Merry Knicksmas and happy holidays to the best NBA fans in the world! The most wonderful time of the year has arrived, especially for us, who will get to see the Knicks play the Philadelphia 76ers on Christmas Day.
We all want presents, and we’ll talk about what each Knick gets for Knicksmas this year. I wrote the same article last year, so it’s safe to say this will now be a tradition, like watching Christmas movies with your family, but more fun and with more Knicks!
Whether you’re spending your holidays drinking eggnog and hearing your drunk uncle ramble on about politics, avoiding your crazy family like they have the plague, opening presents, spending time with loved ones, or are like me and plan to watch basketball all day drinking hot chocolate, every New York basketball is carving out a few hours to root for their team.
As for this season … it;s been up and down so far. The Knicks recently had their eight-game win streak snapped by the Toronto Raptors, during which Mitchell Robinson took a shot to the groin, hurting the Knicks’ defense down the stretch.
On the whole, RJ Barrett and Julius Randle each struggled at the beginning of the season, but everyone on the team has now adjusted to the Jalen Brunson-led offense. Robinson has remained healthy and emerged in an influential way. Quentin Grimes and Miles McBride have taken impressive leaps. Immanuel Quickley has been a very good sixth man.
So what do all of these guys (plus the rest of the roster) deserve under the tree on Christmas Day? We think we have a good idea in regard to what each Knicks player should unwrap before Sunday’s game against the 76ers.
The Starting 5
Julius Randle: A Written Apology from 90% of Knicks fans
Knicks fans who hated Julius Randle during the 2019-20 season did not want to accept his improvement, and it felt like they were happy he was struggling in 2021. Randle’s now playing like an All-Star, averaging 22.5 points and 9 rebounds while shooting 45% from the field. To all the Randle haters out there who root for the Knicks, stop being weird, you know who you are.
Jalen Brunson: A Ticket to the All Star Game
The Knicks signed Jalen Brunson instantly to kick offfree agency. They just paid the price of tampering in the form of a 2025 second-round pick, which was well worth it. Brunson has run the show and completely revitalized a team that was hard to watch. Brunson has played like an All-Star and he deserves to go to the annual festivities in Utah.
RJ Barrett: A Sports Psychologist
Remember being a kid and everything you got for Christmas was so fun because your parents just wanted you to have good memories? Then you get older, and you know Santa is as real as Kevin Durant’s Warriors championship rings? Well, now it’s young RJ’s turn to grow up. Last year I said that he should get a reunion with Zion Williamson for Christmas, but that door has closed. A year later, RJ continued his awful pattern of playing terribly in the first 1.5 months of the season, and it has to stop. Barrett has been averaging 22 points and 6 rebounds on 46/37/73 shooting splits in December, though. So hopefully consistency is on the way.
Mitchell Robinson: Bubble Wrap… and some cool car decals
Ok, so the bubble wrap is because Mitch has been somewhat injury prone. When he’s healthy and in a groove, he’s so hard to stop, and his energized style is just so unstoppable in the paint. If he can stay healthy, the Knicks can maintain a dominant presence in the paint they’ve had trouble maintaining in recent memory. As for the decals, if you follow Mitch, you know he loves his cars.
Quentin Grimes: A Signed Letter from Leon Rose that he is still untouchable
Grimes has been everything the Knicks could ask for in a role player. His three ball has once again started falling at a great clip … not to mention his incredible defense. Grimes gave DeMar DeRozan, one of the best isolation players in the NBA, a considerable amount of trouble the last time the Knicks faced the Bulls. Grimes also has shown that he’s getting more comfortable with the ball in his hands, and it will be fun to watch him grow for years in the orange and blue after he came very close to being traded in a huge package for Donovan Mitchell. Good thing we didn’t do that.
I wrote the same article last year</a>, so it’s safe to say this will now be a tradition, like watching Christmas movies with your family, but more fun and with more Knicks!</p>
<p>Whether you’re spending your holidays drinking eggnog and hearing your drunk uncle ramble on about politics, avoiding your crazy family like they have the plague, opening presents, spending time with loved ones, or are like me and plan to watch basketball all day drinking hot chocolate, every New York basketball is carving out a few hours to root for their team.</p>
<p>As for this season … it;s been up and down so far. The Knicks recently had their eight-game win streak <a href=https://dailyknicks.com/2022/12/25/new-york-knicks-christmas-day-gifts-philadelphia-76ers/"https://dailyknicks.com/2022/12/22/knicks-eight-game-win-streak-screeching-halt-raptors/">snapped by the Toronto Raptors,</a> during which Mitchell Robinson took a shot to the groin, hurting the Knicks’ defense down the stretch.</p>
<p>On the whole, RJ Barrett and Julius Randle each struggled at the beginning of the season, but everyone on the team has now adjusted to the Jalen Brunson-led offense. Robinson has remained healthy and emerged in an influential way. Quentin Grimes and Miles McBride have taken impressive leaps. Immanuel Quickley has been a very good sixth man.</p>
<p>So what do all of these guys (plus the rest of the roster) deserve under the tree on Christmas Day? We think we have a good idea in regard to what each Knicks player should unwrap before Sunday’s game against the 76ers.</p>
<h3>The Starting 5</h3>
<h2>Julius Randle: A Written Apology from 90% of Knicks fans</h2>
<p>Knicks fans who hated Julius Randle during the 2019-20 season did not want to accept his improvement, and it felt like they were happy he was struggling in 2021. Randle’s now playing like an All-Star, averaging 22.5 points and 9 rebounds while shooting 45% from the field. To all the Randle haters out there who root for the Knicks, stop being weird, you know who you are.</p>
<h2>Jalen Brunson: A Ticket to the All Star Game</h2>
<p>The Knicks signed Jalen Brunson instantly to kick offfree agency. <a href=https://dailyknicks.com/2022/12/25/new-york-knicks-christmas-day-gifts-philadelphia-76ers/"https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/35299743/knicks-lose-2025-second-round-pick-jalen-brunson-signing" target="_blank" rel="noopener">They just paid the price of tampering in the form of a 2025 second-round pick</a>, which was well worth it. Brunson has run the show and completely revitalized a team that was hard to watch. Brunson has played like an All-Star and he deserves to go to the annual festivities in Utah.</p>
<h2>RJ Barrett: A Sports Psychologist</h2>
<p>Remember being a kid and everything you got for Christmas was so fun because your parents just wanted you to have good memories? Then you get older, and you know Santa is as real as Kevin Durant’s Warriors championship rings? Well, now it’s young RJ’s turn to grow up. Last year I said that he should get a reunion with Zion Williamson for Christmas, but that door has closed. A year later, RJ continued his awful pattern of playing terribly in the first 1.5 months of the season, and it has to stop. <a href=https://dailyknicks.com/2022/12/25/new-york-knicks-christmas-day-gifts-philadelphia-76ers/"https://www.statmuse.com/nba/ask/rj-barrett-stats-since-december-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Barrett has been averaging 22 points and 6 rebounds on 46/37/73 shooting splits in December</a>, though. So hopefully consistency is on the way.</p>
<h2>Mitchell Robinson: Bubble Wrap… and some cool car decals</h2>
<p>Ok, so the bubble wrap is because Mitch has been somewhat injury prone. When he’s healthy and in a groove, he’s so hard to stop, and his energized style is just so unstoppable in the paint. If he can stay healthy, the Knicks can maintain a dominant presence in the paint they’ve had trouble maintaining in recent memory. As for the decals, if you follow Mitch, you know he loves his cars.</p>
<h2>Quentin Grimes: A Signed Letter from Leon Rose that he is still untouchable</h2>
<p>Grimes has been everything the Knicks could ask for in a role player. His three ball has once again started falling at a great clip … not to mention his incredible defense. Grimes gave DeMar DeRozan, one of the best isolation players in the NBA, a considerable amount of trouble the last time the Knicks faced the Bulls. Grimes also has shown that he’s getting more comfortable with the ball in his hands, and it will be fun to watch him grow for years in the orange and blue after he came very close to being traded in a huge package for Donovan Mitchell. Good thing we didn’t do that.</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/2022/12/25/new-york-knicks-christmas-day-gifts-philadelphia-76ers/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> Don't Forget About These Guys! </a>
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<img decoding="async" class="wp-image-137435 size-full" src=https://dailyknicks.com/2022/12/25/new-york-knicks-christmas-day-gifts-philadelphia-76ers/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_2200,w_3200/https%3A%2F%2Fdailyknicks.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2022%2F12%2F1442832320.jpeg" alt="" width="3200" height="2200" srcset="https://dailyknicks.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2022/12/1442832320.jpeg 3200w, https://dailyknicks.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2022/12/1442832320-768x528.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 3200px) 100vw, 3200px"><div class="fs-center-img">
<p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:3200px;">Immanuel Quickley #5 of the New York Knicks (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)</p>
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<h3>The Bench Unit</h3>
<h2>Immanuel Quickley: Legit minutes as the real 6th man</h2>
<p>Everything about how IQ is currently playing screams “threatening sixth man” who may one day become too good to come off the bench. Let’s make him the official sixth man and see how it plays out.</p>
<h2>Obi Toppin: More time on the floor!</h2>
<p>If you’re wondering what I said last year for Obi, it was also more minutes. He’s currently injured, but once he returns, it’s time to give this man more time on the floor. He plays so well when he gets real minutes. If that’s not going to happen, trade him for his sake.</p>
<h2>Evan Fournier: A Trade</h2>
<p>Fournier can produce when he’s in the right system … but this isn’t it. <a href=https://dailyknicks.com/2022/12/25/new-york-knicks-christmas-day-gifts-philadelphia-76ers/"https://dailyknicks.com/2022/12/17/knicks-trade-send-cam-reddish-evan-fournier-lakers/">Trade him to the Lakers along with Cam Reddish</a> and try to get a first-round pick for taking Pat Beverley and Kendrick Nunn in return for guys who actually deserve rotational minutes.</p>
<h2>Cam Reddish: See Above, but also an apology</h2>
<p>Cam deserved minutes with the Knicks. Getting him in last year’s trade felt like the Knicks could complete the Duke Big 3 prophecy with a trade for Zion Williamson. Sorry, Cam, you deserved better. But hey, the <a href=https://dailyknicks.com/2022/12/25/new-york-knicks-christmas-day-gifts-philadelphia-76ers/"https://bleacherreport.com/articles/10059474-lakers-rumors-la-very-intrigued-by-knicks-cam-reddish-ny-wants-1st-in-trade">Lakers want you</a>! You’ll fit next to LeBron too!</p>
<h2>Isaiah Hartenstein: Lessons on fundamentals</h2>
<p>Towards the end of the loss vs the Raptors, Toronto got three offensive rebounds over Hartenstein who was ball-watching and not boxing out. I won’t get over it.</p>
<h2>Jericho Sims: Hartenstein’s minutes</h2>
<p>Signing Hartenstein didn’t make sense if you’re not going capitalize on his playmaking, so give Sims Hartenstein’s minutes and trade Hartenstein.</p>
<h2>Derrick Rose: Trade to a contender</h2>
<p>All of us love Derrick Rose, and watching him not get minutes is painful. Trade the man to a contender and let D-Rose play for a ring!</p>
<h2>Deuce McBride: Hustle player of the year award</h2>
<p>If you don’t see shades of Marcus Smart in the way Deuce McBride plays basketball, watch closer. Get Deuce the recognition for the hustle he puts in. That man gives everything to secure a win, and Knicks fans are all for it!</p>
<h2>Svi Mykhailiuk: Chance for minutes</h2>
<p>Svi is an absolute lights-out shooter. I would like to see him get a real chance to crack the rotation so he can unleash his skills.</p>
<h2>Ryan Arcidiacono: Teammate of the year award</h2>
<p>When a big play happens, look towards the bench. I guarantee you will see that Arcidiacono is the first one up cheering on his teammates.</p>
<h2>Tom Thibodeau: An Offensive Coordinator</h2>
<p>Same gift as last year! Thibs does not run offensive sets and it’s a problem. There’s too much iso ball and no late-game plays. Get Thibs someone to run the offense and he can do everything else that he wants to.</p>
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<p><em>Twas the night before Knicksmas and the stars looked like candles, but New York Basketball never stops in a city that’s Randle’s. As we all doze off from eggnog consumption, we go to NBAVote and cast our ballot for Barrett and Brunson. Merry Knicksmas to all (but the Nets) and to all a good night!</em></p>
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