3 Takeaways from Knicks' March Performance
The New York Knicks aren't going down without a fight.
But maybe they should.
After disappointing for much of the 2021-22 NBA season, the Knicks were suddenly frisky in the month of March. Yet they need something similar to divine intervention in order to punch their Play-In Tournament ticket, so perhaps this competitiveness will yield nothing other than worse draft-lottery odds.
Like most things related to the Knicks, it's complicated. It's also just one of several things we learned about this squad in March.
No White-Flag Waving for This Team
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Before Wednesday's loss to the Charlotte Hornets, the Knicks had won four in a row and nine of their past 13. It was—by far—their best stretch of basketball all season, which, again, seems strange (if not problematic) in terms of timing.
New York's identity—super stingy on defense (fourth in efficiency in March, per NBA.com) and above-average on offense (12th)—is a style coach Tom Thibodeau can win with. So why weren't the Knicks playing like this all season?
"We'll have to take a deep dive after the season. I have some pretty good ideas why," Thibodeau told reporters.
That's too cryptic to get the clearest read on Thibodeau's thoughts, but if you wanted to do any digging, it might be worth noting Julius Randle is averaging his fewest minutes of the season (33.4), while rookies Miles McBride and Jericho Sims have easily logged their most floor time.
Knicks fans should appreciate the club's competitive spirit, even if they are worried about the declining draft lottery odds.
Immanuel Quickley Is Clicking
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While New York's 2020-21 effort was a resounding success across the board—until the playoffs, at least—Immanuel Quickley's rapid rise still ranked as one of the team's most pleasant surprises.
That's what made the start of his sophomore season so disappointing. The hope was he might take a big leap forward, but he spent much of this campaign trending the wrong way. From December through February, he averaged just 9.6 points on 35.3/30.8/92.2 shooting.
The light bulb may have finally switched on in March, though. He scored double figures in 12 of his first 15 outings, clearing 20 points three times and averaging 14.9 over the stretch. In addition, he's shooting 45.3 percent from the field and 42.6 percent from long range while nearly quadrupling his 1.1 turnovers with 4.0 assists.
If he can sustain this success and change his trajectory, it could have a major impact on this club. For all of the focus on external targets, the simplest path to leveling up the Knicks is internal improvement.
Obi Toppin Needs His Sink-or-Swim Opportunity
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Nearly two years have passed since the Knicks made Obi Toppin the eighth overall pick of the 2020 draft. He has made just five starts to date and only topped 30 minutes twice in 128 career contests.
One of those 30-minute efforts came in March, when he started in place of a hobbled Randle and immediately dropped 18 points, 11 rebounds and six assists on the Charlotte Hornets.
"The silver lining when you're short-handed like this is our young guys are getting an opportunity to play, and they're learning and growing, so it's good," Thibodeau told reporters. "And oftentimes, that's how a guy gets going in this league."
Toppin played nearly 40 minutes in that game. He has averaged 21.1 in three outings since, which is high for him but still not enough.
The Knicks should have a better idea of who Toppin is and what he can become. His 24th birthday is behind him. Instant impact was supposed to be one of his greatest strengths, but New York hasn't given him enough floor time to make that kind of noise.
It's time to let him loose.
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