4 Takeaways From the Knicks Season-Opening Loss to the Memphis Grizzlies

The New York Knicks started the 2022-2023 season proving they can hang with one of the best teams in the NBA. The Knicks and the Grizzlies went into overtime and could’ve won if a few calls went their way.

Here are the 4 takeaways from the Knicks season-opening loss to the Memphis Grizzlies:

1. RJ cannot shoot

This was it for RJ. Primetime nationally televised ESPN season-opener against Ja Morant—the player drafted one spot ahead of him who has already won Most Improved and made an All-NBA team—and Barrett was denting the rim with the bricks he was chucking up.

Here’s what RJ did following an entire offseason to work on his jumper:

11 points
3-for-18 shooting (16%)
0-for-6 from 3
8 rebounds
3 assists
2 turnovers
0 +/-

Sucks for RJ who still has to prove that he’s better than Tyler Herro. But great news for Immanuel Quickley who missed literally every shot he took and looked atrocious as well and no one’s talking about it because of RJ.

2. Cam Reddish is going to be a PROBLEM

With Quentin Grimes missing the beginning of the season nursing an injury, Cam Reddish was finally given an opportunity to play some basketball for the New York Knicks and he made the most of it by dropping 22 points and hitting the game-tying shot to lead the team to overtime.

CAM REDDISH OMG!!! pic.twitter.com/NgIxQn954o

— The Knicks Wall (@TheKnicksWall) October 20, 2022

Congrats on this great game. Unfortunately, this immediately causes several problems. 1.) When Grimes comes back, I 1000% need him to play at least 20 minutes. He’s a far superior defender and 3-point shooting threat and 2.) Cam Reddish is an asshole.

Every single time a possession ended without him taking the shot, there was an eye roll or a head shake or arms going up in the air. Unless he can make the leap into becoming the leading scorer on the team, Cam will be unhappy and visibly frustrated on the court. Between him and Julius Randle, the Knicks could end up beating the shit out of each other on the bus ride to a game.

3. Mitch Robinson should be looking over his shoulder

Mitch Robinson is my favorite player on the team and the most ignored on the court. I have to remind myself that it’s only the season opener and there are 81 more games left this year but an early observation I couldn’t ignore was Jalen Brunson’s refusal to hit Mitch on some very open and easy lobs.

Robinson needs those lobs because he has Isaiah Hartenstein sitting on the bench ready to steal his starting job.

Isaiah Hartenstein gets the and-1 bucket and adds 1 at the line to make it a 1-point game! #KiaTipOff22

28.9 remaining in Q4 on ESPN pic.twitter.com/BNpPyOujW3

— NBA (@NBA) October 20, 2022

Hartenstein led the team in minutes on Wednesday night. Obviously, Tom Thibodeau trusts him. Let’s enjoy our final days with big Mitch Rob before the Knicks send his ass to like, Indiana. Thibs is about to turn Hartenstein into the next Luol Deng playing 48 minutes a night and almost dying in the hospital because Thibs wouldn’t give him a day off.

4. Julius Randle is ok…for now

The biggest question mark coming into this season was where his head was going to be at. Last season, he was a weirdo giving the thumbs down to Knicks fans and trying to physically fight the refs every night.

In Wednesday night’s game against Memphis, Julius scored 24 points, grabbed 11 rebounds and had 6 assists. He would’ve had even more assists if RJ Barrett made some jump shots. But Randle was getting to the basket instead of settling for contested midrange jumpers. He was looking to pass. He was driving the pace in transition.

But again, it’s day one. I give it a week until Julius Randle and Cam Reddish are strangling each other in the locker room like Homer and Bart Simpson.