The Knicks road to improvement this year lies in everyone committing to play all the roles expected of them when they step on the court. Happily, Brunson, Randle and Barrett have seemingly made positive adjustments in their games.
Jalen has taken 20 threes in 2 games, more than doubling his 4.7 FGAs last year when he averaged .416 from deep. His forays into the lane have been far less successful. Jalen is 6 – 22 (.272) inside athe arc in the first two games with 11 assists. The more success he has outside, the more open his driving lanes will be. Averaging 8 assists per game would also be an important ingredient to team success.
When your PG has so much shake in his game, it is difficult for the other players to recognize cutting opportunities. Brunson’s one thousand moves are as confusing to his teammates as to the player guarding him. Shoot the three Jalen, shoot it!
Julius Randle may have seen the light. Three TOs in two games with 23 boards and 16 assists. Jules is also 6 – 13 (.461) from three. Randle is capable of 40% from outside the arc. Shoot the three Jules, shoot it.
Has RJ Barrett also seen the light? Perhaps his FIBA experience with Team Canada helped bring him back to reality. He is a member of a team, not The Team. RJ has had 8 assists in two games with 5 TOs. Barrett is 5 – 10 (50%) on threes and is likely to hit .375 – .400 this year.
As a group, these guys are not good defenders. Brunson and Barrett have limited quickness, and Jalen is very short by NBA standards. However, RJ’s awareness on D may have improved as he is getting deflections as well as a steal or two. They are fortunate to have Mitchell Robinson to attack blow byes.
Julius Randle’s lackadaisical D is another matter. Yes, Jules doesn’t possess great hops. Perhaps his inability to be a human eraser has made him gun shy of being posterized. But Randle has all the gifts needed to be a staunch defender. He has height, length, strength and quickness. It is most annoying when he stands around like a ball boy for the layup line while giving opponents a free lane to the hoop. No one can lock up Giannis, but Julius Randle could give him a hard way to go if he had a mind to. With his offensive flaws more or less in check, it would be great to see Jules really dig in on D.