Month: April 2020

This is an interesting bit of news. There are now reports that the Thunder would be willing to get rid of Chris Paul pretty much just to dump his salary. They’re not so desperate that they would add draft picks, but it seems like they would be amenable to some reduced offerings.

Ian Begley suggested both Reggie Bullock/Frank Ntilikina and Reggie Bullock/Kevin Knox offers, noting, “One executive (not with the Thunder or Knicks) speculated that the Thunder would be open to the Ntilikina/Bullock package. Another exec pointed out that the trade market for Paul would be limited. So, if OKC wanted to get out of Paul’s contract, the Knicks wouldn’t be competing with many other teams. ”

Huh, if the Knicks aren’t giving up draft picks, I guess I wouldn’t mind either deal.

What do you folks think?

From Marc Berman:

Knicks GM Scott Perry not only will run the upcoming draft but will be back next season, a source confirmed.

The source said Perry’s option will be picked up for next season by president Leon Rose. The Post reported last week that Perry, despite the hire of VP of strategy Brock Aller, would run the NBA Draft. At that point, there was no guarantee he’d be back next season despite leanings that way.

Perry’s current staff that includes personnel director Harold Ellis, assistant GM Gerald Madkins, scout Fred Cofield and capologist Michael Arcieri aren’t guaranteed to return as Rose continues evaluations. Their contracts run until August and there could be changes.

“Scott is a well-respected basketball executive who I have known for more than 20 years, and I look forward to continuing to work closely with him as we look to build a winning team in New York,” Rose said in a statement.

Perry isn’t a lame duck as much as Rose will see how it goes and make decisions on whether to extend his deal next season. The coronavirus pandemic – with New York as epicenter – has played some role in keeping more of status quo.

“The shutdown may have helped everyone — at least temporarily,’’ one NBA source connected to the Knicks told The Post last week.

As noted in the article, the Coronavirus crisis seems to have played a major factor in Rose deciding to just stand pat for a year, as this isn’t exactly an ideal time to do a big search for a new GM and since Perry was already under contract for one more year, it made sense to just tread water a little bit more. I wouldn’t be signing any long term leases in New York if I were Perry, though, as I bet this upcoming season will be his last, but hey, good for him for hanging in there. As I said in the previous post, once the list of possible new GMs went from “Wow, a bunch of these guys would be great! Especially that guy from Denver!” to “Oh, that great guy from Denver was hired by the Bulls while we did nothing!” to “Wait, Allan freakin’ Houston?” then Scott Perry suddenly seemed a lot more appealing as a hire.

I know it is very Knicksy to say, “I am happy that we stuck with a proven mediocrity for a year instead of hiring a walking dumpster fire, which we will do next season instead,” but, well, it is true. I am fairly pleased with this move, all things considered.

And hey, KnickfaninNJ should be pumped, right? That’s something!

Berman with some “sort of kind of news”:

With Brock Aller soon to jump from the Cavaliers to become the Knicks’ vice president of strategy, general manager Scott Perry still will plow on in preparing for the NBA draft and is expected to run it — whenever the event takes place.

However, Perry’s long-term future as GM still is not guaranteed with his contract up June 30. The draft is scheduled for June 25 and could remain there if the NBA cancels its season in May.

Though Rose is considering keeping Perry, one NBA source told The Post, “The impression is Leon will do his due diligence.’’

An urgency to make a change, though, is lessened because of the new logistics amid the COVID-19 pandemic, especially with New York the nation’s epicenter.

“The shutdown may have helped everyone — at least temporarily,’’ one NBA source connected to the Knicks said.

Aller, who has been with the Cavaliers since 2014 as a capologist, will have a broader role with the Knicks. He is a financial maven coming in during a financial crisis. NBA teams face a revenue stream that has dried up completely.

NBA sources believe teams will tighten their belts on the size of front-office staffs. Sources have indicated Aller will look to reconfigure and even streamline the Knicks’ massive scouting/basketball operations department.

You simply cannot have Perry run your draft and then fire him. That’s just incompetent. And, of course, it’s what the Knicks already did a few years ago by letting Phil draft Ntilikina and then fire Phil right afterwards.

Based on the guys Rose was talking about hiring, Perry is as mediocre as any of them, so whatever, better Perry than Allan fuckin’ Houston, ya know? But it’d be nice if they could hire someone good, like the Bulls did. But in the absence of someone good, Perry would be fine.

And who knows who might become available in a year? There’s a certain Canadian GM whose contract is up at the end of next season, after all. Dare to dream, people! Dare to dream!

Some interesting stuff from Mitchell Robinson’s new agent, Rich Paul (it is kind of weird that Mitch is on his fifth professional agent, right?) about the Knicks’ best player:

“His growth comes with understanding how to play the game at this level,’’ Paul said. “That’s what’s misunderstood with young players. At this level, talent will get you only so far. You have to understand schemes defensively, very detailed things like the art of setting screens, the art in decision-making as a big man in how you roll. What passes to look for, proper defensive adjustments.

“It’s a lot of things to learn. Once he’s able to learn those things, he’ll then be in position to showcase other talents he has. He can take the outside shot, put the ball on the floor, post. You don’t want to rush into that. You have to understand the details of the game first.”

Interestingly, Marc Berman seems to think that Mike Miller still has a shot at this thing:

If there is a strong argument to keep interim coach Mike Miller for another season, it can be found in the growth of a certain 7-foot, alley-oop slamming, shot-blocking center from the Bayou.

Mitchell Robinson’s high-school coach, Butch Stockton, says Robinson’s improvement over the final two months of the season was a testament to how well Miller knew the Knicks center.

Stockton, the head coach of Chalmette High School (La.), remembers Miller as a new assistant coach coming to New Orleans last summer to work with Robinson, who in his second season will set the NBA record for highest field-goal percentage (74.2 percent) if the regular season doesn’t resume.

“I’ve talked to Mike several times,” Stockton told The Post from New Orleans in a phone interview. “Mike spent a lot of time in the summer working here with Mitch. Mike knows Mitch better than some of the other coaches because he spent so much time with him in the summertime. Mitch did like him. He could relate to him more for that reason, for all that time in the gym with each other.’’

As Westchester Knicks G-League coach, Miller was also the head coach of the 2018 summer league team in Las Vegas where Robinson excelled weeks after the draft. That is where the center announced himself as a steal at No. 36 overall.

It’s probably just a puff piece designed to fill space, but hey, it’s something to talk about, I guess.

Hey, it was SOMEthing, at least!

Kevin Pelton did a nice job breaking it all down for ESPN.

I imagine that Chauncey Billups is practicing with his off hand right now, as Mike Conley looks really tough to beat with all of those “off hand” shots he was taking.

Allie Quigley played probably the most old school HORSE game, and that might help her in the semi-finals against Zach Levine, but I imagine that his athleticism will be hard for her to match, just as it was for Paul Pierce.

Anyhow, hey, again, it was something.

Ian Begley continues to kick ass, even when there is no team to cover actively, with a fun mailbag where he makes his pick for who the most realistic pick is for the Knicks next coach:

@Jdazz6: I would like to know if the Knicks do not retain Coach Miller, who’s the most realistic replacement as coach? And of those options, who would be the best at developing these young players?

The most realistic replacement at coach is a tough one to answer. I’d think that the Knicks could get any of the following coaches if money isn’t a mitigating factor: Tom Thibodeau, Kenny Atkinson, Mark Jackson, Jeff Van Gundy, Mike Woodson. Usually, money isn’t a holdup when the Knicks are pursuing a coach. Steve Kerr is one recent exception to that rule.

Also, I see John Calipari as a less realistic option because of the money it would likely take to lure him from Kentucky. He’s also publicly said he’s not interested in the job. But because of his relationship with Knicks president Leon Rose, I’m not taking him off of my list of candidates until Rose hires someone else.

With regards to player development, Atkinson and Thibodeau have the most recent track records of success. Woodson, Jackson and Van Gundy all have their own player development success stories. But if the Knicks are looking for the most proven commodity from a player-development perspective, you’d think Atkinson is at the top of the list.

Player development will certainly be an important factor for New York, but I’d be surprised if that was the sole determining factor in the club’s search (assuming they don’t retain Miller as head coach).

Also, it’s important to have a head coach with a track record of player development. But it’s just as important — if not more important — to have assistants and staffers who excel in that area. They are the people who deal with it on a granular level day in and day out.

Soooo….I thiiiiiiink he’s saying Thibs is the most likely pick, right?

Atkinson would be it if player development was their main goal, but since he thinks it isn’t, then Thibs is probably the guy.

The rest of the mailbag is a fine read, as well.

Adam Wells recaps a chat Ian Begley did:

Despite the arrival of Leon Rose as New York Knicks president of basketball operations last month, Allan Houston and Scott Perry could remain in the team’s front office in some capacity.

SNY.tv’s Ian Begley said he would “bet” Houston and Perry have “some role in some way shape or form” with the Knicks.

It’s perhaps notable that Begley didn’t specify if either one would be back next season in their current job. Perry has been their general manager since July 2017 when he took over for Steve Mills, who was promoted to president when Phil Jackson parted ways with the organization.

Mills was fired in February, opening the door for Rose to take over.

Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News reported in the wake of Mills’ firing that Houston emerged as a candidate for a front office promotion.

Houston, a two-time All-Star as a player with the Knicks, has been working in their front office since 2008 and currently serves as a special assistant to the general manager.

It’s pretty amazing that the Knicks seriously went from tied for the fourth-worst record to being alone as the sixth-worst record through an overtime win in the last game in the NBA before the season went on hiatus (and quite possibly ended for the season).

Well…not amusing “ha ha,” that is.

From Stefan Bondy:

Leon Rose might look to Philadelphia for his new right-hand man.

According to a league source, Elton Brand has been targeted by Rose as a candidate for Knicks GM. Brand, 41, is currently the Sixers GM and is under contract next season, complicating any designs of bringing him to New York. The source said Rose wanted to see if Brand was dismissed after the playoffs.

Since taking over as Philly’s GM in 2018, Brand tried to build a championship contender around Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid. He traded for Jimmy Butler and Tobias Harris. Then after Butler left in free agency, Brand acquired Josh Richardson and Al Horford. The results have been mixed.

Philadelphia fell a Kawhi Leonard game-winner short of making the Eastern Conference Finals last year but has underwhelmed this season with a 39-26 record. The inconsistency has left coach Brett Brown on the hot seat.

I really don’t get this at ALL.

I don’t even hate Elton Brand as a GM, but he sure isn’t a guy I’d go out of my way to get. He’s just sort of “blah.” So why would you go out of your way to get him? Who ever watched the Sixers and said, “That’s a guy I’d love to see the Knicks target!”?