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2025-26 Game Thread: Knicks vs. Grizzlies

The Knicks did not have an easy schedule to open the season, but holy shit, is it opening the fuck up now!

And I am HERE for it.

The Knicks host the shitty Memphis Grizzlies, who are in a weird position where their franchise player is a bit of a lunatic and they might have to dump him for, like, Tyler Herro and Terry Rozier’s contract.

RIP Michael Ray Richardson.

Let’s go, Knicks!

Feeling great about 58!

138 replies on “2025-26 Game Thread: Knicks vs. Grizzlies”

wondering what you guys think of starting shamet instead of deuce i could make arguments for either one of them its not yet confirmed that shamet is starting but it seems that way

Well as I said at the end of the last thread, I’d like them to start Huk in Mitch’s place to get him some run and maybe shut up all these mofos talking about trading him and some pretzels for a giant muppet.

i’m guessing that mike brown is thinking to get a better shooter out there to start the game so they can avoid their famous early-game doldrums of course hes also giving up defense although shamet at least tries i dont agree with the move because ja might also go off early if he doesnt have an adequate defender on him but it is what it is

Last game, Shamet came in for Mitch after 3+ minutes. So Brown is probably thinking it makes sense to just fast forward the rotation 3 minutes.

moves like this are probably why the offense (shamet) is widely seen as being ahead of the defense (deuce)

I’d start Hart over Shamet, but Shamet’s cutting has been pretty helpful, and he’s held his own on defense, so I get it.

Definitely prefer either of them starting to Hart, even if last year’s starting lineup has been playing pretty well together this year.

Not really a game thread comment, but I want to take a lap of disgrace over Jordan Clarkson. He’s really been so much better than I was expecting, basically being exactly what was hoped for. Sure, a goof here and there, but he’s been playing largely within the team framework, and doing a fine job. I was wrong.

Now don’t gas-light me Clarkson and lose this game with a series of horrifying brain farts!

I prefer Deuce over Shamet for defense, but Shamet is the better 3 point shooter for playing 5 out and has been surprisng me on defense since the end of last season. He’s not as bad as I thought. So I don’t hate trying it a bit more, but Deuce is better.

The formula for Mitch is clearly 4 minutes per quarter and most of them to start the period when he plays. This is smart because it means he’s not in there during the penalty minutes where he has to head to the line.

Huk is going to get his minutes tonight. So figure he’s in in one of the back-to-back games all season long.

I no longer get annoyed when the opposing teams get off to a hot start cause I’m used to it plus the Knicks will eventually outscore them anyway.

I love Shamet’s energy. And shooting.

That was some nice team resilience to handle that first punch in the mouth and just get down to business.

Yabu’s the best screen setter we’ve had since Tyson, so he’s got that going for him, but I still recommend hitting some shots

Defense around the NBA has to be awful cause how the hell this Knicks team came into tonight 10th in defensive rating is beyond me.

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Shamet’s only issue is his size. But he is clearly a very good shooter and works really hard on D.

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The Knicks have 40 point quarters like it’s nothing.

That pass from Jalen to Hart that led to the OG dunk was quite something.

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This is actually one of Yabu’s better shifts. The screen setting does have value, and he looked a little less hapless on the defensive end.

They certainly appear to be targeting Yabu’s fat ass every chance they get.

He might be plus-sized but he’s also a +8.

Ja has a lot of nerve to be one of the worst players in the NBA this season and then yell at a teammate about a cutting miscommunication

I know Memphis has some injuries and Ja is unhappy and wants out, but this is a total mismatch.

What a shambolic sequence for Ja. Gets trapped for a jump ball, doesn’t jump to contest (admittedly against KAT), absolutely eats shit while dying on a screen, gives up an open 3, immediate TO.

I think the Knicks won the draft out of Zion, Ja and RJ. Zion is always hurt. Ja is always either in trouble or a problem. At least RJ helped us land OG.

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This is basically the same team as last year with a few bench additions and our offense is like night and day from last season

Sorry to bring his name up, but it does reflect pretty badly on Thibs tbh.

Watching Clarkson cook is one of the great guilty pleasures in the NBA

Ten pretty decent minutes from Yabusele there. He’s not lighting the world on fire, but if he plays like that and hits threes at the rate he did last year, that is a playable guy

Sorry to bring his name up, but it does reflect pretty badly on Thibs tbh.

I heard he was laughing his ass off.

It’s so refreshing not to have to see them start an offensive possession at half court with 13 seconds left on the shot clock.

77 points in a half when you are just slightly above average from 3 is pretty special.

“Imagine taking Ja Morant ahead of RJ Barrett in the draft.”

Maybe not the best night for that take…

Feels like we’ve matched our blowout win total from last season already. We did not have many laughers last year.

The defensive issues obviously limit how much you can go to it, but the Brunson/Clarkson backcourt has a fuck ton of skill

For a second it seemed like Mikal was off from three but that make puts him at 40%…which I guess is sort of an off night for him thus far this year.

This is like a Thibs team that crushes you in the possession game by never turning the ball over and also getting lots of offensive rebounds, but one that also shoots lots of threes and makes them at a high rate.

Except a Thibs team pounds the rock and pounds the rock and pounds the rock. This team passes and passes and passes.

This version of Clarkson is something like a $10M AAV player right? He looks totally rejuvenated physically

Memphis scored 39 points in the quarter…and cut the Knicks lead by a total of two (2) points.

“This version of Clarkson is something like a $10M AAV player right? He looks totally rejuvenated physically”

I mean, he looks like a player in a properly limited role and not playing through plantar fasciitis. And while yeah, a $10M AAV player, I wouldn’t necessarily want him at that price. But at the vet’s minimum, he’s a steal!

The Knicks unis are supposed to be retro, but they look more like they forgot to add bleach in the wash cycle…

Thats what happens when you go up 28 pts then completely stop giving a shit about defending the 3pt line…

Ja continuing to shoot is wild. The only excuse is if we find out later he was hammering Memphis’ unders.

They won’t fuck this game up but they did fuck up a chance to rest the starters for the back to back tomorrow.

I don’t think I’ve ever seen a team make as many terrible passes as Memphis has tonight. At least five of them went out of bounds!

Despite the sloppy ending nice win nonetheless, tomorrow night gonna be an interesting game against the struggling Magic.

55 3PAs must be a team record? I checked the last three seasons and they never had more than 52.

Edit: It is, indeed, a record.

I know it’s just a regular season game but the amount of smiling and laughing by the Memphis players is kinda weird. Can’t imagine the Knicks acting that way after getting their asses kicked.

Felt like mostly Ja smiling and laughing. He’s 7 for 32 in the last two games. That’s 22%. I wouldn’t be smiling.

Another feather in Brown’s cap. Not because we played all that well, we actually were pretty bad on D and our O was no bueno in the 4th. But for what I thought was kind of a trap game, they got the W.

Tomorrow is a much better measuring stick game for us. I have a feeling that Orlando is gonna give us all we can handle. That game-winner by Bane probably gave them a shot in the arm.

On a positive note, Yabu was a bit easier on the eyes tonight. 6 rebounds in 15 minutes, some stout (!) defense and screens, a nice transition dunk in traffic. 1 AST, no fouls, no TOs.

Mikal continues to fill up the box score – 22 points, 7 rebounds, 5 assists, 4 steals

Just loving what I’m seeing out of him this season

Z-Man, we watch different Yabuseles. The rebounds he gets are the ones that fall into his hands. He repeatedly got beat on the boards by taller guys who can actually jump. He repeatedly was beat to loose balls because he’s fat and slow. He sets great picks. Otherwise so far he seems like a big fat negative, if I may.

Okay, yes, I’m annoyed Huk got no playing time. But I think even I were being objective I don’t like what I see from Yabu.

Raven, that’s not what I at least think I saw, but maybe it was just wishful thinking. He was a +13 in his 15 minutes, so there’s that!

Doesn’t make sense to trade Ja. Memphis should fire their Euro headcoach and hire Thibs asap. Both Ja and JJJ would thrive in a Thibs type system.

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Pretty fun game. All first quarter you just knew they were figuring it out and it was just a matter of time before they went up 20. Which they did – I looked up and it was like 49-30, and it felt like, how did that happen? When this offense clicks it’s really something.

Live, Yabu looked pretty good. As has been said, you kind of have to see him in person to understand what a massive body he is, and whether that is something to give him credit for or not, it definitely impacts the game – and the other players. If he hits his shots, this Yabu is fine.

Also, you don’t realize as much on TV, but Mikal is just freaking everywhere. Dude may not be the focus on D or O, but he always seems involved in the play. Great, great motor, crazy long arms. He has a positive impact.

On the flip side, while Landry did OK, Deuce is simply better, and I’m not sure Brown realizes that. He needs more minutes.

Jalen is so, so fun to watch. Seeing his moves with the benefit of seeing the whole court, it’s just uncanny how good he is in space. It’s a skill. It’s not just moves, it’s a sense of where you are – what they said about Bradley. You can see how he manipulates players around him to get the setup he wants, and the defense mostly just accepts it. Amazing. The friend I went with is a Laker fan, but said that Brunson is one of his favorite players. We were both laughing at some of the stuff he can do.

As for the fans in the arena, it was definitely more hype than last year, at least in the first half. The second half felt a lot like waiting for the game to end… Clearly we are better, we knew we were better, and when we put effort in, it became clear. But we don’t yet seem to have that killer instinct to stay focused and put a team away. Something we’ll have to learn, since we keep pounding lesser squads… But live, the second half was much more sedate.

Oh, OG: not one his better games. But then I see he was +24 and, I guess he did something right!

Rama, glad you said that about Mikal — I kept marveling about how he seems to always be flashing across the key to grab an errant pass or a rebound that was going to the other team and immediately moving the ball. It’s different from Hart who throws his body around like a running back. Mikal is more like a wide receiver running slant patterns all night long. I’m really loving this version.

It’s different from Hart who throws his body around like a running back. Mikal is more like a wide receiver running slant patterns all night long.

Great analogies. It reminds me that I didn’t compliment the passing, though – OG not good, Mikal pretty good, Jalen good, Hart great. He really made some fantastic passes, perfectly placed.

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