Knicks get to work fixing issues of communication and getting Mitchell Robinson on court
Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau calls a play against the Cleveland Cavaliers during the first half of an NBA game in Cleveland on Friday. Credit: AP/Phil Long
After the failed measuring-stick games at Cleveland and Boston, and before heading out on an arduous stretch of the schedule, the Knicks had a brief respite at home Wednesday.
And while Tom Thibodeau will tell his team, the media and anyone who will listen that you can’t overlook any opponent, the 76ers arrived at Madison Square Garden in free-fall. They are likely shutting down Joel Embiid for the season, missing Guerschon Yabusele, Kyle Lowry and Eric Gordon, and coming off a 32-point loss at home to the Chicago Bulls.
But for the Knicks and Thibodeau, it’s not about the opponent after the two dismal performances against the Eastern Conference front-runners. Instead, the Knicks were focused on fixing their own issues.
“Yeah, it’s just be ready for the next game,” Thibodeau said. “Doesn’t change how you approach things. Understand what goes into winning and be ready.
“I think the whole goal is we go into the season with the idea of daily improvement with the understanding that we want to be playing our best at the end. So during the course of the season, there’s going to be ups and downs and there’s going to be some turbulence and you have to get through that.
“But keep improving. Just keep getting better. There’s ebbs and flows to the season. Sometimes it’s in your favor, sometimes it’s not in terms of travel, practice time, things like that. So just understand what goes into it.”
There are different reasons the Knicks can point to why they entered Wednesday’s game with a solid 37-20 record, but were 0-7 against the three best teams in the NBA and just 11-14 against teams at .500 or better. It could be injuries. They were without Karl-Anthony Towns Wednesday as he sat out with left knee patellar tendinopathy. They still await, ever more anxiously, Mitchell Robinson to make his season debut, and OG Anunoby just returned Friday from a three-week absence with a sprained foot.
But Cam Payne, with more experience in the NBA than any player on the roster other than Towns, saw something that has still lingered this far into the season.
“I think our communication needs to increase just from being around the team,” Payne said after Tuesday’s practice. “I think, even Josh [Hart] said it. We need to talk more. And I think we need to play harder. Outside of that, I think everything has been pretty solid for our team. I just think the biggest thing, like you said, is getting us talking, our communication. I think our communication will handle a lot out there on the court.”
It was an understandable issue at the start of the season with the Knicks swinging the trade for Towns and adding Mikal Bridges in the summer, with even Anunoby playing sparingly for the team after the trade that brought him last season. But it’s hard to imagine why these issues haven’t been resolved after 57 games.
“I think one thing is being comfortable,” Payne said. “We talk so much outside. We talk so much when we go eat. Or we have a little get-together and we talk so much. We need to carry that onto the court.
“And I think sometimes a lot of people [are] worried about their games. And it’s not a selfish thing. It’s a human thing. But in order for us to win tough games against these good teams who have been together a long time, we have to communicate more. I don’t think it’s a shy thing or anything. It’s just the will to win. And sometimes, you get lost in the game. You get tired. A lot of things come into play.”
Knowing and fixing it may be two different things, but after Wednesday’s game the Knicks head on a two-game road trip to Memphis and Miami. Then after a game at home against Golden State, they embark on a five-game West Coast trip.
“I think it’s a challenge all the time,” Thibodeau said of the communication. “It’s constant. Particularly dead-ball situations. Whether it’s a free throw or side out or baseline, it’s a dead ball. Everyone has to be communicating with each other so there’s no confusion
Steve Popper covers the Knicks for Newsday. He has spent nearly three decades covering the Knicks and the NBA, along with just about every sports team in the New York metropolitan area.
