Playing with a depleted roster, the Knicks got a huge lift from Alec Burks in Saturday’s win over Atlanta, writes Marc Berman of The New York Post. Making his first start of the season, the veteran swingman delivered 23 points as New York ended the Hawks’ seven-game winning streak.
Burks was called into service at point guard with Derrick Rose injured and Kemba Walker resting on the second night of a back-to-back. It was the latest in a series of strong performances for Burks, and Berman suggests that he may become a regular part of the starting lineup.
“We’re a great team and we have a lot of depth, so I believe I can step up at any time,’’ Burks said. “It was just my night tonight. … It’s the way we play. Anyone can handle the ball at any time. That’s (coach Tom Thibodeau’s) offense.’’
There’s more from New York:
- Walker remains the Knicks’ starter at point guard, but he has rarely been playing in the fourth quarter, Berman notes in a separate story. Walker’s arthritic left knee is limiting him to 24.5 minutes per night, and Thibodeau is turning to Rose to finish games. As a result, Walker is averaging a career-low 11.7 points per game and the team is routinely getting outscored when he is on the court.
- Some members of the organization wanted to make a play for Spencer Dinwiddie in free agency, Berman adds, but the team opted to sign Evan Fournier, then reached an agreement with Walker after his buyout with the Thunder. “They had to make a splash,’’ an unidentified team executive told Berman about the decision to add Walker, a New York City native.
- The Knicks won’t be able to make a serious playoff run without a greater contribution from Julius Randle, states Ian O’Connor of The New York Post. Randle earned Most Improved Player honors last year while leading New York to the fourth seed, but he hasn’t been the same player since the postseason. He shot just 3-of-14 Saturday night, and his scoring and shooting percentages have declined significantly.
Randle has signed contract extension so he does not need practice?
Everybody wants to win championships, nobody wants to practice
Troll of the day. If you’ve seen or listened to any interview with Randle, you’d know that he is a complete gym and court rat, first to arrive and last to leave. Hell, there is plenty of video evidence of this as well. He’s in a funk but his work ethic and drive will get him back to the top of his game.
Bulls GM is better than Knicks GM for a long run？
Knicks have www, world wide winner
Knicks won’t go anywhere without a true SuperStar. The Knicks roster is solid but still need a #1 option. I know the Knicks beat Atlanta but they struggled with PHX with Booker. Can you imagine a Knicks a team with a Booker or Beal very dangerous.
Worry about the Yanks.
We are building a real team. This is Thibs SECOND year. And they’ve played 20 gms.
Bot ……………
????????????????????????????
Where’s the Atlanta Kid now. You hiding today.
Amazing to me that anyone who has Capela as a Center. Can talk about 3s and 4s playing Center. Small ball is one thing, a weapon. But there is nothing that replaces true size in NBA.
OK …..
Mitch and Sims did a good job of matching Capela. Thank U fellas. Young was killing it in first half. Then the Knicks rallied and played team D. Knicks showed their depth against Hawks. Was hoping to see McBride on Young. But Burkes and Grimes did a good job on him. In second half. I’ve been saying it since day1. Knicks depth will be their strength this year. And it showed again. After getting smacked by Suns. They manned up for a team they owed one. Even with our best player going 3/14, 21.4% FG, and 8 pts, 11 reb. We beat a good team that was playing well.
Knicks are still a work in progress. I’m not like the flamer fans on here. I’m only interested on seeing growth. Cause that is what is going to come thru at end of season. Where it matters most. The Playoffs
Still take your beating like a good soldier. And we got a Christmas gift waiting for you at MSG. This time Everyone will see the Smack Down …….. NYK
Chirp …… chirp …….. chirp …… chirp.
crickets ……..
link to youtu.be
Playing D will cure all woes …. D takes effort and hard work. That’s where it starts and gets your offense going too. Last night >>
Knicks D on Hawks ….. finally playing
The Smack Down …..
-“Their 90 total points was their worst scoring output thus far this year, and their 97.7 offensive rating was their second worse in efficiency this season, per Basketball Reference.-“
Berman meant imaginary team executive (the same guy who told him about Drummond, Ball and DeRozan, among others). Rose couldn’t care less about making a splash. Sorry, but with well over 50 mm in cap space, using the last small strip of it on Walker’s small afterthought deal isn’t the behavior of FO that felt it had to make a splash. Like him or not, Rose emphasized the most un-splash things possible, like flexibility and continuity (two time tested principles of team building).
On another front, Randle is doing fine. Coming off a breakout year, he’s adjusting to a new group looking to go to the next level, and overdue for some backfilling. Future looks good. On the other hand, Ian O’Connor isn’t doing well at all. Coming off decades of irrelevance, he’s doubling down on his methods. Future looks dismal.
“On another front, Randle is doing fine.”
Disagree. He’s been wildly inconsistent and he has plenty of games when he’s been downright bad. He’s a career 48.2% shooter who is currently shooting 41%. He’s fallen way too in love with his 3 point shot and needs to get back to mid-range and pounding it inside. A whopping 34% of his shots are from downtown, which is crazy for a guy like him. His previous career high is only 29%, set last year.
Couple this with his significant decrease in 3PT % (41.1% last year, 33.0% this year) and you can see why he’s been far less effective this year.
His career numbers before last year (when he was a borderline starter with ever changing roles) are mostly meaningless. E.g., he had the lowest overall FG% of his career (other than his rookie year) last year, and the percentage of his shots that were 3 pt shots skyrocketed. Yet, a career year. On the offensive side, the 3 pt shot was the key to him ascending into a great player. Everything else he did better, was triggered by that.
His overall offensive numbers are off from last year, but I expected that, especially to start. New group is less tailored to his high post offense game. He’s no longer always the primary initiator. My concerns with Randle coming into the season were 1) would his defense and rebounding, and team focus, suffer if he weren’t the primary initiator of the offense, and 2) was his 3 pt shooting last year an aberration, and if it fell off would the turnovers skyrocket. The first has been alleviated (he’s doing more in all these areas). The second is close to being alleviated. His 3 pt FG% is about the same this year after 20 games, as it was last year after 20 games. I don’t expect him to get to 40%, nor does he need to (somewhere 36-38 would be great). As long as he continues to keep the turnovers down (this will always be a challenge for him), he’ll be fine.
“In Thibs we Trust”
It’s 20 gms into his Second Year. Knicks still building. Really was loving the young guys playing last night. Randle will come around. But I’m not a fan of him being a point forward. He’s a ball stopper. And he should take the smaller guys they’ve been playing on him. To the blocks and let the PG find him. He can post any 3 or 2 or small 4.
Sankara
Come out ……. come out …. come out
wherever you are ????
link to youtu.be
“Some members of the organization wanted to make a play for Spencer Dinwiddie in free agency, Berman adds, but the team opted to sign Evan Fournier”
So the Knicks found a compromise with AL after a year of advocating Dinwiddie & Fournier. Too bad not Dins.