For the better part of a decade, the Knicks have been an easy target for criticism among fans and media alike. Despite playing in one of the nation’s biggest markets, they couldn’t seem to attract big-name free agents and had just one winning season since 2013. It seemed like an organization that couldn’t get out of its own way.
And then this offseason happened.
While there have been many moves that have helped lead the Knicks to this year’s 47-win season, like nailing draft picks on Immanuel Quickley, Mitchell Robinson, and Quentin Grimes, the three players the Knicks added most recently came up huge in clutch moments during the team’s 101-97 win over the Cavaliers in Game 1, signaling a potential culture shift for the NBA’s favorite whipping boy franchise.
It all starts with Jalen Brunson.
He was the team’s clear priority in free agency once the team moved on from the idea of trading for Donovan Mitchell, and despite the criticism the Knicks got for going “all-in” on Brunson, the move has paid off in ways I’m not sure anybody could have expected.
For much of the year, Brunson has been arguably the Knicks’ best player. He averaged 24.0 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 6.2 assists per game while shooting 49.1% from the field and a career-high 41.6% from beyond the arc. He also went to the free throw line a career-high 5.8 times per game, good for 26th in the NBA.
Hir arrival game the Knicks a true floor general. His 7.4 turnover ratio was 16th best in the league for guards who appeared in over 60 games and his 2.96 assist/turnover rate was 13th. He allowed the Knicks to play at a faster pace, and he attacked the basket with aggression in a way the Knicks weren’t able to do last season. His 13.8 player impact estimate from NBA.com ranks 7th among guards who appeared in over 60 games, just behind Trae Young (14.3), Kyrie Irving (14.6), and Donovan Mitchell (14.9). That’s some pretty solid company to keep.
However, the biggest attribute he has brought to the Knicks is the ability to close games.
Saturday’s game against Cleveland was a perfect example. He was the driving force behind New York’s ability to hold onto their lead in the fourth quarter, scoring nine of the team’s last 14 points. He had 21 second-half points in total after dealing with foul trouble in the first half and finished as the team’s leading scorer with 27 points.
Scoring in the clutch has been a consistent trend for Brunson this season. He ranks 4th in the NBA with 4.0 points in clutch situations, which is defined as “the last five minutes of a game in which the point differential is five or less.” Brunson averaged the 10th most clutch minutes played of anybody in the league and is shooting 51.6% from the field in such situations, continuously coming up big, which is crucial for the Knicks since their other big scorer, Julius Randle, shoots just 33.8% in clutch situations and often becomes too ISO-focused.
Brunson’s impact on the team may only be equaled by the newest addition, Josh Hart.
Since Hart came over from Portland in a deadline deal this year, he has been an instant difference-maker for the Knicks. He has the best plus/minus on the team, ranks fourth in Player Impact Estimate, 3rd in defensive rating, and first in net rating. His work on the defensive end has also led to him leading the team with 1.4 steals per game and scoring 18% of his points off of turnovers, the most of any player in the rotation.
Hart has also brought a toughness that has been as instrumental to the Knicks’ culture shift as Brunson’s aggressiveness has been.
With 2:12 left in Saturday’s game, Jarrett Allen tipped in and missed Donovan Mitchell shot, giving the Cavaliers a 93-92 lead. On the play, Hart landed on another player’s foot and rolled his ankle. He hobbled to the sideline but stayed in the game. On the first possession out of the timeout, with the shot clock winding down, Hart nailed a three to give the Knicks a two-point lead and then limped his way back on defense.
It was the kind of gritty and gutsy effort that the Knicks have gotten from him since he came over from Portland and perfectly epitomized the team’s ability to hang on and grind out this win. While Brunson and Randle received most of the headlines, Hart was the driving force behind the victory, finishing with 17 points on 8-11 shooting while adding 10 rebounds, including an impressive five offensive rebounds.
According to Stathead, the only bench guards to ever have 5+ defensive rebounds and 5+ offensive rebounds in a playoff win are Jim Jackson back in May of 2003 and Josh Hart on Saturday. He also set a Knicks record as the first player in franchise history to have 17+ points, 5+ defensive rebounds, and 5+ offensive rebounds off the bench in a playoff game.
Josh Hart is the first player in Knicks history to post the following stats off the bench in a playoff game:
• 17+ PTS
• 5+ OREB
• 5+ DREB pic.twitter.com/eQidT09zVg— KnicksMuse (@KnicksMuse) April 16, 2023
While the Villanova products, and best friends, have garnered most of the media attention, the Knicks’ other offseason addition, back-up center Isaiah Hartenstein also was instrumental in the team’s victory in Cleveland, posting eight points and five rebounds in 22 minutes and leading the team with a +19 plus/minus.
He also came up big when it mattered most. After being subbed into the game for Robinson after that Allen tip-in, Hartenstein secured a massive offensive rebound with the Knicks up 97-95 with 38.1 seconds left. The fresh 14-second shot clock led to a Brunson layup and a 99-95 Knicks lead.
The lefty has been an under-the-radar addition for New York all season. He has been second on the team in net rating since Hart arrived and has been second on the team in rebounding rate all year, actually posting a better defensive rebounding rate than Robinson on the season. When you pair that with him having the second-best defensive rating of any player in the Knicks rotation (behind only Quickley), Hartenstein has been a huge addition to the team.
What’s more, he’s one of only eight Knicks in the last 20 seasons to play all 82 games, and the first one to do so since the 2016-17 season. Given the fact that he battled an achilles injury early in the season, his ability to not miss a single game is a testament to his toughness and his competitive drive.
That’s something all three of the new additions share. They are willing to do anything to secure a win. There is no play too small and no defender too strong to stop them. There’s a reason why all three of them were on the court in the closing minutes of the Knicks’ first road playoff win since 1999.
These are winning players, and their presence in New York is a clear sign that this is starting to become a winning franchise again.
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