Knicks Disintegrate in Second Half of Win over Pacers
The return of RJ Barrett to the lineup served as a reminder of how disruptive he is to team chemistry. In 41 minutes, he managed to put up 23 shots, 11 more than Jules, 12 more than Q, who was 6 – 11 for 18 points. Q also led the team with a +14 rating, Jules was next with a +9. A prime example of RJ’s tunnel vision, selfishness and/or low BB IQ was his end to end foray with a defensive rebound. In an attempt to get to the rim, Barrett Canadian stumbled, that’s the Euro step plus one or two, smack into Duarte. He lost the ball.
On a night when the opposition’s plan was to double Brunson and Randle whenever possible, RJ took full advantage and generally took good, open shots. No argument with a shooter taking open shots. There was no need for Barrett to force shots because there was always an open man available to receive a pass. However, as the game progressed, Barrett began to fire away.
When you play with a high volume shooter, your shooting rhythm suffers for two reasons. First, you are not getting enough touches. Second, you don’t know when or where to expect the ball. Stay tuned for future reports on Knick chemistry.
The all too familiar Julius Randlle also reappeared, six TOs and lackadaisical D. The team needs Randle to continue to be involved on the defensive end> Jules was alert and aggressive against Giannis and the Bucks. He must not abandon his commitment to D. Is Julius randle going to return to the 2021 -22 funk because he is not getting 18 – 20 FGAs per game? This is another negative of Rjs hogging the shots.
Disaster lurks when the Knicks focus on scoring and neglect digging in on defense.