NY Post: Knicks mailbag: They may have ruined their Giannis Antetokounmpo chances

We needed a new thread and I just had to share one of the most perfect examples of a New York newspaper “news” story that I’ve seen in quite some time.

From Marc Berman:

There is so much talk about Giannis (Antetokounmpo) being a free agent in ’21 and his being available to the Knicks. Do you think he’d really be interested in the Knicks given that he hates the team after the fiasco with his brother? — Sam V

The season’s potential cancellation will most hurt Milwaukee, which had a league-best 53-12 unit that many experts felt had the momentum to win the championship. Antetokounmpo seems to want to stay in Milwaukee when he becomes a 2021 free agent, but only if the Bucks stand as a title contender. Sources indicate the pandemic has changed things so drastically, it’s hard to pinpoint Antetokounmpo’s future plans.

Who knows what could happen with next season’s rosters — potentially Antetokounmpo’s last season in Brew City.

The Knicks’ lure is the bigger stage but they probably won’t be a winner in 2020-21. And we know Antetokounmpo was disappointed with the franchise when it didn’t give his brother, Thanasis, a 2013 second-round pick, a chance. Thanasis, who played just two games with the Knicks, is now with the Bucks.

Before the Knicks faced Milwaukee in London in 2015, Giannis told The Post, “I thought he [would] get called up before the game. I’m a little disappointed he’s not going to play tomorrow against me.”

Then came a weird remark in a documentary last season from one of Giannis’ agents, Giorgos Panou, who stated the Knicks were the lone team not to send a scout to Greece to watch Giannis play. The Knicks denied the charge.

Alex Antetokounmpo, the youngest brother, has decided to skip college to play in Europe. The Knicks may have another chance to make good with Giannis in the 2021 draft.

I am sure Giannis is not coming here, either, but the idea that his mediocre brother not getting to play on the Knicks five years ago has any impact either way is laughable. For it to get a HEADLINE is just New York sports media at its finest.

For good measure, Berman later suggests that Cole Anthony could be a good draft pick if the Knicks miss out on Ball. Oh, Berman, never change. Wait, I didn’t mean that. I meant please change!

105 replies on “NY Post: Knicks mailbag: They may have ruined their Giannis Antetokounmpo chances”

The state of basketball news is dismal these days. There is very little real news, so we get non-stories like the one above. And on the podcast front there are so many last dance and Michael Jordan related podcasts which I don’t wNt to listen since I hated the Bulls with Jordan. It’s a relief to come here and discuss draft picks and other stuff.

I don’t know, man…. This seems like something Berman would have written even if we were in the middle of a riveting NBA playoffs.

I’m pretty sure Kate Beckinsale would agree to go out on a date with me if I hadn’t been so mean to her brother Clive in the past.

Shams Charania
@ShamsCharania
·
3m
Sources: The Knicks are finalizing hiring Jazz VP of Player Personnel Walt Perrin as assistant general manager as they reshuffle front office under Leon Rose. Perrin is a well-respected executive who has worked in Jazz organization for 19 years.

A no name who has worked his way up a very good organization on merit alone? Has someone kidnapped my beloved New York Knicks? This seems so encouraging, very excited to see how it turns out terribly!

That does sound promising. Anyone want to check his twitter to make sure he hasn’t been tweeting about his love for Cole Anthony? You know, for Dolan’s razor.

Looks like he was in charge of the pre-draft workouts for the Jazz, so he could be instrumental in this draft, even though there likely won’t be workouts.

I mean, would Giannis really punish us for giving his brother a shot but then not really playing him on the big league team when no other team in the NBA has picked up the guy since then?

Hollinger on Perrin:

Wow. Perrin is a road warrior, a fixture at every event with any even remotely relevant prospect. Good get for a Knicks team that needs to be scouring the land for young talent.

Perrin’s been with the Jazz for nearly 20 years. In general, how well have they drafted? This list seems like a mixed bag, but it also doesn’t include either Gobert or Mitchell, whom they traded for after other teams made those picks. Gobert and Mitchell have obviously way outplayed their draft status. Exum was an international gamble that didn’t pay off in a mostly underwhelming draft where everybody missed out on the best player at least once. (Denver took Doug McBucketts with their lottery pick in 2014). In 2015, they took Trey Lyles one spot ahead of Devin Booker, but were at least able to trade him as part of the package to get Mitchell two years later.

Either way, a guy who’s worked in the Utah personnel department is more exciting than more from Scott Perry.

I think it’s a good idea to sign guys from teams that have been well run. The Jazz are a well run organization.

You can’t be too mad about this one at all.

thenoblefacehumper: A no name who has worked his way up a very good organization on merit alone? Has someone kidnapped my beloved New York Knicks? This seems so encouraging, very excited to see how it turns out terribly!

Maybe, but assistant GM isn’t exactly a premier front office position. I’m not sure I even know who held the position previously

Utah sportscaster Jeremiah Jensen:

Rudy Gobert and Donovan Mitchell would not be with the Utah Jazz without the work of Walt Perrin. 240 characters aren’t enough to describe how important he has been to the Jazz. I’m selfishly sad he’s leaving us but he’s earned this opportunity.

Also, Perrin is probably the next GM after the Knicks decide to let Perry’s contract expire next year. Rose is building up his front office with qualified guys it seems.

That does sound promising.

Hope in reality is the worst of all evils because it prolongs the torments of man.

>I mean, would Giannis really punish us for giving his brother a shot but then not really playing him on the big league team when no other team in the NBA has picked up the guy since then?<

Giannis has been very clear he wants to stay with the Bucks as long as they are still a contender. The Bucks have a few veterans on the team that will eventually have to replaced, but their window looks open for another 2-3 years even without making any additional productive moves over time. I can't see him leaving after next year unless it's to go to another team that's ready to win immediately. Nothing about NY suggests the Knicks are anything less than several years away from that assuming above average management and adding a few playoff hardened high level veterans to go along with the developing kids.

Hiring a great coach might help change my view of those in charge now.

If you added Giannis to our team we’d be on of the best teams in the East. Maybe not as good as The Bucks but it would be pretty easy to find complimentary pieces once he was in place.

This is not to say he would come here. Why risk it. Just that we beat ourselves up over being so far away but if we ever hit on a pick like they did with Giannis, our fate would instantly turn around. And no, KP doesn’t make the cut. Close but no cigar.

Yay, a new thread! (And just in time because I see in the recent comments tab that bobneptune has made the final two comments on the last thread, and now I don’t have to read them, because I am 100% certain that they have nothing to do with basketball, the Knicks, sports, stats, humor, or anything else relavent to this site. In fact, I will just assume they are about Fox News tidbits, horse breeding, or something something something Greek Chorus).

I don’t know anything about Perrin, but I like the idea of hiring people out of winning organizations. What I don’t like is hiring them to do things they don’t have a solid track record of doing very well before they got here. That formula hasn’t worked out well for us in the past. This is not a hire I would have made.

I don’t know anything about Perrin

You should seek out some primary sources then.

Maybe, but assistant GM isn’t exactly a premier front office position. I’m not sure I even know who held the position previously

I frequently hear that titles don’t matter much in the NBA. Some organizations have assistants calling shots, some have POBOs who mostly just sign off on things, etc.

It’s hard for me to believe he would leave Utah after 19 years without a promise of at least some authority.

HOT AND SPICY TAKES

(1) The best path to Giannis would have been through Ujiri and his work on behalf of African Bball players. Giannis’ parents are from Nigeria and emigrated to Greece. Giannis has talked about how he was brought up more Nigerian than Greek.

(2) Greek newspapers in NY have quoted friends of Giannis relatives (people who socialize with the parents in Greece) as saying the parents despise the Knicks on account of their treatment of Giannis’ brother. Maybe Ujiri would have cleansed the bitter taste on the palate but no, impulsive Dolan had to act right away instead of waiting a year.

(3) The irrational gushing about Perrin has started in earnest. In the end, we all know he’ll probably end up just being a likable plodder like Scott Perry. 19 years is the tip-off.

(4) Mitch should fire Rich Paul and hire his..4th?..agent in 3 years and start shooting some corner 3’s and creating space for his teammates and for himself to drive to the hoop taking advantage of his speed and handle. Stretch 5 rim protectors are the future. Mavs would have been almost as good with Kornet hitting 38% from 3 in place of KP.

(5) If you were starting a team and were offered either Luka/KP or Ja/JJJ, who would you choose? I’d take the latter. I realize the majority here will prefer the former.

It’s hard for me to believe he would leave Utah after 19 years without a promise of at least some authority.

$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

I don’t know anything about Perrin

Then a few words later

This is not a hire I would have made.

>You should seek out some primary sources then.<

🙂

This is one of many cases where any research I did would lead nowhere.

I wouldn't have hired Rose and I would have replaced Perry and Houston. I think the upper management needed to be gutted and the keys handed to someone that has already been successful somewhere as a POBO or at least a GM. Masai Ujiri was an obvious choice, but assuming he wanted nothing to do with us there are other good organizations out there. Presti would have been a good choice. Morey might be available.

>I don’t know anything about Perrin

Then a few words later

This is not a hire I would have made<

You didn't understand the point I was making.

He's never been a GM or assistant GM and proven that he's very good at that job. Our recent pattern, including with Rose, has been bringing in people that were good at other areas of basketball and expecting them to be good at something else or giving a shot to people with a reputation and no success.

Maybe we should make Thibs head of the medical staff since he has such a great record as a coach?

That's not a hire I would make, but if they make him the coach I'll be on board.

This is one of many cases where any research I did would lead nowhere.

So exactly like the rest of your opinions on basketball, and apparently journalism. Probably the entire field of academic history, too.

Sorry bro, but you jumped the shark today with that nonsense about primary sources. Showed your whole ass. I’m not gonna give that one up.

If you don’t know anything about him, you really don’t know what the fuck he did in Utah. You know his job title, but you don’t know his relevant experience or lack thereof.

That doesn’t stop you from having a definitive take on it, though!

“There’s literally only one way to have any chance of knowing what is really going on. You have to research primary source documents and info on your own.”

What if you don’t do that?

“You should go into the bathroom right now, look in the mirror, stare at yourself, and repeat these words over and over, ‘I am one naive dumb fuck’.”

>So exactly like the rest of your opinions on basketball, and apparently journalism. Probably the entire field of academic history, too.<

I don't want to get into a 5 day OT discussion about politics with you, but I HAVE READ primary source documents on certain subjects and then watched and read the reporting on those same documents.

I saw all the spins and lies.

If you eyes are even half open, it's blatantly obvious that both sides are full of crap just by watching the reporting every night and seeing how extreme the bias is one side vs, the other.

Both sides can make some valid points, but each side only reports the information and spin that furthers their own political agenda. It's a woefully bad situation. I wish you were enough to see the news 40 years ago. I'm sure I was naive back then and believed a lot of the on sided BS they were spewing, but it was nothing like now. A lot of the people on TV and working for newspapers now are hate filled lunatics masquerading as unbiased journalists.

I hope Perrin is good and he sounds good but I can’t help having Scott Layden flashbacks when I read the news.

I have a feeling Strat’s list of media stories he has totally debunked via rigorous review of primary source documents looks a lot like his list of non-max free agents the Knicks should sign.

Non-existant.

>If you don’t know anything about him, you really don’t know what the fuck he did in Utah. You know his job title, but you don’t know his relevant experience or lack thereof.

That doesn’t stop you from having a definitive take on it, though!<

My definitive take is that we should be hiring people that have proven track record of success for a winning organization doing exactly what we are asking them to do. He doesn't qualify.

You and the Knicks are entitled to have a different view, but when I look at the Knicks and around the league in general, a lot of the successes are continuations of past success.

>Non-existant.<

That's kind of like you being right about almost anything related to basketball at all. You are very young though. You know way more than I did at your age. There's hope if you would just listen more and troll less.

Wow, just read this article on Jordan at the ringer. I think it’s the final push I needed to stop going to that site. It’s mind-boggling how bad this article is. Filled with stupid justifications of nonsense conclusions.

That’s kind of like you being right about almost anything related to basketball at all. You are very young though. You know way more than I did at your age. There’s hope if you would just listen more and troll less.

I’ll make you a deal: if I ever say anything as humiliatingly disqualifying as giving Phil Jackson a B- ten days before he was fired, I’ll never weigh in on basketball again.

I wish you were enough to see the news 40 years ago.

I don’t expect to have a productive conversation with a person who believes that, say, The New Yorker’s investigative reporting, produced by exceptional writers like Masha Gessen, Jane Mayer and Ronan Farrow, should be lumped in with the hot punditry garbage you’ll find on cable news. Remember, The New Yorker is part of the “news media,” so they’re too biased to function. Maybe I’m too young to understand.

Do you happen to have a strong opinion on vaccines, per chance?

I would say your opinion and the consensus here on Phil Jackson is a good enough reason for me to never come back. I’ve been critical when he deserved it. Most of the rest of you are on a par with mainstream media reporting on politics.

And just to be clear, Rose and Perrin might turn out to be great.

My only point is that I’d prefer we hire people with a proven track record of success at what we are asking them to do instead of taking a shot on people that have had success doing other things. There’s a place for promoting people and giving people a shot, but it hasn’t worked well for us and doesn’t work as well as proven success.

Most of the rest of you are on a par with mainstream media reporting on politics.

You do realize that “the other side” has been right about, like, everything the Knicks have done for the last ten years, right? But you keep kissing Phil Jackson’s ring.

80-166 over three seasons. Take the L.

Jowles,

There are always exceptions, but overall the media is full of hot garbage and you are too bright to not know that.

>Do you happen to have a strong opinion on vaccines, per chance?<

I've done limited reading from people on both sides of the debate (including Robert F Kennedy Jr). I'm not a medical expert, but if I had to guess I'd say the risks of vaccines are higher than generally reported by the mainstream media, but there's a huge net benefit.

I get vaccinated when my doctor suggests and if I had children I'd have them vaccinated as recommended all while thinking the higher risks are actually well known but played down by the media since there is a net benefit and they think that makes it OK to bullshit.

but if I had to guess I’d say the risks of vaccines are higher than generally reported by the mainstream media

WE

HAVE

REACHED

PEAK

STRAT

Edit: I initially found this entertaining just because it’s so on brand, but even this kind of “soft” anti-vaxxer crap is incredibly harmful and you should be ashamed.

From a guy who only looks at primary sources. That would be, um, check notes, MEDICAL JOURNALS. You have never read a medical journal to save your life. Ha. What a clown.

There are always exceptions, but overall the media is full of hot garbage and you are too bright to not know that.

You told me to read nothing but primary documents. I’m confused!!!

>You do realize that “the other side” has been right about, like, everything the Knicks have done for the last ten years, right?<

Let me ask you, if we are still tanking 2 years from now because we refuse to add quality players a little older than the ideal win curve are you still going to be dancing around the "we just didn't do it right" excuse.

How about if Embiid gets hurt or the 76er trade one of Embiid or Simmons because they aren't an ideal fit and have to start their rebuild over?

How many years of hell for how many teams is enough to realize tanking isn't all it's cut out to be?

How many teams have to get there quicker through a combination of draft, trade and free agency, youth and veterans via competent management before people realize there's more than one path to heaven and the one we are on isn't very good?

>You told me to read nothing but primary documents. I’m confused!!!<

It's tough for people like us to get primary documents, but I've found wikleaks to be a good source of truth at times.

Assange is not in the predicament he's in because of alleged hacking or sex scandals. He's in the position he's in because he releases documents to the public that expose government corruption and worse around the world, government/media corruption, and other scandals that those in power want suppressed and the media willfully ignores.

I’m not going to defend the anti vaxers because I get vaccinations and would vaccinate my children if I had any, but if you think the risks aren’t higher than the perception put forward by the media, you are even more naive than I thought. The government and companies pay out on those risks when things go wrong and our favorite pharmaceutical companies buy politicians.

I’m sure I was once this naive when I was young, but gee wiz when you see it first hand you want to smack yourself. Seriously, I need to find a new place to discuss basketball. This place is comical.

Let me ask you, if we are still tanking 2 years from now because we refuse to add quality players a little older than the ideal win curve are you still going to be dancing around the “we just didn’t do it right” excuse.

Sorry, did I advocate for drafting Ntilikina, one of the worst offensive players I’ve ever seen in an NBA rotation? Did I advocate for drafting Knox, who was dogshit at Kentucky but performed well at a 3-on-3, and has become one of the worst two-way players I’ve seen in a Knicks uniform? Did I advocate for drafting Barrett, who couldn’t throw the ball in the ocean at Duke and continues to be terrible at the objectively most-important thing to do in a basketball contest? Kinda hard to make a case for lottery picks when you use them to draft three consecutive players who can’t shoot to save their lives, but hey, okay, whatever.

I still don’t know these quality players you’re talking about. You mean signing mediocre veterans to long-term contracts? Like Phil “80-166” Jackson did?

How about if Embiid gets hurt or the 76er trade one of Embiid or Simmons because they aren’t an ideal fit and have to start their rebuild over?

How many years of hell for how many teams is enough to realize tanking isn’t all it’s cut out to be?

Sam Hinkie was fired in 2016! What in the actual fuck are you talking about?

October 31, 2016:

All of the 76ers’ injuries to key players could help result in a difficult early portion of the 2016-17 NBA season.

The Sixers are expected to be without rookie No. 1 overall pick Ben Simmons (fractured right foot) for at least the first two months of the campaign. Big man Nerlens Noel underwent surgery for an inflamed plica of the left knee last Tuesday and is projected to be out three to five weeks. Probable starting point guard Jerryd Bayless is sidelined with a ligament injury of the right hand. He’s trying to avoid surgery via rehab and the time he’ll miss remains unclear.

Given all of those factors, plus Joel Embiid and Jahlil Okafor being on minute restrictions, on a team that is the league’s youngest, would president of basketball operations Bryan Colangelo now consider tanking this season in an effort to potentially make things better in future years?

“Not a chance,” Colangelo replied Monday via text message.

“We have obviously been set back by several key injuries so we have internally discussed strategies to address the deficiencies without veering too far off course,” Colangelo said.

COLANGELO EXPLICITLY SAID HE WOULD NOT TANK IN 2016-17. WHAT THE ACTUAL FUCK.

Brian, please do me a favor and bar my ID. There’s little or nothing productive about it for me and I don’t even want to be tempted. I think this place is den of naive kids that know little about basketball or the world the live in.

Stratomatic: Frequently wrong, but never in doubt: He’s never been a GM or assistant GM and proven that he’s very good at that job. Our recent pattern, including with Rose, has been bringing in people that were good at other areas of basketball and expecting them to be good at something else or giving a shot to people with a reputation and no success.

I get your point, but I don’t know that going from “VP of Player Personnel “to “Assistant GM” is really that big of a stretch. It’s not like Allan Houston’s journey to Assistant GM from “Player.”

Strat, I am in your age bracket and have lived in as real of a world as you. I can honestly say that you are one of the most disingenuously arrogant and blatantly hypocritical posters on this board. You don’t really have a core beyond trying to show everyone how wonderfully enlightened you are, and how naive they are. Your take on the world and how it operates and what is true and what isn’t is so goddamn ignorant that I am embarrassed to call you a peer. You have a lot more to learn from the so-called young and naive posters on this board than they could ever learn from you.

“What I don’t like is hiring them to do things they don’t have a solid track record of doing very well before they got here.”

Coach Jackson’s ears are burning in his wigwam, even before the first peyote hit of the day…

I should have tried his tactics during my teaching days, instead of the innumerable detailed comments I left in the margins and the end-of-essay comments I would leave on the final page.

I could have written the same thing on every one: “B-. You’ll understand when you’re older and more experienced.”

What the fuck is going on here? I feel like I’m reading Lord of the Flies and Piggy’s getting hit with the rock. Savages.

I feel like I’m reading Lord of the Flies and Piggy’s getting hit with the rock.

No spoilers! I have chosen not to read this “classic” until I’m older and more literate!

I think we have reached peak quarantine.

For various strange reasons I once worked at a quasi-think tank where for a while one of my projects was to research the Federal Vaccine Injury Compensation Program. Vaccines are regrettably dangerous for a very small percentage of kids. Not taking them is almost exponentially more dangerous. A world without vaccines would make Covid-19 look like a tea party.

What was interesting to me was that an idea which seemed patently fair and useful, to set up a program to compensate those injured by vaccines we should all take, took more than a decade and basically a life and death struggle to get enacted. It really shook my faith in the possibility of effecting real change through public policy. And now it’s a source of all kinds of conspiracy theories.

Can someone create a gone fishing meme for Strat like they do on Inside the NBA on TNT when a team gets kicked out of the playoffs?

Brian, please do me a favor and bar my ID. There’s little or nothing productive about it for me and I don’t even want to be tempted. I think this place is den of naive kids that know little about basketball or the world the live in.

why so serious…what purpose does it really serve to put yourself out there, and, then take offense when other humans – whom you already know are: set to kill – start picking it apart…

i see the humor in it all, but, i’m missing the frustration and anger part you seem to feel…that somehow you’re being misunderstood…fuck, i think that’s a feeling we all inherently share…

i think your expectations are just way off base…you got to be honest with yourself…

shit strat – one of the best points ever made here on the site was you letting folks know you can’t get a complete analysis just by studying the numbers…you need to put eyes on it…

i like it when you get up on a soapbox and begin to rail, it’s refreshing, raw and fun…i bet a lot of folks feel the same – just don’t be surprised when folks around you want to get in your face to vigorously disagree…you put it out there…own it…

either avoid the situation (your smart enough for that) or embrace it (some days you just may not be strong enough for that), in which case – timing is everything, check with yourself to see how you’re really feeling before you step up on the box…

You know I’m bad when I read Piggy and the only thing I can think of is Miss Piggy from the Muppets.

Hubert’s comment had me nearly spew my drink out my nose.

he understands…occasionally hubie will step out from underneath the safety of the umbrella which is our community of sanctified thought and behavior…stands there in the downpour of disagreements and just owns it…he just so happens to also have the best closing argument ever: fuck this stupid shit, i’m going to go have sex now

that’s some mic dropping stuff right there…game over…

i don’t know man…if your nerves ain’t at a 100%, don’t seem like a great idea to go poking on a hornet’s nest…

In personal basketball news, two things I love:

Westerns (as in the move genre) (something about those landscapes, guns, horses and honor)

and

old youtube basketball clips.

Recently I have been watching a ton of Larry Bird. That dude is every macho Western character rolled into a ball. Instead of a gun he has a jump shot. Fascinating.

So strat is leaving? I might come back to posting regularly when every thread isn’t just him arguing the same shit every time and people still trying to engage it.

I like the Perrin hire, every Jazz fan I’ve seen has said he’s credited for finding a lot of the talent they have, and he seems to be a very good talent evaluator, which is the type of guy we really haven’t had in so long.

I very much enjoyed Godless on Netflix. Now I’m watching Hell on Wheels. The show has it’s moments.

i haven’t taken the time to watch either of those two series…i’m definitely a fan of the genre too…

even though i grew up in new york where there are plenty of trees and grass, and, i love being by the water – the “west” definitely has its own beauty to it…i’ve had a chance to spend some time in both oklahoma and new mexico…

nothing really spectacular sticks in my memory of oklahoma – except that’s where i first learned the wind actually had a name – they called it “the hawk”…yeah, i definitely got the reference after some time…no doubt though there’s a beauty to the landscape of new mexico…

To be quite honest, I don’t see anything in Perrin’s record to get all that excited about. Nice guy, hard worker, etc., but if he’s not doing the picking, how much does it matter?

“Sources: The Knicks are finalizing hiring Jazz VP of Player Personnel Walt Perrin as assistant general manager as they reshuffle front office under Leon Rose. Perrin is a well-respected executive who has worked in Jazz organization for 19 years.”

This guy seems to be reasonable but I have to giggle when they say he is “well respected.” I’m trying to think of hires that weren’t “well respected” at the time of their hire by sports media.

I’m waiting for the next/first time some athlete has “unsuccessful surgery.” Something like Mr. Pismo Clam , a right handed pitcher for the NY Glomwads had his right humerus amputated after undergoing unsuccessful Tommy John surgery……..

This is a surreal off season. On the football front ESPN is grading teams off seasons and just published the worst eight off seasons. The Patriots were there but neither the Jets of Giants were. What is happening to NY football. And on the Basketball front, the Nets fires a successful coach without a replacement and the Knicks fired an incompetent one hired a competent no name coach as a replacement. They are, of course rumored to be considered replacing him, but the rumored replacement is also a competent coach. They hired a new POBO and he actually hasn’t screwed anything up yet and is getting good reviews for his first hire. What is NY coming to?

I get the feeling that Lucy is just about to put her index finger on top of the football…

So we are essentially trading Strat straight up for bringing Bruno back? That’s an A++ and easily the best and most lopsided trade in Knicks history.

I bust Strat’s balls as bad as anybody but I’d feel bad if he left.

So strat is leaving? I might come back to posting regularly when every thread isn’t just him arguing the same shit every time and people still trying to engage it.

If not engaging Strat’s nonsense is what it takes to bring Bruno back, I will put my restraint to the ultimate test: ignoring someone saying Phil Jackson was a good executive.

Here’s a test of that self-restraint:

tnfh, did you know that Alan Dershowitz is the only reputable legal mind in media?

Yes, Frank Zanin will be our head of pro scouting, having done similar work for Brooklyn and OKC, both teams that have done pretty well in finding undervalued resources.

So there’s that? But has also worked with Rose a lot in the past, so it continues the narrative that Rose will mostly lean on people with whom he has pre-existing relationships. Thibs, here we come!

I like the hire simply because he is a no name and he comes from an organization that has been a model of consistency and good team building/drafting for…30 plus years? Seriously, when was the last time Utah was truly bad? Before Stockton and Malone? They never have high draft picks but never bottom out, which I guess would be bad in some people’s eyes. But they seem to find dudes all the time that play their role well and develop well. How much of that is this dude’s doing, who knows. But its nice to see us hire someone who isn’t a name but who also comes from a good organization. And not just good like “they had a good run for a few years.” Utah is one of the most consistently good teams in the NBA.

Hiring his own people is a thing most new execs do. This seems pretty normal to me. I don’t know either of the two new guys but I suspect Rose knows them from his work as agent. It does seem like there are going to be a lot if assistant GMs. I don’t know if that’s bad or good, but the Knicks management structure is kind of forced to be different from some other teams because Dolan has so many things reporting to him. He has two or three sports teams (I don’t remember if he sold the Liberty or not), he has MSG, the entertainment venue, he has Radio City and he has a TV network. This means that Dolan has to be more hands off with the Knicks than some owners are, so his POBO has to do more than many GMs have to. Does this mean there’s a use for a lot of assistant GM’s? I have no idea.

Z-Man’s Logical Inconsistency Number 10,482 [explanatory note: this number is hyperbolic, sorta]

On May 18, Poster Bruno said this: “I might come back to posting regularly when every thread isn’t just him [Strat] arguing the same shit every time and people still trying to engage it.”

On May 18, Poster Z-Man was silent. [Which is rare, because said Poster is a chatty Kathy]

HOWEVER [upper case letters for emphasis]

On May 7, Poster NahNah said this: “Our basketball discussions just aren’t that interesting anymore. We spend so much time explaining and re-explaining how this optimal strategy works.”

On May 7, IMMEDIATELY following said post, Poster Z-Man said this: “Oh, the basketball conversations aren’t that interesting? Only a masochistic moron would keep wasting time willingly engaging in uninteresting conversations. So why don’t you find something more interesting to do with your time? No reason for you to lower yourself arguing with the likes of me. My guess is that you will stick around like the troll that you are. But I wonder, given that you are so above the fray yet keep coming back for mote, what does that say about you? That you’re a complete loser with nothing else to do? (Bingo!)”

CONCLUSION

My Take on Bruno: PLEASE COME BACK!

Z-Man’s Take on Bruno (based on above logic): Stay away or else I shall declare you a masochistic moron and a complete loser with nothing else to do.

Links for Evidence: http://knickerblogger.net/si-com-five-alive-jonathan-macris-perfect-knicks-2020-21-starting-five/#comment-697466

Side Note: Z-Man, did you ever take a second to look at your diction? For an old dude, it’s terribly childish. Sure, I am engaging with you on the same childish level (so my personal substantive hypocrisy is noted), but at least I dress it up a bit. For god’s sake, we live in a civilized society. Grab yourself a stick of lingual Right Guard.

Rose has pre-existing relationships with a lot of people though. That’s the thing. That is why, potentially, he was a great hire. If all he is doing is hiring/finding the right people and letting them do their thing, then it could really work out. He’s got the most to work with of any Knick GM in recent history as far as assets and cap space.

Owen:
I don’t mind hanging out on Ntilikina Island with Strat. It’s nice there.

Bruh, don’t look past me like that. I’ve been harvesting coconuts on this island the whole damn time.

We are both… what did NahNah call us… Stratolites??

Swiftandabundant It could be. I’m just hoping for something other than actively ruining the Knicks with bad decisions. My theory is that if management doesn’t actively throw away assets on horribly overpaid players and bad trades we will slowly get better as our young players improve and some of our draft picks turn out to be worth something.

Rose’s hires don’t seem exciting but they do at least seem reasonable. Still, I’m disappointed he hasn’t reached out to me yet.

NahNah: Z-Man’s Logical Inconsistency Number 10,482 [explanatory note: this number is hyperbolic, sorta]

On May 18, Poster Bruno said this: “I might come back to posting regularly when every thread isn’t just him [Strat] arguing the same shit every time and people still trying to engage it.”

On May 18, Poster Z-Man was silent. [Which is rare, because said Poster is a chatty Kathy]

HOWEVER [upper case letters for emphasis]

On May 7, Poster NahNah said this: “Our basketball discussions just aren’t that interesting anymore. We spend so much time explaining and re-explaining how this optimal strategy works.”

On May 7, IMMEDIATELY following said post, Poster Z-Man said this: “Oh, the basketball conversations aren’t that interesting? Only a masochistic moron would keep wasting time willingly engaging in uninteresting conversations. So why don’t you find something more interesting to do with your time? No reason for you to lower yourself arguing with the likes of me. My guess is that you will stick around like the troll that you are. But I wonder, given that you are so above the fray yet keep coming back for mote, what does that say about you? That you’re a complete loser with nothing else to do? (Bingo!)”

CONCLUSION

My Take on Bruno: PLEASE COME BACK!

Z-Man’s Take on Bruno (based on above logic): Stay away or else I shall declare you a masochistic moron and a complete loser with nothing else to do.

I get that this is tongue in cheek but I can’t tell if you’re in on all the logical failures of your own argument. Like, this could be the beautiful irony of an illogical argument pointing out someone’s illogical consistencies. Or you could think this all adds up. Really hard to tell.

DRed:
Rose’s hires don’t seem exciting but they do at least seem reasonable.Still, I’m disappointed he hasn’t reached out to me yet.

To be honest, DRed, we’re all a little disappointed that you haven’t pursued the job more aggressively. Put the dough down and make some moves, man.

Yeah, sometimes not exciting is ok, at least the guy has a track record in a pretty good organization. It’s just a matter of expecting the worse when Rose was signed, I was convinced they would just go chasing for big names no matter what.

To be quite honest, I don’t see anything in Perrin’s record to get all that excited about. Nice guy, hard worker, etc., but if he’s not doing the picking, how much does it matter?

I think it’s that he’s just a normal enough hire. I agree that it’s not some impressive get, but he’s at least a normal hire. That’s sadly a step up for this organization.

The next time someone says, “I’m never posting again” and then doesn’t post again will be the first time that someone says, “I’m never posting again” and then doesn’t post again.

DRed:
going to make a sausage and spring onion pie in about an hour

Tom Bombadil’s baking a pie. You’re so damn content we can’t even be mad at you for not wanting to save us.

I’ll confess I don’t know much about these cats who Rose is hiring but they appear to be regular basketball people and not guys who are connected to opening slots for The Eagles so I’m chill

Robinson was dead man walking for a long time. Way too close to Mills.

I’m cautiously optimistic about these hires.
First of all, Rose absolutely should hire successful people who he has a history of working well with — that’s just solid management. And being who he is, you’d think he has a pretty large Rolodex of names to choose from, so it’s heartening that he’s not going after a pseudo-celebrity, former star player/coach, or other “name” for reasons beside competing on the court.
Of course, we’ll have to wait until the draft to really judge the new system/structure, but things could surely be worse right now.

The next time someone says, “I’m never posting again” and then doesn’t post again will be the first time that someone says, “I’m never posting again” and then doesn’t post again.

🙂

sometimes it is better to resist everything but temptation…you never know, that next post may be the one to illuminate the whole world…

or, a sausage and onion pie recipe that’s absolutely deliciious…

I have no feeling about the guys he’s bringing in. None of the names really mean anything if Rose (or his designee) doesn’t know how to value talent in today’s NBA and bargain effectively. I guess the hope is that these guys know how to avoid the “terrible” long-term move, get reasonably lucky in the draft, and don’t try to acquire stars too quickly or recklessly. Since I don’t expect them to tank, that’s where I set the bar.

I suppose you could find optimism in that he’s surrounding himself with non-incompetent people.

I suppose you could find optimism in that he’s surrounding himself with non-incompetent people.

That’s where I’m at, yeah.

Knickerblogger: We don’t want flashy hires! Just competency, I’d be so happy, pleaaaaase!
Rose: Hires competent people
Knickerblogger: I mean, am I impressed?

Huh? I actively want bigger and better hires. I’ll take competency, but I wanted them to make flashy hires. We talked for how long about wanting Ujiri here? And when a list of names leaked that Rose was interested in, I know who I wanted right away – the flashy hire that the Bulls made instead. I’ll take competency, but I would have much prefered a flashier hire. So there’s no inconsistency here.

***The next time someone says, “I’m never posting again” and then doesn’t post again will be the first time that someone says, “I’m never posting again” and then doesn’t post again.***

That why strat asked you to ban him. He knew he couldn’t fall on his own sword. (At least he knows that much)

Comments are closed.