Cam Reddish returned house to Atlanta, and to a sequence of hugs and selfies earlier than he took a seat along with his bum ankle and watched his new crew beat his outdated crew. He had wished to go away the Hawks for an even bigger function, and so the Knicks turned a desired vacation spot, and everybody in New York appeared completely proud of that.
Leon Rose, Knicks president, exchanged Kevin Knox and a protected first-round choose by way of Charlotte for Reddish, who had teamed with RJ Barrett and Zion Williamson within the final heavyweight, one-and-done Coach Ok class in 2018-19. “I’m completely satisfied for him and it’s undoubtedly cool to see my Duke brother again within the constructing,” Barrett mentioned. No person was complaining about Rose’s skill to land one other younger and gifted asset.
However forgotten amid the end-zone dances after the deal was performed was this pretty important truth: Reddish was looking for a crew that wanted him greater than the Hawks did, and he thinks he has discovered one within the Knicks. In different phrases, he sees weaknesses on their roster that he can exploit, openings that he can fill, issues that he can clear up.
Shouldn’t the Knicks he joined be a bit offended by that?
Shouldn’t they be motivated to point out Reddish that they don’t want his providers fairly as a lot as he thinks they do?
Saturday night time in Atlanta, the Knicks beat the Hawks 117-108 to win their third straight recreation, and their eighth within the final 11, and transfer above .500 (22-21) for the primary time because the begin of December. In the meantime, the unraveling opponent that terminated them final spring within the playoffs fell to 17-25. Barrett remained purple scorching with 26 factors, and Julius Randle completed with 24 factors and 9 assists, and the Knicks typically performed like a crew that doesn’t want a man who was the Hawks’ fourth-leading scorer.
That’s how they should play throughout the second half of the season — like an impressed playoff contender that doesn’t want Reddish. In the event that they need to present progress, Barrett and Randle and the remainder will play successfully sufficient to compel coach Tom Thibodeau to maintain the most recent Knick glued to the bench.
“We’re solely going to do what’s finest for the crew, interval,” Thibodeau mentioned. “No matter offers us the most effective likelihood to win, that’s what now we have to do.”
Does Reddish give Thibs his finest likelihood to win? Hey, it’s by no means a nasty factor to accumulate a gifted 22-year-old perimeter shooter with a 7-foot-1 wingspan.
Until you occur to be an older, costlier teammate who primarily performs the identical place.
Evan Fournier, 29, was signed for 4 years and $78 million over the summer time to present the Knicks a desperately wanted jolt on offense. Saturday night time, with Reddish sitting courtside in road garments, Fournier made some huge performs within the fourth quarter and completed with 18 factors. He has been nice on some nights, and horrible on others. All in all, Fournier hasn’t made any significant affect on the underside line. The Knicks have received 22 of their first 43 video games with him this 12 months after profitable 21 of their first 43 video games with out him final 12 months.
Reddish was the tenth choose in his draft (2019), and Fournier was the twentieth choose in his (2012). They got here collectively in a single telling midcourt sequence in 2020, when Fournier was with the Magic and Reddish was with Atlanta. Reddish aggressively ripped the ball proper out of Fournier’s arms, drove previous him within the open ground and scored whereas getting fouled by Nikola Vucevic. The takeaway was startling sufficient for the NBA’s official Twitter account to submit the video full with a bulging bicep emoji (for Reddish) and a flushed-face embarrassed emoji (for Fournier).
They're teammates now, and opponents on the identical time. Reddish desires greater than the 23.4 minutes he was averaging this season for Atlanta. He received’t take appreciable minutes away from Barrett, who’s already rising into a reputable NBA star, and he received’t take appreciable minutes away from the crew’s level guards. In order that leaves an apparent goal. Fournier’s inconsistency has made him that focus on. His season has been everywhere.
If the Knicks are to return to the playoffs and possibly win a sequence this time, Fournier additionally has to raise his personal recreation and preserve it there night time after night time after night time. And that's the place younger Mr. Reddish is available in, as soon as he’s wholesome sufficient to take the ground. Competitors brings out the most effective (and worst) in individuals, and the identical government who signed Fournier for that $78 million simply employed a possible alternative. If Fournier has extra to present, now could be the time to present it.
The identical goes for his teammates. Reddish was enthusiastic about getting traded to New York as a result of he thinks he can outplay a good variety of incumbents and earn extra enjoying time than he was getting in Atlanta. Progress for the Knicks could be proving him flawed.
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