A third of the season is coming to an end, and the Knicks, coming off a heartbreaking loss to franchise nemesis Trae Young, are still searching for the gritty, relentless identity that saw them overcome last season's mountain of adversity. There is.
Josh Hart cites two reasons, or people.
“Obviously Donte.” [DiVincenzo] He was a big part of our identity while we were being traded. [Isaiah Hartenstein, who left in free agency] That was a big part of its identity,” Hart said. “That's exactly how they played. They played aggressive. They played great defense. Their energy.
“The biggest thing was, when they played, it was contagious. You know, it takes time. It takes time to get to know each other and stuff like that. So we… We've got to go out there and make that the norm. That was last year and we were like, 'Sometimes we might not score, but at the end of the game we'll hang in there and still win.' I knew it.”
Hart didn't mention another important departure, Julius Randle, but the question was about the end of last season. The Knicks were besieged by injured players, Randle among them — and the Knicks went on to win 50 games, followed by a thrilling playoff series with the Knicks. Sixers.
Those Knicks were underdogs.
They didn't have a lottery pick in the playoff rotation.
They were built on securing extra possessions through offensive rebounds and protecting the paint.
These Knicks (15-10) were built differently with higher expectations, but have struggled to achieve consistency.
“Is there a timetable? No, it happens when it happens,” Hart said. “So, if that doesn't happen, I don't think there's a schedule. We're 25 games into the season, we have new pieces coming in, and some of those pieces haven't played all 25 games. We're trying to figure that out. I think we'll be a good team if we do that. We can't say when or if we'll go out there and figure it out. We have to force it and make it happen.”
Some of this is predictable.
By trading center Karl-Anthony Towns for Hartenstein and going with a smaller lineup, the Knicks predictably sacrificed rebounding and paint defense.
They ranked 19th in offensive rebounding percentage on Friday.
Last season it was number 1.
This season, they ranked third in offense and 16th in defense on Friday.
Last season, he was ranked No. 7 in offense and No. 9 in defense.
“What they say is true and I've seen it too. They say offense wins games and defense wins championships. And it's true” for DiVincenzo and Randle. said Towns, who was acquired from the Timberwolves in the offseason. “Just one example: Last year in Minnesota, we got to the Western Conference finals and we got there because of our defense.
“So it's important to get back on the other side of the court and focus and be the best version that we can be. It's obviously great that we have a head start at the moment. Statistically, that We need it offensively to be a team, but our defense has to catch up and meet that standard, and if we can do that, then hopefully by the end of 82 games we'll be in the playoffs and there's an understanding on both sides. Dew.”
The silver lining to Wednesday's brutal loss to the Hawks in the NBA Cup quarterfinals was that it gave the Knicks three days off at home between games, giving them valuable practice time at their Tarrytown facility.
If they had won against the Hawks, the Knicks would have traveled to Las Vegas and would have been on the road for up to 11 consecutive days, depending on whether they made it to the Finals.
So on Friday, they had a chance to address some of the issues that led to the inconsistency and disappearance of their physical identities last season.
“Understanding whatever your team's strengths are and understanding what gives you the best chance to win,” Thibodeau said. “We're still just 25 games in. And we've had to stay focused on improving every day. And there are some things we did very well. And it gave us that… It gives us a chance to dig in. And then we refocus and get our energy back and keep moving forward. We want to keep improving.
“I think when you start thinking good things, that's the biggest thing, but usually that's when the slippage happens. So stay hungry to improve. The biggest thing in mental strength Part of it is having faith that you can always do better.”
