The New York Knicks were exceeding virtually all expectations as of late January, but then the injury bug hit in February. Despite losing four straight games entering the NBA All-Star break, New York is 33-22 — meaning they’ve won 60% of their games played thus far. So, let's give out our Kincks' midseason grades on this team report card for Jalen Brunson, Julius Randle, and the rest of the squad.
Grading the Knicks' pre-All-Star break performance is difficult given the plethora of injuries they've dealt with. Further complicating matters are the two major trades that were made before the trade deadline, one of which was probably meant to mask some of the aforementioned injuries.
But when push comes to shove, how should the Knicks be graded for their pre-All-Star break performance? Let’s walk through a detailed breakdown explaining New York’s successes and failures at the season’s ceremonial (although, technically, not official) half-way point.
Coaching
Objectively, Knicks’ head coach Tom Thibodeau is an above-average coach. He is also famous for overplaying his stars. Doing so has its pros and cons.
On the positive side, the Knicks were 14-2 in January, while point guard Jalen Brunson averaged 35.5 minutes per game. Small forward OG Anunoby averaged 35.7 minutes per game, and power forward Julius Randle averaged 35 minutes per game. So, obviously playing your best players a lot is desirable. But the line separating a lot and too much is hard to decipher — and something that seems to be incredibly difficult for Thibodeau.
The obvious con of playing your stars a lot is injuries. And injuries have caught up to New York. Anunoby and Randle are out for undefined periods of time, as is shooting guard Donte DiVincenzo, forward Bojan Bogdanovic, and center Isaiah Hartenstein. Mitchell Robinson also remains out from a December ankle injury.
While criticism is warranted, Thibodeau has also handled a changing roster (due to trades) incredibly well. And he’s getting the most out of Brunson, Randle, and co.
Thibodeau clearly can’t resist leaning heavily on his starts — even amidst blowouts — which is difficult to look past. But the success he's had thus far with a team that many felt had reached an organic ceiling also can't be ignored.
Grade: B+
Offensive Efficiency
The Knicks' best offensive month of the season so far was December, when they averaged a scorching 121.6 points per game. That was before the Anunoby trade. Since then, they’ve remained efficient, even if they've scored fewer points (New York averaged 115.4 points per game in January).
Still, the Knicks rank 9th in offensive rating (119.52 points per 100 possessions). That’s objectively higher than their 118.86 rating from 2022-23; however, they were 4th in offensive rating last year. So, we’ll call that a push.
But when drilling down to player success, New York has been far better this season, especially since the Anunoby trade. Brunson is averaging 27.6 points and 6.5 assists per game and Randle is averaging 24 points and 9.2 rebounds per game. Furthermore, Anunoby has fit in beautifully, the Knicks have maximized output from Precious Achiuwa, and Donte DiVincenzo looks like a steal of an offseason signing.
In total, the Knicks offense is more reliable than it’s been since at least 2012. And they finally have a rock-solid point guard around whom they can continue building.
Grade: B
Defensive Viability
New York's defense is probably their biggest advantage — when everyone's healthy. Anunoby is a Defensive Player of the Year candidate who can guard all five positions. He takes pressure off his teammates, provides incredible help defense, and — most importantly — is a lockdown wing defender.
But the Knicks defense is about more than just Anunoby. Brunson is an underrated defender who can disrupt opposing lead guards. DiVincenzo is surprisingly scrappy. Hartenstein filled in for Robinson brilliantly. Achiuwa has been incredibly reliable. All of that leaves one to ponder if Immanuel Quickley and RJ Barrett were as strong defenders as Knicks' fans once thought.
But the straw that really stirs the drink is Tom Thibodeau, whose schemes are behind much of the Knicks' success.
The Knicks currently rank 9th in defensive rating, allowing 114 points per 100 possessions. However, that includes an atrocious December in which they gave up 124.8 points per game. Comparatively, they gave up a league-best 100.1 points per game in January, when everyone but Robinson was healthy.
The idea of New York's defense with Anunoby and Robinson probably keeps opponents up at night, as it should. Hopefully, we get to see that as soon as humanly possible.
Grade: A
Mid-Season Improvements
The Anunonby trade was a stroke of genius, catapulting the Knicks into realistic contention. Anunoby greatly improved New York’s defense and streamlined their offense. Achiuwa — who was also added in the Toronto trade — filled in masterfully when Hartenstein was out. He’s played solid defense, rebounded the ball well, and grew into a reliable scorer when he has the ball in good position.
But that’s not all the Knicks did before the deadline. They also added Bogdanovic and Alec Burks. Bogdanovic and Burks can’t be fairly assessed yet, as they joined an overly depleted team (see the comments pertaining to injuries above). But both Bogdanovic and Burks make the Knicks all the more dangerous come playoff time, assuming the rest of their starters return to their pre-injury form.
Still, there were other needs that could have been addressed. Predominantly, there is still no backup point guard on New York's roster. In other words, Brunson will continue playing heavy minutes. And as we know, New York will only go as far as Brunson takes them.
Grade: B+
The Knicks season is difficult to grade thus far. On one hand, they have made strong progress in changing the national narrative around New York basketball, which was previously seen as a joke. On the other hand, they are incredibly banged up, which could result in a tragically early end to an otherwise Cinderella-type season.
The outlook for the Knicks at this point in time is undecided. New York could make noise in the playoffs — and possibly compete for a championship — but first, they have to get healthy.
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