Bing Bong Blues: How the Knicks look to capitalize following last year's high expectations and major disappointment
Point guard uncertainty dominated headlines early on last season for the Knicks. Having signed Jalen Brunson this offseason, the Orange and Blue look to get back on track during this NBA campaign.
Having signed Kemba Walker and Evan Fournier in the 2021 NBA Offseason, many fans thought that the New York Knicks would be able to hold their own within the confines of the Eastern Conference. But after a few weeks of games, we started to realize that this was not going to be the case.
Optimistic is a word I would use to describe the 2022-2023 NBA season for the New York Knicks. While there was a major disappointment with the way things played out last year, the Knicks look to get back on track (hopefully with some new and improved rotations).
Looking at last season, it’s hard to forget how Tom Thibodeau handled rotations last season. Alec Burks started at point guard for half the season, and Obi Toppin and other young players were essentially an afterthought to Thibodeau when it comes to playing time.
Heading into this season, we’ve already got some insight on who we could be seeing out on the floor early on. Some of the Knicks coaching staff see guys like Toppin, Immanuel Quickley, and Quentin Grimes seeing increased roles, with Grimes even vying for a starting spot (per Ian Begley on Twitter).
This type of news is likely just to get Knicks fans off the coaching staff’s back as Knick’s diehards have been voicing their opinions on who should be playing all of last season.
Who knows if they’ll stick by their words, but with the Knicks’ young players nearing the end of their rookie scale deals, they must be utilized sooner rather than later to determine their futures with the team.
Besides the utilization of their young players, the Knicks must play with pace this season after ranking amongst the lowest in the league last season. With transition take fouls now in place, it should be a focus for the Knicks to get out on the break otherwise they won’t stand a chance next season.
Here are some of the Knicks offensive focuses in training camp (per Big Knick Energy on Twitter):
Pace/Sprint
Space
Play Off The Pass
Move Without The Ball
Attack The Rim/Rim Reads
Offensive Execution
Layups, Free Throws, 3’s - Value Shots
Offensive Rebound
The coaching staff appears to have very clear-cut goals for the season. While fans still have words for Thibodeau regarding player minutes and different lineups, this list that was posted at training camp is hopefully a sneak peek at what we will see from the New York Knicks this season.
The preseason kicks off tomorrow, October 4th, when the Knicks play the Pistons at Madison Square Garden. It’ll be great to get an idea of how the New York Knicks will play during the 2022-23 season with many returning players as well as a few new faces.