Tom Thibodeau has made it clear: The Knicks like to play fast.
They know that a higher pace of play suits their roster, highlighting their athleticism, versatility and ability to turn defense into offense.
But the Knicks prioritize making the right play over making the quick play. Because the game tells you what to do, and while sometimes, it will say floor it into a 100-mph track meet, it will oftentimes demand grinding out possessions in a slow, methodical game.
Analytics support this, with NBA.com ranking the Knicks as having the league’s seventh-slowest pace, defined as the number of possessions per 48 minutes.
But pace is subjective. Just because the numbers suggest the Knicks play slow doesn’t mean they’re incapable of thriving in a faster game.
In fact, the evidence suggests quite the opposite.
Back-to-back 143-point performances against the fast-paced Sacramento Kings and Memphis Grizzlies — two Western Conference playoff contenders ranking top-five in pace — demonstrate how lethal the Knicks can be when there’s a need for speed.
“It puts you in the open floor, gets you easy baskets,” Thibodeau said after Monday’s victory over the Grizzlies, the West’s No. 3 seed. “We’ve been high-scoring all season — I think we’re top-5 in scoring. But I thought we were good in transition.”
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Karl-Anthony Towns was the first to say it publicly. The Knicks are referred to as “Wingstop” because their defensive trio of OG Anunoby, Mikal Bridges and Josh Hart is tailor-made to wreak havoc on opposing offenses.
Anunoby and Bridges use their length and versatility to stifle ball movement and lock down primary scorers, while Hart relentlessly hunts 50/50 balls. Together, they generate turnovers that fuel transition opportunities.
This, Towns says, is Knicks basketball. The Knicks scored 36 points off 26 Grizzlies turnovers in Monday’s victory. They used Sacramento’s own fast pace to sharpen their ball movement to the tune of 40 assists against the Kings.
But playing this way is hard to sustain with a short rotation and dead legs. Plus transition defense has been an issue for a team that has struggled to get back on made shots, let alone missed attempts.
Iron, however, sharpens iron, and the Knicks believe two games against high-paced opponents helped them identify ways to improve their fast-break defense.
“It just shows the standard we’ve gotta have regardless of if it’s the two fastest teams [or not, for] our transition defense. If we play with that kind of mindset and standard against any team, we put ourselves in a good position every night to win,” Towns said. “I’ve said it before, I’ll say it again: I think we’re at our best when we’re getting turnovers and we’re having that translate to our offense and tonight.”
Towns, who is becoming known for his friendly fire, couldn’t resist poking fun at one teammate in particular who cashed-in on one too many outlet passes for uncontested buckets.
“Getting those turnovers led to a ton of Mikal Bridges cherry-picking leak-outs,” Towns said with a laugh. “We did our job for him to be able to do that, and that’s a testament to our team.”
Bridges said the Knicks’ recent success against fast teams reinforced their ability to thrive in a high-paced game.
“It helps us defensively, too. It gives us confidence to play that way,” Bridges said. “I know we’ve been wanting to play fast, and we haven’t as much, but playing those fast teams, you learn it’s an advantage — especially when you’re getting stops.”
Another player who has benefitted from the faster pace of play? Backup forward Precious Achiuwa.
Achiuwa, who had 14 points, 4 steals and 2 blocks off the bench in Monday’s victory over the Grizzlies, echoed Bridges’ sentiment. After recovering from a preseason hamstring injury, Achiuwa suggested the faster pace breathed life into his game.
“I think we’re just playing at a really, really high level, playing together. I think we’re finding our rhythm,” he said. “And defensively, I think we’ve been really locked in on the defensive end, and that’s allowed us to take games over. I think our last two games, we’ve really won the game from the defensive end.
“I like to play fast. I like to play fast in transition, just being able to get out like that. I’ll play like that all day any day.”
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The reality, of course, is the Knicks can’t always play this fast.
Not with the schedule set to intensify — and it will, undoubtedly, ramp up after the All-Star break.
And not with rotations sticking to nine players, though if the blowouts continue, Thibodeau might find it hard to resist incorporating a 10th man.
Mitchell Robinson’s return will be a welcome boost, but managing his minutes carefully as he recovers from ankle surgery will remain a priority.
The schedule comes and it goes. It wore the Knicks down early. Now, after several stretches of rest — and a few more forthcoming leading into the mid-February All-Star break — they’ve finally gotten some much-needed reprieve.
But when Brunson and Towns return from their duties as All-Star starters in San Francisco on Feb. 16, they’ll face an unforgiving slate of games with their standing as a top-four seed in the East hanging in the balance.
Brunson, New York’s level-headed captain, refuses to get caught up in the potential or allure of playing fast. He smiled in front of his locker, cooking up a coy response as a reporter asked what it means that his Knicks scored 143 points in back-to-back games.
“That we’ve scored 143 in two games straight,” Brunson responded flatly, sparking laughter.
The Knicks have proven they can play fast and win, but success in the NBA is about much more than just pace or play.
It’s about reading the game and executing what’s required — whether it’s satisfying the need for speed or grinding out a win one methodical possession at a time.
“I’m never one to look forward or say the potential [of this team playing fast more often]. It’s just how can we focus on getting better every single day. Regardless of what happens, we can’t be satisfied,” Brunson said. “We can’t think we’re good after wins like that. We’ve got to continue to work to have that mindset. Nothing’s given in this league. So we’ve got to continue to have that mindset.”
