1 area of improvement for each key Knicks player in 2022-23
By James Ryder
How should the Knicks’ “big men” look to improve?
Julius Randle: Mentality/Motor
Whether you like it or not, Julius Randle will be suiting up for his fourth season in a Knicks uniform. I won’t even entertain the concept of him being traded before the start of 2022-23 and I’m even tempted to think he won’t be traded at all this season… unless he is moved at the deadline, which I think would only be possible if New York somehow has a truly disastrous first 56 games.
If Randle is traded this season, then I hope I get struck by *err* a flying ice cream truck. AND LIVE!
Therefore, the clear thing Randle must improve is his mentality and his motor, which are basically interchangeable. If Randle is upset, he doesn’t try. If Randle isn’t playing with effort or energy, the team suffers, and then Randle will be mad that they’re losing.
This was the vicious cycle (one may even call it a vicious Beyblade) Randle put the fans and his team through last season that must be broken. If Randle can invigorate himself and his teammates and play with a clear head and confidence, it should lead to much better performances both in the box score and in the win column.
Obi Toppin: Three-point shooting
During his first two seasons in the NBA, three-point shooting has been the clearest hole in Obi Toppin’s game. Most fans expected him to be a solid shooter coming out of Dayton, where he shot 39% from deep on 2.6 attempts per game, but it just hasn’t translated.
Thankfully, though, Toppin has flashed this skill at the NBA level, and he did more than just flash it to close the season. In eight of the final 11 games, Toppin was the starting power forward and shot 22-59 (44%) from behind the arc. This included games in which he shot 3-6, 4-10, and even 6-9 (nice) on three-point shots across three games.
One thing that has always been evident about Obi’s game is that he thrives when given confidence. I don’t think it was a coincidence that he caught fire shooting the ball during the stretch in which he finally had the opportunity to start games. Let’s see if he can build on that shooting tear.
Mitchell Robinson: Free-throw shooting
It may seem unlikely being that he is going into his fifth NBA season (he has actually regressed every year in this area), but Mitchell Robinson should still work to improve his free throws. Like many centers past and present, Robinson has been dreadful at the charity stripe.
However, free throws are too important of a skill for a pro basketball player to ever give up on trying to raise their percentage. Every time he goes to the line, Robinson is a massive liability, and something needs to change if he is ever going to get better.
Additionally, he serves as a great starting center in just about every other facet of the game. There isn’t anything else the Knicks should want or need from Robinson, so this is another easy call.
Isaiah Hartenstein: Three-point volume
I think most Knicks fans who have become familiar with Hartenstein have heard what I am about to say, so I will keep it brief. The “stretch 5” has only attempted 47 3PT shots in his career and he has made 18 of them (mostly wide open), good for 38.3% shooting from deep.
That’s a great percentage for anyone, let alone a seven-footer. But, this is of course a very small sample size. Yet, most fans, including myself, are optimistic. If he can keep up that pace, then it would add a dynamic that the Knicks have never really had, and an extremely welcoming weapon.
