(Saturday, March 23, 2019 12:11:48 PM)
After an extended absence, Knicks point guard Frank Ntilikina returned to action on Friday against the Nuggets. New York’s first-round pick from 2017 played in 25 minutes, tallying five points, five assists and four rebounds. The Frenchman had not suited up since Jan. 27 when he suffered a groin injury that sidelined him for nearly […]
(Sunday, March 24, 2019 3:05:19 AM)
DeAndre Jordan and the Knicks will play host to the Los Angeles Clippers at Madison Square Garden
(Saturday, March 23, 2019 6:13:30 PM)
Now that Mike Trout is signing for what will surely be the balance of his career to play for the Angels, he has a distinct opportunity to join what has become a shrinking club: the great player who plays every moment of his career for one team. This is something that fascinates us as sports…
(Saturday, March 23, 2019 2:04:25 PM)
A year ago at this time, Kevin Knox was another member of the Kentucky basketball factory, albeit with his freshman season ending abruptly in a heartbreaking loss to Kansas State in the Sweet 16. The rookie forward has endured both high and low stretches within his game during his first year with the league-worst Knicks,…
(Saturday, March 23, 2019 1:10:50 PM)
David Fizdale believes Mitchell Robinson’s “natural” and “uncanny” shot-blocking abilities will one day make him a candidate for the NBA’s defensive player of the year award. The Knicks’ 7-foot-1 second-round pick has managed at least two blocked shots in 21 straight appearances entering Sunday’s home game against the Clippers. Robinson, who didn’t play college ball…
(Saturday, March 23, 2019 7:49:11 PM)
With March Madness in full effect, Kevin Knox is nostalgic as he remembers this time last year he was wearing Kentucky’s blue and white trying to win a National Championship.
[NYTimes] The Making of Ja Morant (Sunday, March 24, 2019 12:21:07 AM)
A role player as a freshman, the Murray State star stepped out of the shadows and straight into the N.B.A. draft lottery.
16 replies on “Knicks Morning News (2019.03.24)”
If we can’t luck into a transcendent superstar in the draft, I take comfort in the fact that, since about 1992, Denver has picked in the top 5 only twice (Carmelo and Tskitishvili) and Indiana not at all (although traded for Jonathan Bender). Those franchises have done just fine; even making mistakes like trading away Kawhi and Gobert.
Gosh I hope Hubert is right about Durant trying to prove something next year if he joins the Knicks. His advanced stats are down this year (TS is at lowest in 7 years, in this Ws system!) and more importantly his body language sucks. He’s miserable! And I’ve yet to see him act like a leader. He’s such a brat! You obviously don’t look a gift horse in the mouth when you’re historically bad, but I don’t think a team with KD, Kyrie, Mitch and a gang of scrubs is necessarily a contender with those two as the leaders. Freaking Fiz has no system! How could KDs efficiency improve? And imagine how bratty he becomes when the NY media is in his grill when they’re barely above .500 halfway thru the season. I could totally see him demanding a trade in year 2.
Is is possible the fact that Demarcus Cousins is coming off an injury that often ends a player’s career and almost always reduces effectiveness has anything to do with his results as a player this year? (especially early in the season when he wasn’t in shape)
I can’t believe people believe teammates don’t matter.
If you play with other great players and there is more ball movement, player movement, and fewer double teams, each teammate may get an extra superior look here or there.
Suppose I take 20 mostly high quality shots shots per game but get an extra 2-3 per game because of my teammates. Let’s say my TS% on the better shots is 60% instead of 50%.
My TS% will change from 58.5% or 59% to 60%. (even less at 1-2 shots)
Those 2-3 extra open looks per game are definitely helping me, but the impact is not large enough to ensure it will show up in my TS% from year to year. There is variance in TS% related to randomness, injury, and all sorts of other factors etc.. The impact is there, it’s just hard to isolate at the individual level because of all the other moving parts. That’s why we see loads of exceptions.
Why be impressed by J Morant’s passing skills if we don’t think it’s going to lead to better shots and higher efficiency for the rest of the Knicks?
Curry has missed quite a few games. To answer the Hubert question, it might be useful to see what Durant’s per 36 minutes scoring average has been when he’s been asked to carry a greater load of the scoring with Curry out (albeit with other good players that could also pitch in).
If Curry is out, someone is going to take those shots. I don’t think they’ll all go to whoever starts in his place.
Last three seasons, PTS/100, TS%, possessions
Durant with Curry: 33.6, 66.2%, 9458
Durant without Curry: 41.5, 59.7%, 4896
http://bkref.com/tiny/TIe2s
I want to talk about this argument that Durant could score more than Harden if he plays for a team like the Knicks, who have literally no offensive system aside from whatever the players cook up by accident. (And with Durant, there are no accidents. Everything he does is exceptional.)
Look at that list. Look at the ages of the top players. Note how you have to get all the way to #28 (Malone) to find a guy over 30 not named Jordan.
Now head back to the top of the list. See that gap between MVP Jordan and Harden? That’s a fucking tremendous gulf.
Durant is going to have to increase his per-100 scoring career high by 15%. And do it six years after setting that career high, now in his 30s.
What Harden is doing is historic. It’s godly, and he’s doing it by repeating the same 5 or so attacking moves over and over. He’s a factory line of points. The dude has an autopilot mode that we’ve literally never seen before. You’d have to go back to Wilt to find a scorer able to score over and over like that. And still–
http://bkref.com/tiny/Otkqe
Harden is right there with him at per-minute scoring. This is unprecedented in the modern NBA. It’s not going to happen next year to a 31 year old.
@5
You are a gem. Thanks.
Which is why it is important that if Durant does come to the Knicks we can’t afford to empty the cupboard to build a team around him.
Exactly.
Jordan is having a hell of a game.
Knicks actually playing some entertaining basketball today.
i don’t care if deandre hits for the cycle it’s fucking stupid to play mitch 5:39 with no fouls in a half
The Frank injury is beyond frustrating. smh
Cmon Fiz, let Mitch finish the fucking game
Good loss. Entertaining game. Needed more Mitch.
In a “developmental year” how is MR glued to the bench today especially down the stretch in a close game where you actually might like him to get actual game experience vs a team fighting for playoffs?
No plan moronic coaching by the snake oil salesman…..