[NYTimes] N.B.A. Gives Referee Monty McCutchen New Job in League Office (Friday, December 15, 2017 4:15:14 AM)
As vice president, head of referee development and training, he will mentor and coach referees from the N.B.A., N.B.A. G League and the W.N.B.A.
[NYTimes] On Pro Basketball: Live From New York, It Will Be a Struggling Carmelo Anthony (Friday, December 15, 2017 12:32:46 AM)
The former Knicks star makes his New York return on Saturday night, and he will arrive here as a member of a Thunder team not doing all that great.
(Thursday, December 14, 2017 7:21:02 PM)
The mind is a terrible thing to use. At least in games. And one guy who wholeheartedly agrees is Knicks rookie Frank Ntilikina, who more and more is adhering to the advice of teammates and coaches and playing more on instinct rather than thinking everything through as if the NBA were advanced calculus. Jarrett Jack,…
(Thursday, December 14, 2017 7:06:04 PM)
With Kristaps Porzingis back in the locker room with knee pain and Tim Hardaway Jr. wearing a walking boot on the bench, Knicks coach Jeff Hornacek made a remark to Courtney Lee to start the fourth quarter. “Fourth quarter, coach told me to step up, we need you,’’ Lee recounted. “I said, ‘I got you…
(Thursday, December 14, 2017 6:29:16 PM)
The Knicks posted a 111-104 victory over the Nets in Barclays Center, and the best news of all — more than Courtney Lee’s 27 points, more than Frank Ntilikina’s continued development, more than a victory on the road — was that Kristaps Porzingis could stand and walk. Now standing erect became a big deal a…
(Thursday, December 14, 2017 5:09:47 PM)
The Knicks won the game, but the night turned into an alarming Brooklyn Bummer at Barclays Center. Knicks stud Kristaps Porzingis removed himself from the game with a left-knee injury with 9:55 left in the third quarter of the Knicks’ 111-104 victory over the Nets on Thursday. He headed to the locker room, limping in…
(Thursday, December 14, 2017 4:24:55 PM)
Knicks stud Kristaps Porzingis suffered a non-contact left-knee injury with 9:55 left in the third quarter vs. the Nets and removed himself from the game immediately and headed to the locker room, limping in the tunnel. Porzingis was defending Nets forward Rondae Hollis-Jefferson and appeared to take a bad step. On occasion, non-contact injuries wind…
(Thursday, December 14, 2017 3:49:26 PM)
Try youth and development. It’s so crazy, it just might work. And that’s what both the Knicks and the Nets are discovering this season. So are their fans, who entered with low-ceiling expectations and have to be encouraged — as well as very entertained — that the quick fixes are dead. When the two teams…
(Thursday, December 14, 2017 2:15:58 PM)
Knicks swingman Tim Hardaway Jr. indicated his absence will last past the Christmas season. In his first remarks since going down with “a stress injury” in his lower left leg, Hardaway called it a “serious injury,” said he’s not going to “force the issue” and declined to give himself “a deadline’’ to return despite feeling…
(Thursday, December 14, 2017 10:57:26 AM)
You can call him Ariel Smith now. Chris Smith, the former Knicks point guard and J.R. Smith’s younger brother, is making a basketball comeback and is set to debut next week in the Israeli League for Ironi Nahariya after recently converting to Judaism. Smith became an Orthodox Jew — the strictest level. Smith’s new Hebrew…
[SNY Knicks] Porzingis update: Knee buckled, removed for precautionary reasons (Thursday, December 14, 2017 10:20:25 PM)
Kristaps Porzingis exited the Knicks game against the Nets with a non-contact left knee injury.
[SNY Knicks] Rare Knicks’ road win marred by Porzingis injury (Thursday, December 14, 2017 10:05:03 PM)
The Knicks grabbed a rare road victory as the beat the Nets 111-104, but Kristaps Porzingis exited with a non-contact knee injury.
[SNY Knicks] Tim Hardaway Jr. refuses to give timetable for return (Thursday, December 14, 2017 7:22:31 PM)
Tim Hardaway Jr. has finally spoken publically about his “serious’ injury.
[SNY Knicks] Knicks’ arrow pointing up as holidays approach (Thursday, December 14, 2017 6:10:56 PM)
[SNY Knicks] Tonight’s game: Knicks at Nets, 7:30 p.m. (Thursday, December 14, 2017 5:11:20 PM)
Knicks look to make it three wins in a row against the Nets in Brooklyn at 7:30 p.m.
[SNY Knicks] Kanter worried about helping Knicks, not nagging injurries (Thursday, December 14, 2017 10:49:01 AM)
Knicks C Enes Kanter will continue to play through his injuries as the team has no plans to shut him down.
[NYDN] Knicks hang on despite losing Porzingis in 111-104 win over Nets (Thursday, December 14, 2017 8:47:36 PM)
The Knicks were seemingly on their way to a comfortable road win. No problems. No hiccups.
[NYDN] Tim Hardaway Jr. doesn’t know when he’ll return for Knicks (Thursday, December 14, 2017 8:47:08 PM)
There’s a lot Tim Hardaway Jr. doesn’t know about the stress injury that sidelined him indefinitely, like when he can play basketball again.
[NYDN] Kristaps Porzingis leaves Knicks game with sore left knee (Thursday, December 14, 2017 4:59:02 PM)
Kristaps Porzingis left Thursday’s game against with an apparent knee injury.
(Thursday, December 14, 2017 9:30:18 PM)
Kristaps Porzingis left the Knicks’ game at Brooklyn in the third quarter Thursday night because of a sore left knee and is unsure whether he can play Saturday against Oklahoma City in Carmelo Anthony’s first game back at MSG.
(Thursday, December 14, 2017 1:15:22 PM)
A fan of the Knicks and gaming, “Entourage” actor Jerry Ferrara has joined the team’s esports effort as head scout.
(Friday, December 15, 2017 1:12:10 AM)
It’s hardly how they drew it up, and it’s far from ideal, but that doesn’t mean the Nets aren’t loving every minute of Caris LeVert’s metamorphosis.
(Friday, December 15, 2017 12:18:52 AM)
The Knicks have found a way to stay competitive without Tim Hardaway Jr. The question now is whether they are going to have to do it without Kristaps Porzingis.
(Friday, December 15, 2017 12:17:19 AM)
Kristaps Porzingis felt his knee buckle and then felt a sharp pain. It was the sort of thing that would strike fear in most any basketball player, but he wasn’t too worried, he said afterward. He stayed in, got some treatment and tried to play through the pain.
(Thursday, December 14, 2017 11:02:07 PM)
Tim Hardaway Jr.’s spirits are good and his leg is on the mend, but there still is no clear timetable for his return to the Knicks.
98 replies on “Knicks Morning News (2017.12.15)”
Nice to see Frank getting after it on the boards the last few games. Little Giannis is growing before our very eyes.
A few Knicks Film School highlights on how Jeff is helping Frank initiate the offense: https://twitter.com/knickfilmschool/status/941519087569723392
Frank is sporting a neutral .000 WS/48… DSJ’s WS/48 is negative.
I’ve officially come all the way around on Ron Baker. He’s an NBA player and has been a good defender while adding some basketball IQ to a relatively good team in that department. The Knicks have a lot of good players on this team, it’s just that depth at forward is really thin.
Also, KP’s knee troubles worry me. He’s not the best leaper or lander so those ligaments could be taking damage. I don’t understand how NBA players don’t get a lesson on how not to tear their ACLs.
Fun game to be at last night. When we left my friend who never saw a game before was like “were there any Nets fans there?”
The knee is scary, hope that’s minor. It was nice to see them keep pushing and gut out the win.
So was that like their only second road win?
Really liking the Baker/Ntilikina combo — small sample but per NBAwowy (clearly my favorite stats site!) in 78 minutes (147 possessions), when those two are on the floor (and in spite of their individual offensive limitations), the team’s ORtg = 113.6. Most importantly, the DRtg = 99.3 which is impressive enough in itself, but even MORE impressive if you consider that those units are giving up an ungodly 34+ offensive rebounding percentage to the other team, which presumably is mostly not the fault of Frank and Ron. Those Frank/Ron units are forcing an opponent eFG of 40.8 and TS 47.1, which is obviously amazing.
per NBA.com – opponent’s TOV% with those 2 on the floor is 20.3%. Combined, those two average 5.4 steals/36. Seems good.
btw Kp+Frank –> ORtg 118.6, DRtg 102.7 in 116 minutes. Almost makes you wonder whether the team is stealth tanking but limiting those minutes so much.
Meanwhile, sounds like Hardaway isn’t coming back soon. Team has done okay without him, mainly because Lee is balling, but as the schedule gets tougher, we’re going to miss having someone who can create offense for himself with the relative ease Tim can.
Actually – re: Ron and Frank — of all players with >100 min played, Ron and Frank are #1 (Ron) and #2 (tied with some others) in the league in steals per min at 2.9 and 2.5 per 36. Pretty amazing.
Annoying stats of the day – the player the awful Chicago Bulls sold to the freaking GS Warriors – Jordan Bell – is averaging 13.5/9.8r/4.2assists/1.8steals/3.0 blocks per 36.
He has an oBPM of +2.5, a DBPM of 4.6 = BPM +7.1. the only players ahead of him in BPM (that have played any significant minutes) are: Harden, Curry, Giannis, Lebron, and Chris Paul.
Good job good effort Chicago!
I’ve been asking for the Baker/Ntilikina combo. I think it looks pretty good so far. Both defend well and both can make plays. So even though neither is a true PG (in Franks’s case “yet”) they compliment each other well. That’s what Phil had in mind. One of them (Frank) is going to have to break out as more of a scorer, but they are good together and easy to root for. Baker leaves it all on the court every time he plays.
@9 It has become pretty apparent that some organizations have a much better eye for talent and finding hidden good value than others.
Wait, Ron Baker doesn’t belong in the NBA. At least that’s what most KBers said in June thru November…
@12
Man, when he improves his 3pt shooting from 27% to 50% he definitely is a NBA player. It’s not like it’s the most predictable statistical jump ever.
The Ron and Frank Show.
Ron was always a regress to the mean in a positive way candidate — was always a pretty reasonable shooter in college (and by reports from coaching staff was a very good shooter in practice). Hopefully he levels out around high 30’s from 3. 6’4″ guard with 6’9″ wingspan who can handle, shoot 3’s, play smart, and play defense = NBA player.
@15 I agree. He’s obviously not going to sustain this level of accuracy at 3 pointers, but there’s still plenty of room to improve at FTs. He was an 80% FT shooter in college. Last year was the aberration.
There’s also no guarantee Ron Baker is going to shoot a .611 TS% for the entire season. It’s been 148 minutes. I guess playing off the ball next to not-an-NBA-PG Frank Ntilikina is giving Ron Baker the necessary room he needs to thrive. Who knew?
I like what I’m seeing from our young guards, especially on the defensive side of the ball, but we need better forwards. KP can start at power forward next to Kanter long term because Kanter is an energy booster at the beginning of the games. I’m glad Hornacek is closing games with only one big on the floor but Lance Thomas is not a stretch four, and neither is Michael Beasley. A good closing line up would look like Ntilikina, Hardaway, McDermott, stretch four, and KP. You could swap out Baker for McDermott against smaller teams, but KP at the five is the future and Hornacek realizes that. That is a good sign.
Btw, I didn’t get a chance to post a few days ago but I’m wishing Totes all the best. You’re in my thoughts.
From Swiftandabundant yesterday:
I agree. Not headed in opposite directions. You said it better than I did. LAL has the potential to be better sooner. Some other comments in the thread made me feel better about the long term for us, as well. The hardest leap is from pretty good to very good and that’s what we’re up against. Right now it feels really good to be pretty good but the upward trend needs to continue. If we’re behind other teams on that schedule because of Noah or winning some games, so be it. I just want to root for a functional organization and I do like the direction right now. Happy to be corrected.
If it makes you feel better, Danvt, we’re probably closer to mediocre than pretty good at the moment, with the record skewed a bit by the home schedule. And the move from mediocre to pretty good is probably easier than pretty good to very good. 🙂
Well, we are Knick fans, so the glass is always half empty….
However, I’m hoping that we make that leap from mediocrity to pretty good. I’m impressed with coach Jeff. All bets are off if KP is really hurt, of course, and EK’s back is a question mark as is THJ’s return, but I think given good roster health this may be a team that gets better in the second half of the season.
To being pretty good!
Definitely want to add my get well soon wishes for Totes as well.
We’ve been very weak at PG. If Frank continues to break out, he won’t have to get that much better to make us better in the 2nd half. No doubt though, injuries are a major “?”.
Deadspin on KP
https://deadspin.com/kristaps-porzingis-is-hurt-but-hes-smart-1821327210
Next you’re going to tell me that 22 FGA is too small a sample size, and that Ron probably isn’t going to shoot .500 from 3PT all season, and that his TS% wouldn’t drop by 50 points if he has an 0-3 game. Crazy talk!
So what you’re saying is that Baker will regress to his actual TS% of .800?
I mean, they don’t call him Ron Baker Shot Maker because he misses shots.
Anybody else here listen to the Dunc’d On podcast? They proposed Kemba Walker to the Knicks for Frank + Lance, or our 2018 pick + Lance + filler (KOQ and Sessions would work).
Kemba is pretty good and on a below-market deal for this year and next. As a member of team tank, I wouldn’t do it, but I’m curious what people think.
not giving up frank or the first for kemba…
That is a pretty stupid proposition. Is it their idea that KOQ, who at times some have thought could fetch a #1, needs to be packaged with a #1? This is not quite trade for Steve Francis level, because he was damaged goods, but it is of the same mindset.
Walker is talented, but no way.
Lance, KOQ or Sessions, 2018 1st round pick – for
Kemba Walker
DONE!!!
That takes enormous pressure off KP, THJ becomes third option.
No team would look forward coming to MSG.
One piece away from being on par with Boston and Cleveland.
Charlotte would never do it.
As long as $$$ #’s work going forward, my only concern would be Kemba’s age (27).
id do Baker, WHG, KOQ and, dotson for walker
There are very players that I think are worth trading a 2018 first rounder for. Kemba Walker is not one of them.
By the way, I just saw your comment, Totes. It was right after my last comment in that thread and so I was so confused as to how I missed it. Best of luck to you. If Lance Thomas can get a three year deal, you can beat this.
I’d like to trade a pile of garbage for Kemba Walker too but somehow I doubt that is gonna happen
“There are very players that I think are worth trading a 2018 first rounder for. Kemba Walker is not one of them”
+1000 – hopefully Perry and Mills agree otherwise it will be Back to the Future where the Knicks trade away the future for nominal improvement in the present (that we always live to regret)
As a Knicks fan I hate trading 1sts but KOQ (expiring), Thomas (trash) and a protected 1st (maybe top 10 or 15) seems OK for Kemba Walker.
now whg is “garbage”
No to Kemba Walker trade. Frank needs to be given time to develop before sending him away.
Thanks for this link Owen. I was talking about KP improving his passing as a key factor for our improvement this year.
From https://deadspin.com/kristaps-porzingis-is-hurt-but-hes-smart-1821327210:
No to Kemba if it includes our first rounder or Frank. I’d almost rather not see it in any case, though you might have to do it if it’s clearly a win. Of course, he complicates the cap, so you’d need to give up some money past this year. How about Noah for Kemba? Hey a fella can dream right? We’ve gotten fleeced so many times it might be karma…
I just like this team so much I’d hate to see anyone go. I like Jack as the nominal starter and Frank being groomed. I’m rooting for these guys. I just think, since we dealt Melo and let Rose go this team is so likable. I wanna beat Kemba not join him, though in the right circumstance I could enjoy watching him as a Knick.
I hate trading #1’s too, but right now, knicks would draft about 18.
2017 # 18 – TJ Leaf (huh?)
2016 # 18 – Henry Ellenson (who’s that?)
2015 # 18 – Sam Dekker (I’ll take Kemba)
No to a 1st for Kemba.
For Kemba Walker I’d definitely trade what will likely be a pick in the low-mid teens, and any non-KP non-Frank asset.
Kemba’s really good and still is only making $12MM/year this year and in 2018-19. Could be a re-trade asset.
with kp possibly out for a few games (it would be great to see him back for the christmas game with the 76’s) – i would love to see KOQ moved to power forward and noah added in to the rotation at center…
this may end up being a long year for willy, we’ll see if with kp out he gets more time on the court…
read what timmy said about his injury…yikes, hopefully he’ll be back by the all star game…
good chance for other players to step up – wish we had a young power forward who could come in to contribute…
looked over the list of the tallest players in nba history (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_tallest_players_in_National_Basketball_Association_history), was surprised to see a handful whom had actually made it past the 500 game mark…
Top 15 protected, I’d consider it. Kemba is really good and the exact kind of penetrator we lack.
Kemba adds 2-3 wins to a 42-win team, and he’s likely to get a 30% max contract after next year, when he’s 29. Hard pass.
If he were 25 and in the first year of that $48M extension, I’d say yes.
Setting aside salaries, I’m not sure I would do Frank for Kemba straight up. In fact, I know I wouldn’t. I think there’s a 10% chance Frank is the best all around player on the team in 2-3 years. He may never be the scorer KP is, but he’ll defend better, make plays, and be an above average rebounder for the position. He’s consistent shooting, learning to defend without fouling, and a few less rookie errors away from being very good right now. A break out could happen later this year. It would be insane if it did at 19, but it could.
Beasley already won two games for the knicks this season (that’s a whole ‘nother subject). And there were a couple of recent games the knicks just gave away that a guy like Kemba could have saved.
Kemba would instantly bring them up a notch on the pecking order. He’d add 8+ wins and get the knicks into the 2nd round.
This would be a steal for the knicks.
The knicks can’t just sit back and expect to draft their way to the top with late 1st round picks.
Agreed. No Frank for Kemba.
But, next year’s pick (around 18) and junk for Kemba Walker?
That’s probably a good deal, but if we are going to throw around a pick, I’d rather use it to get our long term SF. A team of Frank, Hardaway, Player X, Porzingis, and Kanter/Willy would be pretty exciting if Player X was an all star caliber SF and Frank was busting loose.
Haha, what?
Porzingis is “day to day”.
Another disaster averted, but it feels like we are going to be on pins and needles with him. Some of it is just strength. If he was stronger all the banging and exertion would do less damage and reduce the risk of twisting or bending things in ways they are not meant to go.
Ok, clearly you have no idea what the concept of “adding wins” means. Beasley has played 300+ minutes this year at a sub-replacement level. He’s subtracting wins from the team.
I probably wouldn’t trade a first for a year and a half of Kemba. He’s a damn good player, but he’s going to be exiting his prime and looking for serious money after next year. The post 30 track record of short point guards make me uneasy betting on Kemba. If we were a PG away from being a legit contender maybe I’d take the shot, but Kemba would make the Knicks like a 4/5 seed?
Beasley makes me crazy, too. But the other night he went on a scoring binge (the game after he fouled out in 10 mins) without KP and THJ. No way the knicks win that without him.
And last night. The Nets were on a big run after KP checked out. The knicks were desperate for scoring and he had some big buckets. They lose that game without him.
I’m not a Beasley fan, but last night I realized his importance to this team. When KP and THJ are out, there’s no one else that can create a shot for themselves.. Love him or hate him, he can put the ball in the basket.
i so want to believe this – i think though it comes down to the whole large human kinesiology thing, and the general frailty of fibrous connective tissue…
hopefully he has a really good podiatrist to go along with his physiotherapist…at 7’3″, i’m thinking them dogs are already on the clock…
You can continue to hate everyone on this team that’s not Curry or KD, but this is where we are after many many many many many pathetic years. I hated on this team for a long time.
Once again, finally, I’m cherishing every hard fought win and every guy on this roster that emerged from the ash heap of Phil Jackson and Carmelo Anthony.
Would be nice to have Kemba (I remember very fondly how he basically singlehandedly got me the win in my March Madness betting pool back in 2011), but I can see how it wouldn’t fit. Isn’t he from New York?
Kemba is from the Bronx, but pass on him.
Frank is the present and the future at the position.
Show patience and watch him grow.
“We need a small forward, let’s trade for a point guard who’s getting a max extension after next season.”
That’s some genius GMing right there.
Hard pass on Kemba Walker. He’s almost 28, gonna get a huge contract and is a good stats in bad teams player for me.
If he comes for free then hell yeah, but do you guys seriously think Charlotte would trade him for just a first and nothing more? Even Eric “I don’t wanna be here” Bledsoe netted the Suns a first + Monroe.
Kemba will be too expensive for what he provides.
I like Kemba, but he plays no defense and is on the wrong side of the age curve. Give me the smallish chance of drafting a starting-quality two-way wing with our cost-controlled 13-18 pick and use KOQ and Lee to garner more assets in the form of picks rather than trading for a guy who’s gonna demand a max in 2 years.
Say what you will about Mills, but his “25 and under policy” has done this team a fair bit of good in the short time that it’s been instituted, with the Baker and Hardaway contracts being a mixed bag at the moment. We should continue focusing on collecting youth that has a chance of staying with us for two contracts during their primes.
I’m not advocating trading for Kemba, but coming from a stat guy I would expect some stat check.
By WS Kemba got 8+ wins in each of the past two seasons. WP says 7+. And he’s on pace to be even better this year. We are playing Jarret Fucking Jack and a rookie that so far has been terrible.
There is no way Kemba only add 2-3 wins to this team.
The future contract he’s getting is a real concern tho.
This is the real reason why Frank should start:
@65
I think Jowles claim wasn’t about his raw wins contributed, but rather about how many more wins he is worth in comparison to an average nba starting PG. Of course Jack isn’t an average NBA starting PG, but even if Kemba gave us the whole 8 wins he’s worth in a non relative sense , that’s probably gonna make us a 48 win team I.e. not even sniffing contention in the east
Not a Kemba fan.
Trading first rounders in December based on where you assume the team will be drafting in June is a bad idea for anyone who isn’t already clearly an awesome team (like the Warriors, Spurs, Celtics, Rockets, etc.).
Now, if you could put top 15 protection on it, like alsep73 suggested, then fair enough. But mediocre teams should never trade picks in October/November/December/January based on where they think they’ll be drafting in June. That’s how the Knicks gave up two first rounders for Eddy Curry (“With Curry, there’s no way we’ll be drafting lower than, like, #15”).
On the other hand, I’m a HUGE fan of the Ron-Frank no-PG but 5 steals per 36 backcourt!
I used to think that too, but I have to admit, he’s been the best player on a surprisingly competitive team for a while now. That Charlotte roster has always kind of sucked. He had 8.1 and 9.9 win shares the last two years and is on pace for another 9-10 this year. There is a good chance that Frank never becomes as good as Kemba is now.
I wouldn’t make the trade for win curve reasons, but I have to give Kemba his due as a good player.
Walker’s a very good player. He annoys the hell out of me with his basketball IQ at times, but he has some excellent skills as a basketball player.
The Knicks are 14-7 when both Frank and Kristaps play and 1-6 when at least one of them sits.
@71
I think you’re right, I’m probably giving him too little credit. I think he takes a lot of bad shots and is not a defender at all, both things that worry me a lot since he’s pretty short and will probably decline a lot once his speed fades and he cant drive at will anymore.
Kemba is playing at that guy who shouldn’t be on the all Star team but it’s not a big deal that he is level.
He’s a fine player. He would add wins now. But
He’ll get a max after next season
Frank may never be as good, but is cheap and young
We are 1 injury to KP away from being a lottery team, in which case our pick becomes valuable
Trading for Kemba would be dumb under any reasonable circumstances. (i.e. other than straight up for KOQ or something)
almost forgot to ask:
how long before melo starts coming off the bench for okc?
before the all star game or after?
for the sake of their season – it has to happen…
I haven’t heard the podcast, but it’s interesting that Dunc’d on is suggesting what is basically a win now trade fod the Knicks. They have been so down on the Knicks and they tend to focus on the long term for teams that either they have changed their opinion of the Knicks, or they are just thinking from the Charlotte point of view “get youth and picks”, and looking at the Knicks as a tool for Charlotte to get better.
I agree with most of the posters here that Kemba is worth a protected first and Thomas (and probably Sessions or Jack too), but no way I give up on Ntilikina.
I’m assuming Porzingis isn’t going to play tomorrow because they’ll be overly cautious (even though his knee was supposedly a lot better today). It’s a shame though. We’d have an excellent shot at beating OKC tomorrow if he did play. OKC is playing the 76ers tonight in what should be a tough game. The weather is terrible in NY and Philadelphia so there could be some delays before they get in tonight. If we were at full strength I’d love our chances. If KP plays I still like our chances. But with both out it’s going to be tough.
IMO, anyone suggesting we give up Ntilikina either doesn’t watch the games, doesn’t know much about basketball, or is trolling us. If you just take a casual look at his boxscore stats I could see how you might conclude he’s not a very good prospect. But if you are watching the games you can see the impact he has on defense and that he does have shooting range and play making ability. The easiest things for a rookie PG to improve are TOs, PFs, and shot making. If he cleans up the TOs and PFs and just gets to average as a scorer, he’d already be a plus player. If he actually gets good on offense, forgetaboutit.
Almost certainly that.
a kemba trade would be interesting… i do think we’re close to competing although not quite contending… and he would actually be a huge difference maker….
but we are pretty much about two pieces away rather than just one… and there’s likely not a feasible trade money wise….
Are there any quality SFs out there that are rumored to be on the block?
I may not be Frank’s biggest fan and I’m not as bullish on his offensive potential as some here are but no chance in hell would I trade him.
Marcus Smart is 1-7 tonight (and the Celtics are losing by 13 to the Jazz.)
His current FG% is .322 (yes, that’s FG% not 3 point %) and for his career it’s .353. It’s amazing that the guy has carved out a career in the NBA when year after year he shoots at such an abysmal rate.
O’Quinn, Lance and Sessions is enough money wise to trade for Kemba. Still likely not a good move, or one that Charlotte would accept.
I”m late to the party, but I’ll say the same thing about trading (Frank or a 1st) for Kemba Walker that I said about the proposed trades for Kyrie Irving:
No. If you really want Walker, wait a year and a half and look into maybe signing him as a free agent for nothing other than cash. Do not trade the young assets. Keep using those to build the team. The team badly needs a young big wing, a guy who can defend against the bigger threes and some of the stretch fours in the league while also having a decent shot.
Now, if Charlotte wants to give him up for garbage, then, sure. But they will not do that.
OKC vs. Philly down to the wire.
JVG all over the refs!
You’d think the Thunder would be exhausted tomorrow night but without KP they probably beat us anyway
Safe to say this 76ers-Thunder game is the game of the year so far.
Funny to say but Melo has played really well this game. Defending well, made some great passes.
Carmelo Anthony comes to town. First of all, I’m more interested in whether KP is playing than if Melo is playing.
That being said, after the reception that Paul George got in Indy, the question about how he will be received at the garden has come up. Stephan Bondy wrote an article in the NY Daily News Carmelo Anthony, who came to Knicks when no star would, deserves a standing ovation in MSG return that just pisses me off. Now I would give Bondy a pass, because he doesn’t write headlines, but he did say ” that’s because nobody of such stature ever wanted to play for the Knicks.” Alright, that’s slightly different, but still, Amare Stoudemire was the star that came here when nobody else would. And Amare’s presence was a big reason why Anthony came to the Knicks.
Anthony deserves a polite applause. He was the best we had for a while. He wasn’t a savior. What Bondy says is true. Anthony gave of himself. He dealt with Black Lives Matter well, is a good role model, did much for Puerto Rico, brought excitement to the Garden.
Carmelo Anthony was also a flawed player here. He was more about brand than ball. While we can’t really know it for sure (I don’t believe anything I read these days) I have been convinced that at some level he was also jealous of Jeremy Lin, drove out D’Antoni, refused to play power forward and refused to play in the triangle.
And then there was his game. He had game – lots of it. He could score at will. He could also defend, but didn’t. It was as if he thought that defending would slow down his offense. He was big, strong, fast and agile. He was also lazy. He could rebound when he wanted to which was rare. And we all know that with the gravitational force that he had, once the ball got into his hands, no other player would see it before it was hurled towards the rim.
I say all this but I’m a fan. Polite applause is what he deserves. I reserve my boos for…
Danvt – it was a reassuring piece to hear KP talking in those terms. We all
fear him turning into Melo but when you actually hear him talk it generally recedes. He’s a smart cookie who I think already knows more about winning basketball than Melo ever will.
Frankie Smokes is a legitimately interesting player and trading him for Walker would be ridiculous. Kemba won’t age well.
Some crazy lines in that OKC Philly game. Russ put up a whopper of a shooting line. And congrats to all of you who took the over on Embiid playing 48 minutes.
Re Melo, I hope the MSG fans give him a golf clap.
Yeah, Melo does not deserve the vitriol the Pacers fans were throwing at George, but nothing amazing also. Just give him a little clap and it’s done. I’m glad were talking about him in the past tense.
What a win for the Thunder, because it tired them out for the Knicks. 😉
If I was at the game, I sure as heck would give Melo a standing ovation. Not, like, a long one, but at least a short standing ovation.
whatcha mean brian, like stand up, check the keys in your pocket, golf clap – and sit right on back down…
then wait for him to touch the ball so you can boo the hell out of him…
Ha! I mean, I wouldn’t make it like one of those crazy standing ovations where it almost gets kind of weird that everyone is still standing up, ya know? Just a nice, polite acknowledgement that he was one of the most notable Knicks of all-time.