(Sunday, June 09, 2019 5:00:44 PM)
As we relayed earlier this week, new Sixers coach Ime Udoka is replacing Monty Williams as lead assistant coach under head man Brett Brown. Unlike Williams, however, Idoka will also be tasked with being the team’s new defensive coordinator next season, writes Rich Hofmann of The Athletic. Udoka has interviewed unsuccessfully for some head coaching positions over the last couple offseasons […]
(Sunday, June 09, 2019 12:36:59 PM)
Kevin Knox, the Knicks‘ first-round pick last season, is lobbying for R.J. Barrett to get that designation this year, relays Marc Berman of The New York Post. Knox, who attended Game 4 of the NBA Finals with a small Knicks contingent, may be on hand tomorrow for Barrett’s workout in New York. They have faced […]
(Sunday, June 09, 2019 6:06:40 PM)
Count Kevin Knox as a current Knick who would love to have the team select RJ Barrett during the NBA Draft.
(Sunday, June 09, 2019 5:37:47 PM)
Warriors star Kevin Durant can be a free agent after the season, and the idea that he could team up with fellow free agent Kyrie Irving on the Knicks this summer has picked up steam since the Kristaps Porzingis trade cleared two max slots for New York. Here are the latest rumors…
(Sunday, June 09, 2019 6:20:53 PM)
TORONTO — RJ Barrett will work out with the Knicks on Monday in Tarrytown as the former Duke swingman prepares for the NBA draft. The Grizzlies have the second pick in the June 20 draft and last month ESPN reported they had zeroed in on Murray State point guard Ja Morant, leaving Barrett for the…
(Sunday, June 09, 2019 4:26:20 PM)
TORONTO — Kawhi Leonard is one win away from his second NBA title and likely second Finals MVP award. That still hasn’t assured Leonard of signing a long-term deal with the Raptors, though the chances have seemed to increase. There was a recent report Leonard had just bought a place in the city. Leonard gave…
157 replies on “Knicks Morning News (2019.06.10)”
I’m starting to get the impression that Memphis may be cooling on Ja Morant and getting more interested in Barrett. I have no idea how the politics of the draft work. I supposed in marginal decisions if a player and his agent make it clear they don’t want to go to your city or work out for you, it sure isn’t a positive. Barrett seems anxious to go to NY or LA, but I don’t think it’s 100% that Memphis is taking Morant.
what makes you say that?
Memphis is meeting with Morant today and all signs are that they are intending to draft him.
I think some of the rumors about Memphis potentially passing on Morant might be related to them leaking stuff to try to make Conley more valuable, trying to say they’re willing to keep him and not desperate to trade him.
How fucked up is this?
Come the fuck on. As if Kevin Durant is not willing to play through pain. It’s moronic. The dude clearly couldn’t use his fucking leg, morons.
Initially I read an isolated report that Morant was having surgery and that Memphis may be cooling on him. I thought it was interesting, but didn’t give it a lot of weight. Now I read a couple more that talked about him missing summer league and how Memphis may be cooling on him. So maybe this isn’t a no brainer decision for them.
It’s fairly clear Barrett doesn’t really want to go to Memphis, but he supposedly met with them yesterday. It’s still highly likely that Morant winds up with Memphis, but it’s probably less of a lock than it looked like initially.
I doubt he can be himself tonight… I think the Warriors will let him dress and show their cards (that he can’t really play) at the last possible moment. Or maybe they try him out for 10 minutes because why not?
If he’s healthy enough to practice and feels OK this morning, he’s healthy enough to at least suit up and give it go tonight if they need him. If Willis could do it, so can Durant. If he’s feeling lousy today, that’s a different story.
I think they’ll use him as a glorified Jonas Jerebko for the first half and ask him to be Kevin Durant 0.6 if the game is close in the last 18 minutes. It could be enough.
My spider senses though feel confetti pouring from the Air Canada Center rooftops. This series is eerily similar to the 2004 Lakers vs. Pistons one.
Wojon what Griffin wants for Davis (and says Knicks are among teams talking with him):
Also says Griffin understands a third team will probably have to be involved, and that he wants deal done prior to the draft. Problem with that timeline is that it eliminates the possibility of a big three with Davis, Durant and someone else. If we trade for him before free agency starts, we’d only have room for Davis and Durant (plus some lesser players, I think?).
I actually think the Knicksy thing that happens is that we make a bad trade for AD. Give up too much and do it before FA starts and lose a max spot.
That’s my bet.
I had that same thought! EERILY similar: A heavily favored super team who gratuitously added superfluous superstars at a cheap price (DeMarcus/Malone, Payton); those superstars playing through injuries; and a possible 4 games to 1 defeat. Lakers even won a fairly close Game 2 like Warriors did.
The Raptors also resemble the ’04 Pistons a bit: a patchwork of vets acquired via trade who fit perfectly together; Lowry is a late bloomer like Chauncey Billups was, etc., etc., etc.
So Griffin supposedly wants an all-star, a young player with all-star potential, and 2 first round draft picks for Davis. Pretty high price. We would essentially have to trade for an all-star and then trade that all-star plus Mitch and picks for him. Don’t think that’s worth it/possible.
EDIT: beat me to it Alsep!
I had a soleus/gastrocnemius basketball injury right near the junction of the achilles last year. There’s no way I would have been able to play basketball four weeks after the tear, even if I hadn’t fractured my fibula in the same impact. The muscle tear took much longer than the fracture to heal. We do not know enough about the injury to impugn him for not playing, no matter what he does in shootarounds or practices.
Occam’s Razor says that Durant, one of the most competitive players in the whole damn league, would not be sitting out in the goddamn NBA Finals if he were healthy enough to play.
Are you interested in seeing Davis disillusioned with another underpowered team that wastes his exquisite talents during his prime years? If so, the post-trade Knicks would be right up your alley.
Watch when the Pels trade him for a newly re-signed Klay Thompson or something totally crazy like that.
I fucking hate this timeline
This stuff about the team wanting Durant to play is the same sort of stuff that made Kawhi leave San Antonio. He was too hurt to play, but they thought he was malingering.
Tommy Beer:
I’d sure as hell prefer Durant and Kawhi for nothing but money than Durant and Davis for money plus all our young assets. Especially since we can surely flip some of those assets for another sidekick who’d provide more value for what we’d have to give up.
Willis didn’t have 200 million riding on whether he’s healthy in 20 days……We don’t know exactly what the injury is, but KNOW he would love to be able to play and sway the series towards GS and drag them across the finish line….. especially on the way out the door. If he can sensibly play, he will. If he can’t he shouldn’t.
@18 – Wait. The source is former Vikings’ WR Cris Carter? Did anyone ask Randy Moss what he thinks? What about Dante Culpepper?
And what about Morganna the Kissing Bandit, and Carrot Top, and Boutros Boutros-Ghali? I’d like to hear them weigh in on the matter.
the knicks wall app is killing my day, i ran it 30 x’s, i hit 60 wins twice!
Can’t read his name without imagining Ali G pronouncing it.
Woj says KD “plans to play.”
Respek
One possible trade that fits those parameters could be:
Knicks get:
Anthony Davis
Pels get:
Bradley Beal
Mitchell Robinson
Damyean Dotson
Two Dallas Maverick FRPs
Wizards get:
E’tuan Moore
Lance Thomas
Dennis Smith Jr.
Frank Ntilikina
Kevin Knox
Washington might want also demand a FRP, and the Pels might want this year’s #3 instead of a Dallas pick, so it could actually get worse than this. But if the above trade went down, we’d have:
Kadeem Allen
Henry Ellenson
John Jenkins
Anthony Davis
Zo Trier
*R.J. Barrett
*Tacko Fall
Assuming we get KD, that could give us a bizarre Trier/Barrett/KD/AD/Fall lineup (not accounting for the vet min guys we’re also sure to sign like maybe DeAndre Jordan or Darren Collison).
That gives the Pels a Holiday/Beal/Dotson/Zion/Robinson lineup with Okafor off the bench. They’d likely need to sign an sf like Hollis-Jefferson or Ennis… maybe Ariza if they think that team is going to the playoffs.
Washington basically starts over and tanks and builds around DSJ, Moore, Frank, Troy Brown, and Knox. Idk if they get enough for Beal, but Beal is overrated anyway.
thats too much to give up
Durant playing tonight.
This is standard operating procedure for every team trading a star. They always leak to the media that they’re looking for an absurd combo of multiple young stars and picks. Then they inevitably settle for something much less. The opening gambit means nothing.
Nobody cares about Carrot Top but the double B G is connected for real.
I think BBG is dead
But what about my man Boutros. Boutros. Boutros. Ghali.
Haven’t we seen this movie before?
Not ready for the RJ Barrett era….
I know it’s too much to ask for them to figure out something smarter. Probably better they take him than trade down for Reddish and a conditional first rounder.
Why couldn’t we have gotten a top 2 pick? Would have made everyone’s lives a lot simpler…
@33 It does sound vaguely familiar…..it didn’t end well last time I seem to recall
Morganna the Kissing Bandit, – too funny
Shams:
I “think” we can resign AD, just sucks that to do so would deplete what precious decent future assets we’ve been able to acquire…
really wouldn’t want to force the trade prior to the draft or free agency…
as great a player as AD is – he’s gotta be a side, and, not the main dish…
if it had to happen now, I’d pass…
We sure have.
OG is playing tonight for the raptors…
I think the raptors will win tonight, want them to win the series, but, if they do win tonight, no more basketball for awhile…
Ha…
Shams just reported that the Knicks prefer to get a Davis trade done BEFORE the draft.
But are you ready for the Tacko Fall era?
I guess I look for every little positive as a beaten down Knicks fan, but isn’t it kind of a good thing that a top talent like AD actually wants to play for our team?
I think the sequel will be more like Godfather Part 3 than Part 2 🙂
I am here for Tacko. Totes.
I’m still hoping Muk Mu gets an invite to camp
This doesn’t shock me. If you are past the rehab point and actually practicing, there’s no reason you can’t suit up UNLESS you come out of practice hurting the next day. How many minutes he can play and how good he is going to be are entirely different issues. But with the season on the line if he has no pain you put him on the court at some point and find out.
Let’s assume the Pelicans are serious in their demands or that’s what it’s going to take to beat the Laker’s offer anyway.
To trade for Davis, the Knicks will have to acquire an all-star, but in the “potential all-star” category we should not necessarily be thinking in terms of how this forum values players. Perhaps we should be thinking in terms of how the league values players.
Maybe I’m crazy, but maybe not.
Robinson was a 2nd round pick. He’s seen as an athletic shot blocker that’s good around the basket. He’s in the Capela category. Clint Capela has never been an all-star. What we think of Robinson’s game and upside is not where the rest of the league is on him yet.
On the flip side, as down as we are on Knox, he’s more than a year younger that Robinson, was drafted in the lottery, and can score in a variety of ways. He may still be viewed as a potential all-star caliber player around the league.
We might be able to get it done with Knox, Dallas’s better pick, and one of our own future 1st rounders if we can also come up with an established all star. The problem is how to get the all star caliber player.
That’s where Barrett comes in.
Maybe we come away with a Robinson, Davis, Durant front court and keep the rest. If you have to, you throw in one of DSJ or Frank.
Trading before the draft has got to give the Lakers a huge advantage. The Knicks can’t do a Big Three unless they do the trade after the draft. Unless, I guess they could do a “agree in principle but executed later” deal?
@47 I kind of agree re: Robinson and how bigs are probably considered of low value right now (especially if they can’t shoot threes), but the fact remains that the Knicks would have to send out most of their team to make the money match. I think we could replace Mitch with Trier, but Trier is pretty tight with KD supposedly.
Would anyone be shocked if they signed Durant, kept Barrett/Robinson/Knox/Trier/Dotson etc..and added some veteran free agents in the 2nd max slot instead of adding another star?
It always struck me as odd that DeAndre Jordan hung around unless he knew something. Maybe he’ll be back with Vonleh and they’ll add 1 or 2 other good veteran players that are willing to play with Durant for less. They won’t be a title contender in year 1, but they’ll probably make the playoffs and have a lot of young developing players going forward.
This Warrior offense looks insane to start the game. It just looks like a completely different league/sport than what the Knicks play.
I think if you have the pieces to get an AD deal done you go for it. I just don’t think the Knicks have the cattle to get a deal done that doesn’t gut our whole roster. I don’t think even the Dallas picks are enticing enough at the moment to get “an ALL-Star player or someone with All-Star potential”.
That Durant dude really gums up the Warriors offense
I can’t believe people actually discussed that the Warriors might be better without Durant. That has to be the worst narrative of this playoffs.
Looks like Durant reinjured the calf.
That’s the last you’ll see him in a Dubs uniform.
Durant goes down again. And tons of Raptors fans cheering and waving until the players get on them. Yikes, not a good look.
Of course they’re not serious. No one starts a negotiation by revealing their reserve price. Any negotiator worth their salt (which Ujiri is) shoots for the moon, hopes to get their counterpart to reveal their price, and then gets something in between.
Who cheers an injury like that? What the fuck, Toronto fans?
Some thirsty motherfuckers, that’s who
I have a few Canadian friends who have a pretty big disdain for the people of Toronto, so this doesn’t seem to far fetched by the sounds of it.
If I was a Toronto Raptor I’d be very concerned about my nutsack right now
Ugly moment for an otherwise great fan base.
I think this is what we’d do. Similar to what Brooklyn just did. It definitely makes draft/roster planning easier if you know exactly what you’re going to do with the #3 pick.
Durant will have lots of chances to make Toronto pay when he’s torching them as a Knick next season
Gasol has kept them in this game. Another great one so far, despite the KD injury.
Ugly display by the fans in Toronto. Go Dubs
It’s especially bad because KD was kicking their ass, making it obvious that they’re a paper champion. You should WANT to beat them with Durant.
Unless you’re a just a really thirsty fan base. Enjoy your asterisk championship!
lolol
Looney kinda looks like Bubba from Forrest Gump
ha…peeling back the skin of the average human psyche – fuck em, he’s on the other team and lighting us up…those fans would have cheered even louder if some sort of spontaneous combustion had been involved…
yeah, that’d been waaaaaay more satisfying…
People are fucking weird, man. A friend of mine on Facebook, “I have no sympathy for people making $24 million a year. I am the biggest college basketball fan on earth and would never root for an injury for those kids, but once you’re an arrogant NBAer (barf emoji, I think?)” What in the what?
Sports fans are the fucking worst.
Kawhi definitely wants that ring. Insanity!
There’s your first problem.
Comparing Kawhi to Kobe is an insult to Kawhi
tough to judge others…
well, actually it’s very easy…i was always great at those “what’s wrong with this picture” puzzle games…between getting dragged around to countless catholic churches as a kid, growing up in new york, then having uncle sam get his hands on me – it’s not so hard to identify the flaws in others…
i appreciate when people let you know what they’re really thinking – you get that a bunch when folks passions get lit – sports can definitely do that…
kawhi making a legacy…
Forget Durant. Kawhi is going to be a top 5 player of all time
Yesh, they didn’t need Durant. KD, we do!
Bad heroball play by Kawhi killed the momentum there though
Quite the play there by Lowry. So odd.
I expect Golden State to land one or two more big blows.
What a tight call on that offensive interference. Btwn that and the Kawhi non-travel, that’s critical (non)calls that went Toronto’s way.
Splash Brothers officially back.
How’s it goink, Phil?
I’d love to see the Raptors fan not get to celebrate tonight after their Durant bullshit.
The players weren’t dicks, though, so they can win on Thursday. 😉
Toronto has fallen apart since Kawhi’s airball. Bad possessions every time, and they look gassed.
Would be fun to watch this crowd go home disappointed.
What amazing ball movement on that last 3. I love this fucking league.
A BACKCOURT VIOLATION!?!?!?!? WHAT THE FUCK IS GOING ON
Mannnn, the Dubs ain’t bout that lie down and die life. That’s what champs do.
What a terrible final shot there. You’re down one, and you’re taking a three at the buzzer? Huh?
FUCK YOU TORONTO FANS YOU DESERVED TO LOSE
Wow, no last shot for Kawhi.
Bad loss for Toronto, they had this in the bag.
Good. Fuck you, shitty Toronto fans.
Huge response from the Warriors.
So yeah I do think Klay is a pretty damn good defender
Look at those fans, all sad and shit
Classic game. Can’t see GSW taking two more games though.
So good. Some great crowd reaction shots. I think the ABC cameramen knew what was up.
I still think Toronto will win but man, it feels good when a collectively douchey fanbase (if only for one night) gets slapped in the face.
Wow.
That’s why the Warriors are the Warriors.
I mean, one more good Raptors offensive possession those last 2 minutes and they’re hoisting the Larry O’Brien trophy.
Great game. Horrible final possessions for Toronto. Super fun one to watch though! Can’t be mad with Toronto losing tonight.
Game 6 Klay Thompson is real, people.
What a strange, strange game.
Prediction: Warriors win game 6, but Green gets a tech and is suspended for game 7. Raptors win game 7, everybody gets merch that reads “the board man gets paid.” Wishful thinking? Your pony is in the mail.
Btw that moving screen call on Boogie was ridiculous. Garnett used to hip check defenders routinely at the end of games and it never got called.
Yeah, the Warriors are winning the championship again. I truly believe this. Fuck Toronto anyway.
Yeah that was awfully hero-ballish by the Raps down the stretch. Can’t take nothing from Kawhi for getting hot. But their lack of execution in the face of staunch Warrior D failed them. Plus Klay n Steph are just the best shooters on this planet.
It looked like Kawhi wasn’t gonna let the Raps lose until… he kinda let them lose
I am not going to bet against the Dubs at home with Game 6 Klay about to go off.
can’t imagine this kind of disparity again in game 6: 3pt: warriors 20 – 42, raptors 8 – 32…
If the Dubs come back and win the series, and this becomes the “Curse Of Booing The Injured Durant” finals and Kawhi leaves the Raps and they slide into obscurity that will be an entertaining enough outcome for me
I know I’m definitely making things about me in my Knicks-centric universe, but Kevin Durant has an achilles injury. Confirmed by Bob Myers.
This was obviously the most Knicksy outcome ever. If you doubted that Durant was coming to the Knicks, doubt it no longer.
Looks like the biggest loser tonight was us. That KD news fucking sucks.
Raptors in six
Dolan’s Razor strikes.
So, what’s best case scenario? It’s a strain rather than a tear? I mean, we all know it’s a tear, but indulge me here.
Mmmh, those Vegas bets on KD to the Knicks are gonna get paid. It really sucks for him.
And those fuckers were booing him! That’s a lot of bad karma.
if we sign KD we can still tank for another year
Cole Anthony 2020
Bob Meyers wasn’t crying because KD has an achilles strain
Edit: I suppose maybe he’s just very emotional but all signs point to something worse
Now I want both of these shitstain teams to lose
If it is a tear that’s about a 6 month recovery, so a strain would be preferable if you are KD. So yeah given Myers reaction I don’t think we will be seeing KD back again.
If it’s a tear, NYK should just stay away because you don’t really come back the same from a tear.
So, hello, KD! This is like one of those Monkey’s Paw things where your wish comes true but with some kind of sadistic twist
fuck, that sucks – that’s some pretty serious misfortune for KD and the warriors…so no KD til sometime after the all-star break, at the earliest…wow, yeah – go DSJ, dot, RJ, knox, mitch…let’s see where we draft in 2020…
i can’t imagine it was always an achilles thing, otherwise he wouldn’t have played tonight…just planted his foot wrong…
In the replay, it sure as fuck looks like you can see his tendon ripple through his leg, sooo…yeah, that’s a tear right there.
That’s a tear, and Durant will opt in. Get ready for another tank year, my dudes!
Dolan’s Razor really is quite a thing.
Knicks potentially signing KD aside, it is a damn shame he is likely going to miss the rest of the series. The series (before today’s game) felt a bit flat at times watching Steph and the GSW bench go at it. Hoping the splash brothers keep it competitive.
So, can Perry and Mills really sign no one this season? It’d be impressive as heck if they have the fortitude. A big problem is that even if Durant wants to come here after next season, he’d now be 32 and coming off of a major achilles injury which has ruined multiple careers. Ugh.
Oh that’s right he has a player option. Should definitely opt in and collect that $31M and rehab that thing niiice and slooow.
there are still other “big” free agents, and, a bunch of other contributing types available this off-season…
KD just got taken off the menu…
I think the Durant train just left the station.
Just keep collecting assets, rent out the cap space and don’t do anything stupid. Forget about 32-year old busted Achilles Kevin Durant.
As much as this sucks, at least it didn’t happen AFTER we gave him the max contract.
On the other hand though, why not decline the player option if you’re KD? Somebody (read: us) is giving you a max contract anyway. Why not take it now, instead of risking coming back at the end of 2020 and either getting hurt again or looking like a shell of yourself?
The Knicks are going to try to get a meeting with Kawhi Leonard. If he turns us down, I’m officially rooting for a starting five of Smith Jr, Dotson, Barrett, Knox, and Mitchell Robinson. Build this thing from the ground up and don’t let anything get in the way of that. Give Stanley Johnson and Tomas Satoransky team friendly contracts, bring back Noah Vonleh, and lets see what Fizdale is made of. If Durant tore his achilles (and I won’t believe it until they announce it), we need to go full rebuild mode. Rent cap space for 1st round draft picks, stockpile young assets, and give RJ Barrett the keys to the franchise.
I can see how this is going to play out. If there was ever a player who was destined to become a Knick, it’s post-Achilles tear Kevin Durant.
I can envision the press conference very clearly.
Looks like I’m in for another season of crappy recaps 🙂
Yeah, there’s no point in Durant taking the option now unless the injury is potentially career ending and serious enough for the other team’s medical staff to stop the signing. If he can still play, which he will eventually, he should opt out and get a max somewhere to get the most money. I now just really hope it’s not with us.
I dunno, it just seems extremely likely that Durant will be on the NYK roster next season. This FO is absolutely going to rationalize it into being a sensible idea, and James Dolan, starfucker, is going to demand it.
I recommend brushing up on “how long does it take an Achilles injury to heal” and “what NBA players have come back from Achilles injuries” Google searches.
Does KD give us a “damaged goods” discount? Unlikely, but us Knicks fans are allowed to dream.
I’ve seen a few people mention Satoransky in terms of getting him on a team-friendly deal. He’s a restricted free agent and Washington not only wants him back, but he’s their only point guard. He can be had because Washington is in cap hell, so a big offer would possibly be too much for them, but anything team-friendly would be matched right away. In other words, Satoransky is not going to be a Knick next year on a team-friendly deal.
I’m usually not one for immediate reax, but I cannot imagine an NBA GM crying like that over an injury that’s less than a couple of months recovery. I agree with Jowles et al – that’s a damn Achilles tear. Durant to NY is dead.
*sigh*
…or after trading two viable players plus a first round pick only to have him go down right at the dawn of the new season (Antonio McDyess, anyone?). Now that was Knicksy.
That said: it sucks that we came two picks from nailing Plan A+, and Plan A just fucked up his Achilles. It would awfully nice for a (great) Plan A to work for our team once in our f’in lives. Just once.
Yet, I look to the Warriors as a team who’s rebuild did not begin with a marquee free agent or a 1st pick in the draft. So there’s still hope – Perry and Mills just won’t be able to have any shortcuts or springboards available to boost the rebuild. And Perry really has shown that, by and large, he knows what he’s doing.
It’ll be intriguing to see what kind of Year 2 steps fwd that Mitchell, Knox and Trier can make. If RJ is the pick at 3, I’m good with it – the concerns about his J are a bit worrisome but I’d be very interested in his playmaking skills.
Whats the strategy Now given the injury of KD, hes my fav Player and Achilles injury just aucks
The fear here is a Grant Hill or Antonio mcdyess dejavu or even a suns version of hardaway. I wish not,
It is really mind-boggingly. I have no idea what their plan is now. None. I thiiiiiiiiiiiink they still sign him, but then if they do that, then they can’t sign any other max free agent, right? Or trade for AD. It wouldn’t make any sense.
First and foremost, wow, thoughts out to KD. To have people question his desire to come back, then come back and this happen – that’s unbelievably sad.
In terms of the Knicks, I can see a few options.
1) abandon FA, rent out the space and go full rebuild (I predict we don’t do this)
2) abandon KD but stick to the super team plan. Push really hard for Kawhi, consider an AD trade. Interesting aside – KD was the only ten year guy we were looking at. Two 7-9 year maxes and an AD trade is easier to do. (My worry is we do this but with Harris and Kemba as the FAs).
3) stick with KD, but in all other respects go full rebuild. Expect that by next summer you have some remaining space and improved assets to trade to add to KD, assuming you have evidence he’s still elite enough to build around. (I don’t love this but it could be worse)
4) stick with KD AND go all in on AD/other FAs. I think this is dumb – we’ trade away assets and devalue next year’s pick without knowing how good KD can be and probably end up stuck in 45-win hell. So I assume we’ll do this.
Don’t you speak such evil into the world!
That would be so dumb that I find it hard to believe that even the Knicks would do that.
This was from Sam Amick a day ago:
It wasn’t fans and reporters. It was his damn team that questioned his health. He shouldn’t have been cleared. I hope the trainer that cleared him and those in the organization who questioned him live with this for the rest of their lives. That’s a million times worse than the fans who cheered.
Wow, I’m in shock. I was listening to Isola and Scalabrini arguing about whether Durant would/should play if he wasn’t 100% healed. Isola said he should because there was no evidence that calf strains and achilles tears were correlated. When pressed, Brian said that his teammate Dan Dikau tore his achilles coming back too soon from a calf strain. Looks like Brian got it right and we have another data point on that one.
Ironically, if KD hadn’t played, there would be questions forever about his character, kinda like there were about Kawhi when he refused to come back early from his injury. It took this year for Kawhi to get out from under that rep. Not sure if the same would have happened for KD.
I’ve watched a few times Bob Myers addressing the KD issue after the game.
A few thoughts:
1) It’s incredibly hard to tell if it’s a genuine burst of emotion of something well-acted. There are things that make you think “It’s PR”, like when he’s fumbling with purpose the sheet he has in front of him, or the cheesy and not at all heartfelt (at least to me) eulogy of KD as one of the most misunderstood people in the sport. The tears, on the other hand, look real.
2) This is a guy who probably realizes they caused KD to suffer a Bill Walton. All-time great that gets his career horribly wrecked by a career-altering injury. KD on a torn Achilles will basically be 2014 Melo. Not a bad player, but not a trascendent player either.
3) A lot of informed people voiced their discomfort with the idea of getting KD on the court again so soon, mentioning precisely the achilles tear risk. This, plus Dolan’s Razor, gives me the creeps in more than one way. It’s like Murphy’s Law is always on full effect as soon as something enters the Knicks’ orbit.
4) I’m still waving my middle finger in the general direction of Toronto. I’ve never been a Warriors fan (even if I simply love Curry’s style), but boy how I root now for the Raptors to lose and get their team destroyed. The actual players did fine on the court gesturing to the fans to cut the booing, but boy, the “passion” Toronto fans displayed year after year looks like the one you see from possessive partners who go overboard in unhealthy relationships. Get fucked, really.
With KD’s injury, I would think the team would want to sit free agency out for the most part- and that’s only because I’m not confident in our chances to land Kawhi. I would also say a concrete no to a trade for AD. Having KD and Kyrie already would make gutting the roster for AD bearable IMO. Not ideal, but bearable.
So now, I would be perfectly ok with signing Tobias Harris to give us a go to scorer on a young team, bringing back DJ & Vonleh, and rolling with the youth that we have now while building through the draft. Obviously it all changes if Kawhi laughs his way to the Garden, but I feel like it’s unlikely. Besides, Toronto is so perfect for him right now.
As a fan though, I really appreciate Bob Myers for his emotion after the game. We will never see Dolan do that. That was awesome. I feel like even without the injury, KD would stay in GS for that type of loyalty and support
Yeah, we discussed the Amick story a bit here yesterday. So gross.
Yeah, I think it looked genuine as he struggled with the fact that they were wrong to clear him so soon and he was dealing with that emotion in real time. They weren’t “wrong,” exactly, but it was a risk. A risk that went terribly and possibly ruined Durant’s career.
Pure class, Toronto.
Would love to hear Kawakami’s follow up to this:
https://theathletic.com/1017348/2019/06/08/kawakami-exactly-when-the-warriors-need-kevin-durant-the-most-nobody-seems-to-know-exactly-whats-happening/?redirected=1
“It’s impossible to know. It’s probably a bit cynical to even attempt to analyze. But just ask yourself this: If Thompson or Looney or Curry or Green or Andre Iguodala had this injury 30 days ago, would the Warriors still be waiting for them?”
I don’t get too worked up about a few moronic Toronto fans being stupid in the moment.
To his credit, he has been big all night about owning all of the criticism he deserves for his shitty column. It’s better than how most columnists would handle it, honestly.
I’ve always resented Ewing not pulling a Willis Reed and hobbling out onto the court with a partially torn achilles vs. San Antonio. But that was much later in Ewings career, he was pretty much washed after that anyway.
Did it look like Durant’s lower leg was not heavily taped up?
The best thing that could happen now is Durant forces the Warriors to give him the 5 year mega max contract and he slowly rehabs on their dime. Barring a surprising MRI result, the Dream is likely over.
And I was going to bring up Kawhi, too, Z-Man. This puts his unwillingness to work things out with San Antonio in a fresh light. These guys don’t take kindly to being internally pressured like that.
I think he was still mostly the same guy in 1999-00 that he was in 1998-99, but yes, of course once he was injured in 1997-98, he was never the same again. Then he fell off the cliff in 2000-01.
Yeah, that was odd.
netw3rk mentioned that Kawakami is not just a columnist but Editor for Athletic Bay Area, so he has had a particularly large role in any hot-take coverage and narrative that has built up around Durant. So while his twitter mea culpas or good, I think he should do a column in the publication he runs.
Oh sure, he should definitely write a column, as well. Just noting that he took his lumps last night a lot better than most columnists.