Can the Knicks run with the best teams in the NBA?
By Adam Kester
Can the Knicks’ offense keep up their performance from April?
It’s been newfound life for NYK’s offense in April. Their star player Julius Randle has kicked things into another gear. Randle has carried a lot of the scoring and playmaking load and the players around him have stepped up in complementary roles.
The Knicks are at their best when they’re getting 15-20 point games from multiple players not named Julius Randle. When Barrett, Rose, Bullock, Burks, and Quickley can pour in points, the Knicks win games.
Even with the success, the team has still been prone to long stretches of inept offense. We saw it happen down the stretch in the Phoenix Suns game when New York really struggled to generate offense in the 2nd half of the game.
I don’t want to come across as a doubter because I’ve defended individual player performances as not just trends but clear representations of who they are for months now (Yes, RJ Barrett is becoming a star and yes Julius Randle is an All-NBA player). With that said, as it pertains to the team’s performance and how they’ve come away with so many close wins against inferior teams, I’m not sure how sustainable it’s going to be.
In the month of April, RJ Barrett has shot 48.2% from 3, Reggie Bullock 45.4%… Elfrid Payton 40.9%.
I think the Knicks are definitely figuring out what works on offense: Having Julius Randle find corner shooters and playing Derrick Rose down the stretch – Thibodeau and his staff have made nice adjustments late in the season. So is it enough to potentially take down a top team in the playoffs and make a deeper-than-expected run? This team has been shattering expectations all year…