The New York Knicks started with 5 wins in 6 games, giving rise to the fans, tortured for years, the hope of an even more exciting season than the previous one. They have quickly run out of steam since. 5 other successes since, but this time in 12 meetings. And even. The players of Tom Thibodeau beat the Milwaukee Bucks without Giannis Antetokounmpo, the Philadelphia Sixers without Joel Embiid, the Los Angeles Lakers without LeBron James but also the Indiana Pacers and the Houston Rockets. Nothing special.
Evan Fournier, the face the Knicks really need!
The worst five in the league, or almost
Or, in any case, nothing to reassure them about the few shortcomings that are obvious after more than a month of competition. With a very cold observation: the five major of the Knicks is completely at the mass. Illustration with a scary statistic. The five holders of New York – Kemba Walker, Evan Fournier, RJ Barrett, Julius Randle and Mitchell Robinson – show a negative differential of -87 in 270 minutes.
For the smallest comparison, only the Rockets do worse with -89. But this is the worst team in the league. Even the Thunder and the Pistons, two other dunces with very poor fives, do better with -56 and -40. It’s catastrophic.
The more optimistic will say that an adjustment period is necessary after recruiting Walker and Fournier during the offseason. But no starting group spends more time on the floor than the Knicks. They earn minutes in order to create chemistry. And it doesn’t work. We therefore have five players who play together more than any other lineup in the NBA while having the second worst ratio in the championship.
The Knicks’ substitutes as saviors
Fortunately for the New York team, it can count on an association that works wonderfully. Its second unit, with Derrick Rose, Immanuel Quickley, Alec Burks, Obi Toppin and Taj Gibson, breaks unhappy souls. With rather absurd ratings: 112.2 points scored out of 100 possessions for 84.2 cashed, ie a differential of +28. This group is brilliant in attack, efficient in defense. Quite the opposite of the five major in the end.
Thibodeau’s replacements spent less time on the floor and that may also explain these very flattering stats. Especially since adversity is not the same for the holders, often opposed to the best players opposite. Although this argument should be put into perspective since it’s been several matches that the New York coach feels obliged to leave his second five in the money time. With some success, moreover.
An almost forced choice that highlights the difficulties of the Knicks’ first five. The problem is first of all defensive. 117.9 points collected on 100 possessions! If the incumbents played all the time, New York would simply have the worst defense in the entire NBA. But at the same time, how to expect another result with so many players in trouble on this side of the floor.
Who to get out of the starting group?
Walker is too small and not committed enough. Too often it doesn’t stand out on opposing shooters. Or casually, arms dangling. And it’s no coincidence that the Knicks take a rain of three-pointers in every game. Fournier made more efforts but remained limited in the field. Randle too. Robinson is no longer so explosive. It still makes a very average mix, to put it mildly.
If only they caught up in attack … But again, the lack of efficiency is obvious. Randle persists in post-ups far from the circle that make no difference. Walker drives less and less and is content to shoot from a distance. Fournier and Barrett are under 40% success. Suddenly, they barely score 102.2 points out of 100 possessions.
Adjustments seem necessary. The statistics put forward suggest that groups including Kemba Walker are the ones that perform really less well – while those where Evan Fournier is aligned with Derrick Rose are already more successful. Because of this, one of them could move. Either Rose is promoted to the five instead of Walker, or Quickley comes to take Fournier’s place.
In these two situations, one of the key rookies of the offseason would therefore find himself on the bench… this was clearly not the initial plan. But it seems inevitable. Because the Knicks need to find the right formula. The ingredients are there. The right mix could allow New York to cross this milestone of an average team to finally upset the hierarchy in the East a little.
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