Today is the first Monday of the month, which means we’re reminding folks that you can contribute to keep KnickerBlogger up & running! We are grateful for your support!
[news.google.com] — Monday, January 2, 2023 6:02:29 AM
Is Devin Booker Playing Tonight vs Knicks? Suns Release Injury Report for 3x All-Star The Sportsrush
[news.google.com] — Monday, January 2, 2023 3:54:40 AM
Suns vs. Knicks: Start time, where to watch, what’s the latest Hoops Hype
[news.google.com] — Sunday, January 1, 2023 10:58:00 PM
Suns vs. Knicks Odds, Pick, Prediction: Multiple Ways to Bet This Game (January 2) The Action Network
[news.google.com] — Sunday, January 1, 2023 10:28:00 PM
Injuries have allowed Knicks’ youngsters to get beneficial minutes New York Post Evan Fournier and Derrick Rose providing big lift for Knicks New York Post What We Learned from the Spurs win over the Knicks Pounding The Rock
[news.google.com] — Sunday, January 1, 2023 9:01:00 PM
Knicks’ Julius Randle trying to keep up rhythm after ‘monster month’ New York Post
[news.google.com] — Sunday, January 1, 2023 8:29:08 PM
NBA Rumors: This Knicks-Lakers Trade Features Julius Randle NBA Analysis Network
[news.google.com] — Sunday, January 1, 2023 7:00:10 PM
Julius Randle Finishes ‘Monster Month’ With 35 Points In Knicks Win Over Rockets Sports Illustrated
[news.google.com] — Sunday, January 1, 2023 5:08:18 PM
If you must resolve something in 2023, resolve to enjoy these Knicks Posting and Toasting
[news.google.com] — Sunday, January 1, 2023 4:49:00 PM
Suns’ Cameron Payne, Landry Shamet probable to return Monday vs. Knicks Arizona Sports
[news.google.com] — Sunday, January 1, 2023 4:32:28 PM
Landry Shamet, Cam Payne Probable to Play Monday vs. Knicks Sports Illustrated
[news.google.com] — Sunday, January 1, 2023 4:19:08 PM
Five NBA players poised to breakout in 2023, including Knicks’ Quentin Grimes, Thunder’s Jalen Williams CBS Sports
[news.google.com] — Sunday, January 1, 2023 3:50:16 PM
Phoenix Suns vs. New York Knicks Prediction, Preview, and Odds … Winners and Whiners
[news.google.com] — Sunday, January 1, 2023 3:22:40 PM
New York Knicks reportedly could trade Obi Toppin to Pacers: How a deal might look Sportsnaut
[news.google.com] — Sunday, January 1, 2023 12:38:59 PM
Rockets lose 108-88 to Knicks as Eric Gordon openly questions improvement The Dream Shake
[news.google.com] — Sunday, January 1, 2023 11:13:24 AM
Knicks’ Mitchell Robinson: Dominates on glass CBS Sports
[news.google.com] — Sunday, January 1, 2023 11:02:09 AM
Knicks’ Julius Randle: Posts game-high 35 points CBS Sports
[news.google.com] — Sunday, January 1, 2023 10:21:00 AM
NBA Trade Rumors: Indiana Pacers eyeing a move for New York Knicks forward Sir Charles in Charge
[news.google.com] — Sunday, January 1, 2023 10:05:31 AM
Los Angeles Lakers And New York Knicks Are Reportedly Headlining Early Trade Talks In The NBA Yardbarker
[news.google.com] — Sunday, January 1, 2023 9:00:05 AM
Robert Caro Relaxes by Listening to People Drum in Central Park The New York Times
[news.google.com] — Sunday, January 1, 2023 8:00:00 AM
Pass or Pursue on 3 Knicks trades anchored toward competing Daily Knicks
28 replies on “Knicks Morning News (2023.01.02)”
Brian, I agree that the Hawks have underperformed. It also feels like the Pacers are playing over their heads. You can make a reasonable case for any of the teams in this pack finishing anywhere from 6-12. I would say that MIA and ATL have the most compelling cases for 6-7 based on talent alone. As to #8, damn, that’s rough. It would really be a wild guess as far as I’m concerned. And KFNINJ, picking who will miss the play-in is very tough. All of NYK, TOR, IND, CHI and WAS can beat anyone and lose to anyone. Seems like it will come down to injury luck and possibly trade deadline moves.
You know what I’m starting to get concerned about? Brunson’s hip. There has been some bad NBA history around lingering hip injuries.
Really cool article in todays NY Times about SGA and how he spends his summers in Canada working out with his childhood buddies.
(And of course it made me very sad we didn’t draft the guy, he’s having a spectacular season )-: )
From the look of it, seemed like more of a soft-tissue thing with Brunson, like he pulled something, so I’m expecting he’ll make a full recovery and be back shortly. But who knows? This FO is so freaking secretive about everything…
Yeah this team really needs Brunson beyond the points he scores. Quickley has been decent, but Brunson really knows how to organize the offense and keep Randle’s worst tendencies in check.
This 3 pm start is exciting! I needed an excuse to put off work for another day. Does anyone know if RJ is back yet?
RJ is still out.
Unfortunately I will have to miss the game to attend a wake. Hopefully the replay will be fun!
A-ha!
I think I have the trade! Or..one that will work for both parties at least
Obi, Cam, and Svi to the Clips for Mook and a pick
If the team is indeed not looking to move Randle, I think this works. We get something useful for Obi and Cam, clear roster space, avoid making a hasty trade for Fournier, plus Mook can be our swing forward.
Who says no?
Didn’t someone post about how small guards struggle with hip injuries once?
I am worried too
Brunson now listed as questionable, indicating improvement. I’m not worried.
Clippers are all in for the next year or two, so I doubt if they do it. Mook is the type of player we need, but doesn’t fit our timeline. I would send Hartenstein back to them for a pick and Covington, who is out of their rotation.
It was odd watching Brunson warm up before the last game. I thought he looked fine. Then I remembered I had a hip injury last year, and it was fine 95% of the time. But if I triggered it, I was on the floor seeing stars. I did some therapy, and I’m not sure if it helped as much as just needing time. I beleive this because my injury was in the socket — nothing showed up on the xray, so it was “an impingement”. Not muscular, something in the joint.
So let’s hope his is a muscular issue. If it’s something in the joint, that’s going to take more time to heal.
Some interesting links on hip injuries in the NBA:
https://www.detroitbadboys.com/2021/1/9/22222125/nba-players-hip-injuries-detroit-pistons-killian-hayes
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9490462/
(It lists what an intra/extra-articular hip injury could be reported as)
Lonzo Ball was listed as questionable like 18 months ago and hasn’t played since. I don’t care what teams say about injuries, I’ll believe Brunson is healthy when I see him play.
Re: Obi, a Duarte swap does theoretically make sense for both sides but we would be selling pretty damn low IMO. Duarte hasn’t done anything like Obi’s 2021-2022 and is a little older.
On the other hand, with Randle playing how he is it might just be the case that whatever Obi’s ceiling is, it won’t be unlocked here and we should just make sure to recoup some value from the pick. Duarte wouldn’t be a disastrous outcome through that lens, but I’d still hold out for more.
Re: Randle, put me in the camp of disagreeing with the people who still think we should be actively looking to trade him. I mean for the record my position is still that we’re more likely to contend if we trade him for future assets than if we keep him, so I’d trade him for a good future-based package in a heartbeat. But that has much more to do with the state of the team around him and he’s not stopping us from achieving any of our actual goals.
Whether Randle would be as beneficial to a better team is an interesting question. I don’t think the answer is “definitely not” in all cases. There are contenders that legitimately need an extra high-usage option, it’s not like they’ve all got that part of the game figured out already.
I mean, Phoenix’s 2nd highest usage rotation player is Cameron Payne and his .521 TS%. Randle would barely even have to change the way he’s playing now if he were to go there. I’m inclined to think they would kill to have Randle’s high-usage, near-.600 TS% in tow.
Favorite quote of the day:
Bruce Brown’s effective field goal percentage is 73.8 when he shares the court with Jokic and 32.6 when he doesn’t.
The problem with Randle on a contender is that he doesn’t do enough of the complementary stuff a contender would need at the modern PF spot.
Presumably, a contender already has good volume scorers but probably needs 3-and-D service. Randle can hit threes, but not at a great clip, and he doesn’t defend threes particularly well. He’s also a bit lacking in post defense.
His rebounding and passing is helpful, but a team that would bite on him would already have good three-point shooting and a strong defense… and if they already have those and a great lead scorer, why trade for Randle?
Maybe he would be useful in Golden State? I can’t think of a lot of other good fits off the top of my head.
@TNFH Would you take Duarte and a late first for Obi?
Bruce Brown is a very strange but effective player. He had an efg of .545 last year with Brooklyn. I was surprised they let him go.
I’ll believe Brunson is 100% when he’s actually playing well.
Jokic:
30 points on 13 FGA and 8 FTA, 12 and 12 with 0 turnovers. Come on.
If the season ended today, Indiana would own picks #20, #24, and #30. That’s a realistic place for Leon to hunt for value-compromised picks.
I could do without Duarte, but we know this management team liked him draft day. So that kind of deal does seem like something they would consider.
To me, everyone should be on the table except Brunson.
We have very good players and excess picks, but our pieces don’t fit together perfectly and we need that elusive #1 option.
It’s tricky to even speculate on how to rearrange this to maximize the outcome where all the pieces fit together correctly and we have enough talent. There are several possible directions.
>Jokic:
30 points on 13 FGA and 8 FTA, 12 and 12 with 0 turnovers. Come on.<
He's amazing.
He doesn't even seem to be a defensive liability anymore either. He's never going to be a rim protector, but he holds his own better.
“It’s tricky to even speculate on how to rearrange this to maximize the outcome where all the pieces fit together correctly and we have enough talent.”
even trickier when its Leon Rose in charge of sorting it out…I mean…seems like some real smart tech person could get some AI program to do most of the heavy lifting…if in fact most of the various statistics that are quoted all the time are meaningful…
Jokic is in much better shape now, which gives him the energy to be a better defender. Knicks should make sure they have cap space for 2 max’s in ’27, just incase.
I wonder how Jokic will age. I feel like he could be pretty good at 40.
Thanks Mike, that might have been the article. I can remember Devin Harris struggling with his hip for a while back in the day.
Rose out with knee contusion.
Jokic has the Nuggets with the best record in the west and he’s the only good player on the team.
I still think Duarte and a late first doesn’t capture Obi’s upside, but it’s fair value and it doesn’t seem like Obi’s value will get higher with Randle playing like a bona fide mini-star. I would probably begrudgingly do it and then live in constant fear of what Obi can do with Haliburton.
I could see that trade happening and Obi, Haliburton, Matheson, and Turner growing into one of the best teams in the East.
Yeah, I’d want Duarte & both the Celts & Cavs 1sts at minimum. But that probably won’t get done. And even there the upside for us is probably low.
Duarte and the Pacers 1st with some protection, then hope they start losing this year.
Denver is a weird team.
W/L 24-12 (3rd)
PythWL 21-15 (10th)
SRS 1.82 (10th)
NRtg +2.3 (9th)
4 Factors league ranks (off/def)
eFG% 2/28
TOV% 24/21
ORB% 14/3
FT/FGA 21/13