After winning two straight at home to open their season, the New York Knicks dropped two in a row on the road to the Miami Heat and the Milwaukee Bucks, sitting at an even 2-2 through the first four games.
Every team with a new head coach experiences some growing pains. With Mike Brown and this Knicks squad, that’s exactly the state they’re in right now. Some things to be proud of, a lot to keep working on. Here’s how the first week has looked for this championship-aspiring Knicks team:
The good
By far, the Knicks’ brightest spot throughout the first four games has been Jalen Brunson.. After a poor shooting performance in the season opener, the All-NBA guard has been shooting the lights out in the last three games, averaging 34.7 points on 53.5% from the field and 39.1% from behind the arc.
His college counterpart, Mikal Bridges, has also had a great start to the season. The Villanova product is averaging an efficient 18.0 points per game on 54.2% from the field and 47.4% from three. Arguably, the most impressive part of his game so far has been his work on the glass. After grabbing 11 boards Tuesday night against the Bucks, Bridges brought his average to 6.8 rebounds per game, over double that of his 3.2 rebounds last season. It’s a small sample size, but the forward is putting his 7-foot-1 wingspan to good use.
The team’s work on the boards as a whole has been their greatest strength. Even without one of their best rebounders, Mitchell Robinson, the Knicks sit second in the league in rebounding, averaging 49.5 per game. Karl-Anthony Towns is averaging an astounding 13.5 rebounds, while the wings in Josh Hart (7.7 RPG), OG Anunoby (7.0 RPG), and Bridges (6.8 RPG) are putting in the work on the glass as well.
The bad
In both of their road losses, the Knicks lost control of the game in the second half. Long runs from the opposing teams in the third and fourth quarters sealed the deal for the Knicks’ shortcomings against the Heat and the Bucks.
Brown’s rotations at times were questionable in those late stretches. In the loss to the Heat on Oct. 26, Brown left Brunson on the bench as the Heat went on a 23-6 run. Both losses were games in reach for the Knicks; they just have to learn to capitalize in late moments.
It’s going to take some time for them to adjust to their new team, but new bench signings Jordan Clarkson and Guerschon Yabusele have not performed well throughout the first few games.
Clarkson, known for his scoring prowess, is averaging seven points per game on a poor 33.3% from the field. In his best years in Utah, he was playing over 30 minutes a night. Under coach Brown, he’s only getting around 15 minutes per game, so it’s hard for a player like him to get going in such a short amount of time.
Yabusele has done virtually nothing in his first three games in a Knicks uniform. The former 76er averaged 11 points per game last year, and he has yet to reach 11 total points for the season. In three games, Yabusele is averaging 1.7 points per game on 20% from the field. The Team France captain will have to ramp it up if the Knicks want their second unit to reach its full potential.
The ugly
As a team, the Knicks are shooting an abysmal 40% from the field, ranking them dead last in the league in field goal percentage. That’s just not going to cut it if they want to win games consistently.
Towns started the season dealing with a quad injury, and it seems like he’s still getting the rust off. He’s doing an amazing job in the rebounding department, but in just about every other aspect of his game, he can do better. Through four games, he is averaging 17.0 points per game on an inefficient 35.2% from the field and 33.3% from three. He went a dreadful 2-for-12 last night vs. Milwaukee, a big part of why they weren’t able to fight back in late stretches.
After an impressive opener, Anunoby’s numbers have also dipped in the scoring column. In the last three games, Anunoby is averaging only 11 points per game on 29.4% from the field and 28% from three. To maximize this team’s potential, the Knicks’ key players will have to deliver more consistent offensive performances.
New York is third in the league in three-pointers attempted, but 23rd in three-point field goal percentage, shooting a subpar 33.0%. A good habit to start early on in the season, but if they can’t start knocking them down at a better rate, they’re going to have to look for a different approach to scoring.
Ball movement was a key component of Mike Brown’s coaching philosophy when he was hired. The ball is moving a lot more compared to other Knicks teams of the past, but they’re sitting at 25th in the league in assists, averaging only 23.0 per game. A lot of that can be attributed to the Knicks’ struggles in just knocking down shots. If they can start scoring more consistently, those numbers can only go up.
It’s only four games out of a long 82-game season, but there’s a lot to be improved on. The Knicks look to get back on the positive side of the win column on Friday when they face the Bulls for the last game of their three-game road trip.
