2020-21 Game Thread: Knicks vs. Hawks

The Knicks host the Hawks tonight, and while it sure looked like the Hawks were poised to make a big move in the standings this year, they’ve instead taken a step back. Part of that is due to injuries, but in general, they are not playing well at all and Trae Young, in particular, has a lot to answer for (and boy, the whole Luka for Trae and Cam deal is looking worse and worse for Atlanta every day, huh?).

So the Knicks get the Hawks at a good time. Hopefully the Knicks can take care of business and move one step closer to .500!

Let’s go, get nearly to .500, Knicks!

344 replies on “2020-21 Game Thread: Knicks vs. Hawks”

Going Mitchless against Collins and Capela isn’t a good thing but let’s hope RJ get out of his slump… Let’s go Knicks!

I am not in favor of trading Randle and I don’t buy the can’t build a team around him argument. Probably his stats would be worse if there was another starter who could score on his own, but that is not an argument that Randle shouldn’t be there. As for spacing, he’s coexisting with Mitch fine. The reason our spacing is bad is that Payton can’t shoot, not that Randle is scoring inside.

For the Randle haters, this season is pretty similar to his 2 seasons prior to coming to the Knicks. Last season was a very bad one for him but this is now 3 out of 4 seasons where he is playing at a borderline All-Star level. Randle is a very good player.

Agree with BBA, but also question whether he’s part of a successful rebuild at a given salary level. At his current salary, for sure. At the max, definitely not. So where is that sweet spot in between those two numbers?

It looks more and more probable that he will be on the roster next year after his team option is exercised. So it’s likely moot to discuss whether he will be traded before the deadline. So long as we are in the playoff/play-in hunt, he will almost certainly be retained.

BigBlueAL: this is now 3 out of 4 seasons where he is playing at a borderline All-Star level.

The funny thing is that I agree with you here. Here is a borderline All-Star. So, if he’s a borderline All-Star would he be a top 3 player on a title contender?

One peripheral reason I’m not big on trading Randle right away is Obi. It’s clear he hit the ground ‘not ready for prime time,’ and it feels he’s developing slowly but surely by being fed safe bits of floor play. Watching Knox his rookie year and ‘eat what you kill’ sure showed what that development process looks like. But I want to see what Obi looks like at the end of the year while being brought forward slowly, not thrown to the wolves.

From the last thread…

BigBlueAL: he is playing at a borderline All-Star level. Randle is a very good player.

BigBlueAL: Call me crazy but I think the Knicks should be looking for players who are good and productive like Randle.

A pretty perfect analysis.

Randle is a very good player, one that plays at just under all-star level. Above all, it’s the improvement in his defense and the willingness to give up the rock that have raised him to this level. Is it his ceiling? I’m not sure. But BigBlueAl’s point about adding more players of his level is spot on. Are there better starting point guards that defend well and score that can replace Payton? Are there better 3&D player than Bullock?

As to PGs, there are lots of good young PGs languishing on benches or in the G-League. One of those guys is going to shake loose. Sometimes these guys don’t fully develop for 3-4 years after their draft year. I don’t know about tying up $20 mill AAV in Lonzo, that seems like a pretty big overpay.

This draft seems like it’s deep with wings and some shooters, so we should have a couple of shots at replacing Bullock and Burks.

Z-man: What’s the betting odds on the Knicks making the finals?

Let’s make the playoffs first…

Z-manAs to PGs, there are lots of good young PGs languishing on benches or in the G-League. One of those guys is going to shake loose. Sometimes these guys don’t fully develop for 3-4 years after their draft year. I don’t know about tying up $20 mill AAV in Lonzo, that seems like a pretty big overpay.

We’re not in the same universe when it comes to what the Knicks need. I’m looking at improving our starting point guard, not add fringe NBA players.

pepper:
payton is garbage…
I feel compelled to say that at least once everygame

Me too but, alas, methinks Thibs doesn’t read Knickerblogger.

JK47:
Taj is not exactly an imposing presence in the defensive paint

He’s really a PF and a center in a pinch – not a terrific rim defender.

I didn’t know that about CCNY…only team to win the NIT and NCAA in the same year (1950)

68% shooting would be impressive in a 3-on-2, 2-on-1 drill.

Hawks defense has been like the limit at the end of Mean Girls. It does not exist.

#that is same crappy ref from the Miami game…she must have something against the Knicks#

Yeap
That…lovely lady….

Taj Gibson is LanceThomasesque Center.
You get whatever he’s got and say Thank You Very Much!

Without looking it up, I think David Lee is the answer to the trivia question (only Knick to get 50’double-doubles in a season since Ewing).

ephus:
Without looking it up, I think David Lee is the answer to the trivia question (only Knick to get 50’double-doubles in a season since Ewing).

Yeah, forgot our double-double machine, so went with Marbury. But i think you’re right.

d-mar:
Obi literally did nothing for 5 minutes

He did at least one thing, he directed Burks around his solid screen… i actually was impressed that he called it out that aggressively. Burks nails the jumper.

Randle should make the all star game, what a half so far. If we do trade I’ll be pissed if the return isn’t really good, he’s won me over.

ephus:
Without looking it up, I think David Lee is the answer to the trivia question (only Knick to get 50’double-doubles in a season since Ewing).

Good guess, I was going with Tyson Chandler but you’re probably right.

Ntilakilla: Interestingly, RDPM has him as our best defender on the team so far…better than Mitch.

Yeah, but it’s not as a rim defender.

Max: Good guess, I was going with Tyson Chandler but you’re probably right.

Yep. Let’s see if we’re right.

The Hawks have all of the cohesion of a bone dry sand castle.

I hope I can remember this one, so I can steal it at some point in the future 🙂

gallo has been such a solid pro… such a shame he couldn’t have been a knick for longer….

pretty smooth looking step back from rj… he continues to add little things every game….

I like Elf’s easy drive buckets and hardfought ones after rebounds more than Randle’s successful long 2s.
There i said it

Okongwu seens like a zero out there. Can’t believe it. Three minutes but he can’t get any PT on this team.

Whenever i see John Collins play (it’s only against the Knicks), i don’t see a max player there.

For the last decade, every time since see Danilo Gallinari’s face, I think, “He really looks like Lillo Brancato Jr. “. Which is funny because he does not look like DeNiro and Brancato got cast in A Bronx Tale because of how much he looked like DeNiro.

cybersoze:
Westbrook is the tank commander for WAS… 10 pts in 18 FGA !?

I feel a little bit for him, he’s just completely done. Can’t get anything to go against Houston’s backups and G-League teams, but he’s still carrying himself like he’s a star. It’s mind blowing how his decline has been even worse than the shit we expected it to be.

I hate when our players pass on an open three pointer…
Shoot that fucking ball!
It couldn’t be worse that the stupid shots we take later on the play…

got a full house of kids :), no time yet to watch the game, just looked at the box score though – the hawks are 23 of 25 from the free throw line…that’s not good…

Elfrid and Bullock should be at the back of the rotation, not the front.

Randle does not want to lose

Owen:
Have the game on mute and really want to know what stupid thing Wally is saying

“Randle is having a great game, just like when i played…”
LOL, just kiddin, i wasn’t listening also! ;P

When Obi gets into his defensive stance, he bends at the waist instead of his hips. That leaves him with a high center of gravity, off balance and slows his feet. This is fixable with coaching.

Outta control drive. But I don’t understand sometimes. If a guys head gets in the way of ur shooting motion. Why can’t it still be a foul. Is a head different from a hand or arm ??

ephus:
When Obi gets into his defensive stance, he bends at the waist instead of his hips.That leaves him with a high center of gravity, off balance and slows his feet.This is fixable with coaching.

I hope so. It was a major criticism of him in draft profiles

I like Burks, but he’s pissing me off this game. Keeps getting the ball in the corner, but instead of taking it, he pump fakes, drives in, and then throws the ball back out. You’re there for one goddamn reason, Alec.

pepper:
toppin has a short leash

The Gallo 3 wasn’t even that bad. He was on him pretty close … guy hit a tough shot. I don’t think they run reps with Toppin humping guys at the 3 point line

KJG: The Gallo 3 wasn’t even that bad.He was on him pretty close … guy hit a tough shot. I don’t think they run reps with Toppin humping guys at the 3 point line

i am listening to the Hawks broadcast…Dominique criticized Toppin for giving Gallo too much space

We definitely need to keep Quickley in case they move back the three point line

pepper: i am listening to the Hawks broadcast…Dominique criticized Toppin for giving Gallo too much space

Do you agree ? Clearly he gave him enough but it wasn’t egregious in my opinion

KJG: Do you agree ? Clearly he gave him enough but it wasn’t egregious in my opinion

he seems to be consistently late closing out but it wasn’t egregious…

I hate when quickely defers to Randle …

Yeah, I feel like Reddish is hurting them.

That airball by RJ hurt me.

Huerter doesn’t seem great either honestly. I know PT is a fan.

pepper: he seems to be consistently late closing out but it wasn’t egregious…

He was late on corner 3 from that LSU guy for sure
I hate when quickely defers to Randle …

The problem with Obi giving Gallo too much room was that he got his hand up to “contest” when he was five feet away. He gave Gallo a full second to launch that shot.

BigBlueAL:
Knicks really missing Mitch tonight.

On the boards 100%. I still think Noel gives them more good energy in other areas tho. I honestly don’t know who I like better …

KJG: Do you agree ? Clearly he gave him enough but it wasn’t egregious in my opinion

So did Mike Breen and Thibs, apparently.

Noel having a huge game. Can’t have Taj in there when someone like Capella is on the court.

They keep telling me IQ can’t play the 1 but all I see is him leading the team with assists playing mostly off the ball with Rose. I think he had all 5 of his assists in this fourth quarter alone.

To hell with the this Randle to the all-star game conversation. He should be in the MVP conversation! 🙂

Ntilakilla:
They keep telling me IQ can’t play the 1 but all I see is him leading the team with assists playing mostly off the ball with Rose. I think he had all 5 of his assists in this fourth quarter alone.

eggzactly..lead the team…

we haven’t seen anyone perform like that in a long ass time…. pretty proud of randle.. he’s come a long way…

DRed:
Lloyd Pierce is gonna get fired before he can vote for Julius Randle for the all-star team

Perhaps. I don’t think they have good enough players though … I would hate having to rely on a guy like Trae Young.

I do not know if you can build a serious playoff team where Randle is the best player, or even the second best player. But my gosh, I am enjoying what he has become this season.

Good win. One more and we’ll be .500 with 30 games on the season, i don’t remember if that happened since the last winning season (2012-13).

Feel so good for Randle. Has any player gone from team goat to… I guess the total opposite so quickly?

In November we were talking about how Randle was “untradable” and that we would begrudgingly package him with a sweetener to get him off the team. Pretty crazy.

cybersoze:
Good win. One more and we’ll be .500 with 30 games on the season, i don’t remember if that happened since the last winning season (2012-13).

Might have been Derek Fisher’s Knicks

Nice, tasty win against a contender for the playoff.
I really like the closing five,
Randle with a monster game, really a fantastic performance,
many others doing good things.
I’d like to single out Noel, we miss Mitch on the boards but Noel is even twitcher than him on defense.

I’m happy, the lost sleep was worth it…

I remember reading an article about Randle’s offseason workout regimen being legendary. Looks like the work paid off.

I’m not sure we realize how close this team is to being very good. We are a consistent good version of RJ (who thankfully snapped out of his little slump tonight) and a legitimate starting PG away from being a very good team. Throw in an upgrade over Bullock and we are a serious team. It’s a matter of time for RJ. We just have to find that one player that takes us to the next level. Thibs has these guys balling, They don’t quit and now they are finding ways to win, He’s great!

As a Knick fan I really can’t complain. This team is exactly the type I hoped for coming into the season. They are fun to watch, are generally well-coached and come ready to compete hard game in and game out. And this is all 90% of Knicks ask for. But on top of that the team core is also young with a bright future, has tons of cap space, and possesses some valuable draft picks coming up in loaded draft.

Alan:
I do not know if you can build a serious playoff team where Randle is the best player, or even the second best player. But my gosh, I am enjoying what he has become this season.

That’s 100% been my attitude. We always wanted players who want to play in New York, always loved the guys who scrap and fight and dedicate themselves, and Randle fits the definition really well. If we’re not gonna tank anyway, let’s enjoy a guy like him having a feel good season and improving a lot.

I’ve been as rough as anyone on Randle. His dribble-down-the-clock-spin-into-a-triple-team-turnover move was becoming legendary. But looking at his stats, two stats stand out comparing this year to last year. His 3pt percent which has gone from 27.7% to 39.1% and his free throw percent which climbed from 73.3% to 80.6%. He’s also rebounding better. Otherwise, his stats are remarkably similar to last season.

Randle seems like a pretty charismatic guy which is not something I realized last year, when I don’t remember ever seeing him interviewed by anyone

GoNYGoNYGo – Tired of Tanking:
I’ve been as rough as anyone on Randle. His dribble-down-the-clock-spin-into-a-triple-team-turnover move was becoming legendary. But looking at his stats, two stats stand out comparing this year to last year. His 3pt percent which has gone from 27.7% to 39.1% and his free throw percent which climbed from 73.3% to 80.6%. He’s also rebounding better. Otherwise, his stats are remarkably similar to last season.

His defensive metrics are so very solid compared to last year if you go by DPM and RDPM.

Deeefense: I’m not sure we realize how close this team is to being very good. We are a consistent good version of RJ (who thankfully snapped out of his little slump tonight) and a legitimate starting PG away from being a very good team. Throw in an upgrade over Bullock and we are a serious team. It’s a matter of time for RJ. We just have to find that one player that takes us to the next level. Thibs has these guys balling, They don’t quit and now they are finding ways to win, He’s great!

Preach!
Yes, we need a deadly 3&D wing, but Bullock has been very good.

Z-man: Might have been Derek Fisher’s Knicks

Yeah, on his 2nd season, Fisher managed to get to 20-20. And Hornacek got to 16-16 on the 1st season and 18-18 on the 2nd season. And then came Fiz… 😀

Ntilakilla: His defensive metrics are so very solid compared to last year if you go by DPM and RDPM.

Yes. I said so earlier…

GoNYGoNYGo – Tired of Tanking:
Randle is a very good player, one that plays at just under all-star level. Above all, it’s the improvement in his defense and the willingness to give up the rock that have raised him to this level. Is it his ceiling? I’m not sure. But BigBlueAl’s point about adding more players of his level is spot on. Are there better starting point guards that defend well and score that can replace Payton? Are there better 3&D player than Bullock?

Wait until we have a PG that can shoot and make plays. Randle will take another step forward operating in space without having to create so much for himself.

GoNYGoNYGo – Tired of Tanking: Preach!
Yes, we need a deadly 3&D wing, but Bullock has been very good.

Lonzo Ball would be such a perfect fit on this team. As a 3 and D guard who can pass he’d pair beautifully with RJ. It would allow us to be rid of Payton and generate much better spacing in the starting lineup.

I don’t know how reliable their metrics are in general but I believe 538 has Randle as a net positive on offense and on defense, which is a bit surprising. His defense has been good enough this season, and if the shooting is for real Randle might be a genuine building block.

teams win with these kind of power forwards all the time… it’s tough to build a championship team but you usually pair defensive deficient but good scoring pf’s with good defensive centers and good pg play and it can take you somewhere…. all the way from barkley to malone to griffin to randolph to sabonis…

so yea i get the narrative that randle can’t be your best player… but if he’s playing like this over the next few years and you have a couple picks with an ingram like leap from rj and a veteran pg signing…. that’s the skeleton of how other good teams won with their power forwards…

and this is the the sort of build knicks fans of have been craving for…. and we’re getting it…

And speaking as Mr. Eyetest, Randle looks fine out there on defense most nights. Not a world-beater, but he understands the scheme and can execute it, and he makes his man work. Which is all you can realistically ask from a guy who is soaking up as much usage as him and is not named LeBron or Kawhi.

Randle has also done a very good job when being switched and forced to cover guards on the perimeter this season.

God I love Thibs. He has this group playing for each other and playing the right way on both sides. It has been a long time since I could say about a Knicks TEAM. Finally finally finally a coach that knows what he’s doing.

Ntilakilla: Lonzo Ball would be such a perfect fit on this team. As a 3 and D guard who can pass he’d pair beautifully with RJ. It would allow us to be rid of Payton and generate much better spacing in the starting lineup.

If you play him at PG, yes. He would be an improvement over what we have.

GoNYGoNYGo – Tired of Tanking: If you play him at PG, yes.He would be an improvement over what we have.

Real Plus Minus looooooves Lonzo’s game, BTW. It has him as the 8th best overall PG in the entire NBA on a per minute basis. And the reason why isn’t because of his -0.95 DRPM, which is ranked bottom half (55 out of 81) in the league, but because his ORPM is 7th (4.55) at the position right now.

There were a couple plays in this game where you could see how perfect Quickley is as a “second point guard.” Rose penetrates, draws a defender, kicks to Quickley who has good court vision and finds the open man for an easy bucket. This happened a few times tonight.

Quickley isn’t great at breaking his man down one on one, but he does have that really good court vision and makes good, aggressive passes. I really like him at the two alongside a natural penetrating point.

The path to contention that doesn’t start with multiple high draft picks hitting or trades for stars is always going to be hella unconventional, we know there’s not really a beaten path you can just follow. Having Randle play at this level, getting attention from the league, when he’s still 26, might open up some opportunities we didn’t expect. If they felt like empty stats it would be a typical Knicks scenario, but they really don’t feel like that.

On a more objective note, I don’t think we should get too high about beating the undermanned Wiz and Rockets, and the no-chemistry Hawks. We have a soft stretch in the schedule, so getting a couple of games above .500 is doable. But going 5-3 in the next 8 games against some teams that have gotten it together recently won’t be easy.

It seems like everyone is underrating what a monster season Randle is having, even at the defensive end. He’s 4th in defense rating, 13th in defensive win shares, and top 30 in dbpm across the entire league. You can absolutely build a team around Julius as your second best guy, assuming this is his new normal.

Z-man: Yeah but at what price?

OK. I’ll bite. “The right price”. It starts with a 1st but players are going back too. Not more than one 1st.

Z-man:
On a more objective note, I don’t think we should get too high about beating the undermanned Wiz and Rockets, and the no-chemistry Hawks. We have a soft stretch in the schedule, so getting a couple of games above .500 is doable. But going 5-3 in the next 8 games against some teams that have gotten it together recently won’t be easy.

We also had the most difficult schedule to start the season.

GoNYGoNYGo – Tired of Tanking: OK. I’ll bite. “The right price”.It starts with a 1st but players are going back too. Not more than one 1st.

I’d give a protected 1st for the guy. I think a team can call New Orleans’ bluff. He has no intention of staying there and they know it. They’re going to have to get something of value for him.

GoNYGoNYGo – Tired of Tanking: We also had the most difficult schedule to start the season.

Correct, but we caught some teams with bubble-itis and some teams are starting to gel. I’m not throwing a wet blanket on things, just saying that the second half of the season might be different in terms of scheduling fortune.

Can’t get enough of Clyde’s suit. Is that one he brought out because the team from his hometown is in NYC? So good.

The Hawks look to me like they need DeAndre Hunter back. The step down to Reddish is big on both ends.

Z-man: Correct, but we caught some teams with bubble-itis and some teams are starting to gel. I’m not throwing a wet blanket on things, just saying that the second half of the season might be different in terms of scheduling fortune.

If not wet, pretty damned damp!
None of that shows in a box score. You play with what you have.
The Knicks are playing without their starting center, lost their lottery pick for the start of the season, had a new head coach and a minimal training camp.
No excuses. Wins are wins.

It’s just amazing that everyone is playing well right now. Barrett shot 57% from the field, 3 for 3 from 3. Okay, I’m still a little miffed at Burks for passing up those threes, and Obi got yanked because he’s not the Messiah he’s a very naughty boy — but the last few games, it’s really been a joy all around.

In news across the league, has there ever been a duel by two 40 point scorers more unlikely than Jordan Clarkson vs Ben Simmons? The weirdest things keep happening this year, really.

We also had the most difficult schedule to start the season.

I was a road heavy schedule and we handled it OK. We still have 3 home games in hand,

With 2 of the worst defenses in the NBA, the Nets and Kings may combine for 300 points tonight.

GoNYGoNYGo – Tired of Tanking: If not wet, pretty damned damp!
None of that shows in a box score. You play with what you have.
The Knicks are playing without their starting center, lost their lottery pick for the start of the season, had a new head coach and a minimal training camp.
No excuses. Wins are wins.

Hey, I’m all in! Have been from the start.

They keep telling me IQ can’t play the 1 but all I see is him leading the team with assists playing mostly off the ball with Rose. I think he had all 5 of his assists in this fourth quarter alone.

You know what, I’m going to stop saying/thinking what IQ can’t do…maybe he can be an effective starting nba point guard…

hopefully no more trades this year and let’s see who we pick up in free agency – maybe lonzo…cheapish…

***I wonder when the last time someone scored 40 with no 3s was. Maybe Giannis?***

Z-Man, in his one-on-one match with djphan.

Donnie Walsh:
***I wonder when the last time someone scored 40with no 3s was. Maybe Giannis?***

Z-Man, in his one-on-one match with djphan.

shhhhh!

I think Wilt did it once or twice….

I have to shout out Noel’s D one more time. The broken-up oops, the plays at the rim, slapping rebounds off the backboard to other players, deflections, intimidations, guarding perimeter guys on switches…and then on that putback at the end, he rode Collins like the mechanical bull in Urban Cowboy with his hand extended grabbing the rim…the facial expression was priceless.

That was a great fucking signing!

how many more brilliant observations do we get blessed with today… was that like 50? oh 40… apparently you have a fan club keeping score for you….

it’s late man… last call at the bar don’t even run this late anymore… you can give props to every other knick on the roster tomorrow….

***apparently you have a fan club***

Hey, Z-Man has called me a dickhead more than anybody else in the world has (yes, I keep score). But that don’t make him any less lovable in my eyes. (I’m still glad he resisted drinking bleach that Christmas….)

that’s pretty cute… no really.. except the drinking bleach part which i hope is a joke and if it isnt it explains so much and i would take back everything i said…

i mean i’m sitting here with a drunk newborn catching up on some games and hopefully some sleep and i’m just responding to dudes trying to make a joke at my expense…

but as we’ve all learned thanks to you… if ppl keep coming at you … you just gotta take it… so you can keep being entertained….

thanks for these keen observations… i’ve definitely learned my lesson…

The sequence right after the game where Quickley raced over to the postgame interview area so he and Theo Pinson could hype up Randle for the All-Star Game gave me flashbacks to the first few months of that 2010-11 season, where the team featured a power forward playing over his head a bit and a bunch of likable and promising young guys, plus a few other vets in the right spot. Not exactly identical — the Amar’e team had more young talent overall, while Randle isn’t playing on knees that are primed to explode any moment — but the feeling is not dissimilar.

Let’s just hope history doesn’t repeat itself at the trade deadline…

Yesterday’s game had a lot of good moments, but Huerter’s look when he saw Noel in the paint after the previous series of blocks, that was priceless! 🙂

Alan: Let’s just hope history doesn’t repeat itself at the trade deadline…

As long as Dolan stays away, we’ll be fine.

lol Imagine if a clone of djphan was running every team’s draft but ours. The league would be snickering bc we drafted LaMelo 5 spots too high…while the Hornets would be reveling whoooeeeeey we got us some Killian Hayes!!!

Z-Man, djphan, I am begging you both to shut the hell up. None of the rest of us cares anymore who started it, who tried to make peace, or who keeps it going. You are making the site as unreadable as Bob or Reub or anyone else has in memory. It is deeply unpleasant, and distracting, and unnecessary.

Grow up and just ignore each other. Please.

The path to contention that doesn’t start with multiple high draft picks hitting or trades for stars is always going to be hella unconventional, we know there’s not really a beaten path you can just follow. Having Randle play at this level, getting attention from the league, when he’s still 26, might open up some opportunities we didn’t expect. If they felt like empty stats it would be a typical Knicks scenario, but they really don’t feel like that.

This is pretty much where I am. We probably aren’t getting a star(s) in the draft at this rate, but we might be opening up opportunities that wouldn’t be available to us if we were in the doldrums. With the product being so fun to watch I definitely can’t complain (except about Derrick Rose, because fuck that guy).

One thing I’m curious about is the history of teams having even our modest level of success without hitting the salary floor. There’s no easy way to research this but it feels pretty rare, which bodes well for our ability to add to this core without giving up assets.

I still think the best time to truly strike is the summer of 2022, when Mitch’s cap hold is tiny, we’ve gotten a look at the 2021 draft haul, there’s a top heavy free agent class, and KAT will finally be approaching the end of his contract/hostage situation in Minnesota.

Alan: Z-Man, djphan, I am begging you both to shut the hell up. None of the rest of us cares anymore who started it, who tried to make peace, or who keeps it going. You are making the site as unreadable as Bob or Reub or anyone else has in memory. It is deeply unpleasant, and distracting, and unnecessary.

Amen and a Hallelujah!

Alan:
Z-Man, djphan, I am begging you both to shut the hell up. None of the rest of us cares anymore who started it, who tried to make peace, or who keeps it going. You are making the site as unreadable as Bob or Reub or anyone else has in memory. It is deeply unpleasant, and distracting, and unnecessary.

Grow up and just ignore each other. Please.

Alan, I proposed that several times and lived by it the last couple of threads. If you read this game thread, the issue was brought up in a joke by DW and I tried to shhhh him. djphan responded with 4 unsolicited comments targeting me. It would be unfair to hold us equally accountable at this point. As I said, I’m more than happy to ignore his post unless they target mine directly. I’ll do a Vito at the meeting with the 5 families…I swear…

This team is fun to watch and easy to root for, the guys seems to genuinely like each other.

Yesterday Randle was a monster, he was the only Knicks to score in the first six minutes of the third quarter, when the Hawks made me feel like they could run away with the game. Then Payton had his moment, then Barrett, IQ and Noel with his blazing fierce “get out of my lawn” sequence, but Randle was the constant.

Before the season I was firmly in the trade Randle camp (especially after drafting Toppin), now I think it’s impossibile to trade him without having a letdown from the other players.
You can’t reward a player with this work ethic, commitment, leadership and fitness by trading him, it’ll be a suicidal move from a locker room standpoint.

We’re at game 29 and he looks disinterested in reversing to the mean, I think he deserves to be named a reserve for the (stupidest) ASG (ever).

thenoblefacehumper: I still think the best time to truly strike is the summer of 2022, when Mitch’s cap hold is tiny, we’ve gotten a look at the 2021 draft haul, there’s a top heavy free agent class, and KAT will finally be approaching the end of his contract/hostage situation in Minnesota.

I highly doubt there will be a KAT-Thibs reunion. Who knows, anything is possible, but would you really want to bring in a max guy who was oil and water with your star coach?

Not sure exactly how it would happen but you have to think the guy Leon Rose and co have their eyes on is Devin Booker. They’re collecting 2023 draft assets just in time to trade for the possibly disgruntled star with a year left on his contract. Now PHX is pretty damn good now so there’s no guarantee that will happen, but can you imagine an IQ/Booker backcourt…

Meanwhile, I think we can put to rest the idea of trading Randle, certainly this season. The guy isn’t just an All-Star candidate, he’s a freaking MVP candidate. Right now he’s putting up 23/11/5.5 while shooting 40+% from 3 point range. Again, the new B-R play index is behind a paywall but you can still see the total # of seasons that a player has put up #s like that –> there has been ONE season in NBA history with those numbers.

Randle would never win the MVP – obviously dudes like Lebron, Jokic, Embiid, Luka, etc would go before him, but I do not think it would be ridiculous that he is named on ballots. Macri talked about it some on his podcast, but with the exception of Luka (lol), there isn’t another MVP candidate out there who has no one else on the whole team in the All-star conversation.

by the way I heard on the Michael Kay show interview with Randle yesterday that All-star votes are worth double today…. so get your votes in! Great interview too. Seems like a really good guy. Glad he is getting the attention he deserves.

One last Randle thing before I try to start doing some actual work.

He’s shooting by far a career high from 3P range which begs for possible regression…. but he’s also shooting by far a career high from the free throw line. So career highs on 128 3PA and 192 FTA. Still small samples but you have to wonder whether they found something mechanical in his shot and worked on it through the offseason. He had basically been exactly a 72-73% FT shooter (range 71.5-73.3%) over ~1800 FTA over his first 6 seasons, and now suddenly he’s shooting 80%. Again, could just be a statistical anomaly and he’ll shoot 31% from 3 and 65% from the line the rest of they ear and end up exactly at his career averages, but something feels different here.

Speaking of feeling different, Quickley is shooting 94.5% from the line. Has there ever been a rookie shooting 94.5% from the line? Looked in B-R and it just has that 1 season, not sure if that is Quickley or someone else.

Meanwhile I was trying to infer our second half schedule, here’s what I could define.

15 games vs West Teams, 5 home 10 on the road:

– two apiece vs. LAK, Suns, MEM, Dallas, Pelicans
– plus road games with Clippers, Denver, OKC, Rockets, Minnesota.
That means probably 2 long western trip or maybe 3 shorter ones.

20 games vs East teams, 13 home (with a small contingent of fans!), 7 road:

– one away and one TBD with with PHI, Nets, Bucks, Detroit,
– one home and one TBD with Celtics, Raptors, Charlotte, and Washington
– plus single games with the Bulls (Home), Heat (TBD), Atlanta (TBD), Orlando (TBD).

Not easy, but we’re in a good position, losses are good for the lottery, wins are good for the playoffs.
And maybe for the first time in years we’re going to play significant games in march…

ok ok last thing.
Trae Young is really no fun to watch at all.
Makes some great passes, but some of the foul calls last night were total BS. Gotta wonder whether his own teammates see that BS also, watch him play diva, play no defense, hold the ball 99% of the time, and whether that’s why they always underperform.

Being honest – I don’t even think I’d want him on the Knicks – ie. this is not a “you’d love him if he was on your team” situation. It’s not fun to watch at all. Even Harden doesn’t go foul hunting like Trae does – and a lot of it is that Trae is tiny – it’s the opposite of Shaq and other big men who get creamed all night long in the paint and never get anything called on them.

NBA needs to look at this — I believe all the foul-hunting is part of why ratings may be down. It’s just not fun to watch.

I am also surprised teams havent started fouling Trae a lot harder. Not like 90s Knicks style, but if you’re going to get called for BS anyway, may as well come down hard on that arm/wrist/hand, send him down a couple times.

love scrolling through looking for basketball talk but get bullshit arguments about nothing…

I highly doubt there will be a KAT-Thibs reunion. Who knows, anything is possible, but would you really want to bring in a max guy who was oil and water with your star coach?

In which case I would thank Thibs very kindly for his services and assure him it was nothing personal

good to see Mike Vorkunov still reads Knickerblogger – he just tweeted out the 23/11/5.5/40% stat!

Frank:

I am also surprised teams havent started fouling Trae a lot harder. Not like 90s Knicks style, but if you’re going to get called for BS anyway, may as well come down hard on that arm/wrist/hand, send him down a couple times.

The Knicks could sign me to a 10-days contract before the next games vs the Hawks,
I’ll punch him in the face (maybe twice), then I’ll be banned from the league, but I’ll never regret…

🙂

Grow up and just ignore each other. Please.

being mostly an observer of this over the years i agree these spats are usually what kept me away given the format of this blog….. but being in the middle of this and offering olive branches every step of the way for months…. i think it’s pretty clear it isn’t going to stop….

since apparently the blog has tolerated this dude that’s sort of what we created and i’m not really into repeatedly taking incivility…. so either you call for action or this will continue…..

thenoblefacehumper: In which case I would thank Thibs very kindly for his services and assure him it was nothing personal

I know you would do that, but what is the reality? What would the current betting odds be on the four outcomes below, say, at any time between 2022 and 2026?
1) Thibs, no KAT
2) KAT, no Thibs
3) Both KAT and Thibs
4) Neither KAT or Thibs
I think 1) is the heavy favorite because he’s coaching well, has a bond with Rose, and would talk Rose out of signing him. Just a hunch, of course, but seems like there’s bad blood there.

During the post-game interview, Thibs kept making the point about Julius being a “winning” player. He referred repeatedly to his all-star status being beyond the numbers, and more about his impact on winning. It may be a stretch, but Thibs might think that KAT puts up empty numbers that don’t impact winning…might be a bad take, but he’s a weird and very headstrong guy.

djphan: being mostly an observer of this over the years i agree these spats are usually what kept me away given the format of this blog….. but being in the middle of this and offering olive branches every step of the way for months…. i think it’s pretty clear it isn’t going to stop….

since apparently the blog has tolerated this dude that’s sort of what we created and i’m not really into repeatedly taking incivility…. so either you call for action or this will continue…..

Alan, I rest my case…

I really don’t like the cheapie three point fouls, whether it’s Quickley or Trae. I understand you have to protect the shooter but refs should have the discretion to not call it. It’s not like these are natural shooting motions.

That said, I like Trae as a player. He can shoot from anywhere and has an assist rate almost as high as Luka’s.

I’d be fine if either of them were Knicks, even if neither can play defense.

What always strikes me about guys like Luka and Trae who are such offensive dynamos is how teams struggle to optimize around them. It shouldn’t be complicated to find a bunch of junkyard dog defensive stalwarts to put next a guy like Trae. I always think of Iverson and that Sixers Finals team in this context. He can take the shots for two other guys.

But somehow they are running out a team with no who can play defense other than Capela. They seemed a lot better on defense than I expected when I watched them earlier in the season but that was definitely not the case last night. Maybe it’s the loss of Hunter.

They could definitely upgrade on a couple of guys. Huerter doesn’t seem to be doing that much out there either and Reddish just seems terrible.

Nobody cares who is keeping this going. Just stop. Grow up. If one of you keeps baiting the other and the other ignores it, it still stops. Be adults. You are both making this blog miserable to scroll through.

Or, to quote Detective John Munch: “Girls, girls, you’re both pretty!”

I’ve never been in favor of keeping people off a blog before but if posters are going to obstinately commit to continuing a pissing contest about nothing then I’d love for a little time out.

Hell no to KAT. Why would we kick to the curb the best coach we’ve had in ages who has our team playing the best they have in a decade? We’re the number one defense in the league with the lowest payroll. 4th youngest team and 2 first round picks coming our way this year. Why mess with a good thing to sign a player who has had zero team success in his career and fire a great coach who chose to be here? How do you think the other players on this team would respond to that after buying in to what thibs is selling?

I was curious as to where that 2010 team was at after 30 games. They were 18-12, so a better record than where we are now. But that also was kind of the high mark of that pre Melo team as they had a losing streak that brought them down closer to 500.

We actually have a stretch here where we have a lot of very winnable games. San Antonio will be a good test but looking at the next 8 games I don’t see any that aren’t winnable. Rose definitely helps the offense a lot and if we can maintain the defense at its current level we could be a few games above 500 soon.

What a time to be a Knicks fan!

It may be a stretch, but Thibs might think that KAT puts up empty numbers that don’t impact winning…might be a bad take, but he’s a weird and very headstrong guy.

Do we know that KAT isn’t an empty calories player? Obviously, the T-Wolves’ record this year can’t really be considered since he was out for so long with COVID. But other than the brief stint with Jimmy Butler, that team has been pretty lousy despite KAT seeming like a world-beater.

Frank:

I am also surprised teams havent started fouling Trae a lot harder. Not like 90s Knicks style, but if you’re going to get called for BS anyway, may as well come down hard on that arm/wrist/hand, send him down a couple times.

I liked that Payton actually started playing him more aggressively and Rose came in and did the same… one can get in his head just as easy as he can draw stupid fouls… i dont think any ref is willing to foul someone out in a few minutes…

Nobody cares who is keeping this going. Just stop. Grow up. If one of you keeps baiting the other and the other ignores it, it still stops. Be adults. You are both making this blog miserable to scroll through.

if it happens once or twice or even three times i can just take it…. ted nelson didn’t get banned because of me but his ban got triggered on one of our many interactions…. and i never had to step over the line for him…. i have immense patience for this…..

i know you or nobody else cares…. but if i’m being unfairly maligned for things that i haven’t said repeatedly that starts to get pretty annoying…. that’s on top of the hostility i get from basically one person…. i can’t let that go…. not when i like frequenting here and reading and contributing… if someone has a vendetta against me… i’m going to address it….

I’ve never been in favor of keeping people off a blog before but if posters are going to obstinately commit to continuing a pissing contest about nothing then I’d love for a little time out.

thank you… anybody else?

In other news, in Jared Harper’s absence, Myles Powell is third in the G-League in scoring, shooting .508 from the field, .533 from 3, and .818 from the free throw line.

oops – it looks like Vork actually beat me to the punch on the 23/11/5.5/40 line – I guess he wrote it in his athletic story first! lol

Alan:
Nobody cares who is keeping this going. Just stop. Grow up. If one of you keeps baiting the other and the other ignores it, it still stops. Be adults. You are both making this blog miserable to scroll through.

Sorry, Alan, I can’t abide by that. You’re a long-time poster and have scrolled through many a running vitriolic feud. THCJ vs Jowles ring a bell? JK vs. strat? If someone goes out of his way to target me, I’m responding in kind. If that doesn’t suit you, I apologize, but that’s how it is.

One other thing….when you put yourself out there with definitive statements about players, coaches, management, etc., you are accountable for those views. You don’t get to control the criticism you get when those views turn out to be laughably wrong. That’s the history of this blog. I am more than willing to live by any opinions I have posted, and to bear the slings and arrows when they turn out to be wrong. If Frank Ntilikina turned out to be mini-Giannis, I’d be perfectly fine with Ntilikilla and Bruno bringing that up if I ever criticized their takes on future picks. Just like Jowles rubbed Ruru’s opinions in his face over and over again. And how JK, tnfh and Jowles rub strat’s takes about Phil in his face over and over again. And unlike me, they don’t even wait for strat to bring it up! Does strat go crying to the moderators for intervention?

You notice that djphan isn’t doing that. He’s reverted to criticizing the timing and volume of my posts, and calling me a demented old man posting from his basement. He doesn’t get into the substance of my opinions because he woudn’t get anywhere…he largely agrees with them! I’ve largely been keeping it to his basketball takes based on his draft model…which are documented and subject to debate. I’ve made my points and stand by them. Happy to move on but won’t do so if continually provoked.

It’s too early to close the book on KAT. The guy shot 44.1 from three last year. He’s a 6’11 guy who is currently having a 40/50/90 season. Really, he’s a super talented offensive player. His assist rate is even up from his first three years too.

But it does seem harder to hide a big with defensive shortcomings these days Is he that bad on defense?

If he were available for a reasonable price I’d rather have him than most of the guys we talk about. Plenty of good players have struggled to win games with bad teams around them. Wiggins sucked. Butler didn’t but those three together is a clear “only one ball” issue. I am sure he’d love to come home.

But would never happen with Thibs

by the way, NBA officiating is really something. Think someone got in the refs’ ears after the first half last night? ATL shot 25 FTs in the first half, 7 in the second. Trae shot 10 free throws in the first, 2 in the second.

Why would we kick to the curb the best coach we’ve had in ages who has our team playing the best they have in a decade?

Because there are good coaches available at any given time and player’s of KAT’s caliber are very rarely available. This is not a novel concept.

Do we know that KAT isn’t an empty calories player? Obviously, the T-Wolves’ record this year can’t really be considered since he was out for so long with COVID. But other than the brief stint with Jimmy Butler, that team has been pretty lousy despite KAT seeming like a world-beater.

KAT’s teams have performed pretty much as you would expect teams to perform with one great player and a bunch of scrubs. They were good the one year they put other good players around him, and bad in all of the other years which have mostly featured healthy doses of Andrew Wiggins.

lol Imagine if a clone of djphan was running every team’s draft but ours. The league would be snickering bc we drafted LaMelo 5 spots too high…while the Hornets would be reveling whoooeeeeey we got us some Killian Hayes!!!

what do you imagine the sick burn here is? that i got it wrong?

you must’ve imagined that was much funnier than it actually is…. must be a generational thing….

Alan, the best way I’ve found to deal with this infantile feud is just to skip their comments. I see Z-man or djphan and immediately skip to the next comment, saves moments of my life I can’t get back.

Brian can there be a breakout room for Z-man and djphan to continue their tiresome little scuffle?

Alan:
Do we know that KAT isn’t an empty calories player? Obviously, the T-Wolves’ record this year can’t really be considered since he was out for so long with COVID. But other than the brief stint with Jimmy Butler, that team has been pretty lousy despite KAT seeming like a world-beater.

I think it’s debatable, we’ll learn more in coming months as he acclimates to his new teammates. But what matters is what Thibs thinks. He seems to have a thing about “winning” players, and it seems that he wouldn’t feel that way about KAT. It’s also possible that KAT hates him and won’t come here even if Thibs welcomes him with open arms. But I seriously doubt that Rose would choose KAT over Thibs in a vacuum.

lol I wrote to Alan to just skip djphan and Z-man’s posts, and my comment is up for moderation. that is pretty good.

I am willing to get banned over the language I use to tell the two of you to chill the fuck out. This is the mild version.

Alan:
Okay, so you’re both committed to being children. Got it. Good job, good effort.

Pretty shallow take from a thoughtful guy…

You notice that djphan isn’t doing that. He’s reverted to criticizing the timing and volume of my posts, and calling me a demented old man posting from his basement. He doesn’t get into the substance of my opinions because he woudn’t get anywhere…he largely agrees with them! I’ve largely been keeping it to his basketball takes based on his draft model…which are documented and subject to debate. I’ve made my points and stand by them. Happy to move on but won’t do so if continually provoked.

no you got personal multiple times…. you called my contributions wasteful…. you even called draft modeling and ed weiland stupid…. all because you have a hate boner….

it’s impossible to talk basketball with you because you have this vendetta against me… you misinterpret everything i say…. people have told you this multiple times yet you continue…. you repeatedly butt into conversations and get wildly hostile because you think i said something…. and that leads other people parroting the same things given the frequency of your posts….

it’s tiring…. i’ve posted here doing what i do interacting with a handful of posters on the same subject matter.. the draft…. and contributing in some of these big heated but civil arguments for years with nary the attention….

for whatever reason i have this big target on my back the last few months like this dude is looking to take me down any chance he gets…. i don’t like that attention… that’s actually pretty creepy…

so i’m making a point…. i’m doing the exact same thing z does until both of us get suspended…. because i do want it to stop… i care about this blog and i feel for what you guys are going through….

but this is really the only way how if both of us gets suspended… i don’t think i deserve it but i’ll take it if it gets rid of him for a time….

@MikeVorkunov
The Spurs’ next 3 games, including at the Knicks Feb. 20, have been postponed because of the NBA’s COVID-19 protocols. Four Spurs players tested positive and there is more contact tracing ongoing.

hopefully post all-star break most of the team’s will have had the opportunity to vaccinate…

Seth Partnow’s analytics notes column today includes a segment on KP’s many failings on the defensive end this year. I found this one passage interesting, since I recall us having a lot of spirited debates back in the day about how much to credit Robin Lopez’s work boxing out for the team overall rebounding well when he was on the court:

Porzingis has been something of a “reverse Lopez” on the defensive glass, whereby he does a decent job grabbing his share of boards, without seeming to do much to move the needle as far as the team’s overall performance goes. After what appears to be a slight upward blip last year, this year his rebounding has been as non-impactful as ever. Perhaps the most worrying single stat is the apparent decline in rim protection. After being among or at least close to the league’s elite as a help defender at the rim, Porzingis is allowing a very middling 58.0 percent on close shots according to NBA.com data. League average for centers is typically in the 57 percent range, with higher-end performers generally around or just below 50 percent.

Z-man be on that intransigent vibe anymore, sprinting to catch the last train to bobneptuneland

Alan:
Seth Partnow’s analytics notes column today includes a segment on KP’s many failings on the defensive end this year. I found this one passage interesting, since I recall us having a lot of spirited debates back in the day about how much to credit Robin Lopez’s work boxing out for the team overall rebounding well when he was on the court:

This is worrying for Mavs fans. I generally assumed KPs rim protection made up for his so-so efficiency. Maybe he’ll improve as the season goes on, but historically you had to count on his non-boxscore numbers to justify his value.

KAT is very talented and I agree that the Twolves have largely not had a lot of talent around him. But to me its a huge red flag that Thibs got the team to improve when he took over, then got Butler, the team made the playoffs and KAT was finally winning games and then he checked out on Thibs and basically made it a “me or him” scenario.

I mean, when Melo did that with Dantoni, we rightfully thought he was being selfish.

He is young. He might mature and become a better team player. I think he’s been through some really heavy shit this last year, so maybe he can become that complete player.

But for us, I just think it would send the worst possible message if we got rid of Thibs after he brings us the first taste of success in a long time to sign a big numbers player. There are other stars we can sign or trade for besides KAT. It sends a horrible message to the league. That a successful, respected coach is expendable if we can get a star. It sends a horrible message to the players who’ve bought into what Thibs is coaching this year. It would be a super Knicksy move.

I’m totally open to trading or signing a star (next season, after we draft this summer) and they don’t have to be a two way superstar either. But I just think with our particular situation with Thibs, it would just be the wrong move.

I don’t read every post on every thread. But again I open up this thread this morning and see Z-man make a post and then DJ attack that post for no reason.

You both need a time out but from what I have read, I feel like Z-man is trying to drop it and DJ is keeping it up. Just my observation from a guy who isn’t posting on here 24/7.

Okay, here’s what I propose. Since my opinions about djphan are well established, I will no longer respond to his posts about me for now. I will continue to do so under the agreement that those who want this to stop will hold him accountable in my stead if he continues to post at me. That’s as far as I’ll go. It’s now on you, Alan, Jowles, et. al.

still making my way through yesterday’s game, but, yeah that trae young foulathon in the first half sucked…

At this point in the season, IQ & Randle look like the foundation of a really solid offense.

Randle is tied for 19th in BPM
He’s 28th in OBPM
IQ would be tied for 32nd in OBPM if he met the minutes req (remember he was injured early on)

Okay, here’s what I propose. Since my opinions about djphan are well established, I will no longer respond to his posts about me for now. I will continue to do so under the agreement that those who want this to stop will hold him accountable in my stead if he continues to post at me. That’s as far as I’ll go. It’s now on you, Alan, Jowles, et. al.

the only way you will ever be held accountable is if you take a time out…. this is not just me…. you put this blog through a whole lot of unnecessary bullshit over the years because you can’t handle someone having a different opinion to you without crossing the line….

you apologized way back when in november.. you remember that? yet you continued to hunt down every comment… the whole clarke vs rj… rj = paul pierce was instigated by you…. and i had to spend an inordinate amount of time defending positions i didn’t make….

who the fuck is going to believe that you could avoid my posts when you spend about an average of two seconds thinking about any one of your comments and how easily you get triggered?

I’m still wondering what exactly a “drunk” newborn is?

my relationship with all three kids developed in a way I had never anticipated…of the three I’d say the middle child was the one whom I had a chance to spend the most time with as an infant…

not sure there’s a better feeling in the world than taking a nap with a young child you care for sleeping on your chest…

I hope you’re able to sneak some rest in DJ, and enjoy the little one…

Frank: Alan, the best way I’ve found to deal with this infantile feud is just to skip their comments. I see Z-man or djphan and immediately skip to the next comment, saves moments of my life I can’t get back.

Brian can there be a breakout room for Z-man and djphan to continue their tiresome little scuffle?

Yeah, definitely they should get a room.

DJphan — Z-Man has decided to act like an adult, finally. So I will take him up on his request and politely ask you to shut the fuck up and act like an adult, too.

Thank you.

Z-man: That’s as far as I’ll go. It’s now on you, Alan, Jowles, et. al.

Yeah, sorry, but “It’s not on me, it’s on you” is typical abuser shit. You want to stop something, just stop.

Brian can there be a breakout room for Z-man and djphan to continue their tiresome little scuffle?

banish us to the shadow realm please…. if anything to deter the next couple of misfits who decide to hijack the blog….

Yeah, definitely they should get a room.

couldn’t agree more! just not the same one….

DJphan — Z-Man has decided to act like an adult, finally. So I will take him up on his request and politely ask you to shut the fuck up and act like an adult, too.

finally? how long do you think that’s going to hold this time? a week? a month?

I’m still wondering what exactly a “drunk” newborn is?

i sneak a little tequila into the bottle sometimes…

or not really…but i tend to overdo it on the feeding where he gives me this drunken look after long bouts of looking like z-man after i mention quickley….

thank you for the kind words… fatherhood is better than i expected….

Ingmarrrr: Yeah, sorry, but “It’s not on me, it’s on you” is typical abuser shit. You want to stop something, just stop.

You should be sorry, it’s a gratuitous and unnecessary comment.

This is worrying for Mavs fans. I generally assumed KPs rim protection made up for his so-so efficiency. Maybe he’ll improve as the season goes on, but historically you had to count on his non-boxscore numbers to justify his value.

It’s rare that a Knicks fan gets to taste some of that fine German schadenfreude, but boy does it taste good! I daresay I would like to have some more.

(Truthfully though, he just came off knee surgery. I would imagine he’ll look peppier as the year goes on and he gets further away from the surgery)

You should be sorry, it’s a gratuitous and unnecessary comment.

man so eager to appeal to other posters until you don’t like it….

Frank: It’s rare that a Knicks fan gets to taste some of that fine German schadenfreude, but boy does it taste good! I daresay I would like to have some more.

(Truthfully though, he just came off knee surgery. I would imagine he’ll look peppier as the year goes on and he gets further away from the surgery)

He’s always coming off surgery, that’s part of his problem.

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