Charles Wenzelberg/New York Put up; AP; Noah Ok. Murray; Getty Pictures
The pie-in-the-sky preseason optimism wasn’t about Jalen Brunson magically changing into a celebrity. Or about Julius Randle performing like Giannis Antetokounmpo.
No, the hope that the Knicks would surpass exterior expectations — their over-under win whole set by the bookmakers, as an illustration, was 38.5 — was pinned to the event of their younger gamers, the assumption that inner enchancment would increase this crew’s ceiling. However by 1 / 4 of the season, these gamers haven’t taken the step ahead that followers, and maybe the crew, hoped.
RJ Barrett has underperformed at each ends of the ground after signing a four-year, $107 million contract extension. Obi Toppin has improved his 3-point shot, however his protection stays a significant flaw and he hasn’t come near pushing Randle for a much bigger chunk of minutes on the 4. Immanuel Quickley has been inconsistent. Quentin Grimes battled a nagging left foot harm, and solely now could be starting to make an impression. Even Brunson, who has been the Knicks’ most dependable participant, has faltered in being requested to be a go-to man down the stretch of video games when he's at his greatest as a facilitator.
The Knicks have a bunch of JAGs — Simply One other Man, as Invoice Parcells used to say about gamers who weren’t difference-makers. And it's the overriding issue within the Knicks’ mediocre 10-12 begin, in addition to why they've but to beat a high quality opponent at residence. All these younger gamers have expertise, but in addition faults.
Barrett — after scoring 26 factors and lacking a possible game-tying 3-pointer in Wednesday night time’s 109-103 residence loss to the Bucks — is averaging an inefficient 18.8 factors on 40.6 % field-goal taking pictures, to not point out a dreadful 28.1 % from 3-point vary. With Grimes out, Barrett was requested to be the Knicks’ defensive stopper on the perimeter and struggled in that function. His particular person defensive score of 117.3 per 100 possessions is second-worst on the crew, forward solely of Randle’s 118.0. The Knicks have been outscored by 3.3 factors per 100 possessions when Barrett is on the ground.
Toppin has remained a restricted contributor, averaging simply 17.5 minutes and fewer factors (8.2) than he did a season in the past (9.0). His 3-point shot has improved — as much as 37.1 % even with a current slide — however he nonetheless is a piece in progress on the defensive finish. Grizzlies ahead Jaren Jackson Jr. went round him like he was a visitors cone in the Knicks’ loss to the Grizzlies on Sunday.
Then there's Quickley, whose title has come up in commerce talks. His superior stats are robust — he owns the crew’s high defensive score (104.3) and second-best internet score (3.8) amongst regulars — and he has improved as a rebounder. However his offense stays uneven, as illustrated by his scoring in double figures in three of 4 video games between three consecutive six-point efforts and Wednesday’s four-point outing. He’s taking pictures beneath 40 % from the sphere at 38.7, attending to the free-throw line at a career-worst price and solely making 30.2 % of his makes an attempt from past the arc.
Whereas Barrett has clearly struggled, Quickley and Toppin haven't. However they haven’t taken main steps ahead, both. As may be mentioned concerning the Knicks as a collective of their first 22 video games, there have been some good moments and a few dangerous ones. And that doesn’t make for a crew that may take any form of step ahead based mostly on what's already on the roster. They only could also be good gamers with main flaws of their sport.
Huge downside
For now, Jericho Sims is the odd man out within the Knicks’ middle rotation. Over the previous three video games, the second-year pivot hasn’t acquired any rotational minutes. He solely acquired into Tuesday’s win over the Pistons as a result of the sport was a blowout.
It’s a mistake.
The 6-foot-10 Sims has performed very nicely when given a possibility. He’s averaging 4.7 factors, 4.9 rebounds and one block in 13.9 minutes per sport. He was instrumental within the Knicks’ two greatest wins of the yr, on the street towards the Nuggets and Jazz, and carried out nicely in Friday’s additional time residence loss to the Path Blazers. His Participant Effectivity Ranking (PER) is 20.3, which getting into Wednesday night time ranked thirty ninth within the league and second on the Knicks behind Brunson’s 22.28 (PER is predicated on a system that provides constructive stats and subtracts destructive ones by a statistical level worth system).
To be honest, Thibodeau is in a tricky spot with Sims. The Knicks paid Mitchell Robinson and Isaiah Hartenstein some huge cash to be on the ground. Robinson ought to be. He’s too vital on the defensive finish and his offensive rebounding (3.8 per sport) is such a power.
That leaves Hartenstein’s minutes. Although Hartenstein is a greater passer and has a extra versatile ability set, Sims’ protection and total exercise supply an enchancment over Hartenstein, at the least just lately.
The general superior stats aren’t in Sims’ favor, principally due to the small pattern dimension his 13.9 minutes per sport represents and his intensive function enjoying in mop-up responsibility. However over the previous 10 video games, the Knicks are minus-14.5 factors per 100 possessions when Hartenstein is on the ground and simply minus-2.2 with Sims. In that very same span, the Knicks have a 112.3 defensive score with Sims and 122.4 with Hartenstein, per NBA.com.
However for now, it appears as if Sims goes to have to attend for an actual alternative.
Absence makes the center develop fonder
1 / 4 of the way in which into the season, it’s clear Brunson’s previous crew misses him dearly. The Mavericks will arrive for a Backyard matinee Saturday mired in mediocrity. The Mavericks, who reached the Western Convention Ultimate final season with Brunson, are 10-10 after snapping a four-game dropping streak at residence on Tuesday night time with a slim win over the Warriors.
Although Luka Doncic has been unaffected, posting celebrity numbers of 33.5 factors, 8.8 rebounds and eight.6 assists, the Mavericks have missed Brunson’s shotmaking and playmaking.
As a crew, they're averaging 21.2 assists, down from 23.4 a season in the past, and taking pictures 34.4 % from deep after making 35 % final season. Maxi Kleber, Tim Hardaway Jr. and Reggie Bullock are every taking pictures beneath 31 %. Hardaway, the previous Knick, has actually been struggling, and is averaging simply 10.8 factors on 32.7 % taking pictures from the sphere.
In an ironic twist, Dallas this week signed Kemba Walker, the participant the Knicks traded on draft night time to assist clear sufficient salary-cap area to signal Brunson. Perhaps Walker, who didn’t match with the Knicks in his one season together with his hometown crew, will assist exchange a few of Brunson’s manufacturing, however contemplating no different crew noticed him as value pursuing, that could be asking an excessive amount of.
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