Thibs claims minutes are merit-based, but Kemba, IQ and Burks haven't earned their playing time. Deuce McBride deserves an opportunity
The Knicks should start Deuce McBride at point guard in their first game out of the All-Star break.
In the immediate aftermath of the Knicks' most-recent embarrassing defeat, in which they blew a 28-point lead to a Nets team playing without its four best players, head coach Tom Thibodeau seemed to acknowledge he was finally ready to make some wholesale changes.
"Everything's on the table now. It has to be," Thibs told reporters the game. He added that playing time would only be awarded to those players that earned it. "It's gotta be merit-based. I'm not just gonna give minutes to give minutes. That's not happening. You earn what you get."
"It has to be merit-based," he declared. "(If) a guy is playing good, he plays. If the team is functioning well when he's on the floor, he should play. That's the most important thing. The team has to come first for everyone. This can't be about what's best for any one individual. It's what's best for the group."
Thibs concluded by stating, "We got a chance to reset here. We all have to take a hard look at what's going on, and we have to figure out how to do it better."
Those are strong words from a head coach but certainly warranted considering the Knicks' putrid play of late. The truth hurts.
New York entered the All-Star Break having lost 10 of 12 games. Over the last month, the Knicks posted a 3-13 record, which was tied with the Detroit Pistons for the worst record in the NBA.
The remark that stuck out most to me from Thibs' diatribe last Thursday was when he proclaimed that playing time would be "merit-based."
Admittedly, I thought the Knicks front office was wise to roll the dice on Kemba Walker this past offseason. Based on his production in Boston last year, especially on the offensive end (he averaged 28.5 PPG on 51% shooting over his final six regular-season games as a Celtic), I believed offering Walker a team-friendly contract was worth the gamble. Given the Knicks PG situation (Elf Payton started the first two playoff games in the Atlanta series), hoping that Kemba's knee held up made sense.
And I've spilled words in this space highlighting Walker's professionalism and praising his play when he strung together four straight great games after being benched in December.
However, the reality is Kemba's play over the past two months has not warranted a spot in an NBA starting lineup. Over the last 15 games he's appeared in, dating back to late December, Walker is averaging 7.8 points, 3.2 assists, 1.3 turnovers and 0.4 steals in over 23 minutes per game. During this stretch, he's shot 35% from the floor and 28% from behind the arc.
Walker's arthritic knee made it nearly impossible for him to stay in front of opposing point guards on the perimeter, which has crippled the Knicks' team defense. During this most recent 15-game stretch, the Knicks allowed opponents to score 116.7 points per 100 possessions with Kemba on the court. That is by far the worst DefRtg on the team. With Waker on the bench, the Knicks allow ten fewer points per 100 possessions (106.7).
The Knicks have been outscored by 182 points in the 948 minutes Kemba has logged this season. Of the 386 players who have logged fewer than 1,000 minutes this season, only four players have a worse cumulative plus/minus.
Last season, when Elfrid Payton was struggling mightily, Thibs' rationale for keeping him in the starting lineup was that the Knicks were winning basketball games, and chemistry/continuity were crucial factors in the team's success.
However, with Walker in the lineup this winter, the Knicks have been one of the league's worst teams.
If playing time is based on merit, it's hard to justify leaving Walker in the starting lineup.
The Kemba experience was a worthwhile experiment, but it has failed.
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