After losing in disappointing fashion on Sunday against the Thunder, the Knicks got it back together against the Utah Jazz on Tuesday with a 118-111 win. While this game was closer than it should have been, a win is a win.
This was an ugly, gritty win for the Knicks and while some players did not perform particularly well, others made up for it with some very strong play.
The Knicks are entering the start of their five-game Western Conference road trip, so to pull a win out like this means a lot. They will face many tough opponents such as the Warriors and Suns, so the Knicks need to take what they can get.
3 takeaways from Knicks’ gritty win over the Jazz
3: RJ Barrett needs to be better and more consistent
We have seen a lot of different versions of RJ Barrett so far this season. Last night, however, we saw the inconsistent, having-a-tough-time version of Barrett that nearly cost New York big time.
While I want to cut him some slack as he apparently was playing with some sort of illness, it does not matter that much. If you are sick, just don’t play.
Regardless, this was an all-around rough night for Barrett, as he racked up 18 points on 5-for-18 shooting from the field and 0-for-5 shooting from three. Barrett really struggled on all parts of the court offensively and it was really hard to watch at times.
As unworried as I am about Barrett, he needs to become a more consistent player if he wants to be worth his new hefty contract. Obviously, the games he plays extremely well are nice, but we need to see that out of Barrett more often.
Out of his 14 games played this season, Barrett only has five in which he has shot at league average or higher in field goal percentage. It is better to have many bright spots as opposed to none, however, Barrett needs to be more consistent for the sake of the team.
I have no doubt that we will see Barrett bounce back soon, perhaps in the Knicks’ next matchup against the Nuggets. Regardless, I am still very excited to see what the rest of the 2022-23 season holds for the 22-year-old.
2: The Knicks need Mitchell Robinson back soon
After going down with a sprained knee against the Philadelphia 76ers, Mitchell Robinson has shown just how important he is to this Knicks squad. Not only is there a notable hole in the Knicks’ defensive capabilities, but his ability as a rebounder has been missed as well.
While Jericho Sims and Isaiah Hartenstein have done a solid job in Robinson’s absence so far, they have not been quite as good as him, especially on the defensive side of the ball.
You know a team had a rough night defensively when Kelly Olynyk drops 27 points and 11 rebounds. This is not meant to throw shade at Olynyk, who is a very solid player in his own right. However, Olynyk is not the kind of player that should be dropping 27 points against a “good” team.
Even outside of Olynyk this game, the Knicks have struggled to defend teams when they attack the inside. This will massively improve once New York gets Robinson back, as we all know the force he is when it comes to blocking shots and deterring offensive players from the rim.
Hopefully, the Knicks will be seeing Robinson on the court soon, as we have seen the difference between when he plays and doesn’t.
1: Evan Fournier was a DNP- Coach’s Decision
After all the pain and suffering Knicks fans have had to endure this season when watching Evan Fournier play basketball, it seems as if Thibodeau has finally had enough. Fournier did not receive a single minute of action in this game.
We all know about Thibodeau’s obsession with giving Fournier big-time minutes in games, so it surprised me to not see him check into the game at all. While most coaches would have benched Fournier by now, especially considering how much of a liability he has been on both sides of the ball, Thibodeau has been his usual stubborn self.
While Thibodeau also decided to not give any minutes to Quentin Grimes, he is likely still dealing with his foot injury, so that could explain why.
Thibodeau has talked about holding players accountable in the past, however, he has been doing it in almost all the wrong ways. To see Thibs finally put his big boy pants on and sit Fournier down for an entire game was nice to see.
Does this mean a future trade is on the way for Fournier? Probably, as I doubt he is going to want to collect DNPs for a team like the Knicks. While the Knicks may not get much value in return, it seems as if anything is better than having to watch Fournier play basketball again.
Maybe Fournier will prove us all wrong, but for now, he needs to go. He is a defensive liability and when his shots aren’t hitting, he is honestly a pretty useless player. It just so happens that Fournier is shooting 34.4% from the field and 33.3% from behind the arc, so he doesn’t serve a purpose when he is on the floor.
It will be interesting to see how this situation develops as time goes on, but for now, I am glad to see Thibodeau finally take a step in the right direction by holding one of his treasured veterans accountable.
4 Megastars New York Knicks would be happy to trade trove of picks for
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