Depth and Defense: Knicks Sack the Sixers

Unlocking Grimes and unleashing Deuce were part of chef's Leon Rose's recipe plans all along...

Final Score: Knicks 128 - Sixers 92
Record: 20-15

When a chef attempts to perfect a recipe, there's always a give and take. It's not just about adding distinct elements to the dish. Sometimes, subtracting one ingredient results in strengthening the impact of another.

When Leon Rose and company pulled the trigger on the blockbuster deal with the Raptors, the immediate attention was focused on what OG Anunoby and Precious Achiuwa would bring to the table and how losing RJ Barrett and Immanuel Quickley would impact the team's performance.

However, the Knicks' front office was looking at the big picture. They were hoping (with the requisite patience and painstaking precision) to cook up a perfect entree by sprinkling in all the ingredients they had on the shelf.

With Donte DiVincenzo exceeding expectations and working his way into the starting unit and IQ continuing to excel in his role as sixth man, there simply weren't enough minutes for Quentin Grimes (who was mired in a shooting slump after stumbling out of the gates) and Deuce McBride (who was not a part of Thibs' nine-man rotation) over the first two months of the 2023-24 campaign.

The swap with Toronto was about more than just bringing in an elite 3-and-D wing and a backup big. The periphery benefits of parting with RJ and IQ, which surely factored into the Knicks' calculus (as evidenced by NY inking McBride to a three-year, $13 million contract the same day the OG trade was consummated), included giving Deuce a chance to earn a spot in the rotation and allowing Grimes to recoup some valuable minutes. Both players provided an opportunity to prove they could see significant playing time on a competitive team. If proven successful, it would not only improve New York's odds of winning basketball games on a nightly basis this season but also significantly increase the trade value of two young assets locked into affordable contracts (which would likely be essential if the Knicks were to deal for a top-tier superstar at some point down the road).

Fast forward to Friday night. The Knicks were down double-digits halfway through the first quarter when Thibodeau went to his bench, hoping his reserves would provide a spark. When McBride and Grimes checked in for the first time at the four-minute mark, New York trailed 23-16.

Over the final 40 minutes of the contest, the Knicks would outscore the Sixers 112 to 66.

McBride did most of his damage early on, catching fire from downtown and knocking down four three-pointers over the final 2:30 of the first quarter.

Grimes would save his best for last, pouring in 18 points in the fourth quarter, nailing four of his six three-point attempts. Just as importantly, Grimes was active on both ends of the floor all night. He finished the game with eight rebounds, two assists, one steal, and one block in 24 minutes.

Friday marked the first time Deuce attempted more than four shots in a game all season.

Over the last two years, the Knicks are now 21-5 in the 26 games in which McBride has logged at least 15 minutes. The kid finds a way to make winning plays, even when his jumper isn't dropping.

Friday was also the first time Grimes got up double-digit FG attempts since December 11th.

There will be plenty of nights when Brunson or Randle carry the Knicks to victories, but without RJ's scoring prowess and IQ's all-around impact, New York will frequently have to rely on their overall depth and defense.

Grimes and Deuce, as noted above, are crucial to fortifying the Knciks' bench. As for an immediate impact on the defensive end, it is impossible not to notice the incredible jolt Anunoby’s arrival has provided.

Over the 14 games they played in December, the Knicks ranked dead last in the NBA in Defensive Rating, allowing 123.6 points per 100 possessions.

New York traded for OG on December 30th, and he made his orange-and-blue debut on New Year's Day.

Over the three games the Knicks have played in December, they lead the NBA in Defensive Rating, allowing just 102.4 points per 100 possessions. In these three games, the Knicks have beaten the Wolves (#1 seed in the West), the Bulls (#10 seed in the East) and the Sixers (#3 seed in the East).

We detailed how OG locked up Ant Edwards (and, occasionally, Karl-Anthony Towns) in the victory over Minnesota. Then put the clamps on DeMar DeRozan two nights later. On Friday, All-Star-bound Tyrese Maxey was locked up in OG prison.

Maxey scored five points on 2-of-8 shooting when defended by Anunoby (over 44 possessions / 7:14 of matchup minutes). When guarded by any other Knicks player, he scored 22 points on 7-of-12 shooting

.

Coach Tom Thibodeau effusively praised his defensive stopper after the game. "OG is very serious," Thibs said. "He wants to do well, and I think his mind is open. He plays incredibly hard on every possession, so even if it's not perfect right now, it's still gonna be good."

"Your hustle can make up for a lot. And that's really what he's doing. And each day, he'll get better and better, and guys are starting to figure him out, as well. So that takes a little bit of time. But help where you can hustle, be in passing lanes, get deflections, help out on the boards, play physical, run the floor, move without the ball," Thibodeau added. "Those are things that he does great. And then as time goes on, he'll find more places where he can get scoring opportunities, too."

Incredibly, the Knicks have outscored their opponents by 74 points in OG's first 106 minutes in a Knicks uniform. Per Basketball Reference, +74 is the highest plus/minus posted by any player in NBA history over his first three games for a franchise.

Other Takeaways and Knicks Notes:

🏀 If we are mentioning +/- or highlighting depth and defense, we have to shoutout Josh Hart, who tallied 10 points, 15 rebounds, and six assists and was a mind-boggling +46 in 30 minutes of action vs. Philly. That's the highest +/- in a game this season and tied for the highest single-game plus/minus in NBA history.

(Brunson, when asked about Hart's +46, deadpanned: "I could care less.”)

It's obviously a small sample size, but the "big lineup" the Knicks have featured occasionally (Brunson, Hart, OG, Randle, and iHart) has been dominant defensively. They have logged 18 minutes together this month and have posted an Offensive Rating of 116.7 and a Defensive Rating of 77.1, which sums to a Net Rating of 39.5.

I could see Thibs employing this unit if his team needs stops late in games.

🏀 With so many Knicks playing so well Friday night, this is the first time in this newsletter that I'm sending some well-deserved flowers in Isaiah Hartenstein's direction.

Matched up with the league's reigning MVP, iHart more than held his own, finishing with 17 points (on 8-of-9 shooting), six rebounds, five assists, two steals and two blocks in 35 minutes.

Yes, the Sixers (shamefully) left Embiid in the game so he could extend his 30/10 streak, but in the 25 minutes that iHart was on the floor, New York outscored Philly by 26 points. Conversely, Embiid was a game-low -29 in his 36 minutes of action.

Over the past three weeks, Hartenstein has had multiple games of more than 15 rebounds, multiple games of more than five assists, multiple games of 3+ blocks and multiple games of 3+ steals.

He continues to provide incredible all-around contributions on a nightly basis. Since being inserted into the starting lineup in mid-December, iHart is the only player in the NBA averaging at least ten rebounds, 1.5 steals and 1.5 blocks per game.

If we limit the criteria to 10+ boards with at least 1.0 steals and 1.0 blocks, six players qualify: Joel Embiiid, Nikola Jokic, Anthony Davis, Andre Drummond, Giannis Antetokounmpo and iHart.

🏀 Oh hey, the Knicks also have that Jalen Brunson guy at point guard. JB finished 30 points (11-of-20 FGs, 4-of-4 FTs), three rebounds, two assists, one steal, one block, and four 3-pointers in 32 minutes vs. Philly. Ho hum. It's wild that we are relatively unfazed when Brunson pours in 30 points against a team that came into the game ranked second in the NBA in Defensive Rating.

🏀 Julius Randle had arguably his worst game of the season Friday night vs. the Sixers, tallying just eight points, seven rebounds and five assists. He shot 1-of-11 from the floor and committed four turnovers. Yet, due to the depth/defense detailed above, the Knicks were still able to cruise to a blowout victory over an excellent team on the road.

🏀 Malachi Flynn had been sidelined by a sprained ankle since being traded to New York but was cleared to play Friday and made his Knicks debut in garbage time. Thibs said Flynn would only see "situational" minutes going forward, so the newcomer will likely remain out of the rotation if McBride plays well.

🏀 Down on the farm, Dylan Windler set an all-time G-League record on Friday by ripping down 33 rebounds in the Westchester Knicks' loss to the Delaware Blue Coats. Windler also scored a team-high 23 points. Jacob Toppin chipped in 20 points (on 9-of-16 shooting), five boards and eight assists.

🏀 Next Up: The Knicks are back in action tonight when they take on the Wizards in DC (7:00 pm tip).

Washington was blown out by the Cavs in Cleveland last night, so they will also be on the back end of a back-to-back. The Wiz rank 25th in the NBA in Offensive Rating and dead last in DefRtg. They are the only team in the league allowing more than 121 points per 100 possessions. So, yes, the Knicks should be able to feast and boost their scoring numbers against the uninterested and lackadaisical Wizard's defense.

Kyle Kuzma, the team's leading scorer at 22.8 PPG, will get the OG treatment this evening. Good luck.

Jordan Poole has been even more inefficient than usual of late. Over his last four games, Poole has averaged 10.0 points while shooting 37.2% from the floor and 22.7% from downtown.

Of the 520 players that have appeared in an NBA game this season, Poole has the worst individual cumulative plus/minus in the league. The Wiz have been outscored by 342 points in the 955 minutes he's been on the floor.

As an aside, Poole has a legitimate chance to make history this year by breaking the NBA record for worst plus/minus in a single season. If he can stay healthy, he is on pace to become the first player in recorded NBA tracking data history (which goes back to the start of the 1996-97 season) to post a plus-minus south of -800.

Only two players have ever slipped below -700:
Dean Garrett was -761 for Denver in 1997-98
and
Michael Olowokandi was -711 for the Clips in the 1999-2000