The Knicks led Cleveland by 13 points with 4:30 to go in the third quarter on Monday night — they were at home — elite teams find a way to close these games out.
The Knicks didn’t play like an elite team late in Monday’s game.
They shot 10-for-28 in the final 16 minutes of the game. They allowed Darius Garland to go off for 15 points in the fourth quarter. And they let a winnable game slip away.
Part of the issue? They didn’t talk enough when things got tight in the fourth quarter.
“It’s early for us (in season) but I think we have to communicate to each other a little better. I think when they were making their (run) we just stayed a little silent,” Mikal Bridges said. “It’s tough. I think we all know it’s just a run, so we will be okay. But sometimes you have to vocalize to each other and listen. ‘Are we good?’ And talk to each other on the court when things happen. I think we got a little quiet. And they felt that and they kind of got a little loud and a little momentum. But… it’s early.”
It’s reasonable to look at Monday’s game and see a Knicks team still getting accustomed to one another.
Karl-Anthony Towns took just eight shots. That probably won’t happen often this season.
Jalen Brunson shot 8-for-24. That also probably won’t happen often this season.
So in the best-case scenario, Monday’s loss was a learning experience for the Knicks, but it did highlight some issues that need to be sorted out.
One is the Knicks’ volume of threes. New York took eight more shots than Cleveland on Monday, but attempted eight fewer three pointers than the Cavs. Compared to the rest of the league, the Knicks haven’t attempted many threes so far. It’s worth noting because perimeter shooting has been a point of emphasis for the group.
“We have to generate more (threes). Sometimes it’s a byproduct of deep-paint decisions,(making) the read,” head coach Tom Thibodeau said. “Obviously you want as many layups as you can get. If there’s two on you, spread it out. And then everyone has to – you can’t just stare at the ball, you have to stare at the whole court… You’ve got to read the man in front of you, what’s he doing so we don’t get guys drifting up on each other.”
It was glaring to see Towns take just two three-point attempts in 30-plus minutes.
When asked after the game about the Cavs’ defense and Towns’ shot attempts, Brunson put the onus on himself.
“It’s on us. It’s on me as a teammate… to make sure we’re all on the same page, making sure everyone’s eating. I’ve got to be better when it comes to that,” Brunson said.
ADDITIONS/CHANGES TO ROTATION?
The Knicks should be adding more shooting soon. New York needs to add two players by Nov. 5 to satisfy league roster rules. There’s mutual interest between Matt Ryan and the Knicks. If Landry Shamet can make it back from his dislocated shoulder, he is a strong candidate to return to the club.
I still think center Ariel Hukporti will get converted from a two-way contract to a traditional deal. The Knicks’ G League team – the Westchester Knicks – drafted both Shamet and Ryan with their first two picks in Saturday’s draft.
“We’ll see how it goes,” Thibodeau said when asked about Ryan and Shamet getting drafted. “Obviously, Landry is going through the rehab process. We’re excited about Matt, just because of the skill set, the shooting. Feel like you can’t have enough shooting, but we like both guys a lot.”
Hukporti also played 12 minutes off the bench against Cleveland and played ahead of Jericho Sims for most of the game.
“Getting a look at someone different to try to change it up. Their bigs are pretty dynamic. We wanted to see what it would look like,” Thibodeau said, adding that Hukporti’s minutes against the Cavs were “solid.”
Thibodeau said Josh Hart has a bruise but he did not know his status moving forward. Hart left the game in the second half after colliding with Caris LeVert. LeVert’s knee hit Hart’s shin as they both were going for the ball. Jalen Brunson said after the game that his leg was fine. He left the game for a few minutes in the second half after feeling discomfort following a drive to the lane.
KEEP AN EYE ON ATKINSON AND THE CAVS
If healthy, the Cavs should be one of the tougher teams in the Eastern Conference. Former Nets coach Kenny Atkinson leads a group with several top players on multi-year deals (Donovan Mitchell, Garland, Evan Mobley, Jarrett Allen).
Garland hurt the Knicks on Monday, but keep an eye on Mobley’s play this season.
“ We have a real plan for him….With all his off-court work, what he’s doing in the weight room, off-court habits, all that stuff. It’s really a holistic approach, and I really believe in it,” Atkinson said. “I’m thrilled so far. I think he’s already taken steps strategically. We’re doing some different things with him.”
Atkinson is a different coach than he was in Brooklyn. He said that his time as an assistant in Golden State and with the Clippers changed his approach, as he learned a lot from Steve Kerr and Ty Lue.
“And then maybe more important than that is being with players that have done it at the highest level,” Atkinson said on Monday. “Steph (Curry), Draymond (Green), Klay (Thompson), Paul George, Kawhi (Leonard). You learn so much from those guys….it’s funny how things work out. You get fired. You’re like, ‘Oh man. What am I gonna do?’ And then it turns out to actually be, it’s kind of what I needed. I needed more exposure to championship cultures.”
Atkinson, a Long Island native and former Knicks assistant, believes the Knicks are a championship contender with Towns at center.
“(Towns) makes it really hard because of his ability to spread the floor; he can spread the floor and shoot the three obviously, but also (produce) in the post and he’s expanded his game where he can drive a close out,” he said. “So when you’re a center in this league and you can do all three of those things, it’s really difficult (to defend).
“What an incredible pickup for the Knicks. As soon as I saw that, I said they’re championship contenders because he’s that good. He’s really improved. His defense has improved since the first couple of years. Heck of a player.”