Hawks 121, Knicks 116: Back to the drawing board
Jalen Brunson and the Knicks are still figuring things out after ending their road trip with a loss in Atlanta
I discovered the musician Russ on a YouTube deep dive one night in 2016. He’s been one of my favorite artists ever since, despite the fact that he’s an avid Atlanta Hawks fan. So as Trae Young and company served the Knicks a second straight loss Wednesday night, one of Russ’ lyrics came to mind: “Breakdowns create breakthroughs.”
As someone who’s had my fair share of breakdowns, I can relate to the breakthrough that often follows: the comeback, the rebound, the rebuild, etc. We didn’t see that from New York on the final night of a four-game road trip.
Tom Thibodeau’s famous defense was more Oz the man behind the curtain than Oz the Wizard, allowing 100 field goal attempts to an Atlanta team retooling around Young for the third or fourth time in seven seasons. The Knicks saw the results of a sloppy start later in the fourth quarter: a victory within reach, but one that required near-perfect execution on all fronts. Turnovers cost them as the offense continued breaking down instead of breaking through.
The breakdown: Brunson/Towns two-man game
The breakthrough: Opposing defenses capitalizing
New York’s two best players haven’t found their footing as a duo. Jalen Brunson has yet to adjust to Karl-Anthony Towns’ presence as a floating big man who can space the floor and/or operate within space as a ball handler. It’s ironic, given what was once Julius Randle’s role, but more understandable when you remember the Knicks are playing 5-out instead of 4+1 these days. The center Brunson’s playing next to most has graduated from pawn to rook, navigationally.
This clip exemplifies a number of Knicks fans’ frustrations and the growing pains of integrating two scoring stars.
Brunson didn’t consider passing back to a wide-open Towns, who led New York’s fourth quarter scoring and three-point shooting. Rome wasn’t built in a day. Chemistry 101 can’t be taught in seven games, either.
A side effect of Brunson’s hesitancy has been a major disruption to his offensive rhythm. His first half against the Hawks was one of his worst as a Knick: 8 points, three turnovers and zero assists. Dyson Daniels (6-foot-8 with a 10-foot-5 wingspan) held Brunson in check most of the game, sans a couple good buckets at the end of the third.
The breakdown: Cam Payne’s injury
The breakthrough: Tyler Kolek time!
New York’s already-thin rotation was further watered down after backup guard Cam Payne was ruled out the last two games with a hamstring strain. In the past, Thibs has opted to extend the minutes of his current rotation without replacing what was lost with another body. OG Anunoby has played 40+ minutes in back-to-back games, yet somehow Miles McBride hasn’t logged 30 in either. Thibodeau’s plan is typically “hold the line,” and he only rarely makes a call to the cavalry.
But after six minutes logged in the loss to Houston, rookie guard Tyler Kolek played eight last night. That may not seem a big difference, but when it’s deployed in favor of Brunson getting more rest it’s not just a breath of fresh air, but an entire tank of oxygen. And the rookie delivered, instantly making an impact in his first six-minute stint.
Kolek finished with six points and an assist. But his best contributions won’t be found on the stat sheet. If he can simply support an already-flowing offense while Brunson rests, the Knicks’ chances will grow more and more each night, as will Kolek’s confidence. New York finished +2 in his minutes. Lineups with Kolek and McBride will be top-tier analytically come March, me predicts.
The breakdown: the scouting report?
The breakthrough: Zaccharie Risacher’s best game as a pro
I’m just going to assume that the Knicks hadn’t paid much attention this season to the first overall pick in the June draft, Zaccharie Risacher. Personally, I’d forgotten he existed, so I won’t throw rocks from my glass house on this one. Risacher had his way with New York, putting together the best game of his young career: 33 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 steals and 2 blocks. The 19-year-old certainly looks the part of an NBA player. Hot take, I know.
The breakdown: Hawks’ interior defense
The breakthrough: Karl-Anthony Towns brings the bodega to ATL
After a strong showing against the Knicks, Rockets coach Ime Udoka told reporters, “With Towns at the 5 and Sims coming in behind him, I think we felt we could attack the basket quite a bit.” If the Knicks’ starting five took that personally, they didn’t show it: the Hawks scored 58 of their 121 in the paint.
But the Big Bodega was alive and well on offense, where he’s earned his reputation as a star. Towns cooked fried Hawk, scoring 34 in 38 minutes, the only semblance of “star power” on New York’s side of the floor. After a slow start from deep, he’s now 16-of-28 (57%) through seven games. And his rebounding has been as good as advertised, one area he’s a clear-cut improvement over Isaiah Hartenstein (Ed. note: Who?). Towns has 35 rebounds over his last two games, 14 on the offensive end. There’s a lot to like about the moments he takes over games. What’s not to like is how little Brunson seems to be involved.
That’s not to say the Knicks duo isn’t trying.
New York is now 3-4. They’re 1-3 in close games. Brunson is shooting a career-worst 46% inside the arc. Thibodeau’s defense is allowing 51.4 points in the paint with Towns at the helm, nearly five more a game than last year. 58% of their made shots are assisted; that number is 70% for the league leaders. It’s not a “breakdown,” because it isn’t built yet. But the Knicks aren’t breaking through, either.