Gavin Schall here, the host of the daily Locked On Knicks podcast, with your daily Locked On Knicks newsletter. Each day we bring you the biggest stories about the Knicks and the NBA, including the hottest links to other stories you need to read. Plus, Josh Lloyd delivers daily fantasy notes to crush your league.
Knicks Dominate Nets: Hart Of A KAT
Knicks Dominate Nets: A Tale of Teamwork and Strategy
The New York Knicks have once again triumphed over the Brooklyn Nets, marking their second victory in just three nights. The Knicks’ scored 50 points in the paint to overcome a poor scoring night for Jalen Brunson and some cold shooting from distance.
Josh Hart’s Impact
Josh Hart emerged as a standout performer for the third straight game, playing a pivotal role in the Knicks’ success. His near triple-double performance, with 20 points, 8 rebounds, and 8 assists, was instrumental in allowing the team to separate in the 2nd and 4th quarters. Hart’s confidence and assertiveness on the court have been a significant departure from his early seasone hesitance, particularly in shooting. His ability to run pick-and-rolls with Karl-Anthony Towns, was a great way to leverage other teams putting their weakest defender on him, allowed the Knicks to exploit the Nets’ defensive gaps. Tom Thibodeau also added another wrinkle in having Jalen Brunson screen for him twice down the stretch of the game leading to a short jumper and a lob to Jericho Sims. Hart added a late three to put the Nets to sleep.
Karl-Anthony Towns’ Offensive Mastery
Karl-Anthony Towns also delivered an impressive performance, contributing 26 points, 15 rebounds, and 6 assists. His versatility on the offensive end was on full display, as he seamlessly transitioned between shooting threes and executing powerful drives to the basket. Towns’ ability to adapt to and punish different defensive matchups, whether bullying smaller, quicker defenders or bombing away/blowing by traditional big men, highlighted his offensive repertoire. His chemistry with teammates like OG Anunoby was evident, as they connected on multiple cuts for dunks, similar to how OG played off Isaiah Hartenstein last year.
Minutes Concerns The lone drawback in the Knicks win was another night of heavy minutes for their star wing trio. Hart was getting PTSD to last Spring playing 46, Mikal Bridges upped his already league leading minute total by playing 45 and the injury prone Anunoby was out their for 40. All that for a drop of Nets blood.
I’ve largely defended how Thibs has played his stars the past few years and felt like last season’s usage was in the aggregate fine given the team’s injuries. I cannot do the same this year.
Pacome Dadiet has shown he can more than hold his own defensively and hit open shots. That is more than enough for him to be on the floor for 20 minutes against the Nets. Matt Ryan should be able to cancel out Jalen Wilson.
This is not the team to burn your guys out against given a third game in four nights tonight against the Wizards. Do better Thibs.
For more insights and a deeper dive into the Knicks’ strategies and performances, tune into the Locked On Knicks podcast for this and much more.
Other Topics in Today’s Locked On Knicks Podcast:
- Analysis of Jalen Brunson’s role and performance
- The impact of OG Anunoby’s early scoring
- The Knicks’ transition defense and areas for improvement
After historic back-to-back nights over the weekend I hope the Kings’ De’Aaron Fox is on your radar. Fox delivered a 60 point game against the Timberwolves on Friday (the Kings, after all that, could not wrestle away the win) and then 49 points against the Jazz in a winning game on Saturday. While these scoring numbers are certainly a touch more astronomical than Fox’s norm, he’s still an athlete who’s averaged 25 points per game in the last three seasons.
Beyond pure shooting, Fox is a pleasure to watch. I mean that in an artful sense, like taking your time in a gallery or museum and letting your eyes rove over every flourish and detail. Fox has a knack for hang time, able to lightly adjust his body mid-air to tweak the angle of his jumper just so. It’s a bane to defenders because it’s nearly impossible to pre-calculate where Fox will wind up releasing the ball, but it’s startling, and fun, to see.
His passing follows the same rules. Namely: his own. One hand flings and scoops to teammates running down the lane, or flashing out to the wing, dependent on the sort of timing it takes trust and seasons of practice to nail. It speaks to the cohesiveness of the Kings, a team many are still quick to dismiss from contention but who will prove a difficult team to match up against once their roster returns to full strength.
Cade Cunningham
Admittedly, I hadn’t been paying that close of attention to Cade Cunningham, even with my well documented dedication to the Detroit Pistons. I changed that last Friday when the team was in Toronto to face the Raptors, and I spent a good chunk of pregame warmups watching Cunningham run through his drills.
There’s a new level of patience to Cade, who’s been — by circumstance — forced into holding pattern since he entered the NBA. This new level filters through his game. There’s still the juddery, at times mesmerizing, stop-start motion of his handle and with it the ability to force the pace he wants in a game, but now Cade’s letting the game come to him. Where there simply isn’t time to draw out a possession, or altering one might upend his team’s momentum (momentum has been something Detroit is relying on this season, to their benefit), Cade instead adopts the rhythm of the floor in motion. Now into his forth season, his maturation is evident, and it’s winning games.
Jabari Smith
It’s felt a touch disingenuous, how down on Jabari Smith those in the wider sphere of the Houston Rockets have been this season. Yes, he’s had some slow shooting nights, and made some frustrating decisions, but he’s also come back in the games that follow those less than stellar performances and done all the right things — leading to wins.
Smith’s a third year player in the league on a franchise that only really started to get the foundation of their rebuild right last season. He’s learning to adjust to quicker pace, tighter and more effortful defence (the Rockets are the league’s best rebounders), and what it means to actually compete versus playing at the whims of a single game, on a game-to-game basis. There’s continuity showing here, and it’s great.
Smith tends to have his best rebounding games when he’s also scoring, which just tells me that energy generated on one end of the floor is essential for him at the other. It’s also true of younger players — and teams, like the Rockets — learning what it is to stay consistent through a game’s many tide-turns.
Katie Heindl is a credentialed NBA and WNBA writer, her bylines have appeared with The New York Times Magazine, SLAM, The Athletic, Yahoo Sports, Dime, Rolling Stone, among others. She writes the bestselling Substack, Basketball Feelings and is working on a book of the same name.
Home and Away
Biz Deep breaths. The NBA has settled its broadcast lawsuits, and “Inside the NBA” is here to stay. (Sportico)
Preview Major changes could soon be coming to the All-Star Game. (ESPN)
Analysis The “unicorn” era of Anthony Davis may be over, but could the “Lakers AD” era just be starting? (The Ringer)
Preview The Knicks host the lowly Wizards at MSG tonight. Read the preview.(NBA.com)
Analysis One month into the KAT experiment, and it appears the team is struggling on defense with their newest acquisition. (The Ringer)
Fantasy Cheat Sheet
Sunday’s NBA Fantasy Basketball Roundup
Nov 17, 2024; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Phoenix Suns guard Devin Booker (1) reacts after being called for a foul against the Minnesota Timberwolves during the fourth quarter at Target Center. Mandatory Credit: Nick Wosika-Imagn Images|Nick Wosika/Nick Wosika-Imagn Images
As we dive into the latest NBA action, it’s clear that Sunday was packed with intriguing performances and unexpected developments. With 10 games on the schedule, there was no shortage of excitement and fantasy implications to unpack.
Injury Updates and Opportunities
The Sacramento Kings are dealing with some significant injury news. Domantas Sabonis, usually a reliable presence, is doubtful with a back issue, potentially missing his second consecutive game. This opens up opportunities for players like Kevin Huerter and Trey Lyles to step up. Meanwhile, DeMar DeRozan is officially out for his third consecutive game.
Key Performances and Fantasy Implications
The Minnesota Timberwolves’ victory over the Phoenix Suns highlighted some strategic missteps by the Suns. Starting Mason Plumlee and Jusuf Nurkic together against Minnesota’s big lineup didn’t pay off, with Nurkic playing only 14 minutes. His inconsistent performances make him a risky fantasy option, as his playing time and production fluctuate wildly.
On the Timberwolves’ side, Mike Conley’s increased minutes are worth noting. While his scoring was minimal, his contributions in other areas helped secure the win. Naz Reid, despite his scoring potential, continues to struggle defensively, which could limit his fantasy upside.
Click the button below to see why one of KD’s newest running mates could be worth a look, and how Charlotte’s injury concerns will affect your lineup.
Jalen Brunson’s The Hero As The Knicks Survive The Pesky Nets
Gavin Schall rolls solo to break down Jalen Brunson’s game winner, why the Knicks continue to struggle with bad teams, Mikal Bridges highs and lows, and Ariel Hukporti and the rooks getting serious run.
Karl-Anthony Towns Dominates But The New York Knicks Can’t Finish The Comeback Against Chicago
Alex Wolfe and Gavin Schall break down a Hartbreaking loss to the Bulls as the Knicks successfully fought back from 22 down before falling on Josh Hart’s three point foul and Jalen Brunson’s in and out would be game winner.
Karl-Anthony Towns and OG Anunoby Spoil Joel Embiid’s Debut As the Knicks Win their NBA Cup Debut
Alex and Gavin break down the Knicks’ 111-99 win over the Sixers to open up NBA Cup play. Included topics are dominance from Karl-Anthony Towns and OG Anunoby, Mikal Bridges getting back on track, Josh Hart notching a triple double, Matt Ryan providing some quality minutes, and much more!
