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2024-25 Game Thread: Knicks @ Hawks – A Nice Place to Unleash Some Aggression

This should be a very nice blowout that will chill us all out.

So, well, go do that now, please, Knicks.

Let’s go, Knicks!

212 replies on “2024-25 Game Thread: Knicks @ Hawks – A Nice Place to Unleash Some Aggression”

Politics stay in the last thread.

The Brunson-Hart PnR looked really good the other night, I’d love to see more of it.

This feels like a better matchup for the Knicks. Maybe we’ll get a longer look at Kolek if he’s not playing defense like a chair.

Please play Huk, my heart cannot take anymore of Sims

I’m keeping an eye on Mikals defense on Trae tonight and Mikal is dead last on the team in net rating -14. For as much as people talk down on OG here the Knicks have been +43 on the court with him compared to Mikal.

Great chance here to pick up the worst loss of the season.

Trae will put up 40/15 as the final nails get driven into Mikal’s rep as a defender. We’ll take about 25 threes and let them hit everything at the rim while also giving up 40+ quality 3PA.

Thibs will continue to look like Joe Biden at the debate.

Sorry guys, it’ll be awhile before ol’ Pagliacci’s usual sunny optimism returns. We are the Democrats of the NBA.

There are plays when KAT looks like he could make a difference if he’d just put his hands up

Oh fuck me, we’re seriously gonna get blown out by the Hawks too?

Came in late, but not impressed by Brunson’s decision-making so far.

Here i am. I wasn’t here for the Rockets loss, so let’s hope i’m some kind of good luck charm. 😀

6 turnovers in a quarter is a lot. Cut that down and shoot a bit better from 3 and they’ll be ok.

Edit: and they start the quarter with a turnover.

This is some absolutely horrible defense. I still can’t get used to the fact the Knicks are now a team that wins because of their offense.

Welcome Cyber! Hope you napped or just finished a great dinner like a Greek

You’re right… a little late here, but it was dinner. 😉

I hope Mitch is ready in early Jan. Even Precious would help. The lack of interior defense is quite something – I miss I-Hart.

Tyler Kolek – known for his passing just recorded his 1st assist in the regular season tonight

This is some absolutely horrible defense. I still can’t get used to the fact the Knicks are now a team that wins because of their offense.

They aren’t going to get where we want without playing good defense. I’m starting to think the perimeter defense is not good enough to offset Towns in the middle. We’ll see what Thibs does when Precious is back and then again when Mitch is back.

If the defensive trend continues, I think Thibs will inevitably go to the JB-Mikal-OG-KAT-5 lineup when Precious or Mitch are back.

I love that the Deuce drive was vintage Brunson — clearly hours spent copying him.

Knicks will be able to play great defense in spurts. Alot like the 54 win 2013 team and even in the 47 win season 2 years ago where the Knicks were 3rd in offensive rating but just 19th in defensive rating.

It’s just something the 90’s Knicks fan in me still can’t get used to.

What is happening to our defense??

Offensive stars PG and C are sieves, a much heralded (and costly) wing is underperforming, our schemes are tailored on rim protection and now we have none… nothing to be worried about 😂

The only player with a negative +/- so far is Bridges. Hmmmn I hope this is not going to become a pattern because eventually it’s not noise.

A lot left to figure out but Towns is one of the most unique offensive talents I’ve ever watched

You guys noticing this season that Brunson gets bottled up a lot more when he gets in the paint?

Offensive stars PG and C are sieves, a much heralded (and costly) wing is underperforming, our schemes are tailored on rim protection and now we have none… nothing to be worried about 😂

Let’s hope Mitch saves the day when he’s back.

You guys noticing this season that Brunson gets bottled up a lot more when he gets in the paint?

And he doesn’t find the open men when bottled up, he has zero assists so far tonight…

he has zero assists so far tonight…

Still not using the talent around him

Hawks broadcast: “KAT reached in… wow, that was close”
Of course it was a clean steal.

I’m beginning to hate watching this Knicks team as much as I hated the 2024 Yankees!

I think/hope he will figure it out, but I think Philly showing other teams that Brunson gets bothered by length has really changed how he is being defended (to be clear, Philly weren’t the first to do it – I recall LeBron shutting him down at one point, and I’m sure there were others).

We might have to stagger KAT and Brunson a bit more because of their putrid defense.

Brunson has a baby. This year is a waste.

KAT might be worse than Sims on defense.

Mikal is garbage.

If we can lose in the finals like the Yankees did, I’ll take it, but we aren’t looking like we’ll get there.

Good sign that the Knicks bench led the charge to take the lead. The Kolek effect?

Towns, Hart, and Deuce playing pretty well. Brunson and Bridges not so much.

The plan runs aground if Brunson isn’t a tentpole.

He isn’t. He’s Point Guard Melo with better PR. Great floor raiser, but the elevator stops at the mezzanine.

Brunson has a baby. This year is a waste.

I should start keeping stats on this. Could be a value play. 😉

Bridges is invisible out there.
No steals from Wingstop against young guys and rookies smh.

Oh nice, as if the team’s poor play wasn’t enough we have Pags with another doomsday prediction.
You can turn off your TV if you want, but we will win this game.

I should start keeping stats on this. Could be a value play. 😉

I seriously think it is, and there’s no way Vegas tracks it.

Bridges is invisible out there.

Yeah, Mikal has been a disappointment so far, i hope this is just a bad stretch and that he can start playing a lot better soon.

Bridges was shooting over 50% the first 6 games of the season

Not sure where this idea that he’s “garbage” comes from

I do like that KAT can just choose to go right at Capela, draw the foul, and hit two automatic free throws.

This team just doesn’t play physical defense at all. Set a decent screen against us and it’s an automatic layup. Opponents just spam that same play over and over and we never figure it out. We surely must be one of the worst teams in the league at defending PnR ballhandlers.

Strengths: scoring a lot of points

Weaknesses: stopping the other team from scoring even more points

The rare possession where they get a stop, they get mauled on the boards. This is quite annoying to see right now.

Every possession on defense is the same. Bridges gets erased on a screen, Towns has to come over to help, ballhandler misses layup, Towns is out of position for rebound, Capela lays in offensive rebound

So our team is better, at least on paper, but the experience is one thousand times worse. I really liked our team of underdogs from the last two seasons.

They’d never do it in a million years obviously, but I’d give TO Mikal for RJ without hesitation. I wouldn’t do that for spring ’23 BKN Mikal, but that guy’s long gone.

They’d never do it in a million years obviously, but I’d give TO Mikal for RJ without hesitation.

To solve our defense?

To solve our defense?

Mikal has been worse on defense than RJ so far so maybe?

If we swapped Mikal for RJ there would be a trade off. Our offense would be worse, BUT, our defense would also be worse. A lot to consider.

Before the touchdown pass to Deuce, three consecutive shots for JB without a single pass, I get they he scored two times but…

Is there a timeline for Precious?

He started to do on court activities, I believe, so he should be on his way soon.

If we swapped Mikal for RJ there would be a trade off. Our offense would be worse, BUT, our defense would also be worse. A lot to consider.

LOL

Nice when Brunson starts cooking but compared to last year when he’d penetrate and you couldn’t be quite sure if he was going to drive, pull up and shoot or pass, this year it seems obvious that he’s not passing.

Shouldn’t that last basket be ruled out since the Hawks player was hanging onto the rim?

Before the touchdown pass to Deuce, three consecutive shots for JB without a single pass, I get they he scored two times but…

I HATE the way Brunson is playing so far this season. He’s playing like he did in the playoffs when the whole team was hurt and he had to do everything. This is not that team! He’s not even doing it as well.

If Knicks lose this game I might not turn my TV back on until Yankees opening day.

Jalen Johnson’s an early member of the long list of “guys they could/should have had that would be that one extra weapon they really need.”

I just wasted 10 seconds of my life reading about a hypothetical Bridges for RJ trade

Toronto would never do it, so no worries.

RJ’s averaging 26 pts and 7.8 assists a game, including 37.8% from three. The passing thing caused The Athletic to write about it.

If Knicks lose this game I might not turn my TV back on until Yankees opening day.

We endured 2 decades of bad basketball, we can endure some games more. 😛
But i hope they stop this and start to play a lot better soon.

Hope we can figure out how to build a good defense with KAT because he’s berserk offensively

RJ’s averaging 26 pts and 7.8 assists a game, including 37.8% from three. The passing thing caused The Athletic to write about it.

RJ was a terrific passer in college. His lack of success and development in that area for NY was one of my biggest disappointments about him. Toronto is doing something right with him.

Hope we can figure out how to build a good defense with KAT because he’s berserk offensively

Can we trade for Gobert? 😉

Knicks finally take the lead but get T’d up in the process which will most likely cost them the lead.

Kinda annoying how Toronto unlocked good RJ more or less instantly… An indictment of Thibs if there ever was one.

Awful tech by Hart. How is this team so good at never getting momentum?

RJ has a .540 TS% this year. eFG+ and TS+ are both 95. None of that is super amazing. It’s not terrible, but it ain’t worth $30M either.

Brunson had KAT wide fucking open from 3 but never turned his head around to see him.

KAT “I won’t even raise my arms” defense is starting to rub me the wrong way… 😤

But he’s a beast on offense.

Brunson just drove and was double teamed and this left Towns wide open at the three point line but Brunson didn’t even look at him. He just kept dribbling into trouble.

Why in the world would OG pass up a wide-open three-pointer to pass it to Hart for an open three pointer???

It’s ALWAYS a mistake to make the “extra” pass to Hart beyond the arc because he’s not going to shoot and you are going to wind up with a worse shot than just taking what you had too often.

edit: I see we are all on the same page on that one

Low IQ basketball. Not a thing I’m used to seeing by the Knicks.

This is ugly offense…I got the hawks feed…Dominique said our offense is in scramble mode

As frustrating as this is, I have to admit the “new look” Hawks are a pretty interesting team. Lots of length and athleticism.

As frustrating as this is, I have to admit the “new look” Hawks are a pretty interesting team. Lots of length and athleticism.

Landry Fields?

Just kills me how Hart routinely takes much worse threes than the ones he passes up

Brunson yoyo’ing it constantly….isn’t lending itself to a flowing offense…thibs better sort this shit out

Might have the wrong eye test, but I count multiple tough defensive rebounds won by the Frenchie over Josh Hart — even before that foul. The kind of bounds we are used to Josh getting.

This team is bad on both sides right now.

They score on talent, but the offense itself sucks and the defense is simply atrocious.

I swear to god they just passed up like three threes on that possession.

This is a very ugly little stretch of play.

Virtual guarantee Thibs is gonna ceiling-lower chase regular season defense when Precious gets back.

Doubt it would’ve mattered, but what was with passing up like 2-3 good looks down 6 there?

It’s not just that the defense is bad, it’s that it’ll never be good without turning our offense bad. All in on two one way ‘stars’ was w mistake.

Another lost decade. Maybe we’ll be good when I’m 50.

It’s kind of ironic that winning the challenge ended up being worse than losing it, as maybe the team would be pissed off and played a lot better to end the game.

Sports are supposed to be fun, these past couple of weeks are making me not want to watch sports ever again.

Keeping Mcbride off the court in the 4th was an interesting choice by Thibs

Thibs should set a dribble total and fine Brunson for every dribble over a certain amount. He’d make a fortune. Brunson is not playing smart. That’s especially bad since his defense sucks and we have Towns behind him instead of Mitch and I-Hart. Bridge’s defense has been a disappintment so far. He’s playing defense like he’s on the Nets and they are trying to tank.

This is not a well conceived team.

Not with Mikal at this level, no. And they have little depth.

And the elephant in the room — the mismatch between roster/philosophy, and coach. (Who gets more time!)

Presumably, the FO “wargamed” out the question of what would happen if the new modernism didn’t mesh with the established head coach, and has a plan.

Classic Josh Hart Experience. 14-8-8 with three turnovers, 6 fouls, and a T.

Bad loss, terrible defense all game long, ugly offense and bad focus down the stretch.

To me this last two losses are on Brunson, he’s still searching for the right balance, with the talent around he doesn’t need to play like 2001 Allen Iverson nor like Charlie Ward… I hope he’ll get there soon

Well, this isn’t going well, but it’s ok to have a bad start to the season. What matters is how we end the season. Too bad i can’t have my lost sleep back. On to the next.

All I wanted on a day like this was a Knicks victory against a bad Hawks team. And they couldn’t even give me that.

Back to back poor 4th quarter offensive execution. Brunson looks terrible right now in his decision making, like he’s in between. And Thibs is making no adjustments.

This team is like Real Madrid right now. All talent, no chemistry and no game plan.

Fuck these guys for making a shitty day, a shitty night.

This could be a “it looked good on paper” type of squad…well…if/when mitch gets back…Hart to the bench ….that might be the squad that will have to be it…this configuration looks middling

Jay Wright lives in New Jersey and is a phone call away. Thibs seat warming.

At this point I’ll take Chris Childs.

At this point I’ll take Julia Childs over what I’m seeing.

They look unprepared and don’t play with any sense of urgency that’s on the coach.

Presumably, the FO “wargamed” out the question of what would happen if the new modernism didn’t mesh with the established head coach, and has a plan

This front office has never had a plan. The January Knicks were a fluke, like when Mike Woodson accidentally discovered Chris Copeland at the 5. They stumbled upon the answer and were too stupid to realize it.

A. This roster doesn’t fit Thibs, but…

B. It’s so early that he obviously has a lot of time left to get them to fit better, and, of course…

C. There’s just so much talent here, it will eventually work out (better than this, of course).

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Risacher shouldn’t be scoring 33 points. Letting him have a career game when you have two wings for this stuff in non sense

Brunson 4 dimes in 37 minutes

Mcbride 7 dimes in 29 minutes

Brunson hasn’t figured out the pass vs chuck mode

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