Knicks Bounce Back With Victory Over LA

Mitch Rob is making a case he deserves to be in the Defensive Player of the Year conversation.

Final Score: Knicks 111 - Clippers 97
Knicks record: 3-4 (1-2 at home)

New York needed this one. 

The specter of falling three games below .500, even this early in the season, was daunting. And after a sloppy first half, New York was in trouble against a Clippers team that has played well this season and got a boost from James Harden making his debut with the club. 

However, Julius Randle bounced back in a big way, the Knicks got a big boost of their own via the return of RJ Barrett, and the 'Bockers bench gave the club a huge spark in the second half. 

Yet, the biggest difference-maker in this contest (as has been the case much of the season) was the incredible effort and production from Mitchell Robinson.

Mitch Rob scored a season-high 13 points (6-of-10 FGs and 1-of-1 FTs) and ripped down 15 boards (including nine on the offensive end) in Monday's victory, to go along with four steals. 

Through the first couple of weeks of the 2023-24 campaign, Robinson has undoubtedly been New York's most consistent and most valuable player. The stats this man is posting are eye-popping. He is currently averaging 12.4 rebounds, a league-leading 6.4 offensive boards, 1.7 steals and 1.1 blocks. 

How dominant has Mitch Rob been on the offensive glass? Over New York's last five games, he's averaging 7.2 offensive rebounds, which is more than the Lakers' entire team (7.0) combined over that same stretch.

According to Basketball Reference, Robinson is just the fifth player in league history with 45+ O-boards over the first seven games of an NBA season. The other four in this exclusive are Moses Malone, Dennis Rodman, Andre Drummond, and Jayson Williams. That is some ELITE company when it comes to crashing the glass. 

One of the advanced metrics BBall Ref records is Offensive Rebound Percentage, which is the % of OffRebs a player grabs when they are on the floor. Well, after leading the NBA in this category in 2022-23 at 18.4%, Mitch Rob is up to a ridiculous 20.9% this season - just above the all-time record of 20.8%, set by Dennis Rodman in 1994-95. 

Robinson is the only player in the NBA this season to tally more than 75 total rebounds, more than ten steals and at least eight rejections. And the only reason his block numbers aren't higher is because opponents have learned not to test Robinson around the rim. 

Looking at the big picture, the Knicks Defensive Rating now sits at 103.2, the second-best DefRtg in the NBA this season. New York allows fewer than 102 points per 100 possessions with Mitchell Robinson on the floor.

Yes, Mitch is making a case he deserves to be in the Defensive Player of the Year conversation.

This is all despite the fact that his teammates rarely reward the big man on the other end. As I have detailed previously, New York needs to do a better job incorporating Robinson into the offense by throwing him lobs out of half-court sets. 

Still, Robinson finds ways to contribute offensively. He averages 2.7 screen assists a night (top 20 in the NBA), which leads to 6.0 points. 

A big reason for Mitch Rob's remarkable production this season has been his ability to stay on the floor. Not only is he in the best shape of his career, allowing him to average more than 29 minutes a night while giving 100% every second he's on the floor, but he's also staying out of foul trouble.

As a rookie, Robinson averaged 5.7 fouls per 36 minutes. Coming into 2023-24, he'd never averaged fewer than 3.6 fouls per 36. Through seven games this season, that number has dipped to just 2.6.

It's also worth pointing out that Robinson has turned the ball over just three times this season. To put that in context: A total of 90 players have grabbed 35+ total rebounds this season - Robinson is the only one with fewer than five turnovers. 

The fact that he has 42 more offensive rebounds than turnovers is mind-boggling… 

Other Takeaways and Knicks Notes:

🏀 As we know, Julius Randle was off to a historically awful start this season and desperately needed to get on track vs. the Clips. He did just that, tallying 27 points, ten rebounds, three assists, and three 3-pointers in 37 minutes. Randle was far from perfect, shooting just 9-of-21 from the floor and committing six turnovers, but Monday was a step in the right direction. Just as importantly, he competed on the defensive end. We'll see if he keeps it up. 

After the game, he acknowledged he benefited from the fans inside MSG supporting him through his struggles. "I definitely felt the energy of the fans, them getting behind me. It was much needed," Randle said. "After a rough start, I tried to stay even-keeled, level-headed, know it always comes back around—but having energy from the fans definitely made it easier for me."

🏀 After missing two consecutive contests due to patellar tendinopathy in his left knee, RJ Barrett returned to action Monday night and racked up 26 points (9-of-16 FGs, 6-of-6 FTs), six rebounds, four assists, and two 3-pointers in 31 minutes. It was clear how much the Knicks missed this version of RJ. 

Barrett has been remarkably efficient this season. He is now shooting 44% from behind the arc and 85% from the charity stripe. For a player who has typically struggled early in the year (last season, he shot below 38% from the floor and below 15% from downtown through the first five games), getting off to a good start is undoubtedly encouraging. 

Among all players averaging 5+ three-point attempts per game, RJ is one of only five shooting above 43% from deep and above 85% from the stripe. The other four are Steph Curry, Lauri Markkanen, Paul George and Tyrese Maxey. Furthermore, RJ's +/- numbers this season are fantastic (more on that later this week).

However, I'd be lying if I said the knee issue wasn't concerning. Barrett looked sharp on Monday but admitted he's far from 100%. "Just trying not to think about it. Still a little sore, playing through it," Barrett said after the game. "I'm going to have to live with the pain. Got to be mentally tough and fight through it… (It's) something I've got to deal with for a little bit," he added. "But continuing to get treatment and just staying on top of what I need to do, and I'll be okay."

It's obviously something we'll keep an eye on. 

(As an aside, Mike Breen made a good point in Monday's broadcast: "Patrick Ewing played 15 years with 'knee soreness.'"

🏀 The Knicks backcourt stunk vs. the Clippers. Brunson shot 2-for-12 and committed four turnovers. Grimes was 1-of-4 with one rebound and zero assists in 21 minutes. New York was lucky to survive a pair of duds from their starting PG and SG.

🏀 Donte DiVincenzo enjoyed his first few "Garden Moments" in his best game as a Knick. DDV finished with 12 points, six boards, three treys, one steal and one block in just 16 minutes. He spearheaded a frenetic, uptempo attack by the bench mob in the second half, which led to New York shooting 54% from the floor after the break. 

"We turned them over, got out in the open floor," Donte DiVincenzo said postgame. "I think we're really good in the open floor and pushing pace. Because then guys can get rhythm shots. And then when we slow down in the half court, everybody's in a rhythm, everybody's feeling comfortable."

🏀 Josh Hart tallied 10 points, seven dimes, three boards and two steals. Before the game, he told reporters: "Listen, I just got to make a f–king shot. That's all it is. They're all good shots. I just got to make sure I'm being fundamentally sound when I'm shooting the shots. Small parts of my shots, fundamentally, I have to tweak and change and do those kinds of things. So the biggest thing for me — I'm putting the work in, I'm shooting them every day. I just got to make sure and take them with confidence, and they're going to fall." Hart was 4-of-9 from the floor in Monday's win. 

🏀 Immanuel Quickley was a key contributor off the bench as well, chipping in seven points and five assists in 20 minutes. IQ posted a game-high +22 plus-minus… iHart had six points, three boards, two dimes, and two steals in 13 minutes… This was a game where the Knicks used their superior bench unit (IQ, DDV, iHart, and Hart alongside RJ) to grind down and speed past an opponent. 

🏀 Next Up: Victor Wembanyama and the Spurs on Wednesday. 

San Antonio got off to a great start this season. After beating the Suns in Phoenix in back-to-back games last week, the Spurs improved to 3-2 and were raising eyebrows around the NBA. However, San Antonio has dropped two straight since then. Sunday in Toronto, the Spurs built a massive 22-point lead before giving it all back and falling to the Raptors in OT. And Monday night in Indiana, they were crushed by the Pacers, 152-111. 

The Knicks can get back to .500 on the season (and back to .500 at home) by taking care of business against an inferior opponent Wednesday evening. There will be extra energy in the building, as Wemby will be playing inside the World's Most Famous Arena for the first time in his career, but New York has to come out and jump on the Spurs early. 

After Wednesday's matchup, the Knicks don't play again until Sunday afternoon vs. the Hornets. It's important that they carry momentum into these off days.