Grading Every Knicks Player After Preseason Loss vs. 76ers

While winning or losing the first preseason game isn't going to make a huge impact for the defending champion New York Knicks, watching individual player performance can be interesting. There will still be moments that matter. It's our first look at guys trying out any offseason adjustments in live game action.

The starters all played double-digit minutes. The reserves saw some minutes as well. And a lot of the end-of-bench players and training camp invitees saw some extended run. But which players stood out and which players disappointed?

Jalen Brunson: A

While Brunson was cleared a while back, many were still wondering how the reigning Finals MVP would perform after having offseason wrist surgery. Brunson pretty much put all worries to rest and did so quickly. The point guard’s shot looked great and overall, Brunson looked like he was in midseason form, scoring 12 points on eight shots in just 15 minutes.

Josh Hart: C+

Hart didn’t necessarily play badly. He also didn’t necessarily play well. Hart played a role in a starting lineup whose offense looked fluid. But he ended the night scoring two points on just one shot and just one rebound in 12 minutes. Hart is a player that likes to get into the flow of the game—something that can be difficult for a choppy preseason game. Today wasn’t his prettiest outing, but he’ll be fine.

Mikal Bridges: B-

Bridges shot just 1-5 from the field, but he was very active. One thing that’s annoyed Knicks fans greatly in the past was his occasional tendency to disappear. His shot may not have been falling but he wasn’t afraid of contact, got his shots up, and still recorded three rebounds and three assists in 15 minutes.

Mikal Bridges, New York Knicks — Mikal Bridges didn't produce much from the field, but he still made an impact. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

OG Anunoby: A

Anunoby couldn’t get a single one of his three three-point attempts to go down. But he was as aggressive as any other Knick. He scored 12 points on 3-of-7 from the field, was 6-of-6 from the free-throw line, and grabbed a team-high six rebounds, with three of them coming on the offensive end. It was a great sign for the forward, who looks to build off of an incredibly strong postseason run.

Karl-Anthony Towns: B

Towns scored just five points and took just four shots. And he did commit two early fouls. But when he was in the game, we saw more glimpses of the Towns-centered offense that the team had great success with throughout different points in the postseason.

Miles McBride: C

McBride played his usual good defense and had some nice passes but missed all four of his threes. Knicks fans shouldn’t be worried about his shooting woes in one preseason game. He’ll bounce back. But as far as this game goes, he was disappointing.

Landry Shamet: A-

The journeyman looked great in his first preseason game. Shamet was the only player not named Brunson or Anunoby that reached double-digits and he did so by doing what he does best-hitting threes and making timely cuts. He looks primed for the season already.

Mohamed Diawara: B

There are a lot of expectations being placed on the second-year man after being re-signed over the summer, and Diawara responded with a mixed bag.

He had a steal and a block while grabbing six rebounds and scored eight points in 17 minutes. But the jump shot, like it was all Summer League, was off. Luckily, he did look more comfortable being off the ball again-something he wasn’t able to do as much during Summer League. Diawara is the type of player who should benefit from playing with better players so fans should still be hopeful that he’ll be all good to go during the regular season.

Andre Drummond: B

Drummond grabbed five rebounds and had three blocks with one of them coming on a jump shot. He did miss his only three-point attempt and still wasn’t as clean or explosive around the rim as some may have liked. But he did his job fine.

Jordan Clarkson: C-

The veteran played more than expected, logging 14 minutes. He managed to get up eight shots during that span, making just two of them. The only positive from his game is that his three offensive rebounds may be a sign that his newfound tendency to attack the offensive glass may be here to stay.

Tyler Kolek: B+

The third string point guard may have only scored five points, but he looked solid. During the offseason, he spoke about wanting to drive more with the intent to score and he did exactly that on his first shot. He also hit a three, dished out five assists without committing a turnover, and battled decently on the defensive end. It was a solid night for Kolek.

Pacome Dadiet: C+

Fans don’t necessarily have high hopes for the third-year Frenchman. But he still failed to outperform what little expectations there were. He went just 2-of-6 in 18 minutes, didn’t record an assist, steal, or block, and managed to commit four fouls. There’s no need to overreact to one game but he just didn’t show any flashes to be excited about despite leading the team in minutes.

Kevin McCullar Jr.: B-

McCullar did a little bit of everything, scoring six points, grabbing four rebounds, dishing out one assist, and blocking a shot. He did miss all three of his three-point attempts, but a solid outing and an active night from McCullar.

Bruce Brown: C+

The positional versatility of being able to run him as the point guard in short stints may be nice. But overall, he really didn’t do much during his 10 minutes. Two points, one turnover, and four fouls isn’t going to wow anybody.

Ochai Agbaji: C-

If Agbaji wants to make the team and have any hopes of getting any playing time, he has to make some jumpers. In the eight minutes he played, he scored just one point and went 0-3 from deep. Not a good night for the training camp invitee.

James Wiseman: B+

Wiseman was active and looked pretty spry and mobile. He finished the night with eight points, five rebounds, and a block. As good as he looked though, his night really could’ve stood out if he didn’t go 2-6 from the free-throw line.

Jaden Akins: B-

Akins only played eight minutes so it was hard for him to make a lasting impact. But going 1-of-1 from three and dishing out three assists in limited time could buy him some more minutes next game.

Tyler Nickel: C+

Giving a shooter who missed all four of his three-point attempts a passing grade feels foolish. But Nickel will make shots given the opportunity to shoot them. What was nice to see though was his willingness to keep letting them fly and his activity elsewhere.

Drew Eubanks: B-

The big man’s game isn’t the kind to produce eye-popping stats so I’m not judging him solely on his one-point, one-rebound performance. But overall, he just didn’t move the needle.

Get Knicks On SI straight to your inbox: sign up for our free newsletter here.

Add us as a preferred source on Google