'Leaner and Cleaner' Knicks Host Magic: 5 New York Questions Heading Into Monday's Game
The Orlando Magic (0-3) hopes to snap a three-game losing streak when it plays the New York Knicks (1-1) Monday night.
To learn more about the Knicks and their current state of affairs, we spoke with All Knicks contributor Geoff Magliochietti and asked him some questions about the team.
Q: The Knicks had one of the league's biggest downfalls last year, going from a top-four seed to not even making the Play-In. How can the Knicks return to the playoffs this year?
GM: For all intents and purposes, the Knicks' response to their seven-seed downfall on the Eastern Conference ledger provided fresh material to the hardwood comedians that use the team's simplest errors as a guaranteed punchline. It was an offseason that began with dreams of Donovan Mitchell but yielded unproven long-term top option Jalen Brunson at nine figures instead.
At the same time, it's easy to see why there's hope for this latest chapter of the seemingly perpetual rebuild, one where several promising talents (i.e. Brunson, RJ Barrett, Mitchell Robinson) have been locked up for the long term. If they, along with 2021 hero Julius Randle (playing on the first year of a $117 million extension offered to him) lead the way and serve as consistent contributors, asking the Knicks to sneak into the Play-In's quartet is by no means an egregious task.
As the Knicks are currently built, they're perfectly capable of hosting a Play-In game, in fact. Newfound depth should also play well into their modern fortunes. If Cam Reddish and Immanuel Quickley continue to work well in place of the injured Quentin Grimes (whom many Knicks fans see as the successor to primary shooting guard Evan Fournier), that'll go a long way. Asking them to get to the East's open if not crowded penthouse is a little much, but should at least let the lower parts of the automatic vids know they're there.
Q: It has only been two games, but how has Jalen Brunson looked so far?
GM: Like so many on this Knicks roster, this a year for Brunson to prove himself on a bigger stage. Brunson has discouraged the use of "savior" labels, even if he's meant to solve the Knicks' long-standing issues at point guard.
His first futile effort, a 115-112 loss in Memphis, might've been a case of trying to do too much (he went 0-for-4 from the field in an extra period) but there's no doubt that his insertion into the lineup has given the Knicks a spark. That improvement was on display against lesser competition at MSG on Friday night, with Brunson scoring 17 and the Knicks dishing out 29 assists in a blowout win over Detroit.
Q: What's one thing about the Knicks that people should know that you cannot find in a box score?
GM: Funny you should ask because Brunson's addition to the lineup has made the Knicks a leaner, faster team, one capable of moving around more. Randle, fresh off a disappointing follow-up to his Most Improved Season bid last season, has been particularly active, something the Knicks find most encouraging after granting him his new paycheck.
The Knicks are looking leaner and cleaner in both a figurative and literal sense. It's been hard to find Derrick Rose on the floor in the early going (14 minutes a game over the first pair) but his attempts to get healthy (working off two ankle surgeries) have gotten back down to his rookie weight.
Star power is a valuable commodity in today's NBA. It's something the Knicks haven't truly worked with in a long, long time. Even when they did (i.e. Carmelo Anthony) it's not like it yielded any lasting prestige. The Knicks' current "Big 3" (commonly accepted to be Barrett, Brunson, and Randle) is low on the accomplishment and time in the spotlight so far, but they're forming a strong connection in the early going.
Q: If the Knicks were to lose to the Magic tonight, what would be the reason?
GM: To paraphrase the late, great Admiral Ackbar ... it's a trap game!
But, all kidding aside, the Knicks' early weaknesses are apparent. No doubt this team has shown some resilience and resourcefulness over the first couple ... Robinson's foul trouble on opening night in Memphis gave way to a brilliant. Hartenstein showcase ... but there's also a propensity to give up points in bunches.
If Orlando wants to pull off an upset, they need to score early and often while shutting a group of new Not Ready For Prime Time Players that dwell in New York. Potential defines the Knicks' future, but it also defines their present, one occupied by young players who are being asked to step up in ways they weren't before. But a little doubt in the youth, and suddenly beating the Knicks becomes a heck of a lot easier.
Plus, let's give the Magic some credit, too: Paolo Banchero's early breakout has to yield a win sooner or later, right?
Q: What's your prediction for the game?
GM: Barring absolute disaster, the 1976 Tampa Bay Buccaneers won't have any Floridian friends joining their brotherhood of imperfection. The Magic are obviously going to win some games this season, especially as Banchero continues to find his NBA legs.
However, even with the Knicks destined to come back down to Earth ... after all, how high could they have gotten in two games? ... it seems like a tall task to go into a buzzing Garden and emerge with a victory on the other side. The Knicks are riding some positive momentum, enough to not be derailed by a winless Magic group that's not only trying to figure out a winning formula but also working through the medical departures of several major contributors.
True to the Knicks' new century fashion, they won't make it easy, but this one stays on the hosts' side. Knicks 115, Magic 104.
Geoff Magliocchetti is on Twitter @GeoffJMags.
You can follow Jeremy Brener on Twitter @JeremyBrener.
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