The New York Knicks lost to the Brooklyn Nets after obtaining a 28 point lead. Tom Thibodeau’s rotations led to the Knicks downfall.
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The New York Knicks blew a 28-point lead on their home floor against the Brooklyn Nets. We’re not talking about the Kyrie Irving, KD, and Ben Simmons Nets. Cam Thomas, Seth Curry, and James Johnson came into the building and beat the Knicks.
New York’s 65-point first half was one of their best performances of the season. But this was a familiar scenario because this is the third time they’ve blown a 20+ point lead. All three losses have come against teams with depleted line-ups. There’s no excuse for blowing these leads, especially when we consider that Julius Randle is playing his best basketball of the season.
While this loss is beyond frustrating, there were plenty of noteworthy moments for the Knicks. We see paths to success in a 38-point first quarter and contributions from inconsistent but promising young players. Let’s revisit each player’s performance and see where things went right and wrong.
Knicks’ starters sprint out the gate but run out of gas
Kemba Walker: 9 PTS (2/5 FG, 1/3 3PT, 4/4 FT), 3 AST, 1 TO in 21 mins
I didn’t think Kemba Walker was bad in this game. He spent the lion’s share of possessions off the ball and made do with his limited touches. But that’s the problem Kemba. In a role with limited touches, he can’t provide enough to overcome his shaky defensive play. When the team is spiraling, he doesn’t assert himself enough. I’m not sure if that’s a matter of game planning or his physical limitations after many injuries.
Walker threw two beautiful passes in this game. He made the no-look pass in the clip above and a nice drop-off in the pick and roll. The New York native flashes some of his old game nearly every night out. But it always comes in flashes, never in runs.
I won’t pile on Walker, playing in his limited role. He’s the starter, but doesn’t close games out and rarely plays more than 25 minutes. Unfortunately, I don’t think this role works for a player with such clear defensive shortcomings. Walker gets a 1.5 out of 5 for his forgettable night.
Evan Fournier: 16 PTS (6/17 FG, 4/12 3PT), 3 AST, 2 REB, 1 STL, 1 BLK, 1 TO in 31 mins
The Houdini version of Evan Fournier gave us a great first quarter followed by plenty of missed shots after. This vanishing act is nothing new to the Fournier experience. He was red hot to start the game, knocking down a pair of threes early before driving for a slick finish. But those three field goals from the first few minutes of action represent half his scoring for the entire night.
Fournier cooled off in a big way. He got open looks, but most of his shots bricked in ugly fashion. On the bright side, he did try to make some plays defensively. He’s starting to make a habit of sneaking behind slashing ball handlers for double-teams. He’s defending more actively, although that can only do so much to cover for his lateral movement.
The French wing’s raw numbers don’t look bad, other than some inefficiency. But the reality is that a big chunk of that production came in one chunk of the action. The rest of the way, he struggled to provide much punch beyond some assists to the roll men. Fournier’s last three came with the Knicks down 6 and seconds to go on the clock, so even his scoring is overstated. Fournier gets a 1 out of 5 for his disappearing jumper after the first quarter.
Quentin Grimes: 8 PTS (3/5 FG, 2/4 3PT), 2 AST, 2 REB, 1 BLK, 1 TO in 32 mins
Quentin Grimes also started the game hot, before fading out of the offense a bit. The difference for Grimes is that he wasn’t getting the shot opportunities that Evan Fournier was afforded. When Randle works a two-man game, it’s always with Fournier. That action is effective enough to generate open looks for both players, but I’d love to see Grimes get more involvement in the same sort of plays.
I say that because his jumper is as pure as they come. Grimes didn’t always receive clean passes, but he’d adjust and get into his form quickly. He also flashed a transition game by blowing past Andre Drummond for a nice lay-up on the break. The rookie has some offensive upside but needs to be utilized more often to see it through.
Of course, Grimes also provided some strong defense. His effort was through the roof and effective through three quarters. In the fourth, he ran into a blazing Cam Thomas. Grimes challenged the scorer but to no avail, including on a decisive three-pointer later. Even with the tough fourth quarter, Grimes was arguably New York’s best defender. He grabs a 2.5 out of 5 for a solid night that could have been more with consistent opportunities.
Julius Randle: 31 PTS (10/22 FG, 4/8 3PT, 7/8 FT), 3 AST, 10 REB, 1 STL, 2 BLK, 4 TO in 37 mins
Julius Randle’s offense came easily during the early portions of the game. His jumper was in rare form. Randle dribbled into threes from transition and looked confident in his catch-and-shoot opportunities. But the danger of early success for Randle is that he might settle into taking contested jumpers when he could be driving more often.
By his second stint on the floor, Randle’s had cooled. His jumper still fell occasionally, but not enough to settle for them. His best possessions for the final three-quarters of action came when the big man drove fast and strong to the rack. But he often looked for contested midrange shots, some of which Jeff Van Gundy openly complained about. The Knicks’ star was never bad, but he could have had an even bigger output.
Jeff Van Gundy called Randle out on another occasion. Randle turned the ball over and lagged on his way back. It was a lazy play with a comfortable lead that Van Gundy said leaders shouldn’t make. That’s the gap between Randle and true stars in this league. Star players don’t take their foot off the gas until their coach takes them out. For starting strong and losing ground, Randle gets a 3 out of 5 despite numbers that typically warrant a 4 or higher.
Mitchell Robinson: 2 PTS (1/2 FG), 7 REB, 1 STL, 3 BLK in 23 mins
Foul trouble plagued Mitchell Robinson throughout a tough night. He gave the Knicks quality while he played, but untimely fouls kept him off the floor. The big man faced the tall task of battling with Drummond inside, then chasing Aldridge out. Lamarcus Aldridge in particular gave him fits. Perimeter-oriented bigs are prone to giving Mitch problems.
Robinson was a force inside despite the issues with fouling. He may have only clocked two offensive boards, but generated second chances even when he didn’t gather the board himself. The big man tipped a few rebounds back into the air, creating chances for teammates to collect them.
Unfortunately, Mitch failed to grab the most important rebound of his night. He watched a loose ball for a second too long and Bruce brown beat him to the punch. That rebound came with New York down three and less than 30 seconds on the clock. It would lead to a Cam Thomas three that ended the game. Robinson wasn’t bad, but he couldn’t stay on the court long enough to earn more than a 2 out of 5 for his impact.
Positive signs but limited chances for New York’s second unit
Immanuel Quickley: 18 PTS (7/10 FG, 4/7 3PT), 4 AST, 6 REB, 1 STL, 2 TO in 21 mins
Immanuel Quickley knocked down his first shot and settled into his best shooting night of the season. Quickley was money from long range, and that helped him become elusive off the dribble. He consistently got into the creases of the defense, where his floater found a home.
IQ’s ability to shake defenders helped him create for teammates as well. He fed cutters and found shooters for more than his four assists suggests. Quickley’s best pass came on a long-distance connection with Obi Toppin. But he’s also built rapport with others and has been a better on-ball playmaker than the other guards even when his shot doesn’t fall.
The only problem with Immanuel Quickley’s stat line is that he didn’t get enough minutes. Quickley came on to save New York’s dwindling lead in the third quarter, and the lead he helped build faded after he left the floor. IQ came back on and scored immediately, but he missed a good look that would have tied the score. Quickley was fantastic nonetheless and gets a 4 out of 5 for so much production in so little time.
Alec Burks: 3 PTS (1/5 FG, 0/2 3PT, 1/2 FT), 5 AST, 5 REB, 1 STL in 26 mins
I feel wrong for criticizing Alec Burks when he constantly gets pushed out of position. But the Knicks’ fourth-quarter collapse coincided with his shift to point guard. Burks isn’t equipped to run the offense during high-pressure moments. He’s simply a better player when he moves to an off-ball role.
That said, Burks still put together a solid selection of assists. He can take advantage of a defense that loses shape against the pick and roll. Burks feeds roll men well but seems to miss kick-out opportunities. That might be because he fishes for fouls at the slightest hint of contact while he has momentum toward the rim.
The missing piece for Burks is his scoring. He’s typically a microwave shooter, but that comes from catch-and-shoot opportunities. When the wing shifts to point guard, he’s forced to chase his rhythm while driving into crowds. Burks has an ever-changing role, even in the midst of games. That makes it hard for me to blame him for his regression this season. Burks gets a 1.5 out of 5 for failing to rein in the offense late.
Cam Reddish: 5 PTS (1/5 FG, 1/3 3PT, 2/2 FT), 1 AST, 2 STL in 13 mins
This was a strange game for Cam Reddish. He spent most of the night parked in the corners, with limited touches. Cam knocked down a nice transition three, but that was his only success as a shooter. Late in the game, Reddish finally got some opportunities on the ball. He missed a midrange jumper but also drew free throws on a nice drive inside.
Reddish showed promise defensively. He doesn’t always make it around screens fast enough, but his length helps make up a step often enough to cover. His aggressive nature and anticipation led to some nice steals and deflections. That defense was a helpful way for Reddish to contribute despite his limited opportunities on offense.
Obi Toppin: 8 PTS (3/6 FG, 0/3 3PT, 2/2 FT), 1 AST, 4 REB, 1 BLK in 11 mins
If there’s one thing consistent about the Knicks, it’s that Obi Toppin could have used more minutes. The former lottery pick is a breath of fresh air, just for sprinting down the court on every position. It leads to easy points off dunks and frequent highlights. His defense and positioning for rebounds are both works in progress, but they aren’t bad.
Of course, Toppin’s clear flaw is three-point shooting. If that shot falls consistently, there won’t be excuses for Obi to play less than 15 minutes a night. He finished on the break and in half-court plays inside. He grabbed some boards and wasn’t bad on defensive rotations. His range is the only drawback to playing him.
Taj Gibson: 6 PTS (3/8 FG, 0/1 3PT), 8 REB, 1 BLK in 25 mins
The only issue with Taj Gibson playing is that there are a number of young players that could be using his minutes. Gibson wasn’t bad during his time on the floor, but he also wasn’t anything special. He made a few shots inside but missed when he let a shot fly from outside.
Gibson looked the part of a traditional big man. He bumped players inside and grabbed plenty of rebounds. But Taj also lacked the presence that Mitchell Robinson provides inside. He may also be a victim of playing extended minutes with the starters as they struggled in the second half.
Gibson’s game was perfectly fine, but that’s the problem. An okay game amid a losing streak to bad teams won’t cut it. Not when players like Obi Toppin and Cam Reddish get far fewer minutes, while Jericho Sims doesn’t play at all. Gibson wasn’t bad, but he got too many minutes for the limited output. Gibson gets a 1.5 out of 5 for an uneventful performance.
Caught in a time loop with Tom Thibodeau doing the same thing
Tom Thibodeau:
We can complain all day about the regression of different vets who signed new contracts, but I think New York’s coach might be suffering the biggest letdown from last season. Tom Thibodeau was the coach of the year last season. This year, the fanbase collectively sighs as the starting unit drags itself through the middle portions of the game. The one value of blowing all these leads on national television is the treat of Jeff Van Gundy calling out the players’ efforts. That’s as close to accountability as we’re seeing.
I make these complaints far too often. Thibodeau stuck with his typical rotation despite the starters easing through their second-quarter stint and letting a 20-point lead slip to just 8 before they left in the third. He ignored all of IQ’s success and let Alec Burks struggle through the late fourth quarter. Thibs played his vets, regardless of their struggles or slipping efforts. The fanbase knew what was coming, Screamin’ A Smith called it at halftime, “Iceberg, straight ahead!” Thibodeau stayed the course and the team crashed and burned.
There aren’t any more excuses with New York four games out of the play-in territory and losing nine games under .500. Thibodeau can talk about “earning it” all he wants. That feels tone-deaf when he doesn’t hold the players in his rotation accountable. Randle hot dogged through the second, Fournier fell off after one quarter, and Burks hasn’t been good since his role began shifting. As long as Thibodeau ignores their struggles, the entire team will suffer. Thibs gets a 0.5 out of 5 for finding a way to lose with a nearly 30-point lead.
Closing Thoughts
I think the opening of the KFTV postgame show was a perfect distillation of the frustration this fanbase collectively feels. The crew took turns voicing the many issues with this squad. But the biggest problem that kept coming up is that nothing changes. We are 59 games into a lost season and there hasn’t been any effort to correct the course. The same players get the same roles for exactly the same results. The front office punted on their chance to change things as well.
What’s left for Knicks fans is a malaise and disinterest. Everyone knows what to expect because the results have been beaten into our skulls for 60 games. This team, which was stagnant after ten games, has continued to drift without a new direction ever since. We’re frustrated with the coach, with the vets that played hard for new contracts only to fade this year, and a front office that’s napping like Donnie Walsh in crucial meetings.
Knicks fans want change, and maybe the NBA All-Star break will give New York time to implement a new idea or two. There are plenty of young players getting few to no opportunities that we’d like to at least learn more about. Three blown leads in a row and eight losses in the last ten games ought to provoke some sort of response. We’ll find out after a much-needed break from Knicks attrition. It’s Knicks versus Heat when we get back in about a week, and I’ll be here to discuss it with you Knicks fam. See you then.
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, make sure to check out CP on SNY, where he discusses whether or not Mitchell Robinson is part of the Knicks’ future.
