Broadway’s best was Julius Randle, leading the Knicks to their first winning streak in weeks.

Broadway was dark last night. At least, the self-proclaimed King of Broadway was. Trae Young walked into Madison Square Garden a king and walked out a jester after the New York Knicks stomped the Atlanta Hawks 113-89. While Young was without a few of his running mates, the new-look Knicks were at full strength, showcasing their nine-man rotation for the second time. Julius Randle led the way, but this game showcased the potential this young Knicks team possesses. Let’s dive in.

Another Hot Start

Sunday I noted the Knicks’ hot start was largely due to good fortune. The defense came out seemingly having learned nothing from the Dallas game, but Cleveland couldn’t hit the broad side of a barn. Last night was an entirely different story. The Knicks made life difficult for Atlanta from the start. While the task at hand simplified after Dejounte Murray landed on RJ Barrett’s foot and was out the rest of the game, the Knicks should come away from this one feeling immense pride in their defensive effort.

Per usual, that started with sophomore Quentin Grimes. Grimes has been an absolute revelation. His defense is everything fans expected and then some. Each night he is handed the toughest assignment and refuses to back down. It’s rare to see someone so complete at such a young age, but Grimes checks every box: quick enough to slide with swift ball handlers, strong enough not to get bullied. His screen navigation is unparalleled; you could watch an entire game without seeing a screen get set on him clean. So when Young came out struggling to knock down a shot, it probably should have come as less of a surprise. Grimes attached himself to Young and didn’t relent. 

On the other side of the ball, Randle was phenomenal. He was once again efficient – his true shooting percentage (TS%) for the season is up to 58.5% – in both in his shooting and his distribution (five assists to zero turnovers). Randle became the first player in Knicks history to have 30, 15 and 5 in a single game without a turnover. Surprisingly, however, it wasn’t the statistical output that impressed the most. Rather, it was the manner in which he accumulated those statistics that made Randle’s game the best game of his season. Whether it was to pass or shoot, Randle made quick decisions all night. He also pushed the pace relentlessly, creating high-efficiency baskets for his team out of thin air. 

Randle wasn’t alone out there. Fellow frontcourt mate Mitchell Robinson was dominant on both ends. Matching up with Clint Capela, Robinson appeared determined to prove who the better center was as he bullied the Atlanta frontcourt to the tune of nine offensive rebounds. Grimes’ sophomore classmate, Deuce McBride, played his second game of the season in the rotation and, along with Grimes and Immanuel Quickley, formed a defensive trio that we’re about five games from coming up with a permanent nickname for. When those three are on the court together, forays into the paint are damn near impossible. If a stunt, hedge, dig, or rotation needs to be made, one of those three will make it.

The Knicks went up 18 early in the second quarter before the Hawks switched to a zone defense that sparked a 17-0 run for the boys from Atlanta. I’m sure many, in the moment, were thinking, “Oh God, here we go again.” I know I was. I sat impatiently and frustratedly watching possession after possession as the Knicks struggled against a zone like my 10th grade basketball team would. After all, the paint on the Knicks’ 23-point collapse the last time they saw Atlanta just over a month ago is barely dry.

Upon rewatch, even that could be spun positively. During the Knicks’ slide that saw a 38-20 advantage turn into 38-37, the Knicks actually created a bunch of good opportunities. They just didn’t fall. And as the Hawks threatened, Randle was once again there to save the day. Up 43-37, Grimes blocked Young’s floater right in the vicinity of excellent offensive rebounder Capela. Randle used his body to create an ideal position, secured the defensive rebound, and raced up the floor creating two points of his own for the Knicks. That four-point swing was representative of the impact Randle had on the game all night long.

I would be remiss if I didn’t mention Jalen Brunson or RJ Barrett, both of whom struggled mightily. Brunson will get a pass from me. Not because his game wasn’t that bad (he was 2-14 on the night) but because the resume he’s already compiled in New York has earned him a stinker or two. Barrett, on the other hand, is beginning to worry some Knick fans. He was bad in every aspect of the game last night. Shots didn’t go in, his tunnel vision peeked its eerie head out, scaring Knick fans like David Pumpkin. Barrett missed multiple kickouts on drives. And defensively continues to regress.

Of course, there is still time. But like Randle, it’s less about the stats compiled and more about the process behind them. Barrett continues to struggle at creating separation on the attack, and he doesn’t have the athleticism to mitigate his weakness. Defensively he made it clear that he is the weak link right now, which is saying something for a team with Randle and Brunson. 

The Odd Couple

In the end, this game, as many the past two years have been, was about Randle and head coach Tom Thibodeau. As the Knicks hit the 25-game mark, it feels acceptable to draw certain conclusions about individual players. Here are a couple about the Knicks’ embattled power forward:

1. Despite shooting just 33% from beyond the 3-point line, a 58.5% TS% would be his highest as a Knick.

2. Randle is attempting half as many shots between five feet and the 3-point line as he did in his All-NBA season. 

3. The Knicks offense has been 10 points per 100 possessions better with him on the floor.

There’s no denying it: Julius Randle has been a great offensive player this season. What’s surprising is that it has come despite him neither forcing the issue and getting in Brunson’s way nor forming an effective two-man game with JB. The two have a pretty neutral on-court relationship. While they run the occasional pick & roll, they mostly stay out of each other’s way.

Which brings us to Thibodeau. Randle made it clear last season that he didn’t have much interest in being a second banana. So it was on Thibodeau to figure out a way to get the most out of Randle whilst integrating Brunson into the rotation. The early returns are promising. For starters, Thibodeau convinced Randle to improve his shot location even more than he already had. As I mentioned above, Randle has cut a huge chunk of his midrange possessions out of his shot diet. 

As far as lineup constructions go, Thibodeau has started pulling both Brunson and RJ first, leaving Randle to lead the bench unit through the end of the quarter. If you were going to maximize Randle’s skillset, surrounding him with defense and shooting is probably the best way to mitigate his weaknesses while highlighting his strength. The Knicks are blitzing opponents in these minutes. Randle is less exploitable on the defensive end when playing next to Grimes, McBride, Quickley and Robinson. Offensively, while Quickley is the point guard and a fine secondary initiator, Randle is clearly the man of that unit. Kudos to Thibs for figuring out a way to split up his best players in a manner that gets the most out of the one who’d been struggling the most.

Of course, this only adds to the frustration that Thibodeau hasn’t looked to make changes that maximize other players. After Obi Toppin (the poster child of a misutilized player) went down with a knee injury that he’s having an MRI for today, Barrett played some of his first minutes as a small-ball power forward. And while the first few minutes were rough, I do believe more of these minutes will be great for him long-term. But what else available to the Knicks will be capitalized upon? This is a team whose biggest strengths are its depth and versatility. Will we continue to see a greater emphasis on experimentation with lineup combinations? The changes made to optimize Randle are a good start, but they shouldn’t be the finish. 

The night ended with Randle raining threes from all over the court, helping push the Knicks lead as high as 28 in the fourth. When he was subbed out for good, he was met by on the sideline by a jubilant James Dolan, who asked him to sign some autographs for him. Randle acquiesced with his familiar smile plastered on his face. Thibodeau must have been pleased. Not just because the scoreboard read “Knicks 113, Hawks 89,” but because Randle is clearly figuring it out. Will Thibodeau help other Knicks figure it out? Will this be the moment we look back on as the turning point? Or will it be just another red herring? Something to distract us as the team we root for treads water in the lakes of purgatory. I guess only time can tell. For now, let’s celebrate a win that ended up being much easier than many expected.