However, this season the Knicks are unfolding and concluding, there is no denying that what Tom Thibodeau did is to stabilize the ship.
His ship had no captain on Thursday night.
Until RJ Barrett took the wheel and drove it to the harbor.
He took the wheel at a time when Julius Randle was hit with a barking thigh and sailed on some unexpected stormy seas to lead the Knicks to a hectic comeback from the fourth quarter and 106-102 wins the Wizards.
He overtook Bradley Beal for an and-1 that tied the game at 91. He flexed. He inspired. He refused to lose.
When it came time to win, it was as if Barrett had returned to Duke.
Once Barrett refused to lose, all the Knicks did.
He had help – especially Alec Burks (27 points on the bench, 15 in the fourth quarter) and Taj Gibson (diving for free balls, setting screens, forced to play the entire fourth quarter with Nerlens Noel out).
Thibodeau proposes a 48-minute team in one day. Until you get one, it’s good to have an ascending Knick like RJ Barrett as a building block.
Barrett’s resistance tonight was what these Thibodeau Knicks meant. He fouled Garrison Mathews by shooting a 3 early in the first quarter. He couldn’t buy a basket.
But he found a way. He was thrilled at the end of the next third quarter. a follow-up plan.
“I was trying to make the team pumped, myself,” Barrett said. “We had to fight, we knew we could get that win, we all thought.”
Thibodeau, darling!
“You could see his confidence growing,” Thibodeau said. “Learn every day. The upstairs game has really expanded, start making pieces, see the game. Finishing much better. The way she managed to hold on to him and move on. “
Barrett’s leadership and Mamba mentality when it mattered were not lost on Randle.
“His mental resilience to be able to stay with her and play great games all the time, that only says a lot about his growth and development,” he said.
Barrett did it all – 24 points on 7 of 22 shots, 10 rebounds, five assists.
“I didn’t necessarily have things going,” Randle said, “but for RJ to step up was huge.”
For too long, the Knicks didn’t show up for it.
They looked more like the David Fizdale Knicks.
The Wizards played as if it were Game 7 of the NBA Finals. Knicks played as if this was Game 7 of the pre-season.
A reckless disregard for basketball, matador defense and stupid and uninspired play.
It was quite bad when Russell Westbrook hit a pass under the basket for a three-point play by Raul Neto in the second quarter. Thibodeau shook his head in disgust. When Neto missed the free throw from the back rim, the ball came back for a layup because no one blocked it.
The Knicks missed the first eight 3s before Immanuel Brinkley drilled one in the second quarter. They finished the 1-for-14 half. Randle, often in a double team, was postponed for teammates. Who postponed the sorcerers’ defenders. There were two violations of the watch.
Then came RJ Barrett. When asked about Randle, he said, “We just keep him for him.”
RJ Barrett knows that he is the one who expects to make the most of the farm.
“I like this team,” Thibodeau said before the game.
RJ Barrett reminded him why he was doing it.