The Knicks do not lack for reasons why they entered their final two games before the All-Star break out of a playoff spot, beginning with their highest-paid player taking a step back from last season.
But they also have been missing a crucial step forward from both of their 2020 first-round picks.
That was no more evident than Saturday in Portland, when Obi Toppin and Immanuel Quickley combined to play just 19 minutes with four points and five rebounds between them as the Knicks blew a 23-point lead in a loss to the Trail Blazers.
For a team that arrived back at the Garden on Monday night coming off a 1-4 road trip that could have sorely used a shot in the arm from one of its bench players, Toppin and Quickley only continued to struggle in making their presence felt.
“It’s continual, doesn’t end,” coach Tom Thibodeau said of Toppin and Quickley’s growth. “You look at the season in totality, so at the end of the year, that’s when you make a judgment on how the season went.
“They’re making progress, [but] there’s still a long way to go.”
Though he has again shown flashes this season of playing up to his potential, Toppin has lacked the consistency to get regular playing time from Thibodeau. On the five-game road trip alone, Toppin averaged just 3.6 points (on 26.9 percent shooting), three rebounds and 11 minutes.
Saturday marked the seventh time this season (in 52 games) that Toppin has played 10 minutes or fewer, but this time his inability to see the floor loomed large. In a game when they were already without center Nerlens Noel, the Knicks lost Mitchell Robinson to an ankle injury in the third quarter, putting the onus on Taj Gibson and rookie Jericho Sims. When Gibson fouled out, Thibodeau moved Randle to the 5 to play alongside four wings instead of having Toppin join him in the frontcourt.
Toppin, the No. 8-overall pick in 2020, is a fan favorite for the energy (and dunks) he brings and has often heard calls from the fan base to receive more playing time. While that has seemed warranted at times, especially in late January when it briefly looked like his 3-point shooting was starting to come around, Toppin has instead found himself back in Thibodeau’s doghouse.
Quickley, meanwhile, appears to have regressed from his impressive rookie season. That has especially been the case of late, as he entered Monday stuck in a rough stretch — including averaging just 3.8 points (on 25 percent shooting from the field), two rebounds and 1.8 assists in 14.6 minutes per game on the road trip.
Quickley’s shooting struggles date back even further, connecting on only 28.4 percent of his shots from the field and 25.8 percent from 3 in his last 16 games before Monday.
“There’s going to be ups and downs throughout the course of the season,” Thibodeau said. “If you’re not shooting well, do other things to help the team win. Just take the right shots and the results will take care of themselves. Play defense, share the ball, play hard, play together. Just do those things.”
Especially in Derrick Rose’s absence, the Knicks have had a need for strong guard play and Quickley has often been unable to fill it. The No. 25 pick from 2020, who earned all-rookie second team honors last season while shooting 39.5 percent from the field and 38.9 percent from deep, entered Monday shooting 36.6 percent from the field and 32.8 percent from deep.