OH. MY. GOD. The Knicks are, without a doubt, the best team in the NBA. Somehow, in a week where Julius Randle gets seriously injured and OG Anunoby doesn’t play most of the games, I had the most fun watching this team. It was a fantastic week, but before I talk about the good, let’s just get the bad out of the way. The Knicks losing Julius Randle for a month is a terrible blow. I’ve been very anti-Julius Randle for the last year and a half, but even I can admit the importance Randle brings to the lineup. I can hate on him all I want, but the Knicks need his offense. They need him as that second option for Brunson so Brunson can get his rest. I don’t know how substantial Jalen Brunson’s play can be without Randle in the lineup. Hopefully, we learn that he can return sooner rather than later because the Knicks aren’t winning every game with just Brunson. Now for some really dark thoughts, I’m scared about the long-term health of Randle. Brain Windhorst said on his podcast that there’s a high chance of re-dislocation without surgery. That scares the shit out of me. For this season, the Knicks’ long-term success depends on the health of Julius Randle.
That sucks, but let’s look at the positives that happened this week. The Knicks have not one but two All-Stars this season. For the first time in a decade, the Knicks have two. Nobody deserves it more than Brunson, and Randle has been so good these last two months. For Randle, it’s his third time making it, but obviously, he won’t be able to play in it. I was mentally prepared for Randle not to be an All-Star because the NBA hates the Knicks and wouldn’t let us have two, but seeing Randle make it once again is awesome for him. It’s well deserved, and he gets a good boost in his contract because of it.
It’s great to see Randle get another nod, but I’m so happy for Brunson. With all the discourse online about Brunson and his size, no one deserves this more than him. He’s playing like a top 10 player in the NBA, and finally getting the recognition he deserves is a beautiful sight to see. I can’t wait to see how he plays in the All-Star, and it’s rumored he will be in the three-point competition. Brunson will get a lot of love All-Star weekend. Also, fuck the Knicks for releasing these videos on Jalen Brunson and Julius Randle. I did not need a cry session at this moment.
With all the off-the-court stuff out of the way, the Knicks were amazing this week on the court. Another undefeated week as the Knicks continue to put a beat down on their opponents. The Knicks won their games by an average of 14 points. Outside of the Pacers game, the Knicks dominated their opponents this week. Brunson & co. were destroying their opponents offensively and defensively. The Knicks’ game plan this week since the Randle injury was to let Brunson cook and have the defense do the rest.
It was a beautiful sight to behold what the Knicks did this week, and it ended with the game of the year against Indiana. Going into the game, I had little hope for the Knicks. They already didn’t have Randle and OG, but then they lost Quentin Grimes for the game as well. They would have to play the Pacers shorthanded, and somehow, they came out on top. The Knicks didn’t hold a lead from three minutes into the game until the final 6 minutes. They were down as much as much as 15 points and were getting zero calls all game long. Then, Jalen Brunson, the day he was named an All-Star, played one of the most impressive games I’ve ever seen from him, putting up 40 points in a gritty game. Jalen Brunson got smacked in the face, and he still led this team to a win. It was a fun and entertaining game. I don’t know how the Knicks have a better game than that for the rest of the season. Also, shout out Mike Breen for this fantastic call on Brunson’s pull-up jumper.
Someone whom I need to give credit to is Precious Achiuwa. I have not been the biggest Achiuwa fan since the Knicks got him, but he has stepped up to the plate in the absence of Julius Randle. In the last three games, he’s averaging 13 points, 8.7 rebounds, 1.7 blocks, and 1.3 steals in 38.7 minutes a game. I love seeing Precious showing up when the Knicks need him the most. At first, it looked like he was just a throw-in in the OG trade, but now he’s becoming a reliable option for the Knicks.
Weekly Grades:
Knicks: A+
Jalen Brunson: A+
Julius Randle: B
OG Anunoby: B
Isaiah Hartenstein: A
Donte DiVincenzo: A
Quinten Grimes: B+
Josh Hart: A-
Deuce McBride: B+
Precious Achiuwa: A-
Jericho Sims: C+
Now, let’s see what the Knicks have up next for the coming week.
The Knicks start their week on prime-time television as they face off against the Lakers later tonight on ABC. I worry about how long the Knicks can rely on just Jalen Brunson, and this will be a challenging game. The Lakers knew they could beat the Celtics easily, so they benched Lebron and Davis to rest up against the better team. The Knicks will struggle against the Lakers’ height advantage. If there was a game for an OG return, it has to be tonight. The Knicks need his defense if they are going to stop Lebron. Even after all the credit I gave Precious, it will be a struggle for him to go against Lebron defensively. After that, the Knicks stay in New York to take on the Grizzlies. Hopefully, this game goes much smoother than the last time they played Memphis. The Grizzlies are 3-6 in their previous nine games. The Knicks should win this game with ease. For the last game of the week, the Knicks are still at home to play the Mavericks on TNT. The last time the Knicks played the Mavericks, the Knicks were horrible for the first three quarters. The Knicks tried to pull out a late comeback but fell short to a Luca-less Mavericks. This is another game I’m not confident in the Knicks. Dallas should have both Kyrie and Luca for this game. The Knicks won’t be with one of their top scorers. I hope the Knicks can pull one out against Dallas, but the odds are unlikely. It’s going to be interesting to see how New York plays this week and how long they can last with just Jalen Brunson doing Jalen Brunson things.
Until next time, let’s go Knicks!
SmallDog Sports 
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