The New York Knicks were a great story. A team that no one expected to make the playoffs rode their tough defense and stellar play of one Julius Randle all the way to the 4th seed in the Eastern Conference. Considering the pleasant surprise, anything that could’ve happened in the playoffs was extra icing on the cake. And yet, the way the season came to an end leaves a rather bitter taste.
The Atlanta Hawks finished the job and knocked out New York this past Wednesday night. During the season, the Knicks had won all 3 matchups vs Atlanta and was a prohibitive favorite due to this and the fact they had home court advantage. From the beginning, I thought this was a series that could easily go 6 or 7 games because the two teams are evenly matched. However, that’s when the Knicks defense manages to lock down the opponent for a significant amount of time and when the scorers do their job. That happened in the series, but only in Game 2 and for very sparse moments in the rest of the games.
The Knicks took off when Derrick Rose came to New York via trade as his distribution improved the ball movement and scoring issues this team had throughout the season. However, the key to this team aside from defense and the play of Derrick Rose was Julius Randle’s coming out party and the development of RJ Barrett. When those two played well, the Knicks usually had a much better chance of winning. We were waiting for one of them to have their moment in this series, but that didn’t quite happen.
Randle and Barrett seemed to crack under pressure a bit as their shots seemed too forced and they never quite seemed to settle in. Atlanta did a good job of playing suffocating defense in particular and that was another reason they never let Randle and Barrett settle in and get in their comfort zone. It’s easy to throw on the responsibility on these two, but the fact of the matter is that this was their playoff experience. As much as we all hate to hear it, playoff jitters are normal. For Randle, it was also his first playoffs series as the primary scorer as he was never the focus of the opposing defense until this year.
Knicks color commentator Walt Clyde Frazier mentioned towards the end of the regular season that the lack of playoff experience on the squad was a cause for concern and he was right. While the Hawks were also playing in their first playoffs series in almost 5 years, Atlanta seemed to played a bit looser. Trae Young is a born star and he relished the role of the villain as he torched the Knicks all series long. Clint Capela was absolutely dominant in the paint and whenever Young got quiet for a couple of minutes, Bogdan Bogdanovic would step up. Another reason for the Hawks success is interim coach Nate McMillan, as he usually gets the most out of the teams he’s coached and he’s definitely had a tangible effect on this young Hawks team, especially on the defensive side.
While the Knicks successful season had a disappointing end, the question is what now? Julius Randle has stated he wants to stay in New York and wants to extend his contract. Only uncertainty with Randle is if this past season was a one-time thing or if he will continue to be someone this team can depend on for consistent scoring. Derrick Rose was an instant shot in the arm for the Knicks so keeping him around would be a plus. However, Rose has a lot of mileage and is always an injury risk, so it’ll be important to have another point guard who can not only play significant amounts but start a couple games and do so more adequately than Elfrid Payton did this past year.
When I was asked if the Knicks have a shot to win it all, I always felt no because they needed another scorer. Randle’s growth and Barrett’s development are something I expect to continue because of head coach Tom Thibodeau, who has a history of getting the most out of his players, though maybe you worry if he wears them down a bit. That’ll be something to pay attention to at the end of next season. Rumor has it the Knicks wants to go after Damien Lillard or another big name. While another scorer is necessary and a big name would be perfect, you have to be careful about how much you give up and how that might affect team chemistry. Basically, the Knicks want to avoid what happened when they traded for Carmelo Anthony.
There’s stability on the court and off the court as James Dolan has stayed out of the public eye for the most part as he has let team president Leon Rose and general manager Scott Perry do their jobs. They’ve done a good job with signings, but it’ll be important they also nail on the draft picks. This is the first time in a long time Knicks head into the offseason looking forward to whatever next season has in store. Just like Randle’s breakout season, let’s hope this Knicks season isn’t just a one-hit wonder.
