Tom Thibodeau

Knicks have a situation boiling between Tom Thibodeau and Kemba Walker

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knicks, kemba walker

If not for the COVID-19 situation the New York Knicks are currently dealing with, it is likely that veteran point guard Kemba Walker wouldn’t have played for the rest of the season. Despite the Knicks losing the majority of games that Walker was benched for, Tom Thibodeau didn’t think twice about bringing him back.

That is made clear because Walker stated that he and Thibs didn’t have any contact during the nine-game stretch in which he sat on the bench rooting for his teammates.

Reporters asked Kemba Walker if he had spoken to Thibodeau during the nine-game stretch after the benching:

“No sir.”

When a player and coach are clearly at odds, you can sense a bit of hostility in the air.

Walker’s refute to being exiled came across as a bit hostile but with a positive twist. It’s clear the veteran point guard is there to support his teammates, but it was evident that he lost some respect for Thibs during the process:

“Was I confused?” Walker said. “No. I’m not starting, I ain’t playing,” Walker said. “So I’m here for my team, I’m here for my teammates. I can’t say it enough. Whatever’s asked of me that’s what I’m here for.”

Due to the massive number of Covid cases within the team, Walker was asked to play against his former team, the Boston Celtics. Walker had something to prove, and he had arguably his best game of the season, scoring 29 points and recording three assists and six rebounds. He shot 45.5% from 3-PT range.

This is the Kemba that we saw earlier in the season, though, a monster performance offensively and then a disappearance the night after. He would go from double-digit scoring to earning just two points in the blink of an eye, something the Knicks saw as unsustainable.

On the season, Walker is averaging 12.6 points, 41.7% shooting from three-point range and 42.6% from the field. The major reason Thibodeau elected to bench him was because of his defense.

Walker hosts a 115.9 defensive rating, the highest in his entire career. His -11.9 net rating is also the lowest of his career, indicating either a massive shift in a strategy that does not conform to Walker’s strengths or a big drop off in quality. In addition, his assist numbers are down a few percentage points.

The Knicks had a justifiable reason to move away from Walker and begin relying on some of the younger pieces, notably Immanuel Quickley and Quentin Grimes. However, with Walker clearly frustrated about his lack of playing time, the Knicks should try to move him at the deadline.

Reports have indicated that nobody is interested in acquiring Walker, so he might have to be considered an add-on just to relieve his contractual duties for the future. The front office struck out big time in this acquisition, and Evan Fournier also seems to be a liability.

With animosity growing, the Knicks are going to have to make a few big decisions at the deadline in a few weeks, hopefully pairing Julius Randle with a top player.

Kemba Walker fights for spot not only with Knicks but entire NBA

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Kemba Walker poured out his pent-up energy and emotions on the TD Garden floor, his home for the last two years before a feel-good New York homecoming that has turned sour.

It took a COVID-19-gutted Knicks roster and a Derrick Rose ankle injury for Walker to get out of the doghouse. And he seized the moment like it was his last.

Walker had a season-high 29 points, but in the end, a sacrifice foul robbed him a ‘Cardiac Kemba’ moment.

Evan Fournier, Walker’s teammate from Celtics to Knicks, tweaked his ankle after pushing the Knicks within five, 109-104, with over two minutes left. Walker made a duty foul to stop the clock that allowed them to check in on Fournier. But to his surprise, it was his sixth foul, unceremoniously ending his electric return to the court after nine games at the end of the bench.

“I was told to foul,” Walker said via ESPN. “I’m not gonna lie: I didn’t know I had five. But I heard them on the sideline, they told me to foul. Very, very unfortunate situation, but that’s what I was told to do.”

It was an emotional return for Walker in Boston — after the Celtics unceremoniously shipped him last summer that signaled the start of Walker’s downtrodden year — and to the Knicks rotation — after eight straight CD-DNP (did not play due to coach’s decision).

The Celtics fans’ gave him an ovation during the pregame introduction but sarcastically waved him goodbye when he fouled out. That, in a nutshell, summed up Walker’s career in the last two years.

Walker had a great start with the Celtics, earning his fourth All-Star selection until knee injuries robbed him of his time and his athleticism on the court. The Knicks took a flier on him after agreeing to a contract buyout with the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Walker signed a two-year worth $17.9 million deal, trumpeted as a great value pickup for a Knicks front office looking to bolster their offense around first-time All-Star and All-NBA forward Julius Randle.

It looked like a fairy tale run as the Knicks raced to a 5-1 start. But it was short-lived. The Knicks went spiraling, and Walker became the scapegoat though advanced metrics and numbers supported it.

Tom Thibodeau, a defensive guru, opted for more size, elevating 6-6 Alec Burks for the 6-0 Walker. But the Knicks were 2-7 since Walker’s demotion, though some of those games were competitive, and the last four, they were shorthanded with the COVID-19 outbreak.

Six players are under health and safety protocols, including Quentin Grimes and Miles McBride, two defensive-minded rookies who impressed Thibodeau and pushed for their case to make the rotation.

Walker knows he’s only a placeholder despite his scintillating return to the court.

“I hate it,” Walker said of not playing in the last nine games. “I want to play. “It is what it is. Guys went down. I got to fill in. Do what I can until they get back.”

Without directly saying, Walker knows his future is somewhere else.

But history hasn’t been kind on injury-riddled, pint-sized guards as they age.

Another former Celtic point guard Isaiah Thomas is a cautionary tale. While Thomas has recently hooked up with the Los Angeles Lakers, the harsh reality is, teams around the league aren’t high on small guards who can be a liability on defense.

Four days since Walker became trade-eligible, there has been no traction on the trade market. That speaks volumes on how low Walker’s value has dropped around the league. Last summer, the Celtics attached a first-round draft pick to get rid of his max contract in exchange for Al Horford.

“It’s definitely been a rough couple years, to be honest,” Walker said via ESPN. “But, you know, when you get a chance to kind of slow down and think about things, myself, you know, I think it’s just some adversity. At some point in life, everyone goes through tough times.

“I’ve had a great career thus far, and a lot of things went my way. It’s a tough time right now, so it’s really about just showing my character, showing who I really am. I’m so mentally tough, I feel like I’m built for any situation, and I’m going to handle it the best I can. I’ve got a great support system, great family, great friends who help me stay humble and stay grounded, and that’s what I’m going to continue to do. Just try to be unbreakable and continue to put my work in and just stay ready for anything that comes my way.”

Walker showed he can still be explosive in spurts as he did in an electrifying third quarter. He led a Knicks 17-2 run to overhaul a 15-point halftime deficit.

“He played really well,” Thibodeau said of Walker. “Really well. That’s what he’s supposed to do. He’s a pro, great character and played well.”

When his shots are falling, and he’s attacking the rim with reckless abandon (he had a season-high 8 of 10 free throws), Walker provides value exceeding his current contract. But there’s always a question mark about his health that drags his consistency to make an impact.

In his return, Walker finished with +5 plus-minus, meaning the Knicks outscored the Celtics by five for the entirety of his season-high 37 minutes on the floor. But in the fourth quarter, where the Celtics regained control, he was 0 for 3 from the field and a -7 in his final 10 minutes on the floor. His sacrifice foul robbed him to atone for that and make one more ‘Cardiac Kemba’ highlight.

But that’s who Walker is. He’s the ultimate pro, as Thibodeau and his Knicks teammates described him. Walker has always been about the team, not himself. But as his career is winding down with limited opportunities, it’s time for Walker to look out for himself.

The dogmatic Thibodeau turned diplomatic when asked if he would reconsider bringing Walker back into the regular rotation following the point guard’s inspiring performance in Boston.

“We’ll see, we’ll see like you gotta look everything in totality,” Thibodeau said.

For what’s it worth, this rare opportunity to get back on the floor, born out of dire circumstances, was Walker’s audition for the rest of the league.

Follow this writer on Twitter: @alderalmo

Knicks need ‘aggressive’ Julius Randle as COVID-19 continues to strike

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The New York Knicks are down four men as they embark on a two-game road trip in Houston and Boston to end the week.

Kevin Knox joined RJ Barrett, Obi Toppin, and Quentin Grimes in the health and safety protocols, the team announced on Thursday morning, less than 12 hours before tipoff against the Rockets.

With Knox out, it’s almost certain that Julius Randle’s playing minutes will reach the 40s. New York coach Tom Thibodeau will have to break the glass and pull out emergency backup big Taj Gibson to spell Randle some breather, especially when the Rockets play rookie power forward Usman Garuba off the bench.

Garuba played 17 minutes in the Rockets’ 124-89 loss to the Cavaliers Wednesday night in Cleveland.

Coming off a 31-point explosion in the Knicks’ latest loss to the Golden State Warriors at home, Randle is looking to have another big night. He should have an easier time against 6-4 Jae’Sean Tate and 6-6 KJ Martin, the two Rockets’ undersized forwards.

Randle regained his shooting touch in the second half against the Warriors. The 6-foot-8, 250-pound Knicks forward scored 25 of his game-high 31 points in the final two quarters. He went 5 for 6 from deep, catching rhythm as he abandoned his pump fakes and fired without hesitation.

“I just locked in and said I’m going to be aggressive,” Randle said after the loss. “I think when I overthink, naturally I try to be unselfish and try to kind of think the game and get everybody going and stuff like that. But I just said I’m going to be aggressive and kind of let my instincts take over.”

According to NBA’s tracking data, Randle hit 50 percent of his catch and shoot attempts, including 4 for 7 from the 3-point zone. In the eight games before the Warriors’ game or since Kemba Walker was out of the rotation, Randle only shot 25 percent off catch and shoot, including 26.1 percent from the outside.

“When I’m naturally just myself, I naturally do those things,” Randle said. “I’m hesitant and overthinking and I got an open shot and I don’t shoot it or whatever it is or I’m trying to play the right way and get other people going, it kind of takes me out of rhythm. It takes away from my aggressiveness.”

“It’s crazy because then I start to get turnovers and stuff like that. When I’m naturally aggressive and playing with force, everything falls into place. I get in a rhythm and I start not overthinking, open and shoot it, if they close out, then get into the paint and find people.”

Randle was prolific in the second half, hitting 7 of 12 shots, and only had one turnover in 20 minutes against the Warriors’ league-best defense. He also attacked the rim and made 6 of 6 free throws. In the first half, he had zero attempts from the stripes.

Overall, Randle made 4 of 7 shots within 10 feet from the basket, on par with his average attempts during the eight-game stretch entering Tuesday’s game. His attacking threat gave him some open looks from the outside. He had 12 open shots (4 to 6 feet from the closest defender), and he sank five of them. In the last eight games before Tuesday, he was only hitting 38.5 percent on 4.9 open look attempts.

“When he’s aggressive like that, it makes us better. And I love to see him when he’s attacking the rim,” Thibodeau said. “That puts a lot of pressure on people and it opens up things for us. And then I think he got into a good rhythm doing that. But we need everyone.”

Randle only had three assists, one in the second half. But it wasn’t like he did not try to move the ball and find his teammates. According to the NBA tracking data, Randle made 62 passes, resulting in 15 field goals for his teammates. Unfortunately, his teammates only hit 4 of 15.

Randle is still trying to strike a balance between when to pass and when to take over. But with their roster gutted out by COVID-19, the Knicks need an aggressive Randle to charge up their flailing offense.

Follow this writer on Twitter: @alderalmo

 

Curry reminds Knicks of what they missed but McBride offers hope

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Knicks Curry McBride

The special night belonged to Stephen Curry.

He broke Ray Allen’s record for the most three-pointers in NBA history, and his Golden State Warriors came away with a 105-96 win over the New York Knicks Tuesday night at the Garden.

But the Knicks could take solace on squeezing another solid performance from one of their recent draft picks.

Miles McBride, the 36th pick of the draft, seized the opportunity to show he belongs and deserves to share the court with Curry. With the Knicks missing three players (RJ Barrett, Obi Toppin, and Quentin Grimes) due to health and safety protocols, McBride was Tom Thibodeau’s ninth man in the rotation.

After checking in for Evan Fournier in the final six seconds of the opening quarter, McBride quickly made his presence felt. He opened the second quarter with his first stepback three-pointer.

With some razzle-dazzle dribbling, the 6-foot-1 McBride shook off Damian Lee, then used Mitchell Robinson’s screen to lose his bigger defender. After creating the space, he stepped back to the right corner and avoided Nemanja Bjelica’s closeout.

Six minutes later, he did it again against the Warriors’ defensive stalwart Juan Toscano-Anderson from the right elbow.

Mcbride’s two beautiful stepback three-pointers helped the Knicks build a 46-38 lead before the Warriors stormed back and cut the deficit at the half to a solitary point, 48-47.

Buoyed by his stellar first half, McBride got a longer leash in the final two quarters. The rookie out of West Virginia ended up playing a season-high 20 minutes. He responded with eight points on 3 of 8 shooting and went 2 for 4 from downtown. He added four rebounds and one assist with no turnover, showing nerves of steel for a rookie.

“We see it in practice. When he’s had opportunities in the G-League, he’s played really well there as well. He played well in the summer league. It’s good for him to have an opportunity like that,” Thibodeau said of McBride. “All the things that he’s working on every day and then to get into a game situation and to see it unfold, it’s good, it’s positive. Our young guys are really playing hard, and they’re coming along.”

McBride’s confidence was oozing all night. Even the shots that he missed, he took them with conviction. There was no sign of hesitation.

Four impressive games in the G League prepared McBride for his moment. He dominated the G League competition with monster numbers — 26.8 points, 6.0 rebounds, 9.5 assists, and 1.3 steals — and shot 40.5 percent from the three-point territory on 9.3 attempts.

“Deuce is a good player, man,” Derrick Rose said. His confidence is very high. His defense is top-tier. He just needs the time. Hopefully, Thibs gives him the time. But we know how good he is. And we know how good the rookies are. So it’s all about opportunity in this league.”

Thibodeau constantly harped about “confidence comes from preparation.”

McBride is another proof of that Thibodeau’s tenet.

When preparation met opportunity, he grabbed it, and he never let it go. McBride was the only Knicks player who finished with a positive (+4) plus-minus.

Barring any trade that would bring in a solid Kemba Walker replacement in the coming days, McBride figures to play more minutes moving forward as they continue to miss their COVID-19 stricken teammates.

McBride leapfrogging Walker in the rotation could be the final sign that the former four-time All-Star point guard is on his way out of New York. Walker and Fournier, who had a season-low two points on 1 of 5 shooting, will be trade-eligible beginning Wednesday.

Thibodeau remained steadfast with his decision to sit out Walker despite the Knicks sliding to their seventh loss in the last eight games — their record since he yanked the New York-bred point guard out of the rotation.

“You just want to put your team in a position to win. If you look at the games and you go through the games, there’s some really good stuff, and there’s some stuff that, obviously, has to be better,” Thibodeau reasoned out.

While Golden State coach Steve Kerr has it all figured out with the Warriors thanks to the continuity of their championship core led by Curry, Thibodeau is still learning more about his team.

“I think we’re finding some stuff out about some [of our] young guys. I love our young guys. When Jericho [Sims] stepped in, he played well (in Atlanta). When Quentin (Grimes) stepped in, he played well. I thought Deuce (Miles McBride) played well tonight. So, you know, we need everyone.”

What is becoming more apparent is that the Knicks’ offseason acquisitions — Walker and Fournier — have been a major flop. Their rookies’ promising showing somehow provides the silver lining amid a disastrous start.

Curry capped his 22-point (5 of 14 3s) performance with the dagger three-pointer in the final 2:41.

Curry’s historic night was a painful reminder of what the Knicks missed in the 2009 NBA Draft. They came one pick away from perhaps their greatest selection since Patrick Ewing.

The Warriors scuttled their plan.

To the victor belongs the spoils. To the loser belongs the lessons.

After several draft misses, finally, the Knicks appear to have had hit their recent picks.

Follow this writer on Twitter: @alderalmo

Knicks showcase Kevin Knox as trade interests pick up steam

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New York Knicks, Kevin Knox

The writing is on the wall.

Kevin Knox’s failure to crack Tom Thibodeau’s regular rotation speaks volumes of his bleak future with the New York Knicks.

Following Knox’s best game of the season, Shams Charania of The Athletic reported on Monday that the seldom-used Knicks forward is garnering interests from rival executives. Knox is eligible to become a restricted free agent in 2022.

“Sources said teams are inquiring about Knicks forward Kevin Knox, who has played in just seven games this season and has rival executives wondering the plan for the 22-year-old in New York,” Charania wrote.

Knox got his rare chance to play meaningful minutes on Sunday with RJ Barrett and Obi Toppin (health and safety protocols) and Alec Burks (personal reasons) skipping Sunday’s 112-97 loss to the Milwaukee Bucks.

The former lottery pick did his best to showcase his potential to future Knicks’ trade partners.

Knox knocked down five three-pointers on his way to 18 points in 29 minutes. He grabbed five rebounds and added one assist and a steal off the bench which drew praise from Thibodeau.

“[Kevin] comes in every day. He’s early. He’s part of the early group. A lot of those guys aren’t in the rotation but [their job] is to stay ready so, when you’re called upon that you can perform well. We know he’s got the skill level to shoot and it’s the other things that we need him to do are defense and rebounding also. But I was pleased with his readiness and his ability to shoot the ball,” Thibodeau said.

When the Knicks are at full strength, Knox’s only floor time is during garbage minutes. Sunday’s game was only Knox’s seventh game of the season. He has fallen off since showing promise in his rookie year. The 2018 9th overall pick averaged 12.8 points and 4.5 rebounds in 75 games, including a career-high 57 starts, as a rookie.

The knock on Knox is his lack of motor and defensive skills.

In a one-on-one trade, it is unclear what the Knicks could get in return for Knox. During last season’s trade deadline, the Knicks swapped Dennis Smith, Jr., another former Knick who fell out of favor, for Derrick Rose. But currently, the Knicks rotation is complete. So there’s not a spot for a veteran player to come in unless they also unload a key rotation player.

A future pick is a more likely return for Knox to add to the Knicks’ draft capital for a potential deal for a star down the road.

Knox could also serve as a throw-in in a larger package deal before the trade deadline. The Knicks have been linked to Philadelphia’s disgruntled star Ben Simmons.

Follow this writer on Twitter: @alderalmo

What a Ben Simmons trade could look like for Knicks

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knicks, julius randle

The New York Knicks have emerged as one of the several teams interested in trading for disgruntled Philadelphia 76ers star Ben Simmons.

Shams Charania of The Athletic broke the latest intel on Simmons on Monday.

The Knicks are struggling to perform to expectations following their first playoff appearance in eight years. Their offseason acquisitions — Kemba Walker and Evan Fournier — have not panned out well. They will be eligible to be traded starting Wednesday along with several players the Knicks re-signed last summer.

The 25-year old Simmons would fit Tom Thibodeau’s defensive style. But his character, especially his mental toughness, is questionable in the aftermath of his falling out with the Sixers organization. Add to that a shaky perimeter shot that hasn’t improved since his rookie season. But a fresh start in a new environment could reinvigorate Simmons.

However, the big question for the Knicks is if Simmons could not stand Philadelphia’s tough love, how much more in New York where pressure has driven executives, coaches, and players out of the city in the past?

Can Simmons thrive under Thibodeau’s culture of accountability?

The next question is, how can they meet 76ers president of basketball operations Daryl Morey’s stiff asking price?

Morey is reportedly still eyeing an All-Star caliber player and/or multiple first-round draft picks for Simmons.

The Knicks have plenty of draft capital to move in a potential Simmons deal. They own all their future first-round picks plus future first-round picks from Charlotte (top-18 protected in 2022, top-16 protected in 2023, top-14 protected in 2024), and Dallas (top-10 protected in 2023).

But the Knicks have only Julius Randle as their All-Star. But he is not eligible to be traded until February 3 next year. Walker is two years removed from his last All-Star. But his current benching isn’t helping his value.

The Sixers, though, would be an ideal landing spot for Walker. His veteran leadership and still potent jump shot could spur a better dynamic with Joel Embiid than Simmons. That is if Walker’s balky knees cooperate. Walker has missed two games in a pair of back-to-back sets before his demotion.

Simmons landing in New York is a long shot unless the Knicks find a third team or the 76ers are amenable to getting Walker, one of the Knicks’ young players, and a combination of salary fillers plus future first-round pick/s.

The Knicks have stiff competition from the Los Angeles Lakers, Minnesota Timberwolves, Portland Trail Blazers, Sacramento Kings, Indiana Pacers, and Cleveland Cavaliers, per Charania’s report.

Most of their rivals have a surplus of All-Star caliber players in their current roster. But the Knicks have the advantage of having a deeper draft capital.

Follow this writer on Twitter: @alderalmo

 

Knicks rookie Quentin Grimes auditions for rotation spot with career game

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quentin grimes, knicks

With the New York Knicks‘ season unraveling with mounting losses and COVID-19 cases, rookie Quentin Grimes stepped up and made the most out of a rare opportunity.

Grimes, the 25th pick of this year’s draft, provided the silver lining in the Knicks’ wire-to-wire 112-97 loss to defending champion Milwaukee Bucks Sunday noon at Madison Square Garden.

After Obi Toppin entered the health and safety protocols on Saturday, RJ Barrett joined him Sunday morning. Starting point guard Alec Burks also took a day off reportedly to attend to his wife, who gave birth to their child.

Grimes was thrust into a starting role alongside Derrick Rose with the three key players out. The rookie out of Houston did not disappoint as he shattered two Knicks rookie records with a career-high 27 points and seven triples.

“I really didn’t expect it [to start],” Grimes said. “I found out about 90 minutes before the game when we knew RJ couldn’t play that I was going to start. I just needed to keep my mind right and do whatever I was doing in college to prepare myself for moments like this. It was definitely a surreal moment, and I was just trying to soak it all in.”

Grimes started tentatively and turned the ball over for his first play of the night. But a couple of minutes later, he set up Evan Fournier for a pullup jumper. Then he sank his first shot — a three-pointer — off a Julius Randle feed nearly seven minutes into the game.

“Once I kind of let my first shot go, I got comfortable,” Grimes said.

Oh boy, he did.

Grimes pumped in eight points in the Knicks’ 15-4 run in the second quarter as they trimmed the Bucks’ 21-point lead to 10, 58-48. He was hotter in the third quarter with four three-pointers. At one point, he drained three consecutive triples that woke up the silent sellout Garden crowd of 19,812.

“[It was] my first time really feeling the crowd. It was definitely something I take in for sure, but hopefully, we can come out next time with the [win],” Grimes said.

The rookie’s explosion was not enough to lift the undermanned Knicks, who fell to their sixth loss in the last seven games and moved three games below .500. But for what it’s worth, it was a positive development for the organization, which had more than their fair share of misses in the draft and questionable player development program in the past.

“Well, it could [impact his minutes]. It starts with practicing well, which I see every day,” New York coach Tom Thibodeau said of Grimes. “He comes back every night, comes in early every day, works extremely hard, very good in practice.”

“So we were confident when he got his opportunity that he would play well, which he did. One game doesn’t make a huge difference, but it’s a very positive step because of the way he approaches things. He’s a great competitor. It’s important to him. He studies. He’s prepared himself extremely well.”

Grimes credited his father for advising him to stay in phenomenal shape, Thibodeau for always preaching the ‘stay ready, next man up mentality,’ and assistant coach Darren Erman for their daily workout.

READ: How Quentin Grimes became a quintessential Thibs guy

Despite only playing 39 minutes in 10 of the Knicks’ first 26 games, Grimes kept himself in tip-top shape by logging in two to three 10 rounds of running around the court at the end of his nightly shooting routine. He asked the coaches to record his running time during the pre-conditioning test as his base and motivation. Sometimes, he adds two more minutes on the clock and runs as fast as he can around their Tarrytown practice facility. He does extra lifting in the weight room and takes good care of his body to prepare for moments like Sunday.

“I can’t be ready to be able to play only 12 minutes,” Grimes said.

Grimes ended up playing a game-high 40 minutes in his first career start and filled the stats sheet with his defensive grit and shot-making. He made 9 of 17 overall and went 7 for 13 beyond the arc. He added three rebounds, three assists, and three steals, with the five turnovers the only blemish, aside from the loss, to his sterling performance.

With Barrett expected to miss at least 10 days unless he yields two negative PCR test results from samples collected at least 24 hours apart, Grimes has a real shot at going on a nice run.

If Grimes keeps up this solid play, that could push Thibodeau to figure out minutes for him once the team returns to full strength.

Follow this writer on Twitter: @alderalmo

Knicks: Obi Toppin enters COVID-19 protocols after career game in Toronto

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After his career game in Toronto, New York Knicks‘ second-year forward Obi Toppin returned home and was quickly greeted with bad news.

The team announced Saturday afternoon that Toppin had entered the health and safety protocols. The dynamic reserve forward became the first Knicks casualty of the still ongoing pandemic this season.

Based on the league-mandated health and safety protocols, Toppin will miss 10 days unless he could yield at least two negative PCR test results from samples collected at least 24 hours apart.

Toppin will miss the Knicks Sunday matinee game against the rejuvenated defending champion Milwaukee Bucks.

It’s a dampener as Toppin has started to carve an integral role with the second unit that crescendoed Friday night in Toronto. He played like the lottery pick he was projected to become in the Knicks’ 90-87 loss to the Raptors. Toppin scattered 19 points and 10 rebounds in 24 minutes, all career-highs, as he energized the Knicks, who almost completed a comeback win from a 20-point deficit.

Toppin played longer than usual as the Knicks centers Nerlens Noel and Mitchell Robinson only combined for 35 minutes, leaving 13 minutes for a small-ball lineup.

New York coach Tom Thibodeau was effusive in praising Toppin’s performance, but he made it clear that he’s not ready yet to give him an expanded role.

“He’s worked hard. He’s always been a confident guy,” Thibodeau said of Toppin. “There’s still a long way to go. But his progress has been steady. Overall, I’m very pleased with him.”

Toppin is primarily serving as Julius Randle’s backup. Randle is averaging 35.3 minutes. But Toppin’s infectious energy off the bench and confident play has earned him spot minutes next to Randle in small-ball lineups.

“[Obi’s] got to work at being an all-around player. And I see that work every day. I see how he approaches it. He’s a great worker, a great kid. So I’m not surprised that he’s improving. If he plays well, he plays more. It’s that simple. You have to earn what you get,” Thibodeau said.

Against the Raptors, Toppin dropped eight points in the second quarter, where the Knicks quickly wiped out Toronto’s 20-point lead. In the second half, he played from the final 2:12 of the third quarter up to the 3:40 mark of the fourth quarter. He scored nine and grabbed five rebounds during that stretch.

Asked about his decision to pull out Toppin and play with only Randle as the big man down the stretch, Thibodeau said it was a tactical adjustment.

“It was basically [because] they were playing zone [defense] and so we thought we got behind a little. We wanted to add more shooting onto the floor. But overall, I thought [Obi] did a lot of great things. That’s how we got going — running the floor, hustling, his all-around play. I thought he really did a good job for us.”

Toppin doesn’t have any issue at all with the short leash. His mindset, he said, is to give 110 percent every time he steps on the court and inject passion and energy into the team.

“Whatever happens with minutes, with playing time like I said coach Thibs is a great coach. He’s been doing this for a very long time,” Toppin said.

[Thibodeau] knows what he’s doing. He knows who got to be in the game at what time. He has a different feel for the game than we do so because he’s a lot more experienced.”

After the team’s light practice on Saturday and before the bad news broke out, Thibodeau expounded on Toppin’s playing time situation despite the online clamor from the fanbase to give him more minutes. Toppin’s play with the second unit has been one of the few silver linings amid the team’s recent struggles.

“[It’s] very good offensively. Defensively, we lose the rim protection and rebounding. So you’re sacrificing that part of the game which is critical but I like the speed and the way they’re playing. I thought that group really played well together. Our bench came in and gave us a big lift,” Thibodeau said.

While he’s not ready yet to give Toppin an expanded role, Thibodeau reiterated how he values the 2020 eighth overall pick.

“He’s young and he’ll continue to get better. So there are still things he needs to improve upon but he’s made great strides. I’m very pleased with him. He adds a lot to the team. He’s a very important part of the team. I expect him to continue to improve,” he added.

Last season, Toppin played well in significant minutes during the start of the preseason until a calf injury caused him to miss six games. His confidence dipped, and he looked lost when he returned. It took him until the second half of the season to find his footing, and he has never looked back since last year’s All-Star break.

If Toppin misses an extended period, Taj Gibson is expected to step into his role with the second unit. It remains to be seen how this setback will affect Toppin’s situation when he returns.

Follow this writer on Twitter: @alderalmo

 

Knicks’ tough loss to Raptors magnifies one of their weakest links

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Forget about Julius Randle’s missed three-pointer. Forget about RJ Barrett’s miss at the buzzer.

The New York Knicks could have completed their 20-point comeback if only they secured the long rebound, which led to Gary Trent, Jr.’s backbreaking triple.

That shot swung the momentum and the lead back to the Raptors as they escaped with a hard-fought 90-87 win against a Knicks team that showed great resolve after another poor start.

“The second shot hurt us,” New York coach Tom Thibodeau said. “It was a shame not to come out of here with a win, but the way we started the game really hurt us.”

The same issue plagued the Knicks at the start of the game. They dug a 20-point hole in the first quarter as they gave up five more rebounds to the Raptors and four turnovers. Toronto took advantage and cashed in with a combined 11 points on transition and off turnovers. It didn’t help that the Raptors shot 5 of 9 3s and took seven more free throws.

“So we got into a big hole and had a fight,” Thibodeau said. “And then we downsized to get more shooting onto the floor and then the rebounding hurt us in the end.”

After Obi Toppin missed two consecutive three-pointers in the fourth quarter, Thibodeau decided to pull him out. By the time Evan Fournier subbed Toppin, the Knicks’ energetic second-year forward had already logged in his first career double-double with 19 points and 10 rebounds in 24 minutes, all career-highs. But his missed shots were a sign of exhaustion after playing straight from the final 2:12 of the third quarter up to the 3:40 mark of the fourth quarter. That was more than 10 minutes straight of running up and down the court.

Thibodeau’s tactical adjustment to counter the Raptors’ zone defense down the stretch backfired as the small-ball lineup on the floor got outrebounded in the most crucial time. The Knicks’ closing lineup of Derrick Rose, Alec Burks, Evan Fournier, Barrett, and Randle outscored the Raptors, 10-6, but gave up two crucial offensive rebounds in the most pivotal play of the game.

“You can’t take off, you can’t stand and stare. You got to turn and check,” Thibodeau said. “Because of the way people shoot, there are going to be a lot of long rebounds. That’s your guards’ responsibility but oftentimes you see offenses are inverted where the big guys are out. And so you have to find a body. That’s what we didn’t do. That has to be corrected.”

But the film tells otherwise.

Rose, Burks, and Barrett all found a body to box out after Trent, Jr.’s first three-point attempt hit the back iron. But they could only do so much against 6-8 Pascal Siakam, 6-7 Scottie Barnes, and 6-9 Chris Boucher. Randle missed the rebound because he went too deep, and Siakam tapped the ball out to Fred Van Vleet, who missed another 3-point attempt. Barnes got the long rebound from the left elbow and passed it to Van Vleet, who quickly swung it back to Trent, Jr. for his redemption shot.

The Raptors grabbed the lead, 89-87, and never relinquished it.

“We outrebounded them but we gave up costly ones when it counted the most,” Thibodeau said.

The Knicks won the battle of the boards overall, 55-48, and had two more offensive rebounds than the Raptors. Two offensive rebounds cost them the game. Even if Thibodeau can correct the Knicks’ gang rebounding deficiency, it will just be a band-aid solution. It’s not that the Knicks guards lacked the effort and awareness to box out. But the reality is, the Knicks’ inability to field a rebounding big man who can also be a threat against the zone defense is the biggest weakness of the current roster.

Even with Nerlens Noel and Mitchell Robinson not at full health, the Knicks are still among the top 10 rebounding teams in the NBA. Last season, they finished tied for eighth with 45.1 per game. After Friday night’s loss in Toronto, the Knicks are ninth with 45.7 rebounds per game.

Noel and Robinson only played a combined 35 minutes and 15 seconds on the floor against the Raptors due to lingering health and conditioning issues. They produced 10 points and 10 rebounds combined. But even when they are healthy, they don’t possess a decent outside shot or even a midrange jumper that can keep the defense honest.

Toppin can grow into that role if he develops a consistent outside shot. But until that happens, they need outside help.

If the Knicks are to salvage this season, point guard won’t be the priority at the trade deadline. A big man who can space the floor on offense and be a decent pick-and-roll defender and rim protector should be their top target. That way, they can optimize Randle as a bully point forward next to Burks. A floor-spacing center will unclog the paint for Randle and even for Barrett to attack the rim rather than settle for long jumpers.

Follow this writer on Twitter: @alderalmo

Big Mis-Steak! Knicks’ Evan Fournier drained by terrible Texas steak

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New York Knicks‘ swingman Evan Fournier did not have his usual lift in his shots. Fournier scored seven points for the second straight game while shooting below 40 percent. Worse, he couldn’t stay in front of Indiana Pacers’ rookie guard Chris Duarte.

Duarte punished Fournier and the Knicks with a game-high 23 points on 9 of 11 shooting. The Knicks tumbled to a 122-102 loss Wednesday night in Indianapolis that quickly eroded their feel-good win in San Antonio the night before.

It turned out it wasn’t just the grueling travel and the short turnaround time bothering Fournier. He was under the weather.

“I thought I was doing better, to be honest for those two games,” Fournier said. “I won’t say the name of the restaurant but I had a terrible steak in San Antonio. I’ve been fighting like I had food poisoning stuff. I can’t move.”

Fournier actually enjoyed his steak. His ordeal started the following day. He tried to play through it but shot only 3 of 8, including an atrocious 1 of 6 from downtown against the Spurs. Good thing RJ Barrett was red-hot. The Knicks won, 121-109, to cover up Fournier’s stinker.

Against Duarte and the Pacers, Fournier felt better. But his performance got worse. He shot 2 for 6 from the field and committed four fouls, a clear sign that he was defending with his hands and not with his feet.

Fournier revealed he couldn’t eat well after his ‘big mis-steak’ in San Antonio.

“I have to get it right [Thursday]. I have a day off [Thursday] to feel better. To be honest, I thought I was playing better and better. You just have to be better physically,” Fournier said. “It’s a shame because the steak was actually very good.”

Fournier’s poor showing on both ends of the floor epitomized the Knicks’ lackluster play.

New York opened the game with a 4-0 lead. But Indiana’s embattled team fought back. Perhaps getting clarity from the management following a meeting centered on the group’s reported shakeup, the Pacers responded with inspired basketball. They staged a 12-0 run and never looked back.

Duarte, who entered the game with a 13.1-point average, scored 14 in the opening quarter. Reported trade chips Myles Turner and Domantas Sabonis combined for 10 points. The Pacers led by seven after the first 12 minutes before it swelled to as large as 27 points in the second half.

“I don’t think anybody played good defense tonight. So I think we’re all in the same bag. The execution was just not good enough,” Fournier said.

All nine Knicks players in the rotation had negative plus-minus. Only the third-stringers, sent in during garbage time, yielded positive plus-minus. Fournier sat out the entire fourth quarter for the 12th time under Tom Thibodeau, the most in a single season over his entire career.

“Sometimes if you give in to whatever is ailing you or whatever it might be, in this league, you can find an excuse every night if you want to,” Thibodeau said.

The 29-year old Frenchman pointed to their individual preparation and approach to the game as the key to turning things around. It didn’t help that they were playing on the second night of back-to-back schedule with little turnaround time from Wednesday’s night game in San Antonio.

“It kind of throws you off your routine but we’ve all been there,” Fournier said. “So how do you prepare for a game like that? We knew coming in it was going to be physical because we’ve played them three times already including in the preseason. You have to get ready for that type of game regardless of circumstances. We didn’t do that.”

It has been the Knicks’ conundrum after a rousing 5-1 start to the season. They’ve become consistently inconsistent since then. They’ve never had a win streak since October.

Fournier acknowledged that the team is well aware of their biggest problem.

“We all know what we have to do and yet we keep on being inconsistent. I don’t know. I wish I had the answer,” Fournier said. “The biggest area where we have to get better is execution.”

“You can run a simple play but if you have good timing, if you have good screens, you have good spacing, it changes everything compared to when you’re being a little casual, not executing with full speed and you just wait for the last five seconds of the possession to attack. It’s exactly the same way defensively. When you get into the ball, you get more physical, drive your guy out of the paint, it makes a huge difference.”

But the lack of practice time because of the grueling and cramped schedule has been holding them back from ramping up building early-season chemistry. The Knicks came to Wednesday’s game mentally prepared. But physically, they were not.

“The game plan was pretty simple. We know that they have guys that love to reject the pick and roll. And we can’t let that keep from happening. We know they were gonna push the ball early because of how they play. And we didn’t run back in transition and rebounds,” Fournier said.

The Pacers dictated the tempo from the get-go. They entered the game averaging 12.7 fastbreak points (11th in the NBA). They came away with 26 points in transition, 10 in the opening quarter.

The Knicks froze on defense.

The Pacers crashed the boards (+6 in rebounds) and attacked the rim (+16 points in the paint). They averaged 47.8 points inside the paint (8th in the NBA) in their first 26 games. They had 60 against the Knicks.

The absence of Nerlens Noel, who was a late scratch with a sore lower back, also messed up Knicks rotation. Taj Gibson tried to fill his spot in the starting unit, but Turner abused him. The taller and heftier Indiana center had 22 points on 8 of 13 shooting. Gibson was scoreless in 18 minutes. Mitchell Robinson, who was fabulous in San Antonio, picked up two quick fouls in the first quarter. He never had the same impact after that.

“They have some weapons — they have guys that can score,” Fournier said of the Pacers. “They have bigs that can stretch the floor. To be honest, they just outplayed us physically. They were more physical and we’re more into the game.”

Sabonis (21 points, 11 rebounds, 5 assists, 0 turnovers) outdueled Julius Randle (18 points, 8 rebounds, 2 assists, 5 turnovers) in the battle of All-Star forwards.

Thibodeau refused to pin the blame on either Fournier or Randle alone.

“It’s not one particular guy. Everyone has to bring energy. You can’t like shortcut anything,” Thibodeau said. “Your offense is timing and spacing. Your defense is your commitment to each other. You’re not going to feel your best every night in this league. That’s part of it. That’s why conditioning is important.”

 

Now the Knicks are back to square one — a mediocre .500 team that has yet to find its solid footing more than a quarter into the season. A string of disappointments always follows one feel-good win.

“The games keep coming. We’ve been a very good road team all year. This is the challenge. We’ll go to Toronto next. Sometimes the schedule is in your favor. Sometimes it’s not. And when it’s not, you still gotta play and you gotta find a way to get it done,” Thibodeau said.

Despite the loss, the Knicks still have a winning record (7-5) on the road. They have a chance to close out their three-game road trip with a win on Friday against the Raptors, who fell to Oklahoma City Thunder Wednesday night, 110-109.

But it’s easier said than done.

Follow this writer on Twitter: @alderalmo