Knicks 121, Hornets 106: Here’s to many more like it
The Knicks did what fans have been waiting for for weeks now and finally played their young players over a whole game together. The result? A whomping of the Hornets on the road.
At 7:01 PM ET I walked into the restaurant I was meeting my father at for dinner. Living in South Carolina, Hornets and Hawks games are blacked out for me (I am a League Pass subscriber who is unplugged), so on the nights I cannot watch at home I typically find a place close by to sit and watch. Unfortunately, this place was packed and would not be an option.
“Definitely missing tip-off,” I thought in the back of my mind.
After calling my dad and choosing a second spot, I drove over and found good seating in front of multiple televisions. I flagged down a staff member and asked to change one of the unoccupied televisions to the Knicks game. It took a few minutes but we found the channel right as the opening tip was being tossed. A wave of relief washed over me like ocean water, but I was immediately overcome with guilt. Not that I almost missed a few minutes of a — relatively — meaningless basketball game, but that I was indifferent about it in the first place.
The truth of the matter is when you reach this point in the season, these games can only matter for one of two reasons: playoff seeding or youthful development. But the Knicks don’t seem too concerned with either. Well, they say they’re chasing the play-in tournament, but it doesn’t take a genius to understand how slim the odds of obtaining even the 10 seed is. And even if it were a loftier twenty percent, is riding the same veteran-heavy lineups that got them 10 games under .500 in exchange for focusing on development even worth it? So, yeah, the Knicks have made it harder to care recently.
Which is what made last night all the more special. It wasn’t just a throwaway regular season game. And it wasn’t even all about getting a win (though that helped). No, this was a vacation from purgatory. It was an olive branch handed to Knicks fans as if to say, “sorry this season has been so crappy, for one night we’re going to give you everything you’ve been asking for.” And, perhaps most importantly, it could be the first game that had real long-term implications for players on this roster not named Julius Randle or RJ Barrett.
If you’ve made it this far, I have no doubt you know what the result was: the Knicks beat the Hornets, fresh off five wins in a row, 121 to 106 in their own building. They demolished them from start to finish. And they did so on the backs of a nine-man rotation, who, if you remove the ageless Taj Gibson, have an average age of 23.75. For a fanbase loyal enough to continue tuning in, but sick to the core of watching the same fruitless routines, this was the reprieve we desperately needed.
The energy that radiated amongst the fanbase started in Charlotte, where the Knicks played. Coming off a back-to-back, and missing not only Randle for the second straight game, but Mitchell Robinson, inarguably their most valuable defender AND rebounder, the Knicks could have easily laid an egg. But, as any Knick fan is far too aware of, head coach Tom Thibodeau won’t stand for that. Perhaps the biggest endorsement of him as a coach is how the entire Knicks roster, save one of the men sitting out last night, continues to battle night in and night out. And last night was no different. From the opening tip, they were prepared to fight like their lives depended on it.
But this wasn’t a Thibodeau grit-fest from the 2011 Chicago Bulls handbook. The Knicks scored 40 points in the first quarter. FORTY. After spending the season contributing in short bursts, Randle’s injury has ceded way for Obi Toppin’s first real chance to show us what he is made of. If last night was any indication, he plans on making the most of it.
Since Day 1 in the NBA, Toppin’s processing speed has stood out to me. They say that for some of the most elite athletes, the sports they play move slower than they do for the rest of us. Toppin is far from an elite NBA player, but he clearly sees the game like one. He rarely has to stop and analyze any situation. As the NBA continues to evolve and grow more efficient, quick processing becomes more valuable. Any advantage an offense creates is reduced by time wasted, which is why it has always been such a joy to see Toppin run into a pass on the perimeter and immediately dribble into a hand-off for a teammate. He hasn’t figured out how to succeed individually in the role the Knicks have assigned for him, but, nonetheless, he has figured out how to impact the game incrementally and intangibly however he can in spite of his limitations.
Toppin finished the game with 18 points, 11 rebounds, six assists, a steal, and a block, but he wasn’t alone. Joining him in the starting lineup were veterans Alec Burks and Evan Fournier, whose roles continue to shift in opposite directions, for the betterment of both players. The much-maligned Burks, who was once loved for his off-the-bench scoring, has seen his point guard duties reeled in drastically. With Barrett taking a leap and handling more on-ball responsibilities, Burks has been allowed to move to his more natural position off the ball. He hit two 3-pointers out of the gate off of beautiful Knicks offense and didn’t look back.
And Fournier, who has spent most of the season off the ball, has seen his creation duties increase. The Fournier we’ve seen recently is the one Knicks fans thought they were getting when they signed him. We didn’t want just a shooter. Reggie Bullock eclipsed 40% from three last season and brought plus defense along with it. No, Knicks fans wanted someone who could cut into the teeth of a defense and put easy baskets for teammates on a platter. Fournier finished last night’s game tying for a team (and individual season) high with seven assists (as well as breaking John Starks’ single-season 3-point made record set all the way back in 1994-95). He has especially developed a knack for finding big men in the paint with a mismatch and entrusting them to finish the job. When you think of Mitchell Robinson and Jericho Sims, you mostly think of dunks and alley-oops. But Fournier sees more. Sims’ first basket last night came catching the ball five feet from the basket with his back to it. Fournier saw him with a guard on him and whipped a pass into him. Sims caught it, took a dribble and a drop step clearing his defender out of the way, and slammed it home. Of Sims’ five field goals last night (he was 5-5), Fournier assisted him on four of them.
Speaking of Sims, he and Barrett filled out the starting lineup and contributed to the win as well. Sims made some rookie mistakes — one moving screen and one missed the rotation — that drew the ire of Thibodeau. But across 26 minutes, he continued to show flashes of a young center who can be a solid contributor on both ends of the floor. He is already a very good screener, using his wide frame optimally and willingly. He also has rare leaping ability but matches it with baby-soft hands that engulf any pass thrown his way.
For Barrett, despite what some beat writers would tell you, this was just another workmanlike performance. He’s making 30-point games look routine. And he’s doing so in a way that feels more sustainable than his scoring explosions of the past two seasons. Whereas those were largely dependent on perimeter shooting, this year’s Barrett is relentless, attacking the basket at will. Only nine of his points last night came from three; he was 7-12 from inside the arc. For someone who has been consistently amongst the bottom in 2-point efficiency, this trend of attacking and scoring (or drawing a foul) successfully, has been a game-changer for Barrett and his ceiling.
While the start was solid, things didn’t really pick up until the bench filled in. Namely, Immanuel Quickley. Quickley has been a revelation as of late. Most of the conversations surrounding him are fruitless, both because the arguments made by his detractors are illogical, but also because Thibodeau has made it clear he’s not starting him. And despite only playing 21 minutes last night, Quickley was probably their most impactful player.
From the second he stepped on the floor, everything changed. If you get a chance, I encourage you to rewatch the first half of his first shift. He checked in at the 5:16 mark of the first quarter with the Knicks leading 18-14, and by the end of the quarter the score was 40-24. That’s right, a 22-10 run in just over five minutes of play. And he spearheaded the entire thing. The Knicks were getting good looks each time down the floor because of his play. Along with Toppin, Quickley is by far the most influential Knick to the team’s pace. When Quickley plays, the team runs. And that has only become more apparent since he’s emphasized rebounding more (he’s over seven rebounds per 36 minutes over his last 13 games).
The rest of the bench followed suit. Taj brought everything that keeps his head coach so overwhelmingly loyal to him, and more. He even hit two threes! Rookies Quentin Grimes and Deuce McBride brought their usual energy and grit on the defensive end. McBride had his most impactful offensive game since being re-inserted into the rotation, knocking down a few threes and adding a highlight reel assist. And while Grimes has struggled a bit offensively since his return from injury, he hit one of the game’s biggest shots, stopping the Hornets from closing within striking range midway through the fourth quarter.
All in all, this was a fantastic game from start to finish. Despite being just that, one game, it is apparent that fans are beginning to see guys like Toppin and Fournier, and their roles on this franchise, in a new light. And they want to see more. The worst thing you can do to a hungry group of people is give them a taste of what they want. It only makes them want it more. And trust me, Knicks fans want something to be excited about. More than anything.
Sports fandom is an unusual concept. One where the team you root for can drive you nuts all season long but, still, one hundred and fifty six grueling nights into the season, a father and a son will drive around the small Carolina island they live on to find a restaurant with DirecTV because the game is blacked out in their home. To be a sports fan is to relentlessly pursue nirvana and, if you’re lucky, get to experience it. To be a Knicks fan is to feel like you’re never going to experience it combined with a resignation to find solace in whatever little victories you can.
But last night was a reminder that the beauty and happiness of a sports fan can exist for Knicks fans too. Middle grounds are a large part of life. And for the Knicks, it’s likely been the answer all season long. Just as Thibodeau could have had his cake and eaten it too had he infused the youthful exuberance of the Knicks’ roster into the rotation earlier than he did. But, at least for one night, the sky wasn’t falling. It was just a bunch of kids running up and down the 94 by 50 hardwood court, trying to put an orange ball into a circular hoop — and, mostly, succeeding. It wasn’t perfect. But it was imperfectly wonderful.
Here’s to many more like it.
