81 down, one to go.
81 games into this roller coaster ride of a regular season, we’ve reached a point of reflection.
In a season that’s seen few true moments to breathe, the Knicks are entering Game 82 with absolutely nothing to play for (unless you want to go for the team’s first 54-win season since 1996, that is). The Hornets looked like a potential playoff matchup for a while, but they’re currently locked into the 9-10 game despite being one of the best teams in basketball in the last few months.
It’s a cruel world!
While four different teams can still slide into the 6-seed and face the Knicks (Antonio broke down the scenarios for Sunday), the Knicks have no control over it. They’ll play their final game tomorrow and get ready for war.
But before then, I want to rehash an exercise I had fun with last year: looking at the rarest of the rare calls in the NBA and how many times the Knicks have been called for it.
The Least Rare Calls
A bunch of normal violations fall under here. The Knicks have committed:
150 offensive fouls, 63 shot-clock violations, 22 kicked-ball violations, 40 travels, 20 delay-of-games, and 33 charges.
Where do those rank in the NBA?
3rd, 8th, T-24th, T-19th, T-10th, and 3rd.
Compared to last year, the Knicks are committing more offensive fouls and charges, but less kicked-balls, delay-of-games, and shot-clock violations. Here’s who leads the Knicks in each of these categories:
Offensive Fouls: Karl-Anthony Towns (65, lol)
Kicked-Ball Violations: Karl-Anthony Towns (9)
Travels: Clarkson/Bridges/Anunoby (7)
Charges: Karl-Anthony Towns (15)
The teamwide kings of these calls are as follows:
Hornets (163 offensive fouls and 76 SCVs), Wizards (45 kicked balls), Hawks (62 travels), Timberwolves (32 DoGs), and Pelicans (50 charges)
The most frugal?
Heat (78 offensive fouls), Grizzlies (32 SCVs), Wizards (7 DoGs), Celtics (13 kicked balls), Pelicans (22 travels), Cavs (9 charges)
Ok, onto the more fun ones.
Defensive Goaltending (9)
Rank: 27th | Most: Wizards (38) | Least: Nuggets/Jazz (7)
The Knicks do not goaltend very often. The average team has committed around 20 of these violations, but we only see it happen once every nine games for the Knicks.
Mitchell Robinson’s done it three times, KAT and Mo Diawara have done it twice, and both OG Anunoby and Ariel Hukporti have done it once. Leaguewide, Kel’el Ware has somehow done it 21 times, followed by Alex Sarr at 14.
Defensive 3-Seconds (9)
Rank: T-14th | Most: Nets/Blazers (26) | Least: Grizzlies (2)
Defensive 3-seconds is a center’s call. Of the 11 players who’ve been called for it at least five times, only one isn’t a big man (Egor Demin has somehow been called for it eight times as a guard).
On the Knicks, Mikal Bridges leads the way with three, but the only other regular to be called for it is KAT. The other five violations are by Diawara, Hukporti, and Guershon Yabusele.
Backcourt Violation (9)
Rank: T-16th | Most: Timberwolves (16) | Least: 3 teams (4)
Last year, the Knicks committed a league-low two, but they struggled to keep it in the frontcourt this year.
Anthony Edwards led the NBA with six of these, while the Knicks’ leaders were Towns and Brunson, who both had two.
Mitchell Robinson somehow found his way to one in early November.
Offensive 3-Seconds (6)
Rank: T-5th | Most: Kings (9) | Least: Wizards (0)
Defensive 3-seconds’ less-common brother.
Of all the teams not to commit this violation, you wouldn’t think it’s the worst team in basketball, but it is! DeAndre Ayton has been called for this seven times this season on his own, but the man who’s second in this category turns out to be Towns, who’s been called for it all six times.
It’s a very innocent call that I think goes uncalled a lot. Towns just parks the bus in the paint here in March 20’s extremely odd win over the Nets.
Offensive Goaltending (4)
Rank: T-14th | Most: Blazers (11) | Least: 4 teams (2)
The ol’ cylinder call.
I think offensive goaltending is an extremely interesting concept. It’s legal in Europe and in international play, but illegal in the NBA.
My issue with it is that if a player tips a ball in while it’s on the cylinder and it isn’t called, there is no way to check it. Now, if it was called incorrectly, it could be challenged, but that only plays one side of the coin. It’s basically the same as an uncalled goaltending.
Jalen Duren, Nick Richards, and Robert Williams III have all been called for it five times. Both of the Sixers’ backup centers have been called for it four times. On the Knicks, only two have been called on Mitch, which tells you just how good he is at his craft that almost none of his tip-ins are illegal. Both of them were in March, too. He was perfect for months!
Here’s one that Diawara committed back in November.
Double Dribble (2)
Rank: T-17th | Most: Hornets (7) | Least: Nuggets (0)
What’s the archetype of player who usually commits the most double-dribbles? I’d think it’s also centers, and in looking at the data, I’m mostly right. Yves Missi has had three of them this season by himself.
For the Knicks, only Brunson and Bridges have done it. Does it surprise you that one of the violations came during the three-week stretch from hell?
Lane Violation (2)
Rank: T-15th | Most: Rockets (10) | Least: Jazz (0)
A ticky-tack call most of the time. I feel like a lot of lane violations also go uncalled, but the Rockets have managed to do it 10 times.
Brunson and Bridges have both been called for it. The refs clearly weren’t in the Christmas spirit when the Knicks played the Cavs, because that’s when Brunson was called for it.
8-Second Violation (1)
Rank: T-15th | Most: Rockets (5) | Least: Several (0)
These ones are always interesting. I feel like you see them more in college basketball, since pros can break a press better.
The only time it’s been called on the Knicks all season was January 2 against the Hawks. Of course, it was in that three-week slump.
5-Second Violation (1)
Rank: T-16th | Most: Raptors (6) | Least: 4 teams (0)
The Knicks are getting better at inbound plays, especially in situations where they’re getting intentionally fouled. That was an issue in prior years, but they seem to be more dialed in on that front. Their potential first-round opponents just so happen to lead the league in this category…
Jump Ball Violation (1)
Most: Nuggets (3) | Least: Several (0)
You usually see this with guards who get matched up on centers and are just trying to find any type of advantage. Unless you’re Nikola Jokic, who’s committed a jump ball violation three times.
Predictably, the lone Knick to do it is Jose Alvarado, who was called for it early in the second quarter of the team’s February 24 win over Cleveland.
Discontinued Dribble (1)
Most: Timberwolves (5) | Least: Several (0)
I need a primer on a discontinued dribble. Hang on.
If you’re curious, here’s the definition.
The only time this happened was on March 31, when Josh Hart did it against the Rockets. Frankly, it looks like a double-dribble.
Palming (0)
Most: Raptors (5) | Least: Several (0)
Another one that, frankly, should be called more. The Knicks were only called for it three times last season, but are at zero through 81 games.
Say, does that say the Raptors also lead the league in this category? Hmm.
Inbound Violation (0)
Most: Clippers (3) | Least: Several (0)
The last time a Knick committed an inbound violation?
March 16, 2022 against Portland (lol) by Jericho Sims. I can’t find a video of that, but the Knicks somehow committed one just nine days earlier in Sacramento, when Deuce McBride literally handed the ball to Immanuel Quickley on an inbound with 0.2 seconds left in 16-point game.
If you’re wondering, the Josh Hart inbound mistake before Bridges’ game-winner against the Blazers last year technically counted as a travel.
