Seeing the Forest and Not the Trees: Knicks Pulse Check VI

Just like any fan, I’m guilty of the occasional doomsday, “sky is falling” proclamations that sweep Knicks Twitter after a tough loss. And after losses to both the Detroit Pistons and Cleveland Cavaliers, for whatever reason, thoughts of the Knicks finding another gear, overcoming defensive shortcomings, or just playing with maximum effort against top teams for 48 minutes started to fade.

But with a comeback win against the Houston Rockets and a thrashing of the San Antonio Spurs, just like that, the feeling of hope was back.

Call it PTSD, pessimism, or whatever you want, but being a Knicks fan, for the most part, has always involved some form of waiting for the other shoe to drop.

Although the Knicks are 5-2 since the All-Star Break, those two losses seemed to completely shift the conversation about their chances as a legitimate contender. That conversation may seem even more irrational if we zoom out further. Over the last 19 games, the Knicks are 15-4, and since beating the Brooklyn Nets on January 21st, they own the league’s top defensive rating (103.1) and net rating (13.8).

The reasons for this turnaround include Karl-Anthony Towns finding his groove, Jose Alvarado’s injection of energy, and Landry Shamet and Mohammad Diawara highlighting the depth of the Knicks’ bench. 62 games into the season, the Knicks rank third in offensive rating (same spot from our last check-in, seventh in defensive rating (up five spots), and fifth in net rating (down one spot).

Since coming over from the New Orleans Pelicans at the trade deadline, Jose Alvarado has been the shot of the energy the Knicks desperately needed. His stats won’t wow you. Currently, in nine games, the Georgia Tech product has averaged just over eight points per game while shooting 40.6% from the field, and just 31.9% from the three-point line. But Alvarado makes momentum-shifting plays — saving a ball from going out of bounds, anticipating and forcing turnovers (he has 15 steals in 9 games), or forcing the player he’s guarding to pass the ball.

Then there’s Alvarado’s impact off the court. He’s always positive with his teammates, hyping everyone up. But for one particular teammate—KAT—I think this matters a ton. Just my own personal observation: although I believe KAT is respected and liked by his teammates, I think they also get easily frustrated with him, and for good reason. From the coaching staff, to his teammates, I think the Knicks as a whole have struggled with how to motivate and get the best out of KAT. Jose is that perpetual hype man, constantly putting out positivity. For a guy like KAT, I think he needs that.

Per NBA stats, the two-man lineup of KAT and Alvarado, in 103 minutes, has posted a net rating of 35.2.

Karl-Anthony Towns has been THE lightning rod for the team this season. So much has been made about his defense, the amount of shots he takes or doesn’t take, and his constant complaining to the refs. But if you take a step back, Towns has been one of the most impactful Knicks when it comes to winning. Per Tommy Beer, in late February, KAT owned the Knicks top mark in plus-minus at +336.

Also, you can add that KAT is averaging more rebounds, more assists, more made free-throws, and has both a higher individual defensive rating and net rating than he did last season. While it’s true to KAT’s main counting stats were higher last season, the narrative that he is having a “down year” doesn’t really tell the full story.

Furthermore, what we’ve seen since the All-Star Break is that KAT has fully bought into his role in Mike Brown’s offense. While he is the secondary option in the offense, KAT is fully committed to crashing the boards and hunting for offensive rebounds when he’s not able to establish post position or rhythm with his three-point shot. And what you’ve really got to love is that KAT is starting to play defense aggressively, without fouling, at least early in games.

Landry Shamet and most recently Mohammad Diawara have been catalysts towards winning. For the season, Shamet is shooting 42.3% from the three-point line on 5.3 three-point attempts per game. But defensively is where Shamet makes his biggest contribution. For a team that has struggled with physicality and ball pressure, Shamet brings that every night—whether it’s blowing up DHO’s or just making simple pick-and-roll actions more difficult, Shamet’s intensity and attention to detail are a huge plus for the Knicks.

For his part, Diawara, at 20-years old, has seemingly locked up the ninth man in Mike Brown’s rotation since the All-Star Break. The frenchman’s breakout performance came recently against the San Antonio Spurs, where he canned four three-point shots, and score a career-high 14 points on the way to a victory over one of the top teams in the Western Conference.

Diawara’s resurgence comes at a pivotal point in the Knicks season, where the coaching staff will be looking at potential matchups in the playoffs and how players can be deployed both offensively and defensively. Diawara has proved he can guard multiple positions, using his length to disrupt the passing lanes, and keeping opposing guards and wings in front of him. Additionally, something to watch for fans: the Alvarado, Bridges, OG, Diawara, and either KAT or Mitch lineup has looked really good. I expect to see that more often in the future.

If you’ve watched most of Mike Brown’s postgame press conferences, you know what is included in his keys to victory. The Knicks are an elite team when they do their defensive work early in the shot clock. What does that mean? Being physical, taking away the ball handler’s airspace without fouling, forcing the ball to sidelines and limiting paint touches. Offensively, when teams blitz Brunson, are his teammates able to move without the ball, and can he make the appropriate read quickly?

The next stretch of games features the first matchup against the reigning NBA-champion Oklahoma City Thunder, as well as games against other formidable Western Conference opponents such as the Denver Nuggets, Los Angeles Lakers and the Los Angeles Clippers. Getting wins at this point in the season will come at a premium, but the Knicks have been tapping into a gear I only saw at times last season, especially during the playoffs.

If they can hit that gear defensively, with this new offense. Watch out.