The Knicks have surprised many this season by battling for a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference, thanks in large part to the rise of key young contributors like RJ Barrett and Immanuel Quickley.
Knicks fans have embraced this year’s group largely due to the promise that the team’s young core have shown so far in New York’s 11-14 start to the season, and Radio.com Insider and Celtics TV analyst Brian Scalabrine joined Moose & Maggie to discuss the Knicks’ pivotal youth.
Quickley has been a rookie revelation for the Knicks this year, already far exceeding expectations after being drafted 25th overall in the 2020 NBA Draft. But other recent draft picks have shown promise for the Knicks as well, including RJ Barrett, who has shot 50 percent from the field over his last 14 games, averaging just over 18 points per game in that span. Scalabrine has seen Barrett improve immensely in his sophomore campaign, but wants to see the former No. 3 overall pick take the next step in his passing game and evolve into a more complete player.
“RJ Barrett has to become a better passer to be elite, and I can put a lot of guys in that category of guys that can score but don’t move the ball,” Scalabrine said. “But just like Julius Randle this year has been moving the ball at a clip I never thought was possible, why can’t RJ Barrett learn the same thing?”
Another encouraging youngster for the Knicks has been 22-year-old Mitchell Robinson, who has turned himself into a consistent starter for first-year head coach Tom Thibodeau. Robinson’s scoring numbers haven’t taken a leap, averaging just 8.6 points per game, but he has greatly improved his ability to avoid foul trouble, keeping himself on the floor longer while becoming a defensive anchor for the defensive-minded Thibodeau.
“Mitchell Robinson has been more impressive defensively this season than in the past,” Scalabrine said. “I know a lot of people look at blocked shots as good defense. I’m not one of those guys. I look at positioning and if he has good position, and I think his positioning has improved. He obviously has great length.”
While Robinson isn’t scoring in double figures or posting historically high field goal percentages like last season (when he made a league-best 74 percent of his field goal attempts), Scalabrine has still seen plenty to be excited about with Robinson’s game on the offensive side of the floor.
“I like the way offensively how he relocates on dribble penetration,” Scalabrine said. “That’s really important. This is new-age basketball now where big men don’t just post up and shoot hook shots or anything like that. I think he’s done a really good job of that.”
One forward that Scalabrine wants to see get more looks on the offensive end is rookie Obi Toppin, who battled injury early in the season but is still struggling to find consistent touches as a contributor off the bench. This year’s No. 8 overall pick has attempted just 62 shots this season, and Scalabrine would like to see him get more involved with the Knicks’ offensive scheme.
“I think he’s a little three-happy right now, which I’m fine with,” Scalabrine said. “You have to be able to do that. But I thought he was going to be very similar to Amare Stoudemire as a guy that dove to the basket and has great hands and can elevate quick and finish. I haven’t seen a lot of pick-and-roll with him. Maybe that’s because the Knicks don’t have a guy like Steve Nash to deliver that pass to him, and honestly, who has guys like that? So I understand that.”
Toppin has indeed shown a favor for the 3-pointer so far this season, attempting 29 shots from beyond the arc compared to just 23 at the rim. But if he can benefit from increased ball movement and more looks from teammates when cutting to the basket, Scalabrine believes he will start to look more like a top-10 pick.
“I understand his development will be determined by what kind of guard he plays with,” Scalabrine said. “If he can play with an unbelievable passing guard, like let’s say Quickley becomes great at delivering those pocket passes, then Obi Toppin will have a much better year.”
One youngster who has fallen out of favor with Thibodeau is Kevin Knox, another top-10 draft pick who has failed to live up to that promise in his three seasons in New York. Knox hasn’t seen any playing time in the Knicks last five games, and while his 3-point shooting had taken a step forward before his benching, not much else about his game had shown much improvement.
Scalabrine, who played for Thibodeau during his two-year stint with the Bulls at the end of his playing career, knows that his former head coach needs to see more defensive intensity and effort from Knox if he wants to fight his way back into the rotation.
“I don’t think he plays hard enough or plays with enough of a motor,” Scalabrine said. “I think he bases his work on making and missing shots. It’s hard to succeed in the NBA if that’s all you are, unless you’re just absolutely elite at shooting. Until he learns to do the other things and values the other things, he’ll never be in the rotation. So it’s up to him. If you want to play for Thibs and you’re not absolutely exceptional at one thing, you better learn to play hard and play with a motor.”
Listen to Scalabrine’s entire appearance on Moose & Maggie below!
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