I’m an atheist, I’m not involved in theology issues but I did like Francis much more than his last predecessors, probably because he was a reknown commie 😀
Parolin compared to the “conservative” (read: bigot) names floating around would be fine although he’s just a laburist 😉
Anyway we’re running toward extinction, so who cares?

Whooops, my first political post in months! Sorry guys

Back to basketball, any game that Dillon Brooks lose is a win for the good people of the world, go Dubs and Let’s Go Knicks!

Are the Miami players rioting against Riley/Spo or are they so bad at basketball that not even Heat Culture can make them decent players?

P.S. The Cavs are a steamroller

Zach Lowe is too classy to call Thibs out by name but he is murdering the way we play on offense in this series, specifically how disinterested we are in running KAT-Brunson pnr and the terrible spacing. The fact that Bickerstaff has been the worst coach in the playoffs shouldn’t overshadow the fact that Thibs has been awful.

Looks like there are going to be three games on at once for chunks at a time today. Two aren’t even nationally televised. (Knicks preempt the Celtics, that’s kind of a win in-and-of itself, no?)

From what I can tell betting has become our new national religion. I have no stake in the outcome of the Conclave but that doesn’t mean it’s not fascinating.

Feels strange the Knicks are playing tonight. But I guess it sets up better for a Saturday Game 7 or Game 1.

Craziest fact I’ve read is the Knicks haven’t closed out a playoff series at home since Game 6 of the 1999 Conference Finals.

all four games are nationally televised bucks pacers and magic celtics on nbatv and istons knicks clippers nuggets on tnt far as i can telll every single playoffgame has been on national tv that is why the first game begins at 6 not 7

The way the L2M describes Harris’ plain foul on Hart while calling it a correct no call is pretty wild:

Comment:Harris (DET) and Hart (NYK) briefly engage and disengage during the rebound.

Uh, ok. I guess Hart just briefly engaged with Hardaway, too?

What a ridiculous way to describe a pretty clear foul.

Agree Hubert. Easiest loose ball foul call I have seen in a while.

I watched a lot of Dallas basketball during their run to the finals that was fueled largely by Luka Doncic. He certainly has his flaws but that’s hardly some kind of contrarian opinion They Don’t Let You Say. He ranges from the best player in the sport on his best day to maybe the 10th on his worst. I love Brunson dearly, but the Knicks have still not had such a “flawed” player during my lifetime.

Almost everyone recognizes that Doncic is not a good defender, but they don’t recognize the extent to which his bad defense offsets his stellar offense when he’s playing lazy and arguing with refs. That’s why Zach Lowe brought it up.

On offense, people see all the assists, great lobs and kickouts that make limited players better, but they don’t recognize how his extreme ball dominance can limit other players (like Brunson, KP) that can do more than just dunk or shoot spot up 3s because you can’t measure it in a tangible way until they get away from Doncic.

I don’t want to be too harsh on the guy because he one of the most talented offensive players ever and he’s better than he used to be, but I think he’s still overrated.

Brunson has some of the same positives and flaws. The difference is Brunson is in shape, tries hard on defense and gives up his body in the paint. He doesn’t give up “x” points per game just from arguing with the refs during play. Where he has to improve is in moving the ball and getting other players involved and then taking over when we really need a basket or at the end.

not sure that brunson is in tiptop shape by prof athlete standards but never seems to tire and is certainly in better shape than luka so what you are saying comes out the same

Uh, ok. I guess Hart just briefly engaged with Hardaway, too?

What a ridiculous way to describe a pretty clear foul.

All anyone wants is consistency.

Towns get mugged going to the basket several times every game and doesn’t get a whistle and then everyone is in an uproar over mild contact with an acting job to enhance the visual.

I know better than to pay attention to anything 95% of the media says about anything. I’ll just have to put the NBA L2M on my list.

All that said, Hart is way too prone to doing some of the dumbest shit you are every going to see. We are very lucky it didn’t cost us.

it wasn’t a good foul and we’re lucky it wasn’t called. also, hart has been a stone cold killer this series and his 11/10 motor is operating next to a bunch of players who too often operate on cruise control relative to required playoff intensity. watch mitch and og on that last play. og backs up after the shot like he wants a fucking outlet pass instead of helping on d glass. mitch gets do-si-do’d by duren and never takes a full step in any direction. mikal falls down and fumbles the ball. josh gets arm barred by harris and somehow makes from there it to decent position in the corner before, yes, he nearly fucks up the entire game. that is, btw, 100% OG’s cover in that situation and he is late. hart had 4 steals in the game but caused 7 turnovers by my count, including 3 that led directly to made 3s, and the one he got on cade late helping off the wing was a game changer. for all the somewhat understandable buzz about getting more shooting lineups in to avoid hart’s anti-gravity, the knicks have fallen apart against detroit in the non hart minutes and the energy delta goes to infinity. i’m not sure we’d have a transition possession in this series if it weren’t for josh. he’s actually been awesome for us warts and all.

My money is that after ascending through the haze of mothballs and four foot skeletons in the closet Ava from Ex Machina is gonna remove her mission impossible face at the end of the conclave but reveals it only to the guy who makes the little cookies out of the body of Christ in the alchemy kitchen and he will become the first new disciple. Catholicism shall be as Catholic GPT. The world will continue to stun and amaze.

hart has been a stone cold killer this series and his 11/10 motor is operating next to a bunch of players who too often operate on cruise control relative to required playoff intensity. watch mitch and og on that last play. og backs up after the shot like he wants a fucking outlet pass instead of helping on d glass. mitch gets do-si-do’d by duren and never takes a full step in any direction. mikal falls down and fumbles the ball. josh gets arm barred by harris and somehow makes from there it to decent position in the corner before, yes, he nearly fucks up the entire game. that is, btw, 100% OG’s cover in that situation and he is late. hart had 4 steals in the game but caused 7 turnovers by my count, including 3 that led directly to made 3s, and the one he got on cade late helping off the wing was a game changer. for all the somewhat understandable buzz about getting more shooting lineups in to avoid hart’s anti-gravity, the knicks have fallen apart against detroit in the non hart minutes and the energy delta goes to infinity. i’m not sure we’d have a transition possession in this series if it weren’t for josh. he’s actually been awesome for us warts and all.

Thank you for writing all of this. I was kind of amazed at the post game reaction (not just here) at people giving Hart a hard time for almost costing us the game by doing something stupid when he played his fucking ass off in game 4 (and also hit 3 of 5 from three).

Obviously if we could find a clear upgrade over Hart in the starting 5 and move Hart to the bench that would be THE MOVE to make this off season. But that’s going to be an impossible task because the dude is a fucking winner.

We often harp on the weakness of certain players but I think it’s important to take a step back and acknowledge how fucking good Josh Hart is. It’s not HIS fault Thibs plays him almost the entire game and, given our bench situation, you can’t really blame him, can you?

I watched the last 5 minutes of game 4 last night. Cade was pretty bad down the stretch: 1-3 with 2 careless TOs. For all of KAT’s heroics, Detroit was also bailed out by Hardaway’s shot making, including a 3 pointer that bounced on the rim a couple of times.

Also, the Knicks totally fucked up a 2-for-1 opportunity with a dead ball up 1 with 35 seconds left. Really bad!

My money is that after ascending through the haze of mothballs and four foot skeletons in the closet Ava from Ex Machina is gonna remove her mission impossible face at the end of the conclave but reveals it only to the guy who makes the little cookies out of the body of Christ in the alchemy kitchen and he will become the first new disciple. Catholicism shall be as Catholic GPT. The world will continue to stun and amaze.

You don’t have to spoil the plot of Damon Lindelof’s new show

Sure, yes, obviously NBATV is available outside of a single regional market, thus making it national in the doogie sense of the term. But it is an add-on for most cable packages, and is not available at all on many of the major streaming platforms like Hulu etc. It is a channel for real fans, who don’t mind going dungeon delving into the 800s on the satellite channel guide, not Casual Fan Donnies, who like to watch the good games that are hand fed to them.

Hart needs to shoot more. But I have and had zero complaints about how he played in that game. He was terrific.

Hart is way too prone to doing some of the dumbest shit you are every going to see. We are very lucky it didn’t cost us.

The other thing about him that the last play highlighted is that he’s pretty bad at boxing out. He gets to balls no one should get to, but he can be beat pretty easily for balls he should get, especially when he gets matched up with PFs, which a) is not his fault, and b) happens way too much.

But it is an add-on for most cable packages

listen michael landon information still cannot travel faster than light so people are going to get really fucking confused when you try to talk through through the window of your cutlass ciera time machine we have no idea what the hell a cable package is. speaking of which where is zman.

If Thibs had a pulse and made adjustments, he might want to consider keeping Towns in the lineup next to Mitch for defensive possessions.

Towns can switch well enough and is the best defensive rebounder on the team. And if he puts his hands up, he’s disruptive just being there.

With Mikal, OG, Deuce on the floor and Hart having to cover a PF, if the rebound doesn’t go to Mitch’s side it’s an OREB waiting to happen.

In this series, with Cade as the POA, Deuce isn’t giving you much defensively.

just wait mister milo, one day you are going to wake up as an old man too…

And if he puts his hands up, he’s disruptive just being there.

Might as well ask Towns to clean the Stygian stables and slay the Nemean Lion while we’re at it

Hart’s play in this series, and play in general, is what makes me think people are way too blasé about the potential impacts of taking him out of the starting lineup, drastically reducing his minutes, etc.

I am on the record as saying he plays too much and I haven’t wavered on that at all–he shouldn’t have led the NBA in minutes per game. That seems self-evident.

But I don’t think our offense being substantially better with him on the floor is noise. He’s one of the only guys on the entire team who puts material pressure on the rim. It’s rare to see someone who doesn’t generate much in the way of points off 3PA have such a positive impact on a team’s eFG%, but ours craters without him. Hart, Mitch, OG, and KAT (by a hair) are the only guys in the rotation who are above the median at their position in terms of rim attempt frequency.

With Hart off the floor, our rim attempt frequency falls to 29% per PBP Stats (32% with him on the floor per PBP, but different sites define “at rim” differently). That would be near the bottom of the league, which is obviously not sustainable for an offense like ours that is also near the bottom of the league in 3PA.

No role player is “off limits” of course, but I hope anyone putting Hart in their fake trades of choice has a plan to get some damn shots at the rim without him.

The thing about Hart and his shooting is that he tends to be very streaky. He shot the 3 ball well to start the season and then dipped off. But going 3 for 5 in the last game could be a potentially good sign that he’s about to go into one of his hot streaks. He just needs to shoot the ones that are open for him and hit them at a decent clip to substantially change our offense.

With the pressure Brunson is seeing, Hart may be more valuable to help bring the ball up. Brunson clearly has issues with the full court press and Hart is the most capable secondary ball handler and passer.

Fwiw, Brunson looks better as an off-ball player. That should be our adjustment going forward, let him move and catch the ball in space more often. This off-season we may want to look for a player who lets him do this more frequently. The iHart-Brunson tandem is arguably the best he ever looked.

I’m not in the bench-Hart-for-Deuce camp but I think in late game situations we can be a little more flexible.

Take our absolutely dreadful final offensive possession, for example, which will serve as exhibit A in the case to fire Thibs this summer. It’s one possession. Can you put 5 shooters on the floor for one possession?

By starting with the fixed position of “Josh Hart needs to be on the floor all the time”, it creates a problem: what do you do with Josh Hart?

A) If you put him on the 3 pt line, no one will guard him and the space will crater.

B) If you put him in the play, it has to be as the screener, but that wastes KAT and makes Brunson’s life harder.

C) you can bench him for one play to put 5 shooters on the floor and give your team the best chance to score.

The obvious choices are A (I’m actually cool with a wide open Josh Hart 3PA in a big spot) or C.

Thibs chose B, and Detroit said “thank you, god!” bc it completely wasted KAT when he was absolutely unguardable.

The same thing happened in that Boston game at MSG. I was naive enough to think Thibs was running that stupid Josh Hart screen for Brunson on every play bc he was saving his good shit for the playoffs. Clearly not.

And look, that Harris OREB wasn’t a fluke or a random play. Josh isn’t good at boxing out, and he’s too small to keep a PF off the boards. I would keep him in the game for late defensive possessions but at guard. We need Towns in there over Deuce. Put Hart on Deuce’s man and let Towns box out the other team’s big instead of Hart.

Also, Hart brought in his trainer to fix his shot before the playoffs last year. I’m betting he did the same in the week off this year. As long as he’s hitting his 3s he’s incredibly valuable.

The same thing happened in that Boston game at MSG.

and in Detroit’s game 2 win, which I was open-minded about, dividing the blame equally between KAT, Brunson, and Thibs. But after seeing KAT assert himself so hard and still get frozen out after a time out, I’m pretty sure we know who the problem is now.

Who?

thibs i guess

We have published Win Shares, PIE, RAPTOR, BPM, EPM that basically try to measure the number of regular season wins a player may effect or how good the player really is….what about a playoff series specifically?

The old adage is that STARS win playoff series…

Does anyone know how to actually math JB’s 4th quarter ability to close and it’s effect on winning a playoff series?

The way Hubs has been talkin’ about Thibs you’d think we were down 3-1

I blame Brunson more than Thibs. He has the ball in his hands. I’m sure he can call KAT as the screener, or send him down to the post if he wants to. This is not high school. They don’t have to wait for the coach each possession.

If you come out of a timeout and KAT (who’s on a heater) goes straight to the corner and stands there while Hart screens for Brunson that is not on Brunson or Towns.

With the pressure Brunson is seeing, Hart may be more valuable to help bring the ball up. Brunson clearly has issues with the full court press and Hart is the most capable secondary ball handler and passer.

To me this would seem to be a job for Mikal Bridges, but alas Mikal’s secondary skills have proven to be rather lacking.

I think it’s a mixture of both. ATO plays are clearly on Thibs, but I struggle to put it all on him when the team plays very organized for a quarter and completely disorganized the next quarter. I mean, he probably has some blame in this at the very least by not switching things up a bit, but Brunson does have a hero ball tendency at times, and I think that disrupts the offense.

Anyone here thinks the Pistons can pull an upset and take the series back to Detroit one more time?

all i know is that i cannot fathem having to deal with a game 7

the boys have gotten me back in to exercising, which is a good thing

That’s the spirit, Geo, exercise is good for the body and for the soul. 😉

run in to any interesting critters lately on your hikes through nature?

In the last hike i saw a dragonfly that is totally red/orange, it was a first, i had never seen one of those.

I guess this must be it: https://bugguide.net/node/view/602

Looks like he lives near you – southwestern USA – and made the trip just to visit me. 😀

Are you sure he wasn’t orange and blue, cyber?

Owen, check if you like Anne Hathaway’s fandom! 😉 🙂

https://www.instagram.com/annehathaway/p/DJCZyWURkYg/

Are you sure he wasn’t orange and blue, cyber?

Yes, i am. Red* and blue i see quite often, this one had a single color. Maybe Lady Cyber took a picture of the little fellow, i’ll ask her.

*i’m daltonic between a few colors, like orange and red.

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