Savor this feeling Knick fans, the New York Knicks completed an end to end blow out of the Hawks 143-120 with a barrage of Mitchell Robinson alley-oop dunks that gave New York its highest scoring effort in regulation since 1980. This wasn't just a nice win, this was a wrecking ball against a coke can. Whether it was more Atlanta's struggling unit or the Knicks downhill focused offense, the team really needed a night like this. When I say that everything worked, I really mean that. The Knicks scored 30 or more in every quarter, shooting 56% from the field. They tallied 30 assists and won the rebounding battle by 19 boards. I'm about to sing everyone's praises, strap in, we're going for a rare joy ride in Knicksland!
Frank: It was a strange night for Frank Ntilikina in that I liked a lot of what I saw, but there was plenty to critique as well. Frank played fast and loose for most of the game, knocking down a three to open the game and completing some very nice assists off deep dribble penetration collapsing defenders. But whenever he let up even a little, he was throwing risky passes too early in the possession. So while DSJ and Elfrid Payton took over the offense, Frank sort of set up an offense by committee. This game would be the perfect example to point to for people who feel Frank's not a PG, but then again...what Frank was doing was working. The Knicks (sort of) big-three of Randle, Morris and Barrett were BALLING and the French Prince kept them well fed.
There were two positive aspects to Frank's somewhat passive offensive display. First is that when the Ntilikina did choose to attack off the dribble, he made solid trips into the paint. There was a beautiful pick and roll feed to Julius Randle that really stands out. The other bit is that Frank had good energy for the defensive end, where Trae Young ran the Knicks' best perimeter defender into an array of screens virtually every time down. Ntilikina didn't stop Young by any means, but he did manage to contain the three ball by chasing over screens and running Young off of the line. This left Trae Young floaters as his best option and he made plenty of them, but it at least kept the field goals to 2 pointers for most of Ntilikina's time out there (a real contrast with the other PG's).
Frank put up 3 points, 3 assists, 3 rebounds and 2 TO's in 18 minutes. Nothing to write home about but paired with a low-key impressive defensive performance and the offensive output of everyone else, it was a better game than those numbers suggest. He does need to be smarter with his passes when he's looking to let others orchestrate, getting the ball moving quickly but there's a difference between being quick and rushing.
Barrett: I'm greedy enough to admit that I was a little disappointed...that RJ Barrett missed his first 30 point game by 3 points. Let's not mince words, Barrett's had a tough stretch of games leading into this one but with flashes of life. Against the Hawks, the Duke alumni found his jumper, knocking down 2/3 three pointers and a number of midrange pull-ups. When those shots fall, the Knicks top-3 pick becomes virtually unstoppable. On the night, RJ produced 27 points, 1 assist, 6 boards and a steal off of 10/13 shooting and 5/8 from the free throw line (plus those three's). The kid's not 20 years old and he just put up 27 points on more than 2 points per attempt.
The biggest value that RJ Barrett brings is consistently covering for the Knicks in multiple areas even when he doesn't score. This game was no different with good defense and rebounding helping to craft a complete contribution that went well beyond scoring. When you add in the jumper falling though, that's when RJ Barrett really looks like the guy we should build around. He's forceful on drives with the power to finish through bigger defenders thanks to great lefty finishing and solid right handed work too, which is better than I'd expected. He's also a threat to make the next pass, creating a pick your poison situation. He's one of a handful of young guys that really needed a night like this, hopefully he can build on it...Miami will be tough though.
Morris: So while RJ Barrett was the top scorer, Marcus Morris managed to not take any steps back from being the consistent scoring threat we've relied on all year. Mook also broke the 20 points mark on ridiculous efficiency even when he took tougher shots. Morris put up 22 points, 2 assists and 4 boards on 6/11 shooting, 3/5 from three and 7/7 from the free throw line. He was elusive enough to draw fouls, on fire with the jump shot and happy to pull the trigger whenever the Hawks gave him an inch. But since Mook has done this with some consistency, I'll keep moving right along and just add one more hot take. If the Knicks kept him and turned down a super late first round pick like the Clippers are allegedly offering, I wouldn't be mad.
Randle: Julius Randle only needed 23 minutes to put up a very nice double-double. I actually found the awful shot selection he had on 2 of his first 3 shots a bit endearing to be honest. Randle was back at the Garden after his best stretch of play all season and he wanted to show what he'd found...that led to an ugly circus lay-up and a bad decision on a three ball. But he settled in from there and gave the Knicks a really nice and controlled performance. Randle put up 17 points, 11 boards and 2 assists on 7/15 from the field and 3/4 from the free throw line.
The numbers aren't far off from a typical night with Randle. The assists are down a smidgeon but the efficiency is up to replace those. That's because the Knicks big free agent addition played a smart game for most of the night. What I mean is that he picked his spots. When Randle saw Vince Carter in the post, he took advantage of the strength difference and finished inside. When Randle saw the floor leaning in his direction, he'd swing it up top and fairly often follow the pass to set a screen. This led to a number of athletic finishes as the roll man...something that I have been begging to see more of all damned season! Decision making has held Randle back and frustrated a lot of the fanbase, it's worth noting that the decision making has shown marked growth during the West Coast journey and now in the return home.
Taj: It's the same story, different day with Taj Gibson and that's a good thing. Gibson played 19 minutes and posted 2 points, 3 boards and 3 assists. He ran into some trouble giving too much space to Young in situations where he'd drop in coverage, but that's gonna happen when the ball handler can sink floaters from the free throw line extended even. Other than that, it was the solid workman-like performance that we count on from Gibson.
Payton: With two quick lay-ups, Elfrid Payton started off his run looking like he'd be eating offensively and then shifted gears by reeling off a ton of assists as a playmaker and orchestrator instead. Payton lost a ton of his first half to foul trouble and it took a successful challenge to avoid his third foul in rapid succession. But as long as Payton was out there, he was a maestro. The Knicks' most experienced PG put up 5 points and 9 assists on 2/7 shooting with another 0 turnover game. He's put up 24 assists to 0 turnovers in the past three games.
The gap between Payton and the other young PG's as playmakers has never been more clear. Payton seems the least likely to make teams pay from space, but his ability to get deep into a defense without losing the rock means that he's still able to craft strong possessions.
The 2/7 from the field does show off his glaring weakness, but with his playmaking at such a high level...we can live with a couple of missed bunnies and a couple of missed jumpers. He just can't afford to slip up as a playmaker on nights he's not scoring...it's like Frank with the defense. You can make up for low scoring by being elite someplace else and Payton has started to look like a great table setter, sometimes even better.
DSJ: This was the type of game that Dennis Smith Jr desperately needed. With Elfrid Payton in foul trouble and Frank having one foul already, Mike Miller gave DSJ a look and the young PG responded with his best quarter of the season (and there have been other strong ones). Smith had a spectacular 1st quarter followed by solid play throughout the rest of the game but with a bit of a "back to Earth" feel to it. On the night DSJ put up 8 points, 5 assists and 5 rebounds in just 13 minutes. He still has decision making issues though, with 3 TO's on the night, but that's a lot more acceptable when he's loading up on points and assists at the same time.
The other thing I liked about Smith's play was his defensive effort. That's not to say he played great defense, it's easy to spot the holes in his defensive game when Smith is following Ntilikina and Payton. But Smith had a beauty of a block on one of Young's drives and also showed good effort in rotations and help defense. He HAS to give NY that kind of effort on defense to make up for his shortcomings on that end. That will make him a much more viable option. You want Smith as a viable option because when he gets hot, you'll have times like the first quarter takeover. He also hit 1/2 three pointers which is always nice to see.
Dot: It was nice to see Damyean Dotson bounce back from the struggles in his prior game. Dot was on the same page as his bigs in this one and able to stay out there to be the productive all around contributor we know. Dotson put up 9 points, 1 assist and 1 rebound in 24 minutes on 3/6 shooting, 1/3 from three and 2 made free throws. It's nice that on a night where Dot didn't seem to quite have his three ball, he was able to knock down a midrange shot and drive for an and-one finish. His scoring has had to become less reliant on the three ball after a lost offseason to shoulder surgery, but that may end up being a good thing.
Knox: This was a night that started out with Kevin Knox looking like he'd left his motor somewhere on the West Coast. But after a timeout off of some patented Knox laziness, the sophomore responded with a first half dunk and then an inspired second half. The youngster seems to lock in more and more as he see the ball go through the hoop and Mike Miller did a great job calling a few plays that got Knox good looks. What's more, when Kev didn't have the space to shoot, he was patient enough to dribble and attack which led to a couple of athletic dunks.
Knox posted 17 points, 2 boards, 2 assists, 3 steals, a block and a turnover in 24 minutes. He was another efficient player too, going 7/14 on the night and 3/9 from the three point line. The multiple three's has become common. The momentum drives into monstrous dunks have happened in consecutive games now. That's also true of the defensive tallies, Knox was in passing lanes and blocking shots. He's had a few highlight blocks in short succession (I touched on this in my last recap). His rotations and awareness off the ball are showing signs of growth that we have not seen up until this point.
One last bit...the two assists were alley-oops to Mitch. He had a quick catch and release alley to Mitch as the waning moments of the game that was just beautiful. He could have caught it and taken a solid attempt close to the basket but instead fed Mitch for a guaranteed two. It's the type of pass that you want to see, a selfless play that smacks of better vision than we'd credited him with all of last season.
Bobby: It's starting to feel like Bobby Portis is settled into his role. Portis played 21 minutes and put up 11 and 7 on 4/7 shooting and 2/4 from three. Portis also clocked a pair of assists which is always a welcome sight. We know Bobby's flaws but he has reined them in lately. The forced shots are happening a lot less, the turnovers are down with less isolation series and his defensive effort is there even if his lateral movement is weak. You won't catch Bobby Portis lacking effort, he'll always hustle and I appreciate that.
Mitch: Am I making too much of a hot stretch for Mitchell Robinson? I'm not sure, but I'm battling with the idea that I want Mitch to start but I also don't want to change much when he's rolling like he has. Either way, this dilemma is thanks to yet another stellar performance from the sophomore center, his best scoring effort yet. Mitch was a harbinger of chaos for the Hawks and an anchor for the Knicks. The big man put up 22 points, 13 boards, 1 steal and 2 blocks in 29 minutes with 4 fouls. The fouling is down, scoring up and the defensive presence stays impressive right now.
How has Robinson turned the corner this season? Part of it is being more disciplined with his hands and when he challenges shooters. Mitch isn't lunging into his challenges and that trims the fouls whether he's facing a pump fake or a dribble drive. Miller implements more screening which has put Robinson into his favorite position as the roll man more often too. The Knicks guards are all connecting with Mitch on lobs out of the screen attacks and even Knox has gotten in on the fun. So Mitch is out there more, rolling more and the ball handlers are finding him more...let's keep him with the second unit while the team is running hot and as long as he's still able to push 30 minutes on nights when he's going strong and low on fouls.
Miller: This marks Coach Mike Miller's third win with the Knicks, albeit two have come against really weak opponents. But the nature of this win is something we Knicks fans have rarely seen. The Knicks got off to a big lead which has happened before, but this time they didn't let up. Miller made sure that they continued to be aggressive all night, embodied most of all by taking a time out after a lazy defensive set helped the Hawks cut the lead...to 29. The coach called time out, made a couple of substitutions and then challenged the next foul call. You couldn't ask for a clearer message to the players.
How much of the recent success do we credit to Miller as opposed to playing the Warriors and Hawks? Payton coming back and stabilizing some things? Mitch cutting back on fouls? I'm not sure and time will be the only thing that helps clarify, but right now Miller is running hot. It's like stepping in a casino and hitting every bet for a spell. Miller's making choices and they just keep working out. Dennis Smith got his shot last night after struggles that left many fans giving up on him...and Dennis Smith responded. The execution out of timeouts has been too efficient to be sustainable to be honest. There's a bit of luck mixed in with the good decision making for sure.
So where are we with Miller? Approaching a massive test and a very tough stretch. But approaching with 3 wins that were much needed. With young guys finding their confidence for the first time in a long time. And with a team that has played inspired ball lately. None of that is definitively on Miller, Fizdale getting fired may be the spark in and of itself. But this has been a fun stretch of ball amid a mostly torturous season and I'll take that. If the Knicks can continue the trend when things get tougher then Miller may be the coach most fans never knew they wanted...and idgaf how you slice it, he's already better than Mark Jackson!
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