Five observations from the Knicks’ season-opening loss to the Spurs:
1. Julius Randle had a strong Knicks debut with 25 points, 11 rebounds, six assists and three steals. But he also had multiple cramps down the stretch that forced him out with 5:03 left. It came with the Knicks down eight and toward the tail end of the Spurs’ game-breaking 18-0 run. He sat for over two minutes when the Knicks needed him most. He returned with 2:54 left but he wasn’t himself in the fourth quarter. Randle scored just two points in the final frame, shooting 1-for-3. If the Knicks are going to pull out close games, Randle has to be the guy – as he should be after signing a three-year, $63 million contract. And he knows it. Talking about his cramping amid a low-octane fourth quarter, Randle said, “Can’t do that to my team. I’ll fix it. It was unfortunate. Crucial part of the game and I’ve got to stay in it. I can’t let my team down like that coming out for cramps.”
2. Lost in the hubbub of Elfrid Payton likely winning the starting point guard job and RJ Barrett’s 21-point NBA debut – the third-highest Knicks rookie debut of all time – was Kevin Knox II’s decent first game off the bench. Knox delivered two key back-to-back 3-pointers early in the fourth that helped bump the lead to six points. Backing up Marcus Morris, Knox scored an efficient 13 points on 5 of 9 shooting (3 of 4 on 3-pointers) with five rebounds in 21 minutes. He also was flagged with five fouls.
3. The Knicks played strong defense for three quarters and finished the game with 16 steals – which is three more than any total from last season. Coach David Fizdale was pleased but the D ran out of gas in the final frame, allowing 37 points, and the Spurs finished shooting 50.6%. Still, there was a lot to like, with Barrett and Bobby Portis each coming up with two steals and Morris three steals. Payton, of course, had his quick hands knocking the ball away all night, finishing with five steals in 26 minutes.
4. I loved MSG Network’s Wally Szczerbiak’s take on what constitutes a successful Knicks season – a take Steve Mills, Scott Perry and Fizdale have not embraced publicly. Szczerbiak has put the pressure on Fizdale.
“It’s all about winning,” Szczerbiak said. “David Fizdale has to win basketball games this season. Last year was about development, getting a high draft pick. This year is about winning basketball games, competing to get into the playoffs. These veterans were brought here to win. They weren’t brought here via $70 million to just help develop other players. It’s all about the Ws this season.”
Bless you, Wally World.
5. PG Frank Ntilikina may have been headed for a DNP Wednesday before being put into the game late in the third quarter because of Payton’s foul trouble and Fizdale’s refusal to go back to a struggling Dennis Smith Jr. The Frenchman got in for 2:54, committed two turnovers and blew a layup. No, Ntilikina did not hurt Spurs coach Gregg Popovich like he did in China, leading France over Team USA in the World Cup in September. Pop has always been a Frank fan. “He hit back-to-back 3s at a critical part in the game,” the Spurs coach said before the Knicks game. “We didn’t expect that but he knocked them down. He had a great game. I don’t know what else to tell you. I don’t know how he’s doing now. I’m not sure.” Not much so far.