The Knicks lost yet another game, but thanks to an RJ Barrett gem and Tom Thibodeau finally relenting a bit on his rigid coaching style, Knicks fans were given something to feel good about to start the home stretch of the season.

Well, that was a strange game. 

The Knicks lost a hard-fought game against a really good Miami Heat team, 115-100. Despite that, most Knick fans have been in positive spirits since the final buzzer sounded. Why is that? And what can the Knicks take from this game going forward? Let’s dive in.

An expected solution

If you’ve been paying attention to the Knicks’ season, it should be immensely apparent to you that head coach Tom Thibodeau is not a big fan of change. He is set in and confident in his code. He is the ultimate hammer-and-nail coach. If something is not working, the solution is to simply do it better. So it must have been especially frustrating for him when, before the Knicks tipped off the last third of their season, change was thrust upon him when Derrick Rose’s long-awaited return was pushed back indefinitely. That announcement, combined with the news yesterday that struggling point guard Kemba Walker was being shelved for the season, opened the team’s rotation wide open. But Thibodeau, stubborn to a fault, responded in a way every Knick fan feared he would; he re-inserted Alec Burks into the starting lineup. 

The move paid off early. Less than four minutes into the game, the Knicks led 10-0. Their defense was buzzing. Mitchell Robinson was his typically dominant self, patrolling the paint alone, and R.J. Barrett, returning from an ankle injury, quickly quelled any concerns of a slow recovery as he chased All-Star Jimmy Butler around the perimeter. It is important to note that the decision to start Burks was not perceived as underwhelming because the lineup itself is bad. On the contrary, as Thibodeau noted, Burks and the starters have a +3.8 net rating. They’ve been fine. But at 25-34, “fine” isn’t enough anymore. We’ve reached the point in the season when riding what you know has less value. It’s time to embrace volatility, and focus on what we don’t know. Which is why, despite the early lead, there was a feeling of unrest amongst the Knicks faithful. 

An untimely injury

With 2:44 left in the first quarter and the Knicks lead cut to five, rookie Quentin Grimes checked into the game. For all the flack Thibodeau has received this season regarding the role of the young players, Grimes has very much been the exception to the rule. In many ways, Grimes epitomizes Thibodeau’s biases. While it may appear at first glance as merely veteran favoritism, Thibodeau’s true vice is dependability. For better or for worse, he wants to know what he’s going to get from you as much as possible. And with Grimes, you know what you’re going to get. He’s going to launch threes at a historic rate, and he’s going to work his ass off defensively. Thibodeau loves the kid. And for good reason.

Unfortunately, Thibodeau’s — and Knicks nation’s — rough night continued. Fourteen seconds into his first shift, Grimes bumped knees with P.J. Tucker and fell to the floor in agony. Knick fans collectively held their breath, fearing the worst as the injury, which would later be ruled a “subluxation of his right patella,” was non-contact. The injury ultimately forced Thibodeau’s hand, which resulted in the beginning of the team heading down a path many think they should have started on a long time ago. The Knicks, minus one (more on him in a bit), struggled along the rest of the game, but Thibodeau coached perhaps his best, and certainly his most experimental, game of this disappointing season.

The final three quarters were a mix and match of many things we have not seen all season. Jericho Sims usurped Thibodeau favorites Nerlens Noel and Taj Gibson, both available for the game, as backup center to Mitchell Robinson. While the starters saw their typical heavy minutes usage, the rotations were slightly altered to allow for different lineup combinations. Obi Toppin finished the third quarter with Julius Randle against a small Miami Heat reserve unit. Even Deuce McBride, who has seen limited non-garbage time minutes this calendar year, saw time late in the second quarter. 

Perhaps my favorite move Thibodeau made was a concession. When Barrett exited the game at the end of the first quarter, he and Julius Randle, who struggled mightily last night shooting 2-15 from the field, sat on the bench next to one another for six minutes of gameplay. In that time, the Knicks were outscored by eleven. As Barrett continues to close the gap between himself and Randle, the need to stagger them grows bigger, a strategy almost every other team with two stars employs. Which is why it was so refreshing to see Thibodeau pull Barrett earlier than usual in the third quarter, allowing him to return early in the fourth and lead the bench unit. 

A star in the making

This brings us to Barrett. Simply put, he was spectacular. There have been great games in recent memory, many by 2021 Most Improved Player Randle, but this one stands out as the most meaningful one since Carmelo Anthony’s 62-point gem in 2014. I do not mean to diminish what Randle brought to New York last season, what he did was amazing. But this was different. After all, it occurred in a 15-point loss. This wasn’t about the present. This was an arrival, as if Barrett was saying, “I know this season has been tough, but here I am at just 21 years old, this is what I will be bringing to you for a long time.”

Barrett was everywhere. He was also relentless, continuously looking to attack the stout Miami defense when he could. The Heat, who entered the game sixth in defensive rating, started the game daring Barrett to beat them. Barrett found his groove, grabbing rebounds and getting to the basket at will — he drew 22 free throws in the game — with both hands. By halftime, he had 30 points and was single-handedly keeping the Knicks within shouting distance.

In the third quarter, the Heat made a change and began sending a variety of doubles in Barrett’s direction. Barrett handled them with grace. There was a stretch of three consecutive possessions when the Heat tried trapping Barrett well beyond the 3-point line, and he made the right pass at the right time, leading to a Knicks advantage. This is the type of pressure stars put on defenses. They force you to choose between the less bad of two crappy options. 

If last night was any indication, Barrett is ready to make that leap.