RJ Barrett returned to the Knicks‘ starting lineup on Wednesday against Indiana and did not have a minutes restriction, head coach Tom Thibodeau told reporters, including ESPN’s Tim Bontemps (Twitter link). The fourth-year forward missed six straight games after suffering a pretty gruesome finger injury which required six stitches.
Through 35 games (34.1 MPG), Barrett is averaging 19.7 PPG, 5.5 RPG and 3.0 APG on .427/.332/.762 shooting.
Here’s more on the Knicks:
- Immanuel Quickley proved that he deserves a bigger role after strong performances starting in place of Jalen Brunson and Barrett, according to Steve Popper of Newsday (subscriber link). Thibodeau is a big fan of the third-year guard’s basketball IQ and defense. “The thing I love about Quick is that he’s smart, he’s very, very smart,” Thibodeau said. “He knows, he understands what he has to do to help our team defense. I think it’s his greatest strength. So he can play — even when he’s guarding twos, his size, because of his intelligence, he knows how to create body position. Very good with his hands, his feet, rarely is he out of position, and I think that does your defense a lot better. And he’s going to give you great effort all the time.”
- Free agent addition Isaiah Hartenstein provided nice play-making for the Clippers last season, but the Knicks haven’t utilized him in that role. He said his first season with the Knicks has been “up and down,” writes Greg Joyce of The New York Post. “It’s been a little difficult, but at the end of the day, it’s about what the team needs,” Hartenstein said of adjusting roles. “Everyone sacrifices certain aspects of their game. Not everyone’s playing exactly how they want to play, but that’s every team. … Now I just kind of have to sacrifice one of my best attributes. But whatever the team needs. We got three guys that are very ball-dominant and I think that’s kind of how we’ve been winning. It’s hard to say much if we’re winning.”
- Stefan Bondy of The New York Daily News hands out midseason grades for the Knicks. Both Brunson and Mitchell Robinson received an A.
IMO
Top 5 coaches by order
Pelicans
Pacers
Knicks
Kings
Nets
Those are teams not coaches, and what the hell are you talking about anyways?
Sillivan is an algorithm. Not a real person.
He’s really ChatOMG. A failed experiment.
It’s interesting to hear some obvious displeasure in Hartenstein’s comments. I looked at the stats, he only avg 2.4 assists last year. Not like he was Jokic or anything. I get that he’s still getting less touches and everyone wants to touch the basketball on offense. But he wasn’t the focal point of the Clippers offense last year.
But he’s at least getting more minutes with the Knicks. With Randall and Brunson, did he really have different expectations? Weird ..
“he only avg 2.4 assists last year”
In only 18 minutes a game. Per 36 minutes, he had 5.0 per game. Not earth-shattering or Jokic-level, but that is a very solid number for a developing big man in the first real action he’d seen in the league (previous three years, he’d never had more than 12 minutes a game). To stretch for the Jokic comparison, though, his first three years assists per 36 minutes were 3.9, 6.3, and 6.7.
I agree with the rest, though. RJ, Brunson, and Randle are all ball-dominant players, and on the second team, IQ is ball-dominant as well. I just think it’s a bad fit for Hartenstein in this offense. I think his best bet would be on a really bad team with a sort of rudderless offense that would allow him minutes and the opportunity to develop.
I’m not huge into per 36 stats. His per 36 last year still came short of 5 assists and also came with 2.5 turnovers and almost fouling out each game too.
His other per 36 stats last year were all great. But you can say that about a lot of role players.
They play mostly against second units, they don’t play as meaningful minutes, their flaws are more exposed with more time, etc.
So for me I still see this as guy who’s a role player who got a petty amount of assists with a not so great assist to turnover ratio complaining that he doesn’t get to playmake enough. Yet he came to a team where we have a ball handling big and finally a real PG.
I was surprised by that.
“I’m not huge into per 36 stats. His per 36 last year still came short of 5 assists and also came with 2.5 turnovers and almost fouling out each game too.”
He barely came short of 5 assists per 36 minutes, though. Which again, is good for an inexperienced big man in this league. If you’re going to ding him for “only” 2.4 assists per game, you need to provide the context that he only played 18 minutes a game. Further, if you watch him play, it’s clear he’s a great passer for a big.
But yes, him choosing NYK for a destination doesn’t make a lot of sense, unless he was banking on Mitchell Robinson being injured again.
I’m struggling to understand how IQ “deserves a bigger role” on the Knicks. First, he’s playing 27 minutes a game. That’s already a huge role for a backup PG. Second, his defense is not good. Third, even with this recent hot streak, he’s still only shooting .415/.327 from the field.
If they can sell high on him right now, they should. Though I doubt he’d bring back much.
Thibs likes his D, but yeah he’s not going to develop into Maxey or anything. I think they’d trade him if they got anything worthwhile, but he’s prob not worth much in trades.
I agree. I’m hoping he continues this hot streak and someone trades something decent on an impulse.
Honestly, I think he looks a lot better than last year, or the year before for that matter. Quickley no longer looks hesitant to drive, and his passing is no longer just “throw the ball at the open guy”. I don’t think he’s a starter-quality guy right now, but he’s absolutely a quality rotation piece thanks to his defense and his ability to just pull up from anywhere.
His last 11 games before yesterday he averaged 19.1/4.3/4.4 with 1.1 TO on 47% from the field, 38% from 3 and 84% from the line while playing very solid defense. He might not be a superstar but he’s a valuable role player and has consistently developed weaker parts of his game throughout his career.
He had a bad shooting stretch to start the year but has been very good recently and is easy to like with his style of play. If the right trade comes along I’d consider it but I wouldn’t just give the kid up.
I don’t think Thibs even believes in minutes restrictions.
Quick has been giving good minutes lately. The flexibility to play either guard spot is valuable. I wasn’t a fan before this year, but he’s starting to turn into a valuable player.
As for Hartenstein, he runs around like his hair is on fire and plays with good energy, but he’s not physical enough to play down low and gets moved off the block; and he’s too robotic to be an oversized wing. I’d rather give the backup minutes at the 5 to Sims.
Alright Hartenstein + IQ + Draft pick for Nurkic and A Simons from Portland. Offense for Defense.