The New York Knicks had a rough go of it against the Atlanta Hawks.
The Knicks’ first playoff series in eight years began with so much promise. They were taking on a team they’d owned in the regular season and the first two games at MSG were among the most competitive of the NBA playoffs so far. This was a team we’d watched play with tenacity and confidence all year and there was every reason to think could take four games from the Hawks.
It is no great revelation that it all fell apart when the Knicks traveled to Atlanta for game 3. Every weakness imaginable was exposed, including some the team didn’t even know they had, especially on offense. On-ball possessions were a hellish adventure — there never seemed to be any cohesion nor a concrete plan. Only Derrick Rose was able to consistently attack the basket on iso drives, but even then it was at the expense of playmaking for teammates.
It’s particularly frustrating that the Knicks struggled so mightily to score when you consider that the series was played at a slow, Thibs friendly pace and that the Hawks only averaged 104 points per game for the series— a modest, beatable average in the modern NBA. Atlanta shot 44 percent from the field over the five games, a decent average but hardly otherworldly. Moreover, the Knicks actually out-rebounded the Hawks 232-221 and shot 13 more free throws; that latter number a startling surprise considering that refs seemed to send Trae Young to the line every time down the floor.
The problem was that the New York Knicks couldn’t make a shot from the field.
The Hawks deserve some credit for New York’s offensive struggles. Clint Capela in particular dominated on defense, locking down the paint and protecting the rim throughout all five games. The team as a whole was well disciplined and allowed nothing easy.
It is not, however, like the Hawks are a defensive juggernaut. They were middle of the pack in defensive rating after McMillan took over — 15th — just ahead of lottery teams like the Pistons and Hornets, who were tied at 16th. A smart, quality offensive team should be able to consistently score on Atlanta, especially considering Trae Young’s liabilities on defense. That the Knicks were not able to exploit Trae in switches and screen-and-rolls was perhaps the most inexcusable development of the series.
The Knicks’ overall ceiling will be limited to quick first round playoff exits unless changes are made. We know that the Thibs-era Knicks will always bring it on defense; the focus for Leon Rose and the front office this summer will have to be on offense.
What follows are urgent three Knicks offseason needs that were exposed by the playoff loss to the Atlanta Hawks.
The New York Knicks desperately need more playmaking
Look around the 2021 NBA playoffs, and you will find that the remaining teams all have a star point guard or playmaker leading the way. The Brooklyn Nets have James Harden and Kyrie Irving. The 76ers have Ben Simmons; The Bucks have Jrue Holiday; The Mavs have Luka Doncic; The Nuggets have Nikola Jokic and Facundo Campazzo; The Suns have Chris Paul; The Jazz have three in Donovan Mitchell, Mike Conley, and Joe Ingles; And the Hawks, of course, curse him, have Trae Young.
When you look at the league this way, it’s actually kind of amazing that the Knicks had as much success as they did this season. The modern NBA is a permitter-based league dominated by talented and creative playmakers — The Knicks won 41 regular-season games without one.
Julius Randle was the Knicks’ leading assister at 6.0 a game, a trend we all celebrated during the regular season but cannot continue going forward. We saw the limits of centering an offense around Randle’s passing against the Hawks — he was indecisive and turnover prone. He can be a very solid secondary playmaker but he does not have the physical fluidity of a smaller, more athletic player to initiate and create for others consistently in the playoffs.
Randle took on the point-forward role this season out of necessity as much as anything else. The team lacks a traditional point guard. RJ, Rose, and IQ are at best secondary playmakers. Elfrid Payton, who started most games at point, is not enough of a shooting nor scoring threat for defenses to take seriously. Frank Ntilikina has never grown into a functional offensive player. Alec Burks and Reggie Bullock are shooting guards.
The Knicks front office appears well aware of the teams’ lack of playmaking. Time will tell if the early May signing of Argentinian point guard Luca Vildoza will pay off, but there is some reason to be hopeful. Vildoza, who has played for Spain’s Baskonia since 2017, is highly regarded in NBA circles and was touted by Woj as “one of the premier playmakers in Europe”.
There will be further options to explore in free agency and the draft. Veteran floor generals Kyle Lowry, Dennis Schroder, Mike Conley will be unrestricted free agents and Chris Paul and Lonzo Ball could also theoretically be available. The draft is loaded with point guard talent and might be the most realistic option — even later in the first round — to build upon the Vildoza signing.
The New York Knicks need more knock-down shooting
As explored in the intro, the Knicks were simply too easy to defend against the Hawks. It required a maximum, teeth-pulling effort each time down the floor to generate shots, and even then they rarely seemed to go in. Spacing was limited and ball movement was stagnant.
A high volume 3 point sharp shooter or two would go a long way. The Knicks had no players in the top 50 of three-point attempts and only three — Bullock, Randle, and Burks — in the top 100.
We saw the value of players like Bogdan Bogdanovic and Danilo Gallinari throughout the series and what they did for the Hawks’ offense.
On top of the scoring, it would bring, a genuinely dangerous consistent three-point threat (or two) would have opened things up for Randle and allowed freer movement for RJ.
Gonzaga’s Corey Kispert is such a player and could be available when the Knicks make their first selection at 19. If he isn’t, he is very much a prospect worth trading up for.
New York Knicks: Team still needs “superstar” talent
Ultimately, the New York Knicks aren’t going anywhere in the postseason until they attain at least one superstar through a trade or free agency. We’ve been saying it for twenty years, and it’s almost never happened save for STAT and Melo for like 2 years.
The good news is that Thibs and Leon Rose have made the Knicks as attractive a destination as they have been this century. The bad news is that the free agency pool over the next two off-seasons appears very limited in terms of top-flight talent.
Giannis Antetokounmpo was expected to be the big prize this off-season, but he signed a long-term extension with the Bucks in December.
The overall 2021 free agent pool is weak outside of Kawhi Leonard, and he could very well return to the Clippers or sign with Miami.
The 2022 pool is also disappointing. The Nets’ Big 3 have player options then, but it is hard to imagine Durant, Irving, and/or Harden signing with the Knicks if they choose to leave Brooklyn. Steph Curry will be unrestricted, but he is not leaving Golden State. Luka Doncic and Trae Young will be restricted free agents, which functionally means they will remain with their teams as well.
It seems that the New York Knicks will have to make a trade over the next couple of seasons if they are going to land a superstar. Luckily, New York has the assets to make a deal happen, especially this year. The Knicks could put a compelling package together consisting of some of their 2021 and 2023 first round picks, as well as young talent like Immanuel Quickley, RJ Barrett, Mitchell Robinson, or Obi Toppin if the price is right.
If the recent rumors are to be believed, the Knicks might be preparing such a package for Damian Lillard. The price will be steep, but it may be the only way the franchise can bolster itself into the upper echelon of the league.