Knicks @ Cavs: How & Who to Watch on Donovan Mitchell Night

Keep An Eye On: RJ Barrett

Quentin Grimes still isn't ready to go, so the face of the Knicks' ultimately futile Mitchell negotiations will be Barrett. His expensive extension was reportedly a self-granted consolation prize of sorts after it was clear Danny Ainge was letting Salt Lake City live up to its name in negotiations. 

While the new earners amongst the Knicks ... namely Jalen Brunson, Julius Randle, Mitchell Robinson, and Isaiah Hartenstein ... have risen to the occasion, Barrett has struggled in the early going. currently on pace for career-lows in several major categories. His shooting has been particularly troubling, as Barrett has shot only 37 percent from the field, which includes a particularly dreary 14 percent from three-point range. Others have theorized that Barrett's increased defensive responsibilities have eaten into his offensive efficiency, but head coach Tom Thibodeau referred to the idea as "comical," and Barrett appeared to agree.

“It’s going to fall. She’s going to drop,” Barrett said, taking inspiration from a strong second half against the Hornets on Wednesday. "(Wednesday) felt great, it all felt great, especially that last shot, that last one I missed in overtime. I thought that was definitely good."

Reportedly one of the major hang-ups of the Mitchell trade, Barrett needs to make more noticeable imprints on the statsheet if he's going to justify the fact the Knicks made him the homegrown face of the latest chapter of their rebuild, especially when an established game-changer like Mitchell was available. There'd be no better time to start than in a showdown against Mitchell himself.

Cav To Watch: Donovan Mitchell

What did you expect here? 

The Knicks' season ... and perhaps the immediate future as a whole ... is going to center on whether they did enough to secure the services of Mitchell. He was a target of teams seeking to re-enter NBA relevancy and the Cavs, fresh off a seventh-seed but subsequent fall in the Eastern Play-In Tournament immediately pounced. The early returns have been overwhelmingly positive and Cleveland appears to be one of the top contenders that will render the Play-In unnecessary from an Ohio perspective.

Despite some early success in the Brunson era, critics are ready to bite down on the Knicks for failing to win on the road against strong competition. The Nets' collapse both on and off the court has bought them some time, but if Mitchell shows exactly what the Knicks missed out on, Thibodeau's seat could start crackling again.