Knicks Roller-Coaster Season Continues

When they hold their opponents to less than 109 points this season, New York is a perfect 12-0. When they allow their opponents to score more than 111 points this season, New York is 3-14.

My daughter loves roller coasters, as does my maniac son, even though he's only three. I, on the other hand, am afraid of even the kiddie coasters. At the Queens County Fair this Fall, my wife took the kids on nearly all the rides. I took pictures. 

So, yeah, it shouldn't be shocking that I haven't loved the roller-coaster ride that has been the first ten weeks of the Knicks 2022-23 campaign. 

A week ago, the Knicks were the hottest team in the NBA. After demolishing the Warriors by 36 points, New York had extended its win streak to a league-high eight games. However, after a tough loss to the Raptors last Wednesday and a heartbreaking defeat to the Bull on Friday, the 'Bockers hoped to snap their skid Sunday vs. the Sixers. 

The Knicks looked good early on, racing out to a 14-point lead in the quarter, and they maintained that advantage over the game's first 40 minutes. They were still up nine mid-way through the third. 

Then the fourth-quarter collapse commenced. Philadelphia outscored New York 24-16 in the final frame en route to a comfortable 119-112 win. Unsurprisingly, the Sixers' two top guns did the most damage. James Harden had 29 points, four rebounds, 13 assists, four steals, and five 3-pointers. Joel Embiid was quiet in the first half, but the league's leading scorer finished 35 points and eight boards in 33 minutes. 

The other Sixer responsible for sinking the Knicks down the stretch was reserve forward Georges Niang, who scored 12 of his 16 points (on four made three-pointers) in the fourth quarter. Possession after possession late in the game, Niang was left wide open behind the arc. 

Asked by reporters about his loose looks after the game, Niang replied: "I mean, I don't know why they were playing in drop coverage. I probably haven't seen that since college, maybe."

Drop coverage (when a screener's defender drops below the screener - usually remaining near the free throw line area during a high pick-and-roll by the offensive team) is a somewhat antiquated defensive concept that has been an issue for the Knicks during coach Tom Thibodeau's entire tenure in New York. Drop coverage can be effective if the offensive team is inefficient from long range. That wasn't the case with Philly on Christmas Day, and the Knicks paid the price. 

In this clip, you can see Randle, who was guarding Niang, drop all the way to the dotted line by the time Niang releases his jumper.

Similar situation in this clip, which was the Sixers' very next offensive possession. Randle drops into the paint, and Niang ends up with another triple after a couple of passes. 

During the Knicks' win streak in mid-December, Fred Katz of The Athletic wrote about how Julius Randle was switching far more frequently on screens. "I've always felt that was the best way for me defensively with our team," Randle said. "There are different things I have to do, and I can adjust. But me using my God-given athletic ability, my feet, my quickness, my strength, all those different things — I feel like it's best more times than not to switch on guards and keeping the ball in front of me. But whatever coach asks, I'll do it."