The Knicks enter Tuesday’s game against the Pelicans on a six-game winning streak as they continue their push for the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference. However, five of those six victories came against some of the worst teams in the league, and the sixth was against the slumping Warriors. If New York is to claim the runner-up spot in the conference, they need to be ready for things to get more difficult, Stefan Bondy writes for the New York Post.
With the Thunder, Rockets, and resurgent Hornets on the horizon, Bondy says this stretch of games could impact whether or not the team has home-court advantage in a second-round Game 7.
As has been the case in past seasons, one key factor in determining the Knicks’ playoff ceiling is whether the bench can provide relief for the starters when it matters. While coach Mike Brown uses his bench more than former coach Tom Thibodeau did, the Knicks still ranked just 27th in total bench minutes heading into Sunday’s win against the Wizards, James L. Edwards III notes for The Athletic.
Edwards notes that the load management plan Mitchell Robinson has been on seems to have helped him stay healthy this season, while top reserve Miles McBride will have to hit the ground running once he returns from injury to get his rhythm back in time to be impactful in the postseason.
One benefit of the team’s improved depth is the different amount of mixing and matching Brown can do depending on what a particular series calls for, Edwards writes, though he predicts that the eventual playoff rotation will end up looking almost identical to last season’s.
We have more Knicks notes:
- Mikal Bridges‘ offensive struggles in recent games have drawn plenty of scrutiny and even prompted questions about his spot in the starting lineup, but teammate Josh Hart believes that Bridges is in a difficult situation given his role in the offense, according to Bondy. “Last year, he didn’t have many plays called for him. This year, he probably has even less plays called for him,” Hart said. “So obviously there’s a mental hurdle he needs to get through and that’s something where some of us can help him. I think he gets some of that unfair flak just because he’s doing what’s asked of him. And if we were to sit there and say, go shoot 15 shots a game, he would be efficient and he could do it. But that’s not what’s been asked of him.” Brown gave Bridges his own vote of confidence, saying, “He works at it very hard. And he cares at a high level. Usually when you have that combination from a veteran guy that’s produced the way he’s produced in the NBA, it tends to lead to good results, eventually.”
- Jordan Clarkson‘s inconsistent role with the Knicks could have led to a destructive situation, Bondy writes in a separate piece, especially as the 33-year-old began turning to social media to respond to critics in February. Instead, the veteran guard kept his head down and worked. That professionalism and positive attitude paid off, as guards like Bridges and Landry Shamet started struggling offensively. Over the last two weeks, Clarkson has been the Knicks’ most reliable shooting guard, Bondy writes. Beginning when he scored 27 points against his former team in Utah on March 11, he has averaged 12.7 points on .545/.438/1.000 shooting splits in 22 minutes per game. He was even named the Knicks’ defensive player of the game twice in that stretch. “When he’s doing that he’s playing with that fire and that passion he has, there’s not many players in the NBA coming off the bench you feel better about,” said teammate Karl-Anthony Towns.
- Second-year guard Tyler Kolek had a basketball day for the ages on Sunday, scoring 42 points on 9-of-14 from three for the Westchester Knicks before being recalled to the parent team and scoring 11 points on 3-of-3 from deep in the fourth quarter of the win over the Wizards. “We have a lot of guys on this team that are very high character, very good work ethic and he’s one of them,” Jalen Brunson said, per Jared Schwartz of the Post. “That’s just who he is.“
“Starting when he scored 27 points against his former Jazz teammates on March 11, he has averaged 12.7 points on .545/.438/1.000 shooting splits in 22 minutes per game.”
Nobody cares about March stats anymore bro. There’s like 15 real teams in the NBA right now, everyone else is either hurt or tanking.
If Clarkson is your player of the game on any level, especially defensively, then your team is garbage.
Knicks are 48–25 and tied for 2nd seed in East. Clarkson works for us. Clarkson has gone thru adversity this year. He’s hung in there and came out good. Knicks need Clarkson and everyone else on their bench. Knicks can go 10-11 deep. 2nd seed that’s what I want. ……
Knicks arent making it out of the 2nd round Al, I know ball and they have none of the spark of a champion. You gotta be able to see it too. There are no Steph Curry’s on this team. Boston wiping the floor with them.
Just don’t get lost when they do. Knicks can only beat themselves. But I do agree the spark is not always present. Why I want that 2nd seed. It would ll show something going into playoffs.
Knicks have to accent Brunson better and get rid of Clarkson, KAT, Bridges, Shamet, Alvarado, Sochan to start with. Get Giannis if you can. Brunson has what it takes to be a champion in this league, but these other guys? No way.
Bad take, Davey. You clearly have not watched Clarkson this season. He’s been a consummate professional and has provided high energy and given a great effort on the defensive end. He was signed to be a role player and he’s mostly filled that role while contributing a handful of great games. I was very skeptical of the move as I knew him mainly as a chucker but signing him was a good move.
-0.4 VORP player, btw.
Overrated by NYC media saturation.
Not good defensively, at all. Getting back on a handful of plays isn’t going to cut it.
It’s your take that is bad.
No shot the Knicks make the ECF.
The gats a BS stat. Like the plus or minus. It’s a reflection of tge 5 players playing. Like rct says. You have to watch Knicks. Even thru the stuff he dealt with Brown. He is still highest scorer off bench. Shoots 82% FT, 54% 2pt, 34% 3pt. And plays D. Only stats that matter.
If a player plays only garbage time when tgey lose. His VORP is terrible. It’s a phony stat.
lmaooo citing one stat and having it be a flawed one like VORP. Watch the Knicks play, David. JC has been a good role player.
I will -never- say Jordan Clarkson is a good role player in the NBA. He is maybe my most hated player in the league, and one of my biggest gripes about him are his overrating by his fans who have to move the goalposts so far for it to be valid, but he is still a bad player, it just stinks all round. If he was as good as you say his advanced metrics would reflect that. They don’t. Clarkson doesn’t belong in this league, never has. When the Knicks bomb out of the playoffs early it will be because he was on their roster. @rct forest, meet trees. link to basketball-reference.com go ahead and sort all his best game scores to worst or best +/- by worst – the bad games outweigh the good ones overwhelmingly – good or solid role players aren’t this bad. He has been so mid and bad this whole time, it makes me so mad he keeps getting opportunities when he always stinks up the joint.
I was looking up Clarkson’s best and highest scoring games and its so funny, like he put up 41 in a loss vs GSW and Curry going off in 2021, but check out how terrible this roster is, and how hard Curry carried them, the stats sheet says it all, that was a 50 win team that Curry beat while dragged a bunch scrubs across the line with – that is the power of Steph. link to basketball-reference.com
Which is why I refuse to rule out GSW until he is officially out for the season, which is he not.
Nobody is saying he’s great lol. He has won sixth man of the year. And he started for Lakers for like 2 yrs. He’s here for points off the bench Davey. He’s doing that. I give him a B. He can be better. He’s dealt with stuff here. Brown sat him for awhile. Never said why. He was all professional about it. We need pts during playoffs. I believe in him. He’s never won. He knows he’s on a good team.
He’s a F and the reason why the Knicks won’t make it past the second round at best this year. He’s a loser. He has no place in this league. Euro leaguer at best. Its gross how long he lasted in the NBA while being this terrible.
One of the reasons Brown was brought in was to unlock the offense. Well, Bridges has (somehow) regressed and the team is still too reliant on Brunson doing his thing to generate offense. Mission failed thus far.
Of course, he’s done some good things too—not running the starters into the ground for instance—but we’ll see come playoff time whether he was actually an upgrade on Thibs or more of a lateral move as some of us thought.
Bridges still bothers me. We need him to avg 22 a game. What is up lol.
Bridges career high was 20 so asking for 22 a game is a lot. He’s basically the 4th option behind Brunson, KAT, and OG. I would like to see him more aggressive, though. The amount of times he beats his man off the dribble but dribbles it back out to the perimeter to pass it is frustrating.
He avg 26 for year as a Net. And Knicks should be about any three can score. Towns, Bridges, Brunson. Thats real offense. What Brown was suppose to do with new offense.
Bridges changing his jump shot form just as he was acquired by the Knicks seems to have done something to his game…on both sides oddly. His defense, while still good, is even below par for his level. Not sure if it’s because he’s with friends, but he seems laxed and not the elevated star he has or needed to be.
With that said ever since they moved Donte and let IH go they lost their muster. Even Hart isn’t diving into lanes like he used to…at least not at the frequency he once did.
He’s too nice. He’s too accommodating to his teammates. Like he always wants to fit in. All I am saying is. Is Knicks got him to be another scorer. And last year was decent. But this year he has taken a step down. We can’t count on Brunson for 30 plus. Thats why Towns and Bridges are here. Both are inconsistent. Bridges has been worse this year. This is why teams focus on Brunson. And a coach should do something about that. Bridges offense numbers are down this yr. He isn’t aggressive or a finisher. Waiting for him is over.
Agreed.
25/26 or BUST.
Hart is correct about Bridges. When Hart sticks to basketball, he usually is.
I wouldn’t however tie it to the “plays” that are (or are not) being called for Bridges. As long as the NYK are configured as they are, with Brunson and KAT at point/post, there won’t, on a consistent basis, be enough shots for both OG and Bridges to thrive offensively in the same game. Nothing anyone can do about that. An NBA team only gets so many shots in a game, and, unlike in 2k, they can’t be divided up by a script.
Outside of the faster paced, more egalitarian, offenses of the 1960’s, I don’t believe any NBA team has had 4 players average 15 or more shots over a season. It’s probably why it’s very rare for a team to have even three 20 ppg scorers over a season, and when one does, it’s usually the result of a very top heavy shot chart that few would consider ideal.
Neither OG nor Bridges are naturally low volume 3 and D guys, so in the games where they don’t get many shots, keeping their full offensive game in rhythm for the shots they do get is a challenge. OG’s game is simpler and thus he can better accommodate his low volume days. He also NEVER takes a possession off on defense. Bridges has a tendency to lose focus when he’s not involved in the offense, and let his effort lapse on both ends. It’s a tendency with him, and he has to do better on that front. But its not like he has been horrible in that regard. More like uneven, with the caveat that he has a knack for coming through in clutch situations.
But DXC the Knicks can’t be about Brunson. It should be either of them three first. Towns, Brunson, Bridges then everyone else. And the offense is suppose to be set up that way. If the ball is moving. Like we were told it was going to be. Then whoever has a good shot or opening. Should take it. We both know. They still go to Brunson iso. When the going gets tough. Thats on Brown. A scorers mentality should always look for his shot. just do it off the offense.
Bridges is not aggressive enough or selfish enough. Him scoring makes life easier for everyone else. He scored 26 a gm on 19 shots a gm. He shot almost 7 FTs at 90% as a Net. Imo he has to be at 16-17 shots a gm. This yr he’s at 12.1 thats way too low. And Brown has done nothing about lol. Thats what annoys me man. Knicks are avg 90 shots a game.