Knicks Fall to the Thunder in OKC

Thibs also talks a lot about sacrifice... but it seems the same players are always asked to sacrifice shots and minutes.

Final Score: Knicks 120 - Thunder 129
Record: 17-13

Tom Thibodeau is going to win his 500th career game next month. He's been the Knicks' best coach since Jeff Van Gundy skipped town two decades ago. Thibs is correctly credited with helping New York evolve from a league-wide laughingstock into a quality contender. 

For those reasons, one might assume he'd be universally loved by the fanbase. But that's not the case. He's a lightning rod, sparking debate and division among the team's loyal supporters. Yes, he's raised the franchise's floor, but does he also limit their ceiling? Yes, he's been the team's best coach this century, but he also has presided over the best roster (by far) and under the best front office New York has seen since the early 2000s.

Remarkably, several issues that have bedeviled and frustrated fans during Thibs' tenure reared their ugly head in the same game Wednesday night in OKC. 

Let's start with the Immanuel Quickley conundrum, as that generated the most vitriol online last night. 

IQ was almost single-handedly keeping the Knicks within striking distance in the second half against a supremely talented OKC squad. He had knocked down two clutch three-pointers and was a perfect 4-for-4 from the floor. 

However, after Jalen Williams hit a contested pull-up jumper over Quickley with four minutes left in the fourth quarter, Thibs motioned to the end of the bench and had Barrett (who was 5-of-14 with five turnovers) sub in for IQ. 

Immediately upon checking in, RJ would commit a turnover on the inbounds. On the Knicks next possession, Barrett missed an open three-pointer. OKC then came down the court, and Williams buried a triple. After a Brunson runner, Williams drained another three-pointer after Barrett left him to double SGA. 

Replacing IQ with RJ was a mistake in judgment by Thibs. New York was probably going to lose the game anyway, but the move highlighted Thibodeau's stubborn rigidity. 

Speaking with reporters after the game, when he was asked why he subbed in RJ, ​​Thibodeau referenced OKC's length on the wing and said that "sometimes you need size," after alluding to RJ switching onto taller opponents. 

When pressed, Thibs stated, "If you look at our fourth quarter numbers, they're really, really good. Both in terms of Offensive Rating, Defensive Rating, and Net Rating. That's what I look at. You're looking at all the personnel that you have, and sometimes it's how you're matching up." He finished his response by repeating, "You look at our fourth quarter numbers - Offensive Rating, Defensive Rating, and Net Rating, I think those things are important. We have good players, and as I said, you can't play everyone. And you ask everyone to sacrifice."

Like most coaches, Thibs is often dismissive of the media. Last year during training camp, I personally asked Thibs about his reluctance to play Obi Toppin alongside Julius Randle despite the team posting solid advanced metrics when they shared the floor together. "It's not only the numbers; I actually watch the games," a testy Thibs responded. 

Well, when Thibs refers to numbers such as Offensive and Defensive Rating, we (the media) have access to those stats as well. 

And in regards to the team's performance in the fourth quarter this season, he's correct. Per NBA.com tracking data, New York has the fourth-best Net Rating in the league, outscoring their opponents by 7.7 points per 100 possessions. (They rank 7th in DefRtg and 11th in OffRtg)

Yet, Immanuel Quickley is a primary driver of that success. IQ leads the team in individual fourth-quarter Net Rating. New York is outscoring their opponents by a whopping 14.6 points per 100 possessions with Quickley on the court. 

Compared directly with Barrett, the team has a better Offensive Rating AND a better Defensive Rating with IQ on the floor. 

Yes, Quickley isn't as tall or as long as Barrett, but he's a more efficient scorer and a better/smarter defender. The Knicks score more points on offense and give up fewer points on defense with IQ on the court. And that's the name of the game. 

Remarkably, Quickley ranks eighth in the NBA (just behind Giannis Antetokounmpo and just ahead of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander) in cumulative plus/minus in the fourth quarter this season at +78. The seven players ahead of IQ are all either Bucks or Sixers. 

This isn't surprising to subscribers of this newsletter. As I detailed in-depth earlier this week, Quickley's advanced metrics are incredibly impressive. And they have been since his rookie season. He's a winning player that makes winning plays. 

After scoring 20 points in 22 minutes in Monday's victory over the Bucks, Quickley finished Wednesday's contest with 20 points in 24 minutes. In the process, he became just the second Knick in the last 50+ years to score at least 20 points and shoot at least 70% from the field off the bench in consecutive games. 

On the opposite end of the spectrum, you have RJ Barrett, who has been ice-cold for the better part of six weeks. Dating back to Thanksgiving, RJ is the only player in the NBA averaging more than 14 FG attempts per game, yet shooting below 40% from the floor and below 25% from three-point territory. Over his last four games, Barrett has three more turnovers (11) than assists (8).

 The distinction between the two players was clear and obvious last night in Oklahoma City. One player had it going. The other player hasn't been able to buy a bucket. Thibs is fond of saying, "The game tells you what to do." Well, the game was telling everybody but Thibs to leave IQ in. He had earned the right to play the final four minutes.