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Grading the New York Knicks offseason moves so far

By Larry Hammonds

NEW YORK, NY - AUGUST 17: Kemba Walker #8 and Evan Fournier #13 of the New York Knicks pose for a photo after a press conference at Madison Square Garden on August 17, 2021 in New York City. (Photo by Dustin Satloff/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NY - AUGUST 17: Kemba Walker #8 and Evan Fournier #13 of the New York Knicks pose for a photo after a press conference at Madison Square Garden on August 17, 2021 in New York City. (Photo by Dustin Satloff/Getty Images) /
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New York Knicks
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – NOVEMBER 23: RJ Barrett #9 and Nerlens Noel #3 of the New York Knicks box out DeAndre Jordan #10 of the Los Angeles Lakers at the free throw line in the first half at Madison Square Garden on November 23, 2021 in New York City. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images) /

Grading the New York Knicks offseason moves so far: Nerlens Noel: B-

Nerlens Noel proved his worth to Tom Thibodeau and earned a new contract with the Knicks last year after taking over the starting center job after the oft-injured Mitchell Robinson went down for the season. His contributions on the defensive side earned him a three-year deal worth $27.7 million this past offseason.

The 27-year-old Kentucky product missed the first seven games of the season due to a left knee injury, and he played in four games before suffering an injury to his right knee, one that would force him to play with a knee brace when he returned to action.

He’s only appeared in eight games this season but has made his presence felt when available. Noel is the defensive anchor of a bench unit that leads the league in blocks (2.9) and ranks ninth in steals (3.3) and eighth in rebounds (17) per game. He’s third on the Knicks in rebounding (6.4), and he leads the team in both blocks (1.6) as well as steals (1.3) per game.

Grading the New York Knicks offseason moves so far: Alec Burks: B+

Knicks fans were ecstatic when Alec Burks agreed to return to the Garden for three more years. In his first season with the Knicks, he proved to be a spark plug off the bench and clutch scorer.

That has carried over to this season despite his usage rate dropping down to 18.1 percent this year. His scoring is down from 12.7 to 10.5 points per game, but he’s become more efficient. He’s shooting 45.1 percent on 4.6 3-point attempts this season, and his true shooting percentage is a career-best 59.8 percent.

More importantly, Burks has been a clutch performer for the middling Knicks. His 4.7 points per game in the fourth quarter put him second on the team in fourth-quarter scoring and ranks ninth in the league among all players with at least 20 games played.

The Knicks front office decided it wanted to keep the bench unit together after the way they began to gel last season, and so far, it’s paid off and in large part to Burks’ scoring and shot creation. The Knicks bench unit ranks third in the NBA, averaging 40.4 points per game.

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