The New York Knicks started putting the pieces together for a contender years ago, drafting RJ Barrett third overall in the 2019 NBA Draft and adding complimentary pieces such as Julius Randle.
After making the playoffs last season, New York has stumbled on and off the court so far this season, with disappointing losses and controversy following Randle. The Knicks lost to the Utah Jazz on Monday night in Salt Lake City, their ninth defeat in the past 11 games, and now travel to Denver to face the Nuggets on Tuesday night.
New York is 0-2 on its five-game Western Conference road trip, staring with a tough loss to the Los Angeles Lakers on Saturday night. The Knicks blew a 21-point lead and fell in overtime, and an incident with Randle and video coordinator Scott King in one of the timeout huddles was caught on video.
King tried to show Randle a play on his laptop, and Randle slapped the computer. An angry exchange followed and assistant coaches Johnnie Bryant and Kenny Payne stepped into defuse the situation.
“When you have competitive people, you’re going to have stuff like that,” New York head coach Tom Thibodeau said ahead of the Monday game against the Jazz. “That’s normal. Every team has it. It’s competitive people, heat of the moment. They’re good. They’ve got a great relationship. Everyone is trying to win. So, it’s all part of it.”
Randle finished with 30 points and six rebounds against the Jazz but couldn’t prevent the Knicks’ third straight loss.
With the NBA trade deadline on Thursday and New York six games below .500, there has been chatter about possibly moving Randle. The veteran brushed aside rumors as the road trip continued, with the next stop coming against Nikola Jokic, the reigning MVP.
Jokic is having another great season and recorded his league-leading 14th triple-double in a 124-104 win against the Brooklyn Nets on Sunday. Denver has stayed in the postseason picture despite injuries to impact players, largely due to the play of Jokic.
He is averaging 25.9 points, 11 rebounds and 7.9 assists, all of which lead the team, and he has done it for most of the season without a true backup center. Denver signed DeMarcus Cousins to two 10-day contracts and is contemplating keeping him on.
Cousins said Sunday he feels he’s a good fit with the Nuggets.
“I think I’m a good veteran presence, I think the guys in the locker room respected my voice, I think I bring a certain type of leadership to this group,” Cousins said. “Of course, I’m biased as to what I feel I can bring to a team. Ultimately the decision goes to the front office.”
Denver has already made one move, bringing in Bryn Forbes on Jan. 19 in a three-team trade. The Nuggets are sitting in the sixth spot in the Western Conference but have played five more games on the road than at home.
Another trade before the deadline could bolster their roster, but coach Michael Malone said Sunday he is happy with the team he has if nothing is done before Thursday.
–Field Level Media