Getty The Knicks coach called out his team.
The New York Knicks are over .500 now after their latest win over the Sacramento Kings on December 11, but it’s still too early to get too excited.
With the victory, the Knicks moved into ownership of the 6th seed in the Eastern Conference, something that would allow the team to completely skip over the play-in tournament. That would be good news for the team if that happened, but it’s far from guaranteed the Knicks will be able to hold on.
Not everything went right for the Knicks in the win over the Kings as Julius Randle was ejected in the third quarter after receiving his second technical foul of the game. Usually, teammates and coaches come to the defense of their player and calm them down before a second tech comes out, but that didn’t happen here.
Coach Tom Thibodeau called out his team after the fact and said they have to do better to avoid that in the future.
Thibodeau Puts Team on Notice
While it didn’t have an impact on the game in the end, losing your star in the third quarter isn’t a recipe for success going forward.
“When he got the first [technical foul], we have to do a better job of helping him walk away,” Thibodeau said. “As a team, staff, all of us.”
Randle has been one of the best players on the Knicks this season, and he might even be turning out another All-Star season, something few saw coming.
RJ Barrett echoed a similar sentiment after the game, and said the team has to a better job of helping Randle avoid the ejection there.
“You gotta grab him…That’s just a general thing for anyone,” Barrett said. “Once someone gets one, you gotta hold him back after that.”
Randle’s teammates are aware of the fact Randle is having a strong season, and they’re singing his praises.
“He’s going crazy,” Barrett said. “He’s hooping.”
On the year through 27 games, Randle is averaging 22.3 points per game, his highest since his All-Star campaign where he churned out 24.1 a game. Most important, Randle’s efficiency is greatly improved and the team is better for it. Randle is shooting 46.1 percent on the season, a much higher number than his 41.1 percent from last season.
You can see the impact this has had on his scoring, and also in the win column.
Can They Keep It Going?
A good measuring stick will be how the next two games against the Chicago Bulls fare as that’s a team who is in the hunt just behind the Knicks.
If New York is able to hold off the Bulls, then they could actually be considered a strong contender for a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. It does seem like the changes to the rotation that see Cam Reddish, Evan Fournier and Derrick Rose all not playing have had an impact.
Whether that continues through the injuries the team is facing to Obi Toppin and now Jalen Brunson remains to be seen, but the results have been promising so far. It’s far too early to hang up a championship banner, but there are definitely things to be excited about if you’re a Knicks fan.