julius randle

Julius Randle, Knicks left fuming as Nets escape in rivalry game

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In a rivalry game that had a lot of twists and turns, James Johnson emerged as the unlikely hero.

The defensive-minded forward Johnson canned a pair of pressure-packed free throws with 2.2 seconds left that allowed the Brooklyn Nets to escape with a 112-110 win over the New York Knicks Tuesday night at Barclays Center.

Kevin Durant wisely milked the clock and found a wide-open Johnson who drove to the basket and fished a foul from Knicks center Mitchell Robinson. Evan Fournier missed a prayer at the buzzer as the Knicks’ first game without Kemba Walker in the rotation had a promising start but ended in heartbreak.

Randle charged at the official fuming after the loss.

“I’m not going to talk about [the officiating], I’m going to talk about the game, what the players are out there doing,” Randle said. “I’m not going to talk about [the referees] because they clearly don’t understand the game.”

The rest of the Knicks points guards — Alec Burks, Derrick Rose, and Immanuel Quickley — took turns in guiding the Knicks’ offense. After a hiccup in the middle quarters, the Knicks looked poised for a win when they stormed back from a 16-point third-quarter deficit.

An Obi Toppin dunk gave the Knicks a three-point lead, 98-95, midway in the fourth quarter. Then Kevin Durant carried the Nets on his back, firing 11 points down the stretch.

After the game, Durant said he wanted to take Randle one-on-one for the last shot, but Rose who came to double him, scuttled his plan. Luckily for Brooklyn, Johnson was up to the task.

Durant started the game with an ugly 2 for 9 shooting from the floor. He came back with a vengeance in the second half. Durant had 21 points on 7 of 14 shooting, mainly against Randle, who was hit with a crucial technical foul with 1:36 left.

Durant sank the bonus free throw to extend the Nets’ lead to three. After a Randle-Durant back-and-forth, Evan Fournier fired a game-tying triple with 17.7 seconds left off the Knicks’ final timeout. It turned out to be the Knicks’ last stand.

Burks led the Knicks with a new season-high 25 points, eclipsing his 23-point game in his first start in Atlanta two nights ago. Rose dropped a 16-point, 9-assist gem off the bench in his return from sickbay while Quickley added 12 points.

The trio’s production negated James Harden’s 34-point performance that came with 10 rebounds and eight assists.

Harden went 9 for 10 from the line. Durant was a perfect 10 for 10. The Nets took 25 free throws, 13 more than the Knicks, which had New York coach Tom Thibodeau also upset during his postgame interview.

“My thoughts overall, we did a lot of good things. We didn’t close it out. I want to take a look at the film,” Thibodeau said. “There’s a big discrepancy in free throws. I can tell you that. Julius is driving the ball and he gets 2 free throws?”

Even with Randle taking only one-fifth of Harden and Durant’s free throw rate, he still came up with 24 points on 11 of 22 shots.

If there was another silver lining from this loss, it was Randle’s return to his All-NBA form.

Randle flirted with a triple-double as he added nine rebounds, eight assists, and two steals.

With 3:30 left in the second quarter, Randle held the ball at the right elbow. He sized up Durant.

A day earlier, Randle proclaimed Durant is the best player in the league.

“Have you even seen a 7-footer with that skill? He can do anything on the court,” said Randle after Monday’s practice. “No weakness.”

Hyped up in their matchup, Randle poked a hole in Durant’s armor.

Randle took a jab step. And in one quick motion with little hesitation, he lost Durant. Randle attacked the basket with Durant trailing. LaMarcus Aldridge came to help. It was too late.

Randle completed a three-point play off Durant’s foul. He added two more baskets off Durant.

The Knicks held a 61-60 lead at the half after blowing an eight-point lead in the opening quarter.

Randle dominated Durant in the first half. But Durant had the last laugh. And Randle went home fuming.

Follow this writer on Twitter: @alderalmo

Knicks’ RJ Barrett comes to Julius Randle’s defense for lack of scoring production

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rj barrett, julius randle, new york knicks

When the New York Knicks signed All-Star power forward Julius Randle to a four-year, $117 million extension, they expected him to be their primary leader, taking over games offensively and putting them in a position to win. However, Randle has been wildly inconsistent this season, posting -3.3 +/-, with 19.2 points, 5.0 assists, and 10.2 rebounds per game.

Overall, Randle has had his fair share of ups and downs this year, posting just eight points in the Knicks’ win over the Atlanta Hawks on Saturday evening. Over his last five games, Randle has showcased elite scoring capabilities and insufficient production at the same time. On November 21 against the Chicago Bulls, he earned 34 points.

The Knicks need a more reliable and consistent version of their All-Star, who in the month of November is shooting 32.9% from three-point range. On the year, he’s only hitting 33% of his shots from deep, far below his 41% clip from just a year ago. His inefficiency from deep has hurt his scoring production, despite his attempts seeing a slight increase compared to the 2020–21 campaign.

However, Julius has made an impact in different ways, specifically with his rebounding, matching his 10.2 from last season. Nonetheless, head coach Tom Thibodeau still sees positives from his game and what he’s able to contribute.

“I thought he made a lot of good plays for us,” Thibodeau said after the win against Atlanta.

Thibodeau was straight into the point with his review of Randle’s play. Whether he’s willing to say it or not, the veteran forward needs to be more consistent with his shooting and use his physicality to open up opportunities for his teammates. Randle isn’t playing being selfish at times, forcing isolation shots and trying to do too much on his own when he can curate higher probability attempts by just passing the ball one extra time.

Third-year guard RJ Barrett came to his defense as well, stating that he does a lot more for the team than just score points.

“Even if he’s not scoring a lot,” RJ Barrett added, “he’s doing so much out there.”

Barrett has a point, as Randle does a lot of the dirty work other players are not capable of doing. Posting double-digit rebounds per game is a serious statistic that shouldn’t be overlooked. Without his consistent bounding, the Knicks wouldn’t be in the top-15 in defensive rebounds this season. He’s also seen an astronomical increase in his block rate, more than doubling compared to last year.

It was anticipated that Randle would see a bit of natural regression after having his best season, but he’s still making a solid impact for a team that desperately needs him to be at the top of his game. The burden has gotten a bit heavier on his shoulders with the Knicks’ complementary players failing to make a significant impact, but the play Obi Toppin has convinced Thibodeau to utilize him more, especially for his transition abilities.

Toppin is having a steadfast second season in the NBA, averaging 8.2 points, 3.6 rebounds, 0.8 blocks, and shooting 52.9% from the field. He’s scored double-digit points in three of his last five games, playing a significant role off the bench. Interestingly, the second Thibodeau pulled Toppin from the game against Atlanta, the double-digit lead shrunk instantaneously with Randle on the floor.

Randle has struggled in the month of November to find a balanced game between his offense and defense, but his compliments haven’t done him any favors with lackluster positioning and ball movement. Oddly, I think the catalyst for New York is energy — the second team pushes the defense, creating opportunity in transition with fewer defenders when the starters seem to slow things down and allow opposing teams to close out shots. The up-tempo game isn’t necessarily sustainable, but the energy has been looking with the starters the past few weeks.

Pressure mounts as shorthanded, out of sync Knicks face soaring Hawks

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knicks, julius randle

The embattled New York Knicks will go into last season’s playoff rematch severely shorthanded against the soaring Atlanta Hawks.

The Knicks will be without Kemba Walker (rest) in the second night of the back-to-back schedule. Walker will join Derrick Rose (sprained right ankle) and Taj Gibson (sore groin) on the sidelines. Nerlens Noel, who limped Friday night in their 118-97 loss to the red-hot Phoenix Suns, could join them as he is listed as questionable to play with a sore right knee.

The Hawks are coming off a 132-100 rout of the Memphis Grizzlies also on Friday night. It was their seventh consecutive win after a 4-9 start.

“You don’t win seven games in a row without playing good basketball and being connected,” Hawks coach Nate McMillan said after the game.

It’s a stark contrast to the Knicks’ current temperament.

When Evan Fournier and Walker joined in the offseason, there was an inflated expectation that the Knicks would be better than the team that Hawks tossed in the first round in just five games. But so far, the Knicks’ current 10-9 record suggests otherwise.

The starters had their moments in their last few games, but their inconsistencies have been perplexing even to Tom Thibodeau, whose hallmarks of defense and disciplined play can’t be found in this current team.

“Overall, we didn’t play well. So, it’s on all of us. It’s not on any one particular person so we have to do a lot better,” said Thibodeau of their lackluster performance against the Suns.

Thibodeau sounds like a broken record with this answer.

In the Knicks’ dispiriting loss to the Suns, it was clear that the gap between them and the elite teams in terms of talent and cohesiveness is so wide.

Clearly, there’s something wrong with the Knicks.

Julius Randle only shot eight attempts and finished with a season-low nine points. Randle, the hub of the Knicks’ offense last season, was not in his element despite having no lingering health issues.

“I feel great. My body, legs,” said Randle, who kept his answers to short, one-liners.

In contrast, the Suns’ star Devin Booker torched the Knicks with 32 points and cooked early with 21 first-half points. Randle’s trainer Tyler Relph shared an interesting observation on Booker’s fourth 30-plus point game at the Garden.

“27 shots — got involved early and often… [The Suns] got their best player in great rhythm,” he replied on Twitter.

The Knicks had lost their edge when they entered the season with high expectations. But is it fair to wonder if Thibodeau is also losing grip of this team?

Earlier in their struggles, Randle said the intentions and their hearts are in the right place. But their execution isn’t.

Does Thibodeau’s read and react offense need more structure to sync their staring unit and make everyone happy? Or do the Knicks need a shakeup?

In their second loss to the Eastern Conference’s worst team, Orlando Magic, last Nov. 17, Randle had an interesting postgame interview when he said it felt like a bit of weird out there on the court.

When asked why they had lost last year’s identity under Thibodeau, Randle said he was clueless.

“I don’t know, man. It’s just me being completely honest with you. I have no clue,” Randle said. “Thibs still comes in and does a great job giving us game plans and all that different type of stuff. I really think it’s just the details. Maybe it’s the little things that are hurting us right now.”

Since then, the Knicks remained inconsistent, alternating wins and losses in the next four games.

Fournier, who openly talked about his gripes of not playing in the fourth quarter and the lack of ball movement, was consciously and heavily involved in the offense early in the games to get him going but with mixed results. He had double-digit shot attempts in three of their last four games, averaging 12.3 shots in that span. When Fournier was hot, the Knicks rolled with two wins in their previous four games. But when he’s not, it ended up with losses. 

Against the Suns, Fournier was 4 of 15 after a torrid start. He did not see action in the fourth quarter for the ninth time under Thibodeau. It marked the most fourth-quarter benching in a single season in his career. 

Meanwhile, Walker will miss his second game this season due to rest. The New York native is averaging career-low numbers across the board except for shooting percentages.

Fournier and Walker were brought in to ease Randle’s burden. But it has become a bigger burden for Randle to co-exist with them.

When Randle was asked if there’s extra motivation in facing the Hawks, his answer was short but not sweet.

“No, it’s just another game,” Randle said, “another game on the schedule of 82 (games).”

But it’s not just another game. It’s a critical game for the Knicks as they enter the 20th game with chemistry issues still compounding their injury woes. It’s still early in the season, but as Randle said: “NBA games come fast.”

Thibodeau will be reminded of his remarks after their 12th game of the season.

“You know what they say — when it’s 10 games, you say we need 20. When you get to 20, you say 30. When we get to 30, you say 40, and then before you know it, the season’s over,” said Thibodeau referring to how much time do his starters need to gel. “So, that’s a bunch of bull—t.”

Win or lose, Thibodeau will have another interesting postgame presser for sure.

Follow this writer on Twitter: @alderalmo

Knicks’ Julius Randle drops words of encouragement in win over Lakers: ‘That sh*t takes time’

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knicks, julius randle

The New York Knicks gained a bit of momentum on Tuesday evening when they overcame the Los Angeles Lakers 106–100. The Knicks lead for the majority of the game, displaying a bit of dominance, stifling off a late comeback attempt by Russell Westbrook and Co.

Finally, the Knicks’ starters stepped up and had adequate performances, as Julius Randle posted 20 points and 16 rebounds. Evan Fournier pieced together a 26 point game, adding four rebounds, shooting 57.1% from the field and 66.7% from three-point range. In two of his last three games, Fournier has hit 50% or more from deep, indicating an upward trajectory with his shooting.

The starters needed time to gel, despite starting off the season strong and showcasing some of their newfound scoring prowess. However, Randle stated after the game that it takes time and poor play never broke their confidence.

“18 games in? This s**t takes time. The thing about us is we’ve stayed encouraged, we stayed positive, we’ve had highs, we’ve had lows but once it starts clicking we’re going to be a really really good team.”
Inconsistencies are natural in the NBA, but when the second team is picking up the slack, it casts a dark shadow on the starters, who have stepped up lately knowing the team needs more production from their biggest names.
Head coach Tom Thibodeau mirrored a similar message, stating:
“The ball always finds energy. If we’re doing the right things when we’re pushing the ball and we’re attacking the rim, oftentimes those are the best shots you can get.”
The Knicks did everything right against the Lakers, holding them to just 37.4% from the field and 30.6% from three-point range. They limited Anthony Davis to just 20 points, a sufficient number for a player who regularly averages 25+. While Russell Westbrook posted 31, 10 assists, and 13 rebounds, his stellar outing wasn’t enough to propel Los Angeles to a win.
New York has an incredibly difficult schedule ahead, taking on the Phoenix Suns, Atlanta Hawks, Brooklyn Nets, and Chicago Bulls consecutively. They will need the starters to be on the top of their game if they want to emerge victorious against competitive teams.

Knicks tease with their ceiling in crucial win over LeBron-less Lakers

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Despite the New York Knicks‘ inconsistent play recently, one thing stood out about them for Los Angeles Lakers coach Frank Vogel ahead of their Tuesday matchup.

“I think the biggest thing is the volume of threes they’re shooting,” Vogel said before the game. “Obviously, Julius Randle is an elite player. The volume of threes he’s been creating and the space they’re creating for him to attack one-on-one is probably the biggest difference between last year and this year’s team. And Kemba (Walker) and Evan (Fournier), being new additions, have been helping on that.”

Vogel’s thoughts were uncannily prescient. It played out the way he described it as the Knicks starters put together their best performance in a 106-100 win over the LeBron James-less Lakers in front of a soldout crowd at Madison Square Garden.

Julius Randle bullied Anthony Davis underneath for the game’s first basket. Then Fournier got hot outside while Walker and RJ Barrett joined the scoring fray as the Knicks zoomed to a 10-0 start and a 36-20 first-quarter lead.

The quartet scored all but two points in that mesmerizing opening that showed a glimpse of how good the Knicks can be when everything comes together for them. They combined to hit 11 of 18 shots. Nine of them came off assists. All five starters made an assist, with Randle and Walker handing out three each.

Their rampage continued at the onset of the second quarter. The Knicks bench, a picture of consistency and fluidity throughout the team’s rough start, padded the lead to 25.

For 15 glorious minutes, the Garden was Eden. Everybody eats when the Knicks are sharing the ball.

“I think if you have an unselfish team, they’re gonna recognize when someone gets hot or has a good matchup,” Thibodeau said after the game. “The ball always finds energy.”

“We’re doing the right things when we’re pushing the ball, and we’re attacking the rim. Oftentimes, those are the best shots that you can get. You get to drive, and then it’s pass, pass, and then you’re walking into a three so that it gives you good rhythm.”

Fournier walked into rhythm threes and hit 6 of 9. His hot shooting kept him in the game and avoided what could have been a ninth fourth-quarter benching. Fournier led the Knicks with 26 points, his best offensive performance since a career-high-tying 32 points during the season opener against the Boston Celtics.

“I’m trying to — regardless of what’s going on and how we play — I always try to focus on myself, look at myself and try to play the best I can,” Fournier said. “[I’m] trying to be aggressive, trying to take what’s in front of me, and be decisive in everything I do.”

Fournier took shots with no hesitations, unlike in the past when his pump fakes usually led to tough shots.

But as great as the Knicks looked for a one-and-a-half quarter, the ills that plagued them won’t just go away. Their offense got stagnant. Their energy on defense went down with it.

The Lakers came storming back and tied it at 79 on a Carmelo Anthony breakaway slam. With Derrick Rose out with a sprained ankle, Immanuel Quickley rose to the occasion. The second-year guard hit four back-breaking triples in the fourth quarter to seal the deal.

“This game is a perfect example of how we play. We are very capable of playing really, really good basketball, getting big leads,” Fournier said. “Then all of sudden, not so well.”

The Knicks have been consistently inconsistent. They have led by double-digits in 11 games this season. Three of them ended in a horrible loss, blowing a 13-point lead in their first loss to Orlando Magic, a 15-point lead to Toronto Raptors, and a 16-point lead against Charlotte Hornets. Then they nearly squandered double-digit leads in five of their 10 wins, including this one against the Lakers.

“We have to keep playing the same way [whether] up 20, down 15 or tied game,” Fournier said. “For us, I think the key is going to find that balance and that rhythm. We can really be good, man! We just have to trust how we play. And when we have [found] a way to play, just stay with it.”

Randle negated the flu-stricken Anthony Davis’ 20 points. Both forwards shot 7 for 17 from the floor. But Randle dominated the glass with 16 rebounds, 15 coming on the defensive end. Thanks to Randle’s Herculean effort, the Knicks outrebounded the bigger Lakers, 52-50.

The Knicks are rolling when their shots are falling like Tuesday night (15 of 34 from downtown).

Their roller-coaster season continued with another teaser of their ceiling.

Over the last five games, the Knicks’ defense has tightened up, giving up just 99.2 points per game. Despite winning only two of their previous five games, their offense has started to balance out, although in spurts. The common denominator in those two wins is that Fournier got it going while Randle only logged in three assists in two of those three losses. Randle had five assists, tied with Walker, against the Lakers.

The Knicks are 7-3 this season when Randle has at least five assists. Conversely, the Knicks are 1-5 when he only dishes three assists or less.

“Like I said before, [Evan’s] a huge part of our team. I’ll make sure that I establish him and Kemba. And everybody gets comfortable where we’re just going out there playing, and we know what’s going to happen, where our shots are going to come from,” Randle said. “We know that we have each other’s back on the defensive end. That’s what makes the game fun.”

Never mind if James (due to suspension) missed his only visit to the Madison Square Garden this season. Never mind if Davis, who woke up Tuesday with a slight fever, was not 100 percent. It could have been a different story. But what matters for the Knicks is picking up a galvanizing win that they hope can bring momentum as they continue a brutal stretch in their schedule.

They will host the red-hot Phoenix Suns, winners of their last 13 games, on Black Friday.

It will be another tough test for the Knicks’ starters, whose chemistry is starting to build up in recent games. Against the Lakers, the Knicks’ starting unit had 16 of the team’s 23 assists. The next step is building consistency.

“It definitely will develop. This is what, 18 games in? This sh*t takes time, bro,” Randle said. “The good thing about us is we’ve stayed encouraged. We stayed positive. We had highs, we’ve had lows. But once it starts clicking, we’re going to be a really, really good team.”

The Knicks were in the first quarter, just like how Vogel conjured that Lakers’ nightmare.

Follow this writer on Twitter: @alderalmo

Knicks: Julius Randle helps Evan Fournier to get back on track

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knicks, julius randle, evan fournier

It was an ugly win against the league’s worst team, but the New York Knicks may have found something to build on in their ongoing quest to fix their starting lineup’s chemistry issues.

A day after Evan Fournier put his dwindling playing time and recent fourth-quarter benching into perspective, the Knicks’ acknowledged leader Julius Randle got his message.

“We always say that we want the game to tell you what to do. Make the right plays. I don’t want them pre-determined ‘I’m gonna come in and I’m gonna shoot 15 times.’ If he’s open, I don’t want [Evan] hesitating. I don’t think all his teammates do either,” Thibodeau said after the Knicks dodged a bullet from the Houston Rockets, the league’s worst team.

“We all have a lot of confidence in his shooting. The question becomes ‘how can we help each other get better?’ And I thought Julius made a conscious effort to get him shots.”

True enough, Randle tracked Fournier throughout the game to get him not just shots but rhythm shots.

Fournier fired 19 points, 11 of them coming off Randle’s assists. Randle made 19 passes — the second-most he dished out to a teammate next to 27 to Kemba Walker. Seven of those passes resulted in a shot attempt, and Fournier converted four of them, accounting for 44.4 percent of Randle’s game-high nine assists.

In return, Fournier made 15 passes to Randle, which resulted in three looks at the basket. Randle made 1 of 3 out of those Fournier’s intended assist. It was the most number of passes Fournier made to a teammate. His next best passing partner, Kemba Walker, only received six passes.

“It will get better as we go. I thought it was very good. They made a number of really good plays. I thought they played off each extremely well. The more they do it, the better they get at it,” Thibodeau said of the Randle-Fournier two-man game.

It was a step in the right direction for the Randle-Fournier partnership, which was expected to be better than the Randle-Reggie Bullock tandem last season.

Thanks to Randle’s timely assist, Fournier finally snapped out of his November shooting slump and regained his fourth-quarter minutes. While Fournier scored only two points on 1 of 3 shooting in more than five minutes of playing time in the fourth quarter, his activity off the ball created opportunities for the Knicks.

Fournier’s pick and roll with Randle led to Alec Burks’ huge three-pointer that allowed the Knicks to pull away in the final three minutes.

“It’s fun to play in the fourth quarter. But to be honest, this is what I expect,” Fournier said. “I know what I am capable of and what I can bring so I have to make sure I play really well during those minutes that I have and hopefully, things are gonna go well. But as long as we win and we play well, that’s all that matters.”

Fournier sank 5 of 10 three-pointers and matched his scoring total over his last four games, entering Saturday’s game. His best stretch came in the second quarter, where he scattered 11 points. Fournier re-entered the game, replacing Burks with 5:41 left before halftime and the Knicks trailing. Fournier quickly made his presence felt, and his scoring binge gave the Knicks a five-point lead, 47-42 before the Rockets came back to tie it before the break.

“It felt pretty good. It’s been two, three games now that we have better ball movement. Like we have a better overall better body language out there, more rhythm. We can all benefit from it. For [us] starters, it’s really catching that rhythm that we had early on,” Fournier said.

It was a remarkable recovery from one of the worst starts of the Knicks under Thibodeau, where the starters combined to shoot 5 for 20 for just 13 points in the opening quarter.

While Fournier said practices are mostly confined in the film room more than five-on-five scrimmages, the starters are conscious of their recent on-court struggles and have been very vocal about it.

“We’ve been communicating a lot. All five of us, trying to really get ourselves going because obviously, we’re gonna need to play well if we’re gonna have a good season. We all want to do well and we all want to win,” Fournier said. “Talking is one thing, but we need action. And I thought like I said, those two, three games were better. It’s not where we want by any means but I think we’re getting there.”

Sunday’s rematch with the Chicago Bulls, who they beat in a 104-103 squeaker earlier, will provide an acid test on this newfound chemistry.

Follow this writer on Twitter: @alderalmo

Knicks: Evan Fournier adjusts to 4th qtr benching and new role off the ball

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evan fournier, knicks

Last summer, Evan Fournier was France’s best player in Tokyo Olympics. He’s been clutch as he was with his former NBA teams.

Those memories seem too distant now as Fournier, the most expensive Knicks signing in the offseason, had been glued to the bench in the fourth quarter of eight of the team’s first 15 games, including the last four.

“The way I look at it is that I can’t just play anymore like I did with other teams knowing I’m gonna play 32 minutes at least,” Fournier said. “Like I know where my shots are coming from, I know how things are gonna go for me so I can kind of get into the game knowing what to [expect].”

“Historically, I’ve been good in the fourth quarters and now that I’m not playing in fourth quarters, I have to bring something early on.”

This is the biggest chunk of games in Fournier’s career that he’s not playing in the fourth quarter. Even during his rookie year, he averaged 6.8 minutes in the fourth quarter of 33 of the 38 games he played with the Denver Nuggets.

For the first time since the 2015-16 season, Fournier is averaging below 30 minutes per game.

“With the situation right now, I don’t know how many minutes I’m going to play,” Fournier said. So, I have to have a mindset that if I’m going to play 20 minutes, then let’s just come out of the gate with extreme energy, be very alert, try to be ultra-aggressive and try to have an impact.”

Fournier started the season on fire, hitting big shots against his former teams, Boston Celtics and Orlando Magic, in their first two games. During the Knicks’ impressive 5-1 start, Fournier averaged 17.5 points per game, built around a remarkable 45.1 percent three-point shooting.

Then it went downhill from there.

Over his last seven games, his scoring went down to just seven points as his shooting went south (37% from the field, 23% from the 3-point line).

But it wasn’t just him who had been struggling. The entire starting unit is facing chemistry issues as they have the worst plus-minus of any five-man lineup in the league right now. And the schedule is making it more challenging for them to build cohesiveness.

“We don’t practice that much. We don’t play five on five in practice anymore,” Fournier said. “So, it’s really about watching the game, seeing how you can adjust, what you can do better and once you get on the floor, do it. Read situations. From my point of view, that’s really how we can get better just from watching the film. The games keep on coming.”

The game on Saturday against the league-worst Houston Rockets will be the Knicks’ 16th game in 30 days.

Fournier understands Thibodeau’s decision to ride with the hot hands in the fourth quarter as he admitted that his inconsistent play somehow mirrors the team’s play.

“Very inconsistent, obviously,” Fournier replied when asked to assess his season so far with the Knicks. “Kind of like what we’ve been doing as a team, to be honest. We’ve had really good games and really bad games. In 17 games, you’ve got some of my best and some of my worst already. From that standpoint, there’s only one thing for me to do, to keep working and have a winning attitude and do everything I can.”

It’s the same sentiment that Julius Randle had when he was asked to assess his season so far after their second straight loss to the Magic, the Eastern Conference’s worst team.

Randle and Fournier showed encouraging signs at the start of the season that they could replicate or have a better two-man game than what Randle enjoyed with Reggie Bullock last season. But as the season progressed, their chemistry also regressed.

Thibodeau isn’t about to hit the panic button. It’s too early in the season. Building habits take time.

“In fairness to everyone involved, I think after 15 games last season, no one was saying that Julius and Reggie had great chemistry,” Thibodeau said. “It’s something that evolved over the course of the season. So, I think you have to give this a chance to work out.”

While Fournier is not entirely happy with his performance and his fourth-quarter benching, he doesn’t need an explanation from Thibodeau.

“I’m a 10-year vet now,” Fournier said. “I watch the game, I can feel the game, so I don’t need to be finessed. It’s okay, my feelings won’t get hurt. I want the team to play well, and I want to play well. And when I don’t, it’s fine. I have to do better.”

With practices almost confined in the film room, how can Fournier build chemistry with the team?

“Well, communication and make sure we ask ourselves the right questions,” he said.

There’s no doubt in Fournier’s mind that things will get better, and it’s only just a matter of time.

“I always try to look at myself first and how I can do things better to be out there, obviously,” Fournier said. “I’m obviously not happy to be on the bench. But I want to be out there. I know what I’m capable of and I know what I can do to help this team win.”

While he’s still waiting for his shot to fall again and his fourth-quarter minutes to return, Fournier’s plan to attack his sporadic minutes and new role off the ball isn’t just about hunting for his shots early in the game.

“[Being aggressive] means everything. It may mean running harder, getting the rebound so I can push the ball in transition. Just have more energy and be more present because when you let the game come to you all the time, you become kind of passive,” Fournier said.

“Just do the little things. When you’re off the ball, especially as a guy that plays well with the ball, I have to find opportunities. How can I create movement just by running or missing a screen or slipping or something like that?”

Follow this writer on Twitter: @alderalmo

Thibodeau blames himself as Knicks fall to Magic again: ‘That’s on me’

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tom thibodeau, knicks

The Knicks‘ starters have taken a lot of heat already. New York coach Tom Thibodeau shielded them and took ownership this time.

Two nights after showing endgame grit in a gutsy win over Indiana Pacers, the Knicks crumbled in crunch time as they lost for the second straight time to Eastern Conference’s bottom-dweller Orlando Magic this season.

Errant passes by second-year guard Immanuel Quickley, hero of Monday’s win, and veteran Derrick Rose doomed the Knicks. The Magic pounced, and they escaped with a 104-98 win Wednesday night at Madison Square Garden. Two of Orlando’s only four wins so far this season came on the Knicks’ home floor, a rare occurrence as the Magic have never done this since the 2017-18 season.

“Unfortunately, we beat ourselves. Our turnovers hurt us. The second shot hurt us. We’re capable of playing a lot better than we did. We give them credit. They played well. They played hard. We didn’t,” Thibodeau said. “I have to do a better job getting them ready. That’s on me. We’ll take a good look hard at it.”

The Knicks committed 18 turnovers, with the last two hurting them the most.

Terrence Ross intercepted Quickley’s lazy pass and converted it into a breakaway dunk as the Magic grabbed the lead, 95-94, with 2:56 left. Quickley atoned for his mistake with a feed to RJ Barrett for the Knicks’ last lead, 96-97. But Orlando went on a 9-2 closing run, sealing New York’s fate with a Wendell Carter Jr.’s alley-oop slam off Rose’s turnover in the final 30 seconds.

The Knicks slid to 8-7, and with 15 games in, the disturbing trend of inconsistent effort from the starters continued.

New additions Kemba Walker and Evan Fournier combined for only 10 points on 4 of 13 shooting and were reduced to spectators again down the stretch. Thibodeau went small in the final 3:42 when Julius Randle replaced Mitchell Robinson with the Knicks up, 94-91. They went super small when Rose was re-inserted for Obi Toppin, who was spectacular with a season-high-tying 14 points off the bench.

It backfired.

Randle did not log in a single attempt. He had a steal, but Rose turned it over.

Game over.

“It’s tough. It’s a lot to fix,” Randle said. “Sh*t’s not going well for us right now.”

Randle finished with only 13 points on 11 shots and contributed three of the Knicks’ 18 turnovers which the Magic converted into 21 points. The starters went into another lull in the third quarter before the second unit led by Toppin picked them up. The Knicks’ bench reinforced by Barrett transformed an 11-point deficit into a five-point lead on a Toppin jumper with 6:33 to go. But the Knicks could not hold it down. They gave up a combined 36 points on second chance and transition baskets.

Their defense, particularly the starters, is not as connected as last season. But it was expected as they replaced the previous season’s defensive-oriented backcourt of Elfrid Payton and Reggie Bullock with more offensive-minded players. The projected firepower addition that should compensate for the defensive regression has yet to pan out consistently.

Almost a quarter into the season, Thibodeau is still searching for the right combinations. But it’s hard to build chemistry with the constant mix and matching of lineups.

“It’s all part of it. The good thing about it is you have depth. Sometimes, the tough thing is trying to figure out who’s going well and that sort of thing,” said a defiant Thibodeau, who hinted before the game that the starting lineup would remain intact for the foreseeable future. “Hey, look, we’re capable of doing better, and we have to. Our only way out is we got to work our way out of this.”

Where do they start?

“The first thing you have to do is eliminate the ways in which you beat yourself,” said Thibodeau referring to their defense, rebounding, and low turnovers. “That’s got to be the priority.”

Thibodeau forgot one more thing. Consistent effort.

Follow this writer on Twitter: @alderalmo

Amid Knicks’ struggles, Tom Thibodeau stays positive: It’s a long season

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New York Knicks, Tom Thibodeau

A recent slide has dimmed the glow of the New York Knicks‘ 5-1 start.

Losers of three of their last four games, the Knicks’ celebrated offseason moves are now being questioned. Julius Randle, who rose to become the new King of New York last season, is getting vilified like it’s 2019 all over again. The Knicks’ reloaded starting lineup has raised more questions than answers.

For two straight games, their starters struggled to show any semblance of cohesion. After they teased with a dazzling start in Charlotte, they regressed as the game progressed.

Thibodeau, who lost his cool following their meltdown against the defending champion but shorthanded Milwaukee Bucks last Wednesday, refused to point fingers this time.

“It’s not a one-person thing,” Thibodeau said when a reporter asked what’s going on with Randle. “It’s our group. We gotta function well together as a group and so we gotta bring the best out in each other. So, everyone has the responsibility to execute, to share the ball, to be in the right spots. That’s what we have to do. When we do that, we’re very good on offense.”

Except for his yeoman’s job in Philadelphia, Randle had underperformed in the Knicks’ last three losses. In those games, Randle averaged only 15.0 points on a 36/29/55 shooting split. His other numbers are also down — 6.7 rebounds, 4.3 assists against 3.3 turnovers.

But it’s not only Randle.

There’s also the $78-million man Evan Fournier, who asked for more ball movement after struggling to get rhythm shots in the Knicks’ current slide. Through seven games in November, the Frenchman is only averaging 9.1 points on a 39/23/73 shooting split.

RJ Barrett has cooled off, too, after a string of five 20-plus point games. His sudden downward trend has hurt the Knicks most in their last three losses. He didn’t even reach double-digit scoring in those games and averaged just 5.7 points on an atrocious 23 percent shooting, including going 1 for 11 from downtown.

“It’s a long season, players go through these [struggles],” Thibodeau said. “I’m a big believer in being mentally tough when you face adversity. So, oftentimes, ‘hey look you just got to work your way through it. You never know when it’s going to change in the next play.’ But get back to the hustle part of it. Usually, that’s what gets you going.”

When they are not shooting well, Thibodeau again implores his struggling players to do the other things that contribute to winning: “rebounding, making plays, sharing the ball, screening, moving without the ball, cutting hard, whatever it might be.”

“We can’t get wrapped up in personal dilemmas,” Thibodeau said. “It’s a team game.”

What the Knicks starters are lacking, their bench had plenty of it.

Derrick Rose remains steady. Immanuel Quickley is finally emerging from early-season shooting woes. Obi Toppin continues his giant sophomore leap. Alec Burks is quietly putting together another solid season. Taj Gibson is an ageless wonder. Nerlens Noel, when healthy, is among the league’s top defensive big men.

Together, they have been a bundle of energy. The second unit has sparked joy among Knicks fans as they have inspired several comebacks from double-digit deficits.

“There are plays in which that they were generated from great hustle and I think when you get those plays, they unite and inspire your own team. And so, that’s how we got going with the bench in the third quarter,” Thibodeau said referring to the Knicks’ bench overhauling an 11-point Hornets deficit to grab the lead midway in the fourth quarter.

“When they started hustling and getting deflections and getting stops and we got into the open floor, then we started feeling good and we started playing well. That’s what we need to do.”

Thibodeau still believes his starters can figure this out together. After all, their second unit did not become this cohesively good overnight.

As one wise man once said, “It’s a long season.”

Follow this writer on Twitter: @alderalmo

After sizzling start, ball stops moving in another dispirited Knicks loss

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Evan Fournier was right.

After the Friday morning shootaround, Fournier opined that the lack of ball movement is the culprit behind the New York Knicks‘ recent slump, particularly among the starters.

It seemed the Knicks have that straightened out responding to Tom Thibodeau’s “a bunch of bulls–t” rant with a sizzling start in Charlotte. They built a 16-point lead, 34-18, around Kemba Walker’s familiarity with the Spectrum Center and Julius Randle’s brilliant playmaking.

The first basket of the game was a Fournier corner three off a Randle assist. Then came the second shot — a Walker pull-up three off a Mitchell Robinson screen. As Walker was feeling it, Randle fed him with a fancy between-the-legs pass. Then screened his defender for another Walker three-pointer.

With Walker smoking hot with 17 points to start the game in the building where his NBA legend began, Randle was content distributing the ball. Six of the Knicks’ 13 field goals in the opening quarter came off an assist, four from Randle. Some unassisted field goals came off screens like Robinson did, which did not reflect as assists on the box scores.

“They were making shots. [Kemba] was hot. He was aggressive early. You have to give them credit,” Hornets coach James Borrego said. “We couldn’t find that same rhythm on our side. I don’t think we were getting bad shots. I think we were a little antsy to start the game and they were making shots and we’re not. It kind of snowball there for a minute.”

When there was constant movement and action, the Knicks were hard to stop. And most importantly, they were engaged on defense, flying around to chase shots.

But it turned out it was just a mirage.

After the starters had six assists in the opening quarter, they could only add two the rest of the way. Randle was emblematic of their stalled offense as he only made one assist after the opening quarter.

When the starters checked back in by one by one in the second quarter, the 16-point lead started to evaporate. By halftime, it was down to just nine as momentum shifted to the Hornets.

When Walker began to cool down, Randle started to hunt for his shots. But the Knicks All-Star forward was struggling too with his jump shot missing another couple of attempts. He didn’t score his first field goal until the 2:51 mark of the second quarter — a putback after getting blocked. Then Walker fed him for a three-pointer that had Randle embarking on a personal mini-run with seven straight points. Randle gave the Knicks their last double-digit lead, 54-40.

When Randle dominated the ball, the Knicks’ offense stopped humming. The ball stopped moving. It sucked their energy on defense. What followed next was a couple of missed tough Randle jumpers. The Hornets started to buzz and cut the lead into a single digit.

The Knicks shot only 8 of 24 from the field in the second quarter. Four of those successful shots were assisted, with two coming from Walker, the only starter who recorded an assist in that quarter.

“What I say about this team though is they don’t hang their heads. We stayed resilient. We stayed together. It’s a long game. It’s a 48-minute game. We just stayed with it and it’s gonna turn. That’s what our guys did,” Borrego said of his Hornets.

Gordon Hayward repeatedly beat RJ Barrett off his constant cuts to the basket. By the time Thibodeau yanked his starters, the Hornets had transformed the nine-point deficit into a double-digit lead.

During that stretch, the Knicks starters combined to shoot 4 of 16 from the floor. Randle was 1 for 6, Barrett missed two, Fournier flubbed all of his three attempts. Robinson made one. Walker was 2 of 4. And only Randle made an assist, the lone recorded by the starters in nearly 10 minutes of play.

“We’re not just getting stops. They started making their shots. They started getting all the momentum, and it started going down from there for us,” Walker said.

After the Hornets only made 2 of 17 three-pointers in the first half, they went on to hit 8 of their next 19 attempts the rest of the way. The Knicks defense didn’t know where the attacks were coming from as the Hornets also dominated the paint, 20-8, in the pivotal third quarter.

“I wish I could tell you. That’s been our problem this season,” Walker said of their lackadaisical start in the third quarter. “We gotta find a way. We gotta find a way to be better.”

The bench came to bail them out and even grabbed the lead on an Obi Toppin fastbreak windmill dunk with 5:17 remaining.

It turned out to be their last hurrah.

Thibodeau tried to flip the script and brought his starters back, hoping they could bring it home, which they failed to do in their previous comeback attempt against the Milwaukee Bucks. But it didn’t work either. The Hornets pulled away with a 13-3 closing run.

“In this league, you got to play for 48 minutes. No lead is safe,” Thibodeau lamented. “If you don’t play with the right intensity, in the second half, we didn’t play well. So, we got to fix that.”

“The bench came in and played well but we need everyone playing well. It’s a team. You need your starters to play well. [You need] the bench to play well. You need them to play well together.”

But how can the Knicks, mainly the starters, fix that?

“It’s going to take energy. [It’s going] to take pride. It’s going to take five guys to do it, us five, we gotta figure it out. We just have to,” Walker paused to make a mocking grin behind his mask. “Or else it won’t be good for us. It needs to get better.”

“There’s just so much that goes into energy, man — just communication, body movement. There are things that contribute to that. As I said, it needs five guys at once, not just two or three.”

On Friday night, it was only Walker who had it going. He finished with a season-high 26 points but only had nine after his scorching start. LaMelo Ball, the new Hornets franchise player who replaced Walker, did not shoot well, but he was all over the floor. Ball continued the Knicks’ disturbing trend to give up career highs in their every loss. The 6-foot-7 Hornets point guard grabbed a career-high 17 rebounds, 12 points, nine assists, five steals, and one block.

Walker didn’t muster enough support from the rest of the starting lineup with the worst net rating (-14.4) among the most used five-man lineups (minimum of 150 minutes) in the NBA.

Randle tied his season-low with 10 points on 4 of 15 shooting. He had the second-worst plus-minus (-18) behind Walker’s -23.

Miles Bridges, whom the Knicks passed in the 2018 NBA Draft, badly outplayed Randle. Kevin Knox, who the Knicks drafted three picks earlier in the lottery, turned out to be just an end-of-the-bench player. Bridges’ three-point play off Randle’s foul with 1:31 left added salt to the Knicks’ wounds.

Barrett tied his career-low with only two points, missing eight of his nine attempts. Hayward dominated their matchup with 22 points and seven assists.

Robinson shot 4 of 5 from the field. He had 11 points and six rebounds in 23 minutes, but his limited offensive skill set and the rest of the starters dragged his net rating (-9). His counterpart on the Hornets’ side, Miles Plumlee, offset Robinson’s contribution with six points and 11 rebounds.

After starting the game with a three-pointer, Fournier could only add two more points. The French wing, who demanded more ball movement, only had six attempts and missed four. Terry Rozier roasted the Knicks with 18 points on 7 of 13 shooting.

“Every night, it’s gonna be a different guy until we have enough guys who can really score the basketball,” Walker said. “We need to get some more movement together. I just think it’s still pretty new for us, especially me and Ev (Evan). You know, with two new guys coming in, trying to find our way, trying to find our spots, to find our shots, we just have to figure out how to be consistent.”

Until then, the only thing consistent right now is their stagnant offense and lousy defense.

Follow this writer on Twitter: @alderalmo