What the Knicks’ preseason opener said about their motivation, and potential

It is said that you never get a second chance to make a good first impression.

Knicks fans long ago earned every right to be skeptical, and even Tom Thibodeau warned not to “get carried away” with what was a mostly positive preseason debut for newcomers Jalen Brunson and Isaiah Hartenstein and the retooled Knicks in Tuesday’s 21-point victory over the Pistons.

Brunson obviously was the central storyline following his anticipated debut in a Knicks uniform, and by all accounts, it was hard to find any fault with the former Villanova star’s initial performance at the Garden a few months after inking a four-year contract worth $104 million as a free agent over the summer.

Still, there was plenty to unpack as Thibodeau’s squad begins its quest to rebound from last year’s disappointing step-back playoff whiff.

Let’s start this week’s newsletter — and my debut doing it following longtime Post beat writer Marc Berman’s retirement — with five notable takeaways from the preseason opener entering Friday’s home game against the Pacers.

First things first

Tom Thibodeau felt Jalen Brunson’s air of calm spread to his teammates in the Knicks’ win over Detroit.Corey Sipkin

Brunson certainly looked as advertised in his 20 minutes on the court Tuesday night, keeping the Knicks’ offensive sets organized, keeping everyone involved, getting to the rim and knocking down his shots (7-for-9), while also drawing three fouls on the defensive end with two charges and an elbow to the face.

As RJ Barrett noted after the game, Brunson “made it easier on everybody, and that’s what he’s here to do.”

As I said to SNY’s Dexter Henry before Tuesday’s game, the point guard spot largely has been a black hole for the franchise for the better part of the last two decades. That includes last season, aside from a couple of memorable moments from returning New Yorker Kemba Walker. The Knicks also tried to force Alec Burks into that unfamiliar role, a square peg in a round hole if there ever was one.

An immediate impact from Brunson, who averaged 21.6 points in 18 postseason games last spring with Dallas, could help vault the Knicks back into the postseason mix — at least into the 7-10 play-in range — after their 37-45 setback one year ago.

“I think that’s who he is,” Thibodeau said of Brunson after Tuesday’s game. “If you need him to do more scoring, he can do that. If you need him to do more play-making, he can do that. If you need him to create pace and create movement, he can do that. You need a big three, a big shot, he can do that.

“I love the way he can control and manage a game. To me, that’s the No. 1 function of a point guard. So he doesn’t get sped up, he doesn’t get rattled. … So I think it’s a calming influence. … I love the way Julius [Randle] played in the third quarter, that was terrific. … I think RJ [Barrett[ played a really good game. But they all played off each other really well.”

Flexibility in the middle

Mitchell Robinson got off to a good start to the preseason with three blocks and four rebounds in 18 minutes.Getty Images

Thibodeau trusted Nerlens Noel and longtime lieutenant Taj Gibson as rim protectors on the second unit the past two seasons, and even in a starting role whenever Mitchell Robinson has been unavailable due to injuries.

Those two veterans are no longer here, with Isaiah Hartenstein signed to an affordable two-year, $16 million deal to provide a different dimension to the second unit. The Knicks haven’t had a stretch big man since Kristaps Porzingis was traded in 2019, and the 7-foot Hartenstein nailed two 3-pointers and scored eight points with seven boards in a team-high 27 minutes against the Pistons.

“Both guys have been terrific in training camp so far,” Thibodeau said. “Mitch has really put a lot of extra work in. I think the game has slowed down for him. But he’s playing really well. He’s standing out in practice all the time.

“And Isaiah has fit in seamlessly. He can play away from the basket and so it opens up the floor a little bit for our cutting game, driving game. It’s different looks, but defensively, the rim protection is really good. Mitch, putting pressure on the rim especially, I think he’s the best offensive rebounder in the league. He’s grown quite a bit. So I’m very pleased with his progress.”

The 24-year-old Hartenstein should complement rim-rocker Obi Toppin on the frontline with a second unit that will feature some combination of guards Derrick Rose, Immanuel Quickley, Quentin Grimes (who missed Tuesday’s game with a foot injury) and perhaps even sparkplug guard Miles McBride, who registered six steals against the Pistons.

A career 38.1 percent shooter from the three-point arc who averaged 2.4 assists per game last season, Isaiah Hartenstein could open up the Knicks’ offense in ways many centers cannot.Corey Sipkin

“I think we could be one of the best benches in the league, to be honest,” Hartenstein said. “I’m excited. I think it was a good first start. A lot of things to learn off of it, but I’m excited for the future.

“I think we take pride in just coming in and building off what the first unit has done. I don’t think we’re just trying to keep the lead; we’re trying to expand it. So, I think with the unit we have, with the second unit, it’s different. You have a lot of stuff to interchange. You have Quick and D-Rose that can really put it down. Me and Obi can roll, but also pop and spread the floor, so I think it’s just a different dynamic that even a lot of benches in general in the league don’t have.”

Deuce is loose

McBride said after his energetic six-steal, seven-point opening performance (22 minutes) that “Thibs controls the minutes, but I’m obviously going to do anything I can to get on the floor and make a great impression.”

The 2021 second-round pick logged only 372 minutes over 40 appearances as a rookie, and, with the addition of Brunson and the return of longtime Thibodeau favorite Derrick Rose, the speedy guard probably starts the season on the outside of the Knicks’ 10-man rotation unless injuries arise.

There may have been no better way for Miles McBride to win more time from Tom Thibodeau than making six steals against the Pistons on Tuesday.Corey Sipkin

But with Rose only playing six first-half minutes by design in his first appearance since Dec. 16, Thibodeau admitted he “wanted to get more minutes for Deuce” for a longer look at the former West Virginia star. The coach liked what he saw.

“His gift is his defense, physicality, competitiveness, anticipation, seeing things early,” Thibodeau said. “I thought the ball pressure from Quick and Deuce really got us into the open floor, and that gave us a big spark. The beauty of those guys is they can play together, and it speeds up the game.”

As for Rose, Thibodeau said, “I know where [Derrick] is. It’ll get increased as we go forward.”

In the meantime, the 22-year-old McBride should to get more opportunities to show how he can make an impact.

Seeing Redd on injuries

With Grimes sidelined, Cam Reddish was among the first players off the bench, but his stay on the court didn’t last long. He suffered a sprained ankle late in the first half when it appeared he tripped over the foot of one of the referees.

“I was mad about it, still am. He was playing really well, too,” said Barrett, Reddish’s former Duke teammate. “I checked on him. He’ll be alright.”

Cam Reddish may not have much more luck getting minutes on the floor this season than he did after he was traded to the Knicks in January.Corey Sipkin

Reddish, who was obtained from Atlanta for a first-round draft pick last January, missed five of six field goal attempts over 11 minutes. He still figures to be hard-pressed for minutes once Grimes is healthy.

Still holding that grudge

Barrett picked up where he left off last season with his inside-outside game, netting a team-best 21 points in 23 minutes. But this final takeaway was more from what he said during his pregame availability.

Even with a guaranteed $107 million contract extension in hand, the 2019 No.3 overall draft pick clearly remains motivated by various perceived snubs over his first three seasons, including his exclusion from the first and second All-Rookie teams in 2019-20.

“I wasn’t on an All-Rookie team and look where I ended up,” Barrett said. “Where are some of those guys, you know what I mean?”

RJ Barrett has made no secret of the fact that the lack of respect he feels he has received is a motivating factor in what he hopes to accomplish this season.Corey Sipkin

The 22-year-old Barrett’s scoring averages have increased from 14.3 to 17.6 to 20.0 points per game over his first three seasons, and a similar boost to the 23-point range would put him in line for a potential All-Star berth. Whatever motivation he needs to get there, so be it.

The Big O

The Knicks don’t make their assistant coaches available to speak with the media, but one newcomer to Thibodeau’s staff this year is former Knicks big man Othella Harrington. He followed Hall of Fame centers Patrick Ewing, Alonzo Mourning and Dikembe Mutombo at Georgetown and played a dozen seasons in the NBA from 1996-2008.

After playing with and for a number of Thibodeau coaching collegeagues, former Knicks big man Othella Harrington has joined the team’s coaching staff.NBAE via Getty Images

Harrington also was a member of the Knicks for parts of four seasons from 2001-04, when Thibodeau was an assistant coach.

“I’ve known him a long time, obviously, having coached him,” Thibodeau said Tuesday. “And then he was involved with USA Basketball. [Knicks assistant] Andy Greer worked with him, Jeff Van Gundy worked with him. The fact that he was a former Knick, I just thought it was a natural fit. So we’re obviously thrilled to have him.”

Family ties

Rick Brunson also is new to the Knicks’ coaching staff, though not to Thibodeau, for whom he worked in Chicago and Minnesota. The elder Brunson’s addition helped the organization land Jalen over the summer, marking the first time father and son have teamed up in the NBA. The elder Brunson also was Knicks president Leon Rose’s first client as an agent.

So how’s the family reunion going so far?

“It’s been great. Having him here every day is better than hearing him on the phone,” Jalen Brunson joked. “It’s good. He’s a person that’s taught me this game since I was born. He still has endless knowledge. I’m happy he’s here.”

While Jalen Brunson still talks over his game with his father, the Knicks’ new point guard says Rick has always been careful to not interfere with whomever Jalen’s coach has been.NBAE via Getty Images

Still, the former Mavericks guard said there always has been an intentional separation when it comes to his basketball career with his dad, whose nine-year NBA career included 69 appearances as a point guard with the Knicks between 1999 and 2001.

“Yeah, he’s always been a person to, for one, let my coach coach. So my coach is Tom Thibodeau,” Jalen says. ‘Every level, people think he’s an overbearing dad. But he’s always been the dad who’s like, ‘He’s the coach, you’re going to listen to him. I’m going to help you be successful in his philosophy.’

“He’s always been that way. But having him here, and not having to leave messages about how things are going, he can just see it. So it’s much easier from a communication standpoint. The talks are a lot less — sometimes they can be drawn out for 20 or 30 minutes — but now they’re just easy five-minute quick chats.”