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Knicks Morning News (2024.07.04)


  • Knicks’ Kevin McCullar Jr. ‘very similar’ to Josh Hart: Norm Roberts – New York Post
    [New York Post] – Wed, 03 Jul 2024 17:58:00 GMT
    1. Knicks’ Kevin McCullar Jr. ‘very similar’ to Josh Hart: Norm Roberts
    2. Kansas Jayhawks coach praises NBA Knicks Kevin McCullar
    3. Recapping The Knicks’ Whirlwind 2024 NBA Draft
    4. Recapping & projecting the Knicks 2024 draft with Prez
    5. New York Knicks Named NBA Draft Winner


  • As NBA free-agent market dwindles, which center could the Knicks target? – The Athletic – The New York Times
    [The New York Times] – Wed, 03 Jul 2024 23:50:48 GMT
    1. As NBA free-agent market dwindles, which center could the Knicks target? – The Athletic
    2. Report: Knicks exploring trades for Walker Kessler, Nick Richards
    3. Knicks Rumors: Jazz’s Walker Kessler Drawing Trade Inquiries After Hartenstein’s Exit
    4. As Knicks search for a center, Mitchell Robinson remains motivated to return healthy
    5. Report: Knicks Set Sights on Jazz, Team USA Star


  • Alec Burks signing with Heat after wild Knicks playoff run – New York Post
    [New York Post] – Wed, 03 Jul 2024 21:32:00 GMT
    1. Alec Burks signing with Heat after wild Knicks playoff run
    2. Sources – Miami Heat, Alec Burks agree to one-year contract
    3. Miami Heat add Alec Burks, re-sign Thomas Bryant as roster takes shape
    4. Can the Heat keep Caleb Martin? Latest free agency updates
    5. Heat Ink Veteran Guard Alec Burks to One-Year Contract, per Report


  • New York Knicks, Pistons Named Ideal Trade Partners – Sports Illustrated
    [Sports Illustrated] – Wed, 03 Jul 2024 20:00:00 GMT
    1. New York Knicks, Pistons Named Ideal Trade Partners
    2. Knicks secure rebounding machine from Pistons in mock trade
    3. Knicks Trade Pitch Would Move Robinson, McBride & More for Former Lottery Picks
    4. For New York, this trade sheds $6.5 million in salary, so the financial goal is met. Additionally, p


  • New York Knicks Sign Former Duke Player – Sports Illustrated
    [Sports Illustrated] – Wed, 03 Jul 2024 19:47:15 GMT

    New York Knicks Sign Former Duke Player


  • Why Knicks Star Won’t Play in Olympics? – Sports Illustrated
    [Sports Illustrated] – Wed, 03 Jul 2024 17:00:35 GMT

    Why Knicks Star Won’t Play in Olympics?


  • Knicks dodge what would’ve been a disaster trade – Empire Sports Media
    [Empire Sports Media] – Wed, 03 Jul 2024 13:19:12 GMT

    Knicks dodge what would’ve been a disaster trade


  • There is growing buzz that the Knicks will make a key schematic change next season – Sporting News
    [Sporting News] – Wed, 03 Jul 2024 20:40:35 GMT

    There is growing buzz that the Knicks will make a key schematic change next season

  • 141 replies on “Knicks Morning News (2024.07.04)”

    Rokas Update:

    2st Game of the Qualifying Tournament

    Lthuania needed a frantic 4th quarter comeback to barely beat Ivory Coast (who featured Maxence Dadiet, Pacome’s older brother) 97-93.

    Rokas did start again and had a mediocre game:
    only 17 minutes, 6 points (2-5 2FG, 0-1 3FG, 2-2 FT), 2 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 turnovers, -15.

    He was in the starting lineup but on the bench when it counted.

    Highlight, where he only does bad things šŸ™‚ (Rokas is #13 in white):

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tapxXUHI_jw

    I think KFNINJ summed it up nicely, he was ready to warm the end of an NBA bench in 2021 just like he does now, the lack of substantial improvements in this three years is disappointing.

    Drafted, stashed and stalled. But he should come for cheap šŸ˜‰

    Re: Alex O’Connell

    Are the Knicks trying to get me off guard? šŸ™‚

    Last season he did play for Venezia, a good team in the Italian League (they went to the playoffs semifinals), alongside OAKAAK Amir Simms and former Gonzaga star Greg Wiltjer (both were much better than him).

    In 19 games he was on the court for 189 minutes and he was DNP-CDed for the playoffs. His (very underwhelming) totals:

    52 points (2.7 PPG), 22 rebounds, 9 assists, 6 steals, 14 turnovers.
    His shooting totals were 20-40 2FG, 4-25 3FG, 0 (zero!) FT.

    He definitively kept his best for the SL! šŸ˜€

    I’m gonna chalk Rokas’s performance up to partying too much and chasing after the gorgeous women of San Juan. Pathetic performance by the entire Lithuanian team against two underwhelming teams if not.

    *Kyle Wiltjer Not Greg.
    Greg is his father playing in Greece during the 80s

    When i read your comment i instantly believed in cryogenics!

    New song of the summer just dropped:

    Iā€™m looking for a starting center
    With a rookie scale
    7ā€™0ā€
    Rebounds

    Everyone else is as interested in discussing that guy as I am. šŸ™‚

    Sesame seeded sourdough, garret valley invited bacon, Cabot pepperjack, homemade cultured butter, kewpie mayo, scallion scramble. Tandem light roast. Penis envy.

    Invited bacon? Kewpie mayo? Penis envy? What the F—?

    As so often happens around here, I have zero idea what’s going on. Who the hell would invite bacon anywhere? I mean, I used to like bacon a lot, but I never actually invited it to anything.

    Re: Alex Oā€™Connell

    Are the Knicks trying to get me off guard? šŸ™‚

    Last season he did play for Venezia, a good team in the Italian League (they went to the playoffs semifinals), alongside OAKAAK Amir Simms and former Gonzaga star Greg Wiltjer (both were much better than him).

    In 19 games he was on the court for 189 minutes and he was DNP-CDed for the playoffs. His (very underwhelming) totals:

    52 points (2.7 PPG), 22 rebounds, 9 assists, 6 steals, 14 turnovers.
    His shooting totals were 20-40 2FG, 4-25 3FG, 0 (zero!) FT.

    He definitively kept his best for the SL! šŸ˜€

    Knicks fans, I present to you…
    BAKER 2.0

    lol

    Penis envy, Doogie. You better fucking invite your bacon. Itā€™s a party. Invite your bacon.

    I only eat turkey bacon now. No penis envy required.

    And now ptmilo is making cryptic remarks, too.

    Penis envy 6 to be exact. First it was rabbits everywhere and now itā€™s turkeys. End times.

    Also I think itā€™s funny that people are high on the sixers. Like the best player on their team is their biggest liability. Talk about bust with a bump of boom way to early in the party.

    Ian Begley
    @IanBegley

    Source confirms NYKā€™s Shake Milton & Mamadi Diakite will be sent to BKN as part of Mikal Bridges trade. Milton will be a sign & trade, which should get NYK enough total salary to avoid 1st apron hard cap. They had at least 1 other deal lined up entering FA to get out of hard cap

    Lol, forgot we had Milton. Makes a lot more sense for us than moving my Precious. Hope Shake didn’t sell his place in Philly yet

    Who cares about aprons when Alec Burks is going to drop 35 on us in the playoffs? šŸ˜‰

    Also I think itā€™s funny that people are high on the sixers. Like the best player on their team is their biggest liability. Talk about bust with a bump of boom way to early in the party.

    Why wouldn’t you be high on the Sixers? If Embiid/George have decent health they are a 60+ win team. If our injury prone guys are healthy we might win 52, if they aren’t we’re a play-in team. They have legitimate championship upside, and that’s why they’re the favorite to upset BOS in most betting markets.

    You do realize that in a series against us they would arguably have the 3 best players, right? That Embiid and Maxey cooked us all series even with Tobias ‘0 points’ Harris as their best wing scorer? That Brunson is a lot less likely to put up 35/9 when guarded by Paul George vs. the likes of Kelly Oubre? That Bridges isn’t quick enough to guard Maxey any more than OG is?

    So, 9th man (probably) Precious, 10th man Bates-Diop. Plus, Iā€™m sure weā€™ll sign another vet, likely a center or PG.

    Yossi Gozlan
    @YossiGozlan
    The New York Knicks are now $16.9 million below the $188.9 million second apron with 11 players.

    I just emerged from my ā€œWell Shit, Leon Irreparably Hard-Capped Us at the First-Apron Due to His Shortsightednessā€ tattoo appointment.

    Any news?

    We also paid Pacome only 80% of his possible max could help explain why we picked him

    So Precious and a taxpayer MLE to fill out the roster… any decent MLE players out there?

    Michael Scotto
    @MikeAScotto

    New York Knicks No. 25 overall pick Pacome Dadiet has agreed to a buyout with Ratiopharm Ulm (Germany), clearing the way for him to sign his first-round rookie scale contract with the Knicks, league sources told @hoopshype.

    We also paid Pacome only 80% of his possible max could help explain why we picked him

    Katz says 80% of the rookie scale, which is actually less. The max a 1st can get is 120% of the rookie scale.

    The Milton move certainly suggests that the Nets were motivated to make sure the deal didn’t fall apart, as adding Milton while losing Bates-Diop didn’t help them at all.

    Bates-Diop is not bad for a tenth man if we keep him. Heā€™s yet another long and switchable defender and can probably eat 500-600 minutes for you without embarrassing himself.

    Bates-Diop seems like a guy Thibs will like on defense

    Notes: Measured 6ā€² 7.25ā€ barefoot, 6ā€² 8.5ā€ in shoes, 223.8 lbs, 7ā€² 3.25ā€ wingspan, 8ā€² 10.5ā€ standing reach

    Pretty predictable turn of events –

    “Leon Rose is shortsighted”

    “Leon Rose doesn’t plan ahead when he makes moves”

    Knicks now $16.9 million under the second apron after a dizzying series of transactions

    Ohio State legend Keita Bates-Diop

    When Thibs was in charge at Minnesota he drafted Diop at #48, btw.

    I don’t want him playing at all but it should definitely be a step up from DaQuan

    The Milton move certainly suggests that the Nets were motivated to make sure the deal didnā€™t fall apart, as adding Milton while losing Bates-Diop didnā€™t help them at all.

    With Mitchell staying in Cleveland and the Nets getting max value for Mikal they had to make the trade.

    Here’s a scenario.

    The season is underway.

    Mikal Bridges is playing up to our hopes. He’s defending very well, scoring just under 20 points per 36, 3p% of 38% with a TS% right around 60%.

    OG is playing great defense, hitting close to 40% of his 3s, deadly from the corners, has improved his handle a bit, scoring 15 points per 36 with a TS% of right around 60%.

    DDV is coming off the bench and lighting it up from 3, scoring just around 18 per 36, with a TS% just over 60%.

    Mitch is back in peak form, defending well at the rim, finishing better, moving well etc…

    How do we not play a lineup of Mitch, OG, Bridges, DDV and Brunson a LOT?

    Great defense, great spacing, highly efficient offense…..

    I don’t think this is far fetched at all. The only one that’s really iffy is Mitch’s health. But even if Mitch looks good for awhile and the team is killing it on both sides, then he breaks down, how do we not trade Randle for a starting C to replace Mitch?

    The prophecy is fulfilled! Hope he never plays, but if he has to he’s a way better option than Charlie Jeffries Washington Jr.

    Re-signing Precious, holding on to the TPMLE to offer buyout guys, and actually bringing over Hukporti seems like a solid plan from here.

    Brunson/Deuce/Kolek
    Bridges/DDV/McCullar
    OG/Hart/Bridges/KBD
    Randle/Hart/OG/Bridges/KBD
    Mitch/Precious/Sims/Hukporti

    I would think the regular rotation would be Brunson-Bridges-OG-Randle-Mitch starting Deuce-DDV-Hart-Precious getting almost all the bench minutes. Maybe Kolek works his way into fringe rotation minutes too. Not sure what the Rokas situation is, but it might make sense to bring him over instead of Hukporti if possible.

    Pretty good IMO!

    We kinda wasted several key benefits of not being hard capped already, though.

    Gimme Lowry on the vet min! I do like the idea of hanging onto the MLE for buyout purposes, because thereā€™s not really any FA left who Iā€™d be that interested in.

    We kinda wasted several key benefits of not being hard capped already, though.

    This should let us retain Precious and use the full taxpayer MLE rather than a portion of it. We can also sign our 2nd round picks to longer rookie deals.

    I believe we can now add vet minimums to our roster and I don’t know that we’d be able to otherwise.

    but it might make sense to bring him over instead of Hukporti if possible.

    I’m guessing Hukporti gets a 2-way, maybe McCullar or Rokas too. Rokas seems pretty intent on coming over.

    Pretty predictable turn of events ā€“

    ā€œLeon Rose is shortsightedā€

    ā€œLeon Rose doesnā€™t plan ahead when he makes movesā€

    Knicks now $16.9 million under the second apron after a dizzying series of transactions

    Most of that 16.9M is useless.

    Do we still have Precious’ Bird Rights after waiving his QO?

    Seriously, I wish the whiny bitch that prematurely casts a pall on every move the Knicks make or don’t make would just shut the fuck up and eat the crow that he should be eating after his fuckton of horrible takes.

    Signing update

    We signed Kolek to a 4-years/9.06 millionā€™s contract,

    First three years are guaranteed, the fourth a team option.

    Bronny money?

    A bit more, Bronny signed for 4 YRS /7.9 M with the 3rd only partially guaranteed and the 4th a team option.

    Seriously, I wish the whiny bitch that prematurely casts a pall on every move the Knicks make or donā€™t make would just shut the fuck up and eat the crow that he should be eating after his fuckton of horrible takes.

    Could you be more specific please? We’re not sure which of us should address this request. šŸ™‚

    “Could you be more specific please? Weā€™re not sure which of us should address this request. šŸ™‚”

    Well if you have to ask…

    @SbondyNBA
    Per sources, the Nets and Knicks had agreed from the beginning of the Bridges deal that the Knicks wouldnā€™t be hard capped. This wasnā€™t an evolution of a trade or reconfiguring or the Nets further helping out the Knicks. It was part of the original price.

    Seriously, I wish the whiny bitch that prematurely casts a pall on every move the Knicks make or donā€™t make would just shut the fuck up and eat the crow that he should be eating after his fuckton of horrible takes.

    Then I’ll bite!

    This particular whiny bitch endorsed:
    -The OG trade (other WB’s might disagree with me there)
    -The OG resigning
    -The Bridges trade conditional on retaining iHart or having a reasonable alternative plan for the C position
    -Our draft, conditional on retaining iHart or having a reasonable alternative plan for the C position

    It’s obviously a lot better to not be hard-capped, but it doesn’t exactly negate my concerns that we:
    1. Are a donut team with no reliable center
    2. Are somewhere between the same and slightly weaker than last year in terms of overall talent, and clearly worse on depth
    3. Have demonstrated that we have no workable plan to shore up the C position, and no remaining alternatives are good at this point
    4. Have depleted our asset stock such that we are more or less locked into this 50ish win team with <5% championship equity for half a decade.

    I have always been happy to eat crow when proven wrong. How have I been proven wrong here?

    At this point I think they resign Precious as backup 5 and go into the season with some flexibility to explore the trade market for a center if/when Mitch gets hurt, unless Utah is willing to give Kessler away for very little (they aren’t, even if it looks like he might play Summer League in his third year).

    So we’ll go up to the second apron to get another center looks like.

    Strat, Randle isn’t getting traded despite your wish casting! šŸ˜‚

    Ha, I love that this just was always the deal, and the reporting was simply shitty to start. Too funny.

    So weā€™ll go up to the second apron to get another center looks like.

    How? We’re still over the cap and can only use exceptions. We’re not allowed to use our trade exceptions because we’ve hit first apron. The TPMLE is tiny and the FA market is down to dregs. It’s literally re-sign Precious (who, by the way, sucks), sign whoever will take TPMLE peanuts, or minimum signings.

    Pagliacci, my guess is that you aren’t taken seriously enough by enough posters to be part of my criticism. However, it is nice that you have outlined your positions, I appreciate that.

    Ha, I love that this just was always the deal, and the reporting was simply shitty to start. Too funny.

    The funny part was that the nattering nabobs of negativism felt The FO would make a deal of this magnitude giving up 5 picks without having themselves covered on the apron side. Really quite revealing.

    Updater Roster:

    1. Brunson
    2. Bridges
    3. Anunoby
    4. Randle
    5. Robinson
    6. DiVincenzo
    7. Hart
    8. McBride
    9. Kolek
    10. Dadiet
    11. Sims
    12. Bates-Diop

    13. Achiuwa?
    14. Rokas?
    15.
    16 (2-way #1) McCullar?
    17. (2-way #2) Hukporti?

    I understand the criticism about the backup-center spot.

    At the same time, while it’s reasonable to be concerned about injuries, our coach has used a 9-men rotation for most of the last 2 years, often going with 8 or even 7 men when injuries struck.

    I always been a depth-of-roster fanatic and Thibs has showed me the middle finger for years, I’m warning my ulcers we could get the same treatment even this year šŸ™‚

    pagliaccisays:
    December 9, 2023 at 15:10
    Looks like itā€™s finally dawning on a number of posters that the big consolidation trade for a superstar isnā€™t coming, because 1) weā€™ve diluted our war chest by incinerating picks and giving up future value for average role players and 2) none of the stars weā€™d actually want are even likely to shake loose within our short window.

    Do we really think that someone like OG Anunoby, a negative BPM guy who will cost a near-superstar price, will move the needle here?

    The ceiling of the mezzanine is here and it hits hard. At this point we might as well roll the dice on Zion getting it together, stranger things have happened. If it doesnā€™t work itā€™ll at least accelerate the realization that we need to blow this up and start over.

    You endorsed OG, huh? With those kinds of friendsā€¦

    “Heaven and hell are the material manifestation of agreeable and disagreeable thoughts.” Hope that Helps.

    precious plus the tpmle and minimums could theoretically be aggregated before the deadline as long as incoming doesn’t exceed outgoing. not that this is mouth watering, but could at least imagine a break glass situation where this plus deuce as incentive was used to fit in someone like poeltl or vucevic, or without deuce but with 2nds pick up someone like steven adams or isaiah stewart depending on how the year is going.

    This makes me wonder if they give Precious more money than he deserves so that they can package him at the deadline. Say you give him 8-9 mil this year (which I think is possible?), then you can target a player that earns closer to 15m at the deadline? Thatā€™s probably better than the options they had once IHart left.

    wow, what a surprise, so they did have a plan after all and our roster wasn’t doomed in the first week of the offseason… it’s not like anyone with a brain (or without an agenda) could have ever figured this out…

    I’m perfectly fine with rolling with Precious to start the season, I genuinely believe he has potential and was already showing improvement last season, and Thibs has a pretty good track record so far turning big men into NBA playable guys. Of course the detractors won’t ever give him the benefit of the doubt, but I think he and the coaching staff helped Hartenstein a lot in his development. Then, if it gets dire, they can make moves during the season.

    You endorsed OG, huh? With those kinds of friendsā€¦

    If you read my post, that was evaluating OG as our “superstar consolidation trade,” which he turned out not to be. At the time of that trade we were not close to being one player away, and I was considering using our war chest of picks to acquire him, not RJ + IQ. I disagree with my main whiny bitch comrades that we overpaid for OG, because I see RJ as a negative asset and IQ as part of the price required to be free of him.

    Still, I was skeptical of the trade when it happened, because I loved IQ. I did subsequently issue a mea culpa because I underestimated OG’s value and fit.

    That said, my concern back then about spending all our assets to lock into the mezzanine was valid, it’s just that we did it because we lost iHart for nothing with no good options to replace him. Even without being hard-capped, that problem isn’t going away, and caps our team at around the same level as last year. Bridges isn’t good enough to offset the loss of iHart and make us a real contender, and now it’s looking like we won’t be until we tear it down and try again.

    wow, what a surprise, so they did have a plan after all and our roster wasnā€™t doomed in the first week of the offseasonā€¦ itā€™s not like anyone with a brain (or without an agenda) could have ever figured this outā€¦

    And the plan was… try to replace iHart by resigning our shitty third-string PF to back up Mitch, or start for the 50 games he’s gonna miss.

    I guess I should have been more specific: I was hoping for a good plan.

    Kessler talks have not ended.

    If they figure out a way to land him, this would be some off season.

    As I said, Pagliacci is not taken seriously enough to have qualified for criticism.

    Something something talk about basketball, not other posters.

    I’ve been right on the merits of the big picture. We’re not a real contender and lack the assets/flexibility to become one. It’s slowly sinking in here that this is the case — no one seems to have a convincing argument that we are now a 60-win team or have a realistic pathway to becoming one — but we’re all collectively moving the goal posts so we don’t have to feel shitty about it.

    Getting there early makes me unpopular, just as it did with the iHart departure. I get it.

    You are not merely unpopular. You are a laughingstock that has no credibility. You sort of relish that role, don’t you? I recal that you purposely posted hyper-extreme negative takes during the playoffs as sort of a cutesy jinx thing.

    Which I don’t have a problem with! Post away! So long as you know that virtually no one here actually takes you seriously enough to dignify your posts with a serious response.

    “Getting there early makes me unpopular, just as it did with the iHart departure. I get it.”

    No Pags. You’re unpopular because you are relentlessly downbeat and depressing regardless of events, and are frequently wrong (not always, but frequently enough to make it feel like you’re trolling). And then you dance and dance on the grave you’ve dug, until it’s discovered there’s no body, at which point you dig another grave and start dancing again. Or if there is a body, you dance even harder, chanting “I’m right, I’m right, look at me!”

    ‘Things are the absolute worst they could be at any time’ is a hateful schtick. Especially given the world today, and the unrelenting bombardment of bad news. Criticism is great, concern is always understandable. But the fucking sky is not ALWAYS falling.

    It’s tiresome, Pags. And most of us are on the knife’s edge these days. We don’t really need you constantly pushing us down onto the blade.

    Edit: Sorry, Z-Man, a serious response was posted.

    And the plan wasā€¦ try to replace iHart by resigning our shitty third-string PF to back up Mitch, or start for the 50 games heā€™s gonna miss.

    1. Mitch at 100%, Randle, OG, Bridges, Brunson starting with DDV, J-Hart, Deuce, Precious and the injection of young players via draft on the bench is a very good team. No one is going to be anxious to play that team in the playoffs.

    2. They are still talking to Utah about Kessler. Other trades for a backup C are possible now given they had the apron situation under control the entire time despite all the panic .

    3. No one wants to hear it and I’m sure the Knicks don’t want to do it (at least yet), but if Mitch gets hurt and they don’t come away with an adequate C now, they ARE going to trade Randle for a starting C at the deadline and slide OG to PF. That might wind up being the best team of all 3 possibilities.

    There are multiple scenarios to finish a very good team that was built brick by brick over a few years. We are at the finishing touches stage now and VERY VERY good.

    Pags doesn’t really merit a serious response 99% of the time but I’m glad you did it this time Raven, I agree with everything.

    Putting Kessler on the summer league team is a slap in the face

    It really is. It’s kind of annoying that he’s playing for Ainge’s team, otherwise I think he could be gettable.

    Why do the Knicks have to win 60 games to be considered a contender? Before this season no champion had won 60 games since KD’s 1st championship in Golden St which was 7 years ago.

    Knicks winning 50+ games for the next few years will be awesome to watch and unlike a team like the Cavs the Knicks have built a team that will be really tough to beat in the playoffs. I can’t wait until October and it isn’t cause of the Yankees…

    Speaking of the Yankees happy birthday to the Boss who must be rolling over in his grave right now.

    Danny saying he wants two firsts for a guy he’s got playing in vegas is classic Ainge

    Knicks sending home better on paper teams (Cle/Phi) shows something:
    That you should read between their stat lines

    No Pags. Youā€™re unpopular because you are relentlessly downbeat and depressing regardless of events

    I’m not! I picked us to win the Pacers series. I am on record as believing our healthy Jan ’24 roster was a real contender, possibly a match for Boston. I expressed excitement about Bridges when it happened because I optimistically believed our FO would never pull the trigger on a move like that unless we knew we had OG sewn up and either iHart returning or a reasonable alternative.

    are frequently wrong (not always, but frequently enough to make it feel like youā€™re trolling).

    What’s so bad about being wrong? If I’m really so relentlessly negative, it should be much preferable to me being right!

    And then you dance and dance on the grave youā€™ve dug, until itā€™s discovered thereā€™s no body, at which point you dig another grave and start dancing again. Or if there is a body, you dance even harder, chanting ā€œIā€™m right, Iā€™m right, look at me!ā€

    Ok, I concede that’s obnoxious and I shouldn’t do that. I do acknowledge that I am wrong enough often that I’ve no right to crow about it when I’m right. I have only ever meant to do that in a spirit of playful absurdity, but I see that it doesn’t come across that way.

    ā€˜Things are the absolute worst they could be at any timeā€™ is a hateful schtick.

    I never said they were! We could be in the same position roster/asset wise but with a 35-win ceiling. It’s nice that we’ll at least probably win a playoff round or two in the next couple of years.

    But I’ve never seen a 60+ win Knicks team, or a championship run, or an MVP season. What’s wrong with wanting those things, and being disappointed by less?

    Itā€™s tiresome, Pags. And most of us are on the knifeā€™s edge these days. We donā€™t really need you constantly pushing us down onto the blade.

    Are y’all? I’ve read the general tone here as fairly upbeat. Why the long faces? Is it the whole “SCOTUS decided Trump is allowed to abuse the power of his office” thing? Biden’s debate debacle (debatcle?)?

    The funny part was that the nattering nabobs of negativism felt The FO would make a deal of this magnitude giving up 5 picks without having themselves covered on the apron side. Really quite revealing.

    The funny part is that you guys have no idea how meaningless this is.

    We already punted the 25th pick.

    We already failed to resign Burks

    We gained almost nothing.

    Btw Pags, youā€™re not unpopular. Keep doing your thing. You speak as much sense as anyone.

    2024 will always be remembered across generations as the summer Leon Rose let 68-year-old Algae Borks get away.

    Why do the Knicks have to win 60 games to be considered a contender? Before this season no champion had won 60 games since KDā€™s 1st championship in Golden St which was 7 years ago.

    The 2020 Lakers were 52-19, a 60-win pace but they played a shortened season.

    I guess a better formulation would be that I want a team that is good enough to win 60, whether they do or not. So SRS around 6+, which seems to be where most bona fide contenders are. We topped out at 5.57 in our January run, which I worry may be turn out to be our peak team strength for this decade.

    I think Pags, E, and Hubie should (affectionately) be known as The Axis of Evilā„¢ļø henceforth.

    You cannot be serious

    If you donā€™t understand the potential benefit of signing Burks to a tradable salary you should delete your account.

    Hubert like a week ago: we have to resign OG and we should trade like six picks to get bridges. We also have to draft some guys.

    Hubert now: we are so fucked we don’t have Alec Burks tradeable contract

    Btw Pags, youā€™re not unpopular. Keep doing your thing. You speak as much sense as anyone.

    Thank you, Hubs. I don’t agree with all your takes but I admire your consistently civil and detailed arguments.

    I think Pags, E, and Hubie should (affectionately) be known as The Axis of Evilā„¢ļø henceforth.

    Now this I can get behind. I get to be Mussolini!

    But Iā€™ve never seen a 60+ win Knicks team, or a championship run, or an MVP season. Whatā€™s wrong with wanting those things, and being disappointed by less?

    Wanting those things – and being disappointed by not getting them – arenā€™t necessarily related.

    Defining a ā€œtrue championship contenderā€ has some degrees of subjectivity, and perhaps your standard for such is higher right now than the collective of the board here. I say you have a right to your opinion; my one major counter to that is to point out the parity in the current NBA. The Celtics were the best team basically start to finish, but even their fans know they had an easy road to the ring – I know this because i ran into a Celtic fan the other day and he admitted it.

    You want a 60+ win, clear cut title contender with an MVP frontrunner? So do I – and my point is in this day and age, you donā€™t need to have those things in order to contend for the ring.

    We could sign precious to the big contract too for trade purposes.

    Give Precious 29M just to see ihart’s reaction! Do it Leon!

    Wanting those things ā€“ and being disappointed by not getting them ā€“ arenā€™t necessarily related.

    It’s not just wanting those things, it’s perceiving that they might actually be in reach for the first time since my childhood. We’ve waited half a lifetime.

    Defining a ā€œtrue championship contenderā€ has some degrees of subjectivity, and perhaps your standard for such is higher right now than the collective of the board here. I say you have a right to your opinion; my one major counter to that is to point out the parity in the current NBA. The Celtics were the best team basically start to finish, but even their fans know they had an easy road to the ring ā€“ I know this because i ran into a Celtic fan the other day and he admitted it.

    Exactly why it’s so tantalizing! For most of our dark age, a 60-win Knicks team would be fodder for the dynasty/super team du jour. Today I would feel they’re favored vs. BOS because I feel in my bones that that team would crumble if sorely tested.

    You want a 60+ win, clear cut title contender with an MVP frontrunner? So do I ā€“ and my point is in this day and age, you donā€™t need to have those things in order to contend for the ring.

    But you kinda do! There’s one 60+ win team and they’re like 60% to win the championship next year, then a bunch of also-rans including us with 3-10%. Being a 60-win team now is more valuable than it has ever been.

    Bobby Marks:

    “Shake Milton, the forgotten man as we all spitballed possible sign and trade scenarios, was signed and traded to Brooklyn on a three-year, $9 million deal that is only fully guaranteed for next seasonā€™s $3.033 million.”

    How the fuck did we ALL have complete amnesia that Shake Milton was on the Knicks??? I can’t remember his name coming up even once in the last few weeks of wild guesswork and prognostication.

    This place used to have a generally pessimistic attitude because objective indicators pointed to the Knicks being a bad team without clear avenues to improve. The resident optimists would argue in the face of the evidence that things were fine, actually.

    Now the objective indicators say the Knicks are quite good, a ā€œcontenderā€ by any definition that isnā€™t limited to ā€œthe odds on favorite to begin the season,ā€ and no one in the rotation is on the wrong side of 30. The full-time pessimists are the ones staring down the empirics and trying to say they shouldnā€™t be trusted.

    Itā€™s an interesting transformation, and definitely an endorsement of the job Leon and co. have done.

    All I know is there was a time when everyone wouldā€™ve signed up for being a team with top-5 or so championship odds to begin the season with a 3 or so year window to remain in that category, with some flexibility to boot. I have my qualms with individual moves, but a process that gets us to that place is hard to fault.

    Nah, Pags, I mean the GW Bush axis, and you are definitely North Korea.

    North Korea

    Fat and can’t see his (redacted) when he pees?

    Btw Pags, youā€™re not unpopular. Keep doing your thing. You speak as much sense as anyone.

    I feel that there is a post coming in the next day or two: ā€œpags, I know I said you make as much sense as anyone, but, cā€™mon man, you canā€™t actually believe that horseshit, take take is so dumb it makes Z-Man seem like Marilyn vos Savant.ā€

    Pacome 1st year salary: $1,808,080
    Kolek 1st year salary: $2,087,519

    I think Pags, E, and Hubie should (affectionately) be known as The Axis of Evilā„¢ļø henceforth.

    If Hubert changed his handle to Rubert their take on things could be known as the EPR Criterion of Reality, which would quite the joke.

    “I feel that there is a post coming in the next day or two: ā€œpags, I know I said you make as much sense as anyone, but, cā€™mon man, you canā€™t actually believe that horseshit, take take is so dumb it makes Z-Man seem like Marilyn vos Savant.ā€

    šŸ˜€

    Long time lurker, first time posting

    Pags – you suck, go drink bleach.

    Let’s go Knicks.

    To the rest of the non-trolls:

    How often do you see Thibs going with a non-traditional center? Feels like that would be optimal closing lineup at the very least.

    How the fuck did we ALL have complete amnesia that Shake Milton was on the Knicks??? I canā€™t remember his name coming up even once in the last few weeks of wild guesswork and prognostication.

    Leon is a troll

    Just for the sake of humour I’d call the pessimist trio as:
    The Feel Jack’s off Triangle
    ;-p

    Ha, I love that this just was always the deal, and the reporting was simply shitty to start. Too funny.

    This is the best thing about Leon Rose. The media must hate him, but I love the fact that there’s a zipper on those lips. That’s a GM that can win. Frankly, aside from reports from Shams or Windhorst about completed trades and signings, I pay little attention to podcasters and rumormongers.

    “To the rest of the non-trolls:

    How often do you see Thibs going with a non-traditional center? Feels like that would be optimal closing lineup at the very least.”

    I think Thibs is going to try a variety of things, including small lineups with OG as a small-ball C. Not sure how much patience he will have with it.

    I’ll be interested to see whether any of the rookies get some non-garbage time burn. Thibs played IQ, Obi, and Grimes lots of minutes right out of the box, and Deuce and Sims saw more than a handful of minutes as rookies.

    “This is the best thing about Leon Rose. The media must hate him, but I love the fact that thereā€™s a zipper on those lips.”

    I love that about Leon as well, but the best thing about him is he’s a pretty damn good executive, maybe the best since Eddie Donovan.

    Dudeā€¦ why the fuck would you want to be Mussolini. Your ass lost. For good cause.

    Dudeā€¦ why the fuck would you want to be Mussolini. Your ass lost. For good cause.

    Because Canio is Italian and that’s better than being Saddam, Little Rocket Man or a Mullah….

    We already punted the 25th pick.

    I think you meant the 24th pick as we selected the Frenchman with 25. If by punting you mean netting Kolek and 3 net #2’s, then… ok.

    We already failed to resign Burks

    I don’t see signing Burks to a bloated over market contract for the express purpose of putting him in the Fournier Bastile a crime against humanity.

    We’ve railed about Thibs predilection of having old overpaid mercs blocking younger player development for years.

    We gained almost nothing.

    I don’t consider bagging a high volatility pick at 25, getting 3 rookies they like (for whatever reason) and netting 4 surplus #2’s as nothing while keeping access to the MLE and staying below the 2nd apron with the ability to use that space, nothing.

    Add that to pushing the chips in for a player you vouched for for 6, #1’s, this team is better while paying 5#1s, a swap and getting what should be a very high #2…. I’m pretty happy.

    Losing Ihart was unavoidable unless you were able to look into your crystal ball 3 years ago and say, “Oh, shit… I better give this guy who no one would pay 18 for two a third year team option (like Ihart wouldn’t have balked at that) because I can clearly see him being a 29M/yr player.”

    I spent most of my adult life gambling and we call this playing results.

    The Knicks did most of what everyone here asked for: replaced stiffs at the end of the bench with young players with the potential to develop and used the draft choices for a big player who is a perfect stylistic fit. We can quibble bridges isn’t a big enough player, but we will see this in the fullness of time.

    Of course, I would love that; but I canā€™t help feeling this is a summer of irrational exuberance.

    Exuberance, sure… irrational….

    This team won 50 last year and won at a wicked pace after RJ and IQ left and OG came in. The entire starting front line missed > 30 games a piece and most of those together,

    They lost I hart and 29 games of -4.9 BMP play from Bogey while adding Bridges plus 4 young players that may or may not contribute anything.

    Why is this team being a handful of games better in any way irrational?

    Why is this team being a handful of games better in any way irrational?

    BPL, you are trying to be rational, but I have Knicks PTSD and Iā€™m being emotional. The national press has been wrong so often in who they pick as true contenders and who will be lousy that I instinctively donā€™t trust them. For example, last year they thought the Knicks would not be so good, they thought the Lakers and the Warriors were true contenders, they almost anointed the Nuggets as the best team, and they had no idea Dallas would cut a swath through the West and play in the finals.

    This place used to have a generally pessimistic attitude because objective indicators pointed to the Knicks being a bad team without clear avenues to improve. The resident optimists would argue in the face of the evidence that things were fine, actually.

    Now the objective indicators say the Knicks are quite good, a ā€œcontenderā€

    The current objective indicators suggest quite clearly that a series of unforced errors stand between us and a true championship caliber team.

    We are ā€œa contenderā€ but the objective is to be a champion. We are Ricky Hatton, not Floyd Mayweather.

    This is a perennial second round team until Leon finishes the job.

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