Here, I’ve given us something new to argue about. Knick regular season report cards!

http://knickerblogger.net/knicks-2020-21-regular-season-report-cards/

Any chance Mitch is available down the line in the playoffs?

Depending on how long they last in the playoffs, I think that there’s an excellent shot for Mitch to eventually show up in the playoffs, yes. Perhaps when the Knicks play the Wizards in the second round.

Didn’t the Knicks sweep the Hawks this year? So whatever adjustments the team made must have been effective, no?

Also, I don’t understand conflating the “Payton shouldn’t start” argument with Ntilikina. They are separate. I don’t think I’ve read anybody here argue that Payton is contributing anything worthy of being a starting or even playing. People are saying changing the season-starter for the playoffs is something Thibs isn’t going to do, and that they trust his approach because he has earned their respect. That said, IF Thibs were to bench Payton, then there is a debate to be had about who should take his minutes, but the answer clearly isn’t Frank Ntilikina. You think Jk47 was trolling you, but he made the point convincingly in my view, and the fact that this discussion is continuing now for a second straight day is kind of a downer.

But I definitely have a lot more questions now than I did originally about whether building this showcase product around a bunch of .500ish teams scrapping it out is actually a good idea.

i think the idea is that more teams have something to play for which means the overall quality of games at the end of the season are better and hence an overall better product….

there are guys who built careers (e.g kwame brown.. eddy curry) by what they showed in april when 75% of the league was winding it down… it was basically preseason quality games….

swiftandabundant: Come on, bros. Get real. Frank might get some minutes but you cannot act like its a fact Frank will be fine as the starter. Its a HUGE gamble.

Yes. This.

Thibs has been all about “team defense” from day one. The idea that he would throw total focus to a single matchup (at this point) is nonsense. Right now I’m sure he’s showing everyone tape of Tray Young’s tendencies and expecting good work from everyone who will guard him. Frank will play “situationally” as he has all season.

I predict Elf will have a “fine” series and play better than he did in his last few games. We will still scream at the TV when he’s out there — because he sucks — but he won’t cost us the series.

Owen: Not an auspicious start for the play in format. Those were terrible games.

So bad. It’s funny that in all the debate and discussion about whether or not the play-in was fair or whatever it doesn’t seem like anyone, myself included, ever stopped to consider whether this product was going to be fun and entertaining.

I do think last night was pretty much a worst case scenario with four really badly banged-up teams at the end of what’s been a real slog of a season, and neither of the games ending up close at all. In an average year your expectation is obviously not going to be that the healthiest team among the four is the one whose best player can’t jump because he rushed back from a hamstring injury (to be clear I’m talking about Beal here since this could also describe Brogdon I guess if Indy didn’t also have like three other significant injuries). If Lakers-Warriors is a barnburner tonight I’m pretty sure that will justify the whole enterprise in the eyes of the league.

But I definitely have a lot more questions now than I did originally about whether building this showcase product around a bunch of .500ish teams scrapping it out is actually a good idea.

djphan: what’s going to happen once frank starts giving away possessions?

lol. we are talking about replacing Elfrid Payton here who has more turnovers than points over the last few weeks and has never been able to shoot anything beyond a layup (and can’t even do that now).

I am not necessarily advocating to start Frank, but I would not be at all surprised if Frank plays a lot more this series than many of you think…