[news.google.com] — Friday, February 17, 2023 11:14:54 AM
Knicks All-Star Break Notes: Josh Hart’s start, analyzing the front office, and inconsistent RJ Barrett Yahoo SportsJosh Hart has immediately elevated Knicks to new level New York Post How Quentin Grimes feels about reduced Knicks role after Josh Hart trade New York Post
[news.google.com] — Friday, February 17, 2023 11:07:42 AM
Could Knicks Fill Roster Through ‘Internal’ Means? Sports Illustrated
[news.google.com] — Friday, February 17, 2023 10:00:00 AM
Knicks News: Could Mitchell Robinson return after All-Star break? Daily Knicks
[news.google.com] — Friday, February 17, 2023 9:04:54 AM
Julius Randle won’t stop taking 3-pointers now and that’s exactly how the Knicks want it The Athletic
[news.google.com] — Friday, February 17, 2023 9:02:27 AM
Leon Rose Has the Knicks Set Up Now and For the Future The Knicks Wall
[news.google.com] — Friday, February 17, 2023 8:00:00 AM
3 players Knicks should avoid signing in buyout market Daily Knicks
[news.google.com] — Friday, February 17, 2023 12:42:00 AM
Gulf Billions Cloud Terror Over NBA Fans as Knicks Future Hangs in the Balance: “They’re Just Going to Ruin the Sport” EssentiallySports
[news.google.com] — Friday, February 17, 2023 12:27:00 AM
Josh Hart has immediately elevated Knicks to new level New York Post Knicks All-Star Break Notes: Josh Hart’s start, analyzing the front office, and inconsistent RJ Barrett Yahoo SportsHow Quentin Grimes feels about reduced Knicks role after Josh Hart trade New York Post
[news.google.com] — Thursday, February 16, 2023 11:42:19 PM
Knicks Land Hornets’ Terry Rozier In Bold Trade Scenario NBA Analysis Network
[news.google.com] — Thursday, February 16, 2023 11:29:00 PM
Knicks Rumors: Donte DiVincenzo Viewed as a Free Agency Option Heavy.com
[news.google.com] — Thursday, February 16, 2023 9:12:43 PM
See NBA’s All-Star Saturday night participants The Dallas Morning News
[news.google.com] — Thursday, February 16, 2023 9:05:09 PM
Knicks’ Jericho Sims: A Slam Dunk Betting Favorite? Sports Illustrated
[news.google.com] — Thursday, February 16, 2023 8:31:00 PM
Four reasons why Knicks are beating expectations heading into break New York Post
[news.google.com] — Thursday, February 16, 2023 6:07:35 PM
Knicks Notebook: Julius Randle is a late addition to 3-point contest New York Daily News
[news.google.com] — Thursday, February 16, 2023 4:40:45 PM
What should expectations be for the Knicks as they enter the All-Star break? Posting and Toasting
[news.google.com] — Thursday, February 16, 2023 2:45:46 PM
Knicks weather Mitchell Robinson’s absence with Isaiah Hartenstein’s renaissance Empire Sports Media
[news.google.com] — Thursday, February 16, 2023 1:13:06 PM
NBA Teams Become Investment Target for Qatar, Abu Dhabi Bloomberg
[news.google.com] — Thursday, February 16, 2023 1:01:41 PM
A Belated Valentine’s Day Card for Mark Cuban From Every Knicks Fan ? KnickerBlogger KnickerBlogger
[news.google.com] — Thursday, February 16, 2023 12:43:49 PM
Knicks’ All-Star forward Julius Randle added to 3-point contest Empire Sports Media
[news.google.com] — Thursday, February 16, 2023 12:40:00 PM
What is the New York Knicks playoff ceiling? Deadspin
[news.google.com] — Thursday, February 16, 2023 12:00:00 PM
How to watch Knicks’ Julius Randle in 2023 All-Star Game Daily Knicks
43 replies on “Knicks Morning News (2023.02.17)”
Welcome back, NewsBot! Carrying over from last thread, I highly recommend this Katz piece on all the work Julius and the coaches have put in to bring him back to All-Star form:
https://theathletic.com/4217999/2023/02/17/julius-randle-nba-knicks-3-point-shooting/
Echoing Alan, I also think the Katz article is worth a repost:
Congrats JK, the album is more than deserving of the hype and your track is the best on it!
Katz’ article from today is chock full of anecdotes suggesting a shocking degree of competence from the New York Knicks: https://theathletic.com/4217999/2023/02/17/julius-randle-nba-knicks-3-point-shooting/
Some highlights (but read the whole thing):
“Bryant worked with Randle on becoming more decisive. Randle hesitated too much in 2021-22, Bryant said. When you have a good look, go up with it, the coach told him. He guided Randle through film sessions, pointing out times when Randle received passes and held onto the ball for seconds before making a move or dribbling into an unnecessarily long 2-pointer, basketball’s least-efficient shot.”
“Head coach Tom Thibodeau has pushed the team to adjust its shot selection, a mission that required Randle’s participation. Thibodeau commonly refers to “the value of shots,” explaining that he wants as many 3s, layups, dunks and free throws as possible. The Knicks now own one of the more analytically-friendly shot profiles. Less than five percent of their field-goal attempts this season are long 2s, the seventh-smallest rate in the NBA.”
We’ve got a long way to go, but we’ve also come a long way since our POBO was asking the Warriors how it was goink.
From last thread:
I see Mark Williams and Kessler as putting up better WS/48 than Hartenstein this year. Both are lower than what Hartenstein did last year, so iHart could theoretically be back there. And it’s Hartenstein plus MIL’s 1st rd pick versus one of those guys.
Hartenstein’s usage and passing are down this year, even in the last few weeks. Maybe Thibs starts trusting him more though(?)
OTOH, his rebounding is up and his defensive stats are closer to last year. He had a 3.1 BPM on the defensive side last year.
He can probably beat out Kessler & Williams with defense alone down the stretch this year, and has a higher offensive ceiling longterm. Williams and Kessler are very limited offensively. Whether we can keep iHart longterm is another question though, we only have early bird rights on him.
Wasn’t DRed’s reference intended to be to JHart, not iHart?
Fred Katz, I know you’re lurking out there (or maybe hiding as one of the regular posters — Cyber always struck me as a poser… ; ), just want to say really good work — again.
I thought this was an extraordinarily concise summary of what’s been good from JR this year:
Many of the inefficient long 2s Randle once meandered into have become either 3-pointers or more makeable short midrange shots.
He doesn’t hold onto the ball for nearly as long when he touches it.
He bolts in transition.
He grabs defensive rebounds and flies to the other end.
… And then there are those extra 3s.
A thousand times, this.
Putting aside our personal and genuine stats-related disagreements on this board, I think we can admit the FO seems to be addressing many of our concerns and desires. I know it’s confusing, but there it is 😉
I assumed it was iHart because he mentions centers and we effectively gave up last year’s pick for him, but maybe
Might be an interesting discussion anyway
On the one hand, our offense looks clunky and iso-heavy a whole lot of the time. On the other hand, that shot profile, plus the rebounding of Mitch and now iHart, seems to more than compensate for our relatively paltry level of ball movement.
Hahaha, you’ve got me! 😛
Loved Williams in the draft, I think I stanned pretty hard for him and Kessler. Yet I had no idea he was prospering until I saw him in a highlight the other day.
He’s a funny looking dude. I don’t think there is anyone who looks more like a 70’s or 80’s baller in the NBA currently. Just something about his dimensions and how he moves that seems like a throwback.
I think we would all be very happy with either of those guys but we are doing ok in most respects with the Jeritchstein combo. Sims has strong numbers although I don’t love the defense.
Congrats JK, very happy for your success, although it won’t be enough to buy the Knicks… yet!
Mark Williams wasn’t playing much until recently. He’s been great on defense by the metrics though.
Either CHA was trying to pump Plumlee’s trade value, they were trying to tank for Wemby, or quite possibly they’re just incompetent.
For now i’m very happy with our team, although i expect a little more from Grimes and much much more from RJ and Obi. Let’s hope they can get to where we need them to be. About what we should change, i think it’s better to wait for the playoffs, because teams can be exposed in the playoffs or they can find an extra gear and surprise everybody.
i’m not sure if shooting more 3s for randle is actually good.. but it’s better than the iso step back 2s he was shooting… he was always at his best when he was more decisive and before that was in up tempo offenses but now he’s transferred that into half court sets….
he’s always been in phenomenal shape but he’s just on another level this year… bullying people rarely works in the nba but combined with his speed guys are just rolling off of him and he’s finishing so much better than anything i coudl remember… he’s a force driving to the rim and even these questionable floaters and fade shots outside the restricted area are going in.. and looking actually decent….
the 3s definitely help but he’s also dangerously close to being a liability out there and i’m sure teams in the playoffs would just let him shoot as much as he wants out there with minimal pressure…. it’s been working now but that’s a development worth monitoring considering he’s been wildly inconsistent out there for basically all of his career….
Ball movement is a means to an end (getting good shot attempts). If you can get them otherwise it’s less aesthetically pleasing but it’s fine. I remember the Spurs having really good offenses with lots of passes and with very few passes as their personnel changed. RJ getting Kobe assists for the Hart Foundation or MItch is annoying to watch on some level but the ball still goes through the hoop.
Oh and on the last thread I was referring to Hart the lesser. If you want to get a good wing it’s hard to find a rookie
A huge help for the Knicks the past few weeks has been Hart’s improved play. With the current Hart, you can lose Mitch and get by. With the earlier Hart, holy shit, they would have been screwed. So thank goodness Hart has gotten better (or, as we’ve been theorizing, gotten healthier). He still seems out of place, but, really, his recent play has been a godsend. Seeing that continue while combined with Mitch back should be a major boon to the team in the second half.
Why is Paul George’s Twitter handle, Yg_Trece?
Purportedly means Young Gangster 13, something to do with his youth.
I think Hartenstein had some legit health stuff, but he also had to adjust his game to what Thibs wanted, which was to focus more on interior defense and rebounding. It seems to me that he’s been blocking more shots, getting more putbacks and pulling down more contested defensive rebounds (and not getting stripped when he does) than earlier on.
It’s also nice that when he goes to the line in a big spot I don’t start shaking…
iHart will never play above the rim, but the first half of the season was all about reaching and trying to tip rebounds. That’s still a part of his game, but now he’s also decisively grabbing them in traffic, which he really wasn’t doing before, and he’s also flushing misses with gusto, another thing that was really missing earlier on — he might’ve laid up a miss, but not rise up and slam it. And yeah, the blocks. Maybe he’s also altering his game for Thibs, but the difference in physicality is dramatic.
The tribute to Bill Russell on NBA TV is awesome….
Zach Lowe singing Brunson’s praises: https://www.espn.com/nba/insider/insider/story/_/id/35665864/lowe-10-things-kyrie-fit-luka-snubbing-new-york-how-sixers-dissect-defenses
I’m not an ESPN+ subscriber, so I could only read the first few paragraphs, but it opens with “We might owe Brunson an apology for leaving him off the East All-Star team.”
Hartenstein is really likable, and busts his butt out there, so I’m glad we’re getting to see the “real” iHart now. He did look very sluggish early on, but over the last 15 or so games he is playing at his (excellent) per-minute numbers from last season. I’m as wary of arbitrary endpoints as anybody, but over the last month he has looked like the player we thought we were getting.
Forget we may owe an apology articles. NBA can make it right.
Its Friday 4:30PM and we still dont know if Embiid, Derozan or Brown have confirmend to play on Sunday. Never heard of All-Star game player injury report reading probable and a game time decision.
The level of disrespect for Jaylon Brunson is insane.
Hope he keeps torching eastern conference guards in retaliation. Someone has to pay!!!!
Think its time someone actually said it…so, – I’ll just do it.
“Jaylen Brunson is the best point guard in the Eastern Conference”
Here’s Lowe’s full comment on JB for non subscribers:
1. Jalen Brunson, perfect New York Knicks point guard
We might owe Brunson an apology for leaving him off the East All-Star team. Over his last 21 games, Brunson is averaging 30.1 points on 52% shooting, including a scorching 46% on 3s. Brunson can thrive in lots of styles, but he is an ideal fit for Tom Thibodeau’s Knicks.
Thibodeau’s offense is a low-risk battering ram. New York pounds the paint with pick-and-rolls and more isolations than anyone but the Dallas Mavericks, per Second Spectrum. It produces heaps of free throws and offensive rebounds. One-on-one play keeps turnovers low, which in turn limits opponent fast breaks.
All of this is in Brunson’s wheelhouse. He is a rugged one-on-one player with every fake and trick of footwork. He’s quicker than you think, with a decisive first step.
He has hit at least 40% on catch-and-shoot 3s in four straight seasons — including 45.4% in this one. When Julius Randle cooks, defenses stick to Brunson at the arc.
Even while Brunson is scoring 30, you seldom feel as if he’s forcing it. He’s unselfish, with a super high basketball IQ and inherent feel for how to preserve harmony. Pay attention whenever some Brunson two-man action — maybe a Brunson-Randle pick-and-roll — produces a switch. If Randle has even a slightly more favorable mismatch, Brunson will break the offense and toss him an entry pass. He’ll do the same for RJ Barrett (having a meh season).
If Barrett hasn’t gotten a touch in a while, Brunson might call him up for a screen — hoping to force a switch, and hand Barrett a mismatch. He knows how to keep everyone happy.
We are eight months removed from a cacophony of misplaced hand-wringing about whether New York overpaid Brunson on a four-year, $100 million deal. Umm, no. Brunson’s deal declines year over year — ending in a $24.6 million player option in 2025-26. Brunson’s contract will age into a home run, so much so that Brunson declining that option may end up a no-brainer for him. What a season.
New York leapfrogged the Miami Heat into the coveted No. 6 slot Wednesday after the revamped Brooklyn Nets upended Miami. The race among those three teams for Nos. 5-7 spots in the East looms as one juicy subplot of the stretch run.
ihart has a legitimate case for third team all nba this year. his ridge regressed luck adjusted drapm is 4th in the nba when he’s in the floor against a top 17th percentile pick and roll combo. opponent deflections per 100 decline 11.2pct when he plays in either the first or third quarter. quickley hits 48.3% of his floaters when assisted by ihart vs 46.1% unassisted. also and unrelated, totally unprompted he gave my son a signed pair of his shoes at the hawks game.
***totally unprompted***
I sometimes take my shoes off, sign them, and give them to kids while I’m at work too. But not when they ask for it, only when I feel like it. So I get it.
Taking those factors and Kourtney into account I think IHart has a better claim to 2nd team status.
I do feel good about staying on the Quickstein wagon. Those guys have been awesome and awesome about confirming my priors.
Teeny tiny sample size alert, but Josh Hart has almost double the number of steals per game as anyone else on the team, and his AST/TO is 4.0 compared to Brunson’s and IQ’s 3.0.
A really fun start to his Knicks career.
milo, you know you gotta go get a mini 55 jersey now…that must have been an awesome game to attend…
I really hope the Knicks give Monica McNutt a shot at doing color rather than just ceding all the non-Clyde minutes to Wally.
Grimes dominating the rising stars game. I don’t think the announcers were prepared for that.
Don’t judge me, but I decided to catch a little of the Rising Stars game. Been fun, because Grimes is dominating. Scored 12 of the 16 points so far, assisted on 2 more, a block and a steal. Best player on the court.
2 more points and almost another steal
To be fair, Giddey is the only other one on the team who looks like he belongs
ha, just saw this – quote of the week:
I am a fan being serviced
i concur al, i concur…
Oh yeah, I think I saw you behind the bench. I bet you could see the resignation in the Hawks eyes from there… but to be fair you could’ve seen it from the back row too.
Maybe Grimes needs to play with the 2nd unit and get that Josh Hart green light
Didn’t think I’d spend an hour of my Friday night watching a replay of the Rising Stars games, but here I am.
Credit to Noah for drafting mostly defensive players on a weekend that nobody plays defense.
Grimes becoming too expensive to resign because he dominated the rising star game would be pretty Knicksy.
NBA reputations are funny things. Happy for him though. He’s good despite the recent semi-funk
ESPN actually gave grades for each player in the rising stars. Here is what they wrote about Grimes: