Knick

One big silver lining in Knicks’ shootout loss to Nets

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alec burks, knicks

The New York Knicks fell to the Brooklyn Nets on Tuesday evening by a score of 110-112. Despite the defeat, the Knicks showcased stellar offensive capabilities, falling to a team that ranks 2nd in three-point percentage and is one of the NBA’s powerhouse squads.

However, head coach Tom Thibodeau and star forward Julius Randle blamed the officiating on the loss after the game. Randle specifically made a hostile remark toward the referees, indicating they don’t understand the game of basketball.

“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.”

There were a few suspect decisions made by the referees throughout the contest, especially as James Harden racked up opportunities at the free-throw line, earning 10 shots. Kevin Durant also tallied nine of his own, while the only Knick to reach three was Alec Burks.

Speaking of Burks, he was one of the big silver linings in the loss, scoring 25 points, five assists, and five rebounds. He shot 9-of-21 from the field and 4-of-10 (40%) from three-point range, displaying efficient shooting as the team’s starting point guard.

With Thibodeau dropping Kemba Walker from the starting team, Burks has earned the right to feature as the team’s primary PG. This is his second consecutive game with over 20 points, as he posted 23 against the Atlanta Hawks in his first game after the switch.

It is clear that Alec presents a far more dynamic scorer this season, but his defense is also a big reason Thibodeau has entrusted him with the starting gig.

Nonetheless, the Knicks will turn around on Thursday against the Chicago Bulls, who have won two of their last three games and are coming off a 133 point performance against the Charlotte Hornets. The Knicks recently dropped a game to the Bulls, and with DeMar DeRozan and Nikola Vucevic playing stellar ball as of late, it will be difficult to take them down.

However, the shift in starting unit could give the Knicks a surprising boost, but they must perform better in the defensive category moving forward. Stopping James Harden and Kevin Durant is virtually impossible, and they did the majority of the damage against New York in the defeat, but better officiating may contribute toward a fair contest at MSG.

Real or fake quote from New York Knicks rookie RJ Barrett? Hope it’s true

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New York Knicks, RJ Barrett

New York Knicks rookie RJ Barrett is locked into ‘The Last Dance’.  He’s admiring Michael Jordan’s drive and determination to be the best.

In an interview with Scott Van Pelt, Barrett said, “Jordan was always my dad’s favorite player,’’ Barrett said. “So my dad, growing up, every day he would be like, “RJ, watch Michael Jordan. Watch what he does.” This is what Knicks fans want to hear. A young Barrett soaking in how Jordan plays the game.

Now, we aren’t sure if this next quote from Barrett is actual real but we hope it is.  After watching The Last Dance Barrett said this about fellow Knicks teammate, Julius Randle.  “I’m going to beat the s*** out of him in practice once the season returns.”

Barrett doesn’t seem like the person that would say something like this.  He’s a nice, well-mannered professional for his age.  Hard to believe that the Knicks first-year guard would say this about a teammate.  Even if he did say it, maybe he was joking. We’ll never know.

But for the fun of it, we’ll going to assume this is an accurate statement.  This could be exactly what Randle needs.  A young, fiery rookie coming to beat you up to make you a better player and teammate.  The Knicks need Barrett to actually do that, whether that quote is real or not.

Someone needs to get in Randle’s face and give him that kick in the a** like Jordan did to his teammates.  That was when Joran got the best out of them.  The Knicks don’t have a player pushing others to get better. Barrett can be that guy.

Randle tried to take it all upon himself this season to be the guy.  That especially was the case once the Knicks traded Marcus Morris to the Clippers.  And while his stats were solid, it was the ball hogging and one-on-one situations that got fans furious.

Barrett needs to embody everything he saw from Jordan as kid and now in There Last Dance’.  Even though he’s a rookie, the New York Knicks need him to be the leader of the team going forward.