Knicks 131, Pacers 114: Looking ahead
Last Friday, an average preseason game yielded way to the Obi Toppin Show. What can be learned from the Knicks’ last preseason outing as they gear up to face the Pacers again tonight? And what questions will persist through the final two games of the preseason?
The Knicks played a basketball game last Friday night! If you’re like me, you took a couple of days to yourself, maybe you watched some football, or perhaps you took a break from sports altogether and got some of that fresh air many people seem to be fond of. But forget all that. Because now it’s Wednesday, which means the Knicks are mere hours from taking the court again for their third preseason contest, against the same Pacers they’ll face tonight. What did we learn last Friday night? And what should we look for tonight? Let’s dive in…
A brief recap
Without Evan Fournier or Quentin Grimes, the Knicks started the game with four familiar faces — Jalen Brunson, RJ Barrett, Julius Randle, and Mitchell Robinson — plus a new one: Cam Reddish. For Reddish, who is not expected to be a part of the opening night rotation, this could potentially have served as an audition. Head coach Tom Thibodeau is famously strict with his rotation — once it’s set, it’s set — so Reddish must have been feeling at least a tiny bit of pressure to perform well enough to give Thibodeau something to think about. The results ran parallel to Reddish’s career thus far: a bit shaky but leaving you with something to hold onto.
The Knicks as a unit came out slow. Seven minutes into the contest, the only two players on the scoreboard were Brunson and Barrett, both of whom have looked spectacular through two preseason games. Any concerns about potential fit issues should, at least, be tempered watching the two of them play together. It would be disingenuous to call either a tremendous passer, and it’s not as if they’re running two-man action to enhance one another. But what they are doing is playing off each other in a way that feels very natural. Each is actively engaged when the other is running the show, something that hasn’t been the case between Knicks stars sharing the court in recent memory.
The most recent example of this, of course, is Randle, who has been put in a damn near impossible position. In 2020-21, Randle played a certain way which saw him make an All-Star team, win Most Improved Player, make second team All-NBA, and receive a nine-figure contract extension. Yet, barely 18 months later, the franchise he did all of that for and its fans are practically begging him to change the style with which he plays the game. This is by no means a defense of Randle. His 2021-22 was painstakingly horrendous and, with improved talent around him, the team has evolved past the need for an offense built around Julius playing helio-ball. I just find it paramount to point out that this isn’t an easy thing, these guys aren’t robots. A tiger doesn’t change his stripes.
Like Reddish, the early results have been shaky. Randle came out Game 1 of the preseason and gave more effort than he did in any of the last 20 games of last season. He also seemed to embrace a style shift. The first play of the game involved him setting a ball screen for new point guard Brunson. On defense, Thibodeau has loosened the shackles a bit and allowed Randle to switch onto guards rather than always playing drop coverage. Randle is at his best when switching, as if he views the matchups as a challenge.
But Friday night revealed what I think most Knick fans knew deep down; this is going to take some time. Randle still fancies himself a star. There are going to be stretches where he reverts to the player I can only imagine a large part of him believes he is. In the second quarter, Randle completely dominated the action. One possession after the next seemed more and more like the Julius Randle Show many fans grew frustrated with last season. Barrett attempted zero shots in the last four minutes of the half. That’s OK! I don’t think anyone is asking Randle to stop shooting altogether. The balance is what’s important, as is the ability to disallow shooting results from dictating effort in other areas of the game. I don’t think it’s close to panic time yet, it’s just something to look out for.
Obi
The star of the game was Obi Toppin. It’s getting tougher and tougher to justify what most assume his role will be this upcoming season. As a coach, it’s important to have a foundation. A certain code that represents what you value on the basketball court. For Tom Thibodeau, a huge part of his foundation is protecting the basket. Thibodeau’s strength has always fallen on the defensive end of the court, and clearly he doesn’t believe in the combination of Randle and Toppin on that side of the ball. But, at a certain point, it doesn’t matter. You have to play your best players the most minutes. That’s how you win the most games. And Toppin, who ended last year’s forgettable season on an absolute tear, is picking up right where he left off, looking as comfortable as he ever has.
And don’t let anyone fool you, this is not just a freak athlete wow-ing with contest-level dunks. At least, that’s not all this is. No. This is a player showcasing his entire arsenal of tricks. He’s dancing with the ball in his hands showing a handle few knew he had. He’s spacing the floor with confidence, not only stepping into threes from a standstill, but shooting them on the move. He’s leaking out after misses at an increasing frequency, making opposing teams pay for being slow to get back or having the audacity to give a guard the responsibility. Most importantly, Toppin has not lost what has made him special from Day 1; he is simply a winning player. He connects his team when he is on the floor in a way very few are capable of. He does not need to dominate the ball to provide impact. His movement and quick decision making do that for him. Two more games of this, and who to start at shooting guard won’t be Thibodeau’s only dilemma.
A final breakdown
Despite their slow start, the Knicks quickly righted the ship and did not look back. The final score (131-114 Knicks) actually undersold how in control the Knicks were throughout the final 30 minutes of the game. Alongside Toppin, Brunson, and Barrett, young guards Immanuel Quickley and Deuce McBride pitched in with two more solid efforts, and Robinson continued to be a one-man wrecking crew on the interior.
Looking ahead
As the Knicks head into another showdown with Indiana Wednesday night, multiple questions still loom large over the Knicks’ heads. Each of these will be major storylines as they look to shore up their opening night rotation:
Who will Thibodeau start at Shooting Guard?
Will Thibodeau expand the rotations and play calls?
Will Randle’s play style shift continue to progress?
How will Isaiah Hartenstein fit in?
Assuming Quickley (who is the best overall player who plays shooting guard minutes) is not an option, which it appears he isn’t for some reason, I believe Thibodeau has to go with Grimes at shooting guard. Fournier’s biggest, and possibly only, edge on Grimes is initiation with the ball in his hands. That edge is almost moot in a lineup with Brunson, Barrett and Randle. Whoever starts with them will be the fourth option at best. What you want next to them is someone who can ease the defensive burden from Barrett and shoot the lights out off the catch. Both Fournier and Grimes excel as catch-and-shooters, but only Grimes has value on the other side of the ball. In addition, Fournier could actually benefit from coming off the bench. He’d have the ball in his hands more and could face weaker competition that may not be as capable of exploiting his poor defense, or defending his at times prolific offense.
Thibodeau has mixed up his rotations a bit. On Friday we saw a three-guard lineup of Derrick Rose with Quickley and McBride. While hardly reinventing the wheel, it has not been the hockey shift substitution pattern Knicks fans have come to know. And his plays have gotten slightly more creative, using off-ball action to keep all five opposing defenders engaged more of the time. However, I am skeptical as to what will carry over. It’s been reported that Thibodeau believes he is coaching for his job. I don’t think someone in that position, someone who has done things a certain way for almost 40 years, is going to wake up one day and just embrace change. I hope I am wrong.
Like Thibodeau, Randle falls in the wait and see camp. He continues to say the right things, and, through two preseason games, his play has backed up his comments more often than not. But there has been no distress yet. How will Randle react after an especially poor shooting night? Or, worse, how will he react on a night the Knicks lose and he only attempts eight shots? Self-awareness is a trait getting rarer and rarer these days. How long will it take Randle to convince himself the way out of a hole is for him to dig by himself?
Lastly, Hartenstein had a rough outing Friday night. It appears the Knicks have not figured him out entirely yet. No matter, it’s been two preseason games. If you watch last season’s tape, you’ll see Hartenstein excelled in dribble hand-offs and also when he faced up to the basket in space. Passing is his best attribute, and he showcased a unique combination of vision and skill, especially for a center.
Hartenstein had an auspicious debut, but looking back on it, a big part of it was just hot shooting. But the Knicks did not sign Hartenstein to shoot 200 threes. That’s not what made him such an underrated player last season. To optimize him, they need to play off of him some. The effort is there, and considering the guys he plays with there are plenty of reasons to remain optimistic it will work out. But it’s definitely something to keep your eye on, as are many things in these last two preseason games.
