The New York Knicks have had uneven performances to the start of the season. So let’s review the team and see where they stand.
The New York Knicks are 11-12, 11th in the Eastern Conference, and are on a three-game losing streak. Depending on what type of fan you are, either the sky is falling or you’re preaching patience. As usual, the truth probably lies somewhere between both spectrums.
Expectations are higher. After making the playoffs, the Knicks added some firepower in the offseason, with the hopes of kickstarting an offense that finished last season at the middle of the pack in offensive rating. Twenty-three games into the season, the starting lineup, which has received plenty of criticism, has looked uninspiring and has lacked chemistry. As a result, Bronx-native, Kemba Walker received the hook from Tom Thibodeau, leaving him out of the rotation until further notice.
Conversely, the bench unit, has given fans hope and excitement during most of their play. In particular, the play of Immanuel Quickley and Obi Toppin has impressed fans, even those who questioned whether Tom Thibodeau could manage a winning team while developing young talent at the same time.
The orange and blue just finished a brutal stretch in their schedule where they finished 2-5 against teams that will most likely feature in this year’s postseason. Let’s review the team’s offense, defense, and future outlook.
Reviewing the New York Knicks’ defense:
The Knicks have seemingly switched identities overnight. Last season’s squad appeared to embrace a defensive identity which entailed making opposing teams work really hard to get quality shots. The Knicks equivalent to a show-stopping dunk was forcing a shot-clock violation, and the fans loved it. This season, while the overall offense has looked better, the defense has taken a step back.
If you want to take a positive view, you can certainly hang your hat on the fact that the Knicks own the fourth-best defensive field-goal percentage in the league. You could also point to the fact that last year’s Knicks were 10-13 after 23 games and were absolutely guilty of putting on a Jekyll and Hyde act throughout different parts of the season. However, this year’s Knicks currently rank 18th in opponents’ points per game and 20th in opponents’ three-point percentage. Conversely, last season, through 23 games, the Knicks ranked first in both of those categories.
The Knicks have directly acknowledged that it will take time to build offensive and defensive chemistry after adding multiple new players into the starting lineup. That previous starting lineup, which featured Julius Randle, RJ Barrett, Kemba Walker, Mitchell Robinson, and Evan Fournier, ranked dead last in defensive rating amongst five-man lineups that have played at least 100 minutes together.
Aside from Walker, Randle, in particular, has received a large portion of criticism for the team’s defensive woes. While it’s hard to quantify just exactly what is the issue with the All-NBA forward, it’s easy to see on tape.
And then there’s this from the Denver game.
Randle’s effort has been questioned multiple times this season. Most fans know that Randle does have a newborn, and it’s understandable that he might have less pep in his step, but “watching the ball and not your man” (thanks Clyde) is never acceptable. I’m willing to bet that Randle will come around. His work ethic is second to none, and he knows he still has a lot to prove after his performance in last year’s playoffs against the Hawks.
That being said, this is something to watch. Randle’s regression post All-NBA selection is a real thing. Thibs needs to figure out what button to push ASAP.
Reviewing the New York Knicks’ offense:
The Knicks came into this season with one clear goal on offense. Shoot more threes. The orange and blue ranked within the top 10 in threes attempted per game for most of the season, however, they dipped down to 11th in the past week. Additionally, the Knicks rank ninth in three-point percentage. There are times when the Knicks seem overly reliant on shooting threes, instead of searching for the right shots. Additionally, while the second unit, which has become a crowd favorite, has a higher offense rating than the starting lineup, and has kept the Knicks in most games, they’re still times when they become iso-driven and hold the ball too long.
Currently, the Knicks rank second in the league in seconds per touch, holding the ball, on average, 3.28 seconds per touch. If you have elite isolation players on your squad, this isn’t necessarily a huge issue, but that’s not the case with the Knicks. The Atheltic’s Fred Katz wrote extensively on Randle’s post-ups and how’s getting the ball too far away from the rim. This stagnates the offense and is certainly part of the reason the Knicks rank so high in seconds per touch.
Back in November SNY’s Ian Begley reported that some Knicks were frustrated with the offense. After that report, the Knicks scored 13 first-quarter points in a game against the owner of the NBA’s worst record, the Houston Rockets. The orange and blue eventually came away with the win, thanks to some fourth-quarter heroics from Alec Burks, but the process of getting there was not pretty.
Burks, for his part, has become a major part of the offense. After being inserted into the starting lineup, big money AB dropped 20-plus points in two out of his first three games as the team’s starting point guard. More importantly, both Randle and Fournier look more comfortable in the offense. Truth be told, even at his best, Walker was an inefficient, volume-scorer, and if he was fully healthy could still probably give the Knicks a solid 15 minutes off the bench. However, at this stage in his career, that’s clearly not the case.
Is the panic meter rising?
After the Hornets loss, I set my own personal panic meter at a 6. Although I still think the Knicks will be okay, even the most ardent orange and blue supporter has to be concerned with what they’ve seen. There are essentially three games that separate seeds four through 11. That being said, the Nets, Bulls, Bucks, Heat, Hawks, and 76ers are locks to be in the playoffs. If we don’t start to separate ourselves from teams like the Hornets, Celtics, Cavaliers, and Wizards (I’m still not buying that they’re legit), things could get hairy.
Even after back-to-back losses against the Nets and Bulls, and a dreadful showing against the Nuggets (who we never seem to play well regardless of the season) there are enough positives to conclude the Thibs’ lineup change looks like it will yield positive results. The panic meter is at a 7 for now, and there’s plenty of time to turn things around. That being said, you have to wonder if Leon Rose is looking at this situation, the inconsistent results, a team starved of legitimate star-power, and is wondering whether a swing for a star makes the most sense.
Stay tuned to KnicksFanTV.com for the latest Knicks news, rumors, and recaps throughout the 2021-22 NBA season. In case you missed it, catch CP, Alex, and the fans’ reactions to the Knicks’ worst loss of the season to the Denver Nuggets!
