(Friday, March 16, 2018 12:23:46 AM)
Jeff Hornacek criticized the Knicks for not making “game-winning plays” late in their 118-110 loss to the 76ers on Thursday night. They haven’t had much experience with that, given that they’ve won once in the last 44 days.
(Thursday, March 15, 2018 11:47:28 PM)
March sadness continued for the Knicks, but not for the fans who want them to lose out to get the highest draft pick possible.
(Friday, March 16, 2018 12:45:25 AM)
Under the development strategy devised by first-year executive Craig Robinson, the Knicks have a new motto: “Trust The Practice.’’ As the season continued down the drain Thursday, when the Knicks blew a 13-point second-half lead in a 118-110 defeat to the “Trust The Process’’ 76ers, at least they can still say they are winning the…
(Thursday, March 15, 2018 6:16:45 PM)
The coach steps to the lectern, and for the ninth time in a row, is asked to diagnose the reasons for a loss that everyone saw coming. The players shuffle into the locker room, and try to talk constructively about another setback in a lottery-bound parade of them — to point out the particular flaws…
(Thursday, March 15, 2018 10:43:36 AM)
Former Knicks starting point guard Jarrett Jack could be on a playoff team now, gearing up for the postseason in a winning environment. Instead, he’s ready to absorb his 10th straight DNP when the tanking Knicks host the 76ers on Thursday at the Garden to continue their five-game homestand. Jack revealed two playoff-contending teams offered…
[NYDN] Mudiay still having issue at PG in latest Knicks loss (Thursday, March 15, 2018 9:53:34 PM)
Mudiay was bullish about his second opportunity in New York.
[NYTimes] Tom Benson, Owner of the Saints and Pelicans, Dies at 90 (Thursday, March 15, 2018 11:56:16 PM)
A colorful self-made billionaire, Mr. Benson was alternately revered and reviled in New Orleans, where he reigned for four decades.
[NYTimes] Clyde Drexler Named Commissioner of Big3 League (Friday, March 16, 2018 10:24:24 AM)
As the league gets ready for its second season, it has moved on after the firing of Roger Mason Jr. with the appointment of Drexler, the former N.B.A. star and Dream Team member.
[NYTimes] On Pro Basketball: Lose Now, Win Later? In Sixers, Knicks Have a Role Model (Friday, March 16, 2018 10:24:25 AM)
The long-term absence of Kristaps Porzingis and a visit by Philadelphia on Thursday offer lessons for the Knicks, and a reminder that losing doesn’t have to last forever.
[NYTimes] March Madness Myths: N.C.A.A. Bracket Traps to Avoid (Thursday, March 15, 2018 1:02:04 PM)
Bracketology comes with many assumptions and suppositions. Don’t fall into these traps.
(Thursday, March 15, 2018 10:50:26 PM)
The Knicks lose to the 76ers 118-110 as Michael Beasley scores 24 points.
(Thursday, March 15, 2018 6:25:22 PM)
The Knicks host the 76ers on Thursday night at 7:30 p.m.
84 replies on “Knicks Morning News (2018.03.16)”
The scary thing last night was how overtly Chicago is trying to lose. They are still a threat to take back a lottery spot from us.
I mean seriously, those lineups were absolutely ridiculous last night. I guess Hoiberg has some assurances from ownership that he won’t be fired.
Luckily Chicago doesn’t have Mudiay.
I’m more and more baffled by how Hornacek manages this team. No wonder KP was so pissed last year.
Imagine trying to smallball a team with Embiid, Lebron and Simmons? That team would maul the NBA
I just read that not only was management foolish enough to trade McBuckets and a 2nd rounder for Mudiay to begin with, they mandated to Hornacek that he be given the starting job. So none of this is some sort of 4d stealth tank. Hornacek is just being the good soldier and doing what he’s told. These guys are crazy enough to think Mudiay deserves a shot at the starting job.
The other day I said I was still on the fence about Perry, but not any more. Mills and Perry are a package deal of dumb and dumber. This is Isiah level dumb.
Hey, at least for this season, tanking by accident is just as good as tanking on purpose.
And honestly, Mudiay should start and play 36 min/game next season too.
His +/- is truly astounding. It’s not often you see a superlative player like this. He’s the Lebron of tanking. We should appreciate singular talents for what they are.
We’re acquiring talent. Maybe not good talent, but talent
I wouldn’t have a problem with Mudiay playing 48 minutes every game if our coach wasn’t so stupid as to tinker his rotations every single game in a nonsensical way. I mean, where the fuck was Troy Williams last night?
Hornacek is impossible to figure out. At least we seem to have an explanation for Mudiay starting and playing so much. The rest of it is a mystery. At least we are going to get a better pick they are going to use on a bust and play 36 minutes a night next year so we can try again.
he’s not too hard to figure out… he’s seen some success with veteran teams with good ballhandlers … he’s always had an affinity towards vets…. and he plays to win….
he’s not too unlike d’antoni except he hasn’t necessarily got the same pass to not compete for the first few years…. he has been decidedly average to below average but this is a mish-mash of collective talent…. i don’t think anyone else could do better with this roster…
but he’s ill suited for what we need… he might be a good coach for say the bucks… a team with a core in place and trying to get to that next level…. on a team trying to figure itself out? probably not… and that’s why i don’t really like blatt as an alternative… it really should be someone who’s focused on development and building….
I don’t think it’s that hard to figure out. Horny’s trying to see “different looks” and look at everyone on the team in a variety of roles. That doesn’t mean I think he’s a good coach, he’s not, but I think he’s just throwing everything against the wall to see what sticks.
And as long as that involves a heaping helping of Mudiay badness every night, I’m fine with that.
Pardon me while I channel Cock Jowles in honor of passing Chicago….
WE CAN DO THIS!!!
I think we end up bottom 5. I seriously have no idea why Brooklyn can’t win a few more games, though. How the fuck are they keeping pace with all the teams trying to lose?
Then again, there’s no evidence we’re trying to lose, either, and we’re killing it!
Where did you read this?
They really need to get into the top 3 this year. One of JJJ/Doncic or maybe Porter Jr. if he checks out medically would be a miracle. Otherwise, I’d rather just get a great role player like Carter or Mikal than take a chance on a high turnover guy like Trae or Sexton. Bamba would be fine too.
I’m not sure how much I should pay attention to +/-, but looking at last night’s box score, Frank again managed a positive # in a loss despite not scoring (I’m sure it doesn’t mean anything for 1 game, but the pattern is there).
Also, Hornacek did a great job of limiting the minutes of his 3 + guys (Trey +12, O’Quinn +5 and Frank +2).
In addition to Horny, I’d like to thank Mudiay and Timmy for that clutch loss last night. Good job guys! If Trey and Frank had their minutes, the Knicks probably win that game.
6th seed here we come! Go Bulls! Go Nets! Go Kings!
I still think Trae might be worth a shot. No Sexton please. though.
I’m sure the ruff fydah crowd would love Sexton over Trae.
I’ve seen Sexton twice and put him on my Do Not Draft list, but he sure is making some noise so I just looked at his numbers. He seems like a Westbrook type so I compared their college numbers, and they are eerily similar across the board (even their listed measurements are the same), with Sexton having a big edge in getting to the line (7.8! a game vs westbrook’s 3.8), and thus a .30 pt TS% edge (.568 to .538), with Westbrook having a big steals edge (1.6 to .9 per game in 3 more mpg).
Sexton is shooting .338 from 3 on 4.1 attempts per game as a freshman. Westbrook had the same % on 2 per game. With his 78 ft% (compared to westbrook’s 71%), it’s possible Sexton could make a leap there.
So maybe I wrote him off too soon.
sexton has certainly come on as of late…. the steals #s are a little lower than what you’d like but he might be an ok player…
i don’t think he’s more than a lou williams type…. he’s not a pg… but he’s a good scorer with a nice handle….
he’s someone i would draft if we had good starters in place but he’s very much a luxury at this point…
Bro that self-quote was from a month ago, step up your archive search game
I’m convinced that, for one game at least, H was in on the tank. Taking out Frank, Trey, and OQ down the stretch for the bad defender trio of Mudiay, Beasley, and Kanter was brilliantly awful. And staying with a clearly struggling THJ meant four bad defenders in late.
Poor Lee to have to play D with those three. Beasley is breathtakingly bad in close games.
No surprise that there are reports that the front office is pretty much mandating Mudiay starting. They’re desperate that he show improvement so that they don’t look like idiots. The unintentional positive is that it is good for the tank.
Mudiay is so so terrible. It’s performance art.
I am not a high performance guy but just looking at him, what the hell is up with his jump shot? I don’t think I can remember a player with such inconsistent form. You watch his legs when he jumps and a good percentage of the time on his pull ups they seem to be windmilling independent of the rest of his body. And his release point often seems messed up to me on his spot ups. He just seems to be a technically flawed player.
Marquese Chriss is rapidly becoming my least liked NBA player.
That was so bizarre. Didn’t even look like he got touched on that missed dunk. And if he did it wasn’t by Rubio.
Continuing last night’s thread about LeBron joining Philly…
What would their starting 5 be? Embiid, LeBron, Simmons, Covington, Saric? Would that team be able to guard 3-guard lineups? LeBron can’t guard smalls consistently anymore. So you’d need Simmons and Covington to chase the smallest guys around screens all game. You might be able to get away with it during the regular season, but it would be a big problem against Houston/Golden State.
From
http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/basketball/knicks/emmanuel-mudiay-change-draft-bust-status-knicks-article-1.3877220
I’m all in on Trey Young, and I think because of his limited tournament exposure and rough 2nd half of the season, he may fall to us. Yes, he has a high turnover rate, but he essentially plays with a bunch of stiffs who can’t hit shots and he’s expected to generate the offense on every possession. Just watch the guy play, he’s got great court vision, a solid handle and that Curry-like quick release jump shot.
OTOH, Ayton concerns me a little bit (not that we’ll be in a position to draft him) Physically he’s a man among boys, but he looks pretty raw offensively. He may turn out to be a great player, but I don’t think it’s a lock by any means.
I think it will come down to who has the #1 pick.
Zaza is still worse since he actively tries to hurt people.
I think you’d want Embiid-Lebron-Simmons-Fultz-?
If you played 3 guards against that frontcourt you’d better not miss because you couldn’t stop them on offense and you wouldn’t get many rebounds
Question to anyone who follows draft prospects closely:
Assuming Ayton and Doncic are gone before we pick, who is the guy you would most want to get?
The Sixers certainly hope that Fultz takes over for Saric as the starter next year. And that would make for a more balanced lineup. But Fultz starting is far from a given, considering his struggles.
@31
Yeah, I’m assuming Fultz is a basketball player on this scenario. Covington is a good defender and Simmons too, he only has issues with the quickest guys and he seems to be improving.
The thing I see is that if they can make things work out decently on defense (and it just might as Embiid is an elite rim protector), the offense is simply matchup nightmare everywhere, and the transition game would be unstoppable. With Simmons ball handling LeBron would be free to do less stuff than he does now with the Cavs, more energy for defending, etc.
It would probably take a year for them to figure it out, but I just can’t see a guy like Simmons not improving, specially playing alongside Lebron. I’m probably higher on him than most people but I reallly think his ceiling is all NBA first team guy. If he just learns to shoot free throws he’s already an almost complete player.
@32 – i have carter #2 now on my draft board …. aside from doncic.. he is the best two way player in the draft…. and he’s the reason why i want to move up now after being ok with being at or around #10….
it’s close between him and jackson and trae but he has the least questions and holes in his game coming in… which makes him fairly safe but also the better prospect…. jackson very much needs a good pg to realize his potential on offense which is capped since he has limited ball skills…. and i think trae’s performance in conf play is concerning enough to drop him a spot or two….
he’s pretty unheralded because he doesn’t wow like bamba’s size and jackson’s athleticism or ayton or bagley’s offensive output… but he absolutely has the requisite skills that are necessary for high level big man play…. if you look at the below list:
davis
cousins
horford
love
embiid
towns
lma
the one thing they all have in common is that they all can do multiple things well… and aside from love… aren’t too deficient in any one area of their game…. that’s why doing multiple things well is pretty key… and it’s not just for big men… it goes for all players….
that’s why i feel like carter is getting seriously sleeped on… and while he’s a consensus top 10… he actually should be ahead of all the other big men…
I think LeBron is going to Philly. They will be unstoppable offensively with another shooter added on, and the big 3 would be an epic defensive frontcourt.
If I was him, though, I’d try to get to Toronto somehow. I would definitely stay in the East where he could go to the Finals in perpetuity.
I would take Trae 2nd after Doncic, as tempting as JJJ is. I want a potential point god on this team before I croak.
I love 538.com but they are predicting we somehow end up with 29 wins, meaning we’d have to go 5-8 the rest of the season. We have a -13.2 net rating since the all star break and we have only 2 games left against teams that want to lose. I honestly would be disappointed if we somehow managed to win even 2 more games the rest of the season.
I’m a little skeptical of LeBron’s willingness to hand over primary ballhandling duties to Simmons. He’s had a usage rate over 30% for 13 straight seasons, no matter if he was playing with bums like Mo Williams or great scorers like Kyrie and Bosh. It’s hard to see him suddenly playing off the ball and devoting more energy to defense, where he’s been increasingly coasting the last few years. More likely he’d be running the offense while Simmons has to adjust his game. Since Simmons can’t shoot beyond 10 feet, that takes away a lot of his effectiveness.
Then throw in Embiid, who’s got a 34% usage, and Fultz, whose best strength is playmaking, and there could be some tension about who’s touching the ball.
Obviously adding LeBron would make any team way better, but in Philly’s case, I’m not sure the whole would equal the sum of their parts. Like, adding LeBron to the Knicks would add 20 wins, but adding him to Philly would add 13 wins. Something like that.
If Hornacek keeps playing combinations of Mudiay, Beasley, Hardawy, and Kanter together it’s going to be hard for us to outscore the other team even if Hardaway and Beasley go off. Between the lack of defense and dumb mistakes that team can’t beat anyone ever.
I like Carter a lot as well. Bill James has always said that the most underrated players are the ones who are good at everything but not eye poppingly great at anything. With the most overrated players being the opposite (see: Rose, Derrick).
The best bet in sports right now is taking the over for pts scored by the Knicks’ opponent. I can’t remember the last time that bet has not hit.
@38
I agree with everything you said. Going to the 76ers makes perfect sense in some ways, but when you look at the details it’s not such a great fit. I’m not sure he really fits in LA or Houston either given he wants the ball in his hands. But I’m sure they could all figure it out and adjust given he was able to make it work Wade and Irving. When you can get James, you say YES and worry about how to do it later.
Again, I’m not a college guy, but I like Carter also.
I, for one, don’t anticipate the Sixers being too big running Simmons, James, and Embiid out there.
And their defense would be nasty. Already the 5th best defense in the league. Adding a motivated Lebron won’t hurt.
For all of the numbnuts who are saying “hurr durr The Process failed, Okafor was a bust hurr durr” I’d like to point out that Philadelphia is now a viable destination for a star player like LeBron James.
@38
I agree the impact initially at least would be a bit lower, but 13 plus wins is the difference between Philly’s record and Toronto at 51-17, they are exactly 13.5 games behind Toronto in the first seed.
I wouldn’t underestimate LeBron’s IQ on this, yes, he has been ball dominant everywhere he played and for good reason, he’s just the best one to do it every time. But Lebron did adjust with Kyrie in terms of letting Irving take over in stretches and I would be confident that as he gets to the later stage of his career (if that even makes sense talking about LeBron) he would figure it out. Outside shooting is not the only way to space the floor, Wade did it by making great cuts and having excellent timing and positioning, and Simmons is pretty adept already at making some of those reads too.
This is an extremely tough question. I think I’d go with Carter as well but with a few caveats:
-I’m curious about JJJ’s rebounding with Nick Ward, who is a rebounding machine, off the floor. It’s possible JJJ’s numbers don’t reflect his talent as a rebounder because of diminishing returns. If JJJ’s rebounds go up significantly, I’d probably change my answer to him.
-I’d want someone with more scouting chops than me to analyze all of Trae’s 2 PT misses and try to account for that weakness. If they’re largely due to lack of athleticism, that’s obviously an issue and I wouldn’t be interested in him at #3. If a lot of them are missed long twos, etc. as a result of playing in that dumpster fire offense I think that’s fixable by just having him on a roster with other NBA players.
Carter does seem to have the fewest potential weaknesses, and that’s not a bad way to go when it comes to the draft. Ceilings are pretty hard to predict, so you’re usually in good shape if you just take a guy who does everything pretty well and develop him.
My big board as of now:
1) Doncic
2) Carter
3) JJJ
4) Young
5) Ayton
6) Mikal Bridges
7) Zhaire Smith
8) Bagley
9) Bamba
10) Michael Porter, I guess
11) Robert Williams
12) Miles Bridges
13) Daniel Gafford
14) Shai-Gilgeous Alexander
Trae Young is a PG version of Devin Booker?
Fwiw JJJr has some p questionable nrtg and on/off splits that I saw recently, which is enough for me to put him behind Carter, I think.
Carter isn’t an eye-popping highlight reel type player but he’s well-rounded and he’s productive. He really does do a little bit of everything. He seems like a very safe pick, a high floor player.
You better opt out cause its gonna be even worse next year.
from my observation … young’s issue hasn’t been taking long two’s…. he rarely takes them…. his main issue in conf play was that he had issues when facing length… the big 12 has a lot of size and tough defenses….
he has a great handle and he can get to the basket whenever he wants except his size prohibits him from finishing a lot of times… and so he had to rely on his floater game… which is solid right now but it’s a fairly unreliable way to get buckets unless you’re tony parker or curry…. he does draw a ton of fouls but i doubt he’ll get bailed out nearly as much in the pro’s….
he scores very well in college but his usage rate is also ridiculous… and so that could be masking some of the deficient parts of his game which right now is his ability to get to the basket and finish…. you can’t live on pull up threes and so he needs that floater game to develop or a midrange game to round out his offensive game….
Re: Trae Burke – he is 19 years old. That kind of production is pretty unheard of at 19. I’m sure he’ll work on his game and address some of those weaknesses.
@51
If playing the youngsters makes Kanter opt out, best case scenario.
It’s the New York thing, the guy has been so abysmal on defense that his .635 ts% plus rebounding still can’t make up for a plus rating when he’s on court, but here he is thinking he has the right to complain about not getting minutes in the 4th and playing young players. At least try to defend a pick and roll for once in your life and then you can talk, dude.
https://syndication.bleacherreport.com/amp/2764689-i-dont-see-it-nba-scouts-execs-doubting-trae-young-after-ncaa-tourney-exit.amp.html?__twitter_impression=true
Young might really drop all the way to 10-15, sounds like the typical NCAA tournament yearly overreaction…
“At 6’2″, 180 pounds and with short arms, minimal explosiveness and a heavy reliance on threes (10.3 attempts per game, 36.1 percent) and free throws (8.6 attempts per game), Young has size and scoring limitations that concern scouts. ”
Idiots. Good, they can draft Miles Bridges for his long arms and explosiveness.
This 1000000% has to be a Knicks executive.
@57 I actually lol’d when I read that quote in the article, and then lol’d at your response to it.
Guess whose draft profile this is/was?
(Hint: it’s not Trae Young, but it might as well be)
“Weaknesses: Far below NBA standard in regard to explosivenes and athleticism … At 6-2, he’s extremely small for the NBA shooting guard position, and it will likely keep him from being much of a defender at the next level … Although he’s playing point guard this year, he’s not a natural point guard that an NBA team can rely on to run a team … Struggles defensively getting around screens … Can overshoot and rush into shots from time to time (vs. WV) … Hasn’t had to deal with getting benched due to poor performance (shooting) which has allowed him to shoot through any slumps. Will have to adjust to not being a volume shooter which could have an effect on his effectiveness … Doesn’t like when defenses are too physical with him … Not a great finisher around the basket due to his size and physical attributes … Makes some silly mistakes at the PG position. Needs to add some muscles to his upper body, but appears as though he’ll always be skinny … “
Malik Monk?
Tank-alert tonight — Sacramento playing GS, and GS will be without Curry/Durant/Klay. Jordan Bell and David West will be playing but are hurt.
Sac is actually 4-6 over the last 10. Another team that can’t even tank right.
If they win tonight — they still have games against uber-tankers PHX, MEM, ATL not to mention Dallas.
Sacramento is going end up with 26-27 wins this season.
Theo Pinson really deserves to be drafted in the second round
If he keeps dropping maybe we can get him with Chicago’s 2nd round pick. 🙂
One way or the other we’ll probably create a glut at PG between Frank, Burke, Mudiay, and some draft pick so Frank complains and we trade him for two 2nd rounders just to keep Mudiay starting.
@61, problem is, they just beat the Lakers with the same guys out/hurt. Scored 117 somehow.
@59 Steph?
@64 – Durant played in that game. He’s out tonight.
Yup
Oh OK. Go Kings!
I’ve posted this before, but man, they really hit the nail on the head here. And the freshman-comp writing style, too!
Hmm, will it have an effect on his effectiveness? Will it?
Also, his lack of volume shooting could have an effect on the effectiveness of the volume of his shooting, bruh.
Bad day for Ronnie Bakes, his Shockers were shocked
He’ll have to take another look at his player option to cheer himself up
@56 Miles actually has a very short wingspan(6’8) for his size. Jimmy Butler is the only good forward I know of that has a wingspan below 6’10.
much like when watching the knick games (play well – but – not that well) – i’m a bit conflicted on kanter’s, o’quinns, and baker’s options…
i’d love for all of them to opt out – however, the knick’s FO having that kinda available cash, could spell real trouble this off season…
I’m used to players saying oblivious shit, but even with that in mind, Kanter’s oblivious shit was particularly oblivious. I’d love to have someone read him that quote right after he opts back into a team that he knows will suck next year, which he will do, because he knows he can’t make nearly as much as a free agent and he is not, in fact, all about winning.
Yeah, I’m souring a bit on Kanter to be honest. I’m fine with irrational confidence but can’t these guys just say nothing?
Just answer “I think it’s fine, we’re all here to be professional and play”. Simple, done, no drama, you tell management you want to play 35 minutes a game every game and that’s it, they’ll answer you’re obviously not good enough and the team has other priorities, you opt out if you don’t like it, the end.
People talk about NY media making up stuff, but these players keep giving them the fuel to do so, and Hornacek keeps the bullshit flowing with his nonsense rotations.
Note to Perry/Mills: if Kanter opts out PLEASE DO NOT spend the cap space created by this on the Tim Hardaway Jrs of tomorrow k thx bai
Bamba doing some decent work right now.
Wow I jinxed him!
Kanter has to be the most enthusiastic player ever to not give a shit on defense. At least Beasley looks like he doesn’t care at all, even on offense.
I honestly think Kanter tries on defense for the most part. David Lee mostly tried too. Stoudemire you can argue either way but I don’t think even his effort was below average like a Beasley, Blatche or Hedo. They just involuntarily suck.
Remember, Miles doing this against BUCKNELL.
Damn, the Nets barely lose to Philly and the Mavs are throwing away a 4th quarter lead against the Raptors.
Dennis Smith Jr. is absolutely fucking terrible. Carlisle knows what’s up.
Holy shit we might be seeing the first victory ever by a 16 seed. And over the #1 team in the nation to boot. Unbelievable.
Holy hell it actually happened!