Knicks' Spooky Weekend: 3 Rational, Reasonable Reactions
Much to learn, the New York Knicks still have.
A brief road trip against some of the Eastern Conference's elite yielded only heartbreak for the Manhattanites, who became the latest victims of the best the Eastern Conference has to offer. After falling to the Milwaukee Bucks by a 119-108 final on Friday night, a visit to Donovan Mitchell's new domain saw them keep pace but nonetheless fall short in a 121-108 defeat.
Winless on the road in three tries, the Knicks (3-3) are seeing progress built at Madison Square Garden rendered neutral by tough outings against elite competition. The powers that offered the Knicks a diverse schedule in the early going, facing off against three also-rans (Detroit, Orlando, Charlotte) in addition to three dangerous contenders (Memphis, Milwaukee, Cleveland).
Chants of "same old Knicks" will undoubtedly surface in the wake of defeat. What's the right way to respond?
Playoffs?!?!? OK, Sure, But...
NBA playoff talk before Valentine's Day should be disregarded ... much less postseason words prior to Halloween. But it's easy to see penthouses and basements forming amongst the conferences so far: in the East, no one's shocked to see Milwaukee and Boston at and near the top after their respective runs to the NBA Finals. Even Cleveland, fresh off a disappointing Play-In Tournament appearance, has immediately reaped the benefits of Mitchell's services, as the former Knicks target spearheaded a three-point barrage that buried hopes of a New York upset.
But the Knicks have definitely shown enough in the early going to hint that they'll linger in the East's playoff picture throughout the season. Playing in June, tantalizing as the concept may be to this long-suffering fanbase, was never a realistic goal for the 2022-23 season. Getting a guaranteed two postseason games, be it in the Play-In or the assured best-of-seven in the regular bracket, was definitely attainable, and what the Knicks have done so far proves that. Any mere thought of leaping into the East's penthouse was probably going to require at least a weekend split between the Bucks and Cavs. With this weekend proving that the Knicks have more to learn, we're seeing the realistic landing points even so early in the season.
Brunson: The (Wild)Cat's Meow
Even as he denied notions of saviorhood, the Knicks' season ... and perhaps the next few seasons after that ... was ultimately going to be judged by how Jalen Brunson performed in his first metropolitan minutes. costing them $104 million over the next four years.
Brunson has responded to the early challenges and then some, proving himself worthy of the big contract. The box score improvements have been promising enough: Brunson has proved himself to be well-capable of adaptation. The overtime showing against Charlotte saw him contribute on eight of the Knicks' dozen tallies in the frame, a strong response to going 0-of-4 from the field in Memphis in opening night. On Sunday in Cleveland, Brunson recovered from a 1-of-7 first half to go 7-of-12 beyond it, helping keep the Knicks in the game before Mitchell's takeover.
But Brunson's responsibility for the Knicks' pace so far, in good times and bad, has established him as a worthy team leader. He was willing to shoulder the blame for a slow start in Milwaukee but his ball-moving abilities and fast game have been inspiring for a Knicks team in desperate need of a new identity after last season's struggles.
“He does whatever the game needs. That’s what he does," head coach Tom Thibodeau praised after Brunson's strong showing in the win over the Hornets. "They were blitzing him and he made a number of good plays, good reads, he scored when we needed big buckets.”
Get Off the Bench
It's a good thing Brunson has picked up the slack because some of his compatriots in the starting five have gotten off to a slow start.
Evan Fournier has been inoffensive enough, even if it feels like he's keeping the shooting guard spot warm for Quentin Grimes. But Julius Randle and Mitchell Robinson have fallen victim to excessive foul trouble, the two combining for eight infractions a game. Both have been major factors in the rebounding game: Randle's recovering well from a tumultuous follow-up to his Most Improved Player campaign and Robinson's averaging four offensive boards a game. But they're each the headlines of the Knicks' team-wide foul trouble, as they're averaging 24 a game (third-worst rate in the league).
Then there's the case of RJ Barrett: kept safely away from the Mitchell dealings, Barrett has struggled to live up to the hype of the new long-term extension granted. Issues from three-point range have been particularly troubling ... Barrett was 14 percent from deep entering the Cleveland visit ... but his relatively clean outing (3-of-4) against the Cavs was certainly a silver lining to take home.
Fortunately for the Knicks, some of their reserves have been more than willing to pick up the slack: Isaiah Hartenstein isn't immune to the foul issues but has responded very well to the excessive minutes placed upon him. Obi Toppin's high-flying antics are now accompanied by a surprising deep ball game, while Cam Reddish has performed well in a newly-installed contract year. Derrick Rose has made the most of limited minutes while Immanuel Quickley has found new ways to contribute as he seeks to hone his shooting game.
But the fact remains that the Knicks need further contributions from the opening five if they're going to make any brand of significant noise. It's obviously very early ... the notoriously picky Thibodeau has yet to make any significant lineup adjustments ... but returns have been somewhat disappointing.
Geoff Magliocchetti is on Twitter @GeoffJMags
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