After losing their preseason opener to the 76ers on Monday night, New York hosted its first game against the new-look Wizards. They put up a much better fight but ultimately fell short, losing to the Anthony Davis and Trae Young-led Wizards 111-109.
The results? They still don’t matter much. But the regular season is slowly but surely creeping up on us. Starters are ramping up their minutes while roster spots and minutes are up for grabs for the others. Let’s take another look at how each Knick performed.
Jalen Brunson: B
The captain got off to a hot start in the preseason opener and he started the game looking to do the same on Thursday night. While he went just 1-4 from three in the first half, he still ended up with nine points on 4-8 shooting by halftime. Brunson did struggle from three though, going just 1-6 from beyond the arc.
Josh Hart: A
This was the quintissential Josh Hart game. After a largely unimpressive and quiet preseason opener in which he shot just once in 13 minutes, Hart was a lot more aggressive in this one. The guard finished the second quarter strong and ended the game with 13 points on 5-8 shooting with six rebounds, three assists, and one block. And just as importantly, he took three threes. He only made one of them, but it was nice to see the veteran take the threes that were given to him.
Mikal Bridges: B-
Bridges struggled in the preseason opener, going just 1-5 for three points in 15 minutes. I gave Bridges a pass for his off shooting night due to his aggression. But back-to-back games of being so off isn’t a great look. Against the Wizards, Bridges went just 1-6, although he played solid defense and dished out three assists to go with his one block. It’s still just game two of the preseason, and there isn’t much to be overly concerned about. Bridges didn’t look too great tonight though.
OG Anunoby: B+
The Knicks’ two-way standout started the game a bit slow but came alive in the second quarter. Not only did he go 3-6 from the field, but he was once again aggressive and successful in getting to the line, going 4-5 from the free throw line. Anunoby was also active defensively as he recorded a steal and a block.
Karl-Anthony Towns: B-
Towns took his time getting his feet wet and was, once again, relatively quiet offensively. But he did manage to end up with eight points, seven rebounds, and three assists. An encouraging sign was his lack of personal fouls as he committed just one during his 19 minutes.
Jose Alvarado: B-
The lone Knick who sat out the preseason opener against the 76ers looked really solid in the first half. He scored six points while going 2-4 from the field, and recorded a rebound and a steal as well. Alvarado did miss all three of his attempts in the first half, and ended the night going 0-3 from three.
Miles McBride: B-
McBride struggled mightily on Monday night. He missed all four of the shots he took, going 0-4 from three. Against the Wizards, he wasn’t much better. He did make two shots, including his first made three of the preseason, but he’s now just 1-9 from three after struggling for much of the Finals. Like Bridges, McBride will be fine. That doesn’t make his performance against the Wizards any better.
Landry Shamet: A-
Shamet had a relatively quiet first half, attempting just two shots in the first two quarters. In the second half, though, Shamet got into a groove and finished the night with 13 points, going 4-7 from the field and 3-4 from three. A solid night for the reserve once again.
Mohamed Diawara: C-
The second-year wing did a little bit of everything against the 76ers but was rather passive against the Wizards. He attempted just one shot in 13 minutes and didn’t score all night. It isn’t a reason to panic, but it would’ve been nice to see some more aggressiveness from Diawara.
Andre Drummond: B+
The veteran big continues to have a lot of eyes on him as fans measure up the team’s backup center. Drummond did go just 2-6 from the field, but he went 4-6 from the free throw line and grabbed five offensive rebounds en route to nine total rebounds in just 20 minutes. It was a very active and relatively productive night for him.
Jordan Clarkson: B
The veteran guard chipped in seven points in nine minutes and didn’t record any other stats besides two fouls. He wasn’t particularly bad, but he wasn’t particularly great either. It was a relatively neutral night.
Tyler Kolek: C-
Kolek looked solid in game one of the preseason. He made some shots, moved the ball, and gave a valiant effort defensively. But it was a rough night for him against the Wizards. He went just 1-4 from the field, missed his only thee-point attempt, and picked up four quick fouls in just 10 minutes, with a couple of them coming in quick succession in the second half.
Pacome Dadiet: C
The Madison Square Garden crowd saw a bit more activity from Dadiet on Thursday night as he registered five rebounds (three of them offensive), and a steal. But his offensive game continues to leave fans wanting more. He shot just 2-8 from the field and 1-3 from downtown. It was yet another disappointing game from the 21-year-old.
Bruce Brown: B
Brown failed to make a lasting impression against the 76ers. It’s hard to say that he did on Thursday night. But he did play a bit better, going 2-3 from the field, and tallying two assists and an offensive rebound in 10 minutes. The results of preseason games don’t matter but he also receives a slight penalty for missing the game-tying shot at the end of regulation. Although the players, coaches, referees, and broadcasters are likely thankful for that.
James Wiseman: B-
The former No. 2 pick only played eight minutes (slightly less than on Monday night) so it’s not like he had a long leash or much playing time. He did get on the board with four points on 2-3 shooting, and he grabbed one rebound, but fans seem to want a more extended look at the big man and I agree. Hopefully we get that opportunity in the coming games.
Tyler Nickel: B-
The good news is that Nickel made his first three of the preseason and also managed to record two assists and a steal in just five minutes. The bad news is that he only played five minutes. It’s hard to expect much from a rookie playing just five minutes during garbage time. And he did solid with the less-than-ideal hand he was dealt. But it also wasn’t head-turning, either.
Jaden Akins: B-
Like Nickel, Akins barely played, making it tough for him to make much of an impact. He was solid in getting the offense in the right spots and did go 2-3 from the field for five points. Both did what they could in their very limited playing time.
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