Well, shit. Shit, shit, shit, shit, shit. And shit. Just like that, the Knicks lost one of their most important players to a crappy injury for the whole season. Mitchell Robinson was essential for the Knicks success, and as the year ends, the Knicks are without their starting center. It was unlikely, but Knicks fans were hyping him up for defensive player of the year. He was doing phenomenal on the defensive end, and his rebounding was one of the best in the league.
We were led to believe Robinson would be able to return in 3 months, but with him out for the year, the Knicks are going to have to find a replacement. Isaiah Hartenstein has filled the role perfectly since Robinson’s injury, but the Knicks need to find someone else as they can’t rely on Jericho Sims or Taj Gibson for the rest of the season. For now, I love seeing Taj get some minutes. He’s quietly one of my favorite Knicks ever, but he’s not going to be the answer to this solution. The Knicks should look to the Utah Jazz. The Jazz’s season is starting to spiral, and the Knicks should look to acquire one of their big men. In my opinion, the Knicks should target Kelly Olynyk over Lauri Markkanen. Olynyk is the much cheaper option regarding how much they would have to give up, and Olynyk fits better in the Knicks rotation. Markkanen isn’t a true center, and that’s what the Knicks need right now. Kelly Olynyk is a much more serviceable option as they don’t need to start him, but with Markkanen, they would.
With the big negative out of the way, let’s talk about some positives. Julius Randle has become a DAWG this season. After the horrible start to the season, he’s continued to improve and has become a nonstop bucket for the Knicks. In his last 12 games, Randle is averaging 27.3 PPG on 56% from the field, along with his 9.1 RPG. Randle is killing the narrative his play early in the season started, and you just love to see it. Randle saw all the love Brunson got early in the season and is trying to win some love for himself. Speaking of Brunson.
This has been the week’s hot topic on Knicks Twitter, and this might sound shocking, but I can see where Becky Hammon is coming from. It is stupid to say you can’t win because your best player is small. There are many examples where the best player is small, and the team won the championship (i.e., 2006 Wade, Billups, Thomas.) It doesn’t always happen, but small players can be the best player on a team that can win a chip. Now, what I do agree with is that Brunson is not a 1a player. I love Jalen Brunson. He’s transformed this team, but he will never be on the same level as LeBron, KD, Giannis, Jokic, etc. There’s a reason why, this offseason, the Knicks were hoping to trade for Embiid or somehow get Giannis. Brunson is for sure a top 15-20 player, but he’s not a 1a player yet. Also, the Knicks don’t need a 1a player to win a championship. They do need to make some moves to be taken more seriously, but they are still a really good team. Another also, people who are trashing Becky Hammon because she’s a woman; if there is one woman whose opinions you should respect in basketball, it is hers.
Weekly Grades:
Knicks: B+
Jalen Brunson: A
Julius Randle: A+
RJ Barrett: B-
Isaiah Hartenstein: A-
Quinten Grimes: C
Immanuel Quickley: B+
Donte DiVincenzo: B
Josh Hart: B+
Jericho Sims: F
Taj Gibson: C+
Now, let’s see what the Knicks have up next for the coming week.
The Knicks have a tough stretch ahead of them as they play the Bucks back-to-back games at the Garden. The Knicks have yet to beat the Bucks this season and haven’t beaten them since November 5th, 2021. The Knicks need to get at least one win against Milwaukee. I need to see if the Knicks can beat the best teams in the NBA. They haven’t beaten any of the best teams this year. A win against the Bucks, preferably on Christmas, would significantly improve my confidence. After those two games, the Knicks are back on the road to play the Thunder. I have no idea how this matchup could go. It’s a pretty even matchup. I trust my Knicks, but who knows how this game goes. Finally, the Knicks head to Orlando to play the Magic. I have no fear of the Magic yet. They have some ballers on the team, but there is no doubt in my mind the Knicks won’t win that game. It could be close, or it could be a blowout, but I’m confident the Knicks will get a dub against the Magic.
Until next time, let’s go Knicks!
SmallDog Sports 
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