The New York Knicks continue to lose players as the season goes on. Now Derrick Rose and Nerlens Noel are both out for some time. 

*As I was writing this, the New York Knicks announced that RJ Barrett has exited health and safety protocols.*

The New York Knicks appeared to be heading in the right direction once they announced that Obi Toppin was returning from health and safety protocols. But as this season continues to show, nothing can go right for the Knicks when it comes to players being healthy and available. 

After New York announced Obi was eligible to be back with the team, Nerlens Noel entered health and safety protocols. Then we got the shocking news that Derrick Rose had successful ankle surgery and would be re-evaluated in eight weeks. 

Losing Rose is a major blow for this team. He’s been the most consistent player for this group because of his efficient scoring and playmaking. Also, Rose brought stability to a team that was (and still is) searching for its identity. 

There aren’t enough words to say how important Rose is to this team. Hopefully, he can join the team and be on the bench soon to help provide the needed veteran presence.

But while Rose is off the floor, this creates a lot of questions for this team.  

Which players on the Knicks will get opportunities (or more)? 

With Rose out for so long, this opens up opportunities for Kemba Walker, Immanuel Quickley, Miles “Deuce” McBride, and Quentin Grimes.

Immanuel Quickley should be the obvious choice to get an expanded role. Besides Derrick Rose, Immanuel Quickley has also been one of the most consistent players. Sure, his shot isn’t always finding the bottom of the net on a nightly basis, but he continues to show that he’s improving as a playmaker, ball-handler, and defender. On top of that, he continues to bring the same intensity night in and night out. 

So does this mean that Quickley will get the opportunity to be the starting point guard? I doubt it. After watching how McBride and Quickley played together against the Houston Rockets, Thibodeau might be inclined to keep those two together because both guards were able to feed off each other when it came to finding their shots and playmaking. 

Also, Kemba has earned the opportunity to be the lead guard while everyone has been out (I will get into why later). 

As for McBride, he’ll get more minutes because he looks like he can quarterback the offense. We saw McBride play extensive minutes in Houston (the same game where Rose injured his ankle). And in those extensive minutes, he was able to orchestrate the offense and find guys in rhythm. Whether that’s driving into the teeth of the defense and finding guys on the perimeter, operating as the ball handler in the pick and roll, or just keeping the ball moving by being the connecter. 

Deuce also showed that he has a silky-smooth jumper. He’s not afraid to pull up from deep or use the screen to get to his midrange shot. And if he’s feeling it, he will pull off some combo dribble moves and shoot in a defender’s face. 

McBride’s playmaking and shooting will be necessary, especially since the Knicks lost their best guy who can do that. So, there is little reason he shouldn’t get more playing time.

Now with Grimes, he’s shown that he can be a tenacious defender who this team needs more of in his limited minutes. Also, he is a fearless shooter, especially when defenders are closing out on his shot, which is refreshing since most of the Knicks like to pump fake and hesitate. And from his 27 point performance against the Milwaukee Bucks, Grimes has earned the right to get some burn. 

However, he will have difficulty getting into the rotation once everyone is healthy (unless the Knicks move Evan Fournier by the deadline). But as for now, if Grimes returns before McBride, which should happen since Grimes entered the protocols before McBride, then Grimes will get some minutes.

Do the Knicks trade Kemba by the deadline? 

I recently wrote about players I thought would be traded by the deadline, and Kemba was one of those guys. However, it’s difficult to see the Knicks trading Kemba knowing that Rose would be re-evaluated in eight weeks, which is past the trade deadline (February 10, 2022). Thibodeau probably wants veteran depth at the point guard position, and there is no guarantee that Rose will return after the eight weeks or for this season.

Yes, Thibodeau did bench Kemba and didn’t speak to him for some time. So we can sit here and wonder if their relationship is sound (they high-fived during the Knicks’ win over the Pistons). But if they’re true professionals, they should be able to put their differences aside and focus on making this team better and trying to win games. 

Also, with injuries and sickness forcing Thibodeau’s hand, he has no option but to adjust and rely on the guys he has.

But to be honest, Kemba has looked good with his return to the lineup. He’s been attacking the lanes and causing defenses to collapse. And as we all know, Thibodeau wants his point guards to attack the lane, and that’s a trait that neither Quickley nor McBride have shown proficiency in yet. 

Kemba averages 8.3 drives to the hoop (in a season, Walker averages 10-12 drives per game). In comparison, Quickley and McBride average 6 and 1.1 drives to the basket, respectively.

Now Kemba isn’t the best finisher around the rim (he is finishing 44 percent around the basket), and I’m sure Thibodeau would love if his guards could finish well around the hoop. Yet we saw from last season that he was willing to ride with Elfrid Payton, who finished 55 percent of his shots around the basket (151/274 shots) and ranked in the 36th percentile. The good thing about Kemba, though, is that he’s known as a crafty finisher around the rim. And even with his injury history, you still have to put respect on his name.

On top of that, Kemba has been good for the Knicks the last two games. He is averaging 25 points, 7 rebounds, and 4 assists with a shooting split of .390/.400/.833. Also, Kemba has shown that he is still a solid playmaker when the ball is in his hands instead of Julius Randle’s (which should’ve been that way from the jump). So if Kemba continues to play well, then it’ll be tough for Thibodeau to justify not giving him minutes. 

The only way I can see this team moving on from Kemba is if Quickley demonstrates that he’s ready to be the lead guard and that McBride and Grimes continue to show that they’re legitimate contributors in the upcoming weeks. 

Yes, we saw them both have career highs and go off. But there wasn’t any film on them then, and the more film there is on them, teams will be able to adjust to their tendencies and make life harder for them — we saw this happen last season to Quickley. 

Will the Knicks make any trades at all?

Trades could still happen. But the question is if multiple players will be involved in a trade. If a team is looking for various players in a deal and the Knicks are only getting one player back, I can’t see the Knicks making that deal. 

As the season has progressed and with COVID-19 attacking the entire league, depth is a commodity at this point, and I doubt the Knicks will move any players to relinquish their depth. Unless they’re getting a player that improves their team significantly and will stay with the franchise for the long term, then it’s hard to see a deal executed. 

Conclusion

The Knicks season has gone sideways very quickly. From inconsistency from the starters, benching Kemba Walker to try and find a spark, all the young players entering the health and safety protocol, and now Derrick Rose being out, it has been a rough season for the Knickerbockers. 

Regardless, this part of the season will show us who this Knicks team is. Are they able to overcome adversity and make the playoffs while getting a look at their youth? Or will the Knicks just go down without a fight? 

This season already has 2013-14 vibes. For those who don’t remember, after the magical 2012-13 season, the Knicks were expected to make the playoffs again and go farther. Instead, they ended up missing the playoffs, and it was just the beginning of another dark time in the Knicks’ history. 

All one can do is hope this franchise figures it out and continues to show progress in the right direction.

Quick Notes

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 CP’s interview with Elite, Dreamville’s Producer.

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