The Good, Bad and Ugly from New York Knicks' Early-Season Results
The New York Knicks' home opener on Oct. 29 was a miserable 104-80 loss to the Chicago Bulls that should have surprised no one. The Knicks then went on to ruin the Cleveland Cavaliers' home opener (and the Cavs ruined the Bulls', so everyone was square).
Was the Knicks' 95-90 defeat of the Cavaliers simply a fluke? Was the new-look New York team with its rookie head coach, seven new players and a triangle offense on training wheels the better team? Or were the mighty prodigal son LeBron James and his strong new brothers, Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love, just distracted by all the excitement?
After the pomp and circumstance of the first week subsided, the boys in blue and orange returned home to snag another glorious win: 96-93 over the Charlotte Hornets. They followed up with a hideous 98-83 loss to the Washington Wizards and a 98-95 loss to the Detroit Pistons that was a tiresome, low-energy slog for 43 minutes followed by five thrilling minutes of "almost."
So the new New York Knicks start their season 2-3. Here are the highlights and lowlights of the Knicks' first five matchups and what they mean.
Ugly: Injured Veteran Point Guards
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Jose Calderon, the veteran point guard expected to lead the Knicks through this time of great change, has yet to play a regular-season game for New York. On Oct. 30 the team announced that the calf strain Calderon suffered in preseason would probably keep him off the court for two to three weeks.
In Calderon's absence, new head coach Derek Fisher raised some eyebrows by giving the starting PG gig to 22-year-old, 5'11", second-year speed demon Shane Larkin, with 37-year-young Pablo Prigioni backing him up.
Unfortunately, the backup went down. Prigioni sprained his ankle in the second quarter of Wednesday's game against the Detroit Pistons. The team has not yet released an estimate on Prigioni's return.
That leaves the Knicks' 1 spot entirely in the hands of a shrimpy sophomore...who turns out to have some very capable hands.
Good: Shane Larkin Earning the Title of Starter
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Not only was Shane Larkin thrust into the starting lineup for the New York Knicks on opening night at the world's most famous arena, but he was matched head-to-head against Derrick Rose, one of the finest point guards of his generation.
If Larkin was intimidated, he covered it well. Although the Knicks were ultimately pummeled by the Chicago Bulls 104-80, Larkin showed great composure, calmly keeping his team on task and committed to the triangle offense. He sent Rose sprawling to the floor on an ankle-breaking crossover for good measure.
After surviving Rose, Larkin held his own against some more of the league's best point guards. Against Kyrie Irving and the Cleveland Cavaliers, Larkin nabbed five steals and helped spoil LeBron James' homecoming. Against the Washington Wizards, Larkin showed he is one of the few mortals fast enough to defend John Wall. Wall is averaging 21.4 points per game this season; Larkin and the Knicks held him to 11.
"It's a great experience for me, going up against the top players in the league," Larkin told reporters at practice. "[Calderon and Prigioni are] always helping me, coaching me up, and trying to make me a better player, so I'm grateful for that."
Larkin is not the scoring threat that Calderon is, but during his first five starts in blue and orange Larkin is averaging 6.8 points, 3.2 assists and 1.6 steals per game with a 46.4 percent field-goal average. Fisher has trusted him with 27.8 minutes of playing time per game, and Larkin is earning the coach's vote of confidence.
Bad: Knicks Decline Larkin's Option
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Despite his great performances in preseason and the first two games, the Knicks chose not to pick up Larkin's third-year option at the deadline Oct. 31. Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com explains, "Now that his option hasn't been picked up, Larkin will become an unrestricted free agent this summer. Larkin can still re-sign with the Knicks but only for up to the amount of the option that was declined, which is $1,675,320."
"That's a business deal," Larkin told reporters during practice, noting that the Knicks are saving cap space for free agents. "It's not like they told me, 'We don't see you as part of our future. We don't want you.' ... If that was the case I would be sitting on the bench. So obviously they want to see what I have. That's what I'm doing. Is going out there playing as hard as I can with the opportunity that's presented to me, and we'll see what happens."
If Larkin keeps playing the way he has been, New York could lose him in the offseason to a team that can pay him far more than $1.6 million. The Knicks might choose instead to trade Larkin while his stock is high, but the franchise ought to be careful about throwing away young talent.
Mostly Good: The Knicks' Progress with the Triangle
4 of 15Legendary big man Shaquille O'Neal and Knicks head coach Derek Fisher masterfully ran the triangle offense together during their championship seasons for the Los Angeles Lakers. Shaq showed off his triangle genius on TNT's Inside the NBA when he gave a superb breakdown of the Knicks' execution of the triangle offense against the Cleveland Cavaliers Oct. 30.
As Shaq explains (above), the Knicks are playing some "good triangle" and some "bad triangle." He points out that the Knicks' triangle is falling apart when players are late making the quick cuts they need to get into the next formation.
So the Knicks are still working out the kinks on the "moving themselves" part of the offense. However, they are showing great prowess at moving the ball.
Good: Ball Movement
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After being one of the worst passing teams in the league last season, the Knicks are now one of the best. (As predicted by yours truly. Smack a gold star on me.) The Knicks are third in the league in passes, completing 342.6 per game. They are sixth in assists (22.6 per game) and have the fifth-highest assist percentage in the league, with 64.2 percent of their field goals being the product of an assist.
Plus, they've been completing these passes without having the turnover problems they had in preseason. With 14.2 turnovers per game, they're still protecting the rock better than most of the league.
Good: Smith-to-Smith Assists
6 of 15Are we 100 percent certain that the Smiths aren't twins? J.R. Smith and Jason Smith may look a bit different, but they share a last name and seem to communicate telepathically. It's the only explanation for the beautiful, effortless dishing and swishing happening between the two of them on a nightly basis.
Whether it's a big, arching cross-court swing or a sly, behind-the-back dish in the paint, J.R. and Jason are regularly trading the prettiest feeds of the night.
Ugly: J.R. Smith Suspended Again
7 of 15J.R. giveth, and he taketh away. The referees might be impressed by how hard Smith is working at sharing, but that doesn't mean they've forgotten his history of hijinks. Whether or not it was intentional, Smith was suspended one game for hitting Glen Rice Jr. in the groin during Tuesday night's game against the Washington Wizards.
His absence was keenly felt Wednesday during the Knicks' loss to the Detroit Pistons. With Carmelo Anthony struggling to score and Pablo Prigioni getting injured in the second quarter, the team needed Smith's buckets and extra body.
Not Great: Scorers Not Knowing When to Shoot
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The two men long accused of being the Knicks' worst ball hogs, Carmelo Anthony and J.R. Smith, now lead their team in assists—4.4 assists per game from 'Melo and 4.0 from Smith. If that's not devotion to the offensive strategy and creating scoring opportunities for your teammates, what is?
So now the trouble is that the big shooters don't know when to shoot instead of pass, and the hesitation is putting a hitch in their stroke. As Smith described it Oct. 25, per Marc Berman of the New York Post: "It’s just not [being] really sure where my shots come at. I don’t want to take it early, but I’m getting good looks early. Just got to keep running the offense and trust the offense. Hopefully it will come."
He is only averaging 7.5 points per game, partly due to not shooting very accurately (38.7 FG%, 22.2 3FG%) and partly for not shooting very often. He's only putting it up about 10 times per game.
'Melo is faring a bit better (19.6 PPG, 40.6 FG%, 37.5 3FG%), but Wednesday night's game against the Detroit Pistons was a rough outing for him. At the end of the first half, 'Melo was 0-of-6 from the field. He wasn't shooting well, but he still needs to get more than six looks per game.
Sophomore fan-favorite shooting guard Tim Hardaway Jr. is also trying to find his place. He has shot well (43.2 FG%, 38.9 3FG%), but with Anthony playing the 3 spot far more often this season than he did last season, there is less room in the backcourt and more competition for playing time.
Good: Bench Scoring
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Some players might be experiencing growing pains, but the triangle offense is clearly successful at generating scoring opportunities for anyone on the court wearing blue and orange.
The bench is averaging 39.2 points per game, with nearly every player getting on the board every game. The Knicks bench outscored the Cavaliers' 41 to 12 in the Knicks' win over Cleveland. Although the bench was unable to come up with a win Wednesday when Carmelo Anthony only scored 13 and J.R. Smith was suspended, the team can better offset 'Melo's rare off-nights than it did last year.
Ugly: Nearly Every Q3
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What are they serving in the Knicks' locker room during halftime? Perhaps the Gatorade is spiked with tranquilizers or the energy bars are infused with tryptophan. Whatever the reason, the Knicks are kicking off the second half with low energy and no focus.
Tuesday night was particularly abominable. The Knicks abandoned both ball movement and defense, ending the third quarter without a single assist and letting the Washington Wizards outscore them 32-15.
Good: 'Melo's Q4 Stats
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Last season, Carmelo Anthony averaged a punishing 38.9 minutes per game, and his shooting accuracy dropped considerably in the fourth quarter as exhaustion got the better of him. His field-goal average and three-point average in the first three quarters were 47.6 percent and 45.2 percent, respectively. In the fourth quarter, those stats dropped to 38.0 percent and 32.1 percent.
Not so this season. 'Melo is averaging only 34.6 minutes per game, and that four extra minutes of rest is doing him wonders. Anthony is now averaging 4.7 points and a 39.7 percent field-goal average during the first three quarters and 6.8 points and 43.5 percent during the fourth.
Good: Amar'e's Double-Double
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Dare we say it? That word that begins with "h" and ends with "ealthy"? Because that's how Amar'e Stoudemire looks. With the days of minutes restrictions behind him, STAT hit the Charlotte Hornets with a double-double Sunday, scoring 17 and nabbing 10 rebounds to help the Knicks win 96-93.
Overall, Stoudemire is shooting 50 percent from the field and averaging 11.6 points and 1.2 assists per game. Plus, he leads the team in rebounds, with 8.4 per game. Now if the Knicks can just get him to play better defense, they'll really be onto something.
Good and Bad: Quincy Acy's Muscle
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Quincy Acy is a 6'7", 240-pound rebounding machine slash renewable energy resource. The Knicks' new forward, obtained in a trade with the Sacramento Kings, is tenacious on the boards and has a gift for getting his teammates leaping off the bench in excitement. In the Knicks' win over Cleveland Oct. 30, Acy grabbed 10 rebounds.
But it would have been more, if he hadn't fouled out of the game in a mere 22 minutes of play.
Fisher has given Acy the start twice, but if he wants to stay there ahead of the other forwards on the roster, who all score better than he does, he needs to be smart, not sloppy, on defense. Although Acy is only 6'7", he could be the Knicks' new Kenyon Martin—a frontcourt bulldog who is brought off the bench to energize the team and scare the bejeezus out of any opponent who considers driving to the rim.
Surprisingly Good: Travis Wear's D on LeBron
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Let's be honest: Travis Wear wasn't even supposed to be on the roster. The 6'10", 230-pound 23-year-old undrafted forward out of UCLA was supposed to be a piece of training camp equipment. Instead, he played his way onto the roster by shooting lights out from mid-range and stealing the ball almost as often as the guards during preseason.
Then, Oct. 30, instead of sitting on the bench waiting for Derek Fisher to toss him a few garbage minutes, Wear was on the hardwood, facing up against LeBron James and ruining his night.
Wear played 13 minutes in the game against the Cleveland Cavaliers, had a quiet offensive performance and helped make sure LeBron had one too. Wear and the Knicks held James to 17 in the 95-90 victory over the Cavs.
“It’s kind of a surreal experience [guarding James]," said Wear, per the New York Post's Tim Bontemps, "but you kind of put that in the back of your mind because it’s just competition. It’s not anything more than that. It’s just me trying to beat him, him trying to beat me, our team trying to be their team, that’s it.”
Good: Derek Fisher Knows What He's Doing
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Instead of being hung up on what should work or what did work, Derek Fisher focuses on what is working. (If an undrafted rookie can defend the best player in the league for one minute, why not let him do it for another 12?) He shuffles lineups to suit the opponent, the situation and the moment, but it never seems desperate or hurried.
Although most of Wednesday's game against the Detroit Pistons was a miserable, low-energy mess, the Knicks suddenly showed life late in the fourth quarter, closing up a 17-point deficit. Fish's management of the last four minutes of the game was masterful. Every timeout, every play call, every lineup swap was elegantly executed to give the Knicks another slim shot at stealing the win away from Detroit.
It was too little, too late, and the Knicks lost by three after trailing by double digits most of the game. Nevertheless, it showed how much trust Fisher and his players already have in one another.
And it made a great case for why Knicks fans should trust them, too.
All stats are from NBA.com/stats. Follow Sara Peters on Twitter @3FromThe7.
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