The New York Knicks lose to the Atlanta Hawks 99-112. After gaining a 23-point lead in the second quarter, New York started to collapse.
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The New York Knicks fell apart against the Atlanta Hawks, losing 99 to 112. The Knicks started the game with pace and got off to a slight lead before the second unit entered the scene and took the game over. New York’s bench turned a slim lead into a 23-point advantage, and everything looked good. But as the starters began to trickle back onto the floor, the lead started to dwindile.
The second half was an unmitigated disaster. The Hawks deployed a zone, and New York got sloppy. The Knicks turned the ball over eight times in the third quarter. The Knicks got outworked and run off the floor by a team on the fifth game of a long road trip. The game was out of reach before the bench returned to make a brief run but it never came close.
New York’s perimeter defense will not survive against any good teams. Their starters cannot keep up with quality opponents, and the bench can’t carry the team in their limited time. Let’s look more closely at individual performances and see where there’s room to improve.
New York’s starting line-up doesn’t work
Jalen Brunson: 20 PTS (8/15 FG, 1/4 3PT, 3/4 FT), 5 AST, 1 REB, 1 BLK, 3 TO in 31 mins
Jalen Brunson started the game hot, using footwork and hesitation moves to score inside. He’s especially dangerous off his pivot foot because he can pick out cutters or shooters but will also use head fakes to get his own shot. The Knicks’ point guard played exceptionally well when the game was moving fast.
But when the Hawks started scoring and the pace slowed, Brunson ran into some trouble. Dejounte Murray forced a few turnovers out of everyone, but Brunson was a victim on more than one occasion. The zone also pushed the ball out of the point guard’s hands before he could create.
I think we’ve seen the recipe for stopping New York’s starters. The Hawks invited anyone but Brunson to make things happen, and players fell into old habits. They muted Brunson with some of the same approaches that have killed the Knicks throughout Thibodeau’s tenure as coach. Despite nice numbers, Jalen Brunson’s impact score is just a 2 out of 5.
RJ Barrett: 17 PTS (7/17 FG, 2/6 3PT, 1/1 FT), 5 AST, 4 REB, 1 STL, 2 TO in 33 mins
I complained about RJ Barrett’s lack of assertive offense last time, but he fixed that for this performance. Barrett made a concerted effort to get his feet in the paint and try to score or find teammates. That latter part is key because Barrett easily had my favorite passing performance of his season.
As things stagnated, Barrett fell more and more to the wayside. He was the only starter to offer any resistance in the third quarter, with a pair of solid finishes inside. But those were followed by two ugly turnovers. Barrett spent the rest of the game jockeying between struggles inside and not receiving the ball.
As frustrating as the night was for the team, this felt like a step in the right direction for RJ Barrett’s game. He found his aggression while being patient enough to find openings for dimes. The addition of playmaking for others showed how promising Barrett’s offense could be. But it’s just one half of that quality, so Barrett musters just a 2.5 out of 5 on the night.
Evan Fournier: 3 PTS (1/6 FG, 1/4 3PT), 1 AST, 2 REB, 2 TO in 19 mins
This was Evan Fournier’s worst performance of an already disappointing season. There’s nothing to compliment about his performance. He shot poorly, didn’t offer anything off the dribble, and continued to provide negative value as a defensive player.
I won’t beat up on him, as it’s been a tough season. We’ve discussed his poor play plenty. This starting line-up doesn’t work, and Fournier’s the weakest link. The spacing he provides can’t cover for other deficiencies in his game. He gets a 0.5 out of 5 for his lack of production while still managing missed shots and turnovers.
Julius Randle: 14 PTS (4/12 FG, 0/4 3PT, 6/9 FT), 2 AST, 7 REB, 1 BLK 4 TO in 29 mins
I wonder if Julius Randle has nightmares about the Hawk defense. They dared him to shoot, and he missed every time. He looked awful when the zone defense started, reverting to slow possessions that ended in forced shots or brutal turnovers.
We got last year’s Randle on offense, and his defense continued a regression that started games ago. We’ve seen Julius Randle play spirited defense in spells before. Unfortunately, none of that has happened in recent games (and this was his worst performance). He failed to challenge rim runners multiple times, leaving lanes wide open for dunks as he watched instead of rotating.
Randle’s performance can be summed up as taking a page out of last year. I’ll give him credit for getting to the line and keeping his composure. But that doesn’t make up for mediocre production or lackluster efforts on defense. Randle receives a 1 out of 5 for this brutal performance.
Mitchell Robinson: 8 PTS (4/5 FG), 2 AST, 12 REB, 1 STL, 3 BLK, 1 TO in 18 mins
Mitchell Robinson set the tone for New York’s best defensive quarter, the first. He blocked Trae Young early and continued to torment anyone that tried to score inside. Robinson also got busy scoring inside off his rolls to the rim. But a familiar issue cropped up.
Mitch put himself in foul trouble, which cost him minutes. He started both halves making a difference on defense but never stayed on the floor long enough for a fully realized impact. Most of his best moments came in those first few minutes of the game. Robinson’s foul trouble drops his performance rating to 2 out of 5, because he muted his ability to impact the game more.
The Knicks’ second unit starts strong but can’t finish
Immanuel Quickley: 11 PTS (3/8 FG, 1/4 3PT, 4/4 FT), 4 AST, 16 REB, 2 TO in 29 mins
That’s not a typo. Immanuel Quickley grabbed 16 rebounds. It’s also not a fluke; he was boxing out bigger players like Deandre Hunter for some of those boards. The rebounding helped spark his transition passing with some beautiful dimes to Obi Toppin.
IQ also added a bit of scoring with a pair of finishes. But his shooting was off, with his only jumper coming from a circus shot while falling out of bounds. Nevertheless, Quickley did just enough to be a threat on offense despite the misses.
More importantly, Quickley’s defense stood out because he stacked a few positive possessions at the point of attack. None of New York’s other options offered anything beyond token resistance while players like Dejounte Murray and Deandre Hunter drove and kicked.
It’s important to note that IQ looked just as comfortable running with the starters as with the bench. This team has a tough upcoming schedule and can’t afford to continue trotting out the same rotation. IQ gets the high mark of the night with a 3 out of 5 for this performance.
(If Quentin Grimes needs time to get his legs back, then Quickley should get a look as a starter.)
Derrick Rose: 3 PTS (1/4 FG, 1/2 3PT), 1 AST, 1 REB, 1 TO in 17 mins
Derrick Rose was the first guard off the bench for a change and got a couple more minutes than we’ve seen in most games. But he didn’t make much of a mark on this game. He’s yet to settle into a comfortable flow this season, although part of that is a lack of playing time.
I don’t have too much to say about Rose’s performance. My only reason for optimism is that he broke the fifteen-minute mark for the first time in five games. Maybe Tom Thibodeau will leave him out during a good performance instead of one of his worst next time. Nevertheless, Rose gets a 1 out of 5 for low production and impact.
Cam Reddish: 6 PTS (2/5 FG, 1/4 3PT, 1/2 FT), 1 AST in 15 mins
Quentin Grimes is fast approaching a rotation spot, and Cam Reddish has to provide more than a flash here or there to keep earning minutes. Reddish didn’t make the best choices from long-range. And while he had a few nice moves inside, they were too few and far between. He’s put up two assists and failed to secure a single rebound in 30 minutes of action over the past two games.
The outlook isn’t much better when we look further back. In the six games since he exploded in Memphis, Reddish has failed to score more than seven points or make more than one three-pointer. On top of that, he’s surpassed one assist in a single game this season, with two against Orlando.
We can live with Reddish being a streaky scorer if he contributes elsewhere. But he’s not producing assists or rebounds, and his defense hasn’t stood out. This game was a continuation of recent passive play, which is frustrating when we saw just how good he was on opening night. Reddish gets a 1 out of 5 for the night.
Obi Toppin: 12 PTS (5/13 FG, 2/6 3PT), 3 REB in 18 mins
It’s a tale of two halves for Obi Toppin in this game. His first-half play was remarkable, as he knocked down three-pointers and outran opponents for buckets. He almost socred a point per minute while being mindful enough to box out and help on the boards.
But despite a hot start and torrid scoring, Obi went to the bench midway through the second and didn’t return until very late in the third. By then, his shot cooled off — he missed two open looks from the corners that could have cut Atlanta’s lead to seven. Then Obi missed a dunk and found himself benched.
I’m just happy that Obi looked confident in his shot. I hope that early hooks, even when he plays well, will not erase his enthusiasm. Toppin gets a 2 out of 5 for driving New York’s most promising run of the game but failing to keep it up in the second half…that’s partially on Thibodeau’s rotation choices.
Isaiah Hartenstein: 3 PTS (1/4 FG, 1/2 3PT), 1 AST, 6 REB, 1 STL, 4 BLK, 1 TO in 25 mins
I keep finding myself in a tough spot with Isaiah Hartenstein. Mitchell Robinson’s foul trouble has meant we get a LOT of Hartenstein minutes and I dare say too many. He is a hard worker that spaces the floor and challenges shots whenever he’s close. But Hart’s lack of mobility makes him an easy target in Thibodeau’s predictable defensive scheme.
The Hawks are full of midrange shooters who can take advantage of Hartenstein’s poor foot speed in drop coverage. Dejounte Murray picked New York apart by shooting over Brunson, while Hart fell too far away to impact the shot. So as lovely as 5 Stocks look on the stat sheet, I think Hartenstein’s defense was disappointing.
The big man did knock down a three to show off some of his floor spacing ability. He would have been an interesting option to try and break the zone defense from the top of the key. But New York barely utilized his passing ability and the isolation play meant Hart was barely involved in the offense. It all adds up to a 1.5 for the backup center, who worked hard but wasn’t as effective as some stats might imply.
Quentin Grimes: 0 PTS (0/1 3PT), 1 AST in 4 mins
Quentin Grimes made his debut for 4 minutes, which isn’t enough for many takeaways. But he already put together a few quality defensive possessions. New York needs him on the perimeter.
Same problems, different year for Tom Thibodeau
I was racked with deja vu watching New York play incredibly well and pick up a 20+ point lead only to collapse after. It was all predictable enough to feel like a repeat. Dejounte Murray hit back-to-back threes to bring a 23-point lead down to 17. It happened in quick succession against an otherwise dominant second unit. Thibs’ called time out and inserted the starters.
The starters didn’t offer any resistance. In fact, the quick line change only led to stagnant play. The Hawks deployed their zone, and New York’s starters lacked the shooting or ball movement to beat it. But every Knicks fan had to know that Tom Thibodeau would trot out that same unit to continue the attrition. They just kept doing what wasn’t working.
The game was lost in around 10 minutes from the end of the second through the beginning of the third quarter. Tom Thibodeau hit his patented time-out without a substitution, and a bunch of players continued to ram their heads against a wall. Thibodeau gets a 0.5 out of 5 and no props or credit when these problems carry across every roster and season he’s had in New York.
Closing Thoughts
I wasn’t making a bold prediction that the perimeter defense would ruin New York’s chances against better teams. The starting line-up can’t stop anyone once Mitchell Robinson inevitably picks up foul trouble. The perimeter defense is broken, and Mitch can’t cover for everyone without succumbing to fouls eventually. The problem has been apparent since the offseason.
The Knicks have lost three straight games by double-digits, with the problems from last year appearing more and more. A new point guard can’t fix lazy defenders or selfish shot selection. A coach or front office might be able to address it. They haven’t.
So pardon my frustration, as it’s early in the season, but they’re already playing the old hits from last year without the scapegoats. You can’t blame the lack of a star without acknowledging that Leon Rose failed to secure the same stars who just torched this team. So there’s no point-guard controversy to blame.
Our one piece of hope is that Quentin Grimes is coming back. But it’s a lot of weight to place on a sophomore to fix a broken rotation. This team needs actual adjustments. Repeating last season’s disaster should be unacceptable for everyone involved in this organization, from the fans to the owner.
Hopefully, the following recap will have more optimism. This game was just brutal. We’ll look for solutions and optimism after the Philadelphia 76ers action. I’ll see you then, Knicks fam.
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