The New York Knicks opened their NBA preseason at Madison Square Garden against the Boston Celtics on Monday, October 9th. The Knicks won 114-107 in a contest where Boston rested their anticipated starters. New York showed some great signs on offense and defense, but there is one area that needs to be addressed before the regular season starts.
Can the Knicks maintain their dominant rebounding performance from last season?
The New York Knicks averaged the third-most rebounds per game amongst NBA teams during the 2022-23 season; however, they did not show their might in their NBA preseason debut. The Knicks got outrebounded 50-39 against Boston's shorthanded squad. There were bright spots, but not without some faults.
In the win against the Celtics, Mitchell Robinson grabbed an impressive 7 rebounds in 23 minutes. Knicks fans can rest easy with their starting center. Robinson is one of the most reliable paint presences in the league. Last year, he averaged 9.4 rebounds a game, good for 14th in the NBA, per ESPN. New York has options for backup bigs, but can they keep up the same energy Robinson does?
Isaiah Hartenstein looks to be the leading backup center for the Knicks. During the 2022-23 season, Hartenstein was a solid option off the bench. He only averaged 5 points per game in 20 minutes of action but nabbed a career-high 6.5 boards. In addition, Hartenstein was a spark plug for New York during the Playoffs. In Game 2 of the Knicks series against the Miami Heat, Hartenstein grabbed an impressive 9 rebounds. New York needs this type of effort to secure possessions and create second-chance point opportunities.
Hartenstein was only able to record 3 rebounds in 20 minutes of action in Madison Square Garden on Monday. Understandably, the veteran center was likely rusty. After all, it was just the first game of the NBA preseason. New York will require more of him during the regular season. The fact that the Celtics grabbed 11 more rebounds than the Knicks without their starting players is concerning. The responsibility does not solely fall on the shoulders of Hartenstein and Mitchell Robinson though.
The ascent of Jericho Sims and the Knicks' guards
Jericho Sims is another center on the roster who shined during the Knicks' preseason debut. He did not score, but he understood the assignment on rebounding. Sims had 7 rebounds in 26 minutes off the bench. His presence takes the pressure off Robinson and Hartensetin. Hopefully, he can get enough playing time to make an impact when the season starts. New York needs a high-motor player like him to support the other bigs. Speaking of high-motors, the Knicks have plenty of help rebounding from the guard position.
Last season, Josh Hart and RJ Barrett were ranked in the top 10 among ESPN's NBA shooting guard rebounders. Hart was incredible, coming in as the second-best in the league with a staggering 7.8 rebounds per game. Barrett was ninth on the list with five rebounds per contest. Sixth Man of the Year candidate Immanuel Quickley was not far behind on the list. Quickley was ranked 23rd in the league at 4.2, despite only grabbing one board against the Celtics on Monday.
Overall, the Knicks have the ability to rebound well as a team.
It is vital for New York to keep up their intensity crashing the boards when the regular season starts. Their ability to rebound last year was one of the reasons they broke their playoff drought last season and made it to the Eastern Conference semifinals.
Tom Thibodeau is likely drawing up a plan at this very moment to ensure the Knicks clean up their rebounding for the upcoming matchups. As New York enters a new season, Madison Square Garden will shine bright as ever. The Knicks have a chance to bring honor to the Big Apple once again.
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