Every team hits some tough patches during the marathon which is the NBA regular season. The New York Knicks look to have hit their first one this week. Playing on the road in the Knockout Round of the NBA In-Season Tournament against the Milwaukee Bucks, the Knicks had their doors blown off.
It was a near-history night but in all the worst ways for the Knicks. Milwaukee nearly set the record for 3-point shooting percentage in a game by a team with at least 23 attempts as a Robin Lopez miss with 30 seconds remaining knocked them down to third.
The Bucks scored 146 points in the game, the most given up by the Knicks this season. On top of that, they surrendered 37+ points in each of the first three-quarters of the game, the first time they have done that since the infamous Wilt Chamberlain 100-point game over 60 years ago.
It was certainly not the best game for New York, but to make matters worse, there was some rising tension in the locker room. Starting shooting guard Quentin Grimes could not hold back his frustrations any longer, as he voiced his displeasure with his current role after the game.
NBA NEWS & RUMORS: Quentin Grimes, Julius Randle, Jalen Brunson, New York Knicks Updates
Grimes spoke about how much pressure he is under, as he feels every shot weighs 100 pounds because if he misses he will be taken out. His role on the team is a difficult one to play, as it is low-volume offensively, making it difficult to get into a rhythm.
That was another issue that he cited, as the ball is not in his hands enough for him to get going. One of the players who handles the ball the most for the Knicks is All-NBA power forward Julius Randle, who agreed with Grimes’ assessment and believes the team needs to put him in better positions to succeed.
“He has a hard job, a tough role…we have to do a better job of trying to get him better looks,” Randle said of Grimes. That is some solid leadership out of Randle, as he could have focused on the incredible game he had against the Bucks, scoring 41 points with six rebounds and five assists for his biggest offensive night of the season.
Point guard Jalen Brunson shared a similar sentiment as Randle. Grimes is an integral part of this team and is a key to them finding success. Getting him going and improving his confidence is important.
“…He’s going to get the ball, so sometimes when the confidence is low it seems like the end of the world…as teammates we need to pick him up…,” Brunson said of Grimes.
NBA NEWS & RUMORS: Quentin Grimes, Julius Randle, Jalen Brunson, New York Knicks Updates
Grimes has struggled mightily on the offensive side of the ball as his shooting numbers are down across the board. He is nowhere near as aggressive as he was last season, whether it be shooting 3-pointers or driving to the basket, as he is lacking confidence. When on the court, Grimes looks like he is playing more to not make a mistake than to create a play.
Despite the underwhelming offensive production, Grimes is still finding a way to impact the game. Against the Bucks, he was the only player able to hold Damian Lillard in check at all. Unfortunately, his lack of impact on offense has rendered his defensive impact moot, as it is more negative than his defense is positive.
That is something the Knicks have to figure out how to change. Running a few more actions to get the ball in his hands could do the trick, as he seems to feel left out of the offense right now.
Josh Hart raised some concerns about his role and then responded with his best offensive game of the season. Hopefully, Grimes can have something similar occur, as the team needs him if they are ging to keep winning games.
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