What the hell just happened? The Knicks broke through every expectation I’ve had for them in a one-week span. Last Saturday’s blog, I expected the Knicks to win 2/3 games for the week. I had all the optimism in the world with the Knicks, but I never expected them to do what they did. I expected the Knicks to put up a good fight against Denver, and that is when they had Isaiah Hartenstein playing. The Knicks beating Jokic and the Nuggets without I-Hart was a beautiful thing. Every single player did their job. With offense, defense, and rebounding, the Knicks were a force on Thursday. And every day, I remind myself why I’m not an NBA GM and why Leon Rose is running the team. My heart was on RJ and Quick, but OG Anunoby has transformed this team into a top contender. The Knicks still need to add pieces, as I say in every blog I write, but what OG has done to this team since getting here is astonishing. He perfectly fits the Thibs model and had his best game against the Nuggets. Twenty-six points and six steals. That’s a stat line you tell your children about.
But the big story this week was once again off-the-court nonsense. The constant shitting on the Knicks continued throughout the media, and this time was WNBA legend Candace Parker. When Becky Hammon or Kenny Smith talk about Brunson or the Knicks, you can at least respect them for giving their opinions. You don’t need to agree with every opinion in the media, but it is just an opinion. What Parker did was straight-up lie about Brunson’s playoff performance and tried backtracking. Knicks fans are a rowdy bunch on Twitter, and when you come at our guys, expect a fight back (words only; Knicks fans respect women and would never put our hands on them.)
Which leads me to my next point. After it was revealed who would start in the NBA All-Star game, many members of the media began discussing their ideas on why Jalen Brunson was not a starter. Their main idea was that it was the Knicks fan’s fault for not voting for Brunson enough.
It’s the tweet from Pursiainen that I hate the most. The media talking about how small he is is why he is not starting. Every day, it was someone new taking a shot at Brunson’s height and not how good he’s been this season. Maybe if the analyst on TV would talk more about his skill than his height being a determinate to his game, then Brunson could be an All-Star starter. Instead, the casual NBA fan sees the name Damian Lillard and votes for him because they know the name. They know how good he was and still is, so they go with him, even though Brunson is having a better season. Let’s stop the nonsense that it’s Knicks fan’s fault that Brunson isn’t starting. We tried our best, but our best wasn’t enough. But shoutout to Barkley and Perk for sticking up for Brunson. I’ve always loved Big Perk and never once said I hated him as an NBA analyst. Not once. But maybe the media was right. Even Brunson’s teammates doesn’t think he should be an All-Star starter.
Last but not least, the health of the Knicks is the biggest question. They played their last two games without Hartenstein, and it is a considerable concern for the Knicks. Hartenstein is a huge factor in the Knicks defense. A return is needed soon because I don’t know how lucky New York can get without Hartenstein again. Hopefully, he can return ASAP.
Weekly Grades:
Knicks: A+
Jalen Brunson: A
Julius Randle: A
OG Anunoby: A+
Isaiah Hartenstein: B
Donte DiVincenzo: B+
Quinten Grimes: B
Josh Hart: B+
Deuce McBride: B
Precious Achiuwa: B+
Jericho Sims: C+
Now, let’s see what the Knicks have up next for the coming week.
The Knicks start their first game of the week today against the Heat at MSG. The Knicks won their first game against Miami in November, and I expect the same thing in today’s game. With the way they have played since getting OG, I don’t know who could beat this team healthy. But Hartenstein is a game-time decision coming into today’s game. I know the Knicks played well against Denver, but the whole team outside Jokic had an off night. The Knicks need a big body like I-Hart to stop someone like Bam Adebayo. With Hartenstein, the Knicks will win, without him, it gets a little dicey. Next up, the Knicks play their first game outside of New York in 7 games against Charlotte on Monday. This will be the last game they play against the Hornets for the season, as they are 3-0 on the season. A season sweep should happen with how bad this Hornets team is.
The Knicks head right back to New York for a back-to-back against the Jazz. This is another scouting game for us, as Jordan Clarkson could be a potential target for the Knicks. It’s been reported that Danny Ainge is being an ass and overvaluing his players, but if New York does want to overpay for him, Clarkson would be a DAWG off the bench. For the game the Knicks should win this game, but I could see the Knicks losing this one. Coming off a back-to-back and the Jazz are a fairly decent team. The Knicks should beat Utah, but I wouldn’t be shocked if they lose that one. Finally, Jalen Brunson can show the world why he should have started the All-Star game as the Knicks take on Tyrese Halliburton and the Pacers at MSG on Thursday. It should be a great game between two of the better teams in the East. The Knicks lost to the Pacers in their first matchup, but that was right after New York traded for OG and were without RJ and Quickley. If all goes right and Hartenstein can get healthy, the Knicks should go 4-0 on the week.
Until next time, let’s go Knicks!
SmallDog Sports 
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