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2022-23 Preseason Game Thread: Knicks vs. Wizards – Still With the Preseason?

I just want the season to start already, but until then, here’s the final preseason game!

115 replies on “2022-23 Preseason Game Thread: Knicks vs. Wizards – Still With the Preseason?”

Team looks good so far against the KP-less Wiz.

But I am struggling to accept that the rotation will have three different guys (Brunson, Julius, IQ) with roughly the same style of short braids that always look like the exact wrong length to me.

E4 often looks for Mitch, nice…
Mitch shining with his O-Reb and very active on defense, very nice…

I know it’s just preseason and we’ve seen small stretches like this before but RJ is looking fantastic.

The offense actually looks good. It’s a pleasure to see.

And what happened to KP (I have Chinese audio which I can’t understand)?

“RJ among the leaders in free throws made and attempted.” I could get used to hearing that every night.

I guess if someone on the Wiz has to score, I’m glad it’s Taj.

Have we done a freaky Friday where the starters are now awesome and the bench is a hot mess?

@Alan

Have we done a freaky Friday where the starters are now awesome and the bench is a hot mess?

Total chaos. Second game in a row. Disconcerting.

In passing the guys mentioned Clyde scored the first Knick basket at MSG. Clyde pipes up, “Off a steal!!!” Haha. Love it.

IQ drives into the lane and then pulls out. 1) He’s afraid of contact 2) Nobody’s trailing.

I am really worried about this unit – every one of them aside from Rose. I need to see Grimes instead of Cam. I want to see me some Sims.

I don’t think Hart’s more cerebral game fits with the drive and kick game we saw last year.

Hart’s dives to the rim aren’t as aggressive as Mitch or Sims going to the rim. It throws off the rhythm

I like that Thibs is staggering lineups a bit. Hart was out with the 1st team. Mitch now with the second unit a bit.

Grimes now in the house (if not in the basket).

Grimes!

Cam should be cut for missing a wide-open Obi and then losing the ball on a Randlesque drive into traffic.

Randle has blown 3 fastbreak chances tonight, refusing to pass the ball up the court to the streaking teammates, I don’t like him leading the break, not at all…

Interesting that Thibs put Grimes in late so that he’s mostly playing with four starters instead of with the bench unit.

And Obi did not help the bench unit. He missed a lot of shots.

I feel that Mitch is the most underrated player on the Knicks. When he’s in the game he’s a difference maker. Could he start playing 30 minutes a night?

For the second straight game the bench is off (3-20),
Mitch’s playing very well, Brunson and RJ (8 boards) are very solid.
Randle’s worst game of this preseason…

Mitch looking incredible is wonderful to see. Everyone seems to be looking for him way more this preseason than I ever really remember beforehand

“As I said about Mitch…”
**
Yeah, that last sequence was a joy. Looked like RJ was just tossing it at the rim expecting Mitch to just do Mitch, and then he did. Crazy.

Randle looks awful.

Cam Reddish would help his prospects by quite a bit if from time to time he would actually … you know … cut. Or … you know … change direction.

1. Hartenstein is no bueno as the 2nd unit center…he wouldn’t intimidate my grandma (RIP) under the hoop…Sims is better in that role

2. Reddish blows…he will not see the floor at all …can they just release his sorry ass

3. Randle proves you can’t teach old dogs new tricks

bring on the real games…

If the starting unit continues to play like this and the second unit gets it’s s*** together, this team could surprise.
Rose, IQ, Brunson, Obi & Sims is my 2nd unit at the moment.

Mitch has lost the incredible bounce he had early in his career, but damn he’s improved everywhere else

I don’t even know if Mitch has lost any bounce, really. His second jump is still elite on the glass, and he has had some pretty nutty leaps this game alone. It’s just that he’s so much more in control now, so he doesn’t have to run back and make an amazing block because he’s out of position. But yeah, he looks less like the pogo stick he started as.

“Mitch has lost the incredible bounce he had early in his career, but damn he’s improved everywhere else”
***

Mitch is really amazing tonight. Eye test and stats-wise. 7/10, 1/2 ft, 9 bounds, 2 steals, 2 blocks… and ONLY ONE FOUL deep into the 3rd.

Yeah. I can’t see any missing bounce in Mitch’s game. He looks polished, strong and plays like his hair is on fire during a pre-season game. Allstar candidate. Move over Embid.

@Early Bird-

Y’all are really forgetting how far above the rim he used to get

Whatever height he’s reaching tonight, the Wizards can’t deal with it.

Thibs-iest move ever

How about a time-out with under 2 minutes left in a game where they’re up by 17.

It’s always a teachable moment for Thibs…

Looking forward to opening night vs Memphis but hopefully I’ll be distracted by Game 1 of the ALCS.

Man we’ve spent all summer fretting over Randle and RJ becoming more efficient, hoping Brunson will bring a new level of play to the PG spot, wondering if IQ, OBI or Grimes can take that next step. And for all we know Mitch might just break the fuck out and wreck people this season.

Mitch is still only 24. I’m so glad we were able to retain him. He has needed a good pg as much as anyone.

Knox has really bulked up. I hope he can make it as a stretch 4.

Mitch Appreciation Society doing big business tonight seems like.

He’s not your average pogo stick

I mean the wiz aren’t great and porzingis didn’t play but yeah Mitch was beastin’ for sure. With JB on board he’s poised to have a big season.

Also nice game from RJ too.RJ has looked solid in preseason. Our starting five ain’t bad. If RJ and Randle can shoot 3’s at a decent clip and the bench is strong we got potential to make some noise this year. I think we’re the kind of team that can catch a lot of teams off guard bc of our depth.

It’s really gonna come down to Randle playing within the flow and having his head on straight, Thibs being creative with line ups and going with whoever is playing well and the young guys on the bench being more consistent. If those three things happen I think we can be very fun to watch.

There’s more continuity to this team than most Knick teams. So that should help us early in the season. Same coach, 4/5 of the starters are the same, a bunch of the bench guys are the same. Some of these guys even go back THREE seasons!

Continuity definitely helps.

Preseason was successful. It kind of confirmed the rotation. I think we can give Memphis all it can handle.

These are games where I really want to believe that the preseason matters at all, just for Mitch’s sake.

But it doesn’t.

Still nice to see Mitch beasting!

I read the article below. Knox seems to be doing well in Detroit and is valued there. To quote:

The word out of training camp is that during the summer, Knox was consistently one of Detroit’s best marksmen. That’s good news for a team that shot 32.6% from 3 last season, next to last in the NBA. Knox is a career 34% shooter from outside, but has been above-average from the corners.

From:
https://www.freep.com/story/sports/nba/pistons/2022/10/14/kevin-knox-detroit-pistons-wings-defense/69562504007/

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