A look at Two Disappointing Weeks of Knicks Basketball
Last season the New York Knicks made it to the 2nd round of the Eastern Conference playoffs and are looking to go further this season. So far over the first two weeks of the season they hold a record of 2-3. Their first game they suffered a lost to the Boston Celtics 108-104.
Immanuel Quickley led the way off the bench scoring 24 points, RJ Barrett also scored the same. Julius Randle and Jalen Brunson both had a hard time scoring with a combined 11-43 from the field.
After this game they went on a two-game road trip to Atlanta and New Orleans. In Atlanta they won 126-120. Brunson found his shot from deep going 8-12 from beyond the arc to lead the way. After a good shooting night in Atlanta, it was not the same in New Orleans.
Barrett led the way with 18 points, but the shooting woes continued. Brunson had 14 points and was 4-14 from the field and Randle had 10 points and 12 rebounds but was 4-15 from the field.
This past week they faced the Cleveland Cavaliers back-to-back. They won the first game at Cleveland 109-91 but lost the second game at home 95-89. In the first game Randle and Brunson scored 19 points apiece to lead the way. The Knicks played with the lead the whole game.
In the second game things were different. Cavaliers star guard Donovan Mitchell scored 30 to end the Cavs three game losing streak. For the Knicks Brunson had 24 on 8-23 shooting. Donte DiVincenzo and Quickley had great production off the bench scoring 16 and 18 points. Randle had another bad shooting night going 3-15 from the field, only scoring 6 points.
In their first In-Season Tournament game the Knicks took on the Milwaukee Bucks and lost a close one 105-110. Brunson did all he could scoring 45 points, but the rest of the team couldn’t get it going. Quickley came off the bench and scored 14 points. Quentin Grimes had 17 and was 5-10 from downtown. Randles shooting woes continue he put up 16 points and pulled down 12 boards, but he shot 5-20 from the field and 1-9 from beyond the arc.
If Barrett is in this game, then maybe the Knicks have a better chance to win but if the Knicks want to be as competitive as they were last season Randle must come to play. So far this season he is shooting 27.6% from the field and 25.8% from three. That will not cut it especially when Brunson is having a great game scoring in every way, he can Randle needs to step up and get to the basket more to for easy shots.
