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 Grizzlies in Complete Team Effort
Jan 27, 2025; New York, New York, USA; New York Knicks guard Cameron Payne (1) reacts after making a three point basket during the second half against the Memphis Grizzlies at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images | Vincent Carchietta/Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images
Coming into this home stand against some of the Western Conference’s best the New York Knicks were playing average basketball.
6-6 in January, a perfectly pedestrian 0.0 net rating over those 12 games, and an inconsistency that profiled more as second round and out than genuine title contender.
In a long season inevitably filled with ups and downs two games probably shouldn’t change your opinion of a team, but if two games could break that rule we just saw them.
Fresh off decimating the hottest team in basketball the Knicks took on a Memphis Grizzlies side that boasted the Association’s longest winning streak, top-six units on both sides of the ball, and the league’s most dominant starting lineup (in a small sample size to be fair) and crushed them 143 to 106.
Given the caliber of opponent, it was not only the Knicks’ best game of the season but perhaps one of the best regular season outings in franchise history.
Jan 27, 2025; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum (0) works for the ball against Houston Rockets center Alperen Sengun (28) in the second half at TD Garden. | David Butler II/David Butler II-Imagn Images
The Knicks starters were having fun, the bench was having fun, the deep bench was having fun, Tom Thibodeau may have even cracked a smile at one point.
By the time the fourth quarter rolled around and the Knicks led the Grizzlies by 20 points, with Knicks backup point guard Cam Payne practically waltzing downhill, uncontested to the basket, there wasn’t a more fun game to be found on a Monday night. Definitely not for the Grizzlies, but they’re a resilient team who will learn from the loss.
What the win and the Knicks ingenuity — the way New York was dominant but allowed for a shifting dominance — made me think about was the Celtics. Specifically how last season Boston was celebrated for their competitive exactitude, and what their losses this season are showing about their rigidity. Namely, that it could cost them.
The most striking stat to me in the Knicks win last night was that the team tallied 32 assists compared to the Grizzlies’ 21. New York was shooting from everywhere but there can be a temptation with a lead that big for teams to start letting the ball fly from deep, chucking up hero shots because they’ve got the padding of points and a nice boost of confidence.
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.
Rumor As the NBA trade deadline looms, the Knicks are reportedly exploring potential moves. Among the names being discussed are Cam Johnson and Jonas Valanciunas, suggesting significant roster changes may be on the horizon. (SB Nation)
Feel Good Knicks guard RJ Barrett opened up about the mental challenges he faced during a tough period, showing vulnerability and resilience. His candidness offers inspiration and a deeper connection with fans. (Posting and Toasting)
3peat (ICYMI)
NBA East Squad: Luka Doncic Shocking Trade, Jimmy Butler Rumors, and a Bulls Full Reset
In this episode of the Locked On NBA Eastern Conference Squad Show, hosts Sean Woodley, Tony East, Danny Cunningham, Wes Goldberg, and others discuss the shocking Luka Doncic trade to the Lakers. They analyze the Mavericks’ decision-making process and potential motivations behind the trade. The conversation shifts to Eastern Conference trade rumors, focusing on Jimmy Butler’s potential move from the Miami Heat. The panel explores possible destinations for Butler and speculates on other teams’ trade deadline strategies, including the Detroit Pistons and Orlando Magic. The episode concludes with a rapid-fire round where hosts predict player-team pairings for the upcoming trade deadline, offering insights into potential moves across the league.
Jalen Brunson ANNIHILATES The Houston Rockets In A Big New York Knicks Win
Gavin Schall is joined by Geoff Rasmussen the co-host of the fantastic Hot Hand Theory Podcast to discuss Jalen Brunson’s heroics in a thrilling Knicks win over the Houston Rockets. Gavin and Geoff dive deep into a lineup change that helped key Brunson’s electric final minutes, the health, play and long term plan for Karl-Anthony Towns, Mikal Bridges propping up the Knicks with his two way play and a scintillating 1st half run for Ariel Hukporti.
OG Anunoby Seemingly Avoids Serious Injury... And LUKA IS A LAKER???
Alex and Gavin break down the weekend that was for the Knicks, which featured a let-down loss to the Lakers and an OG Anunoby injury scare -- luckily, one that seems to be more of the “sprain” variety than something more severe. But first, the guys need to talk about maybe the most shocking NBA trade of all time, with Luka Doncic going to the Lakers and Anthony Davis heading to the Mavericks.
