Knicks Morning News (2018.06.07)

I hope LeBron doesn’t stay in Cleveland, so we get to see him play a more appealing brand of basketball. This one man show is so boring.

Oddly enough, I thought Mark Jackson was much better as a commentator than he has been many times. He made some good points about defense; and, even commenting on offense, at least once pointed out when shots shouldn’t have been taken, rather than just lauding the ones that went in.

As for Durant carrying the team; he did, but also the Cavaliers made a tremendous (and mostly successful)) effort to stop Curry from getting the shots he got before. The price of that was Durant was usually not double teamed and often had a smaller defender on him.

I agree that Houston is his best chance of beating GS. Pg13 would also fit well there at 3, I know they can’t get both but a nice consolation prize if lebron is too steep

Do the Rockets have cap space this summer? I don’t see how they can, with Paul’s cap hold and all. What am I missing?

They have to find teams to take on the Anderson and Gordon contracts, which would be challenging to say the least. And poor Melo would be left out of the Banana Boat reunion.

Did anyone read this recent article on Miles Bridges? His advocates here will be very happy to see the author’s ringing endorsement of Bridges’ game.

Bridges is an unusual player without many precedents, and the league is more forgiving of guys who don’t fit traditional positional archetypes than it used to be. He has the power-dunking ability of Larry Nance Jr., the physique of P.J. Tucker, and the finesse-oriented game of a shooter like C.J. Miles. There were only three players in the 2017-18 season who attempted as many 3s (5.5 per game) and grabbed as many rebounds (7.6) as Bridges did at Michigan State: DeMarcus Cousins, Kevin Love, and Aaron Gordon. Bridges is more versatile defensively than the two big men, and a better shooter than Gordon.

It’s hard to see a scenario in which a player with his skill set busts out of the league, and it’s easy to see one in which he blossoms. He’s the younger and more advanced offensive player of the two Bridges in the lottery, and he will have an easier time creating mismatches than the much slighter Mikal. There aren’t many big men with the quickness to stay with him at the 3-point line, or perimeter players with the strength to body him up. Bridges doesn’t play the same position as Donovan Mitchell, and he may never be a lead ball handler, but there are some clear similarities between the two. He’s an elite athlete with a high basketball IQ, and he will get major minutes from Day 1 because he’s a volume 3-point shooter who can hold his own defensively. Miles Bridges isn’t just one of the safest picks in the draft. He has a real chance to be a star.

Lebron is not coming to NY. Please get that out of your minds. He’s chasing MJ’s 6 championship rings. He’s not about to throw that opportunity away to gamble with a new front office, a unproven young star coming off injury, and little else in support.

credit for that dynasty

Dynasties aren’t built around a couple of 35 year olds, one of whom has rarely been able to stay on a basketball court for a full season.

The Rockets would have a 1 year window. And once it begins to close, they’d have nothing left to put around Harden and Capella. Compete with Warriors? Yes. Dynasty? No.

The question about Mile Bridges has been defense.

He’s probably too small and doesn’t have the length to cover quite a few PFs in the league, but there’s also a question about whether he’s quick enough to guard SFs. I don’t have the answer to that question, but I thought it was a great sign that he supposedly lost 20 pounds. That’s screaming that he understands he’s more of an NBA SF that can play PF in a small ball lineup. If he can guard SFs every night (and switch to PF when appropriate), he’s an excellent fit next to KP because he’s a terrific athlete and REBOUNDER.

It would be really nice to have the potentially elite defense of Mikal Bridges in our lineup (and his better scoring efficiency), but Miles is younger, more atheletic, may have more upside, and is the better fit.

I don’t see either of these guys as some kind of consolation prize if one of them is selected before we pick. I’m hoping they are both available and after they are tested by our coaches and scouts they just pick the better one.

It seems highly unlikely that Lebron will ever win three more titles, so I really don’t know what is his best bet for his future. I think it’s probably to stay in the Eastern Conference, but if he really wants to make a short-lived super team in Houston, I guess I could see that. Just to beat the Super Warriors, like, at least once. 🙂

By the way, the Super Warriors are “only” going to have two titles after this year, and who knows what the future will hold? Three titles for the Warriors overall in four years is a super-impressive legacy, but it’s not, like, earth-shattering, ya know? We had a team win 6 in 8 years and it seemed normal enough at the time.

I still think Lebron’s best move in terms of winning is going to Philly. All they’d need is to find one or two vets who can shoot and play a bit of D every year. And if Fultz develops into a good player (not even an all star, just like a somewhat above average NBA PG) that team would be really something.

Good. I don’t know how you can possibly come back from that, so that’s good to see. Sad that he fucked it up so badly, but good that the response was handled correctly.

If I was LeBron I’d consider staying in Cleveland and trading the #8 pick for a cheap, NBA ready player to be his Robin – someone like Ingram, Booker, Hield, OG, Jamaal Murray, Dennis Smith Jr…..

If they had one of those guys playing JR’s/Jordan Clarkson’s minutes, they might have won games 1 and/or 3.

I’m going on record that those of you who prefer Miles over Mikal are going to feel real silly next year (and the year after that, etc).

I’m going on record that those of you who prefer Miles over Mikal are going to feel real silly next year (and the year after that, etc).

I have no preference based on the information available.

My view is that if someone takes Mikal before #9 I’m not going to start crying if we take Miles.

The guys that I am very comfortable with are:

Ayton
Doncic
Bagley
Bamba
Carter
Jackson
Young

Then I like Mikal, but I can see the concern there.

Then I like Porter, unless he’s really just in terrible shape.

So if Porter is not in terrible shape, if Mikal goes before #9, that means that someone good will be there at #9, so Miles wouldn’t be needed.

Of course, if Porter is in terrible shape, then that throws everything for a loop. Then I guess Miles would have to be the consolation prize.

Yeah I’d be okay with Miles in a vacuum-I think he’s a pretty good prospect and we’re drafting 9th, but there is a chance there are going to be one or two clearly superior prospects available when we pick.

The only way he goes to the spurs is if they can re sign kwahi, if they do they have no space for Lebrun so that eliminates the Spurs doesn’t it,?

Houston is a similar scenario and both teams are out west and I don’t think that’s his preference but the end game is to beat GS, so lebron has to ask himself if it’s possible to beat them next year cuz it might not be in Houston or spurs if they have to gut the teams to acquire him.
So that really leaves one option Philly cuz Boston with Kyrie is not viable.

the algorithm is obviously not broken but in fact is fast approaching singularity and quickly recognized this as an on-the-nose Prokhorov metaphor

I laughed, but now I’m worried for Kenny Atkinson.

hes not going to boston, kyrie is there;

If LeBron decides he wants to go to Boston, Kyrie will be traded out of there faster than you can read this post (probably to Cleveland in a package for LeBron).

I don’t think he’ll go there either, though. I actually don’t think the guy is looking at it the way we are, i.e. trying to find the best path to a title. I’m sure he wants to win, but if he wants to live in LA because he thinks that’s what’s best for him and his family, I think he’d just go there and continue being great AF.

If LeBron just wants to catch MJ’s 6 titles he should sign in Golden State for whatever money they can clear. He will be guaranteed 2 titles in 2 years, and will have like a 75% shot at 3 in 3 years. He’ll be remembered as the greatest player ever on the greatest team ever.

It’d be a ridiculous move on 10 different levels, but that actually is a thing he could do.

My thing is that if Mikal is gone before #9, then that just means that someone better than Miles should be left at #9 (Carter, Young, Bamba, etc.)

I hear you. I’m still a little skeptical of Porter and Young, but if they went that way we could get the upside surprise.

Didn’t Scott Weiland die a few years ago?

It would take ptmilo to analyze why the algorithm pulled that one. What’s the frequency, Kenneth?

I think people are a little too in love with wingspan right now. To me the most important attributes for a defender are effort and lateral movement. Wingspan certainly helps but it’s not the be all and end all. If Miles can show enough lateral movement to stay in front of guys he’ll be fine. I’d still lean towards Mikal but I can see the Knicks going with Miles given that the two are pretty close and Miles might be a better fit. I do think Cleveland taking Sexton if Young goes to Orlando is a possibility- they have zero and I mean zero shot creation outside of LBJ- and that would allow someone like Porter Jr. or Carter Jr. to slip.

I’d be ok with Carter but still really don’t think it would be an amazing use of a lottery pick assuming we believe KP is still what we thought he was pre-injury. The Horford comparisons are great, except that we should really think of the Celtics bigs position as Horford + Baynes + whatever wings are playing the 4 in their small lineups. They bring Baynes in when they need more rebounding etc. Carter is a good rebounder, but in this Celtics analogy, one of KP or Wendell Carter has to be Baynes — ie. the guy who plays 25 minutes/game, or even less when you’re playing a team going small like GS or Houston, or even Cleveland. Do we want to relegate our lottery pick to a being a guy who is going to play 25 minutes/game max in a playoff series?

I think we’d be much better off getting KOQ to sign a team-friendly contract and use our pick on a wing — someone that could play 40 minutes with KP in a playoff series.

“You don’t take a step back and move from home to Milwaukee.”

You do if giannis is there, I mean like a scenario where the king is doing it for the live of basketball and wants to play with giannis… if he did something like that I would have more respect for him than just leaving Cleveland to have a ring. That would show character, unlike KD and his pursuits.

I don’t think Mikal will be as good of a pick as people think. I see a plus defender but I don’t see elite, offensively I see a good shooter who is great in transition but not someone who can create for himself or others. If he was a freshman instead of a redshirt junior then I’d be less concerned but as is I see his upside as a lot more Danny Green than Klay Thompson.

I’m not in love with Miles either, his low steals and blocks are worrisome and he is much more intriguing as a small 4 than a big 3 and I do wonder about his size if he is a full time 4. He’s a coin flip with Mikal, lower floor higher ceiling.

Carter will be a good player but I think moving forward our goal should be 2 bigs, 6 wings, and 2 guards, also wings have more value than bigs right now and our best player is already a big and might not be a great fit next to Carter.

Honestly if Young or Porter don’t fall I want Zhaire Smith. I think he has more defensive upside than either of the Bridges and should be strong enough to play the 3 even if he’s a bit short. He looks like he could develop into an elite defender and is already a better passer and rebounder than Mikal despite being 3 years younger.

I don’t think Cleveland would trade the pick and Carlson for one year of kemba to entice James to stay.

The Cavs players by age in order of MP, descending:

33
32
29
31
31
36
26
25 (Clarkson, with an all-time-worst playoff performance)
25 (Nance, who is the only player aside from James with a >0.4 BPM)
25 (Hood, more ass-garbage)
36
Osman (who cares)
Zizic (ibid.)

There’s virtually nothing they can do to improve year over year, as it seems impossible that any of their players will actually improve. Even Clarkson, Nance and Hood are at an age where you’d expect a player to hover around career highs, not to suddenly become world-beaters after years of mediocrity (at best).

Kemba, even at age 28, ain’t gonna fix it. He’s like Kyrie with a slightly-worse shot. The only way they’re going to make waves is by pulling off a Pau Gasol-level heist for someone like Anthony Davis, and, haha, no, not happening.

LOL McCollum has weighed in.

Lol he still shouldn’t have gone there ? https://t.co/Kpy0zkapLz— CJ McCollum (@CJMcCollum) June 7, 2018

The crazy thing is that the team he got at the deadline was much, much better than the one he had before it. IT was washed, Crowder sucked for no discernible reason (I think the 3PT line is the same in Cleveland as it is in Boston), Shumpert sucked, Wade is cooked, and the great Derrick Rose? At least another offseason of working on his J until he’s back to MVP form.

But then again, Jeff Green is old, George Hill is old, Calderon is old as fuck, Love is about to turn old, J.R. Smith is old, Clarkson lol, and Larry Nance is awesome and will continue riding the bench because “analytics sux.” They have nothing of value aside from future draft picks. They’re fucked.

If Cleveland fans turn on the man who brought them to four consecutive Finals with mediocre teams, and won one against a 73-win juggernaut, he has every right to turn his back on them. If Dan Gilbert offers him an ownership stake, he stays. Anything other than that and I don’t see how he stays. Romantic idealism about being the hometown hero aren’t going to keep him there if they’re conscious of the impending 44-win team and first-round exit, which will be even more likely next year than it was this year (and remember how close they were to that very thing).

He def got a better team after the deadline. Lue should’ve used hood more with j.r. But that’s besides the point.

But offering Lebron a share in ownership would Be like asking him to retire while he’s still prime, why would he accept that, he already de facto GM.

But this…

I think we’d be much better off getting KOQ to sign a team-friendly contract and use our pick on a wing — someone that could play 40 minutes with KP in a playoff series.

… is a great point.

The added value of a wing is much higher than what Carter brings over KOQ. Maybe I should adjust and consider KOQ a building block. I’ve mostly thought of him as someone who is leaving.

I don’t think Cavs fans are turning on Lebron. This is not a Melo situation he’s in.

Danny Ainge not only drafts and trades well, he has the uncanny ability to make players worse when they leave Boston (see Jae Crowder, Avery Bradley, Isaiah Thomas)

Ainge and Stevens are brilliant basketball minds.

Stats tell you how productive a player was. They don’t tell anything about the contribution of your teammates, system, and role on the team to them. IMO, at the margin, those things matter. We see it when the scenario changes enough that variations in the players stats are too large to be just random noise. Good GMs and coaches find players that fit their system and use them in ways that maximize their productivity.

Ainge was a dirty player who got beat at his own game by laimbeer

In the last 40 years, the Knicks have appeared in two NBA Finals. In the past 12 years, Lebron has appeared in nine!

At least we have 2 appearances. Clippers and Nuggets haven’t even got to the big dance in their 40 plus years in the league.

What’s your point? Lebron is great

Just marveling at the unrealness of it all.

And yet we have Kobe Bryant, the guy who never achieved anything without superstar teammates and won 34 games and missed the playoffs with a team about as bad as this Cavs saying that LeBron has “good talent” around him. Yeah right.