The streak sits at three. Up next is James Harden and the Houston Rockets for Wednesday showdown at the Garden.

What a time. That 0–3 start (0–8 counting preseason) feels like ages ago, but the Knicks are back in business baby! Jeff Hornacek has let the young guys run and the Garden has been re-energized. The team is on a three-game winning streak with no sign of stopping.

Okay, I may be getting a little ahead of myself, but how can you not be hyped off these last three wins?

Friday night against the Nets was whatever. However, winning in Cleveland against a healthy Cavaliers team? Impressive. Not only did the Knicks win in Cleveland, they blew the defending conference champs out of the water. Then, on the second leg of a back-to-back on Monday, Kristaps Porzingis put known NBA Analytics Twitter darling, Nikola Jokic, on the Summer Jam screen. This streak has so many storylines to follow that Jarrett Jack becoming a useful starter might not even crack the top three.

Up next: the young ‘Bockers will welcome the Houston Rockets to town. With Chris Paul sidelined due to a knee, these look like a slimmed down version of the Rockets from last year. James Harden is still a top five player in the NBA and reigning Sixth Man of the Year Eric Gordon is poised to defend his title, averaging a career-best 24.9 points through Houston’s first seven games.

The Rockets enter the Garden coming off a home loss to Sixers and will be looking to pick up an easy W against the Knicks. How can the Knicks keep the streak alive? Let’s break it down.

Bring that same energy

Since Jarrett Jack has entered the starting lineup, the Knicks have not lost a game. Jack has been everything Ramon Sessions was brought in to do. The starters have come out firing on all cylinders in the three games Jack has started, and it’s not a coincidence. Jack’s success is due to nothing special, but that doesn’t mean it’s insignificant; his NetRtg is a career-high 7.3, per NBA.com/Stats.

In a nutshell, he has been a coach on the floor. He is constantly talking and making sure everyone is in the right place. For a more detailed breakdown on Jack please watch The Knicks Wall’s resident Scorsese’s, Jeffrey Bellone, video below:

But I digress. Jeff Hornacek would be wise to keep this starting lineup in tact. Jack plays like a man on a short leash (non-guaranteed deal), which is good. It’s making him play smart. His presence has made Tim Hardaway Jr. better as well as Enes Kanter who is finally playing a lick of defense. And above all, Jack is feeding Kristaps Porzingis who in turn is torching the league.

Dracarys

Through his first six game, Porzingis has eclipsed 30 points five times. The last player to do it for the Knicks? No one! In fact, Porzingis is just the fourth player in league history age 22 or younger to do so.

NBA.com/Stats on Twitter

Kristaps Porzingis is just the 4th player in @NBA history to be age 22 or younger and score 30+ PTS in 5 of his first 6 games of a season.

This is what we expected when Carmelo Anthony moved on to greener pastures. But I’m not sure even this was expected from people with the highest expectations. Porzingis has been a flamethrowing dragon on the court. He’s devoured opponents down low. Scorched threes from the logo. Dwarfed double teams. He has even channeled his inner ‘Melo.

He is coming off a career-high 38 points against the Nuggets, who have legit All-Stars in Paul Millsap and Jokic. The Rockets do not possess such a guy. Instead Porzingis will have Ryan Anderson, Trevor Ariza, and P.J. Tucker guarding him. It does not matter. Right now the only person capable of stopping KP is KP. The Rockets are the next on the list to feel the wrath of the new face of the Knicks.

Match up of the Night: James Harden vs. Tim Hardaway Jr.

I have not mentioned Hardaway Jr. much for good reason. Tonight is the night he can shut up whatever doubters remain. Is he a future superstar? Of course not. Can he be a staple of the starting lineup for the foreseeable future? Absolutely.

Through the first three games, the $71 million the Knicks handed Hardaway Jr. looked a lot like buying a slice of pizza in Midtown — way too overpriced and below average in quality. However, in his last three matches he has been in fuego mode.

Kyle O’Quinn: Providing the Impetus Off the Bench

Timmy has averaged 19.3 points, 4.3 assists, and 1.7 steals, per Basketball-Reference, during this winning streak. He is shooting 36.0 percent from three and 45.2 percent from the floor. His success on offense has made him more active on defense. That part of his game will be put to the ultimate test as he faces the top of his shooting guard class in James Harden.

Facing Harden is what I imagine facing Muhammed Ali felt like for boxers. Both make their opponents defeat themselves. Harden’s version of the rope-a-dope is trapping defenders into reaching just far enough in that he can draw the foul. If a defender gets wise and starts to sag off, then he will raise up and kill you from outside or simply give you another fake and finesse his way to the rack.

Hardaway Jr. did not fare well against Harden in their preseason meeting. Harden scored a game-high 36 points on 61.9 percent shooting (50 percent from three) while Timmy scored 21 points on 47.1 percent shooting (40 percent from three). But that game was meaningless. A big game against Harden tonight is all that really matters. We saw Porzingis torch Jokic Monday, now it’s Timmy’s turn to take on Slippin’ Jimmy.

Kristaps Porzingis’ Offense Has Arrived

Final Thoughts

A lot of the praise has gone to the starters and Frank Ntilikina throughout this three-game win streak. That praise is due, but I’m here to give love to Doug McDermott. When the Knicks acquired him in the Anthony trade I believed he could develop into a nice rotation guy. Hornacek has given McDermott minutes and it looks like he is finding his footing.

In his last three games he has been on fire from deep, converting at a 54.5 percent clip. If he continues to play well he could carve out a role as first wing off the bench. Same goes for Frank who figures to make the jump to the starting lineup sooner rather than later, methinks.

As for the guys out of the rotation; Willy Hernangómez will (hopefully) work back into the rotation as the season progresses. The same cannot be said for $9 million man Ron Baker. The Knicks are undefeated when he does not play which can be a coincidence or the cold truth.

Tip-off is set for 8 p.m. tonight on ESPN.

— Mike Cortez, staff writer

Follow The Knicks Wall on Facebook and Twitter for more coverage, and listen to the TKW Podcast on iTunes and SoundCloud.

Knicks Look to Extend Winning Streak Against Harden and Rockets was originally published in The Knicks Wall on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Achieving the Vision: Kristaps Porzingis’ Offense Has Arrived

The buzz around KP is noisy, palpable, and warranted. What has he done to get to this point?

You know when things work out exactly as you want? You paint a picture of a beautiful endgame, one that fulfills every burning desire that you had going into a certain situation. After stressful anticipation and thoughts of failure wreaking havoc in your mind, the moment finally comes, and then, boom. Nearly everything falls into place, and you can be content knowing that the positive outcome you so badly wanted came to fruition. This, of course, rarely happens in real life, but it’s been the case for every fan of the New York Knicks as the fall airs swirls around Madison Square Garden. A unicorn has brought the fanbase’s dreams to a reality.

We all knew Kristaps Porzingis was good. To dispute that fact would be an act of lunacy. The question all along was his ability to become the new king of New York, to pick up the crown left behind by Carmelo Anthony as he boarded a flight to Oklahoma City. During the six games last season where Porzingis played without Anthony, he averaged 14.7 points and 5.7 boards on 45.1 percent shooting. Those aren’t bad numbers by any stretch of the imagination, but he also failed to meet the lofty expectations that we held for him when he was given the joystick to the offense. Collectively, Knicks fan were cautiously optimistic this season with the vacated crown atop his tall, elongated frame. Would he be up to the task?

The short answer: you bet. Over the course of the young season, Porzingis has put up a whopping 29.3 points, 8.3 rebounds, and 1.7 blocks on an impressive .478/.364/.810 shooting line. He’s been aggressively picking his spots, attacking the hoop with a vengeance, and showing a new commitment to scoring in the post. Defensively, he’s been the same Kristaps that we know, blocking shots with the best of them. There’s still improvements to be made on that end, but we’ll save the defensive side of the ball for another day. The Knicks have the third leading scorer in the NBA on their team, and he’s a 22-year-old that was supposed to just be getting consistent rotation minutes at this point in his career timeline. Before our very eyes, Porzingis has turned into one of the biggest offensive threats in the entire league.

I’ll repeat, we always knew KP was good. The part that requires a bit of digging is exactly what Porzingis has done to be so effective this year. Well folks, just call me Anna Nicole Smith, because I’m here for all of the digging.

Post Up Play

Going into this season, I viewed Porzingis’ game in the post as a big opportunity for improvement. He scored in just the 30th percentile last year in terms of points per post possession, with his lack of strength and poor positioning costing him dearly. Too often, KP would find himself catching the ball far outside of the paint, leaving too much room between himself and the basket for his slight frame to navigate. In addition to poor positioning, which admittedly could have been a product of lackluster guard play and spacing issues, Porzingis also often failed to take advantage of mismatches. When setting a screen, KP found himself with a smaller defender on him every time when the play was executed correctly. He failed to do his best “mouse in the house” act, lobbing up out-of-control jumpers or surrendering his spot.

That has not been the case at all this year. Porzingis is scoring at an amazingly efficient rate in the post, clocking in at the 83rd percentile. He’s exploited defenders and used his athleticism to perform simple moves that lead to laughably easy buckets. This is a small, seemingly innocuous play, but KP did not do this nearly as well last season:

He gets himself deep on the block, turns over the shoulder, and has an easy hoop. For a 7'3" dude, that shot is essentially a layup. Beyond the mismatches, perhaps most noticeable about Porzingis’ post game has been his willingness to accept contact. With a new, beefier frame, he has been throwing around his weight more in the post, while graciously receiving and doling out contact that allows him to get into a better spot:

I mean, that’s textbook right there. We’ve seen Porzingis do this before, but he’s been viciously lowering his shoulder and ripping through defenders with a real purpose. The frequency with which his shots have been contested tightly is remarkable, and if NBA.com had it all together, I’d give you the exact number. Send all of your ire their way, folks. Either way, the eye test tells us more than enough here. It seems that Porzingis has finally recognized that it doesn’t actually matter how close the defender is to him. The vicinity of defender makes a shot more difficult for the vast majority of NBA players, Porzingis included, but he is so damn tall that it does not affect him as much. He has the ability to shoot over, oh, about 95 percent of players that will defend him in this league. Taking it to smaller fools that think sticking a hand in his face will actually change his shot has become his favorite pastime.

Passing

Nothing in the world ever existed without a small flaw, right? The Death Star, Derek Zoolander, Clayton Kershaw; their imperfections allow us to gain some perspective. For Porzingis, his obvious flaw is his propensity to have tunnel vision. Him and frontcourt mate Enes Kanter have combined for just nine assists through the first six games of the season, which is… low. When he’s scoring at will in the post and shooting an above average percentage from the floor, this isn’t a valid complaint. When the offense dries up, however, and Porzingis goes cold, he has to be able to find the open man. No one is saying he should be a big that can pass like Giannis Antetokounmpo or Nikola Jokic; he just needs to understand the rotating gears that are his teammates around the three-point arc when the defense hones in on him. While in the post, he is going to shoot the basketball unless some divine intervention prevents him from doing so. That sort of hell-bent attitude is what makes reliable scorers who they are, but it can sometimes backfire (shout out to our old buddy Carmelo).

In the waning moments of the Denver game last night, he was posting along the baseline, and despite getting quadruple-teamed, didn’t look to his shooters, and put up an embarrassing shot attempt. He rates in the 4th percentile for assist-to-usage rate among other bigs, a stunningly small number for a player that is the focal point of an offense. For now, this is not negatively impacting him in the slightest, but that doesn’t mean it’s something we can’t watch out for during the rest of the ‘17-’18 campaign.

Shooting

Back to the good stuff! Ah, shooting, the thing that Kristaps Porzingis does better than anyone else alive. He has been knocking down shots at a career high rate from the floor, and thanks to a couple good nights from deep, has his three-point percentage at a career high as well. Some of the reasons for his success can be tied directly to his improvements in the post, but they don’t tell the entire story. Porzingis’ release time is a subtle, yet effective change that he’s made in his game to reach these incredible heights. As a rookie, he was a tad slower, and was not able to get shots off as cleanly when defenders were hunkering down on him. These things come naturally as experience in the NBA is banked.

Even at a ripe young age, Kristaps’ identity is clear, and he knows where his bread his buttered when it comes to shot selection:

The top of the arc has long been Porzingis’ favorite three-pointer to take, and his most efficient one at that. Corner threes are not a part of his game at all, and they never have been. Long story short, he is incredibly self-aware of his game, an underrated part of the equation.

Improved point guard play has helped KP find the soft spots in the defense. Since Jarrett Jack was inserted into the starting lineup, the Knicks have been much more fluid, and they have three fairly impressive wins to show for that. Even with all of these positive, would you believe me if I told you KP could be… even better?

Despite his hot start, Porzingis has shot just 50 percent at the rim, an awful number for a man of his stature. Granted, he has buoyed these struggles with high percentages in the mid-range that could be due for some regression, but either way, if he starts to finish around the rim at a normal rate he could get better.

The possibilities are positively salivating.

We can talk about all of the numbers we want, but the number one thing above all else that has aided Porzingis’ trek towards super-stardom is his confidence. He looks like a damn world beater out there, and the best part is that he knows it. This is a dude that realizes how good he is at basketball, and he has that look in his eye right now. You know, this look:

“I know this shot is going in, YOU know this shot is going in, and there’s nothing you can do to stop me. FOH and let me get buckets.”

So, where do the Knicks and Porzingis go from here? It’s a complicated question, one that requires us to not get too far ahead of ourselves. The Knicks lost their first three games, and we thought they were the worst team in the league. Now, they’ve won three in a row, and we’re getting excited again. The truth is, they’ll be somewhere in between. The part that won’t be in between is Kristaps.

KP has become everything the Knicks had hoped he would be much sooner than they had anticipated. He established himself last year as a top-30 player in the league, and his ascension toward top-20 or even top-15 is well underway. The arrival is legitimate, and he’s here to stay, barring injury. He may be too good for the Knicks to truly tank. There are only a handful of players like that in the league, but is Porzingis one of them? It could be too soon for that type of rhetoric, but let’s live among the clouds for a second here. After all, our reality with Kristaps Porzingis right now is quite possible better than any dream we had.

The Knicks’ slogan for the season is “Be There From the Beginning,” a phrase that instills hope for a brighter future for the team. The Knicks as a whole may never reach the heights we hope, but one aspect is clear: we were already there for the beginning of Porzingis. This is the the rising action, the build-up, with the climax peeking over the horizon, hastily approaching.

— Matt Spendley, associate editor

Follow The Knicks Wall on Facebook and Twitter and listen to the TKW Podcast on iTunes and SoundCloud!

Kristaps Porzingis’ Offense Has Arrived was originally published in The Knicks Wall on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

KP continued his hot play as the Knicks came on top over the Denver Nuggets, 116–110.

As the star of the New York Knicks, Kristaps Porzingis will have many statement games. In his freshman year as the leader of the pack, the squad will take their cues from him. When he comes out with energy and even a slight braggadocio, his teammates will fall in line as well as keep feeding him the ball. That’s exactly what happened tonight.

It’s interesting how the league picks and chooses which players will become nemeses based on age and the position they play in their franchise’s future. Denver Nuggets’ center Nikola Jokic has been called by many a top 20 player in the NBA today. There are surprisingly a lot of people who even argue that he’s better than Porzingis. With this being their first meeting with both as the undisputed alphas of their squads, KP made sure to quell those beliefs. Mijo set a new career-high in scoring with 38 points, making this his fifth game of 30 or more points. No Knick has ever done that. Crown him King!

The Knicks came out hot in the first half, lead by KP’s barrage of exclamation shots. Connecting off assists from Jarrett Jack (more on this later) and Courtney Lee, KP was in another zone from beyond the arc. A couple of his shots inside, like this, were very Melo-esque; proof that the mentorship left an indelible mark on moving the needle in KP’s offensive growth.

The Knicks Wall on Twitter

It's too too too easy for KP. https://t.co/rTgYVP7Qdy

At times, I’ve been confounded by Hornacek’s substitutions and the timing of them. I think he has gone to the bench unit too early at times. Tonight, versus a subdued Nuggets frontcourt, it worked in his favor. Kyle O’Quinn checked in first and clogged the paint, giving Paul Millsap and Jokic fits around the rim. In the first half, the Knicks’ swarming defense held the Nuggets to just 12 points in the paint. They pushed the lead to 22 points at the half.

It seems like third quarters are the Knicks’ kryptonite. Out of the locker room, the Nuggets went on a 18–2 run, thanks to Gary Harris getting those looks that his team deemed worthy of a fat new contract. On the other end, the Knicks could have used some stick-em. TWELVE turnovers in the third quarter allowed the Nuggets opportunities to chip into the gap.

Tim Hardaway Jr., on the heels of a big night in Cleveland, took awhile to warm up. But once he did, he helped finished what KP started — scoring 13 points in the second half and redeeming his +/- to a -1.

What worked well:

• Jarrett Jack is clearly deserving of the roster spot he was given. In a limited sample size of him starting, he’s a better ball distributor than Ramon Sessions or Ron Baker. He has the foresight of where guys are going to be and can direct in traffic. Assuming that Frank Ntilikina isn’t going to be a volume scoring guard like Kyrie Irving or Damian Lillard, I think Jack has the court vision that will help Frank hone his own at this level.
• Courtney Lee is such a gem for this team. Aside from his three-point contribution, which is 42 percent thus far, he’s showing a propensity to call for his own buckets. Tonight was his fourth straight game in double digits. I expect that to continue to trend upward, particularly on nights where THJ is slow to warm up. He’s also good for setups in the open floor like this:

NEW YORK KNICKS on Twitter

He got it 👀 https://t.co/p2qAcT3mpt

• The New York defense held Paul Millsap to a paltry 2-for-13 from the floor. The unit forced Nikola Jokic outside the paint, as he sank 6-for-10 from beyond the arc. The guys continue to look tenacious on the inside. The cog is obviously O’Quinn, who was swatting everything in sight. It wouldn’t be surprising if Hornacek opts to give KOQ starting minutes in the near future, especially if Joakim Noah doesn’t pan out upon his return.

What didn’t work well:

• The turnovers were painful. Half of them were silly turnovers caused by not keeping the dribble or outright bad passes. While 12 is an embarrassing number for one quarter, it’s not specifically alarming given how good the Nuggets are defensively. Going forward, I hope that Frankie Smokes fixes his little turnover problem. Those type of errors come with (ahem) more time and experience to make them.
• The Knicks allowed the Nuggets to shoot 44 percent from long distance. That came from the Murray-Harris-Jokic trio. At face value, this isn’t necessarily a bad thing, because as previously stated, the defense forced Jokic outside. The problem is when your opponent’s big man is able to hit those long balls — and many of them can now — you open yourself up to losing the lead that you spent a lot of energy and effort to build. That’s essentially what happened tonight.

This was a really fun game, and it’s awesome that KP got to set a new career-high in front of the home crowd. The Knicks are 3–3, hold a winning home record, and have one of the NBA’s premier scorers donning their colors. Let’s enjoy this moment!

— James Woodruff, staff writer

Follow The Knicks Wall on Facebook and Twitter for more coverage, and listen to the TKW Podcast on iTunes and SoundCloud!

Kristaps Porzingis’ Historic Night Capped Off by a Third Straight Knicks Win was originally published in The Knicks Wall on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

It’s the first time these two teams play without Carmelo Anthony on either roster since 2003.

When a shooter gets into a slump, the only way they get out of it is to simply keep shooting. We’ve been ranting and bemoaning about Tim Hardaway Jr.’s shooting woes since the beginning of the season. And he couldn’t have come alive at a more opportune time.

The Denver Nuggets are one of the league’s most interesting young teams. They come to New York boasting their own two-win road streak, featuring the hot-handed duo of Gary Harris and Jamal Murray. They also added the underappreciated Paul Millsap to the frontcourt to help with defense and rebounding. With a high flyer as their sixth man, it’s no wonder they ranked high on Zach Lowe’s watchability list this season.

Knicks Shock Cavs, Win Second Straight Game Following Hardaway Jr. Outburst

When it comes to three-point shooters, the Knicks have struggled immensely over the past few… well, a long time. Lately, the team has looked better at closing out on the perimeter, however, Denver’s Gary Harris and Jamal Murray are two young guards with quick releases. Harris, in particular, is attempting five shots per game from long distance. He’s hitting them at almost 47 percent through six games. The upside is that our guards are steadily improving at fighting through screens, and they will inevitably have to be quicker at switching in order to disrupt the kick-outs that Harris and Murray will get from Millsap. (The downside is New York’s perimeter players will likely be fatigued from containing LeBron & co. just last night.)

Kristaps Porzingis vs. Nikola Jokic

There’s a certain section of NBA Twitter that salivates over Jokic doing anything. If you’re in tune with social media, then you know exactly the type of people I’m referring to. Surely, Jokic is a great center. I’m a fan of his court vision. He has the skill set of an Arvydas Sabons/Vlade Divac lab-created hybrid. However, as a whole player, KP continues to have the edge.

Although KP will be mostly matched up with Millsap at the four, he’s going to see Jokic at the rim — especially in those short stretches when Enes Kanter is off the floor. Because of the length inside (Jokic, Millsap, and Wilson Chandler), the Nuggets are one of the better defensive teams in the league right now. They’re holding opponents to a 43.3 shooting percentage, while the Knicks are right alongside them defensively (NY’s actually 10th in the NBA, keeping opponents scoring at 101.4 points per game and Denver’s close with 102.5). This is a stingy defense that could overwhelm the squad by just hitting the boards and creating second-chance opportunities. Jokic is a huge key in that.

Westchester Knicks ‘17-’18 Season Preview

Porzingis’ upside in this match up versus a powerful inside duo would be to get to the line as often as possible. KP is getting to the line seven times per game. He’s had 36 attempts in five games. That’s not bad given it’s his first year playing the four full time. But playing against the Nuggets, this is a situation where his teammates should get him the ball down on the block at the right time and let him post up Jokic and Millsap. As exciting as it is to see KP hit those threes from the Concourse, I’d rather him go hard inside and draw a foul. When it comes down to close games, two free points just seem smarter to chase than chucking up a three that’s short or too strong, which we’ve seen lately.

The other thing worth noting is that Courtney Lee has looked very active in the offense lately. Perhaps he’s doing more to up his trade value for the season, scoring 10.8 points per game on 53.3 True Shooting Percentage (per Basketball-Reference). As a huge supporter of the Lee signing from day one, it’s great to see him aggressive and running the floor. He’s been fluctuating between the two and three spot so expect Harris and Murray to have a tough time getting hot under Courtney’s presence.

The Knicks return to the Garden with their confidence sky-high after slaying the Dragon in his lair. Now isn’t the time to fall victim to a hangover. The Nuggets are an evenly matched squad at several positions. The difference maker will come down to rebounding and carrying that consistency into a tough back-to-back.

— James Woodruff, staff writer

Follow The Knicks Wall on Facebook and Twitter for more coverage, and listen to the TKW Podcast on iTunes and SoundCloud!

Knicks Come Home Riding Two Game Streak to Face Promising Nuggets was originally published in The Knicks Wall on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Developing in White Plains: Westchester Knicks ‘17-’18 Season Preview

We analyze this year’s revamped roster and who could potentially make an impact in the NBA this season.

A new season for the Westchester Knicks of the G League (formerly D-League) unofficially kicks off on Monday with a preseason match up against the Long Island Nets. The regular season begins shortly after on Saturday, November 4th in Chicago against the Windy City Bulls.

The DubKnicks finished a subpar 19–31 last season and were especially abysmal on the road, finishing with a 7–18 record. However, there is quite a bit of promise and optimism under head coach Mike Miller, who is entering his third season at the helm. Due to the frequent roster turnover we see in the G League on a year-to-year basis, Miller essentially has a brand new group of players to work with. Coach Miller demands a lot from his players and will give you an ear full if he doesn’t think you are playing up to your capabilities.

Expect the players to give maximum effort despite the relative lack of familiarity with the coaching staff, playbook and fellow teammates. Here’s your Westchester Knicks 2017–18 roster breakdown.

The Roster

This season, the DubKnicks roll out a totally overhauled roster that includes only ONE returning player from last season’s opening night squad. That man is Max Hooper, the undrafted free agent swingman out of Oakland University (who would play in two games last year).

This season’s team is a young one, with the oldest DubKnick being former Kansas State standout big man Jordan Henriquez at 28 years old. Guys in their early 20’s and fresh out of college make up a good chunk of the roster and look to work towards a potential call up to the big boy Knicks:

Looking up and down the list of players this season, you can find many recognizable names who have been a part of big time college basketball programs and have competed in games of large magnitude in the past. For example, Trey Burke, Isaiah Hicks, Xavier Rathan-Mayes, and Nigel Hayes all played deep into the NCAA Tournament and all know what it takes to win, which cannot be said about most involved in the Knicks organization. Hayes, Rathan-Mayes and Burke were actually cut by the organization just a few days prior but were re-assigned to the G League shortly after their release.

Rounding out the DubKnicks roster are players you’ve probably never heard of from smaller schools/international prospects who look to make a name for themselves as the season progresses.

Backcourt

A couple of notable losses at the guard position from last season include Travis Trice, John Jenkins, and Doron Lamb. Trice, the unquestioned floor general of the team, has moved onto Australia to continue his professional basketball career. Similarly, Doron Lamb, a marksman from the outside has gone overseas to Greece to play while Jenkins has received another NBA opportunity with the team that drafted him, the Atlanta Hawks.

Despite these key subtractions in the offseason, one could argue that the new group of guards could be better than the former three-headed monster of Trice, Jenkins, and Lamb.

Trey Burke is the most noteworthy addition to the team, in my opinion. Burke is a fringe NBA player who probably should be professional roster somewhere. The former Michigan stud won Big Ten and National Player of the Year back in 2013 and also has a 2014 All Rookie First-Team selection on his résumé with the Utah Jazz. Since then, the ninth overall pick in hasn’t quite lived up to expectations coming out of college and has bounced around between a few organizations. Surprisingly, Burke didn’t make the Knicks roster, but it’s exciting to know he is still within the organization. Burke is a likely candidate to be called up to the NBA at some point this season considering his solid NBA career statistics (career 10.6 PPG and 3.6 APG) coupled with the fact that Ramon Sessions and Jarrett Jack are mostly washed up and inept.

In the meantime, while he’s down here in Westchester, Burke can have a tremendous impact on the team directing traffic on the court, scoring and mentoring the young guys. Burke is big time and expect him to be a quality addition to the DubKnicks

The Defensive Warts on New York Probably Aren’t Going Anywhere in a Hurry

Another guy who could prove to be a great undrafted find is Xavier Rathan-Mayes out of Florida State. Rathan-Mayes was a very lethal scorer in college and once scored 30 points in the last four-plus(!) minutes of a game against Miami. There is no question he can score the rock, the only issue with XRM is the consistency. Often times he would have extended cold spells from the floor and other games he would drop 30.

Defensively, Rathan-Mayes has the size at the guard position to be a decent defender, but hasn’t quite put it all together yet. Hard work has never been an issue for him, so expect him to improve on that end of the floor.

There is an outside chance we see XRM called up the Knicks this season as his playmaking ability makes him an attractive option on a team with not many of them. One could envision him leading the DubKnicks in scoring and showing us why he was one of the steals of the post draft free agent pool.

The rest of the guards expected to get quality minutes down in Westchester include the sneaky and quick Joey Miller from Dallas Baptist and Jordan Downing from Presbyterian College, the latter impressively averaged 20.2 points per game his Junior season at the D-I level. Downing provides some length (6'5") on the perimeter with a very well-rounded offensive skill set, while Miller exhibits scrappy and intense play, similar to that of Ron Baker.

The guard unit this season seems very promising. Their potential success could be compromised due to cuts, call ups, etc., but expect this faction of the team to produce if together throughout the season.

Frontcourt

Knicks fan favorites Maurice Ndour and Marshall Plumlee who spent some time in the D-League are, sadly, no longer with the team anymore, which means the DubKnicks lost two solid big men down low.

Replacing them this year are Jordan Henriquez, Isaiah Hicks, and Nigel Hayes. All three of these guys played big time basketball in college and bring good size and versatility to the DubKnicks frontcourt.

Beginning with Isaiah Hicks: this dude can really play. As a Tar Heel fan, I was fortunate enough to see plenty of Hicks play, and based on that alone I could definitely see him being a major contributor on the team this season. Hicks is relentless on the glass and a ferocious finisher at the rim. He is a champion who is going to give you 110 percent each night. Although a bit undersized for the power forward position, what Hicks lacks in height he makes up in heart.

#FREEWILLY: Deciphering Why Willy Hernangómez Was Chained to the Bench

The downside of Hicks is that he doesn’t offer much versatility down low in terms of being able to step out and make a jump shot. He greatly improved his free-throw shooting throughout his four years at North Carolina topping out at 78 percent his senior year — a full 20 percent better than when he arrived at Chapel Hill as a freshman (per RealGM). Expect Hicks to get lots of minutes as a DubKnick and even make an appearance in the big league down the road.

On the other side of the paint is Nigel Hayes who, in my opinion, is a perfect complement to Hicks. The hybrid forward is a better all-around player than Hicks and is able to stretch the defense. His athleticism allows him to hold is own down low as well as excel at guarding perimeter players. Hayes also could potentially make the NBA roster at some point, but the Wisconsin graduate will be a very solid player who can dish, score, and rebound from the forward position before a potential big league call up.

To me, he was one of the most underrated guys in college last year. Additionally, his excellent post game even makes great defenders look bad:

Other big men who will contribute to the cause this year are big Jordan Henriquez and Luke Kornet. Both of these guys hover around seven feet tall and are very savvy around the rim. The Westchester County native Henriquez is a load down low and is a very adept shot blocker. Kornet as well is known for swatting shots in the other direction as he blocked a school record 10(!) shots in one game. Don’t expect huge scoring numbers from these guys when they are on the floor but don’t expect much scoring from the other team either.

If you’re sick of consuming the same garbage on a nightly basis from the New York Knicks (I already am), I would highly recommend checking out a Westchester Knicks game this season if in the White Plains area. They are young, exciting, and attending can make for an affordable and fun time for everyone involved.

Prediction

Although it is difficult to predict the record of a G League team with many moving parts and team transactions I am going to attempt it anyway: 28–22 for this years DubKnicks. Go Westchester.

— Nick Scolaro, staff writer

Follow The Knicks Wall on Facebook and Twitter for more coverage, and listen to the TKW Podcast on iTunes and SoundCloud!

Westchester Knicks ‘17-’18 Season Preview was originally published in The Knicks Wall on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Friday night’s win was a much needed breath of fresh air. Up next they take on the King of the East at his house.

The Knicks are officially on the board. Following a winless preseason and first three games, the Kristaps Porzingis Era finally has its first win. The reward? Heading to Cleveland to face King of the East, LeBron James. The good news for the Knicks is the Cavaliers are playing bad basketball. They come into tonight’s contest with losses to the Nets and Pelicans. In both games, they displayed Swiss cheese defense and surrendered 110-plus points.

On the flip side, the Knicks are coming off their best defensive outing of the young season. Frank Ntilikina made his Garden debut and is already the best point guard in Knicks history if you asked someone on Seventh Avenue right now. But seriously, the Knicks played great defense against a Nets team that came in as the highest scoring in the league (it’s been a weird start to the season). The Cavaliers will be a litmus test of sorts to see if the Knicks defense took a step forward or if it was just an outlier.

Assuming LeBron and the other big dogs play — they played in New Orleans last night — this game could present a perfect challenge for the young guys. Let’s run down what to look for tonight and which matchup you should have your eyes on.

Don’t Mess Up the Rotation

Kanye said it best even though if he was referring to illicit activities, but you get the point. Last game was not only the team’s best outing, but also Jeff Hornacek’s. He played the young guys together for extended time and the results were good. Frank Ntilikina’s presence was everything Knicks fans hoped for.

The best defensive stretch of the night took place when Frank and Willy Hernangómez shared the floor with Doug McDermott, Tim Hardaway Jr., and Porzingis. Hornacek should investigate if that lineup is one that can have success. If the youth movement Knicks president Steve Mills preached in the offseason about is true, then this could be an eventual starting lineup later in the season.

Excuse My French

Let’s talk more about Frankie Ntillmatic. Fans were getting restless with the neophyte. He remained sidelined while fellow rookies showed flashes of promise for their respective squads. Friday night’s performance was like a xanax. Hornacek let Frank stay on the court for extended minutes and his rookie rewarded him with solid play in his debut.

In 22 minutes, Frank totaled nine points (4-for-11 shooting), five assists, two rebounds, and a steal. Among those five assists were a couple dimes that got the Garden faithful hyped. Beyond the box score, you saw him playing with the defensive potential that was advertised all through the pre-draft process.

As you can see from our Jeffrey Bellone’s excellent breakdown, Frank knows what’s going on. In comparison to his cohorts, it looks like his defensive awareness is turned all the way up. The Cavs are not exactly strong at point guard. Hornacek may opt to keep him on the bench to start but this an opportune time to get some positive reps.

Kingslayer

Assuming LeBron plays this game, the Knicks are at a major disadvantage. The King has no peer in the league, but Hornacek has to find someone that can at least corral LeBron from ending the game before it starts. The perfect candidate is Lance Thomas. So far this season Thomas has not been great (he played just six minutes against the Nets on Friday), but has proven to come through when his name was called.

He’s the only guy on the roster aside from maybe Michael Beasley that can stay with LeBron. Last season Hornacek turned to Thomas to play on Giannis Antetokounmpo, as tough an assignment as you can draw. Thomas took his lumps but also held his ground. If LeBron is going to be slowed down, Hornacek will have to turn to his veteran wing once again.

TKW Podcast: Season 2, Episode 4

Matchup of the Night: Kristaps Porzingis vs. Kevin Love

Through the first four games, Porzingis has met no equal. With the exception of an ugly game in Boston, KP has eclipsed 30 points in every game. The best player to line up opposite of him was his mentor Carmelo Anthony. I love ‘Melo to death, but even he is not checking Porzingis on defense. Kevin Love will be Porzingis’ first true challenge of the young season.

Love has been off to a great start of his own. He has had a double-double in five of his first six games. Porzingis has been rebounding better this season, but matched up against a glass cleaner like Love is the ultimate test. If the Knicks are going to win, Porzingis will have to be the central reason in some capacity. Winning the scoring battle is nice, but the rebounding battle might be a little more important tonight.

Porzingis will get his on offense but will he stop Love on defense? Will Love body him down low and win the rebound battle? Tonight, we get a decent look at where Porzingis fills out in the power forward hierarchy of the league.

— Mike Cortez, staff writer

Follow The Knicks Wall on Facebook and Twitter for more coverage, and listen to the TKW Podcast on iTunes and SoundCloud.

Knicks Head to Cleveland Hoping to Keep Momentum On Their Side was originally published in The Knicks Wall on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Ntilikina made his MSG debut with stingy defense and beautiful assists while the Knicks outpaced normally high-scoring Brooklyn.

It’s odd when something like this happens, but I suppose it’s the nature of the unpredictable sport. Usually, a bad team’s first victory comes from the claws of a hard-fought game, but the New York Knicks’ (1–3) first W of the 2017–18 campaign came from a blowout of their crosstown rivals, the Brooklyn Nets, 107–86.

Give those ‘Bockers credit, though, because blowouts don’t occur when a team plain ol’ stunk — the Knicks capitalized on bad Nets play all night, forcing turnovers and stretching scoring runs to cripple any Brooklyn comeback.

[Extreme “Stefan” voice] This game had everything: Unicorn moments, Frank Ntilikina’s home debut, and Michael Beasley elbowing DeMarre Carroll in the face yet avoiding a flagrant.

Let’s breakdown a fun(!) Friday Night Knicks game:

Bienvenue à New York, Frank!

No longer a tourist in the Big Apple, Frank Ntilikina shed his street clothes for the orange and blue threads with some really productive minutes off the bench. First, a long stretch from the end of the first quarter until the middle of the second, Ntilikina found his teammates for easy buckets. To be Frank, he couldn’t hit the broad side of a barn; his shot … needs work (plus nerves were abundant even though he brushed off any anxiety).

The Knicks Wall on Twitter

AN ABSOLUTE DIME FROM NTILIKINA https://t.co/92qSItKsJf

“The French Prince” may already be the best or second best perimeter defender for New York, though, and that’s only barely hyperbole. He was active — picking up his man by halfcourt to prevent any easy offensive actions or movements — and forcing turnovers. He used his long arms in the interior, forcing tough shots from opposing guards (the same thing you’d see from Porzingis and his power forward/center assignments).

While Ntilikina searches for his shot like Winona Ryder searches for her son on Stranger Things, he remains accurate in his passing, something pretty for a Knicks point guard. In 21 minutes, Ntillmatic accrued nine points, five assists, one steal, and a +8 on a job well done for the 19-year-old.

(And one side note I wrote down: MSG Network’s broadcast mentioned today was the anniversary of Walt Frazier’s (back safely from St. Croix) Knicks debut. In a game recap then, a writer said Frazier displayed good defense a vision — something complementary to Frank’s game. Although Clyde only connected on one field-goal attempt, if Ntilikina could tailor his game to Clyde’s career, well, Knicks fans would be quite content. C’est magnifique!)

The Defensive Warts on New York Probably Aren’t Going Anywhere in a Hurry

Defense responds against league’s highest scoring team

KP victimized three Nets in the first half alone — that is to say, he racked up three blocks.

Of course, blocks aren’t everything in measuring defense. But the Knicks limited an oddly impressive Nets offense to only 42 measly first half points. Thanks in large part to KP’s interior presence and even Frank’s energy off the pine, the Nets couldn’t find a rhythm in the second quarter, only scoring 14 points in the period!

The defensive rotations went smoothly for the most part, and the Nets rarely got a clean look up and in the basket. Good defense in New York? Who’da thunk it?

Porzingis on the move: much, much more dangerous than Iso-KP

The Knicks, and Kristaps, need to make sure they don’t fall into the habit of Iso-KP. I know it’s easy (and, yes, at times necessary) to dump the ball to Porzingis in the post, but Kristaps has proven he’s his most effective — and possibly efficient — when he gets touches while moving his feet for dunks, hooks, and spot up shots.

In 2016–17, KP shot a solid 54.6 effective field-goal percentage (eFG%) on no dribble shots, per NBA.com/Stats. Tonight? The Unicorn went 13-of-24 from the field, 30 points and nine rebounds.

We Need to Talk About Tim Hardaway Jr.

After starting off the game a cool 3-for-3, Porzingis found himself heaving up iso-shots. By the second half, Porzingis adjusted his game to dunks and efficient shooting.

Kyle, it’s 2017, you have to guard your man outside of the paint

Kyle O’Quinn could be a productive player. Despite his on court trash talking and intimidation, his defense is surely overstated. Take his assignment on #OAKAAK Quincy Acy, for example. Acy, not particularly known for his outside shot, has developed the three-pointer thanks to Coach Kenny Atkinson and this three happy Nets squad. O’Quinn, apathetic to leave that rugged blue paint reminiscence of his team growing up in the ’90s, routinely allowed Acy open from three — twice from the shortest length, the corner 3 — who calmful sunk three triples in the first quarter and another trey in the last period.

Stray thoughts

• Willy (0-for-4) … make your free-throws, please. C’mon, those are gimmes.
• On that note, Hornacek was swift and merciless when it game to pulling Enes Kanter to the bench. After some ugly defensive sequences early in the game, Kanter had to sit and watch O’Quinn/Hernangómez play the majority of the half. Enes totaled 16 minutes and a dozen points in Friday’s win.

Knicks Film School: Pick-and-Roll Defense, Tim Hardaway Jr. & More

• Quietly good game for reserve Doug McDermott, who scored 12 points in 16 minutes and even found his way to an and-one off the dribble, unusual for the spot up shooter from Creighton.
• Starting point guard Jarrett Jack: eight points, seven boards, and five assists. He was … mostly fine.
• More aggression on the offensive end for Courtney Lee! He hasn’t been afraid to take his defender off the dribble, too, and scored 13 points on 11 field-goal attempts.
• From my colleague Jeffrey Bellone: only nine turnovers from your ‘Bockers. (Ed. note: that number changed after a couple of garbage time minutes, but point stands.)
• O.K. you made it this far, here’s another Frank highlight for you brave souls:

The Knicks Wall on Twitter

FRENCH PRINCE TO THE WALKING BUCKET https://t.co/0dN2gQeZIl

The Knicks, miraculously, picked up their first win of the season with some ferocious play: 50 points in the paint, 16 Nets turnovers, and solid rebounding, too.

Next up on the docket: a tango in Cleveland with the King on Sunday. Let’s see if the French Prince can dethrone Point Guard LeBron.

— Reid Goldsmith, managing editor

Follow The Knicks Wall on Facebook and Twitter for more coverage, and listen to the TKW Podcast on iTunes and SoundCloud!

Porzingis, Knicks Earn First Win of the Season with Nasty Defense Against Nets was originally published in The Knicks Wall on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

The Knicks go for their first win of the season on Friday night against Brooklyn.

Saying that the Knicks have struggled to start this season would be a gross understatement. I’d argue that they’ve been bad! Really bad!

Their New York City counterparts, however, have been an entertaining bunch, highlighted by an impressive victory over LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers on Tuesday night. The Brooklyn Nets have a ton of young players hungry for playing time, and their drive is obvious when tuning in. The Knicks are, well, not that. It’s a nice, tidy narrative for people to run with because it looks like these teams are going in opposite directions. The Nets are giving their young guns all the minutes that can chew on, while the Knicks are tethering their talent to the pine. The Nets are allowing unproven youngsters like Spencer Dinwiddie and, to a greater extent, D’Angelo Russell, explore their respective games, while the Knicks are trotting out Ramon Sessions for 30 minutes per game. The Nets are fun. The Knicks are not. It makes sense.

We all knew the Knicks were going to be a below average team this year, but they’ve been worse than we could’ve imagined. Beyond Kristaps Porzingis and the hollow Enes Kanter stat line, the entire roster has been underwhelming. It’s still early, and the Knicks have played two of the better teams in the league, but their showings have been painful. A win over the Nets tonight in what should be a high-scoring affair would be a blessing for this beleaguered squad.

A few thoughts:

• Frank Ntilikina is expected to play tonight (WOO!) in a game that will mark his regular season debut at Madison Square Garden. There’s really not much more we can say about Ntilikina at this point. All that’s left to do is watch and hope he shows some good signs, in addition to staying healthy. That part may be more crucial than anything else.
• D’Angelo Russell is questionable tonight for the Nets. He’s been nothing short of amazing when on the court during this short season, so the Knicks will be crossing their fingers that Russell can’t suit up tonight.
• How worried are we about Tim Hardaway Jr.? I’m not. I’ll bet you that he doesn’t shoot 24 percent from the floor during this season. Bold, I know, but that’s how I feel. To be real though, THJ will be fine. He mentioned that he struggled early last year as well, so perhaps he’s one of those players that has to get his feet under him. As long as he sticks with his game and keeps getting the shots he wants, he’ll heat up soon. If the Knicks play ten games and he’s still struggling, come find me and call me stupid.

We Need to Talk About Tim Hardaway Jr.

• The Nets are leading the NBA in points per game (121.2), but are also surrendering the most points per game (119.4). To put it simply, these Nets play fast. Kenny Atkinson has his team running and shooting a ton of threes, which is exactly what they did last year as well. It’s good to see Atkinson getting props from many around the league, considering that he used his four year tenure as a Knicks assistant to catapult him to his current gig.
• If the Knicks lose tonight, they will end up 0–7. Take it to the bank. After this one, they play Cleveland, Denver, and Houston. Yikes. Have a pulse tonight, boys!
• Kristaps Porzingis had decent success against Brooklyn during his freshman and sophomore campaigns, so look for him to eat tonight. He should have a size advantage on offense, so please, give him plenty of looks in the post tonight.

Knicks Film School: Pick-and-Roll Defense, Tim Hardaway Jr. & More

• Is Willy Hernangómez a rotation staple from here on out? He scored 12 points in just 11 minutes against Boston on Tuesday night, while Kyle O’Quinn was only on the floor for six minutes. The Knicks need to make a trade. They have too many bodies to fill the same role. I would be shocked if O’Quinn isn’t moved, and if the Knicks close out the season with the current depth chart at center still in tact, they have failed. There’s no rush for a trade because this team is bad and other organizations aren’t desperate yet, but it’s something to think about.
• There’s been plenty of chatter about Jeff Hornacek’s rotation choices. Is there any chance the Knicks are playing the veterans to bump up their trade value? Maybe. However, realizing that Hornacek is clearly not in the long-term plans for this team breaks that theory down fairly quickly. This front office didn’t hire him, and if the Knicks keep this ghastly play up, his head will be on the chopping block, perhaps sooner than we think.

Jeff Hornacek’s Time Is Running Out

Tip is planned for 7:30 P.M. at the most famous arena in the world. Whether the Knicks win, lose, or lose badly, we’ll be here to give you the best content every step of the way.

— Matt Spendley, associate editor

Follow The Knicks Wall on Facebook and Twitter and listen to the TKW Podcast on iTunes and SoundCloud!

Knicks, Nets Fight for New York Bragging Rights was originally published in The Knicks Wall on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

The New York Knicks shooting guard has had a rough start to the season. Why is he struggling so much?

Tim Hardaway Jr., the New York Knicks gaudy $71 million dollar free agency acquisition, has struggled mightily to start the season, to the ear-piercing tune of 24 percent shooting from the field and 23 percent from three-point territory. This early season shooting slump has only compounded what was an already unpopular reacquisition of Hardaway Jr. for many Knicks fans. Overpaid and under-performing are difficult labels to live with in New York, a city not known for its patient fan base.

There have been mitigating factors through the opening three games. The opposition has been tough, with the first two games of the season pitting Tim Hardaway Jr. up against Paul George of the Oklahoma City Thunder and Avery Bradley of the Detroit Pistons, two of the best wing defenders in the league, who showed no mercy toward the new Knick.

Elite individual defenders weren’t the problem against a frisky Boston Celtics team, yet Hardaway Jr.’s poor play continued. He was a ghost, along with the rest of the roster, outside of box score specialist Enes Kanter. The Knicks as a unit put together 48 minutes of indifference on both ends of the floor. Play after play of defensive malaise, and an offense that stuttered and sputtered it’s way to 33 painfully confused first half points, held equal parts in an ugly loss.

A further mitigating factor is the ankle injury that Hardaway Jr. has been reportedly trying to shake off since preseason. Of course he insists this nagging injury that sounds, looks and smells like an excuse isn’t an excuse.

Regardless, soldiering bravely through an injury a couple of games into a season in which the Knicks are capital-T Tanking seems questionable. If there is an injury, it’s likely negatively affecting his play; but if there is an injury, then he shouldn’t be playing in the first place. This becomes even more true when considering the Knicks depth at shooting guard, and Knicks fans would love to see rookie Damyean Dotson get some run.

Knicks Film School: Pick-and-Roll Defense, Tim Hardaway Jr. & More

As bad as THJ’s shooting slump has been, it’s at least explainable. Shooters are streaky, and slumps are par for the course. J.R Smith has started the season shooting 12 percent from beyond the arc, but it’s unlikely that Smith — a career 37 percent three-point shooter — has suddenly morphed into André Roberson.

More worrying than THJ’s three-point woes is his general lack of production beyond shooting the ball. His overall floor-game has been disastrous. He’s averaging a measly 1.3 rebounds, 1.3 assists, and 2.3 free-throw attempts per game so far, and has yet to record a single steal or block in 91 minutes of NBA basketball. Even the staple statistical-crutch of a small sample size cannot mask how feeble these numbers are, especially given he’s playing a career high 30 minutes a contest.

If Hardaway Jr. wants to even begin to chip away at his lofty price tag, he has to do more than shoot. He has to rebound, make plays, get to the rim, and get easy points at the foul line — and do all this irrespective of whether his shot is falling or onot, especially if his shot isn’t falling.

Tonight, the Knicks and THJ are playing a Brooklyn Nets team that has been rolling to start the season after coming off an impressive victory over LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers on Wednesday night. Coach Kenny Atkinson has the Nets playing an analytically inclined, three-point heavy style on offense, and utilizing a long and switch-y starting wing trio of Caris LaVert (6'7"), DeMarre Carroll (6'8"), and Rondae Hollis-Jefferson (6'7") on defense.

The Defensive Warts on New York Probably Aren’t Going Anywhere in a Hurry

If the Knicks want to get their first win of the season, they’ll need Hardaway Jr. to step up and contribute. He’s a better shooter than he’s shown so far, and the shots will fall at some point, but the barometer for Timmy and his second bite at the Big Apple has always been the rest of the box score, where he needs to provide much more than his apathetic contributions so far.

It’s early in the season, sure, but Hardaway Jr. should be on a short leash if he carries on playing with the temperament and tenacity of a lost puppy. To be remembered only as another forgettable free agency footnote in a long line of big money Knick busts will be in his future if he can’t change that. Jerome James circa 2017.

Hopefully the turnaround starts tonight for the $71 million man.

— Jack Huntley, staff writer

Follow The Knicks Wall on Facebook and Twitter for more coverage, and listen to the TKW Podcast on iTunes and SoundCloud.

We Need to Talk About Tim Hardaway Jr. was originally published in The Knicks Wall on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Pick-and-Roll Defense, Tim Hardaway Jr. & More

The Knicks have only played three games, but that won’t stop us from looking into the film for interesting tidbits.

Each week I’ll breakdown interesting things I see on film, respond to questions and ideas from people on Twitter, and hopefully, provide you with a unique perspective on the New York Knickerbockers. Please make sure to subscribe to our YouTube channel and follow Knicks Film School on Twitter.

Welcome back to The Knicks Film Study. We have a lot to cover this week, so let’s jump right into it!

UPDATE: 11:10 p.m. New video on Frank’s defense!

Frank Ntilikina shows his defensive talents vs. Nets

The Knicks erased the bad memories of the first three games with an amazing effort against the Brooklyn Nets. Frank Ntilikina is still looking for his NBA shot, but he flashed his court vision with some great passes, and on the defensive end, he was very good. Watch the full breakdown below:

Twitter Question: How have the Knicks defended the Pick-and-Roll, particularly on plays including Kristaps Porzingis?

From @FrankNutt and @Christianher55

Three games into the season, the Knicks rank 29th in defending the pick-and-roll ball-handler, something that can’t entirely be blamed on poor play, when you consider two of their first three opponents showcased the unstoppable Russell Westbrook and the nearly-unstoppable Kyrie Irving. On all pick-and-roll plays, including passes made to the roll man or to spot-up shooters, the Knicks defense ranks 28th, per tracking data compiled by Synergy Sports. These early season rankings are only slightly better than where they finished last season — 25th vs. PnR ball-handlers, and 19th vs all PnR derived plays.

After watching film of the first three games, the Knicks seem confused on pick-and-roll coverage. Without being in the pre-game meetings or sideline huddles, it’s impossible to know exactly where a coverage breaks down, where an assignment was botched. Did the screen defender miss the switch? Where they supposed to trap? Did the big man forget to drop and contain? As writers — or fans — we don’t know the Knicks game plan every night. But we do see the results, and it is pretty clear when a mistake, by somebody, is made.

For Kristaps Porzingis, his position on the court, starting at power forward, makes life difficult with poor defenders around him — particularly at center (Kanter) and point guard (Sessions). That partially explains the Unicorn’s 1.15 points allowed per play in defending the pick-and-roll. But Porzingis does not go without blame. As good as he has looked offensively (at least in the first two games), he has been very average on the defensive end. It is clear that he struggles with the push-and-pull of wanting to be a defender around the basket, while also being responsible in guarding his man along the perimeter, a problem all bigs are having in a stretch-happy league. High pick-and-rolls, early in the offense, have been effective in forcing Porzingis into a position on the court that minimizes his ability to roam and provide weakside help, his greatest strength.

The Defensive Warts on New York Probably Aren’t Going Anywhere in a Hurry

Taking advantage of mismatches on offense

While Jeff Hornacek claims the Knicks ran “95 percent” of their actions correctly against Boston, there were several instances when the offense looked stale and out-of-sync. It’s actually pretty worrisome if the Knicks ran their plays as designed considering the team didn’t make a three-pointer until deep into the second half and they finished the game shooting an awful 42.4 percent from the field — a complete reflection of their poor looks.

Several players indicated the exact opposite of Hornacek following New York’s blowout loss to the Celtics. I was at the game and I saw Courtney Lee instructing players during timeouts about what looked like basic offensive positioning. Lee also talked about the difficulty in getting Porzingis the ball in the right spots:

“KP is using so much energy to try to get open and get in a position where he needs the ball and by the time he gets it he’s tired because the defense did their job as far as battling and fighting,” Courtney Lee said. “If we’re not in those right spots it doesn’t make it easier on ourselves or him. We got to help each other out and especially help him out.” (via Ian Begley/ESPN)

Kristaps adds to Lee’s point:

“The switches [that the Celtics employed against the Knicks’ pick-and-roll] — I was in the post with the guard a lot of times and we weren’t reacting quickly enough to use that to our advantage. We needed some time to make those reads and make the right pass and move the right way and have the right spacing. So it was a learning experience.” (via Ian Begley/ESPN)

Below is an example of what Lee and Porzingis are talking about:

Knicks Film School on Twitter

Per @IanBegley tweet with Porzingis quote on Knicks not taking advantage of switches vs Boston, here's what he was talking about: https://t.co/yXYWKSTeG9

The Knicks aren’t only missing opportunities to take advantage of mismatches, they are clogging the offense with set plays that seem to have no counters. Notice in the video above that once the entry pass is unavailable, Tim Hardaway Jr. just shoots the basketball. There is no movement by the other players on the floor to create new action off the failed entry pass.

At least the Knicks are taking more efficient shots

After an 0–3 start, it’s hard to find glimmers of hope. In fact, it only gets worse the deeper you dig. The Knicks starting five has an offensive rating of 78.2, an incredible 15 points lower than their 30th ranked overall offensive rating. But, there is one statistical category that offers improvement: shot type frequency. The Knicks are finally starting to take less long two-pointers, the basketball equivalent of playing a scratch ticket when a 50/50 raffle is available.

When you exchange Carmelo Anthony for Enes Kanter, it’s going to turn a bunch of mid-range jumpers into shots around the basket, which, when you put it that way, sounds appealing. Of course, an attractive shot profile is one thing: the ability to make shots is still half of the equation in calculating expected points. The Knicks might be taking less mid-range shots, but they are also hitting them at a lower success rate than when they still had ‘Melo in orange and blue.

Jeff Hornacek’s Time Is Running Out

Tim Hardaway Jr.’s shooting slump

4 and 71.

9 and 37.

These pairs of numbers define Tim Hardaway Jr.’s return to New York in these very early days. The four-year $71 million offer sheet will likely hang over his head the entirety of the contract, but the 9-for-37 shooting start is hopefully a small streak we will soon forget.

Shooting in basketball is somewhat like hitting in baseball. Players go on hot streaks and cold streaks, both getting lost in their season average. Tim Hardaway Jr. had the best shooting season of his career last year — his effective field goal percentage was in the 75th percentile for his position. Yet, he had a stretch when he shot 11-for-40. It didn’t stick out as much because it was in the middle of the season, not at the beginning of a season after signing a large contract.

Hardaway Jr. has struggled most in spot-up situations and as a ball-handler dribbling off a screen. There’s not a lot of science to his struggles, many of his misses are shots that he normally makes. But his teammates haven’t always helped his cause.

Knicks Film School on Twitter

Knicks shot 1-10 on spot-ups out of PnR last night. One reason was inability to make first pass to open shooter, part defense/part NYK https://t.co/daaazTAn6E

It seems like every help defender gets burned when the ‘Bockers are on defense, but then on offense, the Knicks are one pass too late when trying to take advantage of the same situation created by the other team.

Don’t tell Kyle O’Quinn to give his minutes to Willy Hernangómez

In case you haven’t heard, Willy Hernangómez has had trouble finding minutes in Jeff Hornacek’s rotation to start the season. The awkward roster that resulted from the Knicks desperately needing to trade Carmelo has made a crowded rotation of bigs. Jeff Hornacek has Enes Kanter, Hernangómez, and Kyle O’Quinn all vying for minutes, and this is before Joakim Noah adds another big to the mix when he returns from suspension.

#FREEWILLY: Deciphering Why Willy Hernangómez Was Chained to the Bench

For Knicks fans, the equation is easy: the team is supposedly focused on building around a young core, Willy is part of that young core, so it makes sense to play him. But Jeff Hornacek is also paid to win basketball games. And three games into the season, it is hard to argue against Kyle O’Quinn’s production. The New York native has the second highest Player Efficiency Rating (PER) of the eight Knicks who have played the most minutes this season— interestingly, he is second behind Enes Kanter.

O’Quinn’s physicality and tenacious play was on full display during the Knicks home opener:

Willy should absolutely play regular minutes on the 2017–18 Knicks. He has the potential to be a key piece in the team’s long-term rebuild. But three games into the season, don’t tell Kyle O’Quinn that; he might also whisper in your ear that last season the Knicks were +3.3 net points per 100 possessions when he shared the floor with Porzingis (424 minutes), while Porzingis was a -3.6 net points/100 when sharing the floor with Hernangómez (557 minutes).

That does it for this week. Make sure you tune back next week for another Knicks Film Study.

— Jeffrey Bellone, columnist

Be sure to follow The Knicks Wall on Facebook and Twitter for more coverage, and listen to the TKW Podcast on iTunes and SoundCloud! Subscribe on YouTube for more in-depth dives on the Knicks!

Knicks Film School: Pick-and-Roll Defense, Tim Hardaway Jr. & More was originally published in The Knicks Wall on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.