New York Knicks: Grades and reactions to blowout in Toronto

It was not a night for the New York Knicks to remember in Toronto, losing 126-98 to the Raptors.

On Thanksgiving Eve, the New York Knicks lost to the Toronto Raptors, 126-98. It was another blowout game as this was over mid-way through the third quarter.

This was another hard game to watch as a Knick fan. The effort level was very poor, and you can see how far this team is from being consistently competitive.

Evident by the spread, the Knicks were overmatched but everyone expected more of a fight, especially after the first quarter lead of eight points. The Knicks were clicking, hitting a bunch of threes and playing with energy. They hit 5 three-pointers, and the ball was moving in the first quarter.

For the rest of the way, however, New York only made five more three-pointers on 26 attempts, contributing to a 28-point loss on the road. The lack of players that can get to the paint has made the Knicks so reliant on making outside shots, that they are not getting consistent good looks.

RJ Barrett looked more like himself, and it was expected with him back in his home country, playing in front of family and friends. He was aggressive from the get-go, chucking 17 shots, scoring 16 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists, and 3 steals. The rookie guard may have not been efficient, but you like the effort he played with. It’s nice to see him play aggressive, as he was one of the few Knicks who looked engaged all night.

The Knicks did a better job using Julius Randle in this game and it showed in the box score. They had him off the ball and setting screens, and less of bringing the ball up and just playing isolation basketball. This put him better positions as the scorer, finishing with 19 points and 8 rebounds and shooting 50 percent from the field. Overall, one of the better scoring games for Randle, even though they were blown out.

Frank Ntilikina looked like the “Old Frank” from previous years. He did very little while out there on the court, with 5 points and 4 assists in 22 minutes. The effort level could open the door for Dennis Smith Jr. to receive more playing time. Clearly, the offense is still not working well with him at the point as they keep losing games, and the offense is stagnant for long durations.

Mitchell Robinson looked to regain some of his form after returning from a concussion. He finished with 8 points, 8 rebounds, 1 steal, and 1 block. He still lacks any offensive moves besides dunking, limiting his involvement in the offense, but the defense has been solid and he should continue to increase his minutes and overtake Taj Gibson as the starter at some point.

Knox, a once-promising rookie, struggled to even get playing time in this game. He played just 11 minutes, mostly in the 4th quarter when it was a blowout. He is, for sure, in Coach David Fizdale’s doghouse, due to the inability to stop anyone on defense.

The lack of players that can get to the paint has made the New York Knicks so reliant on making three-pointers. This has hurt the offense and has made them very predictable to guard. Overall, the Knicks played six minutes of good basketball in four quarters, leading to yet another embarrassing loss.