Knicks vs. Hawks: How & Who to Watch in Trae Young's Return to MSG
Little more needs to be said about Trae Young's crashing of Garden parties.
With the New York Knicks boasting an undefeated record at Madison Square Garden so far this season, perhaps nothing would define their star-crossed franchise fortunes more than for Young, one of the more notorious enemies in recent metropolitan memory, to lead the charge in ending it. The Knicks and Young's Atlanta Hawks do battle for the first of four times this season on Wednesday night in Mahattan.
New York returns home after a weekend road trip full of moral victories but no actual progress in the standings, dropping consecutive contests in Milwaukee and Cleveland. They'll look to get back on the right track against an Atlanta team that's in the final stage of a five-game road trip, having dropped its prior two in Milwaukee and Toronto, the first loss coming despite Young scoring 42 in the 2021 Eastern Conference Finals rematch.
The Knicks manged to partly avenge their five-game defeat in the opening round of that tournament by taking three of four from the Hawks last season, though Atlanta prevailed by a 117-111 final in the last MSG meeting in March en route to earning the Eastern Conference's last playoff spot.
What: Atlanta Hawks (4-3) at New York Knicks (3-3)
Where: Madison Square Garden, Manhattan, NY
When/Watch: Wednesday, 7:30 p.m. ET, MSG/MSGGo
Keep An Eye On: Mitchell Robinson
Efficiency and making the most of minutes have been the name of the game for the Knicks in the early going: just ask reserves Derrick Rose and Obi Toppin (leading New York's six-game participants in PER). While that limited time (each playing under 20 minutes a game) appears to be by (questionable?) design, Mitchell Robinson's bursts have been more of a legal woe in the early going.
Through six games, Robinson is being charged with 3.7 fouls per game, a full average point up from his tally in 72 games last year. He's far from the only one who might have to keep his hands to himself ... Julius Randle is averaging 4.3 ... but it's gotten to a point where reserver Isaiah Hartenstein has been getting more minutes. Hartenstein has been serviceable, but the Knicks would likely want to see more out of the newly-minted $72 million man.
Head coach Tom Thibodeau, one of Robinson's most reliable appraisers, was hopeful about his development before fouls limited him to 41 minutes over the weekend, specifically lauding his ability to develop an athletic game despite his unusual path to the Association.
"He anticipates. He’s played against these teams several times now," Thibodeau said. "He understands the tendencies of the players, the teams, I think he understands what we’re trying to do. He’s communicating. He’s the eyes of the defense. He’s the back line. So he’s done a terrific job for us.”
Robinson's services could come especially handy ... and hopefully in the good ways ... on Wednesday night: the Hawks come in with three players averaging at least six rebounds a game, including John Collins, Clint Capela, and newcomer Dejounte Murray.
Hawk to Watch: Trae Young
Madison Square Garden is seeing quite the rogues gallery this week: Young, a frequent target of New York's loudest, arrives less than 24 hours after the NHL's New York Rangers earned an overtime victory over the hated Philadelphia Flyers while another difficult weekend features a visit from the Boston Celtics on Saturday.
Even though both the Knicks and Hawks took respective tumbles down the standings last season, Young had one more parting gift for his not-so-adoring public after missing the teams' Christmas rematch in the form of a 45-point showing that allowed Atlanta to inch closer towarrd the Play-In Tournament the Knicks missed by multiple games.
"You have some teams that have more than one [star], but [Young is] as tough a cover as there is,” Thibodeau said about what modern-day Young brings to the floor. “He’s clever, can shoot it from anywhere. Great range, great first step, crafty. You got to look at a lot of pick-and-rolls. We’re going to have to be ready."
Young's MSG arrival would be the perfect time for Quentin Grimes, whose defense was a big part of the improvement on display in Las Vegas this summer, to make his return. Grimes is listed as questionable on the New York injury report after his 2022-23 debut has been delayed by foot soreness.
Geoff Magliocchetti is on Twitter @GeoffJMags
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