Knicks Morning News (2025.02.07)

I watched some of Boston’s Dallas last night. The Mavs looked very good and had a lot of motion in their offense It was very different from their previous style. Their defense was very active too It looked like Boston took a while to adjust. The TNT crew discussed why such a different style now on offense for Dallas. They don’t have Doncic, which should mean less iso ball, but he’s been out with an injury so why now. Kenny Smith suggested that in the past they wouldn’t have been motivated to play differently when Doncic was hurt because they would know it’s only temporary and thus a waste working on a different style. But now they know he is gone, they can develop a new identity. He could be right. The new style was fun to watch. Charles Barkeley said Dallas should be better this year and could win it all. He thinks the Lakers will not.

Good morning, fellow Knickerbloggers!

We’re still much better than Dallas. If those guys can beat Boston at home, one would have to think that we can beat them at home.

To be more clear: Dallas beat Boston in Boston. We should be able to beat them in New York.

“Charles Barkeley [sic] said Dallas should be better this year and could win it all. He thinks the Lakers will not.”

I like Chuck, but in general his actual basketball takes are kind of bad. He basically just guaranteed that the Mavs won’t do well, and that the Lakers will.

I want to take whatever LeBron is taking

I think Sims will look better on offense now that he’s out of NY. He’s clearly only a lob threat and Brunson never throws lobs. He may score as many as 7 or 7.5 pts/36 if he ever gets off the bench.

I watched some of Boston’s Dallas last night. The Mavs looked very good and had a lot of motion in their offense It was very different from their previous style.

Sounds like the offense du jour that Memphis has been running. A lot of it came from Memphis’s new assistant coach, Tuomas Iisalo, who led Paris Basketball to a bunch of trophies recently.

https://youtu.be/w6-NPUOHH6I?si=_XYN2SWmbRDAHCuc

Didn’t watch the game, so I don’t know if that’s what they’re actually doing, but it wouldn’t surprise me. Good watch either way.

Hoo-boy. From this breakdown of how the Butler/Heat relationship, well, broke down: https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6108043/2025/02/07/jimmy-butler-pat-riley-heat-tensions-nba-trade/

According to multiple league sources with knowledge of the meeting, tears welled in Riley’s eyes as he attempted to connect with Butler on a human level. Both men had lost their fathers, and Riley’s famed toughness faded in the moment as he thought about Butler mourning his father’s death last season. But Riley’s vulnerability did not land with Butler. The player viewed Riley’s behavior as “unhinged,” a league source close to Butler said.

Butler left the meeting more convinced than ever that he needed a new basketball home. Team sources close to Riley say he promptly sent word that the meeting did not go well and was more motivated than ever to oblige. With that, any hope of an accord between the progenitor of Heat Culture and its modern torch-bearer floated off into Biscayne Bay.

I like Chuck, but in general his actual basketball takes are kind of bad. He basically just guaranteed that the Mavs won’t do well, and that the Lakers will.

That’s the opposite of what he said

It is certainly true that not all his takes age well though.

I just took a look at B-R and have come to a firm conclusion:

If the MVP was to be awarded today based on play thus far this year, it should go to SGA hands down.

Folks have been talking all year about how Jokic’s stats are other-worldly, how he’s an alien, etc. Yet (allowing for positional differences) both the traditional and the advanced stats between these two are actually pretty close.
Jokic Shai
PP36 29.5 34.6
TS% .661 .646
USG%. 29.8 34.9
WS48 .329 .323
BPM 14.3 12.2

At the end of the day, SGA is the more important player for the team with the best record in the NBA (currently 8.5 games ahead of DEN in the standings), and the statistical differences are not nearly large enough to overcome that.

SGA is truly phenomenal. He’s having a Jordanesque season without the fanfare or bluster.

We’re still much better than Dallas. If those guys can beat Boston at home, one would have to think that we can beat them at home.

This logic doesn’t work, Doogie, because it’s hard to think of Boston as a constant. They are clearly saving themselves for the spring and only go into high gear sporadically. And a Saturday night main event at MSG is probably not going to be the game they take off.

I had previously thought tomorrow was going to be our signature win of the regular season. And it may still be, I just have less confidence after the OG injury.

What I do know is I will be out at Noble’s favorite Miami haunt, the black market, as I was for the Denver game. So if there are any KBers in Miami give me a shout.

I’m not sure if he flies Turkish Hairlines but LeBron is a Titan of the sport. NBA really needs Shai to start wracking up some rings.

Folks have been talking all year about how Jokic’s stats are other-worldly, how he’s an alien, etc. Yet (allowing for positional differences) both the traditional and the advanced stats between these two are actually pretty close.

Per 36, Jokic has 4 more assists and 7 more rebounds. How is that close?

I’m the only one who feels strange to have the Blazers (6-games) and the Wizards (3-games) running simultaneous win streaks? 😀

On another subject, Jimmy Butler maybe is a great player, but he’s a lousy human being.

Now that GSW has landed Butler and the Spurs have landed Fox, I want to ask who do you think it is out of the west play-in?

I will take those two to get in. Out of the teams currently in Sacramento is probably the weakest, so that would be my first pick.Phoenix is very dysfunctional, but they have a lot of talent, and I think they will figure it out now that Nurkic is gone (he has been abysmal for them). My second pick is going to be Dallas, they have very little margin for error, very brittle stars, and no real backup for Irving. They also have all eyes on them, and I think it can turn ugly fast.

“Per 36, Jokic has 4 more assists and 7 more rebounds. How is that close?”

And Shai averages more points, steals, and BLOCKS, and fewer turnovers on higher usage.

Jokic has clearly been better, but I wouldn’t cry if the MVP went to Shai. Watching them last night (two nights ago?), absolutely everything flows through him, and he’s just devastating in almost every set. It’s hard to imagine where they would be without him – maybe Kings level?

I will take those two to get in. Out of the teams currently in Sacramento is probably the weakest, so that would be my first pick.Phoenix is very dysfunctional, but they have a lot of talent, and I think they will figure it out now that Nurkic is gone (he has been abysmal for them). My second pick is going to be Dallas, they have very little margin for error, very brittle stars, and no real backup for Irving. They also have all eyes on them, and I think it can turn ugly fast.

Not so sure about any of that. I think Dallas is going to be great – they gave away their future, but are formidable today. Washington is underrated, they have a lot of size once AD is back, and Kyrie is fine as the hub with his players around him and what should be an excellent defense. I don’t think losing Fox is all that significant for the Kings, who have secondary creation now from almost all spots; they are barely holding on, but I don’t see them doing much better or worse than they have so far.

So the question is whether Fox will help the Spurs that much, but they still have a ways to go and I’m not totally sold. And Jimmy on the Dubs…who knows? He’s a competitor, but they are just not that good to begin with.

Oh, and as for Phoenix, they are one Durant calf pull from irrelevance. Could easily see them dropping out of the picture.

I’m picking the Lakers to drop into the play in and Dallas to play their way out of it. LeBron could be ageless and upset that prediction, but I suspect he’s going to need another injury break or two. I’ll pick Golden State to replace Phoenix in the playin. But who knows, the west is a real crap shoot and someone could surprise me.

“Jokic has clearly been better”

Nope. Not clear at all.

“I like Chuck, but in general his actual basketball takes are kind of bad. He basically just guaranteed that the Mavs won’t do well, and that the Lakers will.

That’s the opposite of what he said”

Exactly my point. 🙂

Z-man, come on. First, as the only person on this board who said we should take Shai in that draft, I’m clearly a fan. There’s no bias here.

Second, you cite an almost meaningless difference in steals and blocks as compensation for 7 more rebounds and 4 more assists? That’s an enormous difference, much more than 3 PPG. Better minds than mine can say how many points that’s worth, but it’s more than 3.

And yes, SGA’s usage is higher, but so what? Jokic is a much more impactful player at lower usage – higher TS, more boards, more assists, similar TOs/blocks/steals/fouls … The fact that Shai is comparable says a lot, but better? Nah.

And not that the AIOs have the answer, but all rate him higher (might have missed one, but a quick check confirms the general idea). SGA is having a great season, and the Thunder are 10 wins less or worse without him, but without Jokic the Nuggets are a bottom-feeder.

David Roddy was bought out and would be an interesting reclamation project.

I am not going to be upset if Shai wins MVP

It’s entirely fair if SGA wins MVP, but saying their traditional stats are similar is pushing it quite a bit for the reasons rama said. I’d also like to add that usage doesn’t count assists, so the usage to TO comparison is biased unless we add assists or passes to the stat.

If the MVP was to be awarded today based on play thus far this year, it should go to SGA hands down.

I hope you are right because I have Shai at +322 to win MVP.

Like Owen I wouldn’t be upset if Shai wins, but while I’m on a suite of deadlines so can’t back this up with, you know, facts, rama’s “but without Jokic the Nuggets are a bottom-feeder” feels right.

I think Shai gets dinged for being perhaps the least flamboyant superstar in the NBA, which is a shame. But I still lean Jokic.

Ben Simmons getting bought out: https://bsky.app/profile/shamsbot.bsky.social/post/3lhlvfgiyjs2o

Who deserves MVP and who gets are two different probabilities.

1. Both are extremely valuable to their respective teams.

2. Both are on serious contenders.

3. Defense is always underrated in the boxscore metrics. IMO Shai is clearly the better defender and that makes up for any statistical difference in boxscore or AIO metrics.

IMO, this is coin toss on merit.

I think Shai is more likely to win because some voters will want to give it to someone beside Jokic give he has already won multiple times and it’s very close anyway.

“I think Shai is more likely to win because some voters will want to give it to someone beside Jokic give he has already won multiple times and it’s very close anyway.”

This. So much this. I think that if the season ended today Shai would probably be a lock to win MVP, and in my opinion that’s totally the right call. In my eyes, he’s the runaway winner.

“Ben Simmons getting bought out: https://bsky.app/profile/shamsbot.bsky.social/post/3lhlvfgiyjs2o”

Please no one suggest that we should pick him up. He should probably just retire.

“you cite an almost meaningless difference in steals and blocks as compensation for 7 more rebounds and 4 more assists? That’s an enormous difference, much more than 3 PPG. Better minds than mine can say how many points that’s worth, but it’s more than 3.”

There is no comparison on the defensive end, Shai is by far a more impactful defender. The steals and especially the blocks are reflective of that. Jokic gets more rebounds because he is a C.

“And yes, SGA’s usage is higher, but so what? Jokic is a much more impactful player at lower usage – higher TS, more boards, more assists, similar TOs/blocks/steals/fouls … The fact that Shai is comparable says a lot, but better? Nah.”

I won’t say definitely better (although it is certainly arguable that he is better, see below), but I will absolutely say significanty more impactful, and the higher usage is an important (but not the only) reason why. Shai is by far the best player on by far the best team in his conference, if not the league, and his usage speaks to that. He is putting his team’s scoring load on his back on offense virtually every night, and is a major plus on defense. It’s not his job to protect the rim, it’s his job to guard players on the perimeter and he is excellent at it. It absolutely is Jokic’s job to protect the rim and he pretty much sucks at it. You could argue that Jokic is actually passing too much and padding his assists stats, since his team is 8.5 games behind the Thunder in the standings. Given his TS%, wouldn’t Denver benefit if he shot more and passed less? Shai understands that he is by far the most efficient offensive option on his team, so he shoots more, passes less, and turns the ball over less. Could he focus more on passing and pad his assists? Of course he could, but it would be to the detriment of his team.

“And not that the AIOs have the answer, but all rate him higher (might have missed one, but a quick check confirms the general idea). SGA is having a great season, and the Thunder are 10 wins less or worse without him, but without Jokic the Nuggets are a bottom-feeder.”

And with Jokic, Denver are ranked 20th in defensive rating, in significant part due to his defensive deficiencies, while the Thunder are first by a large margin in large part due to SGA’s defensive strengths. I will again point out that defense is half of the game. These smallish differences in defensive stats between Jokic and SGA (in particular the block stat) are not as insignificant as you make them out to be. In fact, EPM captures this. It’s pretty well established that bigs have a built-in advantage over wings and smalls when it comes to most AOI stats, especially on the defensive end. However, some fine folks here have pointed out that EPM is one of the few that somewhat narrows this structural gap. EPM rates Shai over Jokic in overall EPM, 9.4 vs. 8.5 (make sure you click the “actual” button. If you don’t think EPM validates the fact that Shai is arguably having a better season, then please explain why, I’m all ears.

Simmons reportedly wants to go to Cleveland or to the Clippers.

I don’t know why SGA isn’t considered a mortal lock for MVP. Players have won with much less dominant individual stats while leading much less dominant teams (see Rose, Derrick.)

Unlike other cases where scoring guards have been credited for team success based on a dominant defense, SGA is a significant contributor on that end for OKC.

While Jokic has of course been amazing, this isn’t even his best statistical year IMO. That’d be 2022-2023, where he put up 26/13/11 per 36 while leading the league with 70% TS! Mind you he did not win MVP that year — just the championship.

It’s hard to overstate how mind-boggling that efficiency is. His .632 FG% exceeded Shaw’s career high while taking 149 threes. From 2 point range he shot .675 as though he were Tyson Chandler, but taking only 30% of his shots at the rim. He shot 59% from 16-23 feet!

Anyway, SGA being a modern, non-sociopath version of Michael Jordan + voter fatigue should = a lock for his first MVP.

Please no one suggest that we should pick him up. He should probably just retire.

Don’t worry Doogie, i’ve read on a Tommy Beer tweet yesterday that we can’t pick him up.

Here is what he tweeted:

There are other quality players that may hit the open market (Bruce Brown, Kelly Olynyk, Bojan Bogdanovic, Ben Simmons, Malcolm Brogdon etc.) but it’s important to note that – because they are over the first apron – the Knicks are prohibited from signing players off of waivers who previously made more than the mid-level exception ($12.9 million).

I’m wondering how many times it has already been pointed out that due to being in the first apron we can’t sign anyone who was earning more than the mid-level before being waived or bought out. One would think that someone who posts incessantly in every thread would have picked up on that by now.

sounds a bit like riley was trying to hustle butler…good luck with that…

i understand riley’s need to make “whatever” attempts to rectify, but, a little weird if he just spent a few years around the guy but wasn’t able to read him better…

trying to make use of a lost family member in a business setting seems a bit extreme…

David Roddy was bought out and would be an interesting reclamation project.

Would he sign a 2-way contract?

pretty sure i heard it here…I like the notion of SGA as “nice guy michael jordan”…

he has every kind of shot, and plays defense really well…deceptively strong…

interesting to see if he can take the next step and have the thunder make it to the conference finals and even the finals…

Even if one thinks that Jokic is having a better season than SGA, the difference is marginal enough for the significant difference in team success to outweigh that difference. That was not the case last year, where Tatum’s stats were so inferior to Jokic that it wouldn’t have been fair. This year, SGA is the clear-cut choice, and that should continue to be the case unless things significantly change, either in the individual stats or in the standings.

So wait..Breen and Hubie Brown will be on for Hubie’s last broadcast Sunday? Salute the legend, man. I mean- Breen & Brown are both legends, but Hubie is a friggin gem. I certainly hope basketball fans didn’t take him for granted. The coach’s coach and a brilliant and enlightening live analyst.

Congrats and happiest of trails, sir!

I find this to be the best way to put what SGA is doing into perspective:

https://stathead.com/basketball/versus-finder.cgi?request=1&seasons_type=perchoice&player_id1=gilgesh01&p1yrfrom=2025&p1yrto=2025&player_id2=brunsja01&p2yrfrom=2025&p2yrto=2025

We know Brunson is a god… for someone to be killing him like that and be good at defense… SGA is truly having a special season. Give him the MVP.

Would he sign a 2-way contract?

Idk but it might be a smarter move than getting a guaranteed contract from a crappy team. There’s room for a hustlebunny non-guard to get some minutes from Thibs if they can show out.

A lot of it came from Memphis’s new assistant coach, Tuomas Iisalo, who led Paris Basketball to a bunch of trophies recently.

Lisallo found a cheat code. Watched this video over the summer and was curious to see how it works in the NBA. Apparently, he solved basketball. Won’t be suprised if Ujiri type GMs make him a head coach this summer.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3mHtq7EkDNs

Awww, Nate Robinson is finally getting the new kidney he’s been waiting on for a while. OAKAAK!

I’m wondering how many times it has already been pointed out that due to being in the first apron we can’t sign anyone who was earning more than the mid-level before being waived or bought out.

It’s the new Vildoza.

I was musing about how we match up with CLE post-deadline and honestly I like our chances significantly better than I do with BOS.

Mitch and KAT vs. Allen and Mobley: If Mitch is healthy, we should have an advantage here.

OG vs. DeAndre: I like that matchup for us.

Brunson and Mikal vs. Spida and Garland: Brunson has destroyed Spida in prior playoff matchups, and if Mikal can’t handle Garland, we wasted those picks.

Cleveland has the deeper and more versatile bench, so that could make all the difference, but I definitely like our chances if you consider Hart as part of the bench mob even if he starts. I like our chances less if KAT and OG are matched up with Allen and Mobley, pushing Hart onto DeAndre. Let Hart match up with Strus, Okoro, or whoever Atkinson throws out there.

And Atkinson had not had much experience or success as a playoff coach.

Whereas the Celts essentially have 4 tough defensive wings and a stretch 5, which will be hard for us to match up with. If we beat them tomorrow night, I will definitely be encouraged, since I expect them to try to make a statement and we have an opening day blowout to avenge.

Awww, Nate Robinson is finally getting the new kidney he’s been waiting on for a while. OAKAAK!

YES!

I smile

It’s the new Vildoza.

Ha! I was thinking the same thing, especially with Al making the constant corrections to people’s questions.

Also, forgot to say congrats on the publication of the new book, Al! Glad the Strand event went well.

With the Cavs adding Hunter, I am less confident – he addresses one of their weaknesses. If they add Simmons as a buyout, that gives them a deeper bench with a shutdown defender and disruptive passer. Hate to say it, but I think the deadline may have put them beyond our reach this year. I actually think the Celtics may be more vulnerable – they may think they can throw the switch come playoff time, but Al is old and KP will probably get injured again. I’d prefer to face them if we meet in the second round …

It should be noted that Michael Jordan never had as good of an offensive season as SGA is having this year. I mean, Shai is shooting 60% from 2, while Jordan never topped 55.1%. He’s shooting 90% from the line, higher than any year in Jordan’s career. And they are both similarly limited from 3…generally a drag on their TS%. And his usage is higher than in any of Jordan’s four MVP seasons. In summary, he’s averaging more points per 36 than Jordan ever did, on significantly higher efficiency, and NOT due to 3pt variance.

The offensive environment is quite different. Jordan played at a pretty high level.

‪@jledwardsiii.bsky.social‬
Thibs on if OG and Mitch were able to go through entire practice:

Said both did parts of practice.

Mitch isn’t 5-on-5 yet.

This Jokic vs. SGA debate is silly.

Everyone knows the real MVP this season is Josh Hart.

The Cavs will likely mimic OKC’s approach and put Mobley or Allen on Hart, freeing up a big to back up Garland on Brunson.

Hunter will open up some small lineups where they can play him at the 4 with Mobley at C and put an extra shooter on the floor.

That’s a big difference between us and the top tiers: they have multiple ways to play. We need Mitch like Derek Zoolander needed Magnum. One look will only get you so far.

[extremely fake Regina George voice]
Playoff Vildoza isn’t happening! Nor is Buyout Simmons! Stop trying to make them happen! They’re not going to happen!

SGA is amazing and has a perfectly solid case for MVP, but this is why TS+ and league-average adjusted stats generally are important. Jordan’s 1989-1990 was a hair more efficient than SGA’s current season–114 vs 113 TS+. He also averaged 0.5 more PPG. So I’d take that Jordan season over SGA’s, but I mean, the fact that it’s a fair comparison speaks volumes.

We need Mitch like Derek Zoolander needed Magnum.

It’s beautiful! There it is baby!

For Cyber and any of our other Portugese speakers: I was just sent a copy of the Brazilian translation of The Sopranos Sessions, which has a completely different cover design from the one used in the States.

https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:qpqyay6mqatzyyet3jdgxiwi/post/3lhlumz2w722d

It should be noted that Michael Jordan never had as good of an offensive season as SGA is having this year. I mean, Shai is shooting 60% from 2, while Jordan never topped 55.1%. He’s shooting 90% from the line, higher than any year in Jordan’s career. And they are both similarly limited from 3…generally a drag on their TS%. And his usage is higher than in any of Jordan’s four MVP seasons. In summary, he’s averaging more points per 36 than Jordan ever did, on significantly higher efficiency, and NOT due to 3pt variance.

Beware era differences. Jordan had four seasons over 110 TS+. This is SGA’s first ever.

‪@jledwardsiii.bsky.social‬
Thibs when asked if New York not adding a center says something about how they feel about Mitch: “You read the tea leaves,” he said with a smile.

Mobley is gonna kill KAT if that’s the matchup.

Plus Brunson is going to be eaten alive by whichever of Garland, DMitch, and Hunter get to go against him.

edit: alan beat me to it

Z-Man, you make good arguments, but the one I’ll repeat I’m not comfortable with is “for the significant difference in team success to outweigh that difference.” Do you really think that if both stars when down tonight for the rest of the season (god forbid) OKC wouldn’t do much better than Denver? The former seems solid top to bottom, while Denver has a bunch of inconsistent or largely questionable talent around Jokic.

I could be wrong, but that’s my busy morning feel.

Shai’s gotta win some chips, but he might be the Messiah.

Aside from Shai, OKC has 6 guys who have played 500+ minutes and have a BPM over 1. And they also have Chet, who would be one of those guys if he’d played more. The Nuggets have 0.

no doubt the cavs are well stocked, they still got to prove it this post season…

feels like boston hasn’t missed a conference finals in like a decade…

then you got your out of nowhere surprise playoff performers each year…

we’ve gotten better this year, roster wise, can’t wait to see what happens…

Aside from Shai, OKC has 6 guys who have played 500+ minutes and have a BPM over 1. And they also have Chet, who would be one of those guys if he’d played more. The Nuggets have 0.

No MVP candidate in the past has ever been penalized for having too good a team

The one problem I have with league adjusted stats (I have no solution) is that you can’t tell how much the differences from era to era reflect changes in rules, officiating, style of play and equipment and how much reflects improvement or decline in the quality of play.

We probably should be clear about what we are arguing.

I think Shai is close to a lock to win it if things play out along the current trajectory.

I think he will deserve it basically as much as Joker. To Dred’s point, the Denver team is basically trash outside of Joker. The Thunder could not be more of a contrast.

I’d love for Shai to take a ten day paternity leave just so OKC could go 5-0 without him and maybe bring that fact into the light.

Awww, Nate Robinson is finally getting the new kidney he’s been waiting on for a while.

Great news.

I have a cousin and had a very good friend that both had kidney transplants. It took a long time to get a match.

No MVP candidate in the past has ever been penalized for having too good a team

Are you serious?

it’s not like a computer will be spitting out the award winner at the end of the season, bunch of people vote on it, people seem somewhat more prone to go along with narratives than a machine…

yep, shai gilgeous alexander step on down, this is your year…

nuggets are climbing in the standings, but won’t catch OKC…running really fast as soon as your team gains possession – aside, i just don’t have much faith in the grizz going far in the playoffs, no specific reason…

can’t believe the lakers are climbing in the standings…i hope it is a mess for them when luka hits the court…

I knew the Cavs were good coming into the season, but the longer they keep playing at this extreme level and making moves that could be beneficial the scarier they become.

https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6120862/2025/02/07/nba-buyout-market-tiers-2025/?source=bsky_hq

Hollinger did a ranked list of intriguing guys who are either possible or probable buyout candidates, or in a few cases guys who have already been bought out. I picked out the ones from the list who both seem like they could be useful to us and also, I think, make less than the non-taxpayer midlevel, thus allowing us to sign them. Again, some of these may not actually get bought out, but it’s a decent way of looking at what the market might be by March 1. In the order in which he ranked them (so Boucher is the highest):

Chris Boucher
Tre Jones
Larry Nance Jr.
Mo Bomba
Javonte Green
PJ Tucker
David Roddy

I think OKC would definitely suffer without SGA – it’s a pretty heliocentric universe, as shown by his usage. But his supporting cast is so much better they would be middle of the pack, probably, whereas Denver without Jokic would be in the Cooper Flagg sweepstakes.

Still, my guess is Shai wins MVP, and I’m fine with that.

A more interesting question might be which is better to build a team around, all things being equal (age/contract). Does the supporting cast need to be similar, or would one be able to do more with less?

Chris Boucher
Tre Jones
Larry Nance Jr.
Mo Bomba
Javonte Green
PJ Tucker
David Roddy

Boucher or Nance for us, right? I might like Nance going forward over Precious…more reliable…

I would solidly take the over on 500% as long as Chet is healthy

cavs haven’t made it to a conference finals in a while…

feels like pressure on us to do so, i imagine feels similar for them…maybe milwaukee too…

at the beginning of the season, and now still i’d say, 2 out of 4 (celts,bucks, cavs, knicks) were/are expected in the eastern conference finals…good chance only one of the four actually makes it though…

serious heartbreak for a lot of fans in those first two rounds of the playoffs…

dang, got tre and tyrus jones confused for a second…i was like: why is tyrus jones getting bought out…

who could have ever guessed the beal thing would work out so poorly in phoenix – except everyone…

if i had to guess at the top four slots in each conference come playoffs:
east:
– cavs
– knicks
– celts
– bucks

west:
– okc
– grizz
– nuggets
– mavs

Definitely Boucher or Nance.

“I’m wondering how many times it has already been pointed out that due to being in the first apron we can’t sign anyone who was earning more than the mid-level before being waived or bought out. One would think that someone who posts incessantly in every thread would have picked up on that by now.”

Not sure what I did to deserve that. So now I “post incessantly” in every thread? By the way, who is Al?

Brunson in the 3-pt competition. Hopefully he does much better than Randle did a while back.

I don’t want any one of our guys to participate in anything during the All-Star Break. I want them all on a beach somewhere.

No MVP candidate in the past has ever been penalized for having too good a team

Are you serious?

Yes. When has it happened that a deserving player with dominant stats didn’t win MVP over a less statistically dominant player on a worse team?

The reverse is the rule.

Jordan lost to Malone in 95. Bulls won 69 games and he lead the league in VORP. I suspect there are plenty of examples.

Shai will win though. And I am cool with it.

Just to be clear, I’m not suggesting that SGA is better, or even as good as, Michael Jordan. OTOH, I don’t see anything in his game that wouldn’t translate to Jordan’s era. The fact that his season compares favorably with the best of Jordan’s seasons no matter how you slice it speaks volumes. But there is that little caveat about 6 rings…

Chris Boucher
Tre Jones
Larry Nance Jr.
Mo Bomba
Javonte Green
PJ Tucker
David Roddy

So, in other words, Taj Gibson.

Or Mo Bamba.

But there is that little caveat about 6 rings…

As of SGA’s current age of 26 both he and Jordan have the exact same number of rings.

With that ridiculous team SGA’s chances to grab 6 in the next 8 years actually aren’t that bad.

I’m really looking forward to seeing what Mitch can add to this team’s defense and rebounding.

Mobley is gonna kill KAT if that’s the matchup.

Plus Brunson is going to be eaten alive by whichever of Garland, DMitch, and Hunter get to go against him.

Our thermal exhaust port is still the spread pick and roll. You saw what happened last Saturday when LeBron ran it.

If Hunter fits in and the Cavs can effectively play those 4 guys with a shooter (and they so many to choose from: one of Strus, Wade, Merrill, Jerome, or Okoro will likely be hot), they’ll spread us out and eat us alive. And our fond memories of the 2023 playoffs or Josh Hart snatching Mitchell’s chain ain’t gonna help.

Jordan lost to Malone in 95. Bulls won 69 games and he lead the league in VORP. I suspect there are plenty of examples.

Shai will win though. And I am cool with it.

You mean ’97.

Both of Malone’s MVPs are a joke. Jordan was still clearly the best player in the league in ’97 and his team won a historic number of games, 5 more than the Jazz. That was voter fatigue through and through.

Malone actually did have a case over MJ in ’98, where MJ lost a step and was less effective as a scorer due to the 3-point distance reverting back to 23’9″. The Bulls and Jazz finished with the same record. Yet, MJ won this one, likely due to the farewell narrative.

Malone’s ’99 MVP was actually pretty trash. He averaged 23 and 9, his sixth best season by BPM, and the Jazz only played to a 60-win pace. Tim Duncan had a better case.

Our thermal exhaust port

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-CNEbzgYMXs

Dennis Schroder ended up on the Pistons. Weird.

Sorry, I meant 96-97

Ok, so it’s a good rule except when it isn’t.

Thermal exhaust port is being blithely misused. The only teams this year that have them are likely the Cs, The Okay Cs. And the C AVs. We are still getting our hands on the plans but they exist. We have more of an issue of they have our princess Vespa and these teams can go from blow to suck pretty quick on us.

no surprise to see we’re ranked 17th in defense within six feet…

hopefully soon mitch is occupying that space…

if I had to guess – i would say that year to date we have more blocks against us than blocks for us…

yep, we are probably running at a deficit there…

schroder looks like such a valuable piece in international play…

doesn’t stay long enough any where to allow for personality conflicts to occur…

maybe at this point some time with the pistons will be good…stay in detroit for a while…stay anywhere for a while…

“Thermal exhaust port is being blithely misused. The only teams this year that have them are likely the Cs, The Okay Cs. And the C AVs. We are still getting our hands on the plans but they exist. We have more of an issue of they have our princess Vespa and these teams can go from blow to suck pretty quick on us.”

Huh?

By the way, this is only my 12th time posting today (if I counted correctly). Is that “incessant”?

if it is too weird to answer, don’t…

do you feel fearful to be missing something within a conversation?

is it the editing occuparion thing that gives you the internal expectation that you should be comprehending all the diverse conversations (and means of conversing 😊 ) surrounding you?

and regarding strict adherence to the rules, all the time, I would simply remind you that nobody is perfect

Anyone wants a trip down memory lane for bad GM’ing, stumbled on this ancient Bill Simmons piece. Includes Isiah. Pretty funny, if you can fight through the PTSD.

https://www.espn.com/espn/page2/story?page=simmons/060224

I don’t know what the editing occuparion thing is. And the only reason I wrote what I wrote was because once again I was attacked (may be too strong of a word there) for no reason out of the blue by Z-man and accused of posting “incessantly,” which I definitely hadn’t been doing (in fact, I had almost a full 3-hour gap between posting between 11:45 a.m. and 2:45 p.m.). Otherwise I wouldn’t have asked that question, because I didn’t think that I was being excessive, and I also can’t recall correcting anyone. It was literally all basketball up until the point where I was needlessly called out for something I hadn’t been doing. That’s what I get for being a good “blog citizen.”

After excellent arguments by Clarence and Pepper, from here out I will refer to the high probability that we wilt under repetitive spread pick and roll action as either our Kryptonite or our Achilles’ heel.

If Olynyk gets bought out he is under the MLE, I think, so I believe we would be able to sign him. Really any one of Olynyk, Boucher, or Nance Jr would give us a big that can maintain our spacing. Theis would also be a great pickup, he doesn’t spread the floor quite as well, but would still be good Mitch insurance.

I wish we had moved Wright into someone else’s cap space. He might end up being a solid pick up but the freedom not having him on the books would be much better and would have allowed us to get up to 15 players right now.

I’m also sad we might have missed our chance at Okeke. He seems like a perfect fit and has some upside left.

As a pedestrian take, the Cavs do not concern me much with a reasonably healthy Mitch back. In fact, I think despite their excellent team, record and play, they should be concerned about us. Just my view.

earlier today i was pulling out of the gas station, going cautiously because in one of the 2 lanes in front of me was a stalled car…folks were cutting out from behind that vehicle as they approached it, busy intersection next to it all…

someone In a real big pick up truck started blowing their horn at me, i have no idea if they saw the stalled car and the other traffic moving…they just wanted to go, and blew their horn…

that’s on them, why make it about yourself…may have nothing to do with you at all, why assume so…people do crazy inexplicable things…shouldn’t get in the way with what you’re trying to do…nope, not at all…

Man, I remember that Simmons piece when it ran. In his parlance, he still had his fastball. He even presaged Kevin McHale making a terrible KG trade.

I really miss Page 2 and especially Grantland era Simmons. I occasionally listen to his podcast but it’s nowhere nearly the same.

The sixers STINK

Man, Raven, that was a rough read. Layden AND Thomas. Holy hell. And then Wheelchair Donnie and Big Chief Triangle. It’s been the darkest timeline for sure.

23 minutes and Paul George has 9 points and 1 rebound. They owe him another 161 million dollars.

A Westies record 47 on 14-23 shooting for Warren tonight. I don’t really know what to make of it but he seems like a fine candidate for the 15th spot if he’s not signed before March 1st.

That seems efficient. Ya’ll sci-fi heads should read Daemon by Suarez. It’s gooder than good.

Recent Posts

Recent Comments

Archives

115 replies on “Knicks Morning News (2025.02.07)”