Power Ranking Knicks' Roster Based on Regular-Season Performance
The 2022-23 NBA season was unquestionably a successful one for the New York Knicks.
Whether it's a roaring success or not will be determined over their upcoming playoff run, but for now, they deserve some credit for rebounding from last season's disappointment and potentially positioning themselves to make postseason noise.
Let's celebrate this roster power-ranking style by assessing every player based on his performance this season.
The Bottom Tier
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16. Duane Washington Jr.
Washington inked a two-way deal in late February, but he's been sidelined by a hip injury since late January.
15. DaQuan Jeffries
Jeffries was waived twice by the Knicks this season, but he keeps finding his way back. Most recently, he parlayed a pair of 10-day deals into a contract that goes into next season, though anything beyond this season is non-guaranteed.
14. Trevor Keels
Keels, last summer's No. 42 pick, has made three appearances this season, totaling less than 10 minutes of floor time.
13. Derrick Rose
Rose was a rotation regular for the season's first month, but he has faded into the back end of the bench ever since. The 34-year-old has shot just 38.4 percent from the field and 30.2 percent from range.
12. Evan Fournier
Fournier is a shooting specialist who had trouble shooting before losing his rotation spot. His 31.1 three-point percentage is easily the worst of his career.
11. Miles McBride
McBride doesn't have much offense to speak of, but his defensive intensity earned him a near-nightly role. If he forms any kind of offensive identity, he could have a long career in this league.
The Middle Tier
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10. Jericho Sims
Sims doesn't have the deepest bag, but as a bouncy, 6'10" rim-runner, he doesn't need one. If he played somewhere with less frontcourt depth, he could be a fixture in the rotation.
9. Obi Toppin
The Knicks spawned a slew of success stories this season, but Toppin wasn't one of them. The third-year forward saw a reduction in his role and a regression in his shooting rates.
8. Isaiah Hartenstein
The Knicks have essentially used Hartenstein as a glass-cleaning specialist, which limits how much he can show. Still, at least he's been active in that role, nearly matching his career-high with 12.1 rebounds per 36 minutes, per Basketball Reference.
7. Quentin Grimes
Grimes, the No. 25 pick in the 2021 draft, has quickly become a standout three-and-D wing. He impressed as a rookie last season and took another step forward this season, upping his output to 11.1 points per game on 46.5/38.1/79.4 shooting.
6. Josh Hart
It's hard leaving Hart out of the top five since he arrived at the deadline and almost immediately became one of the club's on-court contributors. The only thing holding back his ranking is the fact he's suited up just 23 times for this team. Otherwise, he's been a two-way energizer—and a scaldingly hot 61.4/56.3/78.0 shooter.
The Top Tier
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5. RJ Barrett
Barrett didn't have the leap year many hoped to see, and he has effectively plateaued at this point. It would be nice to see more defense, distributing and consistency, but it's hard to complain too loudly about a 22-year-old averaging 19.5 points as a third option.
4. Mitchell Robinson
Robinson could be more involved in this offense. He'd tell you the same himself. He is so good as a rim-runner, though, that you get why New York doesn't tweak his role. He is a force on the glass and above the rim.
3. Immanuel Quickley
Quickley's numbers aren't quite loud enough to put him in the Most Improved Player award race, but his growth has been enormous. And he might take home the Sixth Man of the Year award, so he could still capture some hardware. He has simultaneously upped his volume and efficiency on offense, and that isn't even his best end of the floor.
2. Jalen Brunson
Brunson is more of a 1B than a silver medalist. No matter where expectations were set for his debut season in Gotham, he clearly obliterated them. The 24 points and 6.2 assists per game were absurdly impressive on their own, but they elevated to greatness when coupled with his 49.1/41.6/82.9 shooting slash and low turnover rate (2.1 per game).
1. Julius Randle
Randle's return to stardom was the biggest story in the Big Apple this season. It was fair to wonder if he'd be a one-and-done All-Star after crashing back to earth last season, but this might have silenced his skeptics for good. He is one of three players averaging 25 points, 10 rebounds and four assists; MVP candidates Joel Embiid and Giannis Antetokounmpo are the others.
