Evan Fournier

Knicks flaunt new firepower in 21-point rout of Pacers in preseason opener

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It’s just the first preseason game, but the New York Knicks treated it like a regular-season game in a true Tom Thibodeau fashion.

Thibodeau scowled and bemoaned on the sidelines despite the Knicks rolling past a hapless Indiana Pacers team, 125-104, Tuesday night at the Garden.

It set the tone for the upcoming season that comes with a heavy expectation.

After the New York Knicks gave up an offensive rebound that led to a Jeremy Lamb three-pointer cutting their lead to a single-digit, Thibodeau was livid and called a timeout with 1:43 left in the second quarter.

“The thing is it’s early on but it was a mental mistake,” Thibodeau later said. “And so I think it’s important to correct those things. And no one’s gonna be perfect. We’ll make mistakes. If we hustle, we’ll cover up for that but when you make the same mistakes twice, we can’t allow that to keep going. So we want to fix it.”

It was the kind of hard coaching and culture-setting that propelled the Knicks to a surprising playoff run last season. But this year, they will no longer be operating under the radar, not after plugging their holes with four-time All-Star in Kemba Walker and Evan Fournier, France national team’s leading scorer in the recent Tokyo Olympics.

The new Knicks backcourt quickly settled in and played well as advertised. Walker and Fournier supplied the early firepower when the Knicks seized control in the opening quarter.

The Pacers scored the first four points of the game. But once Walker, a Bronx native, felt right at home, there was no stopping the Knicks.

The 31-year old Walker signed with the Knicks on a bargain $18 million, two-year deal after securing a buyout from Oklahoma City Thunder. A sparse but loud Garden crowd welcomed him with a standing ovation during his introduction.

Walker responded by buckling down to work early in the game. He countered the Pacers’ early 4-0 burst with his first unofficial basket as a Knick — a shifty drive against last season’s shot block leader Myles Turner.

Walker added a stepback jumper and set up RJ Barrett for a wide-open three-pointer in a Knicks’ 10-0 run that broke the game wide open. Fournier had nine points and the new Knicks backcourt tandem combined for 13 of the Knicks’ 36 points in the first quarter.

“It was a pretty unreal feeling, to be honest,” Walker said after the game. “When I first arrived, I was like ‘wow I’m really just back home.’ It came full circle where everything started. It was a surreal feeling but a great feeling. I’m really, really happy to be here.”

Walker started to carve his name in basketball in this arena, starring for Rice High School. He stamped his signature on the Garden floor with his Cardiac Kemba moment that fueled UConn to the Big East title and a national championship in 2011.

Along the way to his stardom, Walker upset Derrick Rose and his Simeon High School team in 2007. More than a decade later, they found themselves playing on the same side, chasing the elusive NBA championship to complete their decorated resumes. Against the Pacers, they alternately led the Knicks’ attack, finding gaps on their opponents’ porous defense.

They led by as many as 27 points.

Then the Knicks momentarily stopped playing. But Thibodeau didn’t stop coaching.

“I didn’t like our defense at the end of the third [quarter],” Thibodeau said.

The Pacers went on a mini-run, cutting the Knicks’ huge lead to 21, 101-80, heading into the final quarter.

“We’ll take a hard look at that. We have to strive to be a 48-minute team and we’re nowhere near that right now. And conditioning is a big part of that.”

The Knicks played without their top two centers. Mitchell Robinson has yet to be cleared to do contact drills six months after his surgery to repair a broken foot. Nerlens Noel was listed out with a sore left knee. But Thibodeau explained before the game that Noel just took a rest and will be available next game. The plan is to rest one rotation player in every preseason game.

It turned out the Knicks were fine despite facing the formidable tandem of Turner and Domantas Sabonis.

The 36-year old Taj Gibson sprang out with youthful zest as a starter. Then rookie Jericho Sims jumped out from the end of the bench.

Gibson, a Brooklyn native, stuffed the stat sheet with 14 points, six rebounds, three assists, one block, and a team-best 22 plus-minus. Sims, the 58th overall pick, added eight and six rebounds in a backup role while soaking up learnings from Thibodeau’s tongue lashing. A couple of defensive lapses caught Thibodeau’s ire. But the rookie center responded well.

“It’s a good first step. But we have to understand what this is. This is the preseason. But every time they throw it up, it’s important to compete and establish how are we gonna compete,” Thibodeau reminded.

There was more good stuff to unpack in the Knicks’ preseason debut.

All of their starters finished in double figures — the first sign that their offseason moves will be a boon this season.

Fournier was aggressive from the start hunting for his shots. He scored 14 points, mostly on drives off the dribble that drew fouls. He was 5-for-6 from the free-throw line.

RJ Barrett had a quiet but efficient 17 points, three rebounds, and two assists. He popped up for 3-of-6 three-pointers and shot 7-of-14 overall as he benefited from the much-improved spacing and added playmaking to the starting unit.

Thibodeau said he was pleased to see Barrett in the gym the previous night, signifying that the Canadian wing is back to his routine.

Julius Randle didn’t force the action early on, allowing Walker and Fournier to get settled first. After a quiet 10 points in the first half, he exploded for another 10 in the third quarter before being taken out for good. Curiously, Randle scored his final seven points with Walker on the bench.

Walker had taken the ball out of Randle’s hands, unlike last year when Randle doubled as the lead playmaker and shotmaker by default in the first unit. The Knicks relied heavily on him in isolation to create plays that came back to haunt them in the playoffs.

This time, there will be multiple players to ease the pressure.

Walker said it’s just the preseason. They’re still in the getting-to-know-each-other stage.

“Right now, it’s just the time to get into the rhythm and the flow. Just being out there with my teammates. Get to know those guys, their tendencies, and things of that nature. Get a feel of each other,” Walker said.

If this was just a glimpse of their potential, then their ceiling is much higher than what the Las Vegas oddsmakers thought.

Walker dazzled his way to 12 points, on 5-for-10 shooting, four rebounds, and three assists in 21 minutes showing no ill effects of the knee issues that hounded him in Boston.

Thibodeau lauded him for coming in and setting the tone.

“The game tells you what to do,” Thibodeau said. “And I think he reads the game extremely well. That veteran leadership, shotmaking ability, he’s very good at pick and roll. He puts a lot of pressure on you. And he’s unselfish.”

“If he gets blitzed, he’s gonna get off the ball. He’s not gonna fight the pressure with pressure. I thought we made the extra pass out of the blitz pretty effectively.”

The Knicks flaunted their new firepower sinking 46.5 percent from the field on 26 assists.

They pushed the pace and played with a lot of space but took care of the ball with more precision in their execution. Committing just three turnovers in 48 minutes would attest to that.

With Walker and Rose leading both units, they leaked out when there was an opportunity. The Knicks racked up 15 fastbreak points, six more than their league-worst 8.9 per game last season. It was a lot closer to the league-leading 17.6 transition points generated by Memphis Grizzlies.

It’s a by-product of having more capable playmakers in both the starting and second units.

“I don’t get wrapped up in pace. I’m concerned with us winning. So I want us to be strong on both sides of the ball,” Thibodeau said.

“There’s a lot of different ways to go. It’s just like taking the three. I want to take more threes but I want them to be the right threes. We talked about that in our first team meeting — how are we going to generate the threes that we wanted and to have a balance to get into the paint and spray it out and make good rim reads.”

With more space and ball movement, the Knicks generated 37 three-point shots and hit 11 of them. The number of attempts was just right on their (37-40 range) target.

On the flip side, the Knicks relentlessly attacked the Pacers’ interior defense and came away with 56 points inside the paint, 16 more than the Pacers had.

As much as their offense was popping all night, their defense was on par with the standard they set last season. They forced the Pacers to commit 16 turnovers and held them to 41.3 percent, worse than their league-leading 44-percent field goal shooting allowed last season. The Pacers’ 104 total points were right on their sweet spot. Last season, the Knicks limited their opponents to a league-best 104.7 points per game.

Their much-balanced offense overflowed though it was just a preseason game.

Seven Knicks players ended up in double figures, with second-year players Immanuel Quickley and Obi Toppin adding 10 each off the bench.

Quickley grabbed six rebounds and issued a game-high seven assists though the bulk came in garbage time. Rose and Alec Burks combined for 16 points and five assists.

It was Toppin who generated the most buzz among the reserves.

Toppin moved with more confidence and fluidity. The Knicks’ 2020 lottery pick scored on transition dunks and around the basket. But his most electrifying bucket wasn’t the one he made above the rim. It was a spin move to the basket off a nasty crossover. 

Kevin Knox put the cherry on top of their preseason-opening win with two successive attacks in the paint in the final moments of the game, signaling the shift in his mindset as he desperately fights for minutes in the last year of his rookie deal.

It was a total masterclass from a deep Knicks team that is getting slept on once again.

In the annual NBA general managers survey, the Knicks did not receive any vote to duplicate or surpass their top-four finish in the East. Seven teams, including the Pacers, received votes and were ranked ahead of them.

“I could care less. Most GMs never played basketball. Let’s be real,” Walker said in response. “Who cares what they think. I could care less. We believe in ourselves. We’re gonna play so hard every night. And that’s gonna give us a chance to win every night.”

It’s a Thibodeau tenet that was on full display Tuesday.

There’s no such thing as fake games to Thibodeau. He demands the best effort in every game as they strive to become a 48-minute team and move closer to true contention.

When Thibodeau called that timeout with 1:43 left in the second quarter, he was disappointed with the dispirited effort. Then he reminded his team of their goal.

Message sent.

Follow this writer on Twitter: @alderalmo

Knicks’ Evan Fournier says team is ‘hungry’ as they embody ‘old school’ vibes

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evan fournier, knicks

New York Knicks free agent acquisition Evan Fournier wasn’t around for the 2020-21 season, so he didn’t know what to expect entering the team this off-season in preparation for elevated expectations.

Last year, the Knicks completely surprised the NBA and its fans, winning the 4th Seed in the Eastern Conference, which was considered a longshot at the beginning of the season. Despite having deficiencies at multiple places, including point guard and center after Mitchell Robinson went down with a fractured foot and hand, the team fought hard and played some of the best defense in the entire league.

They ranked among the top in defensive efficiency and points allowed per game, which is a staple of a Tom Thibodeau lead team. However, replicating that will be difficult, especially as they allowed Reggie Bullock to depart in free agency, despite Thibodeau wanting to retain him.

Fournier, though, offers a more refined skill set as a scorer but doesn’t offer the versatile defense bullock contributed last year. However, he is preparing to join a team that is deadly focused on the goal ahead — to go even further in a post season.

“I’m not sure what it was like last year on a daily basis, but the young guys are hungry, the veterans are hungry, the coaching staff is hungry,” veteran wing Evan Fournier said. “You can definitely feel that work atmosphere.”

The former Boston Celtic detailed how the team’s style is exactly what he expected, given Tom’s mentality and communication.

“Exactly what I expected,” Fournier said. “A coach that’s about working, a coach that’s very intense, that tells you things how they are, keeps it real, and just wants to get better. I think he’s very good at making sure you understand what he wants from you. It’s very clear. There’s no gray area and there’s no place for misinterpretation. As a player, especially a new guy, it’s easy because you know what to do.”

After signing a four-year, $73 million deal, the Knicks are expecting Fournier to contribute heavily on offense, averaging 17.1 points last year, including 3.4 assists, 3.0 rebounds, and shooting 41.3% from three-point range. He is far and away a better threat as a shooter and play creator compared to Bullock, so he does offer more value in some categories. Thibodeau loves a stingy defense, though, so he will expect the French sharpshooter to focus on that portion of his game as well.

RJ Barrett ready to become Knicks’ top perimeter defender

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knicks, rj barrett

RJ Barrett made a leap as a catch-and-shoot player last season. In Year 3, Barrett wanted to be known as a solid two-way player.

Someone has to step up after the New York Knicks lost their top perimeter defender in Reggie Bullock to the Dallas Mavericks in the offseason. Barrett is more than willing to pick up the slack.

“Being a two-way player is something that I’ve always strive for. Something that I want to do. It’s how I want to be known,” Barrett said Monday during the NBA Media Day. “So if coach [Tom Thibodeau] puts me in that position to be that guy guarding the [opposing team’s main] guy every night, I’m all for it. I’m up for the challenge. And I won’t back down.”

It’s also a pathway to reaching one of his other goals — becoming an All-Star in the league.

Last season, Barrett had shown he’s got what it takes to be a defensive force under Thibodeau’s defensive schemes. While everyone has been raving about Barrett’s remarkable shooting improvement (from 32 percent to a 40 percent three-point shooter), his tremendous improvement on defense got buried in the background.

Finally, Barrett’s stocky 6-foot-6 frame was put into good use that resulted in a 3.00 defensive real plus-minus (DRPM), according to ESPN stats. It was the third-highest DRPM among shooting guards behind Los Angeles Clippers’ Paul George (3.89) and Miami Heat’s Duncan Robinson (3.45).

DRPM is the player’s estimated on-court impact on team defensive performance, measured in points allowed per 100 defensive possessions.

Barrett had a -2.68 DRPM during his rookie year, which ranked near the bottom (132nd) in his position.

For comparison, Bullock averaged 3.74 DRPM, the second-best among all small forwards behind Brooklyn Nets’ Joe Harris (4.00) last season.

The Knicks’ projected starting lineup will have Barrett at the wings, joining their new backcourt of Kemba Walker and Evan Fournier and a frontline of Julius Randle and Nerlens Noel (while Mitchell Robinson will be eased back into the rotation).

Barrett has the defensive edge over Fournier, who only registered 0.16 DRPM last season, which ranked 32nd. In 2019, Fournier had a slightly better DRPM (0.27). Based on this statistic alone, it’s pretty apparent Barrett will take the most challenging defensive job on most nights.

Offensively, Barrett blossomed into Randle’s Robin to his Batman last season, averaging 17.6 points on 14.7 shot attempts per game. That could take a hit with the arrival of Walker and Fournier. But Barrett also sees this as an opportunity for him to get more open looks which could result in better efficiency. 

Barrett referenced something he saw on Twitter that read like ‘RJ Barrett going to the lane this year,’ and he would be left wide open as an immediate effect of Walker and Fournier’s addition to the team.

“It’s basically how I think it’s gonna be — more attention on other people. All of us can really play. So everyone’s gonna get an opportunity,” he said.

With more space to work on, Barrett projects to take to another leap offensively.

He has worked on his off the bounce game this summer under his trainer Drew Hanlen who has helped develop some of the league’s top wings like Bradley Beal and Jayson Tatum.

“Really, I was just working on my shooting, working on threes and certain shots that I need to be able to hit. So yeah, just being able to kind of recreate what I did last year and add on to that,” Barrett said.

Walker and Fournier made the Knicks a deeper team this year. But Barrett also noted that other teams had gotten better.

Chicago Bulls reloaded with Lonzo Ball and DeMar DeRozan. Miami Heat added Kyle Lowry. Boston Celtics re-acquired Al Horford. Three teams that the Knicks leapfrogged last season.

The Knicks were able to address their holes — especially their point guard woes which plagued them when Elfrid Payton was unplayable down the stretch, and the heavy minutes took their toll on Derrick Rose’s body late in the playoffs.

Walker and Fournier could be the Knicks’ answer to their most pressing need, which is more shot creation to an offense that stalled in the playoffs.

“I think it’s great. We really have a team. We have a lot of weapons. That’s what you need,” Barrett said of Fournier and Walker’s signings. “Every night is gonna be different, there’s somebody contributing in a different way. I’m very excited.”

Follow this writer on Twitter: @alderalmo

Knicks: Randle believes Walker-Fournier addition makes them more versatile

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The New York Knicks have supercharged their offense with the acquisition of four-time All-Star Kemba Walker and Frenchman gunner Evan Fournier.

Walker and Fournier are essentially replacing the ineffective Elfrid Payton and the Knicks’ top perimeter defender but limited offensive player Reggie Bullock.

Payton has since hooked up with the Phoenix Suns while Bullock jettisoned to the Dallas Mavericks.

In theory, the Walker-Fournier tandem that played beautiful music together, albeit briefly, in Boston, is bringing more offensive punch that was sorely lacking when they fell to the Atlanta Hawks, 4-1, in the first round of the NBA playoffs.

Walker and Fournier had a combined average of 36.4 points and close to 10 assists last season, a huge upgrade compared to the 21 points and close to five assists that the Payton-Bullock provided in the previous season.

When healthy, Walker is one of the better point guards in the league. A maestro in pick-and-roll who packs a deadly pull-up game and a decent outside shot (36-percent three-point shooter in his career), Walker will command the respect of the defense, which Payton never had last season.

Meanwhile, Fournier is a more dynamic playmaker and shot-creator in the wings that the catch-and-shoot specialist Bullock will never become.

Their addition is expected to lessen the offensive burden on Knicks’ All-NBA second team forward Julius Randle, who was shackled in the playoffs.

“It means a lot. Those guys are, obviously, very versatile players. They can do a lot of different things on the court. They can really shoot the ball. I’m excited about that. I think they are gonna make us more talented,” Randle said in a recent interview with Sports Illustrated. 

While the Knicks have addressed their glaring weakness on offense which was exposed in the playoffs, the perception around the league is that the Knicks’ top-four defense (107.8 defensive rating) would take a hit.

Payton ranked fourth among point guards in ESPN’s defensive real-plus minus with 2.5 DRPM (DRPM is the player’s estimated on-court impact on team defensive performance, measured in points allowed per 100 defensive possessions). Walker was ranked 30th with -0.30 DRPM.

Bullock was the second-best among all small forwards with 3.74 DRPM behind Brooklyn Nets’ Joe Harris (4.00 DRPM). Fournier ranked 26th among shooting guards with 0.16 DRPM, with RJ Barrett at third with 3.00 DRPM. Barrett is expected to slide to small forward and replace Bullock as the Knicks’ top perimeter defender.

“With Reggie, Elfrid, and all those guys, what they brought to our team was tremendous,” Randle said. So, obviously, [Walker and Fournier] gonna add a lot of offensively for us. But for us, as a team, our main thing has to be the main thing. And that is we come in every night and play with tremendous energy and defend. So as long as we do that, we’ll be fine.”

There is no doubt that the reigning NBA Coach of the Year, Tom Thibodeau, will not let their vaunted defense dip. Collectively, the Knicks are still one of the best defensive teams on paper with the re-signing of Nerlens Noel and the return of Mitchell Robinson from injury.

With more shooting and talent around him this time, Randle worked on his rim attacking and off the bounce game this summer with his trainer Tyler Relph as he expects less double team.

“I think we’ll see great improvement so we just have to make sure that we’re coming in locked in and play defense, get stops because the rest of the league doesn’t like doing that. Offensively, honestly, that’s really the easy part,” Randle said.

Follow this writer on Twitter: @alderalmo

Knicks: Is Evan Fournier really a big upgrade over Reggie Bullock?

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evan fournier, knicks

After a solid season from Reggie Bullock, the New York Knicks elected to let him hit free agency in search of a new team. Averaging 10.9 points, 3.4 rebounds, and shooting 44% from the field, Bullock was one of the players who could’ve reached an extension with the Knicks, but instead, they elected to retain Nerlens Noel, Derrick Rose, and Alec Burks. Bullock was, unfortunately, the odd man out, despite shooting 41% from three-point range and 90% from the free-throw line.

Ultimately, Bullock is a spot shooter that rarely creates opportunities for others, which could be viewed as a negative as more pressure was placed on players like Julius Randle and RJ Barrett to make something out of nothing. To supplement the departure of Bullock, the Knicks went out and signed Evan Fournier to a four-year, $73 million deal with an out after the third season. He will earn an average of about $18 million per season, a contract that dwarfs Bullock’s deal with the Dallas Mavericks. Reggie signed a three-year, $30 million deal, similar to the contract Burks’s landed with New York.

However, when looking at Fournier’s statistics, he averaged 17.1 points, 3.0 rebounds, 3.4 assists, and shot 45.7% from the field. He also connected on 41.3% of his shots from three-point range and is a career 80% shooter from the free-throw line.

Right off the bat, there is a tremendous difference and assists between Fournier and Bullock, and the French native also got to the free-throw line about three times as much as a former Knick.

The statistics start to lean heavily in favor of Evan when looking at field goals made unassisted. For example, last season, Fournier averaged 37.2% of his points on unassisted shots, while Bullock sat at 6.5%. This essentially details Fournier’s ability to creating his own opportunities while Bullock feasts off of other’s hard work and being in the right place at the right time.

97.5% of Bullock’s three-point field goals were on assists, while Fournier landed at 78.6%, a significant difference that tells a story between the two players. Fournier posted 21.4% on three-point field goals unassisted, while Bullock finished at 2.5%. Defensively, Fournier is more efficient stealing the ball, averaging 1.1 steals per game compared to Bullock’s 0.8. However, Bullock offers better perimeter defending with his length and athleticism whereas Fournier has been susceptible to more athletic shooting guards in the past. With an extra inch of height, Evan does have slightly better-blocking percentages and totals over Bullock, but both are rather irrelevant in the category.

Both averaged about 30 minutes per game on the floor, but Fournier contributed seven more points, justifying a more significant contract. While the Knicks might’ve overpaid a bit for his services, there is no question he is a better player and will provide an upgrade at the shooting guard/small forward position.

Grading the Knicks’ NBA 2K22 Ratings: Are they accurate?

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knicks

With the release of NBA 2K22 last Friday, we finally have our first look at the 2021-22 New York Knicks roster in 2K. This also means that Miles McBride and Quentin Grimes are playable for the first time ever. Let’s dive into these ratings and see if 2K got it right.

The Ratings

Julius Randle, 87

Can’t really complain about this one. Coming off the best season of his career where he won Most Improved Player(MIP), Randle has earned his place among the top ratings in the Eastern Conference. He should probably be at an 88 or an 89, but his performance in last year’s playoffs definitely played a factor in this year’s rating.

Grade: B

RJ Barrett, 83

This one was really surprising. Not because of how he isn’t higher, but because 2K finally decided to show RJ some respect. 83 is honestly a really great jumping-off point this upcoming season for the 21-year-old. The rating isn’t too low or too high, it’s perfect.

Grade: A

Kemba Walker, 83

Unsurprisingly, this is the lowest rating Walker has had since NBA 2K16. The 5-time All-Star had one of the worst seasons of his career last year and looks to bounce back on his hometown team. His dynamic scoring and playmaking abilities could transform the Knicks’ offense, leading to a ratings boost down the line. However, whether it be from his knee issues or just a regression of his skills, there is also a chance 83 isn’t the lowest we see his rating throughout the year.

Grade: A-

Derrick Rose, 83

After a terrific playoff series against the Hawks last season, D-Rose earned this 83 rating. Although he’s tied for the 2nd highest rating on the team, the former MVP will be coming off the bench this season. Look for him to make a real run at 6th Man of the Year and for this rating to stay pretty much the same all season.

Grade: A

Mitchell Robinson, 80

There’s no question about it: When the 7’0 Robinson is healthy, there are not many other players in the league who can match his level of athleticism and energy. However, he’s coming off multiple injuries, the latter of which saw him miss the final 26 games of the regular season, including the series against the Hawks. If he’s able to stay healthy, there’s little-to-no chance that this rating stays the same. For now, it does make sense after not playing half of last season.

Grade: B+

Evan Fournier, 79

This is the first one that’s way off. 2k has had a tendency in the past to underrate guards/wings that can score in a multitude of ways. Any guard they perceive to not be able to defend well and not have playmaking abilities will have a hard time getting a rating over 80, especially if they play for the Knicks. This one just doesn’t make sense, though. It could be due to the fact that the devs may have been taking his stats with Boston into account too much. Before his trade to the Celtics, Fournier was putting up almost 20 PPG in only 30 minutes per game. Fournier is at least an 82, maybe even an 83. The intangibles he brings on offense, including his shooting and finishing skills, are better than any other 79 in the game. This rating isn’t accurate at all.

Grade: F

Immanuel Quickley, 78

As one of the biggest steals in the 2020 NBA Draft, Quickley improved his rating from a 71 last year all the way up to a 79 by the end of the year. This is why this rating doesn’t really do it for me. To drop down a point after an entire offseason doesn’t make much sense. We’ll see how it unfolds for the second year from Kentucky, but there’s little doubt that he improves enough to get this rating over 80 by the playoffs.

Side note, Quickley is REALLY good at NBA2K.

Grade: C

Nerlens Noel, 78

As the defensive anchor of the Knicks throughout the final stretch of last season that culminated in the team making the playoffs for the first time in 8 years, Noel proved that he wasn’t your average backup center. Defensively, Noel is an incredibly reliable option off the bench. However, his offensive woes will always hamper any rating he’ll ever get from 2K.

Grade: A-

Obi Toppin, 76

If it weren’t for the competency and confidence shown by Obi Toppin at the end of the season last year, there’s a chance he’s nowhere near the 76 that he finds himself right now. The potential is clearly there, but will he find the ability to become more offensively dynamic? Only time will tell. But until we see him take a big leap, the rating he currently holds will stay the same.

The Rest:

Taj Gibson, 76

Kevin Knox, 72

Quentin Grimes, 71

Luca Vildoza, 71

Dwayne Bacon, 71

Miles McBride, 70

Overall, the Knicks have a team rating of 83, which is the highest rating they’ve had since NBA 2K14.

Knicks reunion among Carmelo Anthony’s options during free agency

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New York Knicks, Carmelo Anthony

After the Portland Trail Blazers moved on from him, Carmelo Anthony considered a reunion with the New York Knicks.

In Chris Hayne’s podcast on Monday, Anthony revealed that moving back to New York was among his options in the free agency before the Los Angeles Lakers offer came along.

“It was (hard) because I had just moved and bought a house in New York, Anthony said. “It was unexpected. My son starts school (today) in New York. So it was like, I’m here, I’m home. I never expected the Lakers to call.”

While Anthony said he’s been spending summertime in Los Angeles for more than a decade now, moving his family there never crossed his mind.

Anthony, a Brooklyn native, spent some of his prime years with the Knicks and led the team to the playoffs in 2013.

The Lakers were the Knicks’ rivals during their two championship runs in the 70s. The spotlights of Broadway and the glitz and glamour of Hollywood made them the two biggest markets in the NBA.

“I don’t know if I was ready to do that because that’s a big shift. When you wear the purple and gold, that’s different. Even in New York, when you wear the blue and orange, that’s blood. That runs deep. It’s the same way as the purple and gold. It’s just at different sides of the country,” Anthony said.

Anthony said he was in constant communication with Portland’s stars Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum. He was waiting for the Trail Blazers’ call that never came. So he thought he’d move back to the east coast.

“I made [Portland] almost like a home for me. Within two years, I felt like I was a part of that community,” Anthony said. “New York was always there. Coming back to New York was always a story. I’ve always told my son when he goes to high school, I’ll be right there with you. The New York thing made sense.”

Anthony would have added more firepower to the Knicks’ bench that already has Derrick Rose and the pair of electrifying sophomores Immanuel Quickley and Obi Toppin.

Aside from the Knicks, the Philadelphia 76ers and the New Orleans Pelicans also showed interest.

“I didn’t really get a chance to really converse with Philly, but there was interest there,” Anthony said.

He then revealed that Philadelphia’s stars Joel Embiid and Tobias Harris reached out to him, but he never had the chance to talk to them as the Lakers scooped him up before the Sixers did.

The opportunity to chase a ring with his good friend LeBron James and Anthony Davis was too good to pass up, but it was never an easy decision.

“Having a great chance to win [was what made me decide to join the Lakers]. It took me some days to really like sit down and kind of break it down and really dig deep into making that decision,” Anthony said.

“To most people, it probably would have been an easy decision to make. But to me, it wasn’t. I really have to align a lot of things and put things in order for things to work out, for me to feel comfortable to be away from my family for another year and the kids not being there. People don’t understand that part. That’s the hardest part. The basketball (part) is easy.”

Anthony was linked to the Knicks when his former agent Leon Rose became the team’s president. But the former Knicks star said the interest wasn’t mutual.

“At this point, it wasn’t really a lot [of consideration],’’ Anthony said in the summer of 2020. “The Knicks were making moves and were trying to figure out the direction they wanted to go in. They weren’t done making moves. I’m sure they have a plan. I don’t think me coming in and trying to mess their plan up was good for either party.”

“They are rebuilding and figuring out what’s in their near future. It was me personally wanting to be part of a situation I was already comfortable with. I just finished playing with these guys two, three months ago. I felt it was the right fit at this point of time where I’m at right now this particular year.’’

Then the Knicks made a surprising run to the playoffs and have positioned themselves to make another serious run this season with the addition of four-time All-Star Kemba Walker and Evan Fournier.

What a difference a year makes.

The Knicks suddenly became an attractive destination to Anthony again until Hollywood pulled him away from home.

Follow this writer on Twitter: @alderalmo

WATCH: Knicks’ Evan Fournier hilariously rides NYC Subway

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The New York Knicks signed Evan Fournier to a four-year, $73 million deal this off-season. The deal includes an out after the 2023-24 season, in which he would count $19 million against the cap. However, he will replace former shooting guard/small forward Reggie Bullock as the team’s primary spot shooter. However, Fournier brings another element to the roster, a player who can create opportunities for himself and others, which will take pressure off players like Julius Randle.

After signing a luxurious contract, Fournier has spent his time in New York riding the subway system and enjoying the sights of the Big Apple. Hilariously, he enjoyed some live music during his commute Monday morning.

If you’ve ever enjoyed the sights and sounds of the MTA, you know this is a frequent occurrence for subway riders. Fournier, who clearly wants to experience a sense of normalcy living in New York City, is seen shaking his head as the band plays throughout the car.

This is one of those classic New York moments with a player coming from Boston enjoying a change in scenery in a world that has been turned upside down due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In fact, the video is quite wholesome, has plenty of celebrities use the subway to get around in the city, flying under the radar and going unnoticed in a city of millions.

Why Knicks’ Evan Fournier and RJ Barrett are an underrated duo

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Adding talent this off-season was a priority for the New York Knicks, especially with a ton of cap space to spare and utilize. Of course, they would’ve preferred to land a big name with championship-caliber play, but instead, they added several players who can contribute toward a deep postseason run over a longer period.

Acquiring Evan Fournier and Kemba Walker injects talent into two positions that were considered weaknesses last season. While Reggie Bullock, who spent the last two years with the Knicks, played valiantly, averaging 10.9 points and shooting 41% from three-point range, Fournier offers a massive upgrade.

Not only is the French-born player capable of creating shots for himself, but he’s also a better three-point shooter, averaging 41.3% last season over 6.7 attempts per game. Bullock only attempted 3.8 shots per game from distance, showcasing the difference in scoring production.

Fournier finished last season with 17.1 points on average, 3.4 assists, and had a 56.5 effective field-goal percentage. He is far and away a better offensive player and even contributes more defensively. He will take significant pressure off power forward Julius Randle, as defenders simply can’t crowd the interior and force the Knicks to win with their shooting.

However, the pairing of Fournier and third-year player RJ Barrett could be something special. One of the most important aspects of sports is communication, and that assessment doesn’t differ in the NBA. Both Fournier and Barrett speak French, allowing them to communicate in a different language, which could give them a slight advantage over their competition, who can’t intercept information. While some might consider this a non-factor, playing off one another and creating shots will be a focal point for the Knicks, which will give them another element offensively.

Barrett, who had his best season to date during the 2020-21 season, averaging 17.6 points, 3.0 assists, 5.8 rebounds, and shooting 44% from the field, is looking to take another step forward this upcoming season. His three-point percentage increased to 40%, attempting 4.3 shots per game. All together, Barrett and Fournier averaged a combined 34.8 points per game.

The primary goal for both players is to improve their shots selection and creation for their teammates. Last season, Fournier posted a 37.2% rate for field goals made unassisted. He is not a traditional spot-up shooter like Reggie Bullock, which offers benefits to a team that needs to draw attention away from their best player in Randle.

Just the slightest advantage in communicating in a different language can be beneficial, which will likely improve the chemistry between RJ and Evan. Another interesting point to make is at Fournier’s assist rate has consistently improved throughout his career, and Barrett saw his average increase from 2.6 to 3.0 last season. If they can continue to improve in that category, they have the potential to be a fantastic scoring duo.

How Kemba Walker can help take the Knicks’ offense to the next level

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This offseason, the Knicks went out and signed 4-time All-Star Kemba Walker, and you’d be hard-pressed to find someone who was against this move. Getting such a high-volume scorer for just $9 million per year couldn’t possibly go wrong, right? In hindsight, yes. However, as the starting point guard the Knicks so desperately needed, there is added pressure for Walker to perform well. Coupled in with his recurring knee issues, and there’s real concern that Walker could hamper the play of the hard-nosed Knicks.

Will His Knee Continue to Affect Him?

Despite being the lowest-risk signing the Knicks made all offseason, Kemba Walker has the most boom or bust potential on the roster. The reason for this is due to the fact that no one truly knows how Walker’s knee will continue to hold up. According to him, there’s little reason to worry, as he has continued to downplay the seriousness of his injury:

“I was feeling pretty good. I just had a little hiccup in the playoffs, which sucked obviously. Nobody likes to be injured, especially at that moment. But I felt pretty good all year, to be honest.”

–Kemba Walker via Forbes

If his two seasons in Boston are any indication as to how the knee will impact him in New York, we could reasonably see more regression in the 31-year-old’s play. In these past two years, he saw consecutive decreases in his FG % and points per game, the latter by over 5 points from 2018-19 to 2019-20. With the Celtics, his injury problems effectively relegated him from the status of a bonafide star to simply an offensive threat. This, combined with the large contract Walker had, lowered his value so much that the Celtics needed to additionally send a first and second-rounder to Oklahoma City to offload him.

Now, no one’s saying that the Knicks need Walker to return to his Charlotte form to be successful. However, if they plan on making a deep playoff run in a much-improved Eastern Conference, he will need to be more efficient than he ever was on the Celtics. He won’t have to go out and score 20+ every night, but he will have to covert a higher percentage of his shots.

Will the Knicks’ Depth Help Kemba?

There is one big difference between Walker’s situation last season and the one he finds himself in now. The Celtics lacked depth, whereas the Knicks may be one of the deepest teams in the league. Boston relied heavily on their stars and didn’t have many spark plugs that could pick up the scoring load. New York, on the other hand, could potentially have multiple 10+ PPG scorers off the bench. There’s certainly hope that this could lead to a much more productive season from Walker with having to shoulder less of the scoring than he ever has.

It’s still without saying that Kemba will be the key piece to this Knicks team. They wanted their replacement for the disastrous Elfrid Payton era, and they got it for a very low price. Last year’s team had it all besides consistent scoring outside of Julius Randle. Now, with the additions of Walker and Evan Fournier, they finally have enough players who can create their own offense. Depending on how each player fits in with this team, this team can be really good.

How Good Can the Knicks Be?

If Kemba is able to somehow return to what he was before his injury, this could be the best Knicks team we’ve seen since the 1990s. Yes, even better than the 2012-13 team. A healthy Kemba along with RJ Barrett, Fournier, Randle, and Mitchell Robinson backed by a solid bench could lead to the franchise’s first 2nd round appearance since that aforementioned Carmelo Anthony-led squad.

The possibilities are boundless, and the expectations are high but not too high, so this season could turn out to be another very fun one for the New York Knicks.

Despite what happens this season, the Knicks aren’t risking much by putting all this trust in Walker. The positive behind all of this is that no matter what happens, the Knicks are not bound to him long-term. He’s only under contract for 2 years and a reasonable amount of money. If this doesn’t work out, the future of the team will still be perfectly intact. This is certainly something to be relieved about going forward if you’re a Knicks fan.