Top performers of the 2023-24 Knicks

A great team is the sum of its parts, and the 2023-24 New York Knicks (50-32) squad has exceptional parts. Not only did individual players stand out during the regular season, but they also appeared atop the NBA’s leaderboards. In time, we’ll cover each player individually; for now, here are some team-high statistics and how they compare to the league. Note that for our purposes, we have focused on regular rotation players who averaged more than 15 minutes per game. (Sorry, Jericho, that edged you out.)

Jalen Brunson

Casually playing one of the greatest seasons by a Knick ever, Jalen faced down obstacles as if taking charges in the lane. When Julius Randle dislocated a shoulder, costing the team 24 points per game, Jalen responded by putting the team on his shoulders and scoring more buckets and assists. 61 points in a game for a new career-high? Why not? (See the leap year game.)

Playing through injuries, Jalen started a team-high 77 games this season. He appears atop many NBA categories and is indubitably the team’s leader, their captain, with 10 games of 40+ points, and 60 of 30-39 points. We can easily point to more than half the games on the schedule and say, “Jalen won those.” The team would likely be on holiday right now without him. Yes, he deserves MVP consideration.

Team Highs Per Game (1st unless noted): 28.7 Points, 6.7 Assists, 85% FT Pct (2nd), 5.5 Free Throws Made, 7.5 Made Twos, 14.6 Two-Point Attempts, 10.3 Field Goals Made, 21.4 Field Goal Attempts, 40% From Deep (2nd), 2.7 Threes Per Game (2nd), 6.8 Threes Attempted (2nd), 2.4 Turnovers (2nd), and 35.4 Minutes.

League Leaderboard: 2212 Points (4th), 28.7 PPG (4th), 519 Assists (9th), 33.5 Assist Pct (10th), 790 Field Goals (5th), 1648 Field Goal Attempts (2nd), 579 2-PT Field Goals (9th), 1122 2-PT Field Goal attempts (6th), 858 Field Goals Missed (1st), 421 Free Throws (7th), 497 Free Throw Attempts (9th), 2726 Minutes Played (10th), 23.4 Player Efficiency Rating (7th), 11.2 Win Shares (8th), 8.8 Offensive Win Shares (4th), 5.8 Box Plus/Minus (8th), 6.3 Offensive Box Plus/Minus (7th), 5.4 Value Over Replacement Player (6th), and 32.5 Usage Pct (4th).

Isaiah Hartenstein

Isaiah Hartenstein earned all three of his contractual bonuses last season and repeated that achievement in this campaign, collecting a total of $1.05 M in incentives. We knew he was good. This year, we witnessed him becoming a nationally recognized star. Isaiah supplanted the starting center when Mitchell Robinson went out for ankle surgery in December.

More than filling in, Isaiah made the job his by crashing the boards, playing stout defense (NBA’s fifth-best defensive rating), throwing great passes, and demonstrating a deft shooting touch on floaters and hooks (NBA’s second-best offensive rating). Despite a nagging Achilles tendinopathy, Isaiah played so well that when Robinson returned, no one questioned who was the team’s starting center. Not only are they friends, but the Hartenstein-Robinson tandem is the league’s best 1-2 punch at the position and will likely be the key to New York’s postseason success.

Team Highs Per Game (1st unless noted): 64% FG, 65% eFG, 3.3 ORG (2nd), 1.1 Blocks (3-way tie), 2.8 Personal Fouls, a 136 Offensive Rating, and a 108.1 Defensive Rating.

League Leaderboard: 244 Offensive Rebounds (5th), I2.8 Defensive Box Plus/Minus (3rd), 136.2 Offensive Rating (2nd), 108.1 Defensive Rating (5th), 14.4 Offensive Rebound Pct (2nd), and 2.3 Steal Pct (8th).

Josh Hart

Last year’s new guy is this season’s tenacious veteran and truly the misspelled heart of the team. The 6’4” guard did everything his coach asked of him this season, including playing power forward at times. You might have doubted it was possible for a man of his stature, but his motor and strength—physical and mental—give him an uncanny edge.

Josh had logged no triple-doubles in his seven-year career before January 2024; since then, he recorded six (fifth-most in the league). As for double-doubles, he led the team with 21. Tied with DiVincenzo for 81 games played, Josh’s greatest talent seems to be his rebounding ability, because he pulled down 675 this season. He averaged a career-best 8.3 boards per game, which were so important to the team after Julius Randle was hurt. Not bad for a guard.

Team Highs Per Game (1st unless noted): 6.8 Defensive Rebounds (2nd).

League Leaderboard: 2707 Minutes Played (11th), 6 Triple-Doubles (5th), 3.6 Defensive Win Shares (16th), and 547 Defensive Rebounds (12th)

Donte DiVincenzo

Signed as a free agent last off-season, Donte made the fortuitous leap from the Gollum State Warriors to the Knicks. One was drummed out of the postseason by the Kings last night, while one is gearing up for the first round of the playoffs proper.

Considered a bench player in Golden State and here as the season started, the third Nova Knick promptly outplayed and replaced starting two-guard Quentin Grimes. The latter would eventually be traded to the Detroit Pistons, and DiVo (tied with Hart for 81 games played) would become the new Knicks single-season record holder for most three-pointers made with 283. In March, he set a new career-high with 40 points in a game. The Michael Jordan of Delaware indeed. Oh! And his salary this year? A cool $10.9 M.

Team Highs Per Game (1st unless noted): 3.5 threes made, 8.7 threes attempts, 1.3 steals (2nd), and 40% from deep (2nd).

League Leaderboard: 107 Steals (9th), 283 3-Pt Field Goals (3rd), 705 3-Pt Field Goal Attempts (3rd), and 2.3 Steal Pct (9th)

Julius Randle

Julius was having quite a season before that Miami game. After undergoing ankle surgery last summer, he started the campaign shakily and shot poorly while getting his feet under him again (turrrrible pun). Soon enough, however, he found his groove and averaged 24 points, 9.2 rebounds, and five assists over 46 games. Tied with Brunson for 35.4 minutes player per game, Julius was voted to his third All-Star game and, more importantly, he harmonized beautifully with Jalen and newly acquired OG Anunoby. The newly formed Big 3 terrorized the league for January.

Then, Miami hit. Late in the January 27 game, Julius went airborne for the rim, and Jaime Jaquez, Jr. slid beneath him. Attempting to brace his fall, the big Knick came down with the full force of his weight and dislocated his shoulder. Initial hopes were that he would return for the playoffs, but a re-injury during his rehabilitation period led him to opt for season-ending surgery.

Team Highs Per Game (1st unless noted): 24 Points (2nd), 9.2 Rebounds, 7 Defensive Rebounds, 5 Assists (2nd), 5.1 Free Throws Made (2nd), 8.2 Field Goals Made (2nd), 18.2 Field Goal Attempts (2nd), 6.6 Free Throw Attempts, 6.9 Two Pointers Made, and 12.9 Two Point Attempts (2nd).

OG Anunoby

Traded on December 30, 2023, by the Toronto Raptors with Previous Achiuwa and Malachi Flynn for R.J. Barrett, Immanuel Quickley, OG Anunoby quickly proved to New York why he’s a former NBA steals champion and member of the All-Defensive team. He would average 14.1 points and 4.4 rebounds in 23 games for New York, with his availability temporarily interrupted by elbow surgery. Overall, the Knicks went 20-3 in his games, and his season averages of 1.7 steals and 34.9 minutes rated first and second on the team, respectively. We fully expect him to be a major asset as New York attempts a deep playoff run.

Precious Achiuwa

Don’t call him a throw-in. Proud to be back in the city where he spent time growing up, Precious was a critical component to the team’s success when injuries sidelined key players. Filling in at the four- and five-positions, as needed, Precious started 18 of his 49 games and was exactly the gritty scrapper we expect a Knick to be. During that period, he averaged 7.6 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 1.1 blocks, and he wound up on the NBA leaderboard with an Offensive Rebound Percentage of 13% (5th). His per-game average of 2.9 offensive rebounds rates third on the team. And we thought he was just included for salary filler. (Come to think of it, didn’t some sage writer propose that New York should consider trading for Precious . . . who was that genius. . . ?)

Miles McBride

Another pinch-hitter who seized an opportunity presented and crushed it was Deuce McBride. Before the New Year’s trade that jettisoned RJ and Quickley, Deuce patiently awaited his chance, did pushups, shot 500 three-pointers per day, and munched on glass. When the Toronto trade occurred, the front office wisely secured Deuce with a descending, three-year, $13 million contract extension.

Since then, he has averaged 25 Minutes, 10.7 Points, 2.1 Assists, and 1.9 Rebounds over 49 games, starting 14 of them. All those practiced three-balls paid off, as he led the team with a 41% average from downtown and notched a new career-high of 29 points. He played so well that NBA fans from coast to coast now recognize his name. It augurs great success in seasons to come.

Mitchell Robinson

Last, but never least: the Blockness Monster. Mitch began the season as the starting center and was having an All-Defensive season before taking a 51-game break to recover from ankle surgery. While the longest-tenured Knick missed time, Isaiah Hartenstein impressed everybody and secured the starter’s spot. Mitch is a force to be reckoned with off the bench, leading the team with 4.6 offensive rebounds and 1.1 blocks per game (tied with iHart and Precious), and ranking second with 8.5 rebounds. In recent games, Mitch seemed to be regaining his sea legs. Oh yes, that bodes very well for the upcoming postseason.

Go Knicks!