The Knicks lost a heart breaker to the Miami Heat 98-96 in Derrick Rose’s debut. Rose added a missing dynamic to the offense and was firing on all cylinders.
The Knicks started slow but got a shot in the arm from Rose. The second unit had the ball humming all night in an impressive performance. Starters and subs alike brought defensive intensity as well, grinding the game to 80 points scored between both teams in the second half. It was a battle where every shot counted and every point mattered. That makes an uneven performance by the refs frustrating, Miami attempted 39 free throws to the Knicks’ 16.
The free throw disparity didn’t prevent New York from opportunities to win late. Julius Randle and RJ Barrett both had tough games that concluded with misses in the final ten seconds of action. But there’s a silver lining. The Knicks competed with the defending Eastern Conference champs, the terrible refs and their own struggling stars yet still had a chance to tie at the buzzer. The game was competitive thanks to promising contributions from across the board. Let’s take a closer look at the performances.
Knicks Starters struggled but fought hard
Elfrid Payton: Elfrid Payton played inspired basketball for most of the night. When the team got off to a slow start, it was Payton that began attacking the lane and providing some scoring. That doesn’t mean he was flawless. The point guard still had some ugly turnovers paired with limited playmaking. The difference on this occasion was that he led the team in scoring and did so efficiently.
Payton saw 27 minutes of action, scoring 18 points, 4 assists to 3 turnovers and 5 rebounds. He shot 8/16 from the field, 1/2 from three and 1/1 from the line. Payton gave his rebounding a bump by following his own misses aka the Melo special. He was forceful in the paint at a time when New York’s other slashers struggled. On the downside, Payton had to come off the floor late despite his good play because he was being left wide open from three without being able to punish the Heat for it.
With a strong performance, but one that failed to hide his flaws, Payton grabs a 3.5 out of 5 on the night. He gave the Knicks a legitimate boost by attacking the lane and refusing to take no for an answer. That said, Immanuel Quickley’s shooting and Derrick Rose’s playmaking both stood out by comparison to this performance. This was his third quality performance in 4 games, but Payton’s jumper still puts a lid on his impact.
Reggie Bullock: Speaking of consecutive quality performances, Reggie Bullock had another good game against the Heat. He didn’t shoot the lights out this time, but Reggie was only ever visible when he was doing something positive. There were no glaring mishaps or momentum killing bricks. Bullock took what the defense gave him, played quality defense, and gave a solid performance.
Bullock contributed 9 points, 3 assists, and 3 rebounds in 23 minutes. He went 3/4 from the floor, 1/2 from three and 2/2 from the free throw line. The production is fairly light but extremely efficient. He never wasted possessions. That allowed the wing’s defense to round out his game as a quality performance.
This is exactly the type of performance you look for in a 4th or 5th option. Bullock capitalized when left alone, moved the ball otherwise. He didn’t do anything above and beyond our expectations for a 3 and D wing. That’s not a bad thing. Reggie grabs a 2.5 for filling his role perfectly.
RJ Barrett: Facing off with Jimmy Butler two games in a row is probably brutal. RJ Barrett dueled with the Heat’s star player and saw his share of struggles. The sophomore didn’t back down, finding some success in the second half by snapping into moves as soon as the ball reached his fingertips. But for the most part Barrett had a tough night. His jumper didn’t fall, he saw traffic inside and when he finally got an easy one on the last possession for the Knicks…he was unable to convert.
Barrett finished 27 minutes with 13 points, 6 rebounds and 2 assists to 2 turnovers. He shot 5/14 from the field, 1/4 from three, and 2/4 from the free throw line. It’s never a good sign when RJ misses his free throws. There were no pull-up midrange makes or clutch threes pointers. The top three selection was relegated to seeking space in a crowded interior. That meant many of RJ’s makes were few and far between despite how nice they looked.
One more aspect of Barrett’s game popped in this one. His man-to-man defense on Jimmy Butler was impressive especially in the fourth quarter. That didn’t prevent Butler from a ref-assisted big night, but it did mean that RJ stuck to the star even on some signature moves. It was enough to bump his performance score to a 2 out of 5 on an otherwise rough night. This game felt like a quality learning experience for the 20-year-old.
Julius Randle: The Heat’s aggressive zone defense and uneven treatment from the refs pushed Julius Randle to an uncharacteristically frustrated performance. Randle picked up a technical foul and was visibly jawing at the refs all night, but it felt warranted. The big man was under constant pressure but never got the calls that we’ve come to expect for a star player attacking traffic. That left him to a three-point happy, inefficient night where even playmaking took a dip.
In 37 minutes, Randle dropped 12 points, 8 rebounds, 3 assists to 3 turnovers and 2 steals. He a shot a meager 4/18 from the field, 1/7 from three and 3/4 from the line. While he settled on too many jumpers and forced more shots than normal, this wasn’t a complete regression to last season’s nightmares. Randle still turned up his defensive intensity and made plenty of dishes which weren’t always rewarded. He was better than the numbers suggest but only slightly.
It’s not a good sign that Julius Randle’s best highlight from the game was a “ball don’t ****ing lie” scream. He wasn’t wrong though. The callback to Rasheed Wallace’s year at the Garden was cathartic on a night when the refs were terrible. The moment does nothing for his performance score though. With an inefficient game all around and too many jumpers, Randle lands at 1.5 out of 5.
Mitchell Robinson: Although he had a quiet night statistically, Mitchell Robinson’s defensive play was impressive. Bam Adebayo’s scoring was relegated almost entirely to the free throw line. If I could pick one player for an uptick when the starting line-up inevitably changes, it’s Mitchell Robinson. The starters have plenty of drive and kick artists, but none of these guys is particularly good at picking out the roll man. That leaves Mitch to chase scraps for production in the form of offensive boards and to chase impact by being all things at once defensively.
The shot blocker played for 29 minutes and managed 2 points, 7 rebounds, 2 assists, 3 steals and a block in that span. He made just one field goal and only attempted two. Yes, the Heat’s zone defense pushed New York to a more perimeter-oriented style but that’s not a great excuse for anyone. Guards have to do a better job of making Mitch a threat. Robinson must develop ways to assert himself as well.
In spite of the fairly invisible night on offense, Mitch wasn’t the worst player on the floor by virtue of defensive impact. His ability to poke at passes and post-up dribbles made a real difference in this game. The big man also saw some dubious foul calls when he did a good job defending inside. That quality defense bumps him to a 1.5 out of 5.
Second unit Rose Quickley with a new weapon in hand
Derrick Rose: In the first ten minutes of his return to the Knicks, Derrick Rose drove, dished, dimed and shot well. The Knicks have plenty of vertical athletes who can play above the rim. But Rose added explosiveness in the form of speed and quickness. He augmented that by making clever reads and smart passes. From no-look assists to step-back jumpers, catch-and-shoot three’s to finishes inside; Derrick Rose did a little bit of everything. The entire second unit fed off the former MVP’s performance and it led to some of the best ball movement all season.
Rose’s second debut with New York clocked in at 20 minutes. He shot 5/9 from the field, 2/3 from three and 2/2 from the line for 14 points, 3 assists to 2 turnovers, 1 rebound, 1 steal and 1 block. The production was constant. The second unit clicked for the first time in a long time with a “pick your poison” attack that will only get scarier if Rose keeps this up when Quickley’s jumper is falling. Rose even found Obi Toppin on a cut, making him the only Knicks guard to do so in the last two games.
It would be unfair to expect near flawless shooting from D Rose going forward. But for his debut, virtually everything went right. Rose brought game changing pace to the table and his ability to collapse a defense will mean better looks for rim runners and shooters alike. If this is the Derrick Rose that we’re getting, then the Knicks’ offense will see fast improvements. Rose nets a 3.5 out of 5 for the performance.
Immanuel Quickley: The emergence of Derrick Rose in the second unit coincided with Immanuel Quickley’s jumper being off. That’s likely coincidental though as IQ got plenty of touches, open looks and opportunities to make things happen. The rookie seemed to just have an off night that was compounded by a couple of bailout attempts late in the shot clock. There might be nothing more telling about Quickley than the fact that he was having a bad game but still got to close because of the spacing that he provides.
IQ spent 21 minutes on the floor and managed 7 points, 3 assists, 2 rebounds and a steal. He shot poorly though, 2/9 from the field, 1/4 from three and 2/2 from the charity stripe. The rookie got bricked some open ones and rushed a couple of takes as well. That said, he was a positive sum player even when shooting poorly. Quickley and Rose make for natural compliments. Rose is the better slasher but can make some shots and Quickley is the better shooter but has his floater for work inside.
For as complimentary as this recap has been, I still have to dock IQ for the poor shooting. We’ve been spoiled by how good this kid has been. He had a respectable game for a rookie with a second unit that was game changing. But Quickley has to make his open looks and/or get to the line to fully realize his value. The poor shooting tips him down to a 1.5 out of 5, mainly because we all know he’s better than that performance against the Heat.
Alec Burks: The dynamic weapon appears all the way back as Alec Burks did damage from range but had no qualms attacking off the dribble and creating. Burks was the biggest recipient of giftwrapped looks thanks to the second unit passing. He also cashed in the opportunities that were created. When the shot wasn’t there, Burks swung and reset or drove and dished. The scorer got less touches than in some prior action, but he was efficient when he saw the ball.
After 26 minutes on the floor, Burks left with 11 points, 6 rebounds, 2 assists and 1 turnover. He shot 4/8 from the floor and 3/6 from three. An unselfish second unit combined with the Heat’s zone and trap scheme to bring out the best elements in Burks’ game. He was productive without the ball in hands and that’s important while sharing the floor with Rose and IQ.
The beauty of Burks’ game is in his outsized impact compared to a good but pedestrian stat-line. Burks’ production on the box score doesn’t leap out, but the eye test along with his efficiency numbers paint a rosy picture. Just as there’s synergy to a Rose/IQ tandem, Burks’ versatility compliments the backcourt. He spreads the floor, can attack off the dribble and was a willing passer. The willing passer part is crucial to this second unit working, but I don’t think that will be a problem. 3 out of 5 for Alec Burks against Miami.
Obi Toppin: Frustrating as it is, I’m forced to spend another recap without scoring Obi Toppin’s performance. He played just 11 minutes for 4 points on 2/3 from the field and added 1 board. But what I liked about this game was how his touches came closer to the basket. Toppin was disposed to a floor spacing role. He received a beauty of a dime from Derrick Rose on a cut and then made a nice move in the post for his second field goal. I want to see Toppin get some post-ups and his cuts should be rewarded more often because he’s open so often. Let’s see if Rose can unlock the rookie…
Nerlens Noel: I can cut short the Nerlens Noel descriptions because they’ve been so consistent. He’s an impact defender and it shows clearly in the way that he blocks shots or forces turnovers. At one point, Tyler Herro missed a lay-up just because Noel was approaching. The shot blocker didn’t even put a hand up and Herro was rushing his attempt. The downside, as usual, Noel’s hands. It took one half for Derrick Rose to pick up a TO trying to feed Noel.
Noel’s 19 minutes were marked by 6 points, 7 rebounds, 1 steal and 3 blocks on 3/4 from the field. This breakdown isn’t short because he had a bad game, but if you’ve read these recaps you’ll know the story already. Noel gets a 3 out of 5 for intimidation and defense. He’s limited on offense, but with the rest of the second unit weapons that is far less important than the defense Nerlens provides.
New York’s rotation finds balance with the arrival of Thibodeau’s best student
Tom Thibodeau: Only one New York Knick played for more than 30 minutes against the Heat. That player was Julius Randle, the absolute leader of the team so far. It’s interesting to see Tom Thibodeau navigate a roster that suddenly has real depth. He’ll need to keep some vets engaged that have their roles reduced, right now it’s Austin Rivers. With the Heat, I felt like Thibs struck a nice balance where I could nitpick about a few things but would much rather give credit.
The main reason I want to give Thibodeau some props for last night is that it was such an uphill battle. The referees were terrible and Thibs’ star players on the season struggled. Without typical production from Randle, RJ and IQ the Knicks’ head coach had to dig in by trusting his role players. He did that much and the game came down to quality opportunities that Randle and RJ missed. I’m not mad that the best players on the season got the last chances of the night, they’ve earned those shots.
So despite a heart breaking loss and in spite of a veteran heavy rotation, I’m happy with the results Thibodeau managed to get. The defense continues to hum, players all seem engaged and I’d trust the Knicks to win this sort of battle more often than not. The last loss was uncharacteristic, this one felt like a step in the right direction. Thibodeau grabs a 2.5 out of 5 and a “let’s see how this unfolds.”
Closing Thoughts: My big concern after the Rose trade was about its impact on Immanuel Quickley’s minutes. I may have been worried for no reason though. Derrick Rose slid into Austin Rivers’ role and shared the floor with IQ almost the entire way. It took less than a half for me to see how Rose can help IQ on the floor. The story about the former MVP taking New York’s rookies out to dinner and offering them all the help they need…that’s a cherry on top. I’m enthusiastic about the trade after just one game.
I’ve focused some of these recaps on finding a piece that makes everything click. I won’t go so far as to say that Derrick Rose is that answer. But his performance against the Heat gave us a window into the impact an explosive lead ball handler can add to this team. The speed of play changed without damning the defense that we’ve learned to love. Rose can’t be a long term answer, but he may be a glimpse at what Leon Rose can target in offseason to address the Knicks’ biggest needs offensively.
So yeah…the Knicks are on a losing streak. Fans in NYC will always hate the feeling of giving a game up to Pat Riley’s Heat. But I left this game with more optimism about the future than I’ve had in weeks. Obi Toppin is improving despite limited time, RJ is learning and IQ has a compliment and a mentor rolled into one now. I’m looking forward to the next few games and what they might reveal about this roster. It helps that the schedule only gets easier from here on out. Let’s get ready to enjoy this ride, I don’t think the Knicks are leaving the playoff chase any time soon.
