The Knicks lost a laugher at home to the hottest team in the NBA. The real question: is this a building block, or a sign of things to come?

The New York Knicks’ offseason was spent adding players for 2021-22 to build on the success and needs of the 2020-21 team. Kemba Walker and Evan Fournier combined to average 36 points per game last year; this year they’re scoring 24. Not helping the noobs: Julius Randle and RJ Barrett producing at a 2019-20 level. The best laid plans of Leon and Scott are not clicking, evidenced by the Knicks sleepwalking through a 118-97 nightmare against the Phoenix Suns.

Derrick Rose was unavailable again, as was Taj Gibson, but last night was about what was missing, not who. For starters, the starters showed a lack of intensity. I’m not qualified to analyze the body language of strangers on my TV screen, but giving up 33 in the first quarter, shooting 38% as a group, and having more turnovers than assists is not Tom Thibodeau-an Knicks basketball™ at its finest. For the first six, seven minutes, the teams came out scorching, throwing roundhouse after roundhouse at one another. But the Knicks ran out of fuel after taking a 21-19 lead. The Suns won the rest of the first quarter 14-6, the second quarter 24-17, and the second half 61-53.  

Also missing: the defense. After Phoenix put up a blistering 56/46/81 shooting slash, New York’s defensive rating is now 19th in the league. Every single Suns player had a positive rating; every Knick finished in the red, “led” by Kevin Knox going -1 in garbáge time.

The Knicks couldn’t stop Devin Booker from scoring all over the place. Couldn’t stop Chris Paul from getting where he wanted and dissecting their defense, or his backup, Cameron Payne; Phoenix’s point guards combined for 27 and 16 assists vs. only three turnovers. Couldn’t stop the Suns’ role players killing them from deep. 

Also missing: the offense. 97 points on 37% from the floor and 31% from distance is no way to go through life. Immanuel Quickley was the only Knick to finish with more assists than turnovers. The guards — Kemba, Fournier, RJ Barrett, Quickley, Alec Burks and Quentin Grimes — combined to shoot 38%. Randle and Obi Toppin were 5-18. Ninety-seven points was a poor showing 20 years ago. In 2021, it’s a cry for help.

Maybe Tom Thibodeau was doing so when he subbed out Randle early (by Thibs’ standards) in the fourth. Per Marc Berman, Randle was puzzled by being pulled: “‘I felt great,’’ Randle said. “My body, legs, mentally, everything I felt great, so I don’t know.” Asked what went wrong, Randle added, ‘I’m not sure.’” Thibodeau sounded less confused: ​​“We’re behind, you’re just looking for any type of spark you can get. We were looking for some energy. I didn’t think our energy was where it normally is.’’ The Knicks seem to be missing whatever same page they need to be on.

It’s still early, of course. And the folly of freaking out so early this season with the team 10-9 is brought into focus when one looks back but a year ago, when the Knicks started out 8-11. Phoenix was 8-8 before going on a run that ended in the NBA Finals. The Knicks’ next game is against the team that knocked them out of the first round. Remember: Atlanta was 14-20 almost halfway through last season before Nate McMillan took over and the Hawks went 27-11 the rest of the way. The Knicks were 41-31 when they met the Hawks in the playoffs; since that series began, they’re 11-13. Everyone and everything needs to get better. Randle and RJ need to improve. Kemba and Fournier need to improve. The centers, chronically banged up, need to get healthy. The starters need to start better, in part so the bench can build on leads rather than scuffling to make games competitive. Thibodeau needs to be better with his rotations. The rookies need to establish themselves as rotation-worthy. 

The Knicks need a win over a new rival and a playoff/play-in competitor. The Phoenix debacle offers value if they learn from it and make it a line in the sand. If they keep looking more like two years ago than last year, what was shaping up as a roundball renaissance will disappear, mere dust in the wind.