N.Y. Knicks: Outpaced at Indiana

From the desk: DUTCH PANTS CAN'T JUMP

KNICKS OPENING NIGHT AT INDIANAPOLIS

Knicks   107

Pacers   121

FINAL

Installing Effective Leadership Is a Solid First Step Forward; On The Court, Not So Much

Outpaced, yes, but outplayed, not so much.  We won't see much of that under Thibs.  The Knicks took a 66-61 lead into halftime.  

Just let me begin the 2020-2021 regular season by saying you can't be disappointed with what you don't expect.  

That should be easy for Knicks fans, no?

Leon Rose has my respect.  As new President, he effectively wiped clean the mess left behind by Phil Jackson and Steve Mills.  I like it when executives act with conviction, and he did just that.  With one fell swoop, he cleared $40 million in salary-cap space much, in the same manner, Donnie Walsh once upon a time miraculously restored salary cap flexibility and order to the Knicks.  However, in each instance, the NBA's premium free agents demonstrated that playing for the New York Knicks is not a desired destination of choice. 

We all know who is to blame, so why go there.  The Knicks have money to spend.  But so do other teams.  Therefore, what matters most is reestablishing a positive and inviting atmosphere that the NBA's elite will find appealing and ultimately creating a new winning culture.  Lest we forget, this is not about playing in New York City; this is about playing for the Knicks.  So let us not make any mistake about it; the Knicks are starting anew, again.  Yes, the twenty-year-long rebuild continues.

However, things are looking up for a change.  If nothing else, the Knicks now have a legitimately competent chain of command.  General manager Scott Perry is finely qualified for the job and very well-spoken of around the league.  If Joe Dumars liked him, then he must be okay.  Otherwise, he has been associated with winning and procuring winning talent during his twenty-year career as an NBA executive.

Under Rose and Perry, the Knicks are perhaps in the best hands since Donnie Walsh was the general manager.  Enter Tom Thibodeau, who is no stranger to New York or the Knicks.  I believe there is actually no more perfect person for the job in the team's present state.  He is charged with a largely young, inexperienced, but moldable squad, albeit with the obligatory veterans on board to help guide the way.  Thibodeau, we know, emphasizes strong defense.  But where other coaches talk a good game, Coach Thibs actually wields enough sway to extract such effort from his players - or they just won't play; it's their choice.  No job is safe on this team, but they have the right coach in place if they want to learn and develop.  Thus, the Knicks with Perry and Rose, together with Thibodeau, seemingly have assembled what may prove to be their strongest triumvirate in quite some time.  

And so, I'm not interested in the off-season that was.  With this new hierarchy in place, what they accomplish together moving forward is what now matters most.  They have a few years of drafting ahead.  Expect another 25 to 30 win season.  But it's still rather refreshing commenting on this team under these circumstances instead of constantly hammering James Dolan about running this once-proud organization into the ground - so there, I just did it again.

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RJ Barrett was a very efficient 11/15 from the field and 3/3 from the arc (1/2 from the line) for a team-high 26 points and five assists in 34 minutes.  Julius Randle scored 17 points in a team-high 35 minutes with a likewise team-best nine rebounds.  Alec Burke was second on the team with 22 points in 32 minutes off the bench.

The Knicks were outrebounded by the Pacers by a 50-40 margin.  Domantas Sabonis posted a game-leading double-double with 32 points and 13 rebounds.

Rookies Obie Toppin and Immanuel Quickley made their respective Knicks debut.  Toppin was 3/12 from the field, all from the arc, with three boards in 24 minutes.  Quickley, who left the game with a hip injury and did not return, was 1/3 from the field but 3/3 from the line for five points in 12 minutes.  

After averaging at least 20 minutes through his first three seasons, Frank Ntilikina was limited to just five minutes against the Pacers.  However, he did endure an Achillies issue in the pre-season.  In any event, he and the team are unlikely to reach an extension agreement, Coach Thib's lineup and strong scuttlebutt suggest he is likely to be traded. 

Knicks host the Philadelphia 76ers this Saturday.