Are the Knicks Finally on the Right Path?

Author: Dylan Nijankin

Editor: Mark Awadallah

What a Win! The Knicks had an awesome second half against the Pacers last night. After struggling in most of the first half the Knicks were able to make a late 2nd quarter run, highlighted by Derrick Rose’s buzzer-beater shot.

Similar to the rest of the Knicks, Julius Randle had a slow start in this game, but by the end, he had another amazing game: 28 PTS, 6 AST, and 10 REB. He had a much better game than Domantas Sabonis, who was also in the race for the all-star game, even more securing his spot in the all-star game.

Just another exciting game, that has now taken the Knicks to the .500 mark, which they have not been at since 2016. If the Knicks win tonight, they will be over 500 going into March for the first time since 2013.

Although there is a lot of excitement around these Knicks, the Knicks cannot lose focus. Below are five areas that the Knicks need to focus on in order to solidify themselves as playoff contenders this season.

1. Big Man, Big Issues

Center Mitchell Robinson’s hand fracture is a huge blow to the Knicks. He was one of their brightest players, and a big piece of their frontcourt, tipping in buckets and blocking shots with ease. With him gone for the next handful of weeks, Nerlens Noel will have to do some heavy lifting. Taj Gibson will also be getting more minutes. This is not a good thing, as centers in the league have easily shown their ability to power past both of these players. The Knicks have to make a move at the center position; even when Mitchell Robinson comes back, he will need help. Tom Thibodeau should immediately be scouting the league to buff up the team at the five. This will also help with what we’ll talk about below.

2. It’s a Matter of Time

Thibodeau has been criticized throughout his career for his management of players’ minutes, going back to how much he played Derrick Rose while with the Bulls. This season, the Knicks’ minutes are all over the place. Julius Randle has been averaging 36 minutes per game, easily the highest on the team. He also has been playing night in and night out. Signing a big new man will help free up Randle’s frontcourt duties, but that is just one of the many issues that need to be addressed. Thibodeau needs to fix the minutes across the entire team. Obi Toppin hasn’t seen a lot of on-court action, which is disappointing. He would be of great help to the Knicks frontcourt in taking the load off Randle. Additionally, Elfrid Payton has been playing better, but he gets a considerable number of minutes and takes away playtime from Immanuel Quickley and Derrick Rose, who have an interesting dynamic together. Oftentimes, Tom will play two of these players at once, affecting RJ’s minutes. The mismanagement of minutes between these players shows another problem the Knicks have:

3. Guards Galore

The Knicks have an overabundance of players in the guard positions, which creates problems beyond just minutes. Chemistry is hurt by the constant rotation of backcourt players. Rose was brought in to mentor the younger players but can’t play his natural point guard position if Quickley starts there. With Payton often paired alongside Barrett, RJ doesn’t have as much development with Quickley. RJ can also pair with Rose, but if Quickley is in with Rose, RJ can’t be in. It’s just a mess of combinations. This also goes without mentioning Reggie Bullock, who plays a considerable number of minutes at shooting guard. The Knicks really need to have a set team with clear minute scheduling, night in and night out. Once this is figured out, the Knicks can address:

4. Keeping Consistent

If the Knicks want to fight for a playoff spot, they’re going to have to play solid basketball every night. The win against the Timberwolves was a win, but it was barely a win. The Knicks can’t be in control of an entire game and then see the other team fight back, win or lose. The team seems to get very streaky. Sometimes all their shots drain, sometimes none. They’ll win three in a row, only to lose four. At least the losing streak was prevented with the win against the Timberwolves, but the performance still showed how inconsistent the team can be. If they want to continue to win, the Knicks have to maintain consistency. Once this is achieved, the Knicks can focus on the last piece of the puzzle, which is…

5. Finding a Face

The Knicks currently have a solid group of players. Randle has been playing at an All-Star level, Quickley has been incredibly impressive, and Barrett is finally finding comfort in his role with the team. Although these players’ performances shouldn’t be underestimated, help is still needed. The Knicks need someone to be centered around. Someone who can take a leadership role while playing incredible to match. Most superstars have lost interest in the Knicks lately, with the franchise’s foolish mistakes costing them valuable contracts with some of the league’s biggest stars. Times are changing though. The future bright for the Knicks, led by the aforementioned players. It is time for the Knicks to make the move for the big player, who will lead their young players to stardom. The team is decent right now, but it is evident that it is lacking a core. A trade, or even a quick signing, can solve this problem.

New York still has a long way to go until they are a consistently successful NBA franchise. On the bright side, where the team is right now isn’t a bad start. The building blocks have been put in place, between the rising young stars and Thibodeau’s energetic coaching. Key areas in the team still need to be worked on before the Knicks can really break through. Once the Knicks can address these issues, the Garden might see some good basketball. All in all, Knicks fans shouldn’t start getting excited about the team just yet but should deservedly be hopeful for the team’s future.

SPORTS ARE OUR UNIVERSE

The Resurrection of the Knicks

Author: Will Goldmark

Editor: Mark Awadallah

It goes without saying that the New York Knickerbockers have exceeded expectations throughout the first 32 games of the NBA season. Currently sitting at 15-17, the Knicks would face off against their rivals from across the East River if the season ended today. This team’s roster is not dramatically different from last year. Sure, Austin Rivers has excelled in his leadership role, and rookie Immanuel Quickley has made an immediate impact by displaying his natural knack for scoring in a number of ways. However, the quick turnaround from last year’s 21-45 team primarily falls on the shoulders of two people: Julius Randle and Tom Thibodeau

Randle looks like a completely different human this year. He’s shooting far more efficiently, with his 3P% has improved from 28% to 41%. His playmaking abilities have also been exhibited this year, as he’s been exceptional at finding the open man and refraining from taking contested shots. Randle has had the appearance of the player the Lakers drafted 7th overall in 2014, and he is certainly living up to his $63 million contract that the Knicks doled out the previous offseason.

Of course, Randle deserves plenty of credit for adjusting his game after a rough start to his tenure in New York. However, head coach Tom Thibodeau should also be acknowledged for helping resurrect Randle’s career and for changing the culture of the entire team. No New York Knicks fans are going to lie; this roster is not the most talented in the NBA. However, they play just as hard as anyone, as they are the current league leaders in Opp. PPG and Opp. FG%. This team is composed of young and hungry ballplayers that bring energy every time they step on the court.

Regardless of how fun it might be for Knicks fans to watch their team compete in a night-in, night-out basis, let’s face reality: this team is not going anywhere this year. However, this squad largely resembles the 2018-2019 Brooklyn Nets. That Nets team was not filled with the superstars that they currently have, but rather a core of scrappy players that willed themselves into the playoffs off of sheer effort and cohesiveness as a unit. The league took notice, and the following offseason, Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving decided to start the new chapter of their careers there. If the Knicks can hang around .500 this season, while continuing to properly develop their young players, this year will be considered an enormous success.

SPORTS ARE OUR UNIVERSE

Who are the New Orleans Pelicans?

Author: Jack Gordon

Editor: Aaron Mesco

With a 13-17 record, the New Orleans Pelicans currently stand in the 11th spot in the Western Conference. They are one of the most fascinating and confusing teams in the NBA - one that raises a lot of questions.

WHAT are the Pelicans exactly? Are they contenders? Are they a lottery team? Are they trying to make the playoffs?

It’s a little difficult to understand what the goals for this team are, and what kind of play-style they want to have under Stan Van Gundy given the current roster. Turn on one of their games at any given moment, and there’s a chance that they look supremely talented and exciting; there’s also a chance that they look confused and won't stop turning the ball over. They sit in the middle of the pack in almost every statistical category, and much like a college student leaving home for the first time, the Pelicans have an identity crisis.

WHO is the Pelicans’ best player? Is it Zion or is it Ingram?

Let’s start with Ingram, who the team recently minted with a 5-year max extension in the offseason. New Orleans clearly views him as a cornerstone of the franchise, and to be fair, that’s not a crazy thing. Ingram is a talented player with skill and length and has been playing at close to an all-star level.

However, his stats are almost identical to last year, and while he’s a good player, does it seem unreasonable to ask if Ingram is actually the type of player to lead a championship team? It feels weird to think about. Some players are destined to be good players on average teams - not to say Ingram is there, but it’s something to keep in mind.

For Zion, it seems strange to feel disappointed because he’s been pretty great. He’s averaging 25 points and 7 rebounds on an absurd 62 percent from the field and has barely played 50 games in his entire career. There is no doubt that when Zion has the ball in transition or makes a move at the top of the key, he is one of the most unstoppable players in the league. Yes, everybody talks about his second jump to the point where it becomes annoying, but it’s true. His activity around the rim is elite, and there’s no question that teams panic when he has the ball, and that he still has the potential to be a generational talent.

And yet, he doesn’t look right on the floor. He still looks a little heavy, laboring down the court and playing a little more below the rim than expected. What happened to the viral in-game 360-windmill-transition dunks we saw in high school and college? He still is lacking on the defensive end and is a strange fit with Ingram and the rest of the roster. Should they build around these two guys together? That brings us to the next question…

WHY did New Orleans construct the roster like this? I thought as of 2016 we all agreed that spacing and shooting threats were an essential part of the way that basketball is now played.

While this team does happen to be in the middle of the pack in terms of their 3PT%, just take a look at their starting lineup: Zion, Ingram, and Steven Adams (who is getting $18 million a year) in the frontcourt, with Eric Bledsoe (who was the best player they hauled in from the Holiday trade) and Lonzo Ball (who for some reason we can’t decide whether or not he should be playing in the NBA) in the backcourt. Optically, that’s a really ugly team from a spacing perspective. Bledsoe and Ball actually haven’t been terrible from beyond the arc this season, but I don’t think that any defender in the league is yelling “Shooter!” when closing out on these guys. And why did the team feel the need to trade for Steven Adams with such a massive contract? I love Steven Adams, but it seems like the Pelicans overpaid for a center that doesn’t make sense on the team, in a center market where Tristan Thompson got $9 million, and Christian Wood got $13 million. This lack of spacing makes it even harder for a player like Zion to have lanes to the paint where he easily dominates.

WHERE does the team go from here?

“Well, they have a bucket full of draft picks,” you say. Okay, if you actually look at all their picks, it’s not all that awesome. Other than their own picks, it’s a lot of future picks and pick swaps with the Lakers and Bucks, who are probably going to be better than the Pelicans (just a hunch) and thus will provide pretty meaningless draft spots.

The good news is that the West is so bunched up this year that the Pelicans could easily make the playoffs if they put some games together. The bad news is that long term, the timeline for this team is not clear. They need to figure out if they want to contend, whether or not they want to keep Zion and Ingram together and answer some important questions about their future.

SPORTS ARE OUR UNIVERSE