of Derrick Rose has galvanized the second unit and potential rookie of the year Immanuel Quickley.
The Knicks’ bench will be the story of the week. They have dominated their match-ups since Derrick Rose has arrived. The starters that went head-to-head with Houston weren’t bad either, playing competitive ball against a unit that included John Wall and Demarcus Cousins. Even without Mitchell Robinson, defense was the calling card. This marks the fourth time in five games that the Knicks held their opponent below 100 points.
The beauty of this victory is in the fact that it was a true team victory. New York boasted 6 players in double figures. They got assists from 8 different players and the team had a 3:1 assist to turnover ratio on the night. Ball movement was crisp, and the Knicks were able to dominate the game inside. Each player found a way to contribute, even the guys that shot poorly. Let’s look under the hood of this quality performance.
New York Knicks starters play to their strengths
Elfrid Payton: A scrappy moment early caught jawing with John Wall was a nice defining moment for the type of game that Elfrid Payton had. Payton brought a bit of fight to the floor, hitting the lanes hard and defending with intensity. While his playmaking has been muted all season long, the PG made a couple of nice assists off kickouts and lobs to Noel. It was the efficiency inside though that helped Elfrid take his performance up a notch from recent solid, but not great, games.
The blowout meant a lighter load for Payton. The point guard rocked for 22 minutes, picking up 15 points, 3 assists to 1 turnover, 2 rebounds and a steal. He shot 7/11 from the field and 0/1 from three. There wasn’t anything new to how the starter produced. His attacks took place in the paint and he was more tertiary playmaker than floor general. But Payton’s finishing was especially on point for Houston, perhaps fired up by the match-up with Wall.
Payton put together an undeniably good performance. He provided the starting unit with a second scorer while RJ Barrett was struggling. He also chipped in some playmaking. The limitations of Payton’s game keep him from more than just a “pretty good” impact though. Without three pointers or free throws, Payton must bring the efficiency of a Center to score more points than field goal attempts. It puts a lid on even his better games. Payton nets a 3 out of 5.
Reggie Bullock: With Randle and Payton buzzing, Reggie Bullock was able to play a true 3 and D role. All of his attempts came from three and he added his usual brand of quality defensive play. There wasn’t much else to comment on but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. Bullock gave the starting unit exactly what it needed, a floor spacer who helps oqun the other end as well.
Bullock marked 25 minutes with 9 points, 3 rebounds and 1 assist on 3/5 from the field, all three pointers. He obviously didn’t do much else for the offense but that’s partially because other players had a handle on the cooking. Bullock was able to take what the defense gave him and that produced nearly 2 points for every attempt he took.
There’s not too much to add, except that Bullock was solid all around. He didn’t go above and beyond his role, but he provided exactly what’s needed. In a unit with Payton, Barrett and Randle all needing touches; Bullock’s off-ball presence and efficacy was a welcome sight. He gets a 2.5 out of 5 for the solid game.
RJ Barrett: There’s no way around the fact that RJ Barrett struggled…again. He’s averaging 8 points on 27% from the field in that span and managed to shoot slightly worse than that against Houston. Barrett got his only two field goals on a cut to the basket and a post-up. He’s not scoring effectively with the ball in his hands right now and that may be because he’s drawing more attention. While he hasn’t scored well, Barrett has 9 assists in the past two games and some of those passes have been beautiful.
Barrett grabbed 7 points, 5 assists and 4 rebounds with 2 turnovers in his 22 minutes of action. He went 2/8 from the field, 0/1 from three and 3/4 from the free throw line. Some of RJ’s shots inside are just rimming out but that is far from the only problem. He’s forced to play in traffic all night and that means more chances to create but more struggles to finish. It’s a nice sign that Barrett’s attempts are going down and assists are climbing in response to the attention. RJ has to punish rotations by finding the open man.
I’m not exaggerating to say RJ had the worst game of any Knick. That’s partially because the team played well though. He was obviously struggling but avoided being obtrusively detrimental by not forcing too much. Other players had it going and Barrett trusted his teammates. That keeps his bad game from being a terrible one and helps to reduce the negative impacts of his shooting. Add in the playmaking element that Barrett found and I lock him in at a 2 out of 5.
Julius Randle: There’s just the slightest hint of Carmelo Anthony when Julius Randle hits a difficult midrange shot. They’re far from the same player but the pinch post dominance in a Knicks uniform gives me some flashbacks. Randle was great…again. The should-be all-star typically pumps his assist totals with kickouts, but Houston was giving up the points inside. That means that Randle didn’t have the across the board production of his best games but he was still the best starter on the floor.
After 33 minutes in action, Randle finished with 22 points, 9 rebounds, 2 assists, a block and a turnover. He went 7/15 from the field, 1/2 from three and 7/8 from the free throw line. As with some others, there wasn’t much new to report here. Randle was great inside and from midrange while limiting any forced shots. A really good game is the median expectation for Randle at this point, he needs to be an all-star.
The strong performance in a blowout victory lands Randle a 3 out of 5. We’ve gotten accustomed to the timely buckets and consistent production, which makes it hard to pull out any new trends. But that’s good news. Julius Randle has played at an all-star level all season long. 22 and 9 in a blowout from the big man was just the usual.
Nerlens Noel: Stepping into the starting line-up, Nerlens Noel didn’t let the Knicks’ defense miss a beat. He challenged drives, blocked shots and found bodies to box out. Noel also set some nice screens that helped lead to easy rim running finishes. While the defensive big’s numbers aren’t anything crazy, he played the second most minutes on the team for good reason.
With 32 minutes to work, Noel produced 10 points, 6 rebounds, 2 blocks, a steal and a turnover on 5/6 from the field. The big man produced spent his night as a lob threat on offense, which is all the Knicks really needed. He’s not reinventing the wheel but producing when there’s opportunity and the rest of the roster did a good job of finding him.
As with Payton and Bullock before him, Nerlens Noel had a good performance by filling his role in perfectly. He didn’t add any new or unexpected elements. He did what he does best. Noel played defense, dunked the ball and managed to not drop too many passes. That’s as solid a night as fans could ask for and it means a 2.5 out of 5.
The Knicks bench is spectacular
Immanuel Quickley: Leading the way for the bench, Immanuel Quickley attacked the Rockets inside early then from the perimeter late. The rookie hit some signature floaters and drew free throws when he first hit the floor. Then when IQ hit the floor in the second half, he drilled three pointer after three pointer to quell any hopes of a comeback from Houston. It was the diversity in how Quickley got and made his three’s that truly stood.
IQ played 21 minutes, shooting a red hot 7/9 from the field, 4/6 from three and 4/4 from the free throw line. He finished with 22 points, 2 assists to 1 turnover and 4 rebounds. Quickley knocked down three’s off the catch, on the step back and pulling up when defenders went under screens. His range extended well past the line to Curry and Lillard territory on at least one of the makes. He set the court on fire with the additional space that Rose’s scoring threat provided.
What’s the easiest way to express how good Quickley was? He dropped 22 points on just 9 attempts. There’s not much else that needs to be said. The kid’s forcing his way into the rookie of the year conversation despite limited minutes compared to his peers. We’re seeing the tip of the iceberg and I’m not sure enough basketball fans outside of NYC realize it. IQ’s range, savvy and mentality are a combination that could develop into something truly special. He’s already a quality NBA player.
Derrick Rose: The transformation of the second unit under Derrick Rose has been undeniable so far. The additional pace he brings can catch a defense off balance. That in turn helps to unlock players like IQ and Toppin who are still adjusting to NBA defensive approaches. Rose manages the game well, sharing the ball unselfishly but keeping his own scoring threat constant. The ball movement hums and the offense sings when Derrick Rose quarterbacks. He’s the veteran presence that ties together every other element in the second unit.
It took Rose just 23 minutes to put up 16 points, 3 assists, 1 rebound and 1 turnover. He shot 5/11 from the field, 1/3 from three and 5/7 from the free throw line. The shining moments for Rose came on forays into the paint but we’ve seen that aspect of his game before. The improved jumper and better control of tempo add new elements to a familiar face. It might be odd to describe the man’s play as “humble,” but I think that’s a good way to define him. It feels like the former MVP could put up bigger individual numbers at the expense of team play, but he’s legitimately focused on getting everyone going instead.
Alec Burks: Somehow, Alec Burks led all players in plus/minus while shooting the rock miserably. He wasn’t the best Knick on the floor by any means, but Burks did some really nice things to offset poor shooting. Like RJ, Burks was able to make a mark by creating for others. He had an especially nice dime inside to Taj Gibson. The pass left Gibson smiling and pointing to Burks because it was a patient drive and a perfectly placed assist. The scorer also played solid defense. You could catch him rotating to shooters and closing out hard.
Burks shot 1/7 from the field and 1/5 from three over a 24-minute stanza. He put up 3 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assists and 1 steal in that span. The poor shooting came on generally good looks. Burks just didn’t have his shot going. That said, the positive production in assists and rebounding are more indicative of the back-up wing’s impact. He managed to do more good than bad despite shooting so poorly.
We’re still in the adjustment period for Alec Burks. He had begun flashing a return to form in recent games but the back-to-back may have drained his legs. Either way, even without the scoring we saw some of the versatility that Burks offers. In a line-up with IQ and Rose, the scoring isn’t as crucial as the spacing and versatility. Burks nabs a 2 out of 5.
Obi Toppin: Although his minutes are slowly climbing up, I still feel like we’re getting too much face-up basketball from Obi Toppin. The big man had his most impressive moments on a post-up and a baseline cut for a dunk. Those scores came after Toppin took several three pointers, with very little success. His athleticism was practically hidden by his role in the offense until some forays inside allowed the kid to show off his best gifts.
Toppin hit the fifteen minutes mark and notched 11 points, 3 rebounds and a block in that time. He shot 5/9 from the field but just 1/4 from three. I’m not against Obi learning to take the types of looks that he’s getting from three, but I’d like to see more work inside along the way. Toppin managed 11 points in 15 minutes and he’s not even playing to his strengths right now!
It feels like Obi is finally hitting a comfort zone as a pro. We catch it in the subtle decrease in hesitation with the ball in his hands. The comfort oozes when he takes a man in the post without rushing the attempt. Toppin’s approach has begun to find some balance that means his existing skillset is popping more. It’s partially the Rose addition and partially just the experience building, but Toppin is earning more minutes. He closes out the game with a 2 out of 5 that just requires more minutes and reps to increase.
Taj Gibson: There’s a bit of nostalgia to watching Taj Gibson operate next to Derrick Rose. The big man plays a smart game and busts out a move every once in a while that yells, “I’ve still got it youngins.” Gibson took on his back-up role with the Rockets and didn’t do anything wild but played savvy basketball with some productivity along the way. He’s not as labored as Kurt Thomas in that one final year as a Knick, but that’s the vibe our aging veteran big man carries.
For 16 minutes, Gibson added 4 points and 5 boards. He shot 2/3 from the field and did all the little things that are easy to appreciate. Taj still sets a nice screen when he gets the chance. This was a big man the Knicks just recently added for depth and he provided just that. He’s a quality third C and filled in as back-up respectably.
There isn’t too much more to add about 4 and 5 in just over 15 minutes. Gibson was solid and held down his role. You probably don’t want to lean on him for too much longer, but he’ll hold his in back-up minutes. Taj gets 2 out of 5 for a solid performance.
Knox, Pinson, Rivers: The clean-up crew got less than five minutes each, but that was enough time for Kevin Knox to do some nice things. The third-year wing had a steal, a dunk and an alley-oop assist to Obi Toppin. These guys got less than five minutes each, but it was nice to see Knox make some highlights in such limited time.
Flawless execution leaves less for the coach to do, but more hope for us
Tom Thibodeau: For the second straight night, Tom Thibodeau closed a blowout and found some minutes for his third stringers. Thibs got all his key players some rest in a game where they could use it. One of the first signs of a team turning the corner is their ability to beat bad teams. We can’t glean too much from New York beating up on depleted rosters, but they did exactly what they’re supposed to do. The team will have plenty of chances to do just that with the upcoming schedule and so far, so good.
It’s a bit tough to pinpoint key decisions when the game is an end-to-end beatdown. The Knicks didn’t need any strokes of genius from their head coach. The quality execution all night is the real feather in Thibodeau’s cap. For specifics, I suppose I can add that Thibs won a challenge.
The lack of any big changes or decisions doesn’t hurt Thibodeau’s impact score. Not needing to make tough choices is the blessing that great preparation brings. I can’t rail against a rotation that just finished two blowouts in as many days. I might bump IQ’s and Toppin’s minutes up in a perfect world, but they’re showing growth. When everything works, I’m not about to fish for criticisms or nitpicks. Thibs gets a 4 out of 5, only because a perfect score would require a steeper difficulty.
Closing Thoughts: It’s February and I’m checking the NBA standings instead of Tankathon to see where the New York Knicks are heading. It’s the little things that count. As a fan for way too long, I realize that success and hope can be as fleeting as an injury or a losing streak. So, I’m really enjoying the fact that I find most of what’s happening sustainable.
Sure, the Knicks are playing weaker competition currently, but that’s a running theme for the rest of the upcoming schedule. Yes, Mitchell Robinson is out for at least 4 weeks and he was a key player for the defense. But Leon Rose brought Nerlens Noel in to hold down the fort should something like this happen. Nobody is being asked to do more than they’re capable of right now and the Knicks are in playoff position. Call me bold here, but I don’t believe there are 10 teams better than the Knicks in the Eastern Conference.
The second unit will drive the excitement for a while. Watching Derrick Rose and IQ work can leave a basketball fan spellbound. They’re the right combination of explosive and clever, fearless and measured. But it’s the whole package that we really ought to enjoy. Everyone is growing and players are more and more fulfilling their roles exactly. That goes for the beloved youth and vets like Elfrid Payton and Reggie Bullock. When the Knicks play like they did against the Rockets and have played for most of this season, sometimes you’ve just got to sit back and enjoy it.
