Despite it all, thanks for the best season in 25 years!
And thank you for the last five years, Thibs!
I know that many are unhappy that Rose & Co. fired Tom Thibodeau at the end of the season. Then some have felt like, “What took you so long?”
Thank you, Thibs…
Thanks Thibs. The Knicks finally arrived at the Eastern Conference Finals after 25 years. This season, the team won 51 games and finished third in the East. They also were:
9th in points per game - 115.8
24th in rebounds per game - 42.6
11th in assists per game - 27.5
5th in field goal percentage - 48.6
8th in 3-point percentage - 36.9
9th in opponents’ points per game - 111.7
Although this team was swept by the Boston Celtics, Cleveland Cavaliers, and the Oklahoma City Thunder, they did defeat the defending champion Celtics in six games to get to the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time in 25 years.
I’ve seen the accolades that have been laid out for the world to see. Media pundits were up in arms because James Dolan fired Thibs, and Leon Rose refused to come out and face the music.
I don’t care what mainstream media has to say on the matter. And I don’t care what Jalen Brunson and Josh Hart have to say about it. Someone was in that exit interview complaining, and maybe, just maybe, it’s not about one man, but it’s about the whole team, the organization, the City.
I can’t sit back now, wringing my hands. If you’ve read any of my articles, you know I am not the man’s biggest fan…But I am fair, so earnestly, I say, thank you, Thibs.
But, if you just had listened…
After 13 years as a head coach, being stubborn, unbending, never listening, not even to your assistant coaches, why haven’t you learned, Thibs? When your opponents would come back in the third quarter and had your whole game figured out, including your two superstars, what the hell were you doing/saying in those timeouts?
And when Landry Shamet is raining down threes, why didn’t he play in the fourth quarter? And when you saw, at the beginning of the fourth quarter, that Cameron Payne didn’t have it, why didn’t you stop it? What game am I talking about? How about almost every game, change the names of the players.
Why not start Mitch at center when the playoffs began, Thibs? Couldn’t you see that KAT would be better at the fourth? And if you didn’t see it, didn’t one of your coaches tell you? Oh, that’s right, you didn’t listen to your coaches unless you wanted to know if you should call a challenge.
That’s all water under the bridge…
That is all in the past. There’s nowhere to go now but forward. In my opinion, from the players, you couldn’t have asked for more. Your stars became not only All-Stars, but All-Star starters…and all NBA. They did their jobs. Your starting five played their hearts out for you even when their tanks ran low. But you didn’t practice them, so they were ready to play 48 minutes, sometimes more.
The Knicks’ starters…who could ask for anything more…
The captain, Jalen Brunson - Point Guard - captains lead and go down with their ship. Brunson did just that. All-Star starter and All-NBA. Left money on the table so the team could go out and get the talent needed to go all the way. NBA Clutch Player of the Year. He had to be clutch. The opposing team either had a lead or was about to take over the Knicks’ lead and win the game. Brunson’s end-of-season stats include averaging 26 points, 7.3 assists, and 2.9 rebounds. He averaged 49% from the field and 38% from beyond the arc. Brunson played 65 games. A true leader. A true captain in the tradition of New York Knicks captains.
Karl Anthony-Towns - Center - KAT, sometimes known as Bodega KAT, gave as much as he could. He seemed to always be lumbering up and down the court, but he did it. For the season, Bodega KAT averaged - 24.4 points, 12.8 rebounds, and 3.1 assists. From the field, he averaged 53% and 42% from three. Sometimes in pain, always being ridiculed, even by fans. And that has to stop. (When is somebody going to punch Draymond Green in his face?) KAT played 72 games.
Josh Hart - Shooting Guard - Josh Hart is truly the HEART of this team. When he’s on the court, he’s everywhere doing everything. Josh averaged 13.6 points, 9.6 rebounds, and 5.9 assists per game. From the field, he averaged 53%, from three-point range (shoot the ball, Josh!), he shot 33%, and then, to add some extra defense, he averaged 1.5 steals per game. Josh played 77 games.
Mikal Bridges - Small Forward - Mikal Bridges, Ironman, Mr. Always Available, was acquired from the Brooklyn Nets for five future first-round picks, a first-round pick swap, and a second-round pick. Mikal has had a shaky season. I don’t think his body was used to playing the number of minutes Thibs had him play. Bridges said he asked Thibs to lower the starters’ minutes. (Thibs said the conversation never took place.) Mikal Bridges, despite averaging 17.6 points per game, 3.2 rebounds, and 3.7 assists, was considered a failure by Knicks fans(?). He shot 50% from the field and 35 % from beyond the arc. I don’t understand, and it has to be those bandwagonners who make such silly demands. The diehards know that this man needs to stay with the Knicks. Mikal played all 82 games and every playoff game. He won those first two Boston Celtics playoff games at the end…almost single-handedly. Watch the highlights.
O.G. Anunoby - Power Forward - O.G. Anunoby, Mr. 212, I believe, had an incredible season. This was Anunoby’s second season with the Knicks, and he missed only eight games. OG hasn’t played this many games in a season since he was drafted in 2017 by the Toronto Raptors. Anunoby averaged 18 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 2.2 assists. He shot 48% from the field and 37% from the three-point line. In my opinion, he was underused by Thibs. OG got the ball when he took it most of the time. Hopefully, the new offense will get him the ball more.
The two most needed off the bench…
Miles “Deuce” McBride - backup Point/Shooting Guard - Every time McBride puts his hands on the ball, you can hear the Garden crowd, and sometimes the opponent’s arena, full of Knicks’ fans, cry out “DEUCE!!!” Deuce is a killer from outside, and his defense is stellar. This season, off the bench, Deuce averaged 9.5 points, 2.5 rebounds, and 2.9 assists per game. On the defensive end, in his top 20 games this season, Deuce has had one or more steals. In three of those games, he had three, and in four of them, he had four. But that’s not the part for me. McBride stands at 6’-2”, and in his top 20 games, he had one or more blocks. In one of those games, he had three blocks, and in another, two. This young man can jump! He had a couple of pretty nice dunks also. Deuce played in 64 games.
Mitchell Robinson - backup Center - Yes. Backup center. Robinson is the longest tenured Knick. Picked 36th overall in the 2018 draft, he was and still is a diamond found among the rough. One of the top offensive rebounders in the game, Mitchell Robinson, is my favorite player on this team. For me, he stands with some of the best big men in a Knicks uniform. Sure, he’s been injured, but his worst injury came at the hands of Joel Embiid, who got away with it scot-free. He should have been ejected from that game. Or one of Mitch’s teammates should have at least tripped him. Due to that injury, Robinson played in only 17 games this season, but those games came at just the right time. In my opinion, at least, Thibs should have started him at center when the playoffs began. When he did choose to do so, he and KAT made an ominous presence. He even began hitting some free throws at the end. In the 17 games, Mitch averaged 5.1 points, 5.9 rebounds, 2.2 blocks, and 2.0 steals. I can’t wait to see what Mike Brown does with him.
The only player to reach 82 games was, of course, Ironman Bridges. But notice that Brunson and McBride both missed more than 15 games. All of the Knicks’ starters averaged more than 30 minutes per game last season, with Josh Hart averaging the most minutes with 37.6.
I think the Knicks should run it back with this team. Adding players from free agency to shore up the bench, of course. Other than that…
What’s next?
Next up for Miss Tee on Basketball is setting up a routine to continue writing about the best team in the NBA, and that’s the New York Knicks. I’m shooting for Wednesday catch-up on what’s going on or a “closer look” at some of the players.
I also want to set up a weekly post on the Defending World Champion New York Liberty, as well as some after-game synopses.
And please, let me not forget Mike Brown. Miss Tee will be doing a full-on piece on Mr. Brown, including some comparisons between him and Coach Thibs…
Although I didn’t always agree with him, I must say thank you again for the last five years…Coach Tom Thibodeau!
Until next time…