New York Knicks: Grades and reactions from blowout loss to Cavaliers

The New York Knicks dropped to 2-8 in another embarrassing loss, and everything is in question for this fledgling team.

The New York Knicks fell to the Cleveland Cavaliers, 108-87, after an upset win against Kristaps Porzingis and the Dallas Mavericks.

While the starting lineup remained the same with Mitchell Robinson still out under concussion protocol, the results were quite different.

Coming off his best game as a professional NBA player, a lot was expected out of Frank Ntilikina Sunday. Unfortunately, he could not replicate the game he had against the Mavericks, making just 1 of 4 from the field (0-for-2 from behind the arc) for four points. While the Frenchman added six assists, six rebounds, two steals and two blocks, he did not look for his own shot for the entire game.

Ntilikina made defensive plays, but he was nowhere to be found on the other side of the court, as he garnered the aforementioned shot total in 35 minutes. That being said, he is a decent team passer, but he is not a playmaker by any means. This could be from the lack of opportunities or just inability, but there is no playmaker on the court for the Knicks.

RJ Barrett has cooled down after the hot start of the season. His emphatic dunk after getting past multiple defenders showed people why he was such a coveted selection in this past draft. Aside from that, his woes continued.

Not all the shots the rookie took were bad, as he missed easy looks. Things like that can be overlooked, but what cannot be overlooked any longer is his inefficiency at the line. He was 0-2 on free throws and is below. 500 this season. Barrett must improve to continue receiving this many minutes. He penetrates well for a rookie, but, perhaps, those free throw woes will make him settle for more long-distance shots.

Marcus Morris had a terrible shooting night, making just three shots on 12 attempts. Some attempts forced, but he was just missing shots, including wide-open, corner three-pointers. At a certain point, a player needs to realize that he is simply having an off night, and the shooting opportunities can be better serviced in another’s hands. The blame cannot be solely on his shoulders, as no one else but Julius Randle stepped up when the Knicks could not buy a bucket.

It’s often so frustrating to watch Julius Randle because he has such questionable basketball IQ. He picks bad shots, misses passes to open players, and has avoidable turnovers. This being said, no one can deny his talent.

Randle loves bully basketball. If there are no interior defenders, he will feast in the paint. He went 6 of 14 from the field, with 16 rebounds and four turnovers. While the shooting efficiency was not ideal for a big man, it was the Knicks’ only quality production.

While Bobby Portis did not start the game, he played more than Taj Gibson, who had 17 minutes to Portis’ 29. However, there was no merit to Portis playing over Gibson.

Portis has no intention of playing defense and while his offensive rebounding has been a plus, his real value comes from scoring. He went 2-10 from the field and had as bad a game as Morris did. One saving grace came from his three steals and three assists

Other takeaways

• The Knicks are 28th in turnovers. Discipline is absolutely needed for this team.
• This roster has plus defenders but still features terrible transition team defense. Unless a specific defender goes out of their way to make a defensive play, it’s a simple layup for most teams.
• The Knicks should play Gibson more minutes especially with Robinson out. The Cavaliers made so many shots inside the paint.
• Damyean Dotson received some looks, and while he was not efficient on the floor, his defensive value is worth a second look for Fizdale. He was burnt by the Cavalier guards here and there, but his overall defense was better than most of the effort we saw tonight.
• Overall, the offense is still stagnant, and if Morris, Randle, and Portis miss this many shots, the Knicks will continue to lose.
• Dec. 15 marks the date when the recently signed free agents can be traded. We’ll have to see if there will be any takers for all the signed players over the summer for potential picks.

The New York Knicks will return to the court on Tuesday, Nov. 12, to face the Chicago Bulls on the road.