The Knicks took their lumps on this five-game West Coast street journey.
However they’re strolling away with one thing simply as useful as wins: classes — the sort that would make a distinction of their playoff push.
With out Jalen Brunson, their All-Star captain and crunch-time murderer, the Knicks have morphed into one of many league’s finest defensive groups. But, even elite protection hasn’t been sufficient to interchange the scoring punch of a participant pulling away within the Clutch Participant of the 12 months race.
Brunson suffered a proper ankle damage in additional time of New York’s March 6 loss to the Lakers and isn’t anticipated again till the top of the month. In his absence, the Knicks (42-24) have held their very own — however offensive struggles have made each possession a battle.
“We’re struggling a little bit, obviously, without No. 11 [Brunson],” Josh Hart admitted after New York’s three-point loss to the Golden State Warriors on Saturday. “We have to find — or do a better job of — organization and playing to each other’s strengths.”
It’s uncharted territory.
Brunson performed 77 video games final season and had solely missed one recreation this yr earlier than the damage.
“We knew the flow of the game was going to be different,” mentioned Hart. “But we’ve just got to do a better job of organization and playmaking.”
Offense Comes and Goes — Protection Should Stay
Scoring has been laborious to come back by with out Brunson’s 26.3 factors and seven.4 assists per recreation.
The Knicks exploded for 133 factors in a rout of the Kings, however Sacramento was coming off an additional time back-to-back towards the Clippers whereas the Knicks had two days of relaxation.
In all places else? Factors have been scarce:
95 factors towards the Clippers (first recreation with out Brunson, second leg of a back-to-back).
114 factors (together with OT) in a slender escape in Portland vs. the Path Blazers.
94 factors (tied season-low) in a three-point loss to the Warriors.
Hart, who completed scoreless on 0-of-7 capturing in Golden State, acknowledged he’s nonetheless adjusting.
“I think with him, we were a very ball-screen dominant team, letting him dictate. And a lot of times I would be out there setting it. Now I’m in short roles and positions where I’m playmaking and doing those kind of things. And obviously, right now that is a little bit different,” he mentioned. “So I have to find a different way to be effective and I’m struggling trying to find that out. But it’s a conversation that we have to have, I think. We’re struggling offensively, I don’t think that’s a secret. But with more reps and more time getting organized, getting in play calls and those kind of things, I think everything else will flourish. But it’s just growing pains. Still trying to figure that out, obviously with my team, but also myself individually. I’ve got to be better.”
Classes in Each Loss
Head coach Tom Thibodeau has emphasised the identical message since Brunson left the rotation:
“We’re learning. As I said when Jalen went down, you’re not replacing Jalen individually, we have to do it collectively,” Thibodeau mentioned after his group’s three-point loss to the Golden State Warriors on Saturday. “I like the way the team has responded in terms of defensively, I think we’re playing very well right now. The rebounding was better today, it wasn’t good in the last game.”
And whereas losses sting, the Knicks have been in each recreation — regardless of lacking their finest participant: they almost beat the Lakers in additional time earlier than Brunson turned his ankle on a drive to the rim. They ran out of gasoline the night time towards the Clippers the night time after in simply the second recreation of the season, the captain missed resulting from damage. And so they had been a handful of performs away from beautiful the Warriors on the street on Saturday. Golden State’s victory over New York marked its 14th win in its final 16 video games.
These shut battles may pay dividends for the Knicks come playoff time.
“It’s been tough. A lot of close games where we put ourselves in a position to win — one little mistake here or there and it’s cost us,” mentioned Karl-Anthony Cities.
However Cities sees the larger image.
“I think that we learned a lot, we put ourselves in a good position to have some great tape that could propel us to being an even better team,” he mentioned. “You never know these games may be the key to us getting deeper in the playoffs because we learned a lesson from the Lakers, from the Clippers, from the Warriors. It could make us a better team.”
The Standings & The Street Forward
Regardless of a 2-3 journey, the Knicks stay firmly in third place within the East. They’re:
4 video games forward of No. 4 Milwaukee.
5 video games forward of No. 5 Indiana.
6 video games forward of No. 6 Detroit.
Amongst them, Detroit has the hardest remaining schedule (seventh hardest within the NBA), whereas the Knicks have the simplest of the bunch at 18th.
There’s nothing simple, in fact, about these video games with out New York’s All-Star guard. It’s all about survival till Brunson returns.
The Knicks have weathered the storm defensively. Now, they’ve to seek out methods to win with out their captain — as a result of when he does return, they’ll be battle-tested for what lies forward.
