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2022-23 Game Thread: Knicks vs. Nets – No More Durant, Hopefully No More Losses to the Nets

The Knicks host the Nets as part of a big two games heading into the All Star break. The Knicks need to make a push to get the #6 seed, and they play both the current #5 seed, the now-Durant-less Nets, as well as the current #8 seed, the surging Atlanta Hawks. A win tonight would be huge (as well would the Hawks game). Heading into the All-Star break 33-27 would be outstanding.

The Knicks have not beaten the Nets since the Nets signed Durant, nine straight losses, but the Nets no longer have that warlock Durant on the team, so his magical spell should be broken, and the Knicks should be able to take this one against a Nets team that got edged out by the Sixers on Saturday (with the Nets throwing up so many bricks you could build an outhouse to house all of those shitty shots), but seem to mostly be playing a bit over their head.

Let’s go, Knicks!

224 replies on “2022-23 Game Thread: Knicks vs. Nets – No More Durant, Hopefully No More Losses to the Nets”

I think there’s a rule that you cant can’t give the Lord Sumner Award to Sumner himself, so I nominate Yuta Watanabe.

Some notes on last thread:

(1) I don’t have any rim protection numbers for Sims. However, our defense would rank dead last in the NBA if the Mitch-less games were a full season (weirdly it wasn’t that bad during his early injury stint).

(2) I believe GPII costs GSW $94M over this year and next if they don’t remove salary for next year. But maybe $70M is the difference between Payton and the earlier reported Knox deal? Anyone, I’d sue Portland for whatever GPII ends up costing them.

(3) Alan, sorry to hear you’re still up and down health-wise. Hopefully that’s still an improvement over just being down!

I think I’d rather have RJ on Dinwiddie and Grimes chasing Cam around screens.

Randle the GOAT midrange shooter

Grimes with a 3, I’m feeling way too much anxiety on those shots right now.

Misses his 2nd but was an a tough spot with the clock winding down and a solid closeout.

Nets with a lot of length. Between Brunson, Grimes, and RJ, not so much.

I’m gonna say it right now nice and early, this would be the worst loss of the season.

I 100% believe we’re going to lose. You need to exploit their bad offense. But we can’t defend at all

Also for the talk the other day about the Knicks being lucky with opponents health early this season, that’s nothing compared to how lucky the Heat have been facing opponents injured players the past few weeks.

“RJ Barrett in the 1st Quarter this season

36.5% FG
28% 3P”

Strat in the first quarter this season.

36.5% Vomiting
28% High blood pressure

I’m getting ahead of myself but if Hart can hit ~35% with us he becomes a very spicy player

Hartenstein’s defense has been excellent. Might prove me wrong.

Hart to Hart is elite

EB I actually think this is an easy team for the Knicks to defend. Aside from Dinwiddie there is nobody else who can break down the defense and force the Knicks to over help and scramble like idiots leaving a ton of open 3pters. If the Knicks stay discipline on D the Nets should struggle to score all game.

Super impressed that (admittedly in only 7 minutes) outside of being 0-5, Barrett has all zeroes across the board.

I still believe in RJ because he’s only 22, but he’s trying hard to convince me to quit.

On the other hand, if RJ were drowning, I’d throw him a concrete block. Horrible defense and offense today.

With Deuce and IQ on the team he’s not my favorite player, but Josh Hart is moving up the list rather speedily.

RJ is a blackhole right now. Except in reverse. Nothing seems to be attracted to him.

Also, hi. Former p&ter, but that site is.. yeah

I like this lineup. This should be our starting lineup.

Truth be told, except for playing Barrett, and not playing Deuce, I’ve been fairly pleased with the way Thibs has been subbing players in and out. Lots of interesting combos out there.

Edit: And by “this lineup,” I meant the one before the timeout. Obviously.

We’re one of the worst turnover-generating defenses in the league, and you can see why. We generate no ball pressure, never get deflections, and generally allow the opponents to dribble the ball wherever they want.

Thibs is supposed to be a good defensive coach? How is that approach on defense ever going to work?

Randle looks more loosey goosey and off balance than normal- I have no idea how his shots are falling. But I’ll take em! Brunson on the other hand..everything looks easy for him right now

14 minutes, 0-5 (0-2 3FG), 2 fouls…

We can’t win this game without IQ and the Hart Foundation…

The issue is that Sims is really, really bad and RJ is a nonentity, they’re tanking our otherwise quality play.

It’s amazing that I come here to check to see whether Hart has taken RJ’s minutes yet and find out that Trugoy (aka, “Dave”) has died. Love De La Soul and love this blog. (In fact, via this site I was introduced to one of the best albums I’ve enjoyed in a long long time: The Anonymous Nobody, which JK directed fans to on his podcast. That is a great album, and I never even knew it existed.)

If Grimes doesn’t make those shots, how long before Hart takes his place in the starting line-up? I mean Thibs vaunted defence seems to ignore 3pters, so we are always in a shoot out.

Also: Thanks for the welcome.

Spencer Dinwiddie is erratic and probably not worth what he’s getting paid, but when he gets it going he’s a handful. He just punishes small guards and wings.

We better hope that 3-ball stops going for him or it’s gonna be a looong night.

Welcome, clydefraziersblazers. Or can we call you CFB?

And really, is hustle-bunny Grimes the guy you want to have sit down? He does have a basket, three rebounds and a steal. Which is, um, one basket, three rebounds, and a steal more than some other guy…

I had the same experience with Anonymous. Didn’t know it existed, heard you mention it here, then wore it out in 2022.

I see they’re finally releasing 3 feet high on streaming. Kinda makes the dick I sucked to get it on vinyl a little less worth it.

I’ve been saying this for some time,
RJ’s internal clock is set on another time zone…
On East Coast games we must play him only in the second half…

CFB is fine.

Of course anon should sit. But do you think thibs will sit him?

The funny thing about that Barrett turnover was I was gearing up to write something nice about him suddenly trying on defense. It’s like he had a Red Bull at halftime that cut through the ketamine.

Oh well.

“ Every time RJ touches the ball something bad happens”

Not if you’re rooting for the Nets

Nets 11-20 from three. We’re funneling their shooters into the basket…

If Rick Brunson would’ve been as good as Jalen the Knicks would’ve won back to back championships in 1999 and 2000.

honestly thought this might be a rough night for brunson with all their switchable length

Brunson telling everyone he’s winning MIP even if he’s been snubbed for the all star game

Brunson is by far my favorite Knicks player to watch play since Jeremy Lin.

Nice to know that he’ll be here much longer.

“ Brunson telling everyone he’s winning MIP even if he’s been snubbed for the all star game”

I mean, if MVP means the team would suck without you, he should be in the running for that too

There’s like a little worn out spot on the floor in the corner….where obi stands all the time…

Hart has been everything I expected and more so far, I love him already and I think Thibs does too.

It would be very stupid to take a victory lap on the trade at game 2, but I am happy to have thrown my lot in with Josh Hart

I love Hart. I think draft people would mention his “motor”. He is certainly driving me wild. 😀

Josh Hart is starting come tomorrow lol

He’s literally Thibs fan fiction

Hart’s great play really makes you realize how thin we were at the wing. RJ stinks, and Grimes is a decent bench piece but not an impact player.

Last season we traded a first for a wing Thibs clearly didn’t want or planned to use in Reddish… this time we traded a first for a perfect prototypical Thibs wing. I’m happy with the progress.

Hartenstein is a beast now. He really turned it around, kudos to him.

And Brunson not being in the all-star game is a damn joke.

I feel like we should give Portland another first to make it a fair trade.
(Oh wait, we gave them the 19th pick from 2021, never mind…)

I could never make it as an NBA referee. Nearly every single call there’s someone complaining. That would get old real fast.

with mitch back and hart replacing grimes in the starting five…

too much to hope that RJ gets moved out of the starting five…

hopefully he closes less games and spends more time on the bench going forward though…

Knicks blowing out the Nets while the Heat and Hawks both lose, tonight couldn’t have gone any better.

Mikal not so impressive tonight. Definitely not looking like a guy who’s worth four 1sts.

Durant’s evil magic spell is broken!

Wasn’t there another streak with Simmons, i think? The Knicks never won a game against Simmons before, if i’m not mistaken.

What a great second half, so many good contributions from Brunson, the Harts and IQ specially. Love this.

“Wasn’t there another streak with Simmons, i think? The Knicks never won a game against Simmons before, if i’m not mistaken.”

Yes! We finally beat Ben Simmons too!

Sorry to inject something negative on this fun night, but my son is at the game and says Randle and RJ are pouting on the end of the bench while the rest of the team celebrates

Not a good look

IQ also had a quietly huge game…

I saw RJ looking happy chatting with the Villanova boys so whatever…

Hart Attacks to the rim are lethal! His confidence in the 3 ball is blossoming. Love to see this brand of basketball.

1. Brunson is playing at an incredible level.

2. It might take a few games for Mitch to get back into top shape, but I can’t wait to see this team plus Mitch.

3. If we had a legitimate starting two way SF there wouldn’t be a single team in the NBA that would want any part of us on any night

This is very good basketball team. They like each other, play well with each other, Brunson is giving them the kind of leadership they’ve needed and has taken the heat off poor Randle, the addition J-Hart has solidified the bench, and Thibs has them firing almost every might.

It’s time to try to get Obi rolling again.

I think it’s really hard to assign a mood to someone sitting on the bench at the end of a basketball game. Makes for nice fodder. Randle is a frickin all star. He’s having a great season. His team is winning. Everyone knows you need good teammates to win in the NBA. Cmon.

I thought Randle looked hurt after that foul he took, so that might be it, he was quieter tonight but still pretty good. RJ on the other hand… just a detrimental presence to the team all around and simply a worse option than Hart, IQ or Grimes at the moment.

I prefer Hart off the bench. The chemistry between him and… really everyone in the 2nd unit is perfect. He adds a 2nd ball handler, rebounding, and a cutter for iHart.

Grimes should get the nominal start.

“I think its safe to put RJ back in..”

Even if it safe, why do it and get aggravated?

He has to take a deep breath, step back, understand and accept he’s 4th option in the starting lineup, and try to contribute to winning by playing defense, hitting the boards, moving the ball etc.. He has to learn to accept he’s not a “star” even though he was drafted 3rd and got the star treatment when we were bad. He got the big contract. Be happy about that, try to help, and keep working.

Hart will eat up RJs minutes but he’s going to have to overcome the adversity of not being efficient enough and focus on doing things that will earn him back some floor time. I think he can handle it and it will be good for him.

I kinda think that’s just how Randle looks

RJ knows he sucked today, he didn’t get his 20pts

Randle’s defensive effort was pretty good throughout the second half and pouty Randle does not defend so I think he was fine letting Brunson cook.

Wizards in 9th. The question is whether you want them to make the playoffs this year or for them to get just close enough not to blow it up.

Yeah I probably made too big a deal of Randle and RJ “pouting”, my bad.

So impressed with I Hart the last few weeks, playing great on both ends. What a one-two punch he and Mitch are gonna be!

I mean, it’s still not great. Especially in this kind of win. You hope they’d be happy for their teammates.

JHart’s first two games couldn’t have gone more perfectly. Not expecting this shooting every night, or most nights, but the guy makes winning plays all the time. It’s beautiful to watch. And such a stark contrast to the guy he’s backing up.

Once Mitch gets back we’re going to be a very tough squad to beat if everyone stays healthy. Hart brings a whole new energy to the bench. IQ is now just super solid and dependable in every aspect of the game. Hartenstein has been playing much better.

If RJ can get his shit together by the playoffs, good things could happen for us.

RJ losing minutes to a guy like Hart on a winning team is the best thing that could happen to him

Hart doesn’t start, but I wouldn’t call him a bench player. Sooner or later either Grimes or RJ is going to lose minutes in the 4th quarter.

My hope is that Hart isn’t just another option for thibs to go to if RJ is struggling or a potential replacement for RJ. My hope is that Hart can be a good role model and template for RJ.

Like neither are great shooters. But even if hart wasn’t feel in’ it tonight, he impacts the game in so many other ways with his intensity, nose for the ball, defense, rebounding, passing. That could be RJ too.

One thing I always liked about RJ is his cool demeanor. It can serve him em well bc he usually doesn’t get too down on himself and I think he can perform under pressure bc of it even if he’s had a bad game. But the flip side of that is that he sometimes doesn’t play with a lot of emotion or fire and can sometimes seem checked out. I’d like to see some of hart’s passion and intensity rub off on RJ.

If RJ can view this as a challenge for him to step up, then great. If he views it solely as a threat bc he’s entitled, then we have issues.

Thing is, I don’t see RJ ever having the ability to do what Hart does. He just doesn’t have that level of athleticism and burst and you either have that stuff or you don’t.

“Hart doesn’t start, but I wouldn’t call him a bench player. Sooner or later either Grimes or RJ is going to lose minutes in the 4th quarter.”

IMO Hart is better than Grimes, but I think Hart is going to help Grimes develop because he’s a very good role model for him. I’d keep Hart as the backup for now because I think we need him more there than in the starting lineup, but I’d finish with Hart.

RJ has a mamba mentality but with garter snake skills. His biggest problem is the gap between what he is and what he thinks he is. His second biggest problem is that he wants to be a scorer, but can’t shoot. If he accepts reality he can be effective enough as a scorer when he has a good matchup. But he has to get out of that “star’ mentality where he thinks he should keep shooting and be very aggressive even when he bricking and being defended well. He has to understand that on a good team like this he’s a role player. So focus on what you can do to help and stop worrying about scoring. When the matchup is there he’ll score.

I don’t really know what RJ is supposed to be good at. I guess he’s good at getting to the basket, but that’s not really all that useful because he can’t convert. Other than that, what is he good at? Shooting? No. Defense? No. I don’t see a standout skill and he’s flat out awful in many phases of the game.

I’m trying to envision what “good RJ” looks like and I’m drawing a blank.

***I feel like we should give Portland another first to make it a fair trade.***

Reddish is 1-7 tonight. That’s pretty fair.

The good version of RJ is the version that plays within himself and doesn’t force things. He doesn’t always put his head down and go full on bull in a China shop. He needs to cut that out of his game.

I get what Strat is saying with mamba mentality, but the positive spin on that is that RJ’s always looking forward and not getting caught up on obstacles in his path. I think he can learn from this and grow. Hopefully the decreased pressure on him allows him to cook and not get cooked. Even if it doesn’t happen this season that maple mamba mindset at least makes him a pressure outlet late in the shot clock when the offense hasn’t created a better look. That’s still valuable on a lot of lineups for this team.

I’m not going to go full defcon 3 on RJ because he’s 22 and he’s has lots of good games and moments. His funks are especially ugly, but these past games have been bad even by his standards.

That’s not to say I have confidence in him, only that I am willing to be patient for a while longer, probably until summer 2024.

I wonder if Brunson will get Most Improved consideration, even though he isn’t improved in a per-minute sense. Going from Luka’s backup to a top-5 (or higher?) offensive point guard is a huge deal.

I put $5 on Brunson MIP (+2500) before the season and a $1 Parlay on JB MIP and IQ 6th man (+106500) so I’m invested in what you’re selling Z ha

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