02/16/2025 08:35:00
02/16/2025 05:22:21
02/16/2025 03:54:13
02/16/2025 02:45:40
02/16/2025 02:57:22
02/16/2025 02:01:29
02/16/2025 00:44:00
02/16/2025 01:30:21
02/16/2025 00:41:00
02/15/2025 23:52:00
Categories
Knicks Morning News (2025.02.16)
02/16/2025 08:35:00
02/16/2025 05:22:21
02/16/2025 03:54:13
02/16/2025 02:45:40
02/16/2025 02:57:22
02/16/2025 02:01:29
02/16/2025 00:44:00
02/16/2025 01:30:21
02/16/2025 00:41:00
02/15/2025 23:52:00
78 replies on “Knicks Morning News (2025.02.16)”
I only buy clothes from online sales.
Mac did some cool dunks. I am happy it didn’t suck.
Damn, the NHL’s solution to shitty all star games seems to have really worked.
Put a loss on Crosby for the first time as captain.
Americans seemed so motivated it was a bit crazy. You have to love it.
Vorkunov:
From the article linked above:
Not that this is anything we don’t already know, just that it supports my strong feeling that our defensive issues are a personnel issue, not a scheme issue. By acquiring a second defensively-challenged star who must be on the floor full-time with our other defensively-challenged star who also must be on the floor full-time, you have made your bed as a team who can be exploited on that end. Meanwhile, the Celtics don’t have a single starter that you can continually exploit on the defensive end.
It’s not just that they are beating us, it’s like they are doing so with one arm tied behind their back. They seem to easily defend us, and we have no answers for them.
Assuming they are both back, it will be interesting to see whether Mitch and OG make a difference in the upcoming few games. But at some point, Leon is likely going to have to reckon with this reality. Having two weak defenders on the floor is not a recipe for a championship team, and especially on the interior.
I have lost all respect for Manu.
But people keep telling me we built the perfect team to beat them.
This isn’t new, it’s why Minnesota dumped Towns. I’m not sure how Mitch is going to help him out against a spread offense either. You’re basically counting on OG to singlehandedly fix the defense in that matchup, or you need to contemplate benching Towns or Brunson.
lol that is not why Minny traded Towns and if it is, then they’re morons bc it’s obviously not working out for them.
Who are these “people”? Are they in the room with us right now?
What did Manu do?
I only have so many heroes.
Don’t see anything
The KAT trade was an absolute no-brainer at that price. But to me, it is more about overall value than on-the-court performance.
It’s pretty obvious that you can get far more return for KAT in a trade than you could have gotten for Julius (given his contract situation), DDV, and the protected first, and that this will likely be true for the entire time that KAT is under contract. In that sense, I don’t think it was smart for Minny to salary dump him. Gobert should have been the one to go.
The question becomes: what’s the best way to cash in on KAT’s surplus value…by keeping him or by trading him? And the question is complicated by Brunson being an untouchable mainstay for the next 5 years.
I’m fine with seeing how things play out this year and even next year. It will be a very fun team to root for. We’ll score lots of points and pile up lots of wins. we’ll probably win a bunch of playoff games. But it will take a lot to convince me that there is a way to shore up our team defense around these two offense-only stars to become a legit contender. I strongly feel that moving KAT to the 4 situationally is the only option that has an outside chance to work. I don’t know if Mitch is the correct pairing, but am eager to see it in action, particularly against the Celts and Cavs.
“What did Manu do?”
Good morning, fellow Knickerbloggers!!!
I’m confused about Manu’s comment, as Steph wasn’t in the dunk contest with McClung. There is no “overall “All-Star Saturday Night win,” is there? Weird thing to say.
Edit: Ooooooohhhhhhh. He’s talking about Stephon Castle. Never heard him referenced as “Steph” before.
Just watched Castle’s dunks…. kinda think I agree with Manu. Mac’s dunks have too many props. It’s too gimmicky.
That’s why I’ve had our chances so low this year. We can’t beat them, even if they don’t have Porzingis. And the idea put forth by so many (BBA and DirectorNYC, to name a few, ess-dog) that we match up great with them bc of our wings is just crazy. If KAT is your C, you’re not built to beat the Celtics. Period. And Mitch has historically fared poorly against them, too.
One might think, “well, we can just wait them out”, but that’s ignoring the fact that they actually have more depth and flexibility than we do. As long as they have Derrick White and Jayson Tatum, they’re going to be a bad matchup.
“I’m fine with seeing how things play out…”
Well put Z-man and my general feelings, put much more succinctly than I am capable of. Moving KAT to the 4 or moving on from KAT (where the return is for better win now pieces, admittedly threading a needle) are the options if we don’t excel.
FYI-you may have (unintentionally) introduced another controversial word in the KB lexicon with the insertion of the word “legit” before contender. My personal feeling is that if you have a proven playoff alpha and get HCA because of a top 4 seeding, you automatically qualify as a “legit” contender. The fact that another team at full health and participation (MJ bulls, today’s Cs) is a very likely an obstacle does not negate the “legitness” since stuff happens.
Clearly it’s a Spurs loyalty thing, but come on. This guy McClung is just a freak show. It was as lopsided of a dunk contest as there ever was, and had the ambiance of a Harlem Globetrotters vs. Washington Generals mismatch.
The only caveat about McClung is that he uses his props to push off and get more height and hang time, but even his prop-less dunks are sensational.
Edit: EB, I think you have to look at it in terms of: Could you do the dunks your competitor is doing, and could he do yours? I think McClung could easily do what Castle did, and to do the 4 he did without a miss is astonishing.
Yeah, I was surprised that nobody (either here or in the media at large) had seemed to verbalize anything about McClung’s push-offs previously. They weren’t egregious, but they definitely happened.
BE, perhaps words like “legit” and Bonafide” are too strong, but the point is that we are considerably less likely to win a championship this year than at least 2 teams for sure, and maybe 3-5. We also don’t have obvious ways to make significant improvements (either internally or via transaction), so barring stuff that is unpredictable, it is just as likely that our situation gets worse as it is that it gets better. So regardless of whatever words are more applicable to that situation, it is what it is.
Of course we can’t get a fully accurate read until we are “whole” so I’m looking forward to that. But that’s how it looks to me.
But it is a recipe for a 54-5 win team for the foreseeable future which will pack the house on a nightly basis and the trade increased the value of the franchise’s assets (KAT v Randle/DVD/protected pick) while Leon waits for something better to come along.
The Randle situation was a ticking time bomb, just as IQ was to a lesser degree.
“But it is a recipe for a 54-5 win team for the foreseeable future which will pack the house on a nightly basis and the trade increased the value of the franchise’s assets (KAT v Randle/DVD/protected pick) while Leon waits for something better to come along.”
Agreed (I believe I said as much.)
Re: the dunk contest, there is one major advantage that McClung has over fellow competitors that I haven’t heard talked about:
He doesn’t have to worry about sustaining a career-threatening injury in a a sideshow.
I mean, can you imagine how nuts it would be for, say, Donovan Mitchell to attempt that over-the-car dunk? McClung caught his heel on the other side of the car and came pretty close to mangling his leg on an awkward landing. Why would any of the game’s great players try that (Blake’s version was far safer)? Even the promising rookies have way more to risk than McClung, whose NBA ceiling is 15th man.
I still don’t understand how they justify having a guy not in the NBA in the NBA dunk contest.
He is actually currently on Orlando’s roster.
Gobert and Towns were the #1 defense last year. So it’s not like it’s impossible to build a good defense with Towns. I also think we should be able to keep a top 5 offense by replacing Hart with Mitch against appropriate matchups. Its not like Hart is a super spacer. We’ll lose a few things and gain a few things (including having a better bench unit and fresher starters down the stretch of games).
Before we say this is a problem without a solution, maybe we should see what Mitch and Towns can do. IMO Boston won’t be as successful targeting anyone with Mitch on the floor as they have been so far this season. It changes what we can do if the middle is protected.
Furthermore, I like KP’s game a lot. He’s better than Towns protecting the paint, but he can also be targeted in the P&R. He’s not nearly the defender away from the paint that he is in the paint. In fact, I’d say Towns is better defensively than KP away from the paint.
We are not perfectly structured, but the issue is less about our structure than it is that the Celtics were one of the best teams in NBA history last year and not just the typical serious contender. They will be hard for any team in history to beat if they sustain their best level.
Strat, you are basically saying the same thing that I’m saying. But the situation isn’t static. Cleveland might still improve, either internally or by transaction. Atlanta has some very nice young pieces and some trade assets. Indiana has ways to improve an already very good roster. Orlando as well.
So it’s not just about keeping up with the Celts, it’s about adapting to the power structure in both the EC and the league as a whole. It seems like some teams get to an apex and then start foolishly chasing as the situation declines. If that apex is championship, that’s one thing. Toronto, Milwaukee and Denver are good examples of that. But then there are teams like Philly, Phoenix, Miami, and Minny (I guess the Nets and Mavs as well) that had some promising runs derailed one way or another, and then just faded before ever getting there. I see more of the latter than the former in the crystal ball, at least for now.
We’re more asteroidal of a contender than anything else at the moment.
““With Mikal [Bridges], Josh [Hart] and OG [Anunoby], you have strong defenders, but you are just going to keep putting [Brunson and Towns] in actions, and you’re going to go at them,” The assistant coach told ESPN’s Tim Bontemps. “Jalen has been better, but he’s still someone to attack. And it’s easier to hide him than Karl.”
They sure didn’t have any problem “hiding” JB and the “800th or whatever best” defender in the association in the 2023 playoffs.
Obi Toppin played significant minutes in those games as well.
Sounds like more excuse-making and blame shifting and general wrong-think.
The skinny jeans content at this blog is more interesting than the basketball content.
It sounds like you’re both describing a level that is high but not high enough. It’s as if Leon got us to the ____ but not the ___.
Ok, saw the thread. Seems like Manu was making a bit of a joke there. Either way, seems fine and I am just glad he didn’t get caught doing something awful.
My faith in humanity is very Manu dependent
29 basketball comments, 1 skinny jean comment today when you posted. To each his own
Most of the actual basketball content is fine. The Knicks are a pretty good team but are unfortunately not that inherently interesting to talk about, so a lot of the banter here is people just sort of grinding their own favorite axes. The increasingly baroque “RJ is so good doe” arguments are definitely sub-skinny jeans in terms of overall quality
There’s just not much to talk about. We have a set rotation and it’s not clear anyone is egregiously misused. Maybe Kolek is killing it in practice and should get minutes or something. We have the same issues we’ve had all year. Hopefully Mitch gives us some positive things to talk about.
The positive things to talk about are the Knicks being 36-18 with the best offense in franchise history plus they have 2 All-Star starters.
Anyone here ever watch Mystery Science Theatre 3000?
“They sure didn’t have any problem “hiding” JB and the “800th or whatever best” defender in the association in the 2023 playoffs.”
If you could either confirm that you were satisfied with a humiliating loss to a play-in team in the second round, or that the best competition we will face going forward is equivalent to the 2022-23 Heat (or Celtics for that matter) I’d be thrilled if this was our team going forward.
“We have a set rotation and it’s not clear anyone is egregiously misused.”
Mitch coming back could have all kinds of implications for the rotation.
I love MST3K, I watched it all the time with my best friend in high school since his dad was an original run fan and had all the dvds
Life imitates, Kaminari.
Jay-Z. 99 problems but a lawsuit (dismissed with prejudice) ain’t one.
And……..! They’re selling loosie eggs in bodegas up in the Bronx.
when mitch returns we may see a solid 9 player rotation…
geo, I agree. I am guessing that at first, Mitch will be on either a firm minutes limit or an understood one (knowing Thibs, probably the latter) until he re-acclimates. Something similar to the one that iHart was on for a bit when he came back from being banged up, except probably longer. I’m thinking something like 20-24 minutes.
Maybe the rotation looks something like this:
Starters:
Brunson (34)
KAT (34)
Mikal (34)
OG (32)
Hart (32)
Bench:
Deuce (24)
Payne (14)
Precious (18)
Mitch (18)
Situational: Shamet, Huk, Warren
Re: the new all-star format:
-I agree with Draymond that the Rising Stars have no place in the Sunday night game
-The league only had a handful of teams back in the day, so 12 all-stars seemed sufficient. But now that there are 30 teams (soon to be 32) I would consider expanding the rosters to 32…either 16 per conference or just the best 32…and then keeping the 4-team, 8 player per team format. Give each player on the winning team a huge prize, either money or maybe some expensive engraved collector’s item Rolex or something like that. Maybe have AI (not Allen Iverson) do the draft.
I think a big prize would do wonders
Looking at those minutes, maybe 24 is too much for Deuce…and 32 not enough for Hart…
They played the Cavs, and the team that beat the Celtics.
NBA All star game, white lotus premier, and SNL 50 all at once. What a crazy Sunday.
And 718 sessions.
Looks cooler than my Sunday night but anything on Meserole Ave is too young for me.
KAT needs to shoot more threes.
Hubert – meet me for donuts at Peter Pan sometime… when you’re back. Geo said you were dope.
Are we rooting for brunsons team or Kats team? Team brunson?
Towns it is!
I’m down but I don’t feel cool enough to go to any of these places. What is Peter Pan? I’m allergic to peanut butter.
I may be imagining things but Miley doing Nothing Compares 2 U felt like the Prince Estate passive aggressively firing a shot at Sinead.
Shit. It’s a donut place in greenpoint. Hell, I’ll come wherever and I’ll dress like an adult.
This is lame…there is no defense being played…
This format stinks beyond belief
I’ve been mostly watching the SNL 50th anniversary.
God damn, Adam Sandler crushed that song.
Wait you guys are watching the all star game? Meryl Streep just came out smoking a Marlboro Light and one upped Kate McKinnon’s Miss Rafferty in front of Pedro Pascal and Jon Hamm.
Pedro and Woody almost lost it when Kate was all over them, best segment of the night so far.
That was pretty fantastic. Guess because she’s dating Martin Short she’s in that loop now.
I felt a little bad watching that pro-NYC skit next to a pool in Florida a bottle deep in Malbec.
Boy…if a bought a ticket to watch this garbage…I’d be pissed
Debbie Downer!!
(Not you, Pepper… the skit just came on.)
De Niro still a legend.
The All-Star game(s) was horrendo.
SNL 50th is a mixed bag, mostly meh, some brilliance. That alien abduction thing was hysterical!
Kendrick is already selling Heinz mustard. You can see Drake’s comeback coming a mile away.
I really hoped that final game would have some juice. Very disappointing.
Steph’s midcourt shot was cool.
Wemby seemed to care a bit.
McCartney may sound terrible, but the second side of Abbey Road is awesome and I thoroughly enjoyed the experience. Big smile on my face.
Would’ve been so fantastic to be there.
And Donnie, please let me bask in that performance and don’t tell me how the Beatles suck, thanks in advance
Same
Macca was attempting to sing all that stuff in the original key, which is admirable but kind of insane. He’s 82! Drop it down two full steps, we all understand.
Two hundred million dollars wasted each year on this intolerable weekend charade. How many thousands of poor children could have been helped instead?
Those “helping the community” and “NBA cares” promotions insult human intelligence. The spectacular game of basketball is choking inside a corrupt hundreds of billions of dollars industry.
Every industry has an event or a conference of annual coming together to reflect, celebrate and promote their product.
There is nothing wrong with having the event but the issue is that instead of the hyper talented warriors and competitor mentality of the past, – today’s athletes believe they’re celebrity influencers who just have to show up and be themselves. This selfish mentality of me, me, me is a cultural thing prevelant in our society and not specific to NBA itself. B got paid, showed up to hang out at a political event and didn’t bother to sing.
The idea that you should work and perform for something bigger that yourself is foreign now. Why should they work or risk their personal financial situations for the benefit of their owners, sponsors and the future popularity of the league? – They’re getting hundreds of millions now because Magic & Larry got the league out of the red and Jordan took it global.
Obama was right in his interview with Haliburton when he told him that he sees them all run pick up games over the summer that are far more competative and fun to watch than All-Star game has become now.
They just showcased their product to the world in a brand new format and it stunk worse than last year.
All-Star game MVP was a presitigous award. Now, it doesnt have any credibility. Zero.