The New York Knicks have had a rough couple of weeks as head coach Tom Thibodeau begins a roster change after a string of poor form.
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Before their thrilling 112-110 road loss to the Brooklyn Nets, Thibodeau disclosure that he not only kicked Kemba Walker out of the starting lineup, but completely changed “for now.” Immediate results were paying dividends.
Walker has appeared in 18 games this season but is only a shadow of himself. In 24.5 minutes per night, he averages a career-low of 11.7 points, 3.1 assists and 2.6 rebounds per contest in shootings .429 / .413/ .800.
Simply put, the Knicks’ starting team of Kemba Walker, Evan Fournier, RJ Barrett, Julius Randle and Mitchell Robinson was inactive in the early stages of the season. According to NBA.com, the team collectively recorded a 287-minute lead in the league, but currently, they’ve posted an offensive rating of 103.3 and a defensive rating of 118.9, resulting in them being overtaken by 15.6. points out of 100 owned.
Started group registered Class 27 criminal and worst defense in the league by a long way.
While Evan Fournier has kept his place among the starters, Alec Burks started his second straight game in place of Walker on Tuesday, with four All-Stars behind Derrick Rose (34 minutes) and Emmanuel Quickley ( 37 minutes), both played great minutes behind and alongside Burks.
Fournier is averaging 16.5 points in two games since Walker came on from the bench and unleashed a clutch for the Knicks, scoring three points in 17.7 seconds to tie everything 110-110. . A pair of James Johnson free throws contributed to the Nets win, before Fournier sighed at the victory whistle.
Burks started in the Knicks’ 99-90 win over the Atlanta Hawks on Saturday night, scoring 23 points, seven rebounds and three assists, then followed by another strong outing in Brooklyn.
He led the team in scoring with 25 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists and 2 steals within 39 minutes, taking the Nets to the final goal.
Before the Hawks game, the Knicks were 5-8 in November. They now sit 11-10 in the season, seventh in the Eastern Conference.
Burks, Rose and Quickley impressed against the Nets in a three-guard formation and carried out their offensive behavior, combining for 13 of the team’s 26 points in the fourth quarter.
Rose finished with 16 points, 9 assists and 5 rebounds, while Quickley added 12 points, 7 goals and 2 assists.
Burks brought an interesting play for the Knicks with his effective shot and floor spacing, which helped create space in the paint to maximize the rest of the team, most notably All-Star striker Julius Randle.
inside November, Burks is filming 47% from the 3-point line and 43.9% from the field, scoring double digits in six of his last seven games.
Walker’s playstyle was a major shortcoming for the Knicks, but without him on the roster, Rose and Randle have taken on more playing duties. Randle was excellent tonight, creating the conditions for an attack from his elbow, finding a way to cut the ball and shoot straight into the three-point line.
He finished with eight assists, as well as some big bucks in the long run.
It’s not yet clear what the plans for Walker are at this stage, with his name popping up in commercial rumors in recent days, but if Burks, Rose and Quickley continue to open fire for the Knicks, Thibodeau is certain to have it. something to think about.
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