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Knicks Morning News (2024.07.06)


  • How Knicks stack up to improved top of East early in 2024 offseason – sny.tv
    [sny.tv] – Fri, 05 Jul 2024 16:20:43 GMT
    1. How Knicks stack up to improved top of East early in 2024 offseason
    2. When was last time Knicks, Celtics, 76ers were all this good?
    3. Knicks draft capital: How many picks can New York trade this season?
    4. Grading Knicks’ Early Moves in NBA Free Agency
    5. 3 Critical things the Knicks still need to do after hot start to offseason


  • Knicks sign rookies Pacome Dadiet & Tyler Kolek – Posting and Toasting
    [Posting and Toasting] – Fri, 05 Jul 2024 10:30:00 GMT
    1. Knicks sign rookies Pacome Dadiet & Tyler Kolek
    2. Knicks Rumors: 1st-Round Draft Pick Pacome Dadiet to Sign Reduced Rookie Contract
    3. Knicks signing first-round draft pick Pacome Dadiet to 80 percent of standard contract
    4. Report: Knicks Sign First Round Pick for Bargain
    5. Knicks Sign First-Rounder Dadiet For Less Than Standard Rookie Scale Amount


  • Knicks’ decision to keep key young guard proves strategic – Empire Sports Media
    [Empire Sports Media] – Fri, 05 Jul 2024 16:01:27 GMT

    Knicks’ decision to keep key young guard proves strategic

  • 234 replies on “Knicks Morning News (2024.07.06)”

    That is a good question. My guess is that they are still trying to make deals so they don’t know how much cap space they have or how many empty roster spots. I also recall that this Knicks management in the past has left at least one roster spot open pending what happens in summer league. That way summer league performances can really matter to the participants.

    Has Detroit signalled they want to move Duren? I know they are not exactly well run but why would they want to do that?

    He’s been mentioned in trade possibilities on The Athletic, but I don’t think either Utah or Detroit has signaled that they’re looking to trade their young centers. Such is our predicament when the only tradable salary we have on the team is Deuce’s $5mm. We either have to go after go after guys on rookie scales (of which there are only 2 that make sense) or trade a member of the rotation.

    Such is our predicament when the only tradable salary we have on the team is Deuce’s $5mm. We either have to go after go after guys on rookie scales (of which there are only 2 that make sense) or trade a member of the rotation.

    I’m guessing the vast majority of teams in the NBA would give their left testicle to be in the Knick’s “predicament” … but that’s just an opinion

    They’re not going to want just picks for their best center.

    Well, it’s Deuce and picks. The idea is that hopefully Deuce has made himself into a valuable commodity that a team like Detroit (who desperately lacks shooting) might covet.

    It’s not terribly urgent to sign Hukporti or McCullar. If something comes up, you don’t want to have committed roster spots to them yet.

    Hukporti can also be stashed or require a buyout, which might be another hangup.

    Or perhaps they’re negotiating the years and dollars, which wasn’t really a thing before the 2nd round exception.

    No, Marechal, that’s only the non taxpayer exception. Teams over the tax line can’t use the smaller exception for trades. We also no longer have access to the leftover trade exceptions from last year, since we’re not hard capped at the first apron.

    I’m guessing the vast majority of teams in the NBA would give their left testicle to be in the Knick’s “predicament” … but that’s just an opinion

    We’re still short, Bob.

    No, Marechal, that’s only the non taxpayer exception. Teams over the tax line can’t use the smaller exception for trades. We also no longer have access to the leftover trade exceptions from last year, since we’re not hard capped at the first apron.

    Got it, thank you. Have I said how much I hate the new CBA?

    In other news, maybe the 2025 Detroit pick will not be a fuggazi pick after all.

    Such is our predicament when the only tradable salary we have on the team is Deuce’s $5mm. We either have to go after go after guys on rookie scales (of which there are only 2 that make sense) or trade a member of the rotation.

    This is why they may decide to take a look at the team more or less as it is, see how Mitch’s body is holding up, see what Mikal can do as 2nd option when Randle is off the court, and then ultimately decide to trade Randle for a starting C.

    Leon seems to like to build the team one major step at a time. He takes a look at the results and then makes the next move.

    He operates almost like a psychiatrist with medications. If you change more than one medication at a time, you can’t be sure which is working and which is causing side effects. If you change one at a time, you know exactly what’s going on and why, then you can make adjustments.

    Adrian Wojnarowski
    @wojespn

    Free agent F Caleb Martin is finalizing a deal with the Philadelphia 76ers, sources tell ESPN. Impactful pickup for the Sixers, who bring on the playoff-tested veteran from Miami.

    76ers will be tough

    Woj:

    Free agent F Caleb Martin is finalizing a deal with the Philadelphia 76ers, sources tell ESPN. Impactful pickup for the Sixers, who bring on the playoff-tested veteran from Miami.

    We’re still short, Bob.

    Everyone other than the Celtics are “short”. Of course we are short. So are the Nuggets with the best player in the world. They are really short with zero bench and no 2 guard. Philly has 3 excellent players, 2 of which have a long history of not being on the floor. OKC (and Boston, obv.) is the only team above us that I’d switch rosters with.

    Fan Duel has us currently ranked 5th with our odds closer to 2nd than OKC is to 1st. That’s a pretty good spot.

    I don’t get the use of loaded words like “predicament”. If you are married to Ann Margret and you lust for Marilyn Monroe, I’d hardly call that a predicament.

    Stratomaticsays:
    July 6, 2024 at 10:17

    Adrian Wojnarowski
    @wojespn

    Free agent F Caleb Martin is finalizing a deal with the Philadelphia 76ers, sources tell ESPN. Impactful pickup for the Sixers, who bring on the playoff-tested veteran from Miami.

    76ers will be tough

    How is this an impactful pick up with his -2.0 BPM playing for a good , well coached team along with his .531 TS% and 35% 4 ball shooting?

    Yes… when their 3 guys are healthy and playing they will be difficult, but they will be surrounded by players like this at best.

    So in looking deeply into Dadiet, including comparing his 18yo film to RJ Barrett’s film, I am coming away with some guarded optimism about Dadiet.
    1) RJ seemed more physically developed than Dadiet at the same age, truly NBA ready. Dadiet seems more “soft” in both his look and his movements.
    2) The Euro game seems a lot less organized than the college game. Duke seemed to run some very sophisticated play actions, while Ulm was more basic motion basketball with a spread offense. In that sense, it seems like RJ was more polished in terms of the different looks and actions he would see in the pro’s.
    3) RJ seemed to have much better guard skills…passing, dribbling, creating, court vision.
    4) RJ is clearly smaller, but used his size well. Dadiet played smaller than he is, RJ played bigger.
    5) Dadiet’s shot and shooting form are light years ahead of where RJ’s were at the same age.
    6) Dadiet’s off-hand looks much further along in all ways than RJ’s was at Duke. RJ nearly always went left, whether dribbling, passing or shooting. Dadiet seems pretty comfortable in either direction.
    7) Dadiet had a better bag in the midrange than RJ. He uses his height and length to get shots off much better than RJ did. It’s really not even close.
    8) RJ got to the rim in the half-court better than Dadiet.
    9) Both are strong finishers in transition. Dadiet had the advantage of being able to go with either hand equally well.
    10) Despite his decent motor, there’s a lack of pro-level intensity in Dadiet’s game. RJ’s physical toughness allowed him to be a starter immediately in the NBA…he was terrible on O statistically speaking, but he held his own positionally. Dadiet looks like he will be overwhelmed by the speed and strength of the NBA game at first.

    Overall, I think Dadiet has both a lower floor and a higher ceiling than RJ. He is likely going to have a rude awakening when he finds out that the shit that worked at Ulm is way to slow and weak to be effective against NBA defenses. But he’s not Kevin Knox-level slow-twitch and uncoordinated either. He just seems physically immature, as if he’s still growing or just finished growing. I think his physical profile and skillset lend themselves very well to development. The 3pt shot seems for real, both catch-and-shoot and off-the-dribble. His physical profile reminds me a lot of Melo, and there’s some real Melo-like craftiness in his mid-range game, both facing and back to basket, that bodes well for development as he matures into an adult body. Since he’s not all that explosive, it will come down to things like strength, footwork, and touch. But he will be able to get his shot off in the NBA.

    The defense and rebounding are major concerns right now. It is not easy to tell how much of that is inherent and how much is just immaturity and playing in Europe. Again, he doesn’t physically seem to have a Kevin Knox-like hard ceiling on defense, but how quickly he develops there will determine how soon we see him play. The good news is that, unlike either RJ or Knox, he was picked at #25, so if he underperforms or even busts (don’t worry, he won’t!) it won’t be as frustrating for fans.

    Honestly, I think he’s just as good of a very young upside swing on a wing as Risacher, Salaun, Buzelis, Williams, or Holland without the risk of blowing a lottery pick, and every bit as good the more available young guys like Furphy or George.

    The 76ers will waive F/C Paul Reed, whose contract is non-guaranteed for next season, sources tell ESPN.— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) July 6, 2024

    Leon Time!

    I still think Leon’s plan is to bring Achiuwa back and rock with what we have until around January, then see if a nice deal for another C can be made. Surely Mitch can stay healthy that long. But I have faith that this is the year that Mitch is able to avoid the injury bug. He may miss a game or two here and there for rest and minor injuries, but I think he makes it through the season mostly unscathed. We still need a quality backup for him though. It’d be great if Sims finally takes that leap. But I’m kinda hoping that Achiuwa continues his evolution as a Knick, and we can use his deal to grab someone like Time Lord or Richards. Or maybe even Looney or Zach Collins

    Caleb Martin killed us in that series, but he’s not that good.

    Honestly, if the Knicks are able to pick up BB Paul because of that signing, it’s a pretty good set of transactions vis-a-vis their rival.

    Seriously Paul Reed is at least close to a best case scenario here. Does the TPMLE get it done?

    How is this an impactful pick up with his -2.0 BPM playing for a good , well coached team along with his .531 TS% and 35% 4 ball shooting?

    The 76ers have their 3 scoring options set. They need solid role players and depth. Martin adds some depth and defends. If anything he had a down year last year.

    Balkans on fire!
    Greece vs Slovenia right now in a knockout game for Olympics
    Freak vs Luka
    Very intense so far

    Reed was set to make $7.7m this year. I have to think Morey tried to find a team to take him and didn’t manage to. So his value is probably a little below that.

    Anyone who shoots 35% from 4 can play for my team.

    If you are married to Ann Margret and you lust for Marilyn Monroe, I’d hardly call that a predicament.

    Jesus Christ, Bob, how old are you?

    Seems like Reed would be a better get than Precious, no?

    What’s the average age of the top 8 or 9 on the Sixers?

    Edit:

    Embiid: 30
    PG: 34
    Maxey: 24
    Oubre: 29
    Drummond: 31
    Gordon: 36
    Martin: 29

    Maybe they get a healthy season from everyone next year, but it’s a lot of age and health risk together.

    Caleb Martin has had 1 great playoff run and otherwise a pretty lame bench piece

    Reed is by far and away the best FA center left. We need him bad.

    He even hit 21 threes on 57 attempts last season for a 36.8% clip. It’s basically nothing but maybe there’s something there that can grow a bit over time.

    Also, for all the talk of the Sixers good offseason, here is the BPM outside of the top 3:

    Eric Gordon: -1.7
    Andre Drummond: 0.1
    Kelly Oubre: -2.3
    Caleb Martin: -2.0

    McCain and Council IV are question marks, too.

    I assume they’ll pick a veteran or two, but it’s a shallower roster than last year (of course, PG compensates for that, but given they have little ability to cover for injuries).

    Anyone who shoots 35% from 4 can play for my team.

    He played 6% of his 6000 minutes as the 4. 1% last year and 3% the previous year.

    Reed is also a sneaky good playmaker and even hits the floaters we like so much. Was similar to iHart on the offensive glass this year too.

    Golden opportunity if we can get him on the TPMLE.

    I don’t get the use of loaded words like “predicament”.

    It’s because we’re short and nearly out of assets.

    OKC probably isn’t short at all and they’re loaded with assets. Denver is only short because they already won. Philly might be short (very arguable) but they have access to their picks in ’26, ’28, ’29, ’30, ’31 plus two surplus firsts they got in trades. San Antonio is short but it’s just a matter of time.

    These are the teams “the majority of the league would trade their testicle for”, not us.

    When you’re decisively losing the fight and you’re almost out of bullets it’s a predicament.

    If you are married to Louise Brooks and you lust for Claudette Colbert, I’d hardly call that a predicament

    We can re-hardcap ourselves and sign Reed to a portion of the full MLE. We’d be able to offer him a bit more money and up to 4 years instead of 2.

    It’s because we’re short and nearly out of assets.

    Before we go down this definitional rabbit hole…. tell us who isn’t “short”….

    Pags and E decided to give us a rest in this Saturday morning, but don’t worry, Hubert is here to fill our daily quota of catastrophism!

    Hubert, would you take the Philly roster and pick situation over the Knicks?

    If you are married to Louise Brooks and you lust for Claudette Colbert, I’d hardly call that a predicament

    Neither would I. I’d be very happy with either of those lovely ladies.

    There is nothing catastrophic about our position; I just think the loss of Hartenstein and our inability to replace him will likely prevent us from winning a championship.

    With him, we were probably a 57-60 win team that could win a chip.

    Without him, I imagine we’re a ~55 win team that probably never makes the finals and loses there if we do.

    To me, that is a predicament, but not a catastrophe.

    Hubert, would you take the Philly roster and pick situation over the Knicks?

    Careful with this answer… remember before the playoff you told us Philly was the easiest matchup with Embiid back playing and a healthy Maxey.

    Hubert, would you take the Philly roster and pick situation over the Knicks?

    That is a tough one because I hate the Sixers and have been known for believing Embiid is a chump. But I think objectively one would have to concede they are in a better position than us.

    I would bet on us in a 7 game series next year, but I would bet on their franchise over the next 5-7 years.

    Without him, I imagine we’re a ~55 win team that consistently comes up short.

    To me, that is “a predicament,” since the goal is to not come up short.

    While I would say an ~ 55 win team is hardly a predicament ( Washington, Detroit Charlotte are in predicaments, IMO) your definition is fine for you. Then… by your definition, what team besides Boston and OKC aren’t in predicaments? Honestly, by your definition 28 teams are in predicaments.

    I”m guessing the vast majority of teams in the NBA would give their left testicle to be in the Knick’s “predicament” … but that’s just an opinion

    Really? Vast majority would want to lock into a 50 win team with minimal picks for 7 years and a payroll that will balloon to 200m+ in 2 years? We are one player away and we’re all out of assets.

    Utah had the best SRS in the league awhile back and still tore it down because rhey didn’t think they could win championships…

    I would probably bet on us in a 7 game series if everyone was healthy. But I would bet on their franchise over the next 7 years.

    Because Embiid and George figure to age more gracefully than Brunson, Bridges, OG and Randle? How about the various holes in their lineup?

    Utah had the best SRS in the league awhile back and still tore it down because rhey didn’t think they could win championships…

    How’s that tear down working out for them 3 years in?

    Knicks-Sixers right now reminds me of Knicks-Heat in the 2000s. We used to always beat the Heat, but the Heat won titles.

    I like how we match up against Philadelphia and I would bet on us to beat them. But I think they are much more likely to win a title than we are.

    The one move they made this summer that I particularly hate was drafting Jared McCain. He and Maxey are going to be fucking hell to deal with.

    I would bet on us in a 7 game series next year, but I would bet on their franchise over the next 5-7 years.

    This is a weird position, in my view, because you have to really believe that the draft picks outweigh the fact that with every passing year this Sixers roster will be older and even more injury prone, while the Knicks are significant younger/healthier.

    The Knicks’ main advantage of their three main rivals (Celtics, Sixers, Bucks) is that they are much younger. All four teams have flexibility issues for different reasons (the Sixers will be paying their top-3 95% of the cap for the foreseeable future).

    Reed would be a great addition here, as he does the things you want a Knick center to do: rebound the ball, get some stocks, throw the ball in the basket occasionally. Can even sink a free throw if you ask him.

    If the Knicks can get Reed for the TPMLE, they could still sign Precious and stay under the 2nd apron, right?

    JB
    Deuce

    Mikal
    DDV

    OG
    Hart

    Randle
    Precious

    Mitch
    Reed

    Plus the 4 rookies.

    I am not sure there would be any team in the East with comparable depth (and probably only OKC in the League).

    If the Knicks can get Reed for the TPMLE, they could still sign Precious and stay under the 2nd apron, right?

    Yes they could

    Paul Reed is just the most recent example of the tongue-in-cheek 80/20 rule. It’s silly to fret over losing a guy getting paid $29M AAV (or even the $18M AAV we could have paid him) when guys like Reed are nearly always available at a fraction of the cost.

    I gotta say, I really like André 3000’s new track – The Slang Word Pussy Rolls Off The Tongue With Far Better Ease Than The Proper Word Vagina.

    I truly had no idea he was so flautistic.

    Because Embiid and George figure to age more gracefully than Brunson, Bridges, OG and Randle

    Because Morey will trade them MFs before they age out.

    Paul George probably has two years with the Sixers before he becomes a matching salary in a megadeal for a new superstar.

    Paul Reed is just the most recent example of the tongue-in-cheek 80/20 rule. It’s silly to fret over losing a guy getting paid $29M AAV (or even the $18M AAV we could have paid him) when guys like Reed are nearly always available at a fraction of the cost.

    Except he’s been closer to 20% of iHart

    Paul George probably has two years with the Sixers before he becomes a matching salary in a megadeal for a new superstar.

    This assumes that: (i) a superstar who fits with them will be available and that the Sixers win the bidding; (ii) that 32- or 33-year old Embiid will still be as effective; and (iii) that Philly will find a way to surround their even older top 3 with effective players in the current CBA.

    Edit: and (iv) what educate the weak said.

    Because Morey will trade them MFs before they age out.

    PG is currently 34, Clippers just let him go because they didn’t want him up until he was 38. Teams will not be lining up for a 36 year old PG on his deal.

    When you add Martin’s 4-32m deal, I am pretty sure him plus their big-3 will be making 100% of the cap in the next couple of years.

    If you are married to Barbara Villiers and you lust for Louise de Kérouaille, I’d hardly call that a predicament

    How many rings does Morey have?

    As many as we do in the last 50 years, plus more equity towards his first…

    I want Reed and i also want to keep Achiuwa. Leon, forget about the backup PG* and get this done.

    *We’ll always have a ball-handler with the 2nd unit, be it Mikal, Randle or, if all starters are resting, DDV.

    If you are married to Barbara Villiers and you lust for Louise de Kérouaille, I’d hardly call that a predicament

    OMG, Rama is a vampire! 😀

    I had to look up Louise Brooks, which makes me feel so… young?

    Question, not entirely tongue-in-cheek: if Paul Reed is 80% of iHart at 20% the cost (or whatever the actual percentages are), why is he available when iHart was snatched up in a gigantic bucket filled with cash?

    It seems that either most everyone else is a moron, or he’s not actually very good. Or, I guess, option three is he’s a cancer.

    I know zero about him, so actually asking.

    That’s kinda the point, Clown. He’s got a track record with hall of fame talent. We had Patrick Ewing.

    The 76ers have their 3 scoring options set. They need solid role players and depth. Martin adds some depth and defends. If anything he had a down year last year.

    The majority of his career has been down. Lifetime numbers: BPM = -1.2, TS% .531, 3pt% .357, Ws/48 .084, PER 11.7 . This is the profile of a below league average player. He is a “body” and little more

    This is a weird position, in my view, because you have to really believe that the draft picks outweigh the fact that with every passing year this Sixers roster will be older and even more injury prone, while the Knicks are significant younger/healthier.

    If you have matching salaries, a boatload of picks, and not one iota of sentimentality, there’s no reason your roster ever has to age out.

    You seem to think Philly is locked into George and Embiid, whereas I presume Morey would flip both of them before it’s too late.

    The Knicks’ main advantage of their three main rivals (Celtics, Sixers, Bucks) is that they are much younger. All four teams have flexibility issues for different reasons (the Sixers will be paying their top-3 95% of the cap for the foreseeable future).

    It sounds like you only care about winning the East.

    Our main rival after Boston & Philadelphia is probably Oklahoma City. And by the time those Eastern rivals age out San Antonio is probably going to be loaded up.

    Martin getting that Spoelstra bump, just like those Spurs role players did during the Pop/Duncan years and went on to be nothing.

    I find it funny that we all only asked for a team that we could somehow imagine being NBA Champions. Now that we got here, we’re getting more greedy and wanting perfection.
    This is a great team, and although with imperfections, we can dream that if all things go our way, we snatch a championship 2004 Pistons style. And the team is super fun to root for, so just enjoy the ride and temper expectations. We can be mad that this is not going the way we wanted… in 3 years from now.

    Teams will not be lining up for a 36 year old PG on his deal

    That’s what the boatload of picks is for.

    You don’t think Brooklyn wanted Bojan, do you?

    I find it funny that we all only asked for a team that we could somehow imagine being NBA Champions. Now that we got here, we’re getting more greedy and wanting perfection.

    But we didn’t get there.

    I can’t imagine this team being an NBA champion. It’s not good enough.

    And I think almost everyone here knows that.

    There are teams I’d definitely want to switch places with right now (OKC, Boston, to name two) and others for whom I’d really have to think long and hard about it (Spurs, Minny, Denver, Mavs).

    But that’s not all that relevant to me because what we have is what we have, and what we have is fucking awesome! Less than 4 years out from Leon’s first move as POBO (hiring Tom Thibodeau on July 30, 2020), to have a team this good, this young, this rootable, with this much upside is good enough for me! And good enough to win over nearly all of the intelligent skeptics, like TNFH, JK, Bruno, DRed, etc.! Of course, there are holdouts who doubted that this was possible from the start, who continually have an axe to grind, even though they have been proven wrong countless time along the way. It’s championship or bust, and without one, just like the ’90s Knicks, this iteration will represent failure and wasted opportunity…and will be all “I told you so!” about the moves they didn’t make at various junctures along the way.

    Lithuania plays again today. Maybe he doesn’t look like ass in the highlight reel for once

    The majority of his career has been down. Lifetime numbers: BPM = -1.2, TS% .531, 3pt% .357, Ws/48 .084, PER 11.7 . This is the profile of a below league average player. He is a “body” and little more

    I don’t look at BPM, WS/48, PER and other metrics like that. They don’t capture a lot of stuff.

    I look at what the player brings to the table, what the team needs and whether he will be additive to what they already have.

    I think he defends fairly well and is a mildly plus player overall. IMO, he’s a good guy to add to a team that looked very top heavy with Embiid, George, and Maxey. They just need role players. That’s a good add for them, which is not saying he’s a star or anything, but they don’t need another star scorer. If he defends at a plus level, hits 3s at a reasonable rate, gets a few boards, he’ll help them.

    I’ve watched the Knicks since I was 8, around 1994, and since the post 99 collapse it’s been 20 years of watching teams I either expected to lose most games, or wanted to lose most games because a throw of the dice in the lottery felt like the only option to actually get a competitive team going forward.

    I’m just going to enjoy this, and that’s it. We used to have backup centers, and quarrel around endlessly over how to get the 2 or 3 core players we never had to be competitive. Now the sky is falling because we have the core and not the backup center. The irony could be delicious if not for the endless annoyance it has become in this offseason here.

    Now the sky is falling because we have the core and not the backup center.

    No, Bruno. The argument is we do not have the core. We’re missing one two-way player in the starting lineup to complete the core.

    We don’t need a backup center. We need a starting center who is a top 50 NBA player.

    Some people are not going to be happy with our team unless we are the clear cut favorite to win the title. That’s not realistic.

    IMO, there’s so much luck involved in team building and in the season itself due to injuries, a more realistic goal is be among the 5-6 teams at the top of league that are being given a serious chance. Then you see what happens regarding injuries, certain players having career years or down years, trades etc…

    I’d say with a healthy Mitch (and adding Precious) we are exactly where we want to be. Maybe you could argue backup PG is not really settled yet, but we did add a rookie that might win that job with Deuce really being more of a SG anyway. Since Mitch’s health is suspect, we probably need someone better than Precious as the backup, but we don’t know for sure Mitch won’t hold up and we have time to add a backup C if he doesn’t.

    “Except he’s been closer to 20% of iHart”

    Per 36 stats up until age 24, Reed (2,824 mp) vs. Hartenstein (3,888 MP)
    Points: 13.9 to 12.6
    ORebs: 4.8 to 4.1
    DRebs: 6.7 to 6.9
    TRebs: 11.5 to 11.0
    Assts: 3.2 to 2.1
    Steals: 2.0 to 1.3
    Blocks: 2.1 to 1.9
    TOVs: 1.7 to 2.1
    Fouls 5.2 to 5.4

    Reed is a year younger than iHart with 2 years less experience. He has also been playing behind an MVP candidate for his entire career. Hard to know whether he has topped out as a player or whether another coach and opportunity will bring out more in his game.

    Whatever, he’s certainly not 20% of iHart.

    I am in San Francisco and just went to the lobby of the hotel to get some coffee and the whole Lakers summer league squad is milling around…then i realized they are playing the Kings today for summer league kick off….i know i’m getting old when they looked like high school kids to me…btw…didn’t see Bronny or Knecht..

    We don’t need a backup center. We need one more starter who is a top 50 NBA player.

    I disagree.

    This is a very well built team.

    With a healthy Mitch we have solid interior and perimeter defense. I’d argue it’s a top 5 defense in the league and maybe top 3.

    With Brunson, Randle, Mikal, and OG, we have 4 efficient scorers (to go along with Mitch’s dunks and put backs) that will provide good spacing, good penetration and enough shot creation.

    That’s a top 7-10 offense and maybe even better.

    We also have a few above average rebounders and playmakers relative to their respective positions starting.

    We have DDV, J-Hart, and Deuce as very solid bench pieces with arguably two starter quality players there.

    We got an injection of youthful upside in the draft.

    Could we use a starting C with more offensive skills that will remain healthy? Yes. But then you are asking for a perfect team instead of just a very good one. There are very few perfect teams in the NBA. Boston is one and maybe OKC is becoming one now. We’ll see how we stack up and how the season develops.

    That’s what the boatload of picks is for.

    So teams are going to line up for the 36 and 37 seasons of Injury prone Paul George and Philly is going to pay 5.5 first rounders to get a role player like Bridges?

    Thanks, Z-Man. Was too lazy to dive into the Reed stats (actually too busy tearing my hair out over a work puzzle). Still a curiosity as to why he’s available, but it sure looks like he’d be a decent pickup based purely on the numbers…

    And I’m totally with Bruno on the team. In the last two years we got Brunson, OG, and Mikal. That’s breathtaking. We’re out of purgatory, out of the mezzanine (however you define them), and perched comfortably in the position of true contender, as per the experts (top five).

    Are we gonna win a chip? Maybe. As Strat continually points out, luck (largely defined as injuries) plays a big role in that. But we have a chance, which is a super-fun place to find ourselves.

    BTW I don’t think Leon, Walt, and Brock are going to rest on their very well deserved laurels. I’m sure they will continue scouting, working the phones, and looking for quality opportunities to fine-tune the roster. I’m also sure that they have a much better handle on how the new cap constraints might squeeze players off of rosters going forward. There’s a lot of time between now and the trade deadline.

    If you remember the discussion the week before the bridges trade Hubert was arguing that if we thought Randle was our #2 we needed to go all in and get Bridges. No half measures this summer.

    Don’t know how good bball Paul would be on the Knicks but he seems like the best available option

    Reed would be a great pickup. I think he is a good player. Other than Duran, I like him better than all of the centers we’ve brought up this offseason. I certainly like him more than Tillman, Goga, or Kessler. He is a bit smaller but he moves really well and is a good defender.

    Unfortunately, I don’t think he will be available for a he tpmle.

    If we get him though it would be a great pivot after losing IHart.

    “Are we gonna win a chip? Maybe. As Strat continually points out, luck (largely defined as injuries) plays a big role in that. But we have a chance, which is a super-fun place to find ourselves.”

    Sort of like being at a top-5 wedding, but one where some pretentious blowhards are obnoxiously whining that they’ve been to better, and that the couple has over a 50% chance of getting divorced anyway so what’s the use?

    I like the Reed-Precious combo idea, since Precious can eat a few MPG at the 4, rather than playing undersized Hart or injury-prone OG in that role.

    If we got both Reed and Precious I hope they would let Sims go and sign Hukporti as the 4th center. I’d love to see all the rookies on the main roster. And with KBD, Reed, and Precious we’d have really good non-rookie depth even with all four rookies signed.

    If you remember the discussion the week before the bridges trade Hubert was arguing that if we thought Randle was our #2 we needed to go all in and get Bridges. No half measures this summer.

    The playoffs are a blur, but I’m pretty sure he was complaining the whole time that I-Hart was not good enough.

    We’re good enough to win a title right now. Barring catastrophic injury I think we can upset the Celtics in some scenarios. I think the coaching is a wash, maybe tilts our way. I think it’s not a hard argument that we’re putting the best player on the floor based off of last year. Then it goes 2,3 celts but we go four five and maybe six. If OKC comes together we’ll have a hell of a time with that team but they’ll have a hell of a time with us. If we find the right answer at backup c then great we’re even better. Leon and company didn’t just immaculately conceive the team then shove it out of the garden. They’re still there choosing who gets to come to Mecca.

    I’m going to Jacob riis to play with the gents. What a time to be alive! I think I’m gonna do a stick and poke Knicks tat on my leg tonight.

    Old pal Evan tried to choke out Dennis Schroeder in Olympic qualifying

    France and Germany are already in the Olympics, it was a “friendly” exibition game, but no one warned Fournier 😀

    Well done Evan!

    Nice to see Sims working on his J but at his age that ship has probably sailed.

    As to Sims vs. Hukporti, the stakes are so low that I am fine with whatever they do. Sims at least has some decent NBA minutes in the bank. Hukporti is probably at least a year away from being an equivalent player. But let’s see how Summer League goes! Is Sims playing?

    Evan Sidery
    @esidery
    DeMar DeRozan is expected to be in Sacramento today visiting the Kings as a sign-and-trade agreement with the Bulls closes in, per
    @damienbarling
    .

    The Spurs are the likely third team involved as the facilitator helping Sacramento.

    DeRozan to Sacramento appears imminent.

    Caleb Martin is a good pickup for the Sixers.
    Three years in a strong system and “culture”, he did play in meaningful games and held his own, tough guy who defend and isn’t afraid.

    Paul Reed is interesting, the fact that in the recent past he had some skirmishes with our guys could be a problem?

    If you remember the discussion the week before the bridges trade Hubert was arguing that if we thought Randle was our #2 we needed to go all in and get Bridges. No half measures this summer.

    And then we lost Isaiah Hartenstein.

    Thus our current predicament.

    I’d really like to watch clips of Mitchell Robinson shooting free throws in his free time…

    And then we lost Isaiah Hartenstein.

    Yeah there was nothing we could do to stop that when you were saying we should trade for bridges. The Knicks did pretty much what you wanted them to

    Reed ain’t 80% of iHart, in particular he’s not in iHart’s universe as a rim protector (he’s not a bad defender in general IMO, just limited by size as a rim protector specifically). But he does bring a lot of iHart’s attributes to the table offensively and can even kinda sorta shoot.

    As to why he’s available, the Sixers probably figured in the playoffs Embiid is playing 40+ minutes a night anyway so salary is better spent on shoring up the bench in other areas.

    I am decidedly not as scared of them as some people, though. 2/3rds of their big 3 are extremely unreliable and aging quickly. I think we can exhaust them in a playoff series.

    In general, skepticism is fair of course, but people are really underrating how good this team could be. The Athletic pod recently drafted the contenders and we went 3rd after Boston and OKC. That’s obviously not exactly rigorous analysis, but there’s a good chance we’ll be chanced around that range by Vegas too.

    It just sounds like some of you think anything other than beginning the season as the literal odds-on favorite is a failure. That’s quite frankly ridiculous. Any team that didn’t try to reach contention until they reached “odds-on favorite” status would almost certainly be putzing around for a decade or two.

    Also, we’re not nearly as stuck as some people think. If an opportunity arises, we can still offer a couple of picks and/or swaps as well as desirable players on good contracts.

    If ~55 wins without a rotation player at 30 isn’t good enough, the goal posts here have moved.

    Michael Scotto @MikeAScotto
    The Oklahoma City Thunder signed Isaiah Hartenstein to a three-year, $87 million deal, including two fully guaranteed years worth $58.5 million and a team option Year 3 worth an additional $28.5 million, league sources told @hoopshype. Contract starts at $30 million and descends.

    30 million in year 1 for IH

    I’d really like to watch clips of Mitchell Robinson shooting free throws in his free time…

    I’m perfectly happy not watching Mitch shoot free throws. I hope he works on them, I just don’t want to watch more Mitch free throws than required.

    Anyone remember the clips of Mitch sinking threes during workouts a few years ago?

    Sims is who he is.

    I would also bring back Precious even if we get Reed, if possible. Largely because, well, we can, but also Precious can back up the 4 even if it’s not ideal.

    We’d still miss iHart, but a healthy Randle/Mitch/Reed/Precious would be a lot of physicality up front, with some skill to boot.

    I am decidedly not as scared of them as some people, though. 2/3rds of their big 3 are extremely unreliable and aging quickly. I think we can exhaust them in a playoff series.

    I’m not worried about them winning a championship. I am worried about them beating us in round 1 before their team disintegrates in round 2 like we did. But maybe we get lucky and they do that to Boston instead.

    Every single NBA player looks like Ray Allen in an empty gym, or even in a pick up game.

    It’s truly wild and speaks to the level of talent in the NBA, but should be ignored for anything but entertainment.

    Sims is who he is.

    Yes, but it doesn’t hurt if he can shoot. Not sure it helps but it doesn’t hurt.

    In one of the more civil post-playoff threads, Hubert proposed this:

    I kinda think we need Randle and Bridges to be a contender. But it is hard to imagine winning a Bridges sweepstakes with Bojan and a bunch of late firsts….Could this get a Bridges deal done? I’m not sure it could. And anything beyond this seems crazy.

    Bojan
    Deuce
    Knicks 2024 1st
    Knicks 2026 1st
    Knicks 2028 1st
    Knicks 2030 1st

    This is not far off from what was offered, and accepted. Instead of Deuce, we included the MIL 2025 pick and a pick swap. We also got a decent deep bench piece, and a decent second back. So Hubert should be very happy with that!

    As to iHart, Hubert said:

    “Put it this way: I no longer fear anyone’s going to make Hartenstein a godfather offer after he no-showed the last two games.”

    This was after trashing iHart’s playoff performance in general. So one would think that he would not be so bent out of shape after iHart did in fact receive and accept a godfather offer. Seems like the same skepticism about the OG godfather offer should be taken with a grain of salt.

    I can’t imagine this team being an NBA champion. It’s not good enough. And I think almost everyone here knows that.

    As perhaps the most pessimistic of all the pessimists regarding the Knicks championship capabilities over the past 20 years, even I can see the path to a title for this Knicks team. Back in May, the Knicks exhibited extended stretches where they were playing the best basketball of any team in the playoffs. If certain things had broken a bit differently, they could have won the chip this year, and next year they’ll have Randle and Bridges, who can theoretically make them much better, so I’d say this team is good enough to be there at the end. Should feel good, not bad.

    It just sounds like some of you think anything other than beginning the season as the literal odds-on favorite is a failure.

    So far you guys have put words like “failure”, “catastrophe”, and “the sky is falling” in my mouth.

    Of course what I actually said was:

    “Such is our predicament when the only tradable salary we have on the team is Deuce’s $5mm.”

    “[Paul Reed] is not in iHart’s universe as a rim protector”

    How do you figure? Reed has a career BLK% of 5.3% and averages 2.1 blocks per 36, with very little variance from year to year. iHart has a creer BLK% of 4.5% (only 4.0% with the Knicks) and avarages 1.8 bloks per 36. Not in iHart’s universe seems a bit extreme, given these numbers.

    How do you figure? Reed has a career BLK% of 5.3% and averages 2.1 blocks per 36, with very little variance from year to year. iHart has a creer BLK% of 4.5% (only 4.0% with the Knicks) and avarages 1.8 bloks per 36. Not in iHart’s universe seems a bit extreme, given these numbers.

    For the same reason Mitch was better this year with a 4% block rate than he was as a rookie with a 10% block rate

    “For the same reason Mitch was better this year with a 4% block rate than he was as a rookie with a 10% block rate”

    Mitch was a better overall defender this year than as a rookie. He was not a better rim protector.

    How do you figure? Reed has a career BLK% of 5.3% and averages 2.1 blocks per 36, with very little variance from year to year. iHart has a creer BLK% of 4.5% (only 4.0% with the Knicks) and avarages 1.8 bloks per 36. Not in iHart’s universe seems a bit extreme, given these numbers.

    iHart FG% – DFG% < 6 FT: -11.2%

    Reed FG% – DFG% < 6 FT: -2.5%

    Back in May, the Knicks exhibited extended stretches where they were playing the best basketball of any team in the playoffs.

    Lol ok Donnie.

    Amidst blaming Thibs for injuries, Hubie was on a roll a couple of months ago at the end of the playoffs:

    Hartenstein needs to show the fuck up and dominate the boards.

    Hartenstein had 0 pts, 3 fouls, 4 rebounds, 0 blocks.
    Show the fuck up, dude.

    Hartenstein disappeared frequently.

    Put it this way: I no longer fear anyone’s going to make Hartenstein a godfather offer after he no-showed the last two games. And we just can’t count on Mitch.

    I do think the closeness of the Villanova guys will make it fairly easy for Donte & Hart to return to their bench roles. And having quality like them on the bench should protect us against overusing OG, Randle, and Bridges during the regular season.
    I also think the defensive versatility of Anunoby (i.e. he can guard most centers) would unlock an ungodly NYK Death Lineup: Brunson-Donte-Bridges-Randle-Anunoby.
    For all these reasons I think overpaying for Bridges would be ok in my book. He makes the sum is greater than the parts

    We have two this year and two next year, and everyone knows we won’t be adding four first round picks to the roster.
    If we reduce that to one each year we’ve added two picks to a package and lost almost nothing that we actually want.
    Throw in a ’26 and a ’28, and now it’s a crazy overpay for Mikal Bridges but who cares? Our team is set and we still get to make first round picks this year and next.

    Give me Bridges and Randle and let’s fuck these teams up next year.

    Bball Paul should look at Mitch and Isaiah-we get our bigs paid. Come here for a year

    Doesn’t matter how many times it’s optimistically repeated, OG and Mikal don’t really “fit” that well together and don’t really “fit” the rest of the roster that well.

    Defense was never a problem here, and there are significant redundancies in terms of usage, limitations, and skill sets.

    Those numbers are as likely to be due to Thibs’ defensive schemes than to the differences between the two players. At the end of the day, Reed has the same tools as Hartenstein does, and is as accomplished in Philly as Hartenstein was before coming to NY and playing for one of the great defensive coaches in NBA history.

    Anyway, the measuring stick is not “equal to Hartenstein as a rim protector” It’s giving you a lot of what Hartenstein did on both ends at a fraction of the price. Seems like we agree on that point. We also agree that we’d waaaay rather have iHart than Reed if it were possible…although I would be less enthusiastic at $30M.

    Thirty mil for Hartenstein is absurd. Dude was awful the last five games against Indiana, and got eaten alive by Embiid against Philly.

    Nobody gives a shit how you play in January. Not really seeing what alternative future states he’s the “missing element” between. And if he is a material missing element, the other elements are pretty creaky.

    “Doesn’t matter how many times it’s optimistically repeated, OG and Mikal don’t really “fit” that well together and don’t really “fit” the rest of the roster that well.”

    Or alternatively,

    “Doesn’t matter how many times it’s pessimistically repeated (by the resident troll), OG and Mikal actually “fit” extremely well together and “fit” the rest of the roster really well.”

    2021 and 2022 Utah Jazz, association rankings:

    SRS: 1st and 3rd
    Net rating: 1st and 3rd
    Pythag wins: 1st and 3rd

    Teardown.

    There’s no “goalpost” move.

    Those numbers are as likely to be due to Thibs’ defensive schemes than to the differences between the two players.

    I had the same thought myself. I do wonder how much of Hartenstein’s gaudy EPM numbers come from playing a lot of drop coverage in Thibs’ scheme.

    Somebody who knows more about that metric than me might be able to shed some light on this. Does Hartenstein get a substantial bonus in EPM because of his excellence at keeping down the FG% of the player he is defending?

    Must be nice

    Hornets re-sign the abuser for 25 million a year..

    Defense was never a problem here, and there are significant redundancies in terms of usage, limitations, and skill sets.

    Huh.

    Those are some good quotes, Marechal. Clearly iHart’s disappearing act in game 7 didn’t deter OKC, but I happily stand by the rest of them.

    What does that have to do with our current predicament?

    Perhaps you noticed in my trade proposals for Bridges there was always at least one pick held back for the next trade. We didn’t do that. Hence, our current predicament.

    Saying OG and Mikal don’t fit well together and with the rest of the roster might be the dumbest thing anyone has said here since dj predicting the Knicks record after the OG trade would be below .500.

    In other news, Caitlin Clark just recorded a triple double and the Fever beat the mighty NY Liberty.

    Before coming to the Knicks, Hartenstein was 23, played for the Clippers, and put up:

    16.7pts/36

    4.7ast/36

    .664TS%

    +3.4 EPM

    Maybe Hartenstein turns back into a pumpkin, maybe Reed makes a leap, but one of them has proof of concept and the other has vaporware and a prayer.

    What does that have to do with our current predicament?

    Perhaps you noticed in my trade proposals for Bridges there was always at least one pick held back for the next trade. We didn’t do that. Hence, our current predicament.

    Hmmmm.

    So now our current predicament is because we gave up the 25/27/29/30 picks instead of 24/26/28/30 + Deuce like you proposed? Overreacting much?

    No idea why TNFH continues to post that quote in the wake of the Knicks playoff defense being significantly worse last year than the year before.

    Or as they said in Mexican Radio — no comprende, it’s a riddle.

    And he’ll never in a million years admit it, but a big part of the reason he said the day before the trade that Mikal likely wouldn’t even be in many closing lineups is the very fit situation I’m musing about.

    No idea why TNFH continues to post that quote in the wake of the Knicks playoff defense being significantly worse last year than the year before.

    Wait, so was defense “never a problem here,” or was our pre-Mikal defense a playoff failure in need of fixing, perhaps by acquiring someone like…Mikal Bridges?

    Ben Rice is good, I don’t think Rizzo is getting back his 1B job.

    Mikal won’t be in some closing lineups! Standby it, 100%. There will be times we’ll close with Donte instead.

    Clearly, E doesn’t think the team is that good and is thus taking the under on their win total. So between that and his prediction that RJ will maintain a .615 TS%, we do at least have some predictions. Maybe these will go better than Reddish, Ntilikina, etc.

    Ben Rice is good, I don’t think Rizzo is getting back his 1B Job.

    Anthony Rizzo went to a farm where he can play with all the other dogs.

    So now our current predicament is because we gave up the 25/27/29/31 picks instead of 24/26/28/30 + Deuce like you proposed? Overreacting much

    I’m pretty sure I said quite clearly that our current predicament is the limited salary band we can use to replace Isaiah Hartenstein.

    Perhaps you should do a better job reading what I’m writing today instead of obsessing over what I wrote a month ago.

    Rice and Wells give me hope that the Yankees player development do have some sort of clue on how to develop hitters. Jasson being hurt really sucks cause he would probably be starting everyday with the Yankees right now too.

    I don’t understand how 2 guys that play two different positions that both play good defense and can hit 3s is a bad thing and redundant.

    Ironically, it took a long time for some folks now defending iHart to agree that he was a better player than Mitch! So if Mitch is now our starter, and is at least arguably comparable to iHart, and making literally half of iHart’s salary, how does Paul Reed measure up?

    Paul Reed EPM: +0.6
    Mitchell Robinson EPM: +0.7

    I’m not going to go all nuts on iHarts’ performance in the playoffs, but I also am not worried about replacing him with Mitch in the starting lineup at half the $30M AAV, and by a guy making 25% or less of his salary as a reserve. If Mitch goes down again, we can cross that bridge when we get there. If he stays healthy, we should be good for now without iHart.

    Mikal won’t be in some closing lineups! Standby it, 100%. There will be times we’ll close with Donte instead.

    Well, it has to be stood by at this point, and the reason is not enough offensive flexibility and pop with both Mikal and OG on the floor at the same time.

    In other words … redundancy and fit.

    In reality, though, what should happen in that event is that OG sits and Mikal plays. Mikal’s the better player and is far more a 3 than a 2. But one never knows with Thibs.

    I had the same thought myself. I do wonder how much of Hartenstein’s gaudy EPM numbers come from playing a lot of drop coverage in Thibs’ scheme.

    ihart played two seasons here and when he was on the court opponents shot 60.98% at the rim, which for a team as a whole would be easily best in the nba in that span. in the same scheme when he was on the bench opponents shot 65.65% at the rim, just below league average. in the prior year on the clippers opponents shot 58.48% at the rim in his 1216 minutes and 64.05% in all the other minutes.

    paul reed is a fun and rootable player with quick hands and a big wingspan who is also much more of a 4 than 5 defensively. he gives too far much space and struggles as a positional defender and is three inches shorter than ihart and not in his universe as a primary rim protector. on the last 3 years sixers opponents have shot over 68% at the rim with him as the 5.

    iHart played primarily against bench talent. Not going to get giddy over him being able to do a decent job against bench talent at the rim.

    We saw what happened when he had to play better talent.

    I don’t understand how 2 guys that play two different positions that both play good defense and can hit 3s is a bad thing and redundant.

    Outside of Giannis, Joker and Luka there were two players this blog as a whole begged to have the last 18 months, OG and Mikal and both looked unattainable for reasons.

    Now we have OG and Mikal, but you know… redundancy

    Edit: Ben Rice just wallypipped Rizzo for good…

    And FWIW there is a major difference between the trades I proposed and the ones that went down.

    If we had done 2024, 2026, 2028, 2030 like I had suggested, then we’d have two picks next summer and we’d be able to use our 2032 pick in a trade.

    The way we structured the trade essentially ends our ability to trade more picks bc we’ll be in 2nd apron territory by the time the 2033 frees up. I imagine Brooklyn forced it to be this way, though, as it’s so incredibly wasteful and punitive to us I can’t imagine we would have desired it.

    Mitch’s EPM tanked this year because of his profound drop in efficiency. He needs to finish more of his tip-ins or just grab the ball and throw it down on some people’s heads.

    I’m pretty sure I said quite clearly that our current predicament is the limited salary band we can use to replace Isaiah Hartenstein.

    Perhaps you should do a better job reading what I’m writing today instead of obsessing over what I wrote a month ago.

    Rest assured, you write the same thing so many times that even those of us with reading difficulties know what you are saying.

    I suppose it’s hard for you to see why so many people think of you as a Debbie Downer even when the Knicks do 97% of what you want them to do.

    The hope, of course, is that Mikal finds a sweet spot between his low-usage but still high quality Phoenix 3&D days and his high-usage inefficient Brooklyn chucker days.

    I’m totally rooting for him to do it and putting a lot of responsibility on Thibs to get that out of him.

    If he does find that sweet spot, he’s clearly a better player than OG and should be on the floor over OG down the stretch There’s a significant inherent offensive skill difference between Mikal and OG.

    “Mikal won’t be in some closing lineups! Standby it, 100%. There will be times we’ll close with Donte instead.”

    I’d be shocked if, all things being even, Mikal is not in the vast, vast majority of closing lineups.

    #since dj predicting the Knicks record after the OG trade would be below .500.#

    Missed that one!
    Damn you career!!!

    Marechal, you think wanting to go Almost-All-In for Bridges when I thought we had Hartenstein and going Fully-All-In for Bridges without Hartenstein is the same?

    Bc if we had Isaiah Hartenstein and two first round picks, we wouldn’t be in this predicament.

    28 NBA teams (not the Celtics) would love to have two guys as “redundant” as OG and Mikal. That’s why you don’t hear anyone else saying this laughably stupid thing.

    You already said it when you said — when you were telling your actual truth, that is — that Mikal wouldn’t close.

    Thanks pt. I think the idea would still be to hope for Mitch’s health in matchups where rim protection is a priority, but Reed would still be a huge get as a guy we know can play a ton of minutes if need be, do some stuff Mitch can’t offensively, and not tank the defense. It’s still pretty hard to find a backup center you can say all those things about.

    I wonder if we could credibly get him up to 100 or so 3PA…would open up some insane lineups for us offensively.

    “iHart played primarily against bench talent. Not going to get giddy over him being able to do a decent job against bench talent at the rim.”

    For anyone left who thinks E is not a despicable troll who says shit just to get people to respond to his trollish idiocy, this might be Exhibit One.

    Let’s see, Mitch played 31 games last season, and started 21. There are, um, 82 games in a season? That means, let’s see, someone else started 61 games at center for the Knicks this past year — a tiny bit over 74% of the season. Must have been Evan Fournier. Explains a lot.

    It’s been an interesting few months for the Heat coming off a disappointing 2023-24 season.

    The most notable thing that has happened was team president Pat Riley essentially shouting down Jimmy Butler after the star forward said the Heat would have defeated the Boston Celtics in the first round of the playoffs if he had been able to play.

    “I thought, ‘Is that Jimmy trolling or is that Jimmy serious?'” Riley told reporters on May 6. “If you’re not on the court playing against Boston or on the court playing against the New York Knicks, you should keep your mouth shut on the criticism of those teams.”

    Riley also said the team hadn’t discussed an extension for Butler at that point. The 34-year-old can sign a two-year deal worth up to $113 million this offseason.

    Per Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium, Butler has decided to play out next season on his current deal and won’t sign an extension with them or another club if he were to get traded.

    Marechal, you think wanting to go Almost-All-In for Bridges when I thought we had Hartenstein and going Fully-All-In for Bridges without Hartenstein is the same?

    Bc if we had Isaiah Hartenstein and two first round picks, we wouldn’t be in this predicament.

    A few weeks ago, you thought I-Hart’s performance was so poor that he wouldn’t even get an offer that the Knicks couldn’t match. Now you think the Knicks are in a so-called predicament because I-Hart has become irreplaceable and the trade you asked for – which in no way was contingent on I-Hart the way you presented, given your hopes for the Knicks to use Randle at the 5 – is now not good because they shifted the picks a year and the 2032 pick is not tradable until next summer?

    Let’s just drop it, this is pointless.

    Mikal might not close all the games because we have a really good sixth man in Donte DiVincenzo. That’s it. That’s “my truth.”

    Why would the Knicks close games with a worse player?

    I don’t know, giving up five 1s for a guy who isn’t good enough to close games doesn’t really seem like a strong GMing move.

    Isaiah Hartenstein on leaving the Knicks: “It was hard… I loved my teammates out in New York. I really appreciate what Thibs and Leon did for me. The fans in New York showed a lot of love.”

    Cut the crap Isaiah.

    Thanks pt for the analysis, seems like the difference in rim protection is clearly more than what block% suggests. Alas, we haven’t even signed him yet, so maybe we’ll be doing the same exercise about someone else…

    Isaiah Hartenstein played 25 mpg last year. It was the first year over 20 in his career.

    Mikal is pretty streaky. He’ll have some 7 3pm games and some 0-12 nights too. That’s why he won’t always close.

    “I don’t know, giving up five 1s for a guy who isn’t good enough to close games doesn’t really seem like a strong GMing move.”

    It will not be the case.

    Paul Reed huh? I remember thinking he was always the worst Sixer on the floor in that series we just won, but maybe it was just the step down from Embiid being so dramatic.

    “Isaiah Hartenstein played 25 mpg last year. It was the first year over 20 in his career.”

    I know, Presti must be a moron to think he was enough of a starting caliber C worth $30M a year.

    Paul Reed huh? I remember thinking he was always the worst Sixer on the floor in that series we just won, but maybe it was just the step down from Embiid being so dramatic.

    Yeah I distinctly recall they were forcing Embiid to hobble around winded AF to avoid playing Paul Reed.

    It will not be the case.

    Of course it won’t. TNFH could just cop to moving from objective in the Knicks’ bad days, to optimism now that they’re good — like most of the board has. Beats acrobatics and contortions to prove god knows what exact point.

    He was right that there are some potential offensive issues — a/k/a fit, skill redundancy (*) — with both M and OG on the floor at the same time. That’s why he opined as he did in the first instance. But most likely, if that does become a problem, as it might, OG should be the one to sit.

    (*) There’s probably a better word than “redundancy” here; I mean, LeBron James and Kevin Durant have similar skills, too. The “redundancy” I’m speaking of is more “common inability to generate efficient offense, both arguably best as 3&D players.” Mikal is far more likely to break that mold going forward. He’s already shown a significantly wider offensive skill set.

    It’s a lot of money to give a guy who hasn’t shown he can play starter minutes but OKC probably doesn’t care, it’s 2 years, not like they had better FA options at center

    Hartenstein is overpaid. Plenty of players are. That’s unrestricted free agency.

    To complain about the “fit” of OG Anunoby and Mikal Bridges is simply to not understand the modern NBA. Both players are good perimeter shooters, Mikal is a perfectly fine secondary creator and both are versatile, switchable defenders that can defend multiple positions. Our spacing should be quite good, and we can also easily go four-out and even five-out against certain opponents.

    I fully cop to thinking there will be nights Donte DiVincenzo is a better overall closing option than Mikal Bridges. How many different ways do I need to say it? Once again, I disagree that Donte DiVincenzo is “another LCHB who lays brick in the playoffs” because I just saw him shoot .43% from 3PT land in the playoffs on a boatload of attempts.

    Mikal hasn’t proven he can create usage efficiently. If he’s only a 3&D player, he’s completely redundant with OG, who will never be more than that.

    No modern NBA team has two wings who are only 3 & D. That’s a terrible fit by any definition. You really don’t need any of those guys.

    I think Mikal can find a supra 3 & D sweet spot. If he can’t, there are obviously major issues with roster construction here.

    I fully cop to thinking there will be nights Donte DiVincenzo is a better overall closing option than Mikal Bridges.

    Not sure why you keep saying this. Everyone knows you think it.

    How many different ways do I need to say it?

    Well you could say it once the accurate way — that you think there are fit and redundancy issues between Mikal and the other wing — which there are. There would be no reason to close with DDV otherwise. He’s not a better player than either OG or Mikal.

    No modern NBA team has two wings who are only 3 & D. That’s a terrible fit by any definition. You really don’t

    Because most teams can’t find them. Denver won with KCP & MPJ. They fail the 3&D test because MPJ can’t play D.

    Heat made the finals with Max Strus & Caleb Martin playing the 3rd & 5th most minutes. Those guys aren’t great at the 3 part except for a playoff hot streak.

    Nembhard and Nesmith.

    Jimmy Butler was a Heat starting wing.

    Sure, but they played a lot of 3 wing minutes

    I mean at least E is making it clear he thinks there’s no way the two hopelessly redundant wings on the roster will generate a positive net rating in lineups together.

    I disagree, but we’ll see!

    Begley: “Source confirms that Johnnie Bryant is leaving the Knicks to be the associate head coach in Cleveland under Kenny Atkinson. Bryant was still under contract so ownership had to sign off on him leaving in the middle of his deal, per sources. @wojespn first on Bryant leaving for CLE”

    I would bet that there will be many nights when the closing lineup will have both Mikal and Divo (and OG).

    Begley: “Source confirms that Johnnie Bryant is leaving the Knicks to be the associate head coach in Cleveland under Kenny Atkinson. Bryant was still under contract so ownership had to sign off on him leaving in the middle of his deal, per sources. @wojespn first on Bryant leaving for CLE”

    Sigh. Not good to lose him to a direct competitor.

    No modern NBA team has two wings who are only 3 & D. That’s a terrible fit by any definition. You really don’t

    I’m calling up the Warriors and telling them to hand their rings in. Iggy and Harrison Barnes and sometimes Livingston or Draymond were low usage wings and it’s not possible to win that way.

    “I mean at least E is making it clear he thinks there’s no way the two hopelessly redundant wings on the roster will generate a positive net rating in lineups together.”

    Well if that happened, E would just come up with another reason to whine. He’s like the stereotypical mother-in-law in that way. There’s always something!

    Hartenstein is overpaid. Plenty of players are. That’s unrestricted free agency.

    He would be overpaid if he were joining the Pistons or Wizards, or if a significantly better player had been available for a similar price, which apparently was not the case. He just joined a 57-win team that lost basically nothing to get one of the best perimeter and help defenders in the league.

    Wins are much more expensive when you’re already in the “contender” zone. If he adds a single point to their net rating, he’s worth the money. That would not be the case if they were going from a -10 to a -9 net rating.

    I get what you’re saying, E. Most contenders have a primary or at least a secondary ballhandler on the wing.

    But that’s what Randle is for us. He happens to be a forward but that’s a meaningless distinction. On offense, he operates on the wing. So having two guys who can be impactful without the ball is actually perfect for us.

    The problem is still we have an offensive zero at C, and you’re not winning a chip playing 4-on-5 in 2025.

    And if there’s any problem with Mikal & OG it’s that neither of them might be good enough rebounders to play large wings in small lineups.

    lmao hubert you should have thought all that up before you decided to trade for him

    “TNFH could just cop to moving from objective in the Knicks’ bad days, to optimism now that they’re good–like most of the board has…”

    Or you can just cop to being noxiously obtuse in the face of being proven wrong over and over and over and over, just as you will be proven wrong about this utterly stupid claim.

    I wonder why Bryant left, does he think he could replace Kenny midseason?

    We all know that E would prefer the redundancy of two soon to be all-time greats like RJ and Cam at the wing position, you know, the no-3-and-no-D kind…

    Bryant left because he couldn’t bear the stupidity on Knickerblogger for even one more minute.

    Rokas Update

    The game ended a few minutes ago, Lithuania had no problem sweeping Italy aside 88-64, but our guy had very little to do with it (while OAKAAK Kuzminskas played a great game):

    22 minutes, 5 points (0-4 2FG, 1-4 3FG, 2-2 FT), 3 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 steals, +14.

    bland game, the assists were easy passes every Kblogger can do and mostly due to Italy’s breakdowns on defense, the steals were lucky bounces on someone else’s body parts more than good reads or pesky defense, shot wasn’t falling.

    Alas for me and my country the other 11 lithuanians didn’t play like him. 😀

    No highlights today, nothing worth it.

    Tomorrow Lithuania will play the winner of Puerto Rico – Mexico with one olympic spot (and Rokas’ Summer League availability) on the line.

    The problem is still we have an offensive zero at C, and you’re not winning a chip playing 4-on-5 in 2025.

    That’s part of the equation and analysis. Modernize the offense, change the coach, the analysis changes.

    He would be overpaid if he were joining the Pistons or Wizards, or if a significantly better player had been available for a similar price, which apparently was not the case. He just joined a 57-win team that lost basically nothing to get one of the best perimeter and help defenders in the league.

    Wins are much more expensive when you’re already in the “contender” zone. If he adds a single point to their net rating, he’s worth the money. That would not be the case if they were going from a -10 to a -9 net rating.

    Facts, and I’m frankly surprised to see the claim that iHart is overpaid repeated among a group so well acquainted with the win curve.

    If your last coin buys you a crown, it’s a fair price.

    If your last coin buys you a crown, it’s a fair price.

    And if after spending your last coin you’re still head and shoulders behind a pair of teams, you fucked up.

    I think some people are over reacting to the word predicament, as if it implies the sky is falling. To borrow an analogy, if Britney Spears and Jessica Alba both want to take you home from the same party, that is a predicament, but still not a bad place to be.

    Guys, the best team ALWAYS wins in the NBA. I don’t even know why they play.

    And if after spending your last coin you’re still head and shoulders behind a pair of teams, you fucked up.

    Life is so fucking hard.

    Not a predicament at all, obviously I’m going home with Jessica Alba.

    i don’t think they confirmed the summer league roster yet…they’re still busy fucking up the real roster…Dolan told them to call Hubert to help straighten shit out…

    most recent info I could find:

    Current Players:
    • Pacome Dadiet
    • Tyler Kolek
    • Kevin McCullar Jr.
    • Ariel Hukporti
    • Alex O’Connell
    • Samkelo Cele

    KFNINJ, that would not qualify as a predicament since about 2004

    I find the Caitlin Clark/Angel Reese stan battles on Twitter to be quite funny. People hating on our Monica right now because she’d pick Angel for ROTY right now.

    And if after spending your last coin you’re still head and shoulders behind a pair of teams, you fucked up.

    Why? There’s only one champion a year, and lots of things can happen between now and the playoffs. Being #3 in the power rankings is technically worse than being #2 I suppose but both have a shot at a ring if things go right. We should be in the mix for at least three or four years if not more.

    Yeah I distinctly recall they were forcing Embiid to hobble around winded AF to avoid playing Paul Reed.

    I usually try and stay out of these petty spats here. But I have to comment on this post, arguably the dumbest one I’ve read here.

    The Sixers forced Embid to “hobble around” because they needed him to even have a remote chance of winning in the playoffs. Imagine thinking that choosing to play an injured league MVP is an indictment on replacement-level backup. Oh Jesus.

    I have never pretended to be allergic to anything unless I know it tastes awful and I wouldn’t want to offend. I wonder what it’s like.

    Yeah I distinctly recall they were forcing Embiid to hobble around winded AF to avoid playing Paul Reed.

    They were force to play Embiid huge minutes not because Reed wasn’t a reasonable back up center but because Morey created a team with two scorers. His 3rd, 4th and 5th offensive options were Tobias Harris, Oubre and Nic Batum. Forget about his bench. Any time Maxey or Embiid were off the floor you knew where the ball was going.

    Lol ok Donnie.

    You can lol my acquired optimism for your team if you want, but the Debbie Downerism you’re putting forth in high volume is actually making me kind of sad for you. (Who even needs Donnie Sixer Fan to antagonize the thread when Hubert Knicks Fan does the job internally…)

    Woj:
    —-
    ESPN Sources with @TimBontemps: The Sacramento Kings are agreed on a sign-and-trade that will land DeMar DeRozan on a three-year deal, send Harrison Barnes to the San Antonio Spurs and Chris Duarte, two second-round picks and cash to the Chicago Bulls.

    DeMar DeRozan will sign a three-year, $70 million-plus deal to join the Kings, sources tell ESPN.

    With Vuc,Lavine and Coby White the Bulls will still be good enough to not fully tank.

    “I suppose it’s hard for you to see why so many people think of you as a Debbie Downer even when the Knicks do 97% of what you want them to do.”

    “Pags and E decided to give us a rest in this Saturday morning, but don’t worry, Hubert is here to fill our daily quota of catastrophism”

    “Amidst blaming Thibs for injuries, Hubie was on a roll a couple of months ago at the end of the playoffs”

    “lmao hubert you should have thought all that up before you decided to trade for him”

    “i don’t think they confirmed the summer league roster yet…they’re still busy fucking up the real roster…Dolan told them to call Hubert to help straighten shit out…”

    “You can lol my acquired optimism for your team if you want, but the Debbie Downerism you’re putting forth in high volume is actually making me kind of sad for you. (Who even needs Donnie Sixer Fan to antagonize the thread when Hubert Knicks Fan does the job internally…)”

    And I’m the one who struggles with self-awareness?

    Incineration predicament, purgatory…
    I truly respect the marketing department of the pessimists and i decided to “frankenstein” a catchy one for Their situation:

    Coprolongation
    (extension of the duration of the need to shit in search of the perfect WC)

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