4 Takeaways From Knicks vs. Cavs Game 4

The Knicks Cavs Game 4 was the most important game of the series. The Knicks took a 102-93 victory at home and go up 3-1 against a Cleveland team that simply isn’t good enough to hang with them. The Knicks appear more ready for the big moment while the Cavs look ready for their summer vacations.

Here are 4 takeaways from Knicks Cavs Game 4:

1. Jalen Brunson is better than Donovan Mitchell

This will be the second consecutive year that Donovan Mitchell’s season is ended by Jalen Brunson. Last year, Brunson dropped 41 on Mitchell’s cranium sending the Jazz out in the first round and now Brunson is about to give Mitchell another back-to-back first-round exit. Laugh out loud.

“BANG! JALEN BRUNSON FROM DOWNTOWN!”

Brunson up to 29 points as Knicks seek a 3-1 series lead on ABC. pic.twitter.com/7CK3KvPlnf

— NBA (@NBA) April 23, 2023

Here’s what Brunson pulled off in Game 4:

43 minutes
29 points
11-for-22 from the field (50%)
5-for-9 from 3 (55%)
6 rebounds
6 assists
1 steal
1 block

The Jalen Brunson signing will go down as one of the biggest in NBA history. Meanwhile, the national media mocked the Knicks for not giving up all of their young talent and depth to acquire Donovan Mitchell who just scored 11 points in a must-win Game 4. Ok. *whispers* he only scored 2 points in the 4th quarter.

The Knicks always feel in control when the ball is in Brunson’s hands.

Cleveland came out of halftime exponentially more prepared than the Knicks and managed to close the gap and make the game close. In recent years, point guards like Raymond Felton and Jose Calderon would’ve panicked and helped the other team win but Brunson steadied the ship and hit massive shots to let the Cavs know who the better team was.

My only concern going forward is how terrible Brunson looks on defense sometimes. But Steph Curry isn’t that great defensively and he has 4 of those rings. The Knicks can still win a championship regardless of Brunson’s defensive woes. Caaaaan’t say the same about Donovan Mitchell and the Cavs. Hm.

2. Tom Thibodeau has evolved

At this point, we all know Coach Thibs’s reputation around the league. He’s going to play guys 40+ minutes whether the team is winning by 50 points or losing by 50 points. There is no garbage time for Thibs. He’s also seen as unable to make lineup adjustments like when Elfrid Payton started every game two years ago even though he was always the worst player on the floor anytime he was on the floor.

Thibs is an old-school coach who believes once a player earns a starting role, they deserve to keep it regardless of how terribly they’re currently playing because I think he sees the team as a delicate structure and doesn’t want to upset a main guy and see those ripple effects destroy team chemistry. Which is fair, I reckon.

But Thibs did the impossible in Game 4: He finally benched Julius Randle’s bitch ass.

Here’s what Randle did in Game 4 before being benched for Obi Toppin in the 4th quarter:

7 points
3-for-10 from the field
0-for-4 from 3
2 rebounds
1 assist
1 block

Wonderful. The ‘leader’ of this team also happens to be the one player who lacks the mental fortitude to handle elevated pressure. Julius Randle is the easiest player in the NBA to throw off their game. All you have to do is foul him slightly just one time and he will spend the rest of the game yelling at the ref who didn’t make the call.

Randle has the fucking WORST body language I’ve ever seen. He constantly walks with his head down, he barks at his teammates constantly on offense but not because they aren’t where they’re supposed to be for the team’s offense to succeed but because they aren’t where they’re supposed to be for HIS offense to succeed. If he misses a 3-pointer, it’s a wrap. Here comes 4-5 more early shot clock 3’s that will dent the rim on impact.

But Thibs made the correct move and allowed Obi Topping to finish the 4th quarter with the starters. We might finally see the end of the Julius Randle Knicks era when the playoffs are over. Trade him to Puerto Rico for Boogie Cousins

3. Mitchell Robinson deserves DPOY

Here’s just a brief clip of Mitch Rob’s subtle brilliance:

On this possession, Mitchell Robinson:

-lurks for space once Allen steps up on Brunson
-seals Allen in preparation of a Randle drive
-tiptoes in & out of the paint to avoid 3 seconds
-slides in front of Allen when the shot goes up & drives him back
-gets the putback

GOLD. STAR. pic.twitter.com/knK3T2IDPA

— Nekias (Nuh-KY-us) Duncan (@NekiasNBA) April 22, 2023

Coming into this series, everyone gave the frontcourt edge to the Cleveland Cavaliers. Jarrett Allen is one of the best rim protectors and Evan Mobley has been crowned as the next great legendary big man (even though he scored 12 of the quietest points ever recorded in a playoff game).

But Mitchell Robinson recorded 11 rebounds, 2 blocks, and made every Cavs ballhandler second guess penetrating and trying to score over him. This man deserves his name in that top defender conversation extremely soon.

4. RJ fucking Barrett

I have been extremely hard on RJ Barrett. He took 5 threes a game and only made 31% of them. No matter how obvious it was that RJ was incapable of shooting from that far, he continued to let it fly like prime Ray Allen. He also shot below 30% at the rim. He recorded a career-low in dunks and always had weak-ass driving finishes often getting his shot blocked into the stands.

So the two most efficient shots in basketball—3’s and layups—were Barrett’s weak spot. You cannot play in the modern NBA if you are incapable of both of those tasks yet here is RJ starting every game this season despite being terrible at most aspects of the sport.

But RJ Barrett’s Game 4 reminded me of why I fell in love with him in the first place. Sure, he went 0-for-6 from 3 and should 1000% remove that shot from his repertoire but he was 9-for-18 from the field overall and his aggressiveness led to 13 free throw attempts.

I think the secret to unlocking super-efficient RJ is to get him running in transition where he only has to face one defender to the basket. Or using him as the screener in the pick n roll with Jalen Brunson that way when he gets the ball, he’s around the free throw line extended instead of where he usually likes to start his drives which is like, 5 feet behind the 3-point line eyeing down his defender and letting the entire defense know he’s driving so all 5 guys can collapse on him and he takes a circus shot that bricks off the backboard.

But my biggest takeaway from Game 4 is that this Knicks team is cool, man. It’s the first Knicks team we’ve seen in awhile that didn’t have some strange character like Mario Hezonja or Michael Beasley on the roster. The first Knicks team that didn’t have a below-average player getting exorbitant minutes over a younger prospect like Elfrid Payton. Or a CIA asset like Enes Kanter.

Seriously, everyone who gets on the court deserves to be there and they play their asses off and they’re all regular cool dudes. The Vibes are radiant in New York. Knicks in 5.

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