Knicks First-Quarter Report Card: Grading Thibs, KAT and every rotation player

The New York Knicks have played 26 regular season games, so it’s time to sit back, open the red pens, and start handing out some grades for those on the team.

Jalen Brunson: A

It’s difficult to replicate what Jalen Brunson accomplished for the Knicks last season, finishing as the second seed in the Eastern Conference and a top-five MVP candidate. But this season, despite adding more offensive weapons to the starting lineup, he has somehow elevated his game even more than fans expected.

Brunson continues to be an offensive assassin, averaging 25.0 points and a career-high 7.7 assists — a category that’s continued to expand throughout his career. With minor increases in his field goal shooting, his 3-point percentage has jumped nearly three percentage points from last season, helping his team knock down more shots from beyond the arc at a higher efficiency than ever before. As the primary offensive catalyst for the Knicks, Brunson’s slew of 30-point performances is just one of the reasons why he’s hunting for a top seed in the East.

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Josh Hart: A+

Every team has that one individual who stands out from the rest, showing immense grit and hustle no matter the ask from their head coach. For the Knicks, Josh Hart has become the ultimate fan favorite, with his ability to fill multiple positions on the court making him the perfect versatile player any team would add to their roster.

Hart could be a serious contender for the Most Improved Player award, shooting a staggering 59.4% from the field and 40.4% from three as a 6-foot-4 shooting guard. Not only has he increased his scoring from 9.4 points to 14.1 compared to last season, but his consistency in grabbing rebounds and diving for loose balls is why he ranks seventh in minutes per game. Hart’s impact on the court is unmatched and has been a large contributor to the team’s success.

OG Anunoby: B+

There were many questions regarding OG Anunoby heading into this season. Would he be able to stay healthy? Was his contract an overpay? How would he be utilized given the team’s offensive options? For the Knicks, he’s been exactly what fans expected: a solid starter providing productive plays on both the offensive and defensive ends.

In his first true season with the team, Anunoby is averaging 17.0 points for the first time since the 2021-22 season, leading the Knicks in both blocks and steals per game. After starting the season on a high note, including a career-high 40 points against the Denver Nuggets, his focus has shifted toward locking down opponents and giving head coach Tom Thibodeau quality minutes. Despite the increase in points, his field goal and 3-point percentages have taken a dip, as a recent stretch of inconsistent shooting from beyond the arc is holding his grade back from being any higher. If Anunoby can continue his dominance as the team’s third scoring option, it’s only a matter of time before the Knicks climb the rankings even higher.

Mikal Bridges: B+

NBA fans were quick to panic when Mikal Bridges wasn’t replicating his 26.1-point average with the Brooklyn Nets, where he was the first scoring option on a team with minimal offensive weapons. Having joined a Knicks team with familiar faces and becoming arguably the team’s fourth scoring option, Bridges is having a season Knicks fans can now rejoice in.

Ranking in the top 20 players league-wide in minutes, Bridges’ “iron man” streak of games has given the Knicks a consistent scorer they can rely on night in and night out. In the month of December, Bridges is averaging 21.1 points on 54 percent shooting from the field and 42 percent from 3. His ability to showcase his defensive skills while giving the Knicks at least 15 points as a starter is just one reason why the team gave up six first-round picks for him. While his perimeter shooting is down, there’s still plenty of time for Bridges to work on his shot as the season progresses.

Karl-Anthony Towns: A

Karl-Anthony Towns has been the epitome of what the Knicks have been searching for in a center for the last decade. Solidifying himself as a potential MVP candidate alongside Brunson, Towns has been the offensive juggernaut that’s been missing from this lineup, averaging 24.8 points and an NBA-best 13.9 rebounds. On top of his 52.6/43.9/84.5 shooting splits, his ability to contribute to the team’s 3-point barrage from every position makes him unpredictable on offense.

Despite his interior defense being an apparent issue, his stretch of high-scoring games and glass-cleaning abilities are key reasons why the team has succeeded with his skillset. If he can stay healthy during the remainder of the season, the player-coach duo of Towns and Thibodeau could create the perfect chemistry for when the offense needs to start clicking.

Miles McBride: A-

Miles McBride, or “Deuce” to orange-and-blue fans, has become the ultimate sixth man the team has needed, being the only player to average double-digit scoring off the bench. McBride is the blueprint for what the Knicks sought after in OG Anunoby and Mikal Bridges: an individual who can knock down three-pointers and play lockdown defense on the court.

After possibly hearing his name thrown around in trade rumors, McBride has continued to show out in the best way possible. His efficient shooting and team-friendly contract make him the perfect asset to any team. Given his increase in points per game, McBride continues to be a reliable backup to Brunson, giving Thibodeau a go-to guy off the bench.

Cameron Payne: B

Originally an offseason addition that gave fans the expectation he would only play if there were an injury at guard, Payne has become a fan favorite among the Knicks community. Payne has played in 20 games this season and has been an effective piece off the bench, primarily playing next to McBride as the seventh man.

Payne’s stat line may not show his impact on the court; rather, his energetic play style and enthusiastic personality continue to give fans a reason to love him even more. While there’s not much to say, Payne is shooting above 40 percent from 3-point range for the first time in five years, giving the Knicks another scoring option in a small bench rotation.

Precious Achiuwa: B

Having played in just five games, it’s difficult to truly evaluate what Achiuwa can bring to the table this season given his small sample size. Achiuwa continues to play around the 13-20 minute range as the Knicks want to be extremely cautious given the time he missed due to a preseason hamstring injury, but he has shown his impact right out of the gate.

Already tasked with guarding taller individuals, his ability to stuff the stat sheet in multiple categories is a big reason why the Knicks re-signed him this past offseason. Tasked with backing up Towns, Achiuwa needs to be more aggressive on offense given his average of 1-3 shots per game. If his drive to attack the rim becomes a bigger priority, the bench could get an even bigger dose of scoring.

Jericho Sims: B-

Despite being taken out of the rotation completely due to Achiuwa’s return, it’s worth noting the impact Jericho Sims had as the primary backup center for the team’s first 20 games of the season. Although his minimal offense was a detriment to his overall game, Sims kept his opponents from shooting above 35 percent in the restricted area, a statistic that earned him the minutes he played.

While his impact on the defensive end was key, Sims sometimes lacked the on-court IQ of a traditional big man and would tend to leave his feet misreading his opponents. Whether or not fans see Sims again, he should be praised for his impact given the increased expectations.

Tom Thibodeau: A-

Entering his fifth year as the Knicks’ head coach, Tom Thibodeau continues to be the orchestrator for a Knicks team with some of the NBA’s highest expectations in nearly 20 years. Thibodeau’s style of coaching might seem harsh, but it is paying dividends for a team aiming to remain near the top of the conference for the fourth straight season.

Thibodeau’s coaching efforts still come with a variety of questions and concerns. Will he ever expand the rotation to nine players? Is it too early to start worrying about playing the starters heavy minutes? Does his ability to stop opponents from going on scoring stretches impact his capacity to make game-winning plays? While these questions might gain traction in the team’s second-quarter report card, Thibodeau’s trust is something that must be earned, not taken for granted. If the current winning stretch continues and helps the Knicks close the gap on the Boston Celtics and Cleveland Cavaliers, Thibodeau could be in contention for his second Coach of the Year award during his tenure in New York.