Let’s keep things in perspective, shall we? In each of the first two games of the Eastern Conference Finals, the New York Knicks had the ball exactly where they wanted it with the game on the line: in the hands of the NBA’s Clutch Player of the Year.
Jalen Brunson failed to capitalize on both tries.
Down 138-135 in overtime of Game 1, Brunson missed a three-pointer with 10.2 seconds remaining. Not even an open look from Karl-Anthony Towns on a second-chance shot could force the Indiana Pacers to make another play.
Two nights later, New York found itself in an identical situation. Trailing 112-109 in Game 2, Brunson missed even worse—a deep three-point attempt, which made sense at the end of the day, considering the Pacers knew the situation.
Forget about Tom Thibodeau, folks; the Knicks studs simply aren’t matching the Pacers’ overall attitude, and this is especially apparent when the game’s most significant moments are front and center.
ECF Game 3: Matchup
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The ECF should obviously be 1-1
Let’s be real: If the aforementioned KAT and OG Anunoby drill their late-game free throws in Game 1, Aaron Nesmith’s mind-boggling crunchtime performance would have gone down as a mere footnote in the annals of basketball history. Instead, both Knickerbockers choked, leading to Nesmith’s heroics and Tyrese Haliburton’s absurdly proactive game-tyer (which everybody initially thought ended things).
All Haliburton needed was one opportunity.
One.
On the other side of the floor, Brunson is 0 for 2, KAT is 0 for 1, and a muck of sloppiness has added to the already ugly pile of big-game moments.
New York’s top guns have melted in nut-crunching time, whereas Indy’s big guys have cached in numerous times. It would be more apt to say that Rick Carlisle’s squad has been so clutch that it feels near-fictional.
How and why is this not the most bandied about narrative for Knicks fan fodder?
Thibs deserves criticism, but the temperature is insane
Make no mistake about it: Tom Thibodeau deserves criticism. Always and forever, a head coach of a professional sports team should take bullets, especially from fans and the media.
But sheesh, people, this is outrageous. It’s too late to name names and point to the senseless Thibodeau criticism—as Game 3 is upon us—but I’m confident that Knicks fans understand the point.
No matter what goes wrong, it’s the head coach’s fault.
Following Game 1, fans wanted more Mitchell Robinson and Duece McBride. That’s exactly what they received in Game 2, with Mitch playing 29 minutes and McBride playing 25.
Some fans continually bitch about Thibodeau not trusting his bench enough—which is a legitimate criticism—yet the same fans scream about Cam Payne seeing the court in Game 2 (nine minutes total).
Personally speaking, Thibs not cultivating a deeper bench is a legitimate criticism, but let’s also be fair about it: This bench isn’t deep. Are we really pining for Delon Wright or Precious Achiuwa that much? Is the idea of throwing rookie Tyler Kolek into the fire really what separates the Knicks from the NBA Finals or fishing?
Come on, now.
Thibodeau’s bench concerns are for a different time and place. The time is during the regular season, and the place is when he’s coaching a roster equipped with a bench that’s much more deserving of time. Independent of Thibs’s short-bench ways, Knicks fans headed into the season understanding how thin the rotation was.
Minutes and lineups aren’t the key in this series. Certain moves may help, but they’re not the key to getting them over the hump.
The NBA is a superstar league
Without Jalen Brunson, the Knicks aren’t even in position to win Game 1. They also aren’t even close to competing in Game 2.
This much is obvious.
Yet, it should also be painfully obvious that he’s been underwhelming, especially in comparison to his counterparts, when those “gotta have it shots” are taken. That has to change immediately.
Also needing to change is Karl-Anthony Towns’s attitude from the tip.
Where is the Game 6 KAT who asserted himself against Boston in a way Knicks fans had not yet seen in these playoffs? Where’s the guy who should have his way with Myles Turner off the dribble?
Interestingly, my most significant criticism of Thibodeau is how sluggish the Knicks have started in the first two games, coupled with the lack of focus at Madison Square Garden. Much like with the Pacers, the Knicks are much more focused on the road, which leads me to believe that both squads are elevated by coaching.
Regarding the slow starts, Thibs has to figure out where and how to attack Indy. Which matchup is the right one to go after from the jump, and how can he get KAT, OG, or Mikal Bridges off to a hot start—with plenty of actions loaded with purpose?
At the end of the day, it’ll come down to the New York Knicks superstars matching brass ones with the Indiana Pacers players. Through the first two games, Brunson and KAT have come up small, whereas Haliburton and company have been near-flawless when faced with the big moment.
Worse yet, for Knicks fans, they’ve been fearless.
Which Knicks have what it takes to match that attitude?
The winner of Game 3 will be the team whose players make more “gotta have it shots,” independent of how Tom Thibodeau attacks the game.