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Knicks Injury Tracker: Jalen Brunson, OG Anunoby among those out for Tuesday’s matchup with Timberwolves – SNY
Latest Knicks Trade Rumors Surrounding NY’s ‘Biggest’ Signing from NBA Free Agency – BleacherReport
Jalen Brunson: Erik Spoelstra’s kryptonite – Posting & Toasting
Will the Knicks’ make any moves before the NBA trade deadline? – The Athletic – The New York Times
Knicks’ Jalen Brunson wins Eastern Conference Player of the Week for second time this season – SNY
Knicks’ Jalen Brunson: Won’t play Tuesday – CBS Sports
Knicks Bulletin: ‘Thumbs up to that’ – Posting & Toasting
Missing In Minnesota | KFS WEEKLY WAGERS | Knicks Film School – Knicks Film School
Takes From Obvious Bozos Patreon Preview Episode 39: Takes from the NBA Cup – The Strickland
Jalen Brunson’s MVP Gravity: Unstoppable Offensive Force! #shorts – Knick of Time
The Putback with Ian Begley: Knicks-Timberwolves preview, potential trade targets for New York – Begley Putback
KNICKS at TIMBERWOLVES | FULL GAME HIGHLIGHTS | December 23, 2025 – NBA
Randle Torches Knicks In 4th Quarter Barrage | Knicks vs Timberwolves Post Game Show | EP 669 – Knicks Fan TV
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67 replies on “Knicks Morning News (2025.12.24)”
Through 169 minutes over 10 games in December, Kolek is averaging 15pts/7rebs/8asts/1.5stls per 36.
This does not include the Cup Finals, which would make those numbers go up.
I respect the sentiment, Al; it is valid and justified. But I want to express the opposite feeling, which I also think is valid.
I was impressed with our approach to last night. I think it was very likely going to be a schedule loss anyway. And I think the combination of letting Towns carry a bigger load in Minnesota and Tyler get a start against a team with no PG increased the expected output of those guys to the point that our odds of winning the game weren’t dramatically different than they would have been if we played a worn out Brunson & OG.
I also just liked seeing Tyler play. It’s fun to get a different look. I enjoyed the extended look at Diawarra, too. Dadiet not so much, but it’s good to know I won’t feel regret if we use him as salary filler in a trade.
A satisfying L is rare but this might have been one for me.
I agree Hubert. We didn’t roll over and in fact took the lead in the second half, and never a bad thing getting the youngsters non-garbage time experience.
Also I respect Julius for what he brought to the Knicks while he was here, but his antics last night were a bit over the top. If we were kicking the Wolves asses with Ant Man and Gobert out, none of our guys would be strutting around like Randle and some of his other teammates were.
Can’t watch the games and can’t believe Tyler almost had a triple double. He looks stronger this year and seems to have leveled up in a way that’s big for us.
The regular season is a grind as a fan, too. Watching the same guys get all the minutes wore me out last year. I remember being weirdly excited when Brunson got hurt bc I was so curious to see what Tyler looked like, and to see if Mikal and OG could do better with more usage.
The risk is maybe we lose a game 7 on the road in Detroit bc we got one less W. The problem with that is it assumes we would have won last night, and it assumes a game that probably won’t even happen.
Either way I’m cool with the decision, and I’m even a little impressed with what looked like a good thought process behind the selection of the game.
Last note: I don’t watch summer league, preseason, or Westchester, so that was my first good look at Diawarra. I can see why Z-Man & Rama are so high on him. He looks like a guy whose shot will come, and he’ll definitely be a rotation player if it does.
I am in no way upset about last night’s game. The guys did exactly what I wanted to see from them. The were tough and fought the whole game before running out of steam without 2 starters and Yabusele. Plus Deuce and Shamet are still out. We lost against a mostly healthy Western Conference finalist while starting Kolek on the road. I don’t believe in moral victories, but I sure as hell believe that this team has “it”. If we can get some kind of consistency from Clarkson and Yabusele while avoiding big injuries, we’re definitely a Finals team. And I’m not sure the guys are quite living in Mike Brown’s system just yet. This is a good sign, I hope they keep it up.
Meanwhile…
I don’t care what happens the rest of the season- give Mitch Johnson COY right now. He is proving to be a phenomenal coach. My top 3 at the “quarter mark” are Johnson, Bickerstaff, and Brown. Daigneault can afford to let someone else win it this season lol
It was embarrassing but it actually made me like him more. He’s so not over getting dumped.
He’s like a jilted ex-lover when she posts pictures of herself on a trip with her new boyfriend, but it’s obvious she’s just doing it to make you jealous, and you kinda feel bad for her bc her big vacation was a trip to Sandal’s in the Bahamas.
Poor Julius. He was with us when we were broke, and we upgraded to a hotter girlfriend when we got paid.
Would’ve been nice if we had Deuce or even Shamet healthy, so that we could give OG & Brunson a rest without forcing all the kids into the lineup at once.
The collective loss of firepower when you’re fielding Diawara/Dadiet/McCullar lineups (or whatever that 2nd quarter lineup was) makes everything a lot uglier than if you were to squeeze one of them in between actual rotation players.
+1 on the idea that it’s kind of nice to get a different look every once in a while, provided that you know your primary guys are healthy and just taking a beat and/or being cautious. 82 games is a lot, some variety is welcome.
I enjoyed watching last night, and think it was strategically sound. We were basically the last team among contenders to avail ourselves of the benefits of load management, and I don’t think everyone else was wrong.
I’m not even willing to concede this is a “lose the battle, win the war” tradeoff–keeping our main guys fresh may well be the best strategy for winning as many regular season games as possible. Even if that’s not the case though, we’re very likely to have a top-2 seed no matter how we handle rest, so there’s truly no reason to go pedal to the metal all the time.
process was good last night, all those turnovers though were terrible…
Suspiciously specific.
Julius will always have a place in my heart. I thought his celebrations were totally fine. They actually paled in comparison to DDV going after Rick Brunson, or Latrell cursing the snot out of Dolan. All Randle did was flex and fire up the crowd after absolutely destroying the Knicks in the fourth quarter.
I don’t think Julius misses MSG even a little bit. He may think he was dissed by the trade, but he seems just fine and actually in a better emotional place than he was here. His team is very similar to ours in terms of being legit, and if they can upgrade the PG position without giving up to much they might actually be better. They sure don’t miss KAT.
BTW I used AI to read Randle’s lips while he was posing to the crowd: “Yo KB, still think KAT is a better iso player than me?”
Last season Randle was very bad in isolation, 0.79 PPP, 28.9th percentile. He had a lot of success finishing plays though–highest percentage of 2PA assisted since he was in NO.
He’s been much better this season at 1.07, but the samples are so small last night might be impacting that a lot.
Ultimately it’s not really something you want either Randle or KAT doing a lot of, on genuine contenders those guys are mostly play finishers and you’re working around their defensive issues.
I like the idea of ocasionally resting players that might be slightly banged up or tired. I think the probability of injury, however small, is highest when you are already tired or hurt. We don’t want injuries accumulating and we want fresh players for the playoffs. It also has the added benefit of giving younger players like Kolek, Huk, and Diawara a chance to develop and possibly be ready if needed for the playoffs.
IMO Brown has been handling the minutes well. He’s been giving the younger players a chance and developing them.
This was probably the first game we can say Thibs may have won because one or both of OG and Brunson would have played and/or he would have played the other starters more minutes. We can live with these occasional losses if the offset is fresher starters for subsequent games and a better bench.
I think that’s often the case with trades, but pobably moreso with Randle because he probably felt he came to NY when the team stunk, was easy in contract negotiations and often let it be known he wanted to be part of the end game. Right or wrong, he probably felt he was extra loyal and then they tossed him aside.
I don’t think the metrics are all that accurate in measuring a player’s ability to effectively iso, along with the impact that has on the opposing players and coaches. Just my opinion. All I know is that I see KAT constantly committing offensive fouls with his off hand even when guarded by much smaller players, and even when he has plenty of space. Randle never had the kind of space that KAT has on this team.
Neither player is particularly heady, and both have significant flaws. I personally don’t think they anywhere clost to $23M apart in value. In fact, it’s KAT that is sort of an albatross right now, whereas Randle is probably a valuable trade asset on his current deal. What could we possibly get back for KAT in a trade in this market? Would any team even give up a single unprotected first and non-dumpable matching salary for him?
Kolek is impressive in many aspects of his game, but unless he can shoot better, I’m not sure it will work out for him. His 3pt form looks ok, and he has moves that resemble a poor man’s Brunson close to the basket, but everything else looks pretty ugly right now. He threw so many Hail Marys yesterday. Hopefully it gets better, because the package is there. But if opponents start to go under every screen for him, it won’t really work.
Breen pointed out that refs are starting to call KATs arm bars/stiff arms when he drives, many of which seem unnecessary . They seem deeply ingrained in his drives, but he may have to change that if he continues to get bad whistle on it.
Brown’s minute allocations , aided by injuries, have also given valuable minutes to Kolek, who now deepens our rotation. Don’t know if Diawara or Huk can make the same jump, but seems worth giving both the chance. Dadiet seems too far away for that type of investment.
edit: to Marechal’s point. Kolek needs to find a rhythm to his outside shooting. Most shots seem rushed or off balance as if he still trying to pick the right spots to shoot them.
The funny thing about Kolek is his shooting was probably the area of least concern for most evaluators coming out of college. There were far more concerns about his ability to get into the paint at all, and finish plays when he did. This is despite the fact that his stats that are associated with “athleticism” were pretty solid (STL%, 2PT%, TRB%), while there were at least some reasons to wonder how far along his shot was (fine percentages but low volume for a modern point guard). You can draw your own conclusions as to why people felt that way.
In any event, I agree he’ll absolutely need a reliable 3PT shot to really stick. He’s not so good at getting into the paint and scoring in other ways that he can do without one. But I’m cautiously optimistic he can get there based on his form and FT numbers. He’s gotta stop passing up the open ones though.
Kolek is still only 600 minutes into his NBA career. He was a good shooter in college. His TS% has improved every month thus far this year, and is better now that he is getting consistent minutes.
If we recall, lots of folks were very down on Deuce after he played 1000 minutes over his first 2 years. Kolek’s numbers are better than Deuce’s were pretty much across the board. Granted, Deuce’s defense was far better, but Kolek’s has definitely improved and his ball-handling and passing are far better than Deuce’s was. He’s also shooting over 60% from 2 this year, mostly by getting to the rim, while Deuce couldn’t get to the rim at all then, and still isn’t all that good at it.
This doesn’t mean that we should bank on Kolek being able to handle playoff intensity for significant minutes, or keep him out of a trade that is part of a significant upgrade to our rotation. But I’m sold on his ability to eventually become a very solid backup PG in this league. If he has to do it via the TJ McConnel route (i.e. without a reliable 3pt shot) so be it.
The thing about Kolek (and before him, Deuce) is that it’s really tough for a young, unheralded PG to play freely without worrying that any mistake is gonna cost his team a game and glue him to the bench. Deuce had to win over Tom Thibodeau, which is no easy task…ask Immanuel Quickley. Whereas Brown seems to be more patient, and will keep rolling him out there even when he does bonehead things because he sees a path for him to help us later if he gets enough reps. Same with Diawara, who is getting minutes over Yabu right now.
Since we’re talking about our little guards, I just want to give out props to the Captain for being a crazy-ass mentor. I have no idea if Deuce and Kolek are just trying to mimic Jalen, or if he’s actively teaching them his tricks, but first Deuce (starting early last year) and now Kolek are showing all kinds of Brunson tricks in the paint. It’s been really fun to see, and quite effective, to boot.
I think we could actually trade KAT for some value if we wanted to, and I’m not sure I would’ve said so last year. The reason for the change is because he seems to have legitimately improved on defense, and it’s showing up in both the eye-test (IMHO) and the numbers.
He’s 11th in overall EPM this year despite the rough shooting start, largely because he’s in the 94th percentile in DEPM. I don’t think that will last all season, but it’s consistent with our defense being pretty significantly better with him on the court (and yes, that holds even with Mitch off the court) and his rim protection grading out relatively well so far (59.1% DFG%, making shooters 4.8% worse than their average).
There’s plenty of noise in all of these numbers, but there are also plenty of observers who have noted how much better he looks. It’s given Brown more lineup flexibility than a lot of us, myself included, though he’d have against good teams.
That’s fair by the numbers, TNFH. However, my eye test (which may be tinted a bit jade by my long-running dislike of the optics of his negatives) tells me that opposing GMs would want no part of either his current contract or his pending “max” extension. It probably doesn’t help that Minny is no worse after essentially salary-dumping him, and might actually be better even beyond Ant’s development.
But let me ask you this (and you should be happy to respond since you insist on this stuff when on the other side of these arguments): Can you provide an example of a deal that could be made for KAT that brings back “better than neutral” value? I sure can’t, not in this salary cap environment.
Now things might change if the Knicks go on to the finals this year and he is a big reason why. Conversely, if we lose in the second round and he can be blamed (rightly or wrongly) for it, then he would be more of an albatross than ever. But right now, I don’t even know if we can get back what we gave up for him…meaning a Randle-caliber player on a soon expiring deal, a DDV-caliber player on a value deal, and a single protected pick. You’d probably be looking at some kind of distressed asset…a Ja, a LaMelo, a Zach…or an aging or oft-injured former superstar that involves huge downside risk…a Harden, AD, Kawhi…but that’s about it.
Count me among those that thinks Towns’ defense is better this year. That’s probably the reason I’ve been wrong so far about our defense being worse this year than last year.
Not sure how far Kolek is behind Deuce on the defensive end. I think he’s held up pretty well on top of grabbing a lot of steals. If he’s all that far behind, it’s because Deuce has been really good.
One concern with Kolek’s shooting out of college, if I remember correctly, was whether he could shoot off the dribble. Shooting off the dribble has been a pretty important skill for modern PGs. He’s been bad at both this year, though the sample is still small.
If he keeps up his recent play, he’ll be an elite backup PG whether or not he shoots well. If he can fix his shot, then he should start in this league.
I think KATs defensive EPM is overinflated due to his rebounding numbers and partly because Robinson has been worse than his usual self, making KAT look better in his defensive on/off. But generally he’s been pretty solid.
KAT’s defense has definitely improved, but it had nowhere to go but up. In my opinion, he went from “bottom 5 defensive C’s in the NBA” to “well below average.” I still see him getting attacked and exploited numerous times a game in ways that a good defensive player would not, and I still see him trailing numerous plays in transition after sprawling into photographer’s row and whining about not getting a foul call. But hey, it’s something!
I think the smartest teams are focusing on two-way scorers and defense first role players that can be efficient on lower volume.
Guys like Towns and Sabonis have lost value.
That’s also true for guards when we see players like Morant, Young, LaMelo in rumors, guys like LaVine always available etc. You better be at least close to neutral on defense or smart teams tend to lose interest.
One of the few clearly bad defending star scoring guards that still has a lot of value is Brunson.
By that standard (assuming I am even correct in my assertion about the smart teams), Towns probably doesn’t have a ton of value out there if we are trying to trade with a smart organization. But he’s still a significantly plus player overall and his defense is improved. I think he’s tradable.
The bigger problem is his salary (not the value but the dollar amount). It’s hard to trade anyone making that kind of money these days with these aprons.
KAT is a top-shelf defensive rebounder, and like Jokic, gets lots points in defensive metrics on that basis that paper over weaknesses in other areas.
The team learning to trust Kolek with the ball in his hands is pretty nice. Definitely feels like Kolek is learning to trust his stuff and still has a ways to go. But trust seems like a worthy team quality to invest into.
This is unforgivable. It’s the kind of thing we used to rip Melo for. The whining should be corrected immediately and hopefully somethig can be done about the fallng also. He’s not the only player with that problem. I think maybe it’s some kind of defensive mechanism where the player would rather fall under his own control to avoid getting hurt.
“One of the few clearly bad defending star scoring guards that still has a lot of value is Brunson.”
Brunson would have a lot less value if he was on a supermax contract paying him 35% of the cap. He’s basically prime Damian Lillard…great player but you need to put a certain kind of team around him to win a championship because of his defensive issues, and that’s hard to do when he’s your highest paid player.
I think the falling helps KAT (1) decelerate and (2) get a better angle on the shot by shooting upwards to get arc on it despite being so close to the basket. Both things help the ball fall softer on the rim/backboard.
Kolek’s shooting will be fine. His overall ability and knowledge to lead an offense is elite. I think, he’s rushing some shots and may be forcing some others. My only concerns is the milisecond quick ability to process and act. Constant minutes, regardless of a turnover type mistake or a defensive lapse, is what he needs for the game to potentially slow down for him.
If the pace of game materially slows down for him, then he’s closer to Josh Giddey than TJ Mconnell. In two years, he’s a midlevel starting PG in this league. He has the balls and rebel mental toughness that good kids like IQ lack in that position.
In other nominally Knicks related, deeply strange news…
I have no idea how this impacts his draft rights, nor did I know it was an option at all. I had never really thought about it, but I guess my assumption was being drafted rendered a player ineligible to play in college even if he could enroll.
Imagine how bad KATs defense would be exposed if he could actually make it back down court for a defensive set or two.
1) completely agree — no issue with how NYK handled last night. Really nice to see Kolek shine.
2) KAT is a likely all-star and for sure has value around the league. I think there a few teams out there that would give a modest haul of picks for him
KAT definitely can be a valuable player, but he just doesn’t seem like an optimal use of 35% of cap space on a team whose best player is Jalen Brunson, and probably on any team. When you throw in the fact that both OG and Bridges are at best market value contracts and probably overpays, it is really suboptimal.
“KAT is a likely all-star and for sure has value around the league. I think there a few teams out there that would give a modest haul of picks for him”
If that is the case then a 3-team deal for Giannis is very possible. Can you provide an example of a team that might give up a “modest haul” of picks for him? And what that modest haul might be?
2 mid-1sts and a second or two.
And no, I don’t know which team.
But I’d be curious if others (other than Z) disagree. It just takes one team…
I think this is a sound assessment, Marechal, and I have the same concern about opponents adjusting to him. That’s why I’m reluctantly in the sell high camp.
I highly doubt KAT will be re-signed for the max. The aprons have, whether by design or accident, given teams tremendous leverage in negotiations with almost-stars. I doubt KAT could get the max anywhere, even if many teams wanted to give it to him, because the few with room aren’t likely to pay it. And would he really want to go to the Nets after playing with the Knicks? It’s not impossible, but I assume Leon will use his knowledge of KAT’s tradeability (or lack thereof) to come up with a number that doesn’t insult him but retains flexibility for the team. I could see KAT pulling a Jalen – partially because Jalen already pulled a Jalen – and prioritizing contention over max dollars.
Or maybe I’m smoking crack. Guess we’ll find out soon enough. One thing we know for sure: if Leon feels his valuation is different than the player’s, he won’t hesitate to trade him for whatever he can get.
I’m not, less because of his recent play and more because Brunson said recently it’s him and Kolek in the gym taking shots and working at all hours. He doesn’t feel Kolek’s success is accidental, so I don’t want to put a limit on him, either.
I’m not sure KAT’s defense was ever as bad as Thibs made it look by playing him constantly in drop. How he looks now feels consistent with how he looked in Minnesota.
It’s the same with Mikal Bridges on offense. Thibs made a lot of these guys look bad by jamming round pegs into square holes.
“He’s like a jilted ex-lover when she posts pictures of herself on a trip with her new boyfriend, but it’s obvious she’s just doing it to make you jealous, and you kinda feel bad for her bc her big vacation was a trip to Sandal’s in the Bahamas.
Poor Julius. He was with us when we were broke, and we upgraded to a hotter girlfriend when we got paid.”
Laugh out loud funny, Hubert.
I haven’t had much time to post or read the blog lately, but I am curious what people’s thought are regarding the back of the rotation. Are we likely to move Yabu for a backup 4? If so, who might be available? With the emergence of Kolek, it looks like we have more than enough in the backcourt.
Here is a list of players that might possibly be the centerpieces of a KAT trade that would bring back picks, not including salary filler on either side:
Hawks: KP or Trae
Nets: MPJ (although probably not)
Hornets: LaMelo+Bridges
Bulls: Vuc+Collins+Williams or White
Cavs: Mix and match: Garland, Hunter, Allen, Strus, Lonzo
Mavs: AD or mix and match Kyrie, Klay, Gafford
Pistons: Mix and match Tobias, Duncan, Stewart, LaVert
Warriors: Jimmy or package of Draymond plus Kuminga and/or filler
Clippers: Kawhi or mix and match Harden, Collins, Bogdan, Lopez, Jones, Beal
Lakers: Mix and match Rui, Ayton, Vanderbilt, Vincent
Grizzlies: Ja
Heat: Herro and Wiggins
Pelicans: Mix and match Zion, Poole, Murray, Murphy, Jones, Looney
Magic: Paolo (not until next year when his extension kicks in)
Sixers: Embiid, PG13
Suns: Mix and match Green, Brooks, Allen, O’Neale
Blazers: Mix and match Jerami, Timelord, Thybulle, Scoot
Kings: LaVine or mix and match Sabonis, DeRozan, Monk, Schroder, Murray
Raptors: Mix and match Ingram, IQ, RJ, Poeltl
Jazz: Markaten
Wiz: Middleton+CJ
The Celts, Nuggets, Rockets, Pacers, Bucks, TWolves, Thunder, and Spurs almost certainly would not be in the KAT business.
None of these deals make much sense from out perspective, except maybe AD if Dallas included first rounders.
“And would he really want to go to the Nets after playing with the Knicks? It’s not impossible, but I assume Leon will use his knowledge of KAT’s tradeability (or lack thereof) to come up with a number that doesn’t insult him but retains flexibility for the team.”
Why would Leon (or any GM with any competence) give even a millisecond of consideration to where KAT wants or doesn’t want to go? He’s not some kind of legendary player for this franchise. That would be something for the trading team to consider, and in this market, KAT would only have so much leverage in threatening not to extend. But yeah, KAT’s looming extension is a huge factor, and could be both a positive and a negative.
Nnaji is only 21, so hopefully he can rehab a bit and add to his game in a college program. He could potentially be there another 2 years after this one and still be on the border of draft aged.
Weird though.
I’m fairly certain Rama was talking about going to the Nyets as a UFA after his contract ran out as they might be one of the few teams that could reasonably sign him as a UFA for a big ticket.
Oddly enough, the Nets have had the league’s best defense during the month of December, which sounds insane to say out loud.
The fact that we got KAT for just Randle and Donte means Z-Man’s probably right about KAT’s trade value. And Leon likely valued KAT more than anyone else in the league.
One thing I’m definitely not worried about is another team offering KAT a max contract.
KAT is a unique cat, top 10 probably at both the center and power forward position…
and now he plays defense…still, hard to justify that top tier salary when he can’t really carry a team…he’s more a complementary piece…
he seems a hard sell at 55 million, over 60, no thanks…
The Nnaji thing is, indeed, super weird. And apparently we keep his draft rights. Which matters less in this case, since I don’t expect him to ever be anything, but in the broader implications, where teams could draft and stash players in US colleges, and not just stash overseas players.
One of the things I keep thinking as I read through all the armchair GM trade ideas is just how weirdly but almost perfectly constructed this team is, even with KAT, and to some extent because of him.
We have one of the best defensive rebounders in KAT, and THE best offensive rebounder in Mitch.
We have Mitch and OG (and Mikal) as all-defensive stoppers to help hide the holes in KAT’s and Jalen’s game (and we’ve been talking about KAT getting better…).
With OG, Mikal, and now Hart finding their three-ball skills we now have a fantastic five-out starting lineup, with KAT basically anchoring it when he’s on. Giving Brunson all the room in the world for his whirling dervishing (and of course, spraying back out…).
It’s all a bit misfit toys, at least individually, but they all seem to fit together in a way that makes sense.
Yep
I mean, presumably some other team will have cap room, or could get cap room without a ton of difficulty, but the Nets are currently the only obvious player in the KAT sweepstakes. I just don’t see that he’ll have a lot of leverage if that’s the option. The aprons have maybe done their job?
And yet, they didn’t last year. I guess moving on from Thibs was the correct call.
I get it rama, but still my point that Leon shouldn’t care what KAT thinks still stands. The bottom line is that the Nets probably wouldn’t give up much for him at this time, certainly nothing that would make it worth our while to trade him.
“One of the things I keep thinking as I read through all the armchair GM trade ideas is just how weirdly but almost perfectly constructed this team is, even with KAT, and to some extent because of him.”
Raven, I agree in general. We should definitely celebrate that for this year we are a legit championship contender! And it’s precisely because of the fit that you allude to. But even if the players do complement one another in most of the most important ways, and even if whatever is missing in one area is largely made up for in another area, I think we are all in agreement that it most probably isn’t enough, except if we have a whole bunch of luck.
We can debate how close we are, and what is missing, but does it really feel like we are all that much closer than we were last year because we are significantly better and/or we have a better coach? Or is more due to the window being thrown open mainly due to Indy and Boston being in transition?
Z-Man, for me it’s that the jigsaw puzzle can be completed (barring injury luck that knocks some pieces under the couch). If we fire on all cylinders (to mix my metaphors), I honestly think we can beat anyone. Last year it felt like all the pieces weren’t quite fitting together right, and most of us (at least me) felt that was at least partly Thibs’ rigidity (someone earlier mentioned square and round pegs and holes…).
Note that I do not think the pieces are fitting together quite right yet, or that we’re firing on all cylinders. KAT going for two points game before last is a perfect example (WTF was that anyway?). But the potential for this team is enormous, and Brown so far looks better at figuring out ways to unlock it (put the pieces together correctly…).
Whatever the quibbles may be, we are united in hope for the best. Wishing all a great holiday season and looking very forward to tomorrow’s game!
There’s a hole in the jigsaw puzzle that’s exactly 2024-25 Yabu shaped, unfortunately we have 2025-26 Yabu.
That’s a fine point, but has nothing to do with what I’m saying. The question is, why would we max KAT? The answer normally would be, to keep him from signing with another team. But the only team with cap space will be the Nets (again, unless another team makes some moves). I am saying that KAT won’t want to sign with the Nets – nothing about trades. And that gives us enough leverage to think that we may be able to keep him for a lesser commitment, because there won’t be real competition. (In the same way that Randle ultimately had to take a tram-friendly salary.)
Right now his deal sucks, but that may not be the case with the next contract.
rama, my point is that Leon would be idiotic to lose KAT for nothing, and once he declines his option, that becomes a very strong possibility. A team doesn’t have to max KAT, just offer him enough to force a counteroffer from us that increases the chance of him becoming an actual albatross on his next deal, not the “kind of” albatross he is now, in that we are hitched to him with no real alternative that makes sense.
It doesn’t make any sense for the Nets (or any bottom feeding team) to trade for KAT today. The only sort of team that would be interested is a good team with a big hole at center
But what about Orlando… they have 7 firsts the next 6 years. Would they, a very weak 3 ball shooting team with one of the worst centers in the NBA be interested in sending say 3 picks and 2 swaps to Milwaukee along with only filler?
Maybe Memphis, who could certainly move up from 9th in the west by swapping out Zach Eddy for KAT and moving JJJ permanently back to the 4 might be willing to swap a bunch of picks to Milwaukee for flotsam and jetsam.
I believe the idea you couldn’t get a bunch of picks for a guy that puts up 23/12 with 40% deep shooting for just filler from the right team is not true.
saw marty supreme with my son today i liked it well enough but my son liked it more i think chalamet is a great actor and all but this movie kind of made me need a break from him seemingly every minute of the 150 minute runtime had him in it i will say that it surprised me and wasnt at all what i was expecting it to be
Sending KAT to Orlando? Thats just mean.