The Knicks face a tough schedule after the All-Star break with a four-game trip starting on Thursday: Milwaukee, Oklahoma City, Brooklyn and Philadelphia. It’s a 1-3 trip waiting to happen.
That’s why Knicks fans have a week to savor their current 19-18 record. Because, for the first time since the 2013-14 season, the Knicks will play meaningful games after the All-Star break.
The worst part of the seven-year playoff drought was virtually eliminated on March 1 in the previous six seasons.
Here are four positive conclusions from the first 37 games of the season (one game after the mathematical midpoint of the 72-game pandemic schedule):
Stocks rise more than fall in Knicks’ outlook
The key to this alleged reconstruction season was the development of Kevin Knox, Mitchell Robinson, RJ Barrett, Dennis Smith Jr. and Frank Ntilikina. It’s a 3-2 victory – with Knox and Smith pulling away.
The Knicks were unable to negotiate with Smith quickly enough in Sunday’s Super Bowl after a mediocre preseason and a hip injury earlier in the season. They really got a good price, with the Pistons willing to give in to Derrick Rose’s desire to trade with the Knicks.
Knox fell from Tom Thibodeau’s short rotation last month and is – in the coach’s dreaded vernacular – “situational”. Knox showed a special talent for playing 3 and 4, but although he improved his 3 point shot (38.9 percent), Thibodeau is of little use to him now and is a commercial candidate.
On the bull market side of the ledger, Barrett has progressed as a more efficient scorer with the improvement of his 3-point pitches and free throws. He’s even stronger as a murderer.
Before Robinson broke his right hand, the pivot had established himself as an elite hoop protector, able to avoid problems. Robinson will have his hand evaluated Wednesday, but he has been making progress.
Ntilikina, in turn, changed her narrative in the last 10 days. Before February 25, the Frenchman had not played since the end of December, but now he is hotter than a French bistro, and he has sunk his last six points of 3 points. At a minimum, the 2021 restricted free agent has increased its commercial value.
“Watching him play, working his way through things, his versatility, he can play all three positions on the perimeter,” said Thibodeau. “And your shot really came. ”
The New Dr. J
Julius Randle’s transformation from a free agent to a legitimate All-Star is one of the best stories in the NBA. Randle has 10 games with at least 25 points, 10 rebounds and five assists. This is the second maximum for a Knick in an entire season. He also played in all 37 games – a no small feat in the fragile NBA era. Now that a limited number of fans are watching the games, he is hearing the screeching screams of “MVP”. In fact, he became a strong contender for the Most Improved Player Award.
Tale of Two Newbies
When the NBA general managers’ preseason survey was published, Knicks 2020 lottery winner Obi Toppin finished third in the Rookie of the Year vote. Newcomer Immanuel Quickley did not play in the preseason opening, so there was eight minutes into the next game, looking like a late pick for the first round that would have trouble finding time on a packed backcourt. The narrative was turned upside down, with Quickley a mainstay of Thibodeau’s bench, while. Toppin is struggling to get minutes (12.7) and gain traction behind Randle. Quickley was not nominated for the US Rising Stars list because of the silly format of having to choose unworthy rookies for the World Team. But he became a fan favorite with his fearless aim of 3 points (38.1%), free throw brilliance (reaching a record 94 of his first 100 free throws) and a floater that until recently was a must-see. His choice took the pressure off of choosing Leon Rose’s Toppin in the lottery, which is a 23-year-old project.
Coaching issues
In the first 28 games before Robinson’s injury to the hand, Thibodeau kept the same starting lineup – all five of the poor quality club from last season. And Thibodeau kept the Knicks at around 0.500 throughout the season, remaking a culture by emphasizing the importance of victory. He trained Elfrid Payton, RJ Barrett and Randle. Thibodeau skillfully managed a diverse technical team that was delivered to him by Rose and senior vice president William Wesley. The possibility that Thibodeau might eventually exhaust his players by May can never be ruled out, but the first 38 games were as magical as a beach in Turks and Caicos that he avoids. Larry Greer, a Knicks forward scout previously in Minnesota, tweeted on Thursday: “Many coaches ask what you learned first by working with Coach Thibodeau. It’s this “culture is how you do everything,” said Thibodeau. “It is not a private thing, it is how you do everything.” This can be applied to ANY BUSINESS !!! “