With the Knicks sitting at 9-9 on the season, it has become very clear that they need to improve their level of play as the season goes on if they want a chance at making the playoffs. The team has really struggled against some of the better teams in the league, which has concerned me considering who they could potentially match up against in a playoff scenario.
Currently, the Knicks sit at No. 8 in the Eastern Conference, and considering the slow starts from teams like the Nets, Heat, and Bulls, the Knicks are very likely to slip further down in the conference standings.
The Knicks need to make some drastic changes if they want to compete in the East. While personally, I believe pushing for a nine or ten seed isn’t the best idea considering how stacked the upcoming draft class is, it’s very clear that’s what the front office wants to do.
There are tons of moves the Knicks could make to improve, however, I believe these three things are the most likely to happen this year.
3 moves the Knicks can make to improve their chances of making the playoffs
3: Decrease RJ Barrett’s minutes/shot attempts if he continues to play poorly
The start of the 2022-23 season has not been too kind to RJ Barrett, who has massively disappointed thus far. He played the last few games while sick, but this is no excuse for how he has been forcing his offense, which has led to some very questionable shot selection and decision-making.
Barrett has had some very good games this season, but for the most part, he has not played particularly well. Despite this, Tom Thibodeau has yet to reduce his role or minutes, which is just mind-boggling.
Forget that Barrett isn’t playing well, why on earth did he average 35+ minutes in two out of the three games he was sick? I’ll get into Thibodeau later, but his lack of regard for his players’ health and absolute recklessness has cost his teams in the past, and it’s starting to do the same now.
As for Barrett though, he is averaging 18.3 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 2.9 assists while shooting a putrid 27.3% from three and 40.3% from the floor. I still have a ton of hope that Barrett will turn things around, but I think there are zero doubts that decreasing his shot volume/minutes will do wonders for not only Barrett but for the whole team as well.
Not only will a decrease in shots help fix Barrett’s efficiency, but at this rate, it will help the offense run better. It’s funny how the fan base had this conversation about Julius Randle, but now it’s seemingly Barrett’s turn.
Hopefully, Barrett begins to turn things around so we can see the Knicks play a much better and more efficient brand of basketball, but for now, he needs to play smarter.
I still think Barrett has a ton of potential in this league, as he is just 22 and has plenty of time to grow, but not seeing any notable jump in nearly four years in the league is extremely worrisome.