The New York Knicks destroyed the Indiana Pacers 131 to 114. Everything is looking good for the Knicks so far.
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The New York Knicks continued a fun preseason campaign by taking down the Indiana Pacers 131 to 114. The Knicks brought an up-tempo offense with plenty of quick trigger threes and fast break attempts. That led to some incredible highlights but also some questionable shot selection. Ironically, New York’s pace overwhelmed Indiana despite some defensive lapses and rushed shot attempts.
A lot of promising signs from game one carried into this second victory. Better yet, many of those promising developments are continuations of the latter parts of last season. As a result, there’s a reason for cautious optimism about the direction of this team, but we’ll have to wait and see. For now, let’s look at each key player’s standout developments.
Streaky shooting but effective play from the Knicks’ starters:
Jalen Brunson: 17 PTS (4/12 FG, 0/1 3PT, 9/9 FT), 4 AST, 1 REB, 1 STL in 23 mins
Jalen Brunson made just four out of twelve attempts and still managed an efficient effort by drawing fouls, creating for others, and never turning the ball over. Of course, it probably helps that his four field goals were all impressive. Brunson’s journeys into the paint are loaded with unpredictable creativity that’s fun to watch unfold.
The early returns on Brunson’s defensive play have been promising as well. Brunson drew an offensive foul in this game to go with the three he drew last time. His first-half defense was distinctly better than the second, but the drop-off went from good to average.
RJ Barrett: 18 PTS (6/15, 4/7 3PT, 2/2 FT), 3 AST, 3 REB, 1 TO in 27 mins
RJ Barrett had already knocked down two of his four three-pointers of the night before driving past Myles Turner for a finish high off the glass. That layup was when it hit me that Barrett’s game feels smoother than ever in this preseason. It helped that he shot the ball so well, but he’s choosing when to shoot, drive, or pass more effectively than ever.
There’s a sense of better chemistry with Julius Randle, as Barrett knows where to be for catch-and-shoot opportunities from the big man. Broadway Barrett also seems more confident in his jumper, which leaves no hesitation when he has space.
We’ve seen hot shooting streaks give way to extended slumps, so he’s not out of the woods yet. But the young would-be franchise player seems to be on the cusp of a big year. The game seemed to slow down for him by the second half of last season, and that feeling has carried into this preseason.
Cam Reddish: 2 PTS (1/7 FG, 0/2 3PT), 2 AST, 2 REB, 2 STL in 22 mins
Even when Cam Reddish is pressing and missing most of his attempts, he’ll somehow make a play or two that leaves the door open for a brighter future. In this case,e that was a steal and a fast break reverse layup that few players would be able to finish. Reddish also defended respectably enough as a starter and made a few crisp passes, particularly to RJ Barrett.
But that’s a lot of bright side chasing for a one-for-seven performance. Reddish forced a jumper to start the game and continued to press on a few failed drives. The pressure he put on the rim did lead to a putback for Robinson, but most of his misses still felt forced.
I like to see Reddish hungry to prove himself, but he’ll have to choose his spots better to earn any time when the other wings are healthy. Unfortunately, his poor shot selection is standing out more than the positive aspects of his game right now.
Julius Randle: 15 PTS (4/11 FG, 1/7 3PT, 6/7 FT), 4 AST, 7 REB, 1 STL in 22 mins
Julius Randle will always be a streaky shooter, but he can still be effective simply by not forcing things when he’s cold. The big man struggled from three throughout the night but exploded in the second quarter to help New York pull away. More importantly, his missing jump shots didn’t impact his efforts at everything else.
The key is that our former All-Pro took what the defense gave him for the most part. When defenders collapsed on his early drives, Randle dished to his teammates, including a pair of dimes to RJ Barrett. Once spacing improved, the big man got to work inside with overpowering finishes. He had hockey assists, too, by moving the ball comfortably and more quickly for the second straight game. Randle’s playing faster.
Randle has to shoot better than one out of seven tries from beyond the arc, but this performance is a template for how he can make up for his lousy shooting nights.
Mitchell Robinson: 10 PTS (4/5 FG, 2/2 FT), 9 REB, 1 STL in 19 mins
The fact that Mitchell Robinson flirted with a double-double in less than twenty minutes of action speaks for itself. He was all over the floor and finished every opportunity when ball handlers found him around the basket. His prowess on the glass helped the Knicks to a slew of second-chance points while keeping the Pacers from matching that output.
This was one game where Robinson’s defense didn’t come flying off the screen. But that doesn’t mean that he was terrible. The pace and Indiana’s outside-in approach kept the shot blocker battling for position on rebounds instead of chasing blocks. That’s not necessarily a bad thing.
New York’s third-year players take over off the bench:
Immanuel Quickley: 17 PTS (5/12 FG, 3/6 3PT, 4/4 FT), 3 AST, 3 REB, 1 STL, 1 TO in 19 minutes
Immanuel Quickley was aggressive from the second he hit the floor, knocking down a three and quickly firing a heat check. By establishing his long-range game, he opened up driving lanes for a floater and multiple trips to the free-throw line. He felt like a force in this performance.
Quickley also threw some nice dimes along the way. He’s spotting shooters on the perimeter better than ever during this preseason, though not all of the good looks he creates are converted. Quick also continues to look like a positive on defense. If these improvements carry into the regular season, he’ll be a Sixth Man of the Year candidate.
IQ is a prime candidate to take a third-year leap. His strength has clearly improved, and like RJ, things seem to be getting easier for him dating back to late last season.
Derrick Rose: 7 PTS (2/3 FG, 3/3 FT), 3 AST, 1 REB in 13 mins
Derrick Rose continued to show us that he’s still got it. We’ve only gotten a glimpse of Rose in short minutes, but he’s still a maestro, whether scoring or passing. He carved through the Pacers for a pair of finishes inside, one floater, and the fancy footwork finish below.
Rose continued to attack, drawing a foul on a three-point attempt and finding Obi Toppin on a pair of lookout fast breaks. After missing most of last season, the former MVP seems poised for a bounce-back.
Obi Toppin: 24 PTS (10/14 FG, 4/7 3PT), 3 REB, 1 STL, 2 BLK
The highlight reel for Obi will rightfully show you four ridiculous dunks. Toppin turned the Garden into flight school for most of the second half. But the most exciting aspects of this performance were just about everything else.
We’ve seen Obi beat teams down the court to throw down windmill dunks. But how often have we seen Obi take opponents to the basket from the perimeter? Toppin’s done that once in each of the first two preseason games. He’s trying crossovers without overdoing it. A new wrinkle of potential flashes every time he does.
The third-year prospect also deserves some props for his blocks and steal. Obi’s defensive effort was solid in this game. Defense and three-pointers have been the key to more minutes for Toppin. He did both effectively here, which will make cutting his time impossible.
Isaiah Hartenstein: 0 PTS (0/3 FG, 0/3 3PT), 1 AST, 6 REB, 2 TO in 16 mins
Isaiah Hartenstein followed a compelling debut with a clunker. He never seemed to get into the flow of the offense, and even his usually reliable defense felt a step behind. The big man wound up ceding minutes to Jericho Sims.
Hartenstein has a strong enough track record not to feel too worried about an off night. However, he didn’t get enough minutes to find a rhythm or catch up to the fast-paced action. It’s best to assume that most newcomers will have an adjustment period to Tom Thibodeau’s system. Hartenstein is no different, so I’m glad we’ve seen highs and lows for the new big man.
Deuce McBride: 6 PTS (2/7 FG, 2/3 3PT), 3 AST, 1 REB, 2 BLK, 1 TO in 21 mins
Deuce McBride played strong defense and moved the ball well. But his jumper remained inconsistent. Last season, I felt that Immanuel Quickley’s dip in efficiency was tied to his attempts at becoming a better playmaker. IQ seems to have found his balance and is all the better for it. Clyde alluded to a similar problem for Deuce during the broadcast: he was too focused on passing to shoot effectively.
But labored offense aside, McBride did virtually everything well that didn’t involve shooting. His continued development will be intriguing because the pieces are there for an effective player. His defense creates leeway to make a few mistakes on offense, and I’d like to see him take more risks as an attacking player.
Svi Mykhailiuk: 8 PTS (3/4 FG, 2/3 3PT), 1 STL in 7 mins
Svi Mykhailuk gets an honorable mention thanks to his shooting. His form and confidence led to quick points and a solid first impression in limited minutes. But let’s not get too ahead of ourselves and just keep an eye on him for now.
The tricky part comes next for Tom Thibodeau:
Thibodeau didn’t do anything unique or new in this game, but his frequent time-outs when Indiana went on small runs felt like midseason form. Back-to-back blowout wins have left him with an easy job, but that’s only for now.
Everything’s rosy in the preseason when nobody plays for more than thirty minutes, and the entire active roster gets playing time. Things should become more complicated when the regular season begins, and the rotation tightens up. But New York’s preseason performance presents Tom Thibodeau with a good problem.
He has more options for the rotation than he might need, but we’ve seen how injuries can derail a season. So the Knicks’ depth could become a crucial strength if the parity in the East makes every game count.
Closing thoughts:
Call it the Obi dilemma. Another successful preseason performance has left me excited to see a lot of players’ development but nervous about their minutes. It was a key point of discussion throughout the KFTV postgame show. Obi’s performance was thrilling throughout the game last night, but where do the minutes come from for a player stuck behind Julius Randle in the pecking order?
This dilemma can be scary because it can repeat itself at multiple positions. IQ has been great in these past two games, but what happens to his minutes if Derrick Rose gets his regular season minutes and Evan Fournier is healthy enough to snag 20 minutes of his own? Now add in that a healthy Grimes will need minutes too.
I don’t think simply making the playoffs this season will indicate success. They have to make the playoffs AND have clear paths to improvement. The younger players on this roster can pave that path to improvement, but only if they get enough minutes to prove their value for the future. Only time will tell if they’re afforded those opportunities.
New York will chase preseason perfection on Wednesday in Indiana. We can all hope for continued success and, hopefully, a Quentin Grimes debut. I won’t be able to linger on concerns if the Knicks follow their strong summer league with an undefeated preseason. I’ll hope to see you then, Knicks fam!
Stay tuned to KnicksFanTV.com for the latest Knicks news, rumors, and recaps throughout the NBA season. And in case you missed it, check out the latest Knicks Weekly, where Tommy Beer joins CP and Alex to discuss season expectations!
