Knicks 126, Jazz 120: Instant impact

Josh Hart debuted for the Knicks and instantly made his presence felt, but could his presence start creating some tough dilemmas surrounding Quentin Grimes and Immanuel Quickley’s playing time?

After a tough game in Philadelphia, the Knicks returned home on the second night of a back-to-back to take on the Utah Jazz. Despite some sloppy stretches, the Knicks escaped with a victory on the backs of Jalen Brunson and Julius Randle, as well as newcomer Josh Hart. The Hart addition was acclaimed by most pundits, and the results have reinforced why he’s such a popular player around the league. But what effect does his presence have on the team going forward? Let’s dive in.

Not an All-Star?

The Knicks started the game in a manner that should be very familiar to Knicks fans who’ve been following along this season. Brunson got to his spots and was making everything early. The Knicks needed it too, because they’re not getting much from the rest of the starting lineup early in these games. Randle and RJ Barrett got off to slow starts, something that is becoming a trend as of late. To compound the issue, fellow starters Quentin Grimes and Jericho Sims rarely seem to even touch the ball. 

What Brunson has been doing is superhero-level stuff. And while there is certainly an argument to be made as to what responsibility Brunson bears, as the point guard, in terms of getting his teammates going, it’s impossible to discern how much is on him and how much is on the scheme. What we do know is that Brunson is scoring in bunches and doing so efficiently. When the first substitution was made inside the three minute mark of the first, the Knicks led 22-20 and Brunson had already scored 10 points.

Two is better than one

Speaking of trends, most Knick fans may have noticed that the tone of the game seems to change the moment Immanuel Quickley steps on the court. Quickley is the definition of a game-changer. For the third straight season, he is setting the mark in terms of most Knicks impact stats. In spite of that, the bench unit has had its struggles as of late. With Barrett still trying to find it on both ends, a huge burden has been placed on Quickley’s shoulders each night. The Knicks’ bench unit has particularly struggled on the defensive glass.

Well, Leon Rose got the memo, because he went out and acquired an Impact God on Quickley’s level, whose biggest strength is defensive rebounding: Josh Hart.

Hart entered the game and made an instant impact on both ends of the court. This is the perfect marriage of player and coach. Hart doesn’t need the ball in his hands to contribute. His energy, defense, and rebounding are all something fans will be able to count on every minute he’s on the court. The duo of Hart and Quickley is going to be a nightmare for opposing teams. Their chemistry was instant. The Knicks’ lead jumped from two to 11 within minutes of them being on the court. The pace immediately increased and the Knicks’ defense tightened. 

Letting them off the hook

Unfortunately, the Knicks remain the Knicks. With every opportunity to run away with the lead and get their top guns some rest, the Knicks decided lethargy and contentment was the preferred path, allowing the Jazz to hang around in a game they had no business being in. The start of the third quarter was especially appalling, with the Knicks going over five minutes of game time without a made field goal.

What drives the Knicks — great one-on-one playmaking, offensive rebounding — can also hinder them. The ball tends to stick in a way that affects ancillary players’ rhythms. Grimes especially looked lost when the ball hit his hands, turning it over and clanking a three badly on his two third quarter touches. Taking a page out of the Knicks’ book, the Jazz refused to properly punish the Knicks as they struggled, missing almost all of the open looks they created. Barrett found his offense, keeping the Knicks afloat and ultimately helping the Knicks end the third quarter leading 87-84.

A lineup change?

The addition of Hart is an overwhelmingly positive one, but it does raise rotation-related questions. We know Thibodeau is going to lean on Hart. So where will those minutes come from? Last night, the answer to that question was Grimes and Quickley. Grimes, who didn’t provide much impact, played just 22 minutes out of the starting lineup. But Quickley, who ended the game with 15 points (6-9 from the field), five rebounds, an assist, a steal and a block, was pulled early in his second half shift and watched the final nine minutes from the bench. He played just 23 minutes, his fewest since Christmas day.

Simply put, Thibodeau has to adjust his rotation strategy going forward. Unless he changes his outlook on going small, each night he is going to have four options — Grimes, Barrett, Quickley and Hart — to fill two spots at the end of games. This is a good problem to have. Knicks fans with player biases need to understand some nights, their favorite may not close the game.

But what can’t happen is one of your most impactful players playing less than half the game. It will have short- and long-term ramifications. The first solution to that problem is shorter shifts. Thibodeau didn’t make a substitution in the first eight minutes of either half. Both Brunson and Randle played the entire first and third quarter. These rotation decisions unnecessarily handcuff Thibodeau and immediately cap the minutes ceiling of bench players like Quickley and Hart. Either of these players watching the five minutes from the bench is defensible, but it’s paramount to give them appropriate playing time before you make that decision.

Thibodeau always says that who starts the game isn’t nearly as important as who closes. Well, if Thibodeau is going to immediately block his bench players from playing over a third of the game by refusing to sub early in halves, the minutes totals are going to start looking more and more skewed. Trading for Hart was supposed to alleviate this dilemma, not extrapolate it.

On this night, Thibodeau rewarded Barrett for his strong second half by letting him close alongside Hart, and he returned the favor by nailing the biggest shot of the night, unsurprisingly coming off of an offensive rebound by the Knicks’ trade deadline acquisition. The Knicks escaped with a 126-120 victory, and ensured that they will enter the All-Star break above .500. But these rotation questions are not going away anytime soon. And how they’re handled may very well determine not only the 2022-23 Knicks’ ceiling, but what the team looks like for years to come.