Quentin Grimes, New York Knicks. (Photo by Eric Espada/Getty Images)
What do the Knicks wing players need to improve?
RJ Barrett: Finishing
This was a no-brainer. Everyone knows finishing has been the worst and, simultaneously, most dissatisfying part of Barrett’s game.
It’s such a shame too when you consider how easily Barrett has been able to attack the rim ever since he was a rookie, despite not having an above-average handle. At times, he has looked like a world-beater when he gets to the cup. However, much like his teammate Immanuel Quickley, he has also looked so downright pitiful at times that it severely depresses his efficiency numbers.
Consistency is the key for Barrett if he wants to make the leap to All-Star status this season. His overall offensive skillset can certainly use consistency, but a player of Barrett’s archetype shouldn’t be struggling like he does when it comes to finishing, so he needs to focus on cleaning that up first.
Quentin Grimes: Shot creation
Perhaps Grimes has already improved in this area, as he displayed some promising scoring chops during Summer League. It remains to be seen how many opportunities he will get with the ball in his hands this season, but hopefully, it will be a decent amount.
After all, Grimes was reportedly “untouchable” in trade talks for Donovan Mitchell. Clearly, the Knicks have high hopes for Grimes’ ceiling if that was indeed the case. While 3-and-D players are very valuable in the league, a rookie dawning that description who doesn’t display potential to become a respectable isolation scorer is not what dictates being untouchable.
Leon Rose and Tom Thibodeau will be largely responsible for giving him the minutes and touches to prove their expectations to be correct. However, Grimes, of course, will be the one who needs to get buckets.
Evan Fournier: Being more like “Magic” Fournier
Being that he is a veteran heading into his 11th NBA season, Fournier is another Knicks player who is too old to be expected to show considerable development. However, he can hopefully still improve by having a bounce-back season.
Many fans were underwhelmed by EF’s performance, and rightfully so, as he shot the lowest FG% of his career (41.7%) since his sophomore season (41.9%). Aside from surprisingly stellar three-point shooting, Fournier produced very little on either end of the court for New York.
We saw flashes of the player that averaged 16 PPG in seven seasons with the Orlando Magic. During those years, he was much more reliable as a shot creator and even as a distributor. For as long as he remains with this team, the Knicks need Fournier to be much more productive, especially as a secondary ball handler and scorer.
Cam Reddish: Anything and everything
Cam Reddish may be the one player on the Knicks whose impact in team practices will heavily influence what playing time (if anything) he receives in games when the roster is fully healthy. The story of Reddish making it to New York has become infamous among fans; despite being moved for a first-round pick (it was heavily protected, but still), Reddish only played in 15 of 19 potential games when he wasn’t hurt and averaged just 14.3 MPG.
Additionally, the “3-and-D” wing shot just 25.8% from three off of the bench. There were definitely moments where Cam played great and even flashed the star potential many people have identified with him since his high school basketball days, but overall he was underwhelming.
Reddish is in a similar boat as Grimes — his ability to develop and prove his worth is partially in Tom Thibodeau’s hands, except he hasn’t earned Thib’s admiration like QG has.
Hopefully, Reddish can display enough (anything positive) in practice that allows him to earn the trust of his coach. He is also playing for a second NBA contract, and if he is going to get that from New York’s front office, he has to show he has made strides in his game, in and out of the spotlight.
in free agency</a>, the New York Knicks roster for the upcoming 2022-23 season will be the same as it was last season. I probably don’t have to tell you that this is a bit concerning since last year’s team proved to be a disappointment, to put it lightly.</p>
<p>Replacing Kemba Walker, Alec Burks, and Nerlens Noel with Jalen Brunson and Isaiah Hartenstein is certainly a welcome change, but it isn’t likely to be enough of a difference maker. Burks was the only one of those three players who had a prominent role in the rotation. Even those of us who are high on Brunson and Hartenstein’s talents have to admit that they don’t add enough value to lift the Knicks above a <a href=https://dailyknicks.com/2022/09/21/1-area-improvement-key-knicks-player-2022-23/3/"https://dailyknicks.com/2022/09/08/jeff-van-gundy-reveals-expectations-knicks-2022-23/">play-in tournament</a> level.</p>
<p>The two most significant causes of the team’s underwhelming 2021-22 campaign were: 1). The regression/poor performance of several players and 2). The improved depth/strength of the Eastern Conference. The latter will certainly remain to be the status quo, as not only have most teams that finished ahead of New York last year gotten better or stayed about the same (aside from the Charlotte Hornets), but every other team (besides the Indiana Pacers) <a href=https://dailyknicks.com/2022/09/21/1-area-improvement-key-knicks-player-2022-23/3/"https://dailyknicks.com/2022/09/18/3-reasons-knicks-improved-compete-east-2022-23/">in the East</a> have seemingly improved as well.</p>
<h2><strong>Knicks players need to show improvement in 2022-23</strong></h2>
<p>This isn’t to suggest that I think the Knicks are doomed to be a bottom three team in their conference, but what I am saying is that their competition in a playoff hunt remains stiff; it may have even gotten tougher.</p>
<p>Therefore, if the Knicks are going to have a bounce-back season while essentially running it back with the same squad, then they must see growth from many members of the team. And even if they don’t ultimately attain playoff positioning, this is a very young team so we should expect nothing less than positive development to some extent for each individual.</p>
<p>In this article, I will be highlighting the one area of each player’s game that I think they need to improve on during the 2022-23 season. I won’t be discussing Miles McBride, Feron Hunt, Trevor Keels, or Jericho Sims since the rotation is clogged up enough. Those players are simply unlikely to get much playing time, even with potential injuries.</p>
<p>To start, we will look at New York’s guards.</p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background: #007BC1" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://dailyknicks.com/2022/09/21/1-area-improvement-key-knicks-player-2022-23/3/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> Knicks guards </a>
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<img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-133373" src=https://dailyknicks.com/2022/09/21/1-area-improvement-key-knicks-player-2022-23/3/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_2134,w_3200/https%3A%2F%2Fdailyknicks.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2022%2F09%2F1239590839.jpeg" alt="New York Knicks, Immanuel Quickley" width="3200" height="2134" srcset="https://dailyknicks.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2022/09/1239590839.jpeg 3200w, https://dailyknicks.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2022/09/1239590839-768x512.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 3200px) 100vw, 3200px"><p class="wp-caption-text">Immanuel Quickley, New York Knicks. (Photo by Mike Stobe/Getty Images)</p>
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<h3>What should each Knicks guard focus on improving?</h3>
<h2>Jalen Brunson: Three-point shot creation/volume</h2>
<p>Perhaps the best way to describe Jalen Brunson as a player is solid because he does just about everything well. So, based on that assessment, it makes sense that Brunson has displayed a solid three-point jump shot.</p>
<p>Brunson shot 37.3% from deep on 3.2 3PA last season with Dallas. As Brunson looks to further develop his game, I think the one thing that could elevate his game is for him to become a better all-around shooter from three-point land.</p>
<p>On pull-up three-pointers last season, Brunson <a href=https://dailyknicks.com/2022/09/21/1-area-improvement-key-knicks-player-2022-23/3/"https://www.nba.com/stats/players/pullup?sort=PULL_UP_FG3A&dir=1&Season=2021-22&SeasonType=Regular%20Season%22 target="_blank" rel="noopener">shot just 31.3%</a> on only one attempt per game. I’d love to see him get his attempts up to around 2.5, which would put him roughly right in between Immanuel Quickley (3.4) and RJ Barrett (1.3).</p>
<p>And, of course, he can’t improve on this shot necessarily unless he is taking them in games. Brunson only shot pull-up threes <a href=https://dailyknicks.com/2022/09/21/1-area-improvement-key-knicks-player-2022-23/3/"https://www.nba.com/stats/player/1628973/shots-dash" target="_blank" rel="noopener">7.9% of the time</a> last season. If Brunson can improve his ability to make the long ball off of the dribble, and even if he just continues to shoot a good percentage on a higher volume, then it would be a fantastic complement to the rest of his offensive game.</p>
<p>He’s already a great penetrator and mid-range shooter, so unlocking another level of his three-point shot would make him a fantastic three-level scoring threat.</p>
<h2>Derrick Rose: Nothing</h2>
<p>Sorry to possibly disappoint you, but I would hope most people agree with me on this. It would be unfair to ask Rose to improve at this stage of his career.</p>
<p>I obviously can’t ask him to be healthier, nor can I ask him to defer to Quickley and ask Tom Thibodeau for fewer minutes. I have nothing against him, but if I had it my way, Rose would have been traded yesterday. However, he is here right now and I can only appreciate his <a href=https://dailyknicks.com/2022/09/21/1-area-improvement-key-knicks-player-2022-23/3/"https://dailyknicks.com/2022/09/09/3-reasons-derrick-rose-factor-knicks-2022-23/">experience as a veteran</a> and hope that he helps the young guys grow. Hopefully, he leads us to some wins, too.</p>
<h2>Immanuel Quickley: Efficiency</h2>
<p>For as electric as Quickley can be, it doesn’t happen very often. IQ struggled to score and shoot for very long stretches in his sophomore season. He struggled with efficiency as a rookie too, despite offense being his strength.</p>
<p>His first and second-year stats are nearly identical. There was a clear drop-off in his marksmanship from three, but an uptick in his 2PT FG%, so it sort of balanced out. Thankfully, quality shot selection has never been a fault of his, and he remained a constant when looking at combinations of players who had the best box plus/minus on the team, so I think he will find success sooner than later with his efficiency.</p>
<p>Even though he clearly has a positive impact on winning for New York, this doesn’t mean he can keep playing this way. Making this leap is the difference between him establishing himself as a reliable, starting caliber guard and pigeonholing himself in the backup/sixth man role he’s in now as his career continues.</p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background: #007BC1" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://dailyknicks.com/2022/09/21/1-area-improvement-key-knicks-player-2022-23/3/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> The wings </a>
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<img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-133374" src=https://dailyknicks.com/2022/09/21/1-area-improvement-key-knicks-player-2022-23/3/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_2134,w_3200/https%3A%2F%2Fdailyknicks.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2022%2F09%2F1387761383.jpeg" alt="New York Knicks, Quentin Grimes" width="3200" height="2134" srcset="https://dailyknicks.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2022/09/1387761383.jpeg 3200w, https://dailyknicks.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2022/09/1387761383-768x512.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 3200px) 100vw, 3200px"><p class="wp-caption-text">Quentin Grimes, New York Knicks. (Photo by Eric Espada/Getty Images)</p>
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<h3>What do the Knicks wing players need to improve?</h3>
<h2>RJ Barrett: Finishing</h2>
<p>This was a no-brainer. Everyone knows finishing has been the worst and, simultaneously, most dissatisfying part <a href=https://dailyknicks.com/2022/09/21/1-area-improvement-key-knicks-player-2022-23/3/"https://dailyknicks.com/2022/08/03/rj-barrett-strengths-weaknesses-offense-knicks/">of Barrett’s game</a>.</p>
<p>It’s such a shame too when you consider how easily Barrett has been able to attack the rim ever since he was a rookie, despite not having an above-average handle. At times, he has looked like a world-beater when he gets to the cup. However, much like his teammate Immanuel Quickley, he has also looked so downright pitiful at times that it severely depresses his efficiency numbers.</p>
<p>Consistency is the key for Barrett if he wants to make the leap to All-Star status this season. His overall offensive skillset can certainly use consistency, but a player of Barrett’s archetype shouldn’t be struggling like he does when it comes to finishing, so he needs to focus on cleaning that up first.</p>
<h2>Quentin Grimes: Shot creation</h2>
<p>Perhaps Grimes has already improved in this area, as he displayed some promising scoring chops during Summer League. It remains to be seen how many opportunities he will get with the ball in his hands this season, but hopefully, it will be a decent amount.</p>
<p>After all, Grimes was reportedly “untouchable” in trade talks for Donovan Mitchell. Clearly, the Knicks have high hopes for Grimes’ ceiling if that was indeed the case. While 3-and-D players are very valuable in the league, a rookie dawning that description who doesn’t display potential to become a respectable isolation scorer is not what dictates being untouchable.</p>
<p>Leon Rose and Tom Thibodeau will be largely responsible for giving him the minutes and touches to prove their expectations to be correct. However, Grimes, of course, will be the one who needs to get buckets.</p>
<h2>Evan Fournier: Being more like “Magic” Fournier</h2>
<p>Being that he is a veteran heading into his 11th NBA season, Fournier is another Knicks player who is too old to be expected to show considerable development. However, he can hopefully still improve by having a bounce-back season.</p>
<p>Many fans were underwhelmed by EF’s performance, and rightfully so, as he shot the lowest FG% of his career <a href=https://dailyknicks.com/2022/09/21/1-area-improvement-key-knicks-player-2022-23/3/"https://www.espn.com/nba/player/stats/_/id/6588/evan-fournier" target="_blank" rel="noopener">(41.7%)</a> since his sophomore season (41.9%). Aside from surprisingly stellar three-point shooting, Fournier produced very little on either end of the court for New York.</p>
<p>We saw flashes of the player that averaged 16 PPG in seven seasons with the Orlando Magic. During those years, he was much more reliable as a shot creator and even as a distributor. For as long as he remains with this team, the Knicks need Fournier to be <em>much</em> more productive, especially as a secondary ball handler and scorer.</p>
<h2>Cam Reddish: Anything and everything</h2>
<p>Cam Reddish may be the one player on the Knicks whose impact in team practices will heavily influence what playing time (if anything) he receives in games when the roster is fully healthy. The story of Reddish making it to New York has become infamous among fans; despite being moved for a first-round pick (it was heavily protected, but still), Reddish only played in 15 of 19 potential games when he wasn’t hurt and averaged just 14.3 MPG.</p>
<p>Additionally, the “3-and-D” wing shot just 25.8% from three off of the bench. There were definitely moments where Cam played great and even flashed the star potential many people have identified with him since his high school basketball days, but overall he was underwhelming.</p>
<p>Reddish is in a similar boat as Grimes — his ability to develop and prove his worth is partially in Tom Thibodeau’s hands, except he hasn’t earned Thib’s admiration like QG has.</p>
<p>Hopefully, Reddish can display enough (anything positive) in practice that allows him to earn the <a href=https://dailyknicks.com/2022/09/21/1-area-improvement-key-knicks-player-2022-23/3/"https://dailyknicks.com/2022/09/16/knicks-cam-reddish-tom-thibodeau-luol-deng/">trust of his coach</a>. He is also playing for a second NBA contract, and if he is going to get that from New York’s front office, he has to show he has made strides in his game, in and out of the spotlight.</p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background: #007BC1" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://dailyknicks.com/2022/09/21/1-area-improvement-key-knicks-player-2022-23/3/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> The bigs </a>
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<div id="attachment_133375" class="wp-caption alignnone">
<img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-133375" src=https://dailyknicks.com/2022/09/21/1-area-improvement-key-knicks-player-2022-23/3/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_2133,w_3200/https%3A%2F%2Fdailyknicks.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2022%2F09%2F1390383907.jpeg" alt="New York Knicks, Obi Toppin, Jericho Sims" width="3200" height="2133" srcset="https://dailyknicks.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2022/09/1390383907.jpeg 3200w, https://dailyknicks.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2022/09/1390383907-768x512.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 3200px) 100vw, 3200px"><p class="wp-caption-text">Obi Toppin, Jericho Sims, New York Knicks. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images)</p>
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<h3>How should the Knicks’ “big men” look to improve?</h3>
<h2>Julius Randle: Mentality/Motor</h2>
<p>Whether you like it or not, Julius Randle will be suiting up for his fourth season in a Knicks uniform. I won’t even entertain the concept of him being traded before the start of 2022-23 and I’m even tempted to think he won’t be traded at all this season… <em>unless</em> he is moved at the deadline, which I think would only be possible if New York somehow has a truly disastrous first 56 games.</p>
<p>If Randle is traded this season, then I hope I get struck by *err* a flying ice cream truck. AND LIVE!</p>
<p>Therefore, the clear thing Randle must improve is his mentality and his motor, which are basically interchangeable. If Randle is upset, he doesn’t try. If Randle isn’t playing with effort or energy, the team suffers, and then Randle will be mad that they’re losing.</p>
<p>This was the vicious cycle (one may even call it a vicious Beyblade) Randle put the fans and his team through last season that must be broken. If Randle can invigorate himself and his teammates and play with a clear head and confidence, it should lead to much better performances both in the box score and in the win column.</p>
<h2>Obi Toppin: Three-point shooting</h2>
<p>During his first two seasons in the NBA, three-point shooting has been the clearest hole in Obi Toppin’s game. Most fans expected him to be a solid shooter coming out of Dayton, where he shot 39% from deep on 2.6 attempts per game, but it just hasn’t translated.</p>
<p>Thankfully, though, Toppin has flashed this skill at the NBA level, and he did more than just flash it to close the season. In eight of the final 11 games, Toppin was the starting power forward and <a href=https://dailyknicks.com/2022/09/21/1-area-improvement-key-knicks-player-2022-23/3/"https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/t/toppiob01/gamelog/2022" target="_blank" rel="noopener" ref="nofollow">shot 22-59 (44%)</a> from behind the arc. This included games in which he shot 3-6, 4-10, and even 6-9 (nice) on three-point shots across three games.</p>
<p>One thing that has always been evident about Obi’s game is that he thrives when given confidence. I don’t think it was a coincidence that he caught fire shooting the ball during the stretch in which he finally had the opportunity to start games. Let’s see if he can build on that shooting tear.</p>
<h2>Mitchell Robinson: Free-throw shooting</h2>
<p>It may seem unlikely being that he is going into his fifth NBA season (he has actually regressed every year in this area), but Mitchell Robinson should still work to improve his free throws. Like many centers past and present, Robinson has been dreadful at the charity stripe.</p>
<p>However, free throws are too important of a skill for a pro basketball player to ever give up on trying to raise their percentage. Every time he goes to the line, Robinson is a massive liability, and something needs to change if he is ever going to get better.</p>
<p>Additionally, he serves as a great starting center in just about every other facet of the game. There isn’t anything else the Knicks should want or need from Robinson, so this is another easy call.</p>
<h2>Isaiah Hartenstein: Three-point volume</h2>
<p>I think most Knicks fans who have become familiar with Hartenstein have heard what I am about to say, so I will keep it brief. The “stretch 5” has only attempted 47 3PT shots in his career and he has made 18 of them (mostly wide open), good for 38.3% shooting from deep.</p>
<p>That’s a great percentage for anyone, let alone a seven-footer. But, this is of course a very small sample size. Yet, most fans, including myself, are optimistic. If he can keep up that pace, then it would add a dynamic that the Knicks have never really had, and an extremely welcoming weapon.</p>
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