By Aidan Mastandrea
Staff Writer
Since Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert contracted Covid-19 and the National Basketball Association shut down, the league has not had a full season. Anticipation rose as the 2021-2022 season would be the first full season since 2019. For New York Knicks fans, a playoff berth in 2021 for the first time in seven seasons gave reasons for hope and excitement heading into a fresh season.
Opening night on Oct. 20, 2020 against the Boston Celtics was the first time since the pandemic that Knicks and NBA fans alike could pack into Madison Square Garden. The game was full of big plays, including a Celtics buzzer beater by guard Marcus Smart to send the game to overtime. The game then went into double overtime and saw the Knicks, led by star Julius Randle, coming out on top. After the final buzzer sounded, New Yorkers flooded the streets and celebrated together with a sense of belief that maybe this would be their year to win an NBA championship again for the first time since 1973.
A lot has happened across the NBA since the Knicks win on opening night. Whether it has been the poor start for Lebron James and the Lakers, with the addition of point guard Russell Westbrook, drama in Brooklyn with Kyrie Irving being a “part-time” player and refusing to get vaccinated, or the Phoenix Sun's stellar 34-9 record, there has been no shortage of headlines.
Forward Ben Simmons has yet to play a game this season for the Philadelphia 76er’s, while Warriors shooting guard Klay Thompson stepped onto the court during an NBA game for the first time in almost three years.
While all of this has been happening in the association over the last three months, Knicks fans have witnessed some great basketball and exciting moments, but also a lot of mediocrity.
After a strong start, winning five out of the first six games, the Knicks came back down to earth. Now 45 games into the season, a little over the halfway point, the Knicks stand at 23-25 and currently hold the 11th best record in the Eastern Conference. The Knicks have an abysmal 7-14 record against teams currently in the playoff picture.
After finishing fourth in the East last season and bringing back key contributors Julius Randle and R.J. Barrett, and adding players such as guards Kemba Walker and Evan Fournier, the team has underachieved.
Averaging a career high 24.1 points last year, Knicks star and All NBA player Julius Randle is only averaging 19 points so far this year. While still leading the team in scoring, the Knicks are missing the production from Randle that led them to the fourth seed in the East just a season ago.
Coach Tom Thibedeau has had trouble finding the right lineups this season, and on November 26, even taking former All Star point guard Kemba Walker out of the rotation completely, saying “it's tough to play three small guards at the same time.”
The Knicks have a plethora of “small guards,” including second year guard Derrick Rose. After that statement and putting Walker on the bench, Thibedeau inserted Walker back in the lineup on Saturday, Dec. 18. Walker has had some big games, including a triple double on Christmas day to lift the Knicks over the Atlanta Hawks. Still, there have been games where the Knicks’ “role players” outplay the starters drastically.
At every stop that Thibedeau has made in his career, defense has been his calling card, whether it be in Chicago, Minnesota or currently, New York. After leading the league in points allowed per game last season, New York has dropped to sixth in that category. This slight drop in defensive efficiency is cause for concern, considering the Knicks’ offense is not one known for terrifying teams on a nightly basis.
There have been a few bright spots for the Knicks. A large one being 2019 first round pick out of Duke University, RJ Barrett. Barrett had a mediocre rookie year in 2019, but has been improving. This past week, Barrett averaged 29.7 points and five rebounds, en route to three wins.
In recent news, the Knicks general manager, Scott Perry, was able to acquire Barrett’s friend and former running mate at Duke, Cam Reddish, from the Atlanta Hawks. The Knicks gave up a 2022 first round pick and forward Kevin Knox for the budding star. Reddish is a long athletic wing who can be very productive on both ends of the floor, and should fit well alongside Randle and Barrett.
The Knicks will have a hard climb in the second half of the year if they want to make the playoffs.
Teams like the Milwaukee Bucks, Miami Heat and Chicago Bulls seem to be in control of the top of the Eastern Conference. New York will have to jump teams like the Boston Celtics, Washington Wizards and Toronto Raptors to secure a spot in the playoffs.
But the season is not over, and Thibedeau will make sure the team fights until the very end, but based off of last season, The New York Knicks have been disappointing so far.
