The New York Knicks win an ugly game against the Detroit Pistons 94-85. The Knicks bench unit saves the day as the starters stink it up.
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The New York Knicks fought back from a 14-point deficit in the second half to defeat the Detroit Pistons 94 to 85. The Pistons trotted out a makeshift unit of recent ten-day contracts and bench pieces, but played hard and caught the Knicks napping. New York’s starters were drastically outplayed by their opponents, with Saddiq Bey and Hamidou Diallo looking like the best players on the floor. It took a Herculean effort from New York’s bench to bail out the starters, playing the entire fourth quarter and salvaging a win.
RJ Barrett and Mitchell Robinson had pulses, which set them apart from their starting counterparts. Fourth Quarter Burks was the hero, but the entire bench rose to the occasion. The Knicks are right in the thick of the playoff race thanks to this mini-run, but it’s bittersweet as long as the starters continue to flail. Let’s look at how this frustrating victory came about, and look for some solutions.
It all starts with Julius Randle for the Knicks’ struggling starters
Kemba Walker: 2 PTS (1/5 FG, 0/2 3PT), 2 AST, 2 REB, 3 TO in 20 mins
The frustrating part about Kemba Walker’s struggles is that they were predictable. He’s been great since returning to the starting line-up, but that has entailed a lot of minutes. So on the second night of a back-to-back, his lack of burst was obvious. He couldn’t get inside, had no legs on his jumper, and failed to cover up his lack of scoring with contributions elsewhere.
Walker’s defense seemed to gradually get worse as the game wore on. He had quick patches of good effort, but also got hung up on screens and made late rotations. He just didn’t have much left to provide on the second straight night, so Thibodeau cut his minutes accordingly.
It seems like resting Kemba on one night of back-to-backs is the best strategy. Most of the Knicks’ guards are back and it will help get some extra rest for his legs. New York has to capitalize on opportunities like playing the Pistons’ G-League team, and fatigued legs nearly cost them in this game. Walker gets a 1.5 out of 5 for his lack of impact.
RJ Barrett: 15 PTS (5/12 FG, 1/4 3PT, 4/4 FT), 1 AST, 7 REB, 1 BLK, 1 TO in 25 mins
I felt for RJ Barrett because he seemed like the only Knick trying to change the starters’ momentum at times. Barrett would fight his way into traffic and try to make something happen while everyone else settled for jumpers. That resulted in him outperforming the other starters but with plenty of mistakes along the way.
Barrett’s shot selection was more force and willpower than elusiveness or intelligence. He missed some opportunities for assists and threw up some ugly forced shots. That meant he rarely looked to involve other players in his possessions. It also meant some bad misses leading to easy transitions for the Pistons.
At the same time, Barrett’s willingness to fight kept New York close enough for the bench to save the day. He was patient in the lane and finished some difficult shots to keep New York alive. That said, he was thoroughly outplayed by Hamidou Diallo and that’s a reflection of lagging defense to go along with his one-note offense. Barrett gets a 2.5 out of 5 for effort.
Quentin Grimes: 0 PTS (0/5 FG, 0/5 3PT), 1 REB, 1 STL in 13 mins
Quentin Grimes started the game but played backup minutes. That’s because his shot wasn’t falling. Grimes got open looks and wasn’t afraid to shoot, but he came up short often. The rookie’s legs looked worn from so much shooting a night prior.
Grimes even had a couple of mishaps on the defensive end. He committed the cardinal sin of ball watching a few times. The rookie stood out for being engaged on defense, but it was far from enough to earn him extra time while his shot wasn’t falling.
Julius Randle: 5 PTS (2/11 FG, 0/3 3PT, 1/1 FT), 5 AST, 10 REB, 2 STL, 3 TO in 26 mins
For the second night in a row, the media asked whether or not Julius Randle is hurt. His effort and body language are diminished and were bad for the second night in a row. He often settled for jumpers and was stripped of the ball on multiple occasions. One of his only field goals came from a smart cut off the ball, but he didn’t do enough of that.
Randle’s defense was a massive disappointment as well. Saddiq Bey torched him, getting open looks and easy lanes to the hoop often. It was enough to rob his assists and rebounding of the value they might have otherwise offered.
Randle’s struggles are exacerbated by the fact the offense runs through him. With so much relying on his ability to make things happen, he can’t afford to be so off. At the bare minimum, he needs to make up for struggles with effort on the defensive end. He doesn’t have the body language of a leader right now, and that’s reflected in a starting line-up that loses composure during tough times. Randle’s stuck with a 1 out of 5 and if he really is hurt, he should rest for a few games (Editor’s note: Randle entered the health and safety protocol as this piece was being edited).
Mitchell Robinson: 7 PTS (3/7 FG, 1/3 FT), 1 AST, 7 REB, 3 TO in 20 mins
It was evident on an early dunk attempt that Mitch missed that his legs were missing a bit of spring. That didn’t take away from his effort, but it did reduce his efficacy. For most of the night, you could catch Mitch challenging shots and grabbing rebounds similar to the Minnesota Timberwolves game. But he was just a step slower and that’s the difference between a big night and a forgettable one.
It’s worth noting that when guards got into the teeth of the defense, Mitch was a potent lob threat. He just played with Kemba who wasn’t driving, RJ who wasn’t passing, and Randle and Grimes who weren’t getting inside. So Robinson didn’t see many lobs and that “step slower” meant he wasn’t as good on the offensive glass. He still chased those boards, but got overzealous and picked up a couple of offensive goaltends which explains the turnovers on his boxscore.
Robinson’s night falls somewhere between Kemba’s tired legs excuse and RJ’s effort. He was battling out there, but not particularly effective. His interior presence still did well to deter slashers and cutters, and he did get after the offensive glass. His mixed bag performance wasn’t enough to uplift a struggling starting unit, but it was better than most of his floor-mates. Robinson gets a 2 out of 5 for a solid effort in backup minutes.
Fourth quarter heroics from Burks to lead a dominant Knicks bench
Miles McBride: 0 PTS (0/4 FG, 0/1 3PT), 3 AST, 4 REB, 2 STL, 1 TO in 25 mins
This was one of those rookie games for Miles McBride offensively. He was unable to score and at times would get stuck dribbling at defenders but not getting anywhere. But he never forced the issue and would reset for others. The bad news is that he was held scoreless and left to make do with a few assists for his offensive production.
But unlike other players who struggled offensively, McBride made up for it with his defensive effort. His ball denial to start the second quarter led to a dunk for Alec Burks that started a big performance. The rookie’s effort was visible in steals, on-ball defense, and in the chase for rebounds (though he wasn’t always successful). McBride’s energy helped everyone!
That’s the thing about two-way players, if they struggle on one end they can still make up for it. McBride didn’t have it going on offense in his first game back from a long break. That didn’t prevent him from finding positive impacts in other situations. He finished with a team-high plus/minus and while that’s not anyone’s favorite statistic, it reflects the eye test in this one. McBride helped the Knicks win, and for that, he gets a 2.5 out of 5 despite not scoring.
Alec Burks: 34 PTS (12/17 FG, 5/8 3PT, 5/5 FT), 2 AST, 4 REB, 3 STL, 3 TO in 27 mins
At the start of the second quarter, Alec Burks and Miles McBride converged on a would-be dribble handoff for a steal. Burks flew up the floor for an easy dunk. The effort he showed to press well past the three-point line and create a turnover would carry into his entire performance. We got fourth-quarter Burks for sure, but he was cooking for his entire performance.
A 34 point effort is always great, but to pull that off in 27 minutes is even more impressive. Burks couldn’t miss! He knocked down long-range jumpers, difficult floaters, and midrange pull-ups with ease. When the defense committed too hard, he found other players such as with a lovely lob to Mitch after splitting a double-team. He also knocked down all five of his free throw attempts which were nice after a 1/4 game free throw shooting night in Minnesota.
It didn’t take long for a return to Alec Burks’ typical role to pay dividends. The microwave scorer wasn’t preoccupied with creating for others and got plenty of opportunities to attack. He capitalized by throwing the defense off-balance with his versatility and carried New York to a win. I’m tempted to make more of this than I probably should, but is it a coincidence that his numbers collapsed playing next to an anemic starting unit? I think not. Burks gets a 4.5 out of 5 with a couple of bad turnovers keeping him away from an illustrious perfect score.
Immanuel Quickley: 18 PTS (4/13 FG, 2/7 3PT, 8/8 FT), 2 AST, 1 REB, 1 STL, 1 TO in 35 mins
Batman needs a Robin, and Alec Burks needed Immanuel Quickley. Don’t be fooled by the low assists or shaky efficiency, Quickley had a major impact on this win. He was constantly probing the defense which led to frequent trips to the free-throw line, quick resets for others to attack an unbalanced defense, and a myriad of plays that ended well. The sophomore missed some gimmes and took just enough tough shots to keep his defenders honest.
IQ’s defense warrants some praise too. While he didn’t shut down Diallo by any means, he was the one perimeter defender that kept up with wing on drives. Diallo had to finish tougher shots and even missed a few while IQ was harassing him on trips inside. It was clear that Quickley wasn’t quite big enough to prevent every score, but he was going to challenge everything.
Quickley got some second-quarter burn with the starters in place of Grimes. He also came in earlier than normal in the third. It was nice to see Thibs at least get some looks at how IQ could potentially impact the starters. The bad news is that the ball was still in Randle’s and Barrett’s hands throughout those portions which limited any positive impact IQ might have had on that group. Still, when he was rocking with a bigger role in the bench unit, Quickley was fantastic. He gets a 3.5 out of 5 for a bigger impact than his numbers suggest.
Taj Gibson: 4 PTS (1/2 FG, 2/2 FT), 2 AST, 8 REB, 1 STL, 4 BLK in 28 mins
I’m pretty sure that while you’re reading this, Taj Gibson is still somewhere challenging shooters. It felt like that old Geico commercial with Dikembe Mutombo. When shots went up, Taj Gibson would appear and swat them. His blocks led to fast breaks for the Knicks, saved fast-break points against the Pistons, and sparked the bench defense.
The savvy vet wasn’t just a presence on defense. He may have only put up a few points, but he helped to break Piston double-teams with a short roll. He would set strong screens, take one step in and receive the ball to attack. Gibson frequently took one dribble in, rose to attack the rim, and then found players on the perimeter once his gravity took effect. It led to good shots for the wings, some that didn’t register as assists but were open nonetheless.
Watching Taj play makes me wonder why the Knicks ever forced Nerlens Noel to lumber around with that giant knee pad. Gibson is a genuinely good backup piece and a glue piece to any line-up he’s involved with. He can hold down the fort better than a hobbled big man could possibly keep up with. Gibson was great again, filling his role and helping with the win. He grabs a 3 out of 5 for being everywhere on defense.
Obi Toppin: 9 PTS (3/5 FG, 0/1 3PT, 3/4 FT), 1AST, 4 REB, 1 STL in 22 mins
We finally saw a 20 minute night for Obi Toppin and all it took was the entire starting line-up being benched. Toppin has deserved more minutes all season, and this performance typifies all the reasons why. He was most notable when flying up the floor off rebounds or turnovers alike and beating every other big into place. But he did a whole lot more.
Toppin’s fast breaks, dunks, and trips into the lane will always leap off the screen. His defense against the Pistons’ hottest shooter isn’t as expected. Saddiq Bey had his way with the Knicks defense (especially Randle) until Obi came into the fourth quarter. Bey still knocked down a few tough shots during that run, but Toppin challenged him and took away the easy looks. It proved to be a difference-maker in a comeback.
Let’s not mince words, Obi was better than Randle in this game and deserved to eat into the Knicks’ star’s playing time. Accountability should start at the top and with Obi’s level of play this season, that shouldn’t be difficult. When Randle is hanging his head, focusing on the refs instead of the game, or just struggling to find a rhythm it’s up to Thibodeau to make the change. Obi is good enough now that he should be able to press and take more minutes. His performance nets a 3 out of 5 on impact.
A lack of creativity and accountability from Tom Thibodeau
Tom Thibodeau: I’d love to be a fly on the wall when Tom Thibodeau sits with the analytics team. There’s no way those guys are able to dress up the ugly numbers that Thibodeau’s rotation is pumping up. Thibs’ starting units have boasted some of the least productive combinations of players in basketball, which contrasts with a bench that’s among the best in the league. Just look at the plus/minus comparisons from starters to bench in this game for a clear example.
Thibs did well to bench the starters for the entire fourth quarter. He may have ridden the starting line-up too long into the third, but it preserved bench players’ energy to last for the entire final quarter of the game. I think I’d have preferred faster hooks in the third with interspersed breaks for players in the fourth though. A fourteen-point hole is tough to dig out of for anybody.
There wasn’t too much other than that substitution choice. Thibodeau made good use of his challenge to stop Saddiq Bey from three unearned free throws. After that, my mind is locked into the nightmare starting line-up and his alluding to injuries holding Julius Randle back. I don’t buy that excuse, if Randle’s that hurt then he needs to sit out until he can perform. Thibodeau gets a 2 out of 5 for barely beating a G-league team.
Closing Thoughts
This is quite possibly the bitterest I’ve ever felt during a win-streak. Sure, New York’s won three in a row and gotten themselves right back in the thick of things. There are youthful contributions all over the place and the bench looks good enough to survive Derrick Rose’s absence. But the starters have looked abysmal regardless of which tweaks or changes Thibodeau tries. They just got outscored by 20+ points each against a Pistons team with one starter, one back-up, and a series of third-string players.
The concerning part is that we’ve seen every attempt at fixing the starters besides addressing the elephant in the room. Kemba got benched, Fournier was replaced by Grimes last night, RJ was out for 10 days recently, and we’ve already seen four different starting centers (Sims early on). None of it can fix a team that runs through Julius Randle as long as Julius Randle is playing so poorly. New York will live and die by Julius Randle, and this win streak only exists thanks to bad teams missing key players.
Here’s the good news, Oklahoma City is next and they’re a bottom-five team even when healthy. They have some live bodies but represent another chance to steal a win even if it’s in spite of struggling starters. That said, luck runs out and the Knicks can’t keep relying on teams playing worse. It’s time for serious thoughts about changes even while New York is winning because I don’t think anyone believes these types of performances can beat a good team.
We’ll see if the luck holds up or changes develop that can let us enjoy these wins properly. I’ll be watching closely and we can meet back here to discuss it in detail after Friday’s meeting with the Thunder. See you then Knicks fam!
Stay tuned to KnicksFanTV.com for the latest Knicks news, rumors, and recaps throughout the 2021-22 NBA season. In case you missed it, check out Knicks Weekly where CP, JD, and Alex get into an interesting debate about trading Evan Fournier.
