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Knicks Morning News (2023.04.03)

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  • Jalen Brunson Issues Statement After Knicks Clinch Playoffs Spot – Heavy.com
    [news.google.com] — Monday, April 3, 2023 2:42:25 AM

    Jalen Brunson Issues Statement After Knicks Clinch Playoffs Spot  Heavy.com

  • Recap: Wizards fall 118-109 to Knicks despite career-highs from … – NBA.com
    [news.google.com] — Monday, April 3, 2023 1:34:00 AM

    Recap: Wizards fall 118-109 to Knicks despite career-highs from …  NBA.com

  • Quentin Grimes’ Hot Hands Help Knicks Reach Playoffs – Heavy.com
    [news.google.com] — Monday, April 3, 2023 1:11:59 AM

    Quentin Grimes’ Hot Hands Help Knicks Reach Playoffs  Heavy.com

  • Knicks takeaways from Sunday’s 118-109 win over Wizards, including Immanuel Quickley and Quentin Grimes stepping up – Yahoo Sports
    [news.google.com] — Monday, April 3, 2023 12:57:00 AM

    Knicks takeaways from Sunday’s 118-109 win over Wizards, including Immanuel Quickley and Quentin Grimes stepping up  Yahoo Sports

  • NY Knicks Slideshow – 2.23 – Heavy.com
    [news.google.com] — Monday, April 3, 2023 12:53:49 AM

    NY Knicks Slideshow – 2.23  Heavy.com

  • Knicks, Tom Thibodeau quickly turn page from playoff berth with bigger goals in mind – Yahoo Sports
    [news.google.com] — Monday, April 3, 2023 12:51:00 AM

    Knicks, Tom Thibodeau quickly turn page from playoff berth with bigger goals in mind  Yahoo Sports

  • NBA roundup: Knicks get by Wizards, clinch playoff berth – Reuters
    [news.google.com] — Monday, April 3, 2023 12:23:00 AM

    NBA roundup: Knicks get by Wizards, clinch playoff berth  Reuters

  • Knicks clinch playoff berth with victory over short-handed Wizards – Orlando Sentinel
    [news.google.com] — Sunday, April 2, 2023 11:52:22 PM

    Knicks clinch playoff berth with victory over short-handed Wizards  Orlando Sentinel

  • No Load Management Plan for Knicks After Clinching Playoffs – Heavy.com
    [news.google.com] — Sunday, April 2, 2023 11:51:00 PM

    No Load Management Plan for Knicks After Clinching Playoffs  Heavy.com

  • Knicks on the Court: April 2 vs. Wizards Photo Gallery – NBA.com
    [news.google.com] — Sunday, April 2, 2023 10:42:19 PM

    Knicks on the Court: April 2 vs. Wizards Photo Gallery  NBA.com

  • Knicks seal playoff berth with win over Wizards – Brunswick News
    [news.google.com] — Sunday, April 2, 2023 10:12:00 PM

    Knicks seal playoff berth with win over Wizards  Brunswick News

  • Washington Wizards vs New York Knicks Apr 2, 2023 Game Summary – NBA.com
    [news.google.com] — Sunday, April 2, 2023 9:41:15 PM

    Washington Wizards vs New York Knicks Apr 2, 2023 Game Summary  NBA.com

  • Knicks Twitter Celebrates as NY Clinches 2023 NBA Playoff Berth with Win vs. Wizards – Bleacher Report
    [news.google.com] — Sunday, April 2, 2023 9:15:29 PM

    Knicks Twitter Celebrates as NY Clinches 2023 NBA Playoff Berth with Win vs. Wizards  Bleacher Report

  • Atlantic Notes: Knicks, Mitchell, House, Sixers, VanVleet – hoopsrumors.com
    [news.google.com] — Sunday, April 2, 2023 8:57:00 PM

    Atlantic Notes: Knicks, Mitchell, House, Sixers, VanVleet  hoopsrumors.com

  • Knicks top Wizards to clinch NBA playoff berth – New York Post
    [news.google.com] — Sunday, April 2, 2023 8:56:00 PM

    Knicks top Wizards to clinch NBA playoff berth  New York Post Knicks clinch playoff berth but plan to keep ‘checking boxes’  ESPNNBA: New York Knicks beat Washington Wizards to reach play-offs  BBC

  • New York Knicks’ Win Secures Second Trail Blazers First-Round Pick – Blazer’s Edge
    [news.google.com] — Sunday, April 2, 2023 8:50:48 PM

    New York Knicks’ Win Secures Second Trail Blazers First-Round Pick  Blazer’s Edge

  • NBA: Washington Wizards at New York Knicks | Fieldlevel … – jacksonprogress-argus
    [news.google.com] — Sunday, April 2, 2023 8:50:41 PM

    NBA: Washington Wizards at New York Knicks | Fieldlevel …  jacksonprogress-argus

  • Knicks clinch playoff berth with win over Wizards: Do they have a chance without Julius Randle? – The Athletic
    [news.google.com] — Sunday, April 2, 2023 8:38:25 PM

    Knicks clinch playoff berth with win over Wizards: Do they have a chance without Julius Randle?  The Athletic

  • Knicks rally past Wizards to clinch playoff berth – Gwinnettdailypost.com
    [news.google.com] — Sunday, April 2, 2023 8:37:32 PM

    Knicks rally past Wizards to clinch playoff berth  Gwinnettdailypost.com

  • Put The X Next To Their Name And Give Jalen Brunson More Money … – Barstool Sports
    [news.google.com] — Sunday, April 2, 2023 8:29:37 PM

    Put The X Next To Their Name And Give Jalen Brunson More Money …  Barstool Sports

  • Knicks clinch playoff berth but plan to keep ‘checking boxes’ – ESPN
    [news.google.com] — Sunday, April 2, 2023 8:23:43 PM

    Knicks clinch playoff berth but plan to keep ‘checking boxes’  ESPNDonovan Mitchell looking forward to potential ‘full circle’ Knicks playoff challenge  New York Post NBA: New York Knicks beat Washington Wizards to reach play-offs  BBC

  • Proposed trade with the Knicks could make the Pacers think twice – 8 Points, 9 Seconds
    [news.google.com] — Sunday, April 2, 2023 7:00:00 PM

    Proposed trade with the Knicks could make the Pacers think twice  8 Points, 9 Seconds

  • Bradley Beal And Kyle Kuzma’s Status For Wizards-Knicks Game – Sports Illustrated
    [news.google.com] — Sunday, April 2, 2023 5:50:26 PM

    Bradley Beal And Kyle Kuzma’s Status For Wizards-Knicks Game  Sports Illustrated

  • Kevin Garnett backs idea of 7-time All-Star being traded to Knicks – Daily Knicks
    [news.google.com] — Sunday, April 2, 2023 5:00:00 PM

    Kevin Garnett backs idea of 7-time All-Star being traded to Knicks  Daily Knicks

  • Heat: Udonis Haslem drops LeBron James revelation that will pain … – ClutchPoints
    [news.google.com] — Sunday, April 2, 2023 4:23:22 PM

    Heat: Udonis Haslem drops LeBron James revelation that will pain …  ClutchPoints

  • Knicks: RJ Barrett hit with injury report update vs. Wizards – ClutchPoints
    [news.google.com] — Sunday, April 2, 2023 3:53:28 PM

    Knicks: RJ Barrett hit with injury report update vs. Wizards  ClutchPoints

  • Knicks’ Derrick Rose: Out Sunday – CBS Sports
    [news.google.com] — Sunday, April 2, 2023 3:35:08 PM

    Knicks’ Derrick Rose: Out Sunday  CBS Sports

  • Knicks’ RJ Barrett: Out Sunday – CBS Sports
    [news.google.com] — Sunday, April 2, 2023 2:57:50 PM

    Knicks’ RJ Barrett: Out Sunday  CBS Sports

  • ‘Over-the-Top Bids’ Could Lead Towards Knicks-Josh Hart Divorce: Analyst – Heavy.com
    [news.google.com] — Sunday, April 2, 2023 2:42:33 PM

    ‘Over-the-Top Bids’ Could Lead Towards Knicks-Josh Hart Divorce: Analyst  Heavy.com

  • Kristaps Porzingis’ Status For Wizards-Knicks Game – Fastbreak on FanNation – Sports Illustrated
    [news.google.com] — Sunday, April 2, 2023 2:18:32 PM

    Kristaps Porzingis’ Status For Wizards-Knicks Game – Fastbreak on FanNation  Sports Illustrated

  • NBA playoff clinching scenarios for Sunday, April 2 involving Knicks, Bulls, Hawks, Kings – DraftKings Nation
    [news.google.com] — Sunday, April 2, 2023 12:56:38 PM

    NBA playoff clinching scenarios for Sunday, April 2 involving Knicks, Bulls, Hawks, Kings  DraftKings Nation

  • Indiana Pacers at Cleveland Cavaliers odds, picks and predictions – USA TODAY Sportsbook Wire
    [news.google.com] — Sunday, April 2, 2023 11:09:00 AM

    Indiana Pacers at Cleveland Cavaliers odds, picks and predictions  USA TODAY Sportsbook Wire

  • Pass or Pursue on Bleacher Report’s Knicks trades to boost 2024 title odds – Daily Knicks
    [news.google.com] — Sunday, April 2, 2023 8:00:00 AM

    Pass or Pursue on Bleacher Report’s Knicks trades to boost 2024 title odds  Daily Knicks

  • 59 replies on “Knicks Morning News (2023.04.03)”

    Playoffs! The Knicks clinched at least the 6th spot, and 5 very important days of rest, taking care of the Capital City Go-Go after a disappointing first half.

    It’s a very good result for a team predicted by pundits to have an under .500 season (but many here were a little more optimist, including myself).
    Kudos, in no particular order, to the players, the coaching staff and the FO.

    To the game.

    First quarter resembled a preseason game, the Wiz were hot but the Knicks looked able to keep them in check despite an awful defense and a low energy level.

    In the 2nd our offense abruptly halted while the defense kept stinking.
    The Wizards went on a 17-2 run for their largest lead (10) driven by sharpshooter Corey Kispert (who got his career-high 29) and a revengeful Taj (4-5 3FG and a lot of gesturing) and were up 8 at the break but giving how bad we were playing it was “only 8” and nobody was worried (wink to BBA).

    Defense tightened and normality was restored in the 3rd, with Grimes (12) and Brunson (11) leading the way. A Grimes’ three during a Knicks’ 19-5 run broke the last tie and the good guys were up by 7 at the end amidst flashes of beautiful play.

    Obi opened the final chapter with a three, again giving NY a double-digit lead and Washington never got closer than 8 in an easy 4th, where the Knicks continued to play well, expanding the lead to 20 before the last useless couple of minutes.

    Next:
    We fly to Indy to face a Pacers team that’s trying to lose as much as he can and was without Hali, Turner and Duarte yesterday in Cleveland.

    Stats Of The Game.
    31. Knicks’ assists. On 46 made baskets (67.3%). Sharing is caring.

    Thoughts:

    – The Wizards were 4 starters short, but the ball movement in the second half was beautiful. The defense in the first not so much.

    – Julius and RJ absence clears the paint for cutters and drive-and-kickers.
    We’re not a better team without them* and the Ewing-Effect is fake news, but I miss their talent (and the added weapons they represent) not the isolation and stagnant offense they sometimes bring. Are we sure there aren’t ways to use this two guys more often in a more fluid offense?

    – Glue Grimes’ play in the last six games makes me salivate. Where can this kid go with experience and work? Is it time to find a new moniker? Is “The Full Package” too 70’s porn evoking?

    – I feel for Fournier. They defrost you after months and the only shot you hit get ruled out for an offensive foul. I hope we’ll find him the right team this summer.

    – Jalen Brunson has a sore hand that he keeps in some kind of brace. He was on the floor since the final buzzer. Up 20. And he got hit on his hand. Thiiiiibs! (in William Shatner’s voice).

    Grades

    Brunson B
    27 (11-20 FG), 8 (but with 5 TOs) and 3 steals. And he had a so-so game… ๐Ÿ™‚

    Grimes A
    He was the steadier hand (3-6 2FG, 6-11 3FG) and continue to impress with his ability to create and pass (5 AST). The last 6 games showed there’s room for a significant improvement, now he just needs to work.

    Quickley B-
    He’s still learning when to shoot and when to involve his teammates and sometimes he has problems finding “the right time”. Yesterday’s first half was one of them, but he got better as the game went on.

    Toppin B+
    I always whine about his “offensive misuse” and he gave me other reasons to do it.
    The three must be a complement to his other skills, not his only shooting diet and he’s a willing passer too.
    At the same time his defense is what it is and 1 rebound in 33 minutes (or 2 in 52 if you count his games as the starting PF) for a 6’9″ leaper is really too little, no matter the justifications.

    Robinson B+
    11 Rebounds (4 OReb), hit his FTs (2-2), had some very good moments and 4 assists!

    Hart B-
    Fun fact: he can’t score against Washington, in two games against them as a Knick he has 7 total points.
    But as usual he did some winning things while others took the brunt of the scoring.

    Hartenstein B+
    Can we say he’s a borderline NBA starter? I think at least a couple of teams (Dallas? Chicago?) would benefit having him…
    He’s played every game so far and with improving health, better chemistry with teammates and the arrival of J-Hart he blossomed exactly in the kind of player we expected. He’ll be 25 soon, time to extend him… ๐Ÿ˜‰

    McBride C
    Is not easy to produce every game in limited minutes, the main thing is mantaining confidence and be ready for the next.

    Fournier NA
    Honestly a performance to forget. But not counting a 2 minutes garbage-time cameo against BRK he rot on the bench for 2 months (last “real ” game was february 6th) and it showed. Rusty as hell (2 TOs) and out of rhythm, this time I give him a pass (and a ticket for another team this summer).

    Thibs B-
    Why was Jalen Brunson on the floor, getting hit on his already aching hand, when we were up 20 with under 3 minutes to go?
    And why sub Deuce for IQ instead of him with 1:16 left?
    The D-Rose’s career altering-incident didn’t teach anything?
    Anyway, we weren’t ready at the start but he did a good job spanking the guys at halftime, probably losing his voice for a couple of days…

    * Maybe someone will question this in regard to RJ ๐Ÿ˜‰

    “Is โ€œThe Full Packageโ€ too 70โ€™s porn evoking?”

    It is now…

    Otherwise, great summary as always, Max. Thanks.

    Congratulations to everyone, great season for the team and the blog (well at least once the incessant negativity was over) and thanks Max for the recaps.

    Thibs should rest Brunson until the playoffs. I donโ€™t think 5th or 6th justify risking his health.

    Congratulations to everyone, great season for the team and the blog (well at least once the incessant negativity was over) and thanks Max for the recaps.

    ๐Ÿ‘๐Ÿ‘๐Ÿ‘

    From KFS newsletter:

    In one 19-season span, New York made the postseason just four times. In three of those four seasons, they won either no playoff games or suffered a gentlemanโ€™s sweep. It was not, as the kids say, a lit time to be a Knicks fan.
    It appears that those days are in the past.

    Although i think i agree, i don’t feel totally comfortable seeing it in writing. I like to say things are in the past when the change actually happened. And i sure don’t want the team to feel this way. Bring the playoffs fast, for us to try to put this behind us.

    Just off the old eyeball test I would have sworn you were a liar if you told me Mitch had twice the assists of big hart yesterday

    No matter how it ends (and probably not with a chip) it’s been a fantastic year, not just successful beyond my expectations (although I was hoping for 44-45 wins) but also just completely enjoyable. A great group of guys, endlessly rootable, the only noticeable disappointment being RJ’s regression (which was mainly disappointing because he was forcing stubbornly stupid decisions, not because he was just off).

    We’re 15-6 since the J-Hart trade.
    He gave Thibs a lot of flexibility, while his energy, teamwork and unselfishness rubbed the right way on his teammates.
    A great acquisition.

    Weโ€™re 15-6 since the J-Hart trade.

    We should send a fruit basket and a Thank You card to Portland and wish them well on draft day.

    Great ‘cap Max, though I would argue whether we’re better off without Randle and RJ are two entirely different questions.

    My quick take is our floor is higher without Randle because there’s less risk of one player single handedly losing the game for us, but our ceiling is clearly higher with him because, well, the guy can score 50 and defend pretty damn well sometimes.

    RJ, on the other hand, unambiguously tends to make us worse and we are more likely to win games when he is not playing, period.

    Obi continues to be the great tantalizer. Last night he had 3 dunks and 3 3PM. No idea how to check this, but feels like that’s not a very common occurrence among NBA players. Regardless, a guy who can pull it off somewhat easily is worth investing in.

    The RJ Barrett Theory:

    The phenomenon whereby removing bad players from your lineup very explicably makes your team better

    The other aspect of the Hart trade is that Cam went elsewhere and to a better situation for him. And the FO was responsible for that. Cam seems like a nice guy and I can only assume his teammates liked the move for Camโ€™s sake. Brings a cohesiveness of purpose across the franchise that we treat players not just as assets but people. Gotta believe Leon as a former agent sets this tone.

    That “ghost fork” pitch that Kodai Senga throws is legit. He got 8 strikeouts in 5 1/3, all swinging strikes, all ghost forks.

    I think Obi being “worth investing in” and staying with the Knicks are not a match. We have one of our best players ahead of him, on the only position Obi seems able to play. And given that Randle almost never misses games and plays a lot of minutes in each game, there’s no PT for Obi to develop and improve. In my opinion, we should trade him in the summer for a PF that is better at defense. It’d be better for Thibs to have a good defender to throw at guys that are having their way against Randle at the same time that he has a breather.

    The RJ Barrett Theory:

    The phenomenon whereby removing bad players from your lineup very explicably makes your team better

    I hope this recent stretch by Grimes has moved him ahead of RJ in terms of who Thibs is going to lean on to close games. I think RJ has run out of rope- I don’t think Thibs is just going pencil him in for for 30+ minutes anymore. In terms of Thibs trust I think he’s below all three of IQ, Hart, and Grimes right now.

    On point Mitch- I think Mitch has done a good job of finding three point shooters after offensive rebounds all season. He’s made quick solid decisions when he grabs a board he can’t immediately put back in.

    I agree 100% on Randle TNFH.

    RJ to me is a more subtle argument.

    I think that until the summer, when he’ll be on the trade block (my feeling is that he’s the first to know it and he’s conditioned by it), there must be a scenario to use him in a “non detrimental” way.

    Andrew Wiggins was an joke in NBA’s circles for years, he went to GS, with high BB-IQ players and Steve Kerr, and he become a valuable piece.

    We’ve seen RJ doing useful things in the not so distant past, there must be a way, while the roster is “freezed”, to make it happen again, even as the 4th option in the wings pecking order.

    Then in july we can switch to Miles or OG ๐Ÿ˜‰

    This is great. We have great leadership among our best players.

    @IanBegley: Knicksโ€™ Jalen Brunson is a finalist for the NBA Sportsmanship Award this season
    https://twitter.com/IanBegley/status/1642938665843269633

    And also Randle is an underrated leader, because of his shenanigans during games. The most recent i saw about him being a good leader was iHart crediting Randle for his season turnaround because after a very bad game, Randle sent him a text saying “Just keep going, we want you here”.

    Obi continues to be the great tantalizer. Last night he had 3 dunks and 3 3PM. No idea how to check this, but feels like thatโ€™s not a very common occurrence among NBA players.

    i don’t know the actual numbers, but it’s common. anthony edwards and anunoby also did it last night. friend of the show kevin knox was 1 little 3pfg away.

    I like the team better without RJ and Randle.

    It’s a faster team and I spend less time worrying and ultimately complaining about dumb plays. Everyone makes mistakes, but some are just plain dumb.

    I wonder if there is any way we could move both those guys and bring back something really good.

    I dig you Strat!

    From a “basketball pleasure” standpoint it’s like night and day and can save coronaries and TV screens… ๐Ÿ™‚

    And I have the same dreams too, but I’m not sure who to target with some chance of concreteness…

    Then in july we can switch to Miles or OG ๐Ÿ˜‰

    Miles… Bridges? Did Hubert stole your login? ๐Ÿ˜ฎ I don’t want guys that beat the wife/girlfriend on our team, and in his case it was in front of the kids, which is even worse.

    @Cyber

    It was an autocorrector mistake, I mean Mikal but my tablet (who probably “stored” Miles from previous McBride domments) decided differently ๐Ÿ˜€

    I DON’T want Miles Bridges.

    “I dig you Strat!”

    Since everyone still calls me Strat, I decided to go back to that name, but I’m still heavily into Deeefense. ๐Ÿ™‚

    @Max: Phew, that’s a relief. ๐Ÿ˜‰ It’s a Bridges, but not Miles. ๐Ÿ˜› Maybe Hubert hacked your autocorrect to have more support. ๐Ÿ˜€

    ***In one 19-season span, New York made the postseason just four times. In three of those four seasons, they won either no playoff games or suffered a gentlemanโ€™s sweep.***

    I know this is supposed to evoke sadness and pity for all Knicks fans 19 and under, but isnโ€™t it even worse than that newsletter lets on? By my count this is year 22 of the famine, with only one season of mildly interesting playoff basketball basketball peppered in.

    That Mitch assist – how could Brunson miss with how perfectly it was delivered. ๐Ÿ™‚

    It’s going to be hard to tell IQ that they don’t think he’s worth what they’re paying RJ, no?

    I also love that we’ve been saying “Lou Williams” as IQ’s comp, and now he’s going to win the Sixth Man just like Lou Williams!

    Also, how dumb is the NBA that once you win something like Sixth Man, you automatically have a good chance at winning it again because people have no imagination? Lou Williams having three Sixth Man of the Year awards is bonkers.

    Can you expect to pay IQ, Hart or eventually Grimes less than RJ? I don’t think so. Moving RJ should be a top priority.

    Dee-o-matic?

    Moving RJ is weird, though. I agree, it should be a priority, but at the same time, don’t other teams see the same stuff we do? So what can you even get for RJ making a decent chunk of money?

    The only trade I can think of is RJ plus a ton of picks for OG? My cousin in Toronto still loves RJ so he may have some marketability up there.

    If TOR does well in the playoffs OG might not be on the table anymore.

    Some rebuilding team will want RJ though.

    Told all y’all they should have traded Randle.

    Anyway … reports that Mavs are strongly considering shutting down Kyrie and Luka to keep their pick. It’s the right move.

    (1)

    A+ timing, E. The Knicks win without Randle, and Seth Partnow only put Randle in his 4B tier in his new tiers column. A triumphant E day!

    Some rebuilding team will want RJ though.

    I’m confident some team out there will take RJ, but I don’t know how many rebuilding teams would actively want him.

    Barring some kind of insane playoff surge by RJ, I would assume he will be viewed as salary filler in a star trade, and that any team that chooses him instead of Fournier’s expiring deal(*) would do so with an attitude of “Hey, he’s only 22, he’s not cheap but he’s also not cripplingly expensive, and sometimes he’s very good, so maybe we can unlock that?”

    (*) This is assuming that they don’t manage to pull off โ€”ย as Brian Windhorst hinted at a week or two ago โ€”ย two big trades this summer, with Fournier as the salary ballast in one and RJ in the other.

    I was going to lay down a few Katz quotes from his latest Athletic piece on the Knicks, but really the whole thing needs quoting.

    Recommended reading for getting put in an even better mood.

    “Also, how dumb is the NBA that once you win something like Sixth Man, you automatically have a good chance at winning it again because people have no imagination? Lou Williams having three Sixth Man of the Year awards is bonkers.”

    If IQ wins the award six times in the next six seasons, will the apocalypse be nigh?

    So last year, Obi went for 20, 20, 19, 35, and 42 the last five games.

    So far Obi is at 12 and 21. Anyone want to predict the last three?

    “A+ timing, E. The Knicks win without Randle, and Seth Partnow only put Randle in his 4B tier in his new tiers column. A triumphant E day!”

    Luka and E are alike in that they are both considering shutting things down after a disastrous season…

    Max, I think it’s accurate that RJ isn’t *terribly* far off from “non-detrimental” status. Wiggins’ TS+ on the championship team was 99, which is…aspirational, but not impossible for RJ. If RJ could get there, he could be a fine usage soaker when Brunson and/or Randle are facing traps, doubles, etc. This would have to come with a renewed defensive commitment for him to be an affirmatively valuable player though.

    One problem for us is the Warriors had enough surplus cap value on the roster (largely in the form of having a top-10 all-time talent because those guys are pretty much per se surplus value) that it didn’t really matter that Wiggins was “overpaid” for his role.

    We definitely have some surplus cap value, but not nearly enough to not have to worry much about RJ if he continues to stink.

    Andrew Wiggins was signed to a full rookie max extension by our current head coach, who if he was POBO here might have done the same thing with RJ. Point being that RJ’s contract is a significantly smaller percentage of the salary cap than Wiggins’ deal was, and for one less year.

    I don’t see it necessarily becoming a “value” contract, but as long as it doesn’t take an unprotected first (that became a 7th pick) to unload it, I can live with it on whatever residual upside hope there still is for RJ. He is very much on a Wiggins trajectory, though.

    I will set the over under on Obiโ€™s point total at 64 for the last three games.

    Someone wants a proven scorer with that Maple Mamba mentality. Right?

    I’m taking the over. I think last game he looked a lot more like the Obi from the end of last season (27 PPG), and the games aren’t meaningful (sorry, Brian ๐Ÿ˜›) so Thibs will keep him in even if he makes one or two mistakes. Of course, if he plays bad he’s a bad player, and if he plays great it’s because the games aren’t meaningful, so it’s a no-win situation for him. But i hope he plays great and gets some confidence back just in time to help us in the playoffs.

    But that’s almost done, GHenman. We need to win one of the two games against Indy and the 5th is ours. That’s because with that win we’d have a better conference record on the Nets, and we’d be tied on head to head and division record. We’ll also be 5th if the Nets lose one of the three games they have against EC teams, even if we lose all three remaining games. So yeah, the games still have a meaning, but we’ll get the 5th one way or the other. Which means Thibs will play the backup team more time, to have them ready for the playoffs. At least that’s what i think will happen.

    But even if Thibs is still in game 7 mode, with Randle on the sidelines, Obi will have a lot of playing time.

    I hope you are right about Obi. With Barrett out, I would agree with you, but Iโ€™m assuming Barrett is returning. Then Iโ€™m not sure Obi will get as many minutes as he did last game, where he had 21 points in 33 minutes.

    Yeah, that’s certainly a possibility, KnickFan. But i hope Thibs doesn’t keep playing Brunson, RJ, IQ, Grimes and JHart a lot of time, for them to get to the playoffs a little fresher. It’s not load management, Donnie, just not playing the usual heavy minutes Thibs asks of them. ๐Ÿ˜› So for them to play a little less, we have to play Obi and Deuce a little more. Maybe even keep playing Fournier some minutes, because if we get to a situation where we need shooting during the playoffs, maybe inserting Fournier in the Jamal Crawford role can help us on one or two games that aren’t going our way for our main scorers (Brunson and Randle).

    Comments are closed.