New York Knicks defeat Golden State Warriors 101-88: Starting with a win

The New York Knicks defeated the Golden State Warriors 101-88. Quentin Grimes started the game slowly, but he caught rhythm in the third.

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Knicks basketball returned with a Summer League victory over the Golden State Warriors 101 to 88. Summer League is a strange beast, where the final scores are meaningless, and we zero in on just a handful of NBA prospects and hopefuls. Returning players have a chance to show growth and try out new things while newcomers attempt to grab eyes. Unfortunately, that can lead to sloppy basketball. 

But the Knicks played selfless basketball, leading to a winning result and some pleasant early impressions. It’s way too early to make much of any performances, but let’s look at where key players shined.

Knicks’ Summer League starters look like they belong

Miles McBride: 14 pts (3/10 FG, 3/8 3PT, 5/5 FT), 7 AST, 2 REB, 1 STL, 1 TO in 31 mins

Deuce McBride looked comfortable on offense but rarely left that comfort zone. Seeing him use ball handling and screens to create enough space to shoot was nice. His release seemed faster.

But he seemed too comfortable using his perimeter shot instead of putting pressure on the rim. As a result, there were periods, especially in the second quarter, when the offense stagnated on his watch. His swift ball movement and ability to navigate the screens still produced seven assists, but I want to see him take more risks. We’ll need McBride to get into the teeth of the defense if he wants to earn NBA minutes, and Summer League is a great place to practice.

But McBride’s real calling card is defense, and he didn’t disappoint. He applied full-court pressure from Golden State’s first possession. The sophomore’s defense at the point of attack was impressive all game, only marred by some foul calls that even Doris Burke found questionable. I don’t have much to say because we know this story already.

Quentin Grimes: 24 pts (8/21 FG, 4/14 3PT, 4/6 FT), 8 AST, 4 REB, 2 STL, 1 TO in 32 mins

Quentin Grimes hit his first jumper of the game, then proceeded to miss his next eight attempts. He was pressing to create offense, which translated to forced shots and playing too fast and chaotic for anyone to keep up. But Grimes settled into a rhythm after the half, knocking down some jumpers despite having a poor shooting night by his standards.

Grimes’ playmaking and dribble penetration began to stand out after a few jumpers fell. He was able to get downhill and feed rim runners or make quick kick-outs. By the night’s end, Grimes was taking those trips into the paint for his own finishes. My favorite part is that the sophomore finished through contact for multiple and-ones.

Grimes’ defense lived up to his reputation. He was a ball hawk from the opening tip to close. Grimes set himself apart from the other stellar defenders via off-ball defensive work. He timed switches, communicated well, and helped teammates in a manner that looked two steps ahead of everyone else.

Trevor Keels: 3 pts (1/8 FG, 1/4 3PT), 2 AST, 6 REB, 4 STL, 4 TO in 25 mins

New second-round pick Trevor Keels looked young early. The game seemed to be moving too fast for him at both ends. He rushed some shots, his scoring never got going, and he generally seemed out of sync with his teammates.

Keels’ best moments on the ball came as he slashed inside and made kick-out passes to shooters. He flashed potential by attacking the rim and creating for others.

Defensively, I was disappointed early but saw his upside as the game wore on. Keels began to match the intensity of his teammates, leading to multiple steals and fast breaks.

The rookie looks raw but with a solid foundation at both ends. He’ll need to build on this performance, and I’m hoping to see fast improvement as we saw from Rokas Jokubaitis in Summer League last year.

Feron Hunt: 17 pts (8/12 FG, 1/2 FT), 2 AST, 3 REB, 7 STL, 2 TO in 29 mins

The Knicks sent multiple picks to play at summer league, but undrafted Feron Hunt came through and stole the spotlight from everybody. He did that by attacking the rim every chance he got. Hunt’s aggression led to dunk after dunk. 

Many of Hunt’s finishes came off cherry-picking and fast breaks. But he also took players off the dribble for a couple of dunks through traffic. All he needed was a hint of momentum to take off and slam with authority. The high-flyer never had to worry about shooting the ball. That’s impressive but leaves aspects of his skillset unexplored.

Hunt’s defense managed to be even more aggressive than his teammates’. He had five steals before halftime off ball pressure. He rarely let his opponents have space to breathe and only ever struggled when trying to contain Moses Moody. Hunt’s mobility, length, and motor overwhelmed most Warriors’ players.

Hunt had the most memorable game of the night. His combination of dunks and defense without much in between made me reminisce about a young Trevor Ariza. Not that I’m saying he’ll be that good, but I haven’t seen a Knick attack with such a singular purpose since Ariza came out of High School.

Jericho Sims: 16 pts (7/8 FG, 2/3 FT), 10 REB, 2 BLK, 2 TO in 28 mins

Everything looked easy for Jericho Sims. His screens created so much space that teammates got shot happy early. But once the ball handlers began attacking the rim more frequently, Sims’ rim running began to shine. If the former 58th pick had any space as he rolled toward the paint, his teammates were a lob away from an easy assist.

We didn’t get much else on offense because it wasn’t necessary. Sims dominated by setting quality screens and timing his cuts with ball handlers. He did attack off the dribble from the top of the key for his first dunk, but he lost the ball and lucked into getting it back.

Defensively, Sims showed his incredible mobility for a player his size. He’s a rim protector that might not block everything, but he’s always present. The big man’s defensive ability was never clearer than when Jonathan Kuminga, a former top-10 pick, tried to challenge him. Sims kept up with the athletic small forward and left him visibly frustrated.

Intriguing glimpses in limited minutes from the bench

Daquan Jeffries: 12 pts (4/6 FG, 1/1 3PT, 3/3 FT), 3 AST, 3 REB, 1 STL, 1 BLK in 20 mins

Daquan Jeffries was the only player to receive significant minutes off the bench. He showed a bit of everything offensively. Jeffries hit two long jumpers, drove for some points inside, and picked up a posterizing dunk off a clever cut inside. The 24-year-old also threw a beauty of a touch pass assist to Feron Hunt for one of three dimes.

Jeffries’ defense was also strong. His on-ball pressure led to some bad passes that others picked off. But this side of things didn’t stand out as much as his offensive play.

Jean Montero: 4 pts (2/3 FG, 0/1 3PT), 2 REB, 1 STL, 1 TO in 9 mins

While he didn’t get a ton of minutes, Jean Montero showed me enough to be curious. He didn’t log a single assist, but Montero looked like a connector. That is to say that he threw multiple hockey assists and sparked ball movement whenever possessions started in his hands.

Montero often defended Gui Santos, who’s listed at 6’8, which made New York’s 6’1 prospect look tiny. But that also helped the undrafted newcomer stand out for holding his ground and playing solid defense. It’s enough to want a more extended look.

Micah Potter: 6 pts (2/3 FG, 2/2 FT), 2 AST, 2 REB in 9 mins

I won’t spend too much time on Micah Potter, but I wanted to shout out a dime he threw. Potter received the ball at the top of the key, took a dribble toward the corner, and threw a bounce pass to a baseline cutter for a dunk. He was solid in his light minutes, but that pass earned this shout-out especially.

A focused rotation for coach Dice Yoshimoto

There’s rarely much to say about Summer League coaching. But it was nice to see Dice Yoshimoto keep a short rotation emphasizing New York’s recent draft picks. In addition, he made quick substitutions that allowed ball-handling opportunities for all of the key players. 

I’ll also shout out a halftime improvement shift in approach from ball handlers. I’m guessing Yoshimoto said something about getting to the rim more often. The first-half offense stagnated as players settled for jumpers, but there was a concerted effort to attack inside after half.

Closing thoughts

It’s good to have Knicks basketball back. I think we all needed a pleasant reminder about the franchise’s direction because Knicks fans have hung on to every move this offseason. There has been a mixture of joy and anger at New York’s recent moves — they’ve used picks to get off of contracts and punted on their lottery pick to acquire future first-round selections.

That process has left some fans frustrated. But it has also left the roster a lot younger. Jalen Brunson and Isaiah Hartenstein are 25 and 24 years old, respectively. New York moved older vets to get those two. I respect Alec Burks, Kemba Walker, Nerlens Noel, and especially Taj Gibson. But their departures signify another move toward a younger squad whose best years are ahead of them rather than behind.

And those departures have created opportunities. Quentin Grimes’ play left Doris Burkes’ wondering out loud whether or not he should start next to Brunson. Players like Sims and McBride are developing and should be ready if injuries or trades create opportunities. 

This roster will be more talented and much younger than last season’s version. That’s a step in the right direction, even if it won’t be the leap that some have hoped for.

We’ll see if the youth maintain their momentum against Chicago on Sunday. Let’s check who continues progressing and if anyone’s play slips up. For the moment, I’m just glad to have basketball again. See you after the next one, Knicks’ fam!

Stay tuned to KnicksFanTV.com for the latest Knicks news, rumors, and recaps throughout the 2021-22 NBA season. And in case you missed it, check out CP and Ian Begley giving their offseason grades for the New York Knicks!