2020-21 Game Thread: Knicks vs. Future Knick Chris Paul’s Team

On his breakout album, The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan, Bob Dylan released the song, “I Shall Be Free,” which was a version of an old Leadbelly song that Dylan’s idol, Woody Guthrie, had covered, but basically, it’s just a rambling satirical talking blues song. Even this early in his career (this was 1962), Dylan was already sort of poking fun at how much he was being treated as this great political thinker because he wrote, like, one hit song about stuff blowing in the wind. So in “I Shall Be Free,” President Kennedy is asking Bob for advice on how to run the country and Bob is giving nonsense answers “My friend, Bob, what do we need to make the country grow?” I said, “My friend, John, Brigitte Bardot, Anita Eckberg, Sophia Loren”

A couple of years later, Dylan poked even more fun at how he was portrayed as such a political visionary with a song on 1964’s Another Side of Bob Dylan called “I Shall be Free No. 10.” He opened with false modesty, “I’m just average, common too
I’m just like him, the same as you
I’m everybody’s brother and son
I ain’t different from anyone
It ain’t no use a-talking to me
It’s just the same as talking to you.”

And just a bunch of nonsense. It’s a fun song, but Dylan has never played it live.

Anyhow, this has no bearing on tonight’s game, so I have no idea why I brought it up.

The Phoenix Suns come to town after being handled by the Harden-less Nets last night, so hopefully they’re tired.

Let’s go Knicks, go be free #10!

208 replies on “2020-21 Game Thread: Knicks vs. Future Knick Chris Paul’s Team”

Listening to Coltrane’s Ascension right now can’t be a coincidence…Thibs’s rotations are free as jazz and the team is ascending
Let’s Do it!

I can dig a bit of non-related Dylan trivia. Nice coincidence too seeing as I was giving Rough and Rowdy Ways from last year a re-listen in the car driving home from the holiday house on Sunday (easy one of Dylan’s finest post 00’s albums IMO).

Following your lead, just kicked into “Giant Steps” b/c we have def. made some.

Go Knicks!

Here listening to Nick Cave, but the feeling is the same… Let’s go for 10, Knicks!!! 🙂

Tough game tonight. A win makes a statement.

Here listening to Nick Cave, but the feeling is the same… Let’s go for 10, Knicks!!! 🙂

Dig, Lazarus Dig!!! feels appropriate for the Knicks revival.

Really keen to see how improved defence stacks up against a pretty potent offence. Feels like we have a masisve advantage there and can strangle the game a bit, but wary that CP3 and Booker are big chances to go off against us too.

Obi just threw down a windmill dunk in warmups and Quick was shaking his head in awe.

Inclined to think the streak ends tonight, hope I’m as wrong as I was about the Immanuel Quickley pick

d-mar: Obi just threw down a windmill dunk in warmups and Quick was shaking his head in awe.

So good you went to the game, as the Knicks are 4-0 when a KBer is at MSG. Can you handle the pressure? 😛

thenoblefacehumper:
Inclined to think the streak ends tonight, hope I’m as wrong as I was about the Immanuel Quickley pick

The streak is not ending tonight. PHX won’t know what hit em…

Bullock has a tough assignment trying to keep Booker n check tonight.

As Clyde always says, the goal is to keep a top scorer below his season average.

What a start, this team man.

I’m profoundly in love with Noel and Bullock

Forcing a timeout with 3 mins into the game, is a whole new level. This team doesn’t stop to amaze me.

Since Payton is only going to play 12-18 minutes, it makes sense to have him pick up Chris Paul full court. It already turned into one steal and transition dunk.

Reggie has been such a barometer for us. This is what we thought we would get from Afflalo.

I wonder if watching the Knicks from the bench is giving Monty flashbacks to the 90’s.

why the hell is cp3 not getting any mvp buzz… like at all? the last time a new suns guard turned around a team like this they won mvp over kobe…

Raven:
Easy as pie. Just shoot 83% from the field is all.

Is it only 83%?

Booker is tough to guard. Interested in what they try to do to cool him off.

Z-man:
Booker is tough…always liked him (unlike many here)

With you on that, Z-Man. He was a high-usage gunner on a terrible team, but he always had skills. It was just about getting some players around him. Never understood the lack of love.

The thing with Booker is that those jumpers won’t always fall, he is very good but it requires a high degree of luck to go his way too. He scored like 3 or 4 straight jumpers with hands on his face, there’s not much you can do as a defense, sometimes the ball just goes in.

Bit of an ugly lull … hot start turned into a grind … but gotta take it and like it …

Optimism is reaching “Mike Breen mentioned the franchise record for consecutive wins is 18” levels

Bit of an ugly lull … hot start turned into a grind … but gotta take it and like it …

I think the grind suits us a bit better tbh. Phoenix just look so good on offence when they are clicking. Very crisp ball movement. Having a once in a generation PG does that for a team.

Rose has been so insanely good for us, one of my all time wrongest opinions

Plan for today is to get away every beginning of quarter, and then let them catch up a little. Suits me. 🙂

Paul hunted and punished the Rose – Toppin switch every single possession, he’s just so incredible to watch still

Damn that’s 3 on Bullock…it would have been nice to have Burks for this game…

one of these days RJ is gonna have a decent shooting first half and hit 30 points in the box score…

IQ is mixing in drives all the way to the rim with his usual floaters. Defenders will not be able to sit on the floater, which should give him more space to get the floater off.

With Payne & Johnson, Phoenix has a Twin Cam offense.

I’ll be here all week.
Try the veal.
Don’t forget to tip your waitress.

Julius is just frustrated by being cold and being double/triple-teamed. Second half will be different.

Randle looks angry and frustrated, he needs to keep it together. Very annoying end to the half but still ahead over a good team, can’t complain too much.

Not bad so far
Could have been much better but also much worse
I’ll take it!

Good half, the Suns are good.

We have gone from praising competitive losses to expecting wins against the league top teams in a few weeks…
How fun is this?

ephus:
IQ is mixing in drives all the way to the rim with his usual floaters.Defenders will not be able to sit on the floater, which should give him more space to get the floater off.

Quickley’s quintessential quirkiness quashes quarry

just box score watching, you’re right, something is definitely up with mister julius – 5pts, 2 rebounds, 2 assists…

We have gone from praising competitive losses to expecting wins against the league top teams in a few weeks…

that is absolutely nuts…i sincerely thought we’d struggle to keep at .500 after those three consecutive tough losses a little after the all-star break…

right now seeing is believing…i got the same impression watching the hornets yesterday – just a really well coached team putting out a lot of effort on both ends of the court…

rose is up over 30 minutes a game since burks has been out…that seems like a lot of minutes for him…

geo:
just box score watching, you’re right, something is definitely up with mister julius – 5pts, 2 rebounds, 2 assists…

Agree (eye test) he looks tired. Settled for a couple jumpers. Would love for a couple other guys to break out, so Julius can have an “off” night if nec. He did have a couple of great passes, though. More of that, please.

KJG:
Try Frank ?

Can’t. He’s our secret playoff weapon… according to Frank (n) Stans

They should try to get Randle ball deeper .. let’s go regular back to basket post up .. and when double comes swing it

I started watching at halftime and clearly missed a superior first half. This is some frustrating hoop at the moment.

Can’t really hate the Suns. Fan of Monty, fan of the point god, wish we had taken Bridges instead of Knox… Still want the win, though!

It’s just so great that no matter what team walks onto the floor they know they are in for a hard-fought game.

I actually think this Suns team is very hateable, as is any Chris Paul team in general lol.

Love how insanely talented he is, but he’s always up with the same typical antics. It’s fun when they’re underdogs, but if the Suns stay successful it will get annoying fairly quickly

I think we might see Thibs send double teams at Booker in the 4Q. Booker is the only Sun who is hurting the Knicks tonight. Make someone else beat us.

Edit: Bridges has shown up.

C’mon now. IQ two nice dishes. More and more.

This is playoff stuff. Good for our guys.

Bruno Almeida:
I actually think this Suns team is very hateable, as is any Chris Paul team in general lol.

Love how insanely talented he is, but he’s always up with the same typical antics. It’s fun when they’re underdogs, but if the Suns stay successful it will get annoying fairly quickly

I have strong hatred for CP3. Since 2004 Wake Forest St Joes Sweet 16. Very happy my Hawks got the W but everyone was hanging from his crotch it made me sick..

Fitting that this game is tied after 3. We need that big 4th and the defense mustn’t yield an inch!

we get it, Mikal Bridges. You’re good.

HOW IS HE AT THREE-ON-THREE, THOUGH?

[sobbing]

The recent success just makes it so annoying to watch the team have these small breakdowns, constant small mistakes, etc, but it was going to happen eventually. At least this time we know these guys can be much better and it’s an odd night, while still competing hard with a good team.

Yeah, if a month ago you were going to tell me we were tied after three with the Suns with Barrett going 6-15 and Randle 5-15 I’d have questioned your sanity.

We look like the team on the second night of a back to back….It’s the bench who will save us…

KJG:
I’m not sure this anxiety is worth it …

We could still be throwing things at the TV screaming for Mxlo to pass.

Different anxiety — 😉

I don’t like taking Toppin out here – Randle needs more rest, and Toppin has continued his solid play

I feel like complaining about the pretty awful Knicks defense tonight but this has been a great game so fuck it just gonna try to enjoy the ending of this game and hope the Knicks somehow pull it off.

This is playoff intensity basketball. Both teams with tight defenses trying to stop relentless offenses.

CP3 compounded his physical error on the turnover with a mental error, double teaming IQ as he ran in transition. IQ found Rose for the open alley-oop.

BS calls. Knicks won’t get them until they earn respect.

Z-man:
They should have challenged that one

Shot went in anyway tho… I guess for a point back on free throw and one less foul? But that’s why we have Frank waiting in the shadows …

First off, I love those Dylan songs and reading the thread intro just now gave me a smile.

Second off, I actually kind of wanted to tune into this game. But I dumped regular tv and switched to hululive a few months ago (since I hate tv and all my kids were just watching shit off the internet anyway). But, apparently, Hulu live doesn’t carry NBAtv, even thought they kind of advertise that they do, so…

Anyway, enjoy the game, and enjoy random Dylan facts, and go Suns I guess (cause they’re a good story from a team that HASN’T punished me for decades and decades).

Bogus call but it’s really hard to keep up with a very good team if Randle and Barrett are off…

I deeply resent Derrick Rose for making me love him so

DRed:
Julius looks dead

Agreed but I wonder if we have chicken or egg situation here. He always looks dead for the bad games…

Such a tough game. Knicks struggling right now. But I feel like their D will help them close.
May not win, but they won’t quit

The Suns are tough. They took Julius out of the game and no one really stepped up but Rose.

Probably going to be an L, but can’t fault the team for not quitting on this one.

ridiculous shot by Paul

terrible pass by Bullock

oh well

Love our fight…but at the end of the day they had an all time great and we didn’t

Considering the schedule next week Knicks better win their next 2 games if they want to stay above 7th.

Obviously amazing shot … but it’s piss fucking poor … he was literally setting up for the pull up jumper he wanted with shot clock going to zero… he got into his rhythm …

Lord have mercy, those were great shots.

I wish Paul luck in the WC, he deserves a shot…

Suns have the 2nd best record in the NBA.

This is not embarrassing.

FWIW (eye test) I thought RJ had the best D on Booker.

They never quit,
simply we’re not good enough to survive good teams when our two best players have an off night…

Good game. If the streak had to end, I’m glad it was in a tough fought game.

i don’t care what anyone says… cp3 is really fun to watch and he might not get a chip but he deserves one….

This game was so close statistically…shame Julius didn’t have a better game…

and he’s from the same planet as LeBron. He’s probably got 2 great seasons left in him.

It’s a weird time to be a Knicks fan being annoyed about going down to a very strong team in a tough game instead of being happy with the L and improving our lottery odds. It’s like a weird feeling in the pit of my stomach that feels like the opposite of shame……

I was at the Suns end of the court, CP3’s prayer shot was ridiculous- falling backward, shot clock expiring, shoots it a mile high, swish.

Sometimes you just have to tip your cap to one of the all time greats.

d-mar, I’m sorry you couldn’t see them win in person. Chris Paul. What are you gonna do?

It’s like a weird feeling in the pit of my stomach that feels like the opposite of shame……

too funny…

Alan:
d-mar, I’m sorry you couldn’t see them win in person. Chris Paul. What are you gonna do?

Thanks Alan.

I went to a lot of the Knicks-Bulls battles in the 90’s and watched Jordan stick daggers in Knicks fans’ hearts, but you could always say you lost to the greatest player ever.

Chris Paul isn’t that, but I’d rather have him beat us than some scrub having a career night.

I was at the Suns end of the court, CP3’s prayer shot was ridiculous- falling backward, shot clock expiring, shoots it a mile high, swish.

Sometimes you just have to tip your cap to one of the all time greats.

I had a coach when I was playing representative basketball say in timeouts in late game situations that if you can play good defence on the last play of a game and get a hand in the shooters face and they still hit it, then all you can do is shake hands and say well played. Feels appropriate at this point in time.

On the other hand…….fuck CP3.

Tough loss, but no “garbage time” right?

I would love to see Thibs make adjustments in a Suns series.

What’s his solution on Booker? Maybe address that sooner?

Does he change the rotation at all?

Maybe ride Obi and Elf a bit longer to keep Randle and Rose fresh for the 4th?

Considering the schedule next week Knicks better win their next 2 games if they want to stay above 7th.

Isn’t it nuts? Remember when the fourth seed was, like, under .500 and now it’s a gauntlet to get, like, the sixth seed!!!

Brian Cronin: Isn’t it nuts? Remember when the fourth seed was, like, under .500 and now it’s a gauntlet to get, like, the sixth seed!!!

Foreel, incredible that as good as they’ve played it is a very realistic scenario they finish 7th although I believe they’ll be able to win at least 2 on the west coast trip so if they do that they should finish no worse than 6th.

But man finishing 4/5 would be awesome cause they’d have a legitimate chance of winning that series, at 6th or 7th honestly winning 1 game would be most realistic although I could see them possibly stretching Philly or Milwaukee to maybe 6 games but I doubt it. Just would suck to have such a feel good regular season end with a basic 4-1 loss in the 1st rd to a clearly superior team.

Hubert: only if Phoenix gives us multiple first round picks to take him off their hands 😉

Ha!

This season has made me reevaluate some things

Also, yeah, Mikal Bridges is meme worthy, you know the one where a guy checks out the girl while his girlfriend gasps in horror. Steve Perry, Knicks fans who liked a player named Bridges, and Kevin Knox

I thought winning tonight would’ve been quite the barometer but it’s cool. They have CP3 and we don’t have an equivalent yet. Plus the Suns are really freakin good.

Having a Chance to win till the last minute against the 2nd best team of the league while your big guns are off says you’re doing something right.

I think, as much as we hate to, we can put this one in the good loss category.

Mikal Bridges, Shae Gilgeous-Alexander, Michael Porter Jr (31 points tonight)

I love this team, but I still can never get over that terrible, horrible, no good draft pick Kevin Knox.

Comments are closed.