The win-loss column during preseason games doesn't matter too much. Sure, it'd be nice to go undefeated, or at least over .500 during the exhibition games. But at the end of the day, they are exactly that: exhibition games where coaches and players work on things they haven't perfected, while bench players and training camp invitees fight for minutes and roster spots.
What does matter, though, is the substance and content of players and their minutes. And for Knicks fans, the bench unit's play has been a point of contention.
Many fans have, for better or worse, decided to look past the Knicks' ugly 0-4 preseason record and the fact that the starting lineup has looked far from perfect.
Despite the rocky start, fans have reminded themselves that it's still the same starting lineup that led New York to its first championship since 1973, and they've been given the "it's only the preseason" benefit of the doubt. The same can't be said about the backups and reserves who have put together a lackluster effort so far.
Jose Alvarado, fresh off signing a three-year $14 million deal, has struggled offensively. He's shot just 29% from the field, has missed all seven of his three-point attempts, and has an uncharacteristically low assist-to-turnover ratio (2.3 to 1.7).
Miles McBride has been even more disappointing. In fact, he's possibly been the most disappointing Knick this preseason given the fanbase's relatively high expectations.
He's shooting an abysmal 21.7% from the field, which is the second-lowest on the team behind the recently cut Ochai Agbaji, and he's shot just 11.8% from three (10-for-27). Also, his often-criticized ball- handling hasn't looked any better.
The hyped up Mohamed Diawara hasn't looked quite as bad as either player. But he also doesn't have the track record that either does. The second-year wing shot 45% from the field and has had nice moments of defensive activity. But Diawara has still left a lot to be desired .
He's been on the receiving end of a few of Mike Brown's disappointed looks as he continues to learn the offense. And he still looks a bit erratic and hesitant at times. On top of that, his three-point shot remains a concern, as he's shot just 27.3% from deep.
That being said, it's not all bad. Alvarado may be struggling from the field, but he's not going to be relied on to score much during the regular season. New York will need him to shoot better than 29% from the field and make a three-pointer eventually. But what if I told you Alvarado has never played particularly well during preseason?
Despite being a 34.9% three-point shooter for his career, Alvarado has never shot higher than 30% during preseason. Last year, he shot 30%; the year before that, he shot15.4%, and the year prior, 26.7%. He's also shot under 41% from the field in all but one of his preseason campaigns. That may not make you feel better. But Alvarado has a history of starting slow in preseason and ramping up when the games matter.
As for McBride? The percentages aren't quite as bad. He has shot exactly 37% from three in both of his past two preseasons. But throughout his career, his accuracy goes up once the season starts. He's shot 39.6% from three over the last three seasons, and there's no reason to believe that he'll suddenly forget how to shoot. I'd chalk it up to some bad luck and getting his legs under him as he recovers from what was a multi-month injury dating back to January, which impacted him through the Finals.
Some of the disappointment and concerns with Diawara are reasonable, though. As mentioned above, he's only played 634 NBA minutes. And while his three-point shooting looked real last season, it was on just 130 total attempts, and he did enter the league as a weak shooter. My confidence still lies in what I saw last season, though.
Yes, that was a small sample size. But do you know what an even smaller sample size is? The Summer League and preseason: two very short spurts of basketball where the results matter less, rotations are sporadic, and in the case of the former, he's playing in a role he's not comfortable in.
Given Diawara's strengths and playstyle, he's always struck me, at least at this point in his career, as somebody who would play better when playing with great players. He can be more reactionary and use his size and activity to make connective plays and be a defensive pest. "
The shooting may be concerning, and maybe he doesn't shoot 36.9% from deep again. But even if he were to regress negatively, there's still a productive player somewhere within, and we've at least seen glimpses of that in the preseason.
Let's not forget, though. Those aren't the only bench players. Landry Shamet, who, according to James L. Edwards of The Athletic, could average more minutes than McBride, started the preseason strong. While he went just 0-2 in 12 minutes in his last appearance, Shamet looked as impressive as any other Knick in his first two games.
He went 8-for-15 from the field, 5-for-9 from three, 2-for-2 from the free-throw line, and averaged 11.5 PPG in just 13 MPG. I was curious to see how Shamet's shot would look and argued that it could be a quietly important preseason for the veteran . And thus far, he's looked impressive- something that could be a big deal considering not just his, but the team's and McBride's outlook.
There's also a new backup center, Andre Drummond. Now, let's be clear: Drummond will not replace Mitchell Robinson. There are plenty of jokes surrounding Robinson's free-throw shooting abilities, but there's a reason Robinson was so respected and ended up being coveted by a very smart Celtics team. He's one of the best big man defenders in the game. He's one of the best offensive rebounders ever, and he's one of the few bench big men who can change a game instantly.
Drummond should not be relied on to do that. But he has successfully outplayed the somewhat low expectations of the fanbase . His rebounding has been as good as advertised. The passing, albeit in a small sample size, has been solid. And most importantly, the defensive activity, especially in the pick-and-roll, has been impressive.
Indeed, the three-point shooting struggles of Alvarado, McBride, and Diawara are concerning. As is the lineup's inability to put together consistently good stretches regardless of the opponent. The Knicks don't have a bona fide bench player capable of winning a Sixth Man of the Year. Some of those concerns are valid. But this is also 60% of a bench that played a pivotal role in the Knicks winning a championship.
Alvarado's shooting tends to improve in the regular season. And he's going to be relied on more as an offensive conductor and a defensive energizer bunny. Neither will be a problem. McBride, even if his shot declines a bit, will still stretch defenses out. Lastly, his connective passing and defense at the point-of-attack still make him an impactful player regardless of whether he's playing with reserves or with the starters.
Shamet has looked good, and he'll be fine. Diawara comes with some question marks, but I urge fans to see how he performs during the season before hitting the panic button. And while Robinson will be missed, Drummond has looked like a sufficient backup center, at least for the regular season.
Finally, to the fans complaining about how disappointed they are in the others, relax. In a perfect world, Tyler Kolek, Pacome Dadiet, and Kevin McCullar Jr. look more impressive. But they won't be playing much barring significant injuries.
And at that point, there's more to be worried about. Not many teams have players that low on the depth chart that look impressive. And that's ok. The Knicks' bench isn't meant to be some sort of behemoth unit that blows teams out with finesse and raw talent.
They are a group of guys with incredibly complementary abilities that allow them to often play with starters. As long as their defense is there and the shooting is respectable, which I expect it to be, they should be much better in the regular season. Regardless of how ugly it may look - and it has looked ugly at times - relax. They'll be okay.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com/nba/knicks/onsi as Evaluating How Real Knicks' Bench Concerns Are After Preseason .
