The calendar has turned to 2021, with the hopes and dreams of a young basketball season still upon us for Knicks fans. The start of the season can’t be described as anything but surprising. Tom Thibodeau’s team is 3-3 and is playing more fundamentally sound basketball than Knicks fan have seen since Mike D’Antoni was head coach.
Here are some New Year’s resolutions for different people in the organization – either continuations of things they are already doing, or important things to remember as the team moves into 2021.
1. Julius Randle: Keep It Moving
At this point, there should be no nitpicking and only positive reinforcement with the way Julius Randle is performing this season. His mid-range and three-point shooting is going to regress, but if he keeps playing as unselfishly as he has played so far this season, it isn’t going to make him an ineffective player. Cleaning The Glass tracks a player’s Assist Rate vs. Usage every season, and Randle’s assist to usage rate has doubled what it has been the previous two seasons, with his 1.15 ratio in the 91st percentile of all NBA players. That includes point guards. Keep it up.
2. RJ Barrett: Improve Shot Quality
On the surface, Barrett’s shot profile is excellent; so far, 48 percent of his shots have come at the rim, which is in the league’s 98th percentile according to Cleaning the Glass. All shots at the rim, however, are not created equal. Barrett too often runs into contact without drawing fouls around the rim, which leads to his 56 percent shooting efficiency – which is in the 28th percentile in the league. He is constantly trying to finish through contact against players, which leads to very difficult attempts.
Barrett needs to figure out more counter-moves to his power straight line-drives to the left, to get cleaner looks at the rim. Getting to the free throw line, where he is shooting an improved 79 percent, would also help. Until his three-point shot improves, it is the only way he can become an efficient player.
3. Obi Toppin: Diversify the Offense
Toppin has an extremely small sample size, but within that time he was taking way too many shots behind the three-point line – a whopping 58 percent of his shot attempts this year have come from behind the arc. Toppin is in a difficult position having to play alongside Julius Randle or one of the Knicks’ centers that want to live in the paint, but he needs to get more shots around the basket, where he could be an elite finisher given his athleticism. When Toppin returns, hopefully sooner rather than later, this should not only be his objective, but the objective of the coaching staff too.
4. Tom Thibodeau: Keep the Rotation Thick
This has not been an issue so far this season because of all the Knicks’ injuries, and it has nothing to do with the overrated history of Thibodeau playing his starters too many minutes. The Knicks seem to have about 12 players that Thibodeau trusts, and all deserve playing times. There’s no reason all of them – Elfrid Payton, Immanuel Quickly, Frank Ntilikina, Austin Rivers, Alec Burks, RJ Barrett, Reggie Bullock, Kevin Knox, Julius Randle, Obi Toppin, Mitchell Robinson, and Nerlens Noel – can’t find some kind of a role once everyone is healthy. It doesn’t mean every player can play in every game, but there are legitimate reasons for all of them to get some minutes fairly regularly.
5. Frank Ntilikina: Embrace Playing Off The Ball
I know everyone is making the assumption that Ntilikina is out of the rotation and Thibodeau has no use for him, but I honestly don’t see it that way. Payton is a more seasoned distributor and Quickley is certainly a better scorer, which makes him the odd-man out at point guard, and the team also has three effective veterans (Bullock, Rivers, Burks) and RJ Barrett to play shooting guard and small forward. But, Ntilikina seems destined for an off-ball role, and has shot it well and played excellent defense. Thibodeau seems to like what he brings, but right now he is not ahead of the other healthy players. Ntilikina needs to embrace being the best off-ball player he can be to earn minutes in front of someone like Reggie Bullock, or step in when one of the veterans is traded.
6. Kevin Knox: Focus On The Little Things
Knox will need to shoot more consistently if he wants to stick in the league, but his progress in other areas – defense, passing, and general awareness – has improved by leaps and bounds. If he continues to do well at those things and his three-point shot becomes more consistent, he has a chance to be a rotation player.
7. Immanuel Quickley: Do Your Thing
Quickley has shown a level of scoring savvy that is rare for rookies. His ability to create contact to draw fouls is impressive, and is a lethal weapon given his shooting prowess. Whenever he plays he needs to be a driver of the offense, which is the only way he can force Elfrid Payton to the bench and become the starting point guard.
8. Mitchell Robinson: Continue To Listen To Tom Thibodeau
Mitchell Robinson has all the physical tools, and if he continues to listen to his coach and hone his craft, that talent will lead to production, which will lead to more playing time and a new contract. The smarter he plays defensively, the better he will be.
9. Leon Rose: Remember The Long Term Goals
It matters not if the Knicks are hanging around the play-in tournament – if a team comes calling for Randle, Rivers, Burks, Bullock, Payton, or Noel with a real offer of a significant future asset, Leon Rose needs to pull the trigger. Toppin’s presence makes Randle a poor long-term fit, and the team has enough wing players to make one or two of the other veteran perimeter players expendable. Listen to Brock Aller, Leon Rose.
10. Knicks Fans: Be Patient
This season is going to see a lot of wild swings. It is an odd year with a lot of back-to-backs, no fans, and other quirks. A team is going to look great one night and terrible the next. Take the ups and downs as they come, do not overreact to any single game, and remember the long-term goals of developing the young players and continuing to set the team up for long-term sustainable success.
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