RIP The Knicks 2021-22 Season
The real shame of this season is that not only have the Knicks embarrassed themselves on the floor on a nightly basis, but they also haven't benefited/learned from those defeats...
The season started with such promise.
Coming off a shockingly successful 2020-21 campaign which saw New York finish ten games above .500 and advance to the playoffs, the Knicks beat the Celtics in overtime on opening night at MSG back in October, which led to this epic video:
Well, the 'Bockers much-ballyhooed 2021-22 season effectively ended with a whimper last night.
After blowing yet another double-digit fourth-quarter lead, the Knicks fell to the Hawks 117-111 on Tuesday. With only ten games left in the season, New York now trails Atlanta by six games for the final berth in the Eastern Conference's Play-In Tournament.
Once again, it was Hawks PG Trae Young who put the nail in the Knicks coffin. After almost single-handedly eliminating New York in the first round of last year's playoffs, Young tallied 45 points and eight assists last night.
Tuesday's game had all the hallmarks of a typical Knicks 2021-22 loss, including the opposing point guard outplaying his New York counterpart. Another theme from this season that was present last night was head coach Tom Thibodeau stubbornly relying on his veterans.
Alec Burks logged 36 minutes vs. Atlanta. The only two players to spend more time on the court were Young and RJ Barrett. And with Burks getting that much playing time, it meant rookie PG Miles McBride saw only 8 minutes of action, and Quentin Grimes played only 12 mins off the bench.
With Julius Randle sidelined by a sore quad (Thibs said Randle has been dealing with soreness that hasn't gone away and would be considered day-to-day), Knicks fans were excited for the opportunity to watch plenty of Obi Toppin. However, after racking up 10 points and seven rebounds, Obi was replaced by Taj Gibson with two minutes and 42 seconds remaining in the third quarter. Stunningly, Gibson would never check back out, paying the rest of the third and the entire fourth quarter. Obi would not see the floor again the rest of the way.
All told, the 36-year-old Gibson logged a total of 20 minutes. That's more playing time than three players the Knicks selected in the 2021 draft: McBride, Grimes and Jericho Sims. Gibson also attempted five shots, as many as Deuce, Grimes and Sims combined.
This is not meant as a knock on Taj. He's a great locker room leader and can still contribute to a winning NBA team despite his advanced age. However, it's pretty safe to assume we all feel comfortable knowing what Gibson brings to the table. Similarly, we weren't going to discover anything about Alec Burks last night.
What the Knicks front office needs to learn is how rookies such as Sims, Grimes and McBride respond in pressurized situations late in nationally televised games inside a hectic MSG. Unlike those three rookies, Burks and Gibson are on the back end of their careers and likely won't be Knicks 12 months from now. Among the trio of Sims, Grimes and McBride (as well as Cam Reddish, who was riding the pine before his injury), one or two of them might develop into a reliable starter, quality role player, or even a foundational building block.
Yet, those young players need an opportunity to showcase their skill set. Not just in practice or in G League games, but in front of crazed crowds under the bright lights of Broadway.
Team president Leon Rose and company have to make some huge decisions this summer.
Concerning the point guard position, do they throw $80 million at Jalen Brunson or another free agent, or do they see what they have in McBride (with Derrick Rose backing him up)?
In the middle, do they pony up $50+ million to keep Mitchell Robinson in New York? Certainly, they'd feel more comfortable letting Mitch Rob walk if they felt Sims could handle an increased workload.
Will Rose seriously consider trading away Julius Randle? Part of the calculus in that decision is determining whether or not Toppin is a starting-caliber power forward in the NBA.
If the 2021-22 Knicks were legit contenders, and Gibson and Burks were linchpins on a team with a winning record, Thibs' refusal to play the kids would be far more understandable. However, the reality is the Knicks are 12 games under .500 and have been one of the worst teams in the NBA over the past two months. They are 8-21 dating back to mid-January. No team in the Eastern Conference has fewer wins during this current stretch.
And, somehow, the Knicks brass has gleaned very little knowledge to help answer the above questions related to Obi, Deuce and Sims.
After Tuesday's loss, Thibs stated he left Gibson on the floor the entirety of the fourth quarter because he trusted Gibson to make the right reads and plays on the defensive end.
Did Obi have some lapses on defense last night? Yes, absolutely. However, the issue is Toppin will never be able to earn Thibs' trust in big moments if he never sees the floor in the fourth quarter.
Allow Toppin to fail if that's what it takes. There is value in that. Learning from mistakes is a cruel but crucial part of growing as an NBA player.
Ditto for Sims and McBride. Deuce hasn't been afforded the opportunity to show whether or not he has the potential to be a rotation player (or possibly a starting point guard) in the NBA. And that's the real shame of this season. Not only have the Knicks embarrassed themselves on the floor and in the fourth quarter on a nightly basis, but they also haven't benefited from those defeats in a way that could help the team going forward.
The Knicks were defeated Tuesday night (just as they have in 21 of their last 29 games), so why not lose and learn. It certainly beats slamming your head against the wall for the 42nd time and losing without gaining any additional knowledge about the youngsters on your roster.