Closing the book on the 2023-24 New York Knicks

You think you knew them. But can the Self every truly know the Other?

The Knicks begin training camp in less than a month. As we prepare for the 2025 season, let’s close the book on the 2024 team — with a quiz! Do your best, and have fun; remember, you’ll never be this young again, and the joyless time is upon us soon enough. Unless otherwise indicated, all questions concern total numbers, not per-game averages. (all stats c/o basketball-reference)

1) I bet you already know the Knicks’ two leading 3-point makers last year were Donte DiVincenzo and Jalen Brunson. Mama didn’t raise no fool. Who was third?

2) It doesn’t take a Jerry Lucas to figure out Brunson led the Knicks in free throws made and attempted. Maybe, asked who was second, you go with your gut and say Randle. Always trust your gut — he was. Third and fourth = Isaiah Hartenstein and RJ Barrett; in fact, in virtually the same number of minutes as Knicks, Barrett got to the line nearly three times as often as OG Anunoby. So after Brunson and Randle, which returning Knick got to the line the most times last year?

3) Who led the Knicks in offensive rebounds? Who led in defensive rebounds?

4) Brunson led the team in assists. Duh. Who was second?

5) Who led the team in steals? Who was second?

6) Who were the Knicks’ top-three shot blockers?

7) No real surprise that the three Knicks with the most dunks were the three bigs who played the most: Mitch, Hartenstein and Achiuwa. Who was fourth?

8) How’s this testament to good defense: only one returning Knick averaged more than three fouls per 36 last year. Name him.

9) Mike Breen and I share a pet peeve: players who pass up end-of-quarter halfcourt heave attempts. Who was the only Knick to hit a shot from beyond halfcourt last season?

10) Seven Knicks played at least 1000 minutes for them last season. Six had a positive difference between their offensive and defensive ratings. Who didn’t?

11) At 53%, who was New York’s best corner 3 marksman?

12) In last year’s playoffs, Brunson made 125 2s. The next three Knicks on the list — Hart, Hartenstein and Anunoby — combined for 128. Brunson made more free throws than the next three Knicks on that list, a trio bookended by Hart and DiVincenzo. Who finished between them in third?

ANSWER KEY

1) Deuce McBride finished third, with 109 3s in a little over 1300 minutes at a 41% clip. His first two years combined he made 57 in over 1100, misfiring to the tune of 28%.

2) Hart, and it’s odd: he finished fifth on the team in free throw attempts, and after JB and JR tops among returning Knicks. But a look at last year’s attempts per 36 find him 17th! Some of that list includes players who were traded, and some who played mostly spot minutes, but that doesn’t entirely explain the disparity — six returning Knicks got to the line more than Hart. I love that everything around him gives chaos magic, even stats. And if you’re wondering, Mikal Bridges’ four attempts per for Brooklyn would’ve been third on the Knicks by a comfortable margin.

3) Hartenstein led the team in offensive boards, though let us not forget Mitchell Robinson Ohtani-ing his peers in that category. Consider: Hartenstein and Precious Achiuwa were second and fifth in the league in offensive rebound percentage; per 36, the Knicks’ top-three offensive rebounders were, in order, Mitch, iHart and Precious. The difference between Mitch in first and Hartenstein in second (2.1) is virtually identical to the difference between iHart and Precious combined over Mitch (2.2).

Hart collected the most defensive rebounds, and this time the per 36 numbers support the counting stats: Hart tied Hartenstein for the most defensive boards per 36 (7.3). Unless you wanna count Shake Milton’s 27 minutes as a Knickerbocker. We don’t.

4) Hart, again, and again the numbers point to the same conclusion: only Brunson and Randle averaged more dimes.

5) DiVincenzo and Hartenstein topped the team. The last time two white dudes led the Knicks in steals was 2009-10, the dynamic defensive duo of David Lee and Danilo Gallinari.

6) Hartenstein’s the obvious answer at number one, with Achiuwa a sensible one at two. If you too are a numbers nerd and were giddily tracking this late last year to see whether Mitch’s return meant he’d eclipse DiVincenzo, you know he didn’t. Donte finished one block ahead. Bragging rights could be short-lived: Mitch’s top-five career games for blocked shots total more (37) than DDV had all last season (36).

7) If you remember the golden age of January, you remember this. Lots of this.

There was a lot of talk about RJ’s production blossoming when he got to Toronto, having moved to a far friendlier ecosystem for his strengths. After coming to New York, 16% of OG’s shots were dunk attempts, a career-high in an admittedly small sample. Hopefully he stays healthy and active, because when he does, well . . . January.

8) Achiuwa, barely (3.1). Hart was second in total fouls but 19th in fouls per 36. I know, it’s a lot with the numbers. I just think they’re neat.

9)

10) Randle. Barely. A 113 offensive rating and 114 defensive rating.

11) Randle. Technically, Malachi Flynn never missed a corner 3 while a Knick, but he didn’t play much more than DaQuan Jeffries, so we’ll stick with Julius.

12) The man Mero called a 72% superstar, one with three distinct careers over two terms at Madison Square Garden. Alec Burks was Mr. Fourth Quarter in the 2020-21 season, doing his best work without the fans there to receive and respond to it. A year later he was Joe Pesci playing James Bond, miscast though game to give point guard a go when asked. Last year after his return from Detroit, he looked closer to Point Burks than anoint Burks, but when. after weeks on the shelf, the Knicks got to the end of their little black book and called, Burks scored a hair under 18 a game from Games 3-7 against Indiana, including 26 in the elimination game.

So, how’d you do?