Knicks Wax the Woeful Wizards

Crisp ball movement and taking care of the basketball have been an area of emphasis for New York since head coach Tom Thibodeau's arrival and have been a common theme in their wins this season.

Final Score: Knicks 134 - Wizards 106
Record: 8-6

I remember when I took my first job out of college, working for State Street Bank up in Boston; I was so pleasantly surprised when I learned about "PTO" (or "paid time off"), a benefit that allows employees to take time off from work while still being compensated. 

For quality NBA teams in 2024, playing the Wizards must feel like the equivalent of PTO.

Washington is awful offensively, ranking 29th in OffRtg. Somehow, they are even worse on the defensive end. They rank dead last in DefEff, as they are the only team in the NBA giving up more than 120 points per 100 possessions.

New York fans following the Knicks for the past two decades know all too well what it's like to be one of those clubs that other NBA squads view as a "paid night off." Yet, sometimes, even the best teams get sloppy against subpar opponents and play with their food. That did not happen Monday night at MSG, as the 'Bockers blitzed the Wiz and never gave them an inkling of hope that this would be a competitive contest.  

After a roller-coaster start to the season, the Knicks and their fans needed a laugher, and the home team delivered. 

Jalen Brunson led the way for New York, authoring one of the season's most impressively efficient games. The Captain scored a game-high 26 points, shooting 9-of-15 from the floor, 5-of-9 from downtown and 3-of-3 from the charity stripe. He also dished out a game-high 11 assists (vs. zero turnovers). It's the first time in the NBA this season that a player has tallied more than 25 points and more than ten dimes without committing a single turnover. JB is the only player in the history of the Knicks franchise to accomplish this feat. 

Crisp ball movement and taking care of the basketball have been an area of emphasis for New York since head coach Tom Thibodeau's arrival and have been a common theme in their wins this season.

The Knicks handed out 37 assists in Monday's victory and turned the rock over only eight times. That's the most assists New York has recorded in a game at MSG since 1994. Per Basketball Reference, it's the first time in franchise history NY has ever amassed 37+ dimes and fewer than nine TOs. 

"When you play like that [with a lot of movement], the ball breathes, and there's a good energy to it," Thibodeau said after the win. "I thought the unselfishness was terrific."

New York is now 6-1 when they reach the 30-assist plateau. The one loss was the heart-breaking one-point defeat to Chicago (a game in which NY committed 15 turnovers).