Jalen Brunson and Isaiah Hartenstein's signatureis largely praised and Knicks improves last season's 37-win campaign Should be useful for.
Branson needs to solve decades of problems with point guards and Hartenstein figures, and upgrade the front court with elite transit capabilities and shooting ranges.
It's unclear where two of Knicks' best young players, Immanuel Quickley and Obi Toppin, will remain. However, the duo may have to get used to staying as a contributor off the bench, so it seems unlikely that they will play a bigger role.
As long as Julius Randle is present, the ceiling of Toppin with Knicks seems to be restricted. Adding Hartenstein to protect the rim and move the ball hinders the opportunity to see Toppin and Randall play together. .. Moreover, Tom Thibodeau was not a fan of such a lineup. This is because the duo's paint-created defensive responsibilities minus the true shot blockers.
Leon Rose's first choice as President of Knicks, Toppin (8th overall in 2020), enjoyed a much better second grade season than the rookie year. Rebound and help the numbers in more minutes. He finished the year very well, averaging 27.2 points and 6.2 rebounds, shooting 46.3 percent from the 3-point range (19-41) in the last five games. Of course, 24-year-old Toppin received big minutes in these contests. Randall was sent off due to a persistent injury to his quadriceps.
Quickly (23 years old) has grown as an all-round player. did. Last season he posted more assists and rebounds, but his long-range jumpers were unreliable, dropping from a 3-point range to 38.9 percent to 34.6. Part of that could be due to a former Kentucky star playing on the ball — Kemba Walker and Derrick Rose injuries made a huge hole in the point guard — Knicks said Quickly to him. I tried to see if I had the ability to extend my playmaking ability. It could also be the result of the enemy being wary of his abilities from a distance. He approached well, shooting 39.4% of the shots from downtown in the last 29 games, and an average assist of 3.5 per game was a step in the right direction.
In any case, Knicks found a point guard at Branson, so Quickly seems to leave the bench and return to his role as a microwave scorer. Rose is expected to be healthy. At the beginning of the season.
"I'm just controlling what I can control. It's working hard and getting better every day," said Quickly, who was ranked 25th overall in the 2020 draft. Said at the end of the year. "If it's starting, it's coming out of the bench, that's what it is."
Obviously the problem is for the young player remaining as part of the second unit. There is none. They can bloom there, improve the depth of the nicks, or even use them as future trade chips. But after they expanded their roles and finished powerfully last season, all the signs are that they have to go back to leading the reserve.
