Knicks Get Bullied By Harden, Embiid… Twice

Mar 3

Let’s get positive first before we starting getting negative around here.

I am all here for the development of RJ Barrett in terms of him taking the next steps in being an established star in this league. He averaged 28 points per game in the month of February while shooting over 40% from the three point line. His combination of improved finishing and more consistent shooting along with the pull-up midrange has made him a near complete 3-level scorer. While the free throws absolutely need work, the steps that he has taken on both ends of the floor are taking Barrett to new heights.

Also, while Cam Reddish and Obi Toppin have not been getting the exact minute count that I would like, I am happy that Obi has not lost any minutes, and Cam Reddish looks pretty sweet out there when he actually is getting minutes. In the first game in Philadelphia, I was a big fan of the lineups that included RJ Barrett and Cam Reddish on the floor together. Those 2 on the wings with an actual playmaker would be a lethal lineup.

Lastly, while Randle still has moments where he falls asleep, I love the physicality he’s been playing with as of recent. He doesn’t back down to anyone’s physicality and is very physical when he has the ball down low, and hasn’t been turning the ball over as much in the post as much as he was before. He has been much more willing to make a quick decision instead of holding the ball.

Now to get negative. We haven’t won a meaningful game in what feels like ages, and that likely won’t change during this 7 game road trip.

When James Harden and Joel Embiid ran any sort of screen actions, the Knicks defense basically folded in half, as the help side was never in the right spot, and the communication about hedging, switching, or staying on their man never seemed to be fully clear. Also, Mitchell Robinson and Jericho Sims could not stay on their feet or stop fouling Embiid whenever he was within 10 feet of the basket. Credit to Embiid on that, as annoying as watching 27 free-throws is, he is unstoppable. While I do not have Embiid as my pick for MVP this, he is 100% deserving of the award.

For James Harden, the dude is one of the best passers I have ever been able to watch, and can manipulate the ball like nobody else I have ever seen.