The New York Knicks broke a franchise record for three-pointers in a game as they cruised to victory over the Orlando Magic 121 to 96.
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New York started the game with a series of three-pointers and never let up. The Magic led 9-6 before the Knicks took the lead and never looked back. Great ball movement and smart passing led to a record-setting 24 threes on 44% shooting. New York led by 20 before the end of the first quarter and 30 at halftime. They let up briefly in the third, but Orlando never came closer than 17-points. The Knicks’ offense was unstoppable.
Kemba Walker sparked things early with Julius Randle and Evan Fournier leading all scorers again. The bench was dominant in its own right, with three players knocking down 4 three-pointers. The entire team shared in the spoils of this win, and that means decent and good individual games combining for an incredible sum to the parts. There’s a lot to enjoy from this win, so let’s dive into the performances.
Randle and Fournier show out again with the Knicks’ starters
Kemba Walker: To start the game, Kemba Walker knocked down three quick shots from long-range. While the new starting PG would take on a secondary role for the rest of the night, his early barrage set the tone for everyone else. With the new starting unit just learning to gel, Walker let his teammates do the heavy-lifting and played the spacer.
After a long night in Boston, the big lead afforded Walker some extra rest. He logged 22 minutes and put up 11 points, 1 assist, 1 steal, 1 block, and 1 turnover. He shot 4/8 from the field and 3/5 from three. Kemba’s jumper looked lethal, both assisted and off-the-dribble. Beyond the shooting, his defense was also markedly better than against Boston. He slowed down in the third but gave Cole Anthony fits throughout the game.
The reserved performance loses a few marks for a disjointed third quarter for the entire squad. The Magic switched to a zone, and the starting unit took their foot off the gas. Walker hit a tough jumper during that bit of action but also began to give up points to Cole Anthony. My only other concern for Walker is that he hasn’t gotten much separation to attack inside so far. The former Hornet has been relegated to jump shots for the most part, and I think that’s part of the reason his assist numbers are low. Kemba grabs a 2 out of 5 on a night where he took a backseat to other scorers and ball handlers. He’s still working on chemistry with everyone.
Evan Fournier: The two-man game between Julius Randle and Evan Fournier controlled this game. Fournier got free for three’s, drove past defenders, and threw nice passes when the defense collapsed. Even with Fournier putting up points with ease, his assists were my favorite part. The French acquisition found Randle on rolls to the basket for some of his easiest buckets. Later on, Fournier showed off vision with a drive and kick to assist for three. He’s got a perfect skill set for this offense, the jumper that Bullock brought but with playmaking and ball-handling on a different level.
Fournier played 27 minutes and dropped 18 points, 3 assists, 2 rebounds, 2 steals, and 2 turnovers. He shot 5/12 from the field, 4/9 from three, and 4/5 from the free-throw line. That’s 6 steals in two games now as he plays the passing lanes aggressively. It’s an excellent way to add some disruptive force to his defensive play. Fournier’s team-leading free throw makes and attempts also flash how elusive he was off the dribble.
There’s been no doubt about who is the second option for these first two games. Evan Fournier got a big contract in the offseason, and he’s earning his money. On a night where no player took more than 16 shots, Fournier only needed 12 to put up 18 points. He’s making the game easier for Randle and scoring effectively without compromising possessions for Walker or Barrett. For another statement against another former team, Evan Fournier locks in a 3.5 out of 5.
RJ Barrett: Talk about being abandoned by your shot. RJ Barrett missed two wide-open threes to start the game, and that was how the rest of his night went too. Barrett had a couple of nice finishes inside, but his jumper was nowhere to be found. He even struggled at the free-throw line. During the third-quarter run from Orlando, Barrett got opportunities to convert decent looks from three but missed badly. That said, he flashed in other areas of his game.
With his minutes trimmed down, Barrett managed 7 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal, 1 block, and 2 turnovers in 25 ticks. He shot 3/8 from the field, 0/5 from three, and 1/3 from the charity stripe. He tried to get going by attacking inside and threw some nice passes, including a dime for a Randle dunk. But Barrett also turned it over in traffic and on a charge. He never quite found his rhythm, and the big lead meant extra rest rather than more opportunities.
It seems like the former top-three pick is trying to find his way in a kitchen with so many cooks. He has to adjust to making the most of his touches, but that can’t happen with his jumper on a milk carton. It’s also frustrating that he went from a big defensive game to giving up easy looks for Franz Wagner. Barrett has to get up for his defensive match-ups even when the opponents aren’t big names. RJ nets a 2 out of 5 for the performance, a sign that he has to find his way or make the open looks count.
Julius Randle: Even with new additions and added firepower, it’s clear as day who the Knicks’ focal point still is. Julius Randle has been a dominant offensive force for his two games of the season. This might have been the easiest 20 point game of his career as Randle repeatedly dunked on the Magic. Randle was unstoppable with the ball in his hands, feeding others and scoring from any spot he chose. It’s no wonder that Wendell Carter picked up a frustration foul late, hitting Randle and nearly incurring the big man’s wrath.
The Knicks’ MVP candidate logged 30 minutes and put up 21 points, 10 rebounds, 7 assists, 2 steals, and 4 turnovers. Randle shot 9/16 from the field, 2/6 from three, and 1/2 from the line. He played a little too loose with some of his passes, trying to thread needles through multiple defenders and traffic. Those risky passes mixed in with some absolute dimes though, and even assists are coming more easily with so many shooters to feed. He’s making good decisions far more than bad even though the turnovers need to be cut down.
Randle might have done even more damage if not for the dirty foul from Wendell Carter. Randle was mad with good reason, and Thibodeau wisely pulled the big man since there wasn’t much time and the lead was massive. As long as New York’s star was in the game, he would put up numbers. I can say that confidently after seeing how he controlled the game. Randle gets a 4 out of 5 for this one.
Mitchell Robinson: An endearing aspect of Mitchell Robinson’s game is how he plays like he’ll put everything on the line for every single possession. But after last year’s injury-racked campaign, it’s scary to see him hit the deck so often. Pick your battles, Mitch please! Robinson could almost be described as a victim of the Knicks’ hot shooting. He didn’t get many opportunities inside. His numbers may not leap off the page, but his gravity was a factor in everyone’s open looks. He got after the available rebounds and was a presence on defense even without the stat sheet showing it.
Robinson put up 6 points, 9 rebounds, and 1 turnover off an illegal screen. He shot 3/5 from the field against a giant in Mo Bamba and a collapsing defense. Mitch was better than his solid stat-line suggests, and that’s despite his conditioning clearly being a work-in-progress. Robinson hit the deck A LOT, giving us a collective heart attack when he grabbed his hamstring after a third-quarter fall. The big man came back into the game later, but it was a scare nonetheless.
This will be the refrain for every Mitchell Robinson performance for a while…just wait till he’s in shape. Mitch didn’t get to run much this offseason and packed on a lot of mass to boot. He’s not as mobile as we remember and can look tired pretty fast. But there’s no doubt that Robinson gives 100 percent effort on every possession. He’s a workhorse and getting results despite his legs barely being under him. I mean that literally. Once our shot blocker has the gas tank to go with the added mass, Mitch will be a nightmare. He nets a 2.5 out of 5 for his performance.
Patience leads to a three-point barrage from the Knicks’ bench
Derrick Rose: It all looked so easy for Derrick Rose, who asserted his control over the game by feeding shooters and knocking down his own shot at will. This wasn’t your older brother’s Rose; he wasn’t flying into the lane for acrobatic finishes. D-Rose was stepping back behind screens and knocking down three-pointers off the dribble. His improvement as a shooter has continued as he takes and makes more long-range shots than ever.
Rose put up a ridiculous +34 in 24 minutes of action. He dropped 12 points and 7 assists on 4/8 from the field and 4/6 from three. I have to point out the plus-minus tally because the raw stats don’t do justice to how dominant he was. The former MVP controlled the pace and was a maestro with the rock. He got the rest of the shooters going and was happy to share the wealth even though his jumper was locked in. He was dominant in his time; numbers be damned.
With returning players improving, Rose has a ton of options and toys to choose from. He’s finding Obi on the break with frequency and getting looks for IQ and Burks from three just as often. Rose’s full-court pass to Toppin for a highlight dunk was Sportscenter worthy. He’s didn’t need many minutes or shots to make an outsized impact. Rose grabs a 3.5 out of 5 for leading a dominant bench.
Immanuel Quickley: The first shot that Immanuel Quickley took in this game left me screaming, “relax” at the tv. He grabbed an offensive board and rushed a three-pointer that bricked badly. But that was an outlier, and as the game wore on, Quickley gradually played with more patience and poise. As the sophomore let the game come to him, the results followed, and we finally got the kind of shooting performance that we’re used to from IQ.
Quickley notched 16 points, 3 assists, 2 rebounds, and 1 steal in just 20 minutes. He shot 5/10 from the field, 4/8 from three, and 2/2 from the free-throw line. All it took was a little less pressing for the jumper to start falling. He doesn’t need long to get his feet set and doesn’t need much space to line the shot up. That’s what made IQ’s rushed attempts stand out in these first two games. I was happy to see the contrast as he found his rhythm and knocked down jumpers all game.
Don’t ignore the assists on Quickley’s stat-line either. The offseason work on playmaking is coming to fruition, even if it’s still a developing skill. IQ is calling screens and attacking the defense from more varied approaches that lead to good looks for his teammates. His decision-making can sometimes go awry, but the locked-in version of IQ put up numbers in a hurry. He was a force that the Magic had no answers for. Quickley grabs a 3 out of 5 for performance score, filling up the stats and producing more points of scoring and assists than he had minutes.
Alec Burks: Speaking of producing in points and dimes, Alec Burks came alive as well. The microwave scorer shot the lights out and picked up a sneaky high assist tally. He completed the three-headed monster of New York’s bench backcourt. Burks still worked with fewer minutes and touches than last year, but there was plenty of opportunity to pick his spots and produce efficiently.
It only took 18 minutes for Burks to knock down 12 points, 7 assists, and 2 rebounds. He hit 4/7 from the field, all three-point attempts. If the defense chased him off the line, then Burks was happy to dribble through and kick it back out to an open man. With Rose and IQ hitting everything they touched, that’s a quick recipe to high assists. Burks made the right reads and cashed in his own looks.
The scary part is that I don’t think the quality of looks and opportunities Burks got will be an outlier. He might not always shoot this well or play mistake-free basketball with his reads and passing. But Alec Burks is about to get a lot of opportunities to pick on unbalanced defenses with rim runners to one side and sharpshooters to the other. This Magic performance shows how quickly and easily Burks can fill it up. The microwave scorer with sneaky playmaking nets a 3.5 out of 5 for his night.
Obi Toppin: The Orlando crowd started chanting Obi Toppin’s name before he even did anything, but the big man wouldn’t let them down. Obi put together another quality performance that included highlight dunks, a pair of three’s from the corners, and flashes of his defensive growth. Ironically, a nonchalant between the legs dunk after a whistle might have been Obi’s best highlight. He once again outran every other big on the floor, and that led to some eye-popping finishes.
Obi added 13 points, 2 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals, and 1 block in 23 minutes. He shot 5/8 from the field, 2/4 from three, and 1/5 from the free-throw line. The block came on a nice defensive stand against Jalen Suggs, and the steals resulted from Obi’s constant work and good hands. He continues to flash heads-up passing to go along with dominant physical attributes. We’re also getting more rim-running and post-up reps from Toppin than at any point last year. He’s blossoming, and that makes an already potent bench scarier than ever.
Even when the team gets back to full-health, Tom Thibodeau will have to find ample minutes for this version of Obi Toppin. The nervous and lost rookie has completely vanished, giving way to a confident and, at times, an overwhelming sophomore. Toppin’s poise comes with an incredible motor and the ability to finish anything. At one point, he and RJ both went for an alley-oop that left him holding the ball behind the rim…Toppin still finished the lay-up. The improved defense and constant offensive pressure land Obi a 2.5 out of 5 with room for more if he’d hit some freakin’ free throws.
Jericho Sims: Similar to the Boston game, Jericho Sims got solid first-half rotation minutes. He was better than Boston this time around. Sims put up 2 points, 4 boards, and a steal on 1/1 shooting. That said, he still took a backseat to the killer frontcourt of Toppin and Randle in the second half. He’s shown promise in limited time, but the minutes also show a work in progress. With Obi playing so well, it’s no wonder that Sims can’t get more time despite injuries to other centers.
Grimes, McBride, Knox, and Selden: The clean-up crew came in and held their own but didn’t do much to stand out. Deuce McBride forced a nice turnover by chasing down a man in transition. Quentin Grimes knocked down a three and showed how little separation he needs to convert. But that was about it for the players who got no more than 5 minutes. The young guys’ time will come, but this is still a Tom Thibodeau team…patience is needed.
Crafting a modern NBA offense with an old-school mentality
Tom Thibodeau: It seems like yesterday, the entire NBA was second-guessing whether Tom Thibodeau’s offense could keep up with the times. Everyone pointed to three-point efficiency from the old Wolves and Bulls teams as a reason for doubt. But here we are, two games into his second season with the Knicks on a new franchise record for long-distance makes. Thibodeau’s intensity didn’t wane throughout the blowout. He saw a 30 point lead slip to 26 and immediately called timeout to get on his team in the first half. He’s even got avatars for the starting and bench units in Randle and Rose respectively.
It’s hard to pick out key decisions when the team led by twenty almost the entire way. I’ll point to the minutes’ allotments instead. Julius Randle led the way at 30 minutes of action, and everyone else could receive ample rest. While some may question bringing Randle back on in the fourth, I think the message behind that kind of choice is clear. Thibs doesn’t want his players letting up, no matter the lead or time. I took more issue with leaving Mitch out there when he begins to labor. The defense suffers when Mitch can’t will himself to rotate fast enough, and the shot-blocker is more at risk of injury.
But it’s pure nitpicking to pick out anything to complain about in this dominant win. Everything from the shot distribution to the assists shares screams, “this was almost flawless.” The Knicks shoot threes or attack the basket, with few shots in-between…analytics nerds rejoice! The defense held an opponent below 100 points, and all the promising young players also got some looks. Thibodeau got the best out of his team, with no greedy or lazy players beyond very short spells in the third. For this kind of dominance, the coach can only earn a 5 out of 5 for performance. The culture is strong enough to overwhelm a young opponent like Orlando.
Closing Thoughts
My favorite tweet from last night’s win came from a Jets beat writer. Connor Hughes from the Athletic mused that regardless of the Knicks’ ability to contend, they’re fun again, and that’s what makes him happy. It was cool to see a writer from a different sport come through with some love, and I think he captured a bit of the spirit of this fanbase right now. Realistically speaking, the Knicks are probably a piece or two away from true contention. But they’re moving in the right direction, with growth that’s outpaced expectations every step of the way. They work hard, and at the end of the day, we’re having fun again!
Who’s to say that the next step for this team doesn’t come from within? Don’t stop at Immanuel Quickley and Obi Toppin; we see growth and improvement from Julius Randle and Derrick Rose too. This team isn’t even at full-strength yet and already turning into must-see tv. If the goal at the outset of the offseason was to become a second-round team, I think it’s already time to start considering what it will take to enter the conversation with the contenders. New York’s not as far away as conventional wisdom might suggest, but the final steps are always the most daunting.
For now, we can have fun and enjoy the fruits of competent leadership and hardworking players. When the elite teams approach, we can really start to measure where New York stands in the pecking order. Forget Trae Young and the Hawks. I want to figure out what it will take to dethrone Giannis or make Kevin Durant regret his choice…he might already. This team is on the right trajectory, and I want to have my cake and eat it too! Yes, this team is fun; now, what can they do to enter the title picture in earnest? We’ll figure it out together, with 80 games left to do that math. I’ll see you for the next one, Knicks fam!
Stay tuned to KnicksFanTV.com for the latest Knicks news, rumors and recaps throughout the season! In case you missed it, catch the panels keys to the Knicks’ opening night victory over the Boston Celtics below:
