Grading the Knicks through 20 games, from Jalen Brunson’s A to a disappointing D-
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It’s the quarter-mark of the Knicks season, and they are decidedly above average.
They thumped the bottom-dwellers of the NBA (Wizards, Hornets, Spurs, Pistons), struggled against the upper echelon (Celtics, Bucks, Suns) and were very good against the middle tier (Cavaliers, Hawks, Pelicans, Raptors, Heat).
Like I said, above average.
Their quarter-season report card, courtesy of Post Sports+, should reflect that performance.
Keep in mind that missed games due to injury or illness (or whatever) negatively impact the marks. They’re like absences.
We’ll give out the grades for rotation players in alphabetical order:
RJ Barrett
15 games, 29.5 minutes, 18.9 points, 3.9 rebounds, 41.8% shooting, 38.2% on 3-pointers
It started out so encouraging. For his opening seven games, Barrett looked ready to make the big jump into greater efficiency and potentially the All-Star conversation. He was making the right plays, hitting his outside shot.
He was the Knicks’ best player for a couple of weeks.
Then he suffered migraines, missed three games, and returned on the struggle bus. His averages over the past eight games are ugly: 15.6 points, 2.1 assists, 1.9 turnovers, 35% shooting, 25% on treys.
Grade: C
Jalen Brunson
20 games, 35.5 minutes, 24.9 points, 5.6 assists, 46.6% shooting, 45.7% on 3-pointers
Struggled with his efficiency very early in the season, but bounced back with force and nailed his treys at a superb rate. We are constantly underestimating Brunson, questioning whether he can possibly improve from the previous season, and he again managed to raise the bar.
His points and 3-point percentage would be career highs if maintained. He scored at least 42 points twice already. His ability to draw offensive fouls is second-to-none in the NBA. Defensively, Brunson remains vulnerable because of his lack of size and speed. The opposition targets him in pick-and-rolls. Offensively, the passing hasn’t gotten any better. If not for his height, Brunson would be a two-guard.
Grade: A
Donte DiVincenzo
20 games, 20.3 minutes, 9.1 points, 1.7 rebounds, 0.9 steals, 42.5% shooting, 42.7% on 3-pointers
Struggled early in his Knicks career, which might’ve been expected as the only new player in the rotation.
But he turned a corner quickly and established himself as a reliable shooter off the bench, an active defender and an important part of the Knicks going 10-3 before Tuesday’s loss to the Bucks.
He’s found a comfortable home in the locker room as part of the ‘Nova clique.
Grade: B
Quentin Grimes
18 games, 22.9 minutes, 5.8 points, 1.2 assists, 35.9% shooting, 34.5% on 3-pointers
Just a steep and unexpected regression from the starting shooting guard, who seems to have lost his confidence.
He went from being chosen for the Team USA Select squad in the summer to struggling in all facets of the offense, vocally frustrated by his stagnant role in an offense with ball-dominant teammates.
In his past six games, Grimes is averaging a paltry 2.7 points on just 23% shooting. He lost his mojo and maybe a move to the bench will help him find it again.
Grade: D-
Josh Hart
20 games, 28.6 minutes, 8.3 points, 6.1 rebounds, 47.5% shooting, 35.6% on 3-pointers
If we were grading along the curves of contract value, Hart might struggle to pass. The $80 million extension might not look so good in the future. But for his role, Hart has been fine. OK.
It was rough for most of the season, with Hart voicing concerns about a FIBA World Cup hangover and a diminished role in the Knicks offense. But he’s come on late with two games in particular — victories over the Hornets and Raptors — in which he looked more like the Hart of last season.
Grade: C-
Isaiah Hartenstein
20 games, 17 minutes, 5.4 points, 5.1 rebounds, 0.6 blocks, 56.6% shooting
His minutes have been reduced because of Robinson’s breakthrough, but Hartenstein is still doing the things that made him an important part of last season’s rotation.
He’s rebounding. He’s playing every game. He’s setting screens. He’s doing the dirty work. It’s not exactly an impressive list, but Hartenstein is among the league’s top backup centers.
He’ll probably get a bigger role at some point because Robinson has missed at least 10 games every season.
Grade: B-
Immanuel Quickley
20 games, 24.2 minutes, 15 points, 2.9 assists, 42.8% shooting, 36.4% on 3-pointers
A big show-me spot for Quickley after failing to come to an agreement on a contract extension, making him a restricted free agent in the summer.
He responded by building on his breakthrough from last season, giving the Knicks a scoring punch and instant energy whenever he’s playing.
If there’s a gripe, it’s that Quickley’s defense hasn’t been quite at the level of last season. His role also fluctuates to the point of playing just 19 minutes in each of the past three games as Tom Thibodeau tends to ride the hot hand of his overcrowded guard rotation.
Grade: B+
Julius Randle
20 games, 21.5 points, 10 rebounds, 5.5 assists, 43% shooting, 29.2% on 3-pointers
Was really bad in the opening six games — almost historically bad — but turned a corner after his body and rhythm had more time to recover from offseason ankle surgery.
His 3-point efficiency is still ugly, but, to his credit, he hasn’t allowed it to dictate his offense. He’s been more aggressive getting to the basket this season, or getting to his “kill zones,” as Randle called it recently.
Defensively, we still recognize too many lackadaisical possessions, which should be called out by the coach, but word is Randle doesn’t respond well to criticism.
In his past five games, Randle has been among the best in the Eastern Conference, averaging 28.6 points, 10.2 rebounds and 5.8 assists on over 57% shooting. Not bad at all.
Grade: B+
Mitchell Robinson
20 games, 29.8 minutes, 6 points, 10.4 rebounds, 1.4 blocks, 57.6% shooting
Emerged as the NBA’s top offensive rebounder, embracing the dirty-work role with more gusto than in previous seasons. His play — highlighted by two games with double-digit offensive rebounds — has garnered early consideration for an All-Defense nod.
However, there were two troubling developments offensively. His free-throw percentage dipped to an abysmal 39%, and his problems catching passes seemed to get worse, contributing to more turnovers.
Grade: A-
Tom Thibodeau
Record: 12-8
Despite all those draft picks, the Knicks did very little to upgrade the roster in the summer and now Thibodeau is tasked with trying to coax improvement out of a team that overachieved last season.
The identity has been predicated on rebounding and defending the paint with a heavy reliance on Brunson and Randle for points. Per usual, the Knicks have been prepared and ready to play every night — with Barrett the only top-five player to miss a game — which normally carries a Thibodeau team through a successful regular season.
His real grade will have to wait until the playoffs. In the meantime, Thibs gets a …
Grade: B+
Hey, I know you…
The Knicks were eliminated from the In-Season Tournament in embarrassing fashion Tuesday, but there will be two very recent alumni making appearances in starting lineups in Thursday’s semifinals.
Obi Toppin, who was traded in the summer for two protected second-round picks, is the starting power forward for the Pacers — who face the Bucks in the semifinals — and seems to have finally found a groove after a rocky start. In his past 10 games, Toppin is averaging 16.5 points in 28 minutes while shooting an impressive 64%. Scouts thought he would thrive in Indiana’s up-tempo system, and they were right.
At least thus far.
“There’s a lot to like about Obi Toppin,” Pacers coach Rick Carlisle said. “The player, the person, the vibe.”
The other In-Season Tournament starter is Cam Reddish, who was traded by the Knicks last season and is trying to revive his career with the Lakers. He’s been the other forward alongside LeBron James, and Reddish’s greatest leap this season has been as a defender.
“I haven’t had an atmosphere like this I don’t think in my entire NBA career,” Reddish said recently.
Want to catch a game? The Knicks schedule with links to buy tickets can be found here.
The book on Brook
Speaking of revivals and new beginnings, the most remarkable I’ve witnessed in more than 13 years covering the NBA is Brook Lopez.
With the Nets, when I covered Lopez, he was a post-up center with a reputation for being soft and a terrible defender.
I remember Avery Johnson, the former coach, saying, “I dream of our center getting 10 rebounds.” I remember a subsequent Nets coach, Lionel Hollins, imploring Lopez to ditch his jumpshooting.
“Be an inside player,” Hollins said. “If you’re an inside player, a big guy, patrol the paint, and play outside last. Don’t play outside and never get to the paint.”
Now? Lopez is in his 16th NBA season and very much shooting from the outside, connecting on more 3-pointers than any 7-footer not named Dirk Nowitzki or Channing Frye (Lopez is taller than both of them).
He never really picked up the rebounding, but remarkably Lopez developed into a candidate for Defensive Player of the Year for the Bucks.
I never would’ve guessed it. Still, all those post-ups with the Nets were worth something. Lopez is still the all-time leading scorer in Nets history, and I asked him Tuesday whether he wants his name hanging in the Barclays Center rafters.
“We’ll see. That would be very cool,” Lopez said. “That’s something else you dream of as a kid. So the decision is obviously not up to me. I’m just going to keep hooping and do what I do. But that would obviously be incredible. That would be very special.”
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