Where each Knicks player stands heading into an offseason full of questions
The Post takes a look at the Knicks roster heading into the offseason after their playoff run ended with a loss to the Pacers in Game 6.
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- Thread starter MainMan
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I watched enough of the few moments I tuned in to see Brunson control the Ball for 18 seconds of the 24 second clock and then , take the shot .
He’s a great Ballplayer but , there are 4 other guys on his team too.
He scores a lot of points but , takes a lot of shots to get there . Pacers seemed to be more team focused than the Knicks . Just saying .
He’s a great Ballplayer but , there are 4 other guys on his team too.
He scores a lot of points but , takes a lot of shots to get there . Pacers seemed to be more team focused than the Knicks . Just saying .
KAT being made the scapegoat is to deflect blame away from the Nova band, who played poorly.
I don't think so. That The Athletic article was scorching everybody. They said the coaching staff was rubbed the wrong way by Bridges once he complained about minutes, OG's enthusiasm was too predicated on touches, and the team had to hold multiple players-only meetings about playing seriously during the playoffs. Weird vibes all around.
I agree , Halliburton had 13 assists in that last game and contributed 21 points. Brunson as great of shot maker as he is, he doesn’t make the players around him better.
But there has never been anything written that singles out a player, other than KAT.
Maybe it is just me, but I see it as either everyone getting blamed or just KAT. The Athletic article you point out is an example.
No. Everything I said was written in that very article, singling out OG as well.
Thanks.
This is the Elephant in the room.... Mr. Clutch is an exceptional shot-maker... foot work is something else...incredible "onions!".... but...but... in the games i watched... the ball stops with him. It's screen time till he gets a match up he likes...
I don’t recall Brunson being that much of a Ball Hog at Villanova but , I could be wrong
Would not think Jay Wright would let him have the ball that amount of time on too many possessions .
Nobody questions his playing ability .
Maybe teammates who never see the ball ?
Very limited flexibility. Basically everyone other than Brunson, Hart, Bridges, Anunoby, Towns, Robinson and McBride is a free agent. And those players account for 95% of their salary cap space which is pushing the second apron.
The real albatross here is the Bridges trade. Without him you might be able to send Towns and draft picks to Milwaukee for Antetekumpo (if he wanted to come to NY). But without those FIVE FIRST ROUND PICKS (ugh) I don't know if the Knicks could swing that deal even if Giannis wants to come here.
Absent that, all there is to do is tweak the bench and try to find better complementary players. Their entire draft this year is Pick #50.
My view is that
1. Towns needs to be moved to the 4
2. They need better ball distribution on offense to get Anunoby and Bridges more touches
3. They need another C and another PG so they can split up Towns and Brunson at times who are both defensive liabilities.
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hnkcolumbia
Well-known member
4. They need to get back on defense...especially on made baskets.
5. They need to eliminate unforced, stupid turnovers.
Both covered by the above.
Towns and Brunson are both excellent offensive players, but they are also both slow and that shows up against a team like Indy that pushes the pace. You can possibly survive with both of them on the floor here and there but you need the ability to get one of them off so you are only playing 4 on 5 at the defensive end instead of 3 on 5.
And better ball distribution helps reduce turnovers - too much of a load on Brunson against a rotation of excellent Indy defenders with a variety of skills.
What I will say is that the Knicks were not a high turnover team throughout the season. That was mainly a playoffs problem, in particular during the Indiana series.
I said to my friends I was watching with that I can appreciate Brunson's greatness while still not wanting to watch that brand of basketball.
Brunson = a statue on D, for such a crafty player, you'd like to think he would figure out how to give a better defensive effort.
KAT = very awkward movements, his drives look a little spastic, poor positional rebounder for a seven footer
This team needs help to break through to Championship caliber.
Weird chemistry too.
KAT = very awkward movements, his drives look a little spastic, poor positional rebounder for a seven footer
This team needs help to break through to Championship caliber.
Weird chemistry too.
They're both physically limited. Brunson is short and slow and Towns is big, awkward and slow. Both of them have found ways to be very effective on offense anyway, but it's hard to defend without speed, height, and (in Towns case) coordination (one could throw in "good judgment"). Brunson does give you effort.
Problem with Towns is that he does not challenge shooters because he doesn't want to pick up fouls - meanwhile he picks up enough of them doing dopey things. And he's too slow to defend anyone off the dribble. So he's largely useless on defense.
Indy spent that entire series hunting Brunson on defense with taller players and Towns on defense for jump shots and (when he didn't drop) drives.
That's why Thibs changed the lineup and inserted Robinson, he figured the only way to survive with two big-minus defenders was to put a big-plus defender/rebounder out there with them. And if you're going to keep KAT, I agree with Thibs but in that event he needs another big to platoon with Mitch. And someone taller and faster to play at PG when Brunson is off the floor.
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