Who are the New York Knicks after 25% of the Season?
A middling team. One game under .500. And honestly, people should be okay with that. Of course, if you’re a Knicks fan, you want your team to play at the highest level every night. To win every game. But for the rest of us, let’s remember that this is year two of a rebuild.
Randle is freshly 27 and Barrett 21. The stars are young. This does not have to be this team’s ceiling. Randle is going to figure some things out. The year after a player becomes considered ‘elite’ for the first time, opponents plan for them harder than ever before. There can be a slump because of it. It’s what pushes players to the next level. With Randle’s work ethic, I am confident he can find some sort of next level.
It’s the same for Barrett, he just needs time. And the team around them is rock solid. The bench unit is more than that. A lot of the middling record can be attributed to health, as several members of the rotation have missed time. Thibs doesn’t like excuses though, and the Knicks have to find a way to win.
I do not see a big move on the horizon. There are some rumors of John Wall, and to be honest I don’t *hate* the fit. You would hope it would be in a buyout situation though, as they would have to give up real assets to match his salary in a trade. That would be short-sighted. That’s the old Knicks, they’re not doing that this time around.
I would like to see another starting guard in the mix. Collin Sexton was a really attractive option to me until he suffered a knee injury (still so upset about this). I think Thibs has to consider mixing up his coveted bench at some point though, especially if this current 0-2 skid continues. I’d honestly like to see him swap Quickley with Fournier and play Burks at the two. Quickley’s improved defense has to be more effective than Fournier’s and he can further develop PnR chemistry with Randle.
Have the Knicks outperformed expectations? No. Have they seriously underperformed? Not in my opinion. I think they’re doing about what I’d expect, especially considering the injuries. I do view them as a playoff team, however, and they will need to start racking up wins to solidify positioning. I am of the mind they will. Lock the Knicks in for a play-in spot come playoffs, and I’d say as a higher seed in the matchup.