Knicks' Biggest Early-Season Surprises
The New York Knicks are having one of their best seasons in recent years.
It only equates to a .435 winning percentage, but hey, that's better than anything the 'Bockers have done since .451 in the 2013-14 season.
It also isn't hugely surprising. The Knicks seem to receiving the customary bumps in defense and activity level that come from having Tom Thibodeau as a coach.
Saying that, there are several surprises within this team, and we have spotlighted three of the biggest.
Julius Randle's All-Star Credentials
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While this isn't the first time Julius Randle has put up big numbers, they've never hit so many corners of the stat sheet or felt this substantial.
It starts with the career-high 22.6 points. Those are good. But the way he's compiled them is better. He has never made more threes (1.6 per game) or converted them at a higher clip (39.6 percent). His 6.5 free-throw attempts are slightly fewer than his previous best, while his 5.2 free throws and 80.5 free-throw percentage are both career marks. He is scoring smarter, which is a step he had to take in order to function as a primary option.
He's also devouring a career-best 10.9 rebounds per contest. As a big man who isn't a shot-blocker and is only now wading into the floor-spacing waters, he had to find areas he could impact at an elite level. Glass-cleaning was a good choice, as it helps the Knicks defense—eighth in efficiency after last season's 23rd-placed finish—close out possessions.
Finally, his distributing numbers are skyrocketing. He's sitting at 6.0 assists per contest; his previous high was 3.6. His assist percentage is up to 28.4, the first time it's sat north of 20.
Put it all together, and he's a wrecking ball of production: one of just three players averaging 20 points, 10 rebounds and six assists. His All-Star spot feels among the most secure in the entire Eastern Conference.
Immanuel Quickley's Readiness
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If you had a reaction to the Knicks nabbing Immanuel Quickley on draft night, it was probably some joke related to the many Kentucky connections within this franchise.
But there's clearly more to Quickley than his alma mater. Kudos to the 'Bockers for recognizing that.
The 25th pick of the 2020 draft is already the team's second-highest scorer at 12.4 points per game. To make that more impressive, he's not even averaging 20 minutes yet. A big boost in floor time feels inevitable, though. Even if he's not a needle-moving playmaker (2.7 assists), his defense and shooting touch are already standing out. He's cashing in 36.9 percent of his threes, 92.6 percent of his free throws and approximately 1,000 percent of his butter-soft floaters.
A big part of New York's rebuilding project is determining which of the many prospects should be kept for the long haul. Quickley didn't even need 20 NBA games to earn that distinction.
Obi Toppin's Struggles
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Hey, not all surprises are pleasant, right?
The Knicks knew they might be sacrificing some upside when they made Obi Toppin the eighth overall selection in November. He'll be 23 already in March, which makes him older than third-year center Mitchell Robinson and fourth-year guard Frank Ntilikina. Even if New York thought Toppin had late-blooming potential, he still had to start his career in a race against time.
The trade-off was supposed to be a much higher chance of instant impact. That isn't happening. It surely didn't help that he lost three weeks to a calf strain, but a dozen games into his career and he's yet to provide many (any?) real reasons for optimism.
"He looks overwhelmed and lost on defense," an NBA scout told Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News.
There's obviously plenty of time for Toppin to turn things around, but it seems he may need a lot more seasoning than expected.
All stats used courtesy of NBA.com and Basketball Reference unless otherwise noted.
