The Knicks face a fierce schedule after the All Star shutdown with a four-game road trip starting Thursday: Milwaukee, Oklahoma City, Brooklyn and Philadelphia. It’s a 1-3 trip waiting.
That’s why it’s sweet for Knicks fans to have a week to savor their current 19-18 record. Because for the first time since the 2013-14 season, the Knicks will play significant games after the All-Star break.
The worst part of the seven-year playoff drought was being eliminated by March 1 of the previous six seasons.
Here are four positive recommendations from the first 37 games of the season (a game beyond the mathematical midpoint of the 72-game pandemic calendar):
Stocks rise more than Knicks ’outlook
The key to this supposed rebuilding season was the development of Kevin Knox, Mitchell Robinson, RJ Barrett, Dennis Smith Jr. and Frank Ntilikina. It’s a 3-2 win, with Knox and Smith slipping.
The Knicks were unable to change Smith fast enough on Super Bowl Sunday after a mediocre preseason and a quad injury early in the season. In fact, they got good value, with the Pistons willing to accede to Derrick Rose’s commercial desire for the Knicks.
Knox fell out of Tom Thibodeau’s short rotation last month and finds himself, in the coach’s dreaded vernacular, in a “situational” situation. , Thibodeau has little use for him now and is a commercial candidate.
As for the general ledger market, Barrett has progressed as a more efficient goal scorer as he has improved both three-point shooting and free throwing. He is even stronger as a slasher.
Before Robinson broke his right hand, the center had established itself as an elite rim protector capable of staying out of serious trouble. Robinson will be assessed hand in hand Wednesday, but has advanced.
Meanwhile, Ntilikina has changed his narrative over the past ten days. Before February 25, the Frenchman hadn’t played since late December, but now he’s suddenly hotter than a French bistro and has sunk his last six triples. At the very least, the restricted free agent of 2021 increased its commercial value.
“Watching him play, making his way through things, his versatility, he can play all three perimeter positions,” Thibodeau said. “And his filming has really come.”
The new Dr. J
Julius Randle’s transformation from free agent bust to a bona fide 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 most for a Knick in an entire season. He has also played in all 37 games, which is no small feat in the fragile NBA era. Now that there are a limited number of fans attending the games, you are listening to “MVP” chants. Seriously, he has become a strong candidate for the improved player award.
Tale of two novices
When the NBA CEOs preseason poll came out, the Knicks 2020 lottery tip Toppin was third in the Rookie of the Year vote. Rookie teammate Immanuel Quickley didn’t play in the preseason opening, scoring eight minutes in the next game, looking like a first-round pick that would have trouble finding time on a tight backcourt. The narrative has been turned upside down, while Quickley is a mainstay on Thibodeau’s bench. Toppin struggles to get minutes (12.7) and gain traction behind Randle. Quickley was not named to the U.S. Rising Stars list because of the silly format of having to pick international newcomers who didn’t deserve to be on the world team. But he has become a fan favorite with his fearsome 3-point aim (38.1%), the brilliance of free throws (making a record 94 of his first 100 free throws) and a float that until recently it could not be missed. His selection has eliminated Leon Rose’s Toppin lottery selection, which has a 23-year-old project.
Advice is important
For the first 28 games before the injury to Robinson’s hand, Thibodeau was left with the same starting lineup – all five poor quality club remnants from last season. And Thibodeau has kept the Knicks around .500 all season, remaking a culture emphasizing the importance of winning. He has coached Elfrid Payton, RJ Barrett and Randle. Thibodeau expertly managed a diverse technical body delivered to him by Rose and senior vice president William Wesley. The possibility of Thibodeau ending up spending his players in May can never be ruled out, but the first 38 games have been as magical as a beach in the Turks and Caicos shunts. Knicks ’senior explorer Larry Greer, previously with Minnesota, tweeted Thursday:” A lot of coaches ask you what’s the first thing you’ve learned working with coach Thibodeau. It’s this. say Thibodeau. “It’s not a particular thing, it’s how you do everything.” This can apply to ANY COMPANY !!! “