The New York Knicks started the season optimistically after a surprisingly strong season and some good moves in the Free Agency. It got off to a good start, but in the end there was a problem in the Big Apple. The Starting Five has been a disaster so far. Does coach Tom Thibodeau have to change anything?
New York is not a normal basketball location, it is the Mecca with possibly the best and most frenetic fans of the NBA. Nowhere are higher ups and deeper lows than in the heart of Manhattan. Half of New York was in each other’s arms a good month ago when the Knicks defeated the Boston Celtics to kick off after double extension.
The cheers of the fans in front of the hall went viral, “Bing Bong” was born, as was the image of the voluminous fan who shaped his fingers into an “L” in front of his forehead. The fact that the Knicks started with 5-1 multiplied the euphoria and invited to dream.
To a certain extent that was understandable. After the surprising playoff entry last year, Kemba Walker and Evan Fournier, two of the better available free agents, were lured into the Big Apple, the two guards were supposed to relieve Julius Randle and ensure more dynamism and scoring from the backcourt. The euphoria is history for the moment.
New York Knicks: Home defeats slowed the euphoria
With a balance of 9-8, the Knicks are only ninth in the east, the initially furious offense has stalled. Two home defeats against basement child Orlando as well as further bankruptcies against Toronto or Cleveland have caused disillusionment.
“They played hard, we didn’t,” grumbled Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau after the second bankruptcy against Magic. They were words that made people sit up and take notice, as you could never blame the Knicks for this in the preseason. These Knicks were less talented, they mostly worked out their victories with physical play. The New Yorkers ranked 24th (!) In the offensive rating for fourth place in the east.
Well it has become loud Cleaning the Glass Last year’s elite defensive rating of the Knicks only deteriorated by 0.4 points, but the offensive rating of all teams has dropped by an average of 4 points, which is why the Knicks are only average in their parade discipline at the moment.
New York Knicks: Zankapfel Starting Five
The big topic in New York is not even the defense, but above all the new starting five. The combination of Walker, Fournier, RJ Barrett, Randle and Mitchell Robinson played the most minutes together in the league, but is the worst quintet in the league after the starting five of the Rockets and Thunder with at least 100 minutes (net rating: -15.5) .
Basically, the Knicks replaced Elfrid Payton and Reggie Bullock with Walker and Fournier, knowing full well that this would weaken the defense. However, a defensive rating of 117 is questionable for the starters. Walker’s weaknesses are well known, Fournier also likes to take breaks, and then there is Randle, who improved last year, but is always the last, especially in transition.
So the voices get louder after changes, but Thibodeau still refuses to change anything. Barrett also recently stated that they simply had not yet found a rhythm. Thibodeau does not want to use as an excuse that this group still needs something to find each other.
New York Knicks: The Stats of the Starters
| player | MIN | PTS | FG% | 3P% | REB | AST | ON/OFF |
| Kemba Walker | 24,7 | 11,7 | 43,1 | 41,7 | 2,4 | 3,0 | -27,7 |
| Evan Fournier | 28,1 | 12,1 | 40,5 | 35,5 | 2,9 | 1,8 | -14,6 |
| R.J. Barrett | 32,8 | 14,9 | 38,8 | 30,5 | 6,1 | 2,4 | -19,2 |
| Julius Randle | 35,4 | 20,4 | 42,2 | 35,3 | 10,0 | 5,1 | -26,7 |
| Mitchell Robinson | 25,7 | 7,1 | 81,1 | – | 7,6 | 0,8 | -16,3 |
New York Knicks: When does Thibodeau react?
“After ten games they say they need 20 games. After 20 they say 30 and after 30 they say 40. And before you know it, the season is over. For me this talk is a lot of bullshit,” said Coach Thibs. He has already taken the first steps, Fournier and Walker spent the entire final quarter on the bench several times, instead it was Derrick Rose, Immanuel Quickley or Alec Burks who had to get the coals out of the fire. It is not uncommon for the bench mob to first turn on the electricity in the venerable MSG.
Thibs is not considering a change in the starting five. Last year it was already noticeable how stubborn the coach could be when all of New York wanted to see Rose for Payton. This wish was only fulfilled when the Knicks in the Plyaoffs against Atlanta had their backs to the wall.
To pin down the “misery” only on the two newcomers would, however, be too short-sighted. The Knicks still have a positive balance in the east that has become stronger and still have plenty of room for improvement. This can also be clearly demonstrated by the Randle personnel. The Power Forward played the season of his life in 20/21, became Most Improved Player and even called into the All-NBA Second Team before the Hawks showed him the limits.
New York Knicks: The Stats of the Reservists
| player | MIN | PTS | FG% | 3P% | REB | AST | ON/OFF |
| Derrick Rose | 22,9 | 12,0 | 45,0 | 41,9 | 2,8 | 3,4 | +24,4 |
| Immanuel Quickley | 18,2 | 8,6 | 39,0 | 36,1 | 1,9 | 2,1 | +26,1 |
| Alec Burks | 21,0 | 9,7 | 42,3 | 43,8 | 3,4 | 1,7 | +8,0 |
| Obi Toppin | 15,0 | 7,8 | 55,6 | 22,2 | 3,6 | 1,1 | +25,7 |
New York Knicks: Julius Randle not in shape yet
Randle is also the fixed star this year, but he has not yet been able to build on his past regular season. “It wasn’t good yet and I think that’s exactly how our season has gone so far,” said the 27-year-old about his performance. There is still a lack of consistency, Randle is the face for this. Randle did not put more than 16 points five times in a row, at the weekend in Chicago it was suddenly 34 again.
His odds are in the basement and the theory that Randle would get easier deals with more offensive power around him has not yet solidified. Randle isolates less, takes fewer long twos and more threes, but none of this has helped his efficiency so far.
The litters from the previous year no longer fall. In 20/21 it was 42 percent for the two-men outside the zone, at the moment it is only 28 percent. At the same time, Randle only took eleven throws against Orlando, ten of which came from downtown. This is not how the image of the Knicks star should look, who has his strengths in the powerful drive to the basket.
New York Knicks: The Truth lies in the middle
And so the Knicks game has been paralyzed in the past few weeks after New York had the best offense in the league at the beginning. 40 percent of deals now come from downtown, an enormous increase of eight percentage points, with the success rate only declining by two points. This is a good formula for success, but now there are deficiencies to be addressed defensively as well.
With the exception of his Wolves years, Thibodeau always managed to do this, and a top 10 defense was immediately created in New York. Despite the situation in the backcourt, that should be the hope this time too. With 9-8 the Knicks are still stable, despite all the discussions about the right lineups.
But that’s the way it is in the Big Apple. Before the season started, Las Vegas set the over / under-line for the Knicks at 41.5 wins, so very thinly in the positive and there the Knicks are after 17 games – exactly where they were initially located. With all the ups (bankers) and downs (starters), the truth lies somewhere in the middle, as is so often the case.
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