Knicks · MSG Blog and Mills' Vision (page 1)

Interesting read at the new "MSG Blog": https://blog.msg.com/2017/08/25/a-new-da...

I like Mills' take, especially his line that all of KP, Willy, Baker, Hardaway and Nitty would be Coach Carril favorites - "Coach Carril would want them on his team."

What strikes me about the piece is that Mills is expressing all of Phil's ideals but without the Triangle baggage. Smart move. Maybe Mills dropped a tab or two with Phil. And I love how Mills owns the Nitty pick - he says "I traveled to France to watch Frank Ntilikina. His physical tools were obvious, and I noticed how as point guard he sensed when to defer to his teammates on offense and when to turn on the aggressiveness." Bring it Nitty!

And the approach articulated by Mills is candy to my ears: "...a new defensive mindset that puts a premium on making stops. Only from there can a productive offense flow. We will emphasize ball movement, body movement, spacing and screening, while understanding that these changes will be a work in progress. We may not be there at first, but that the brand of ball our players will aspire to fulfill."

This is the one path, the one thing we have NOT done for the past 18+ years. And it's the only way to regain relevance. So I'm all in, and don't care if that makes me an electric kool-aid drinker too.

It always seemed to me that the Knicks were basically continuing down the Path Phil started but minus his quirky behavior and stubbornness. The thing is the mold was cast by the key young players Phil drafted. You kind of need to move in a similar direction when you are building around KP, Willy and Nitty.

Nitty and Dotson are the 2Way players Phil said they would draft. THJ is a more aggressive version of CLee. They kept Gaines! HECK they even kept Rambis! The Summer League team was running Triangle and Jamel Artis intimidated they'd still use Jeff's Hybrid Triangle. Overall they've enhanced the roster more in the same direction. If they had drafted DSJ that would've signaled a major shift in a different direction.

That was a great read. Thanks for posting it. I hope the reasons things were so bad when he ran the Knics before Phil were things he could not or was not allowed to control.

CrushAlot wrote:That was a great read. Thanks for posting it. I hope the reasons things were so bad when he ran the Knics before Phil were things he could not or was not allowed to control.

I think that he did learn a LOT from Phil. Both good and bad. I think he's kept the good things and is completely deleting the bad things Phil did. Hiring Scott Perry who is well liked and respected is part of the changes.

The direction of the Coaching and Roster is still very much a continuation of Phil's work. Now they can move on without the noise. Jeff seems to still believe in using some elements of the Triangle as he did with his Hybrid Version. Now he'll be free to do other things as well but not be killed for using Triangle too. It's a perfect scheme for involving bigs and guards that aren't Pure PG's. Mills was there for every player decision and seems to believe in their approach and vision. He may just be better equipped to carry it out now.

CrushAlot wrote:That was a great read. Thanks for posting it. I hope the reasons things were so bad when he ran the Knics before Phil were things he could not or was not allowed to control.

im not a phil fan and i know you probably hate phil more than anyone BUT he still did some good things. Obviously his biggest contribution was starting to build a good young core and not throwing away picks like previous GMS did. Now i agree he made some dumb moves and his obsession with the triangle was tiresome but to be fair he also did some good things too

StarksEwing1 wrote:

CrushAlot wrote:That was a great read. Thanks for posting it. I hope the reasons things were so bad when he ran the Knics before Phil were things he could not or was not allowed to control.

im not a phil fan and i know you probably hate phil more than anyone BUT he still did some good things. Obviously his biggest contribution was starting to build a good young core and not throwing away picks like previous GMS did. Now i agree he made some dumb moves and his obsession with the triangle was tiresome but to be fair he also did some good things too

I didn't think I mentioned Phil. I loved what Mills wrote but he was the guy in charge after Grunwald and that year was a disaster. His vision is awesome but that seems like something that would guide you through your career. He certainly was not running the team in that manner during his previous tenure.

CrushAlot wrote:

StarksEwing1 wrote:

CrushAlot wrote:That was a great read. Thanks for posting it. I hope the reasons things were so bad when he ran the Knics before Phil were things he could not or was not allowed to control.

im not a phil fan and i know you probably hate phil more than anyone BUT he still did some good things. Obviously his biggest contribution was starting to build a good young core and not throwing away picks like previous GMS did. Now i agree he made some dumb moves and his obsession with the triangle was tiresome but to be fair he also did some good things too

I didn't think I mentioned Phil. I loved what Mills wrote but he was the guy in charge after Grunwald and that year was a disaster. His vision is awesome but that seems like something that would guide you through your career. He certainly was not running the team in that manner during his previous tenure.

well i agree with you about mills. I guess i meant in general when you mention phil. Believe me i agree with you he made some bad decisions but also left some good young pieces goinf forward

Excellent read. Thank You

stanleybostitch wrote:Interesting read at the new "MSG Blog": https://blog.msg.com/2017/08/25/a-new-da...

I like Mills' take, especially his line that all of KP, Willy, Baker, Hardaway and Nitty would be Coach Carril favorites - "Coach Carril would want them on his team."

What strikes me about the piece is that Mills is expressing all of Phil's ideals but without the Triangle baggage. Smart move. Maybe Mills dropped a tab or two with Phil. And I love how Mills owns the Nitty pick - he says "I traveled to France to watch Frank Ntilikina. His physical tools were obvious, and I noticed how as point guard he sensed when to defer to his teammates on offense and when to turn on the aggressiveness." Bring it Nitty!

And the approach articulated by Mills is candy to my ears: "...a new defensive mindset that puts a premium on making stops. Only from there can a productive offense flow. We will emphasize ball movement, body movement, spacing and screening, while understanding that these changes will be a work in progress. We may not be there at first, but that the brand of ball our players will aspire to fulfill."

This is the one path, the one thing we have NOT done for the past 18+ years. And it's the only way to regain relevance. So I'm all in, and don't care if that makes me an electric kool-aid drinker too.

Oh yeah!! Im glad to hear how the Knicks are planning for the future, but Im not going to lionize Mills. He was a part of the problem for many years. Blaming Dolan only goes so far, after decades with the organization, and nothing but losing to show for it.

Mills did hire Perry, who promptly put a stop to the Melo trade because it was so bad for the Knicks. Perry is the breath of fresh air, not Mills. As long as Mills stays out of the way of BBall decisions.

Tired of hearing after being with the team as long as he has what a smart guy Mills is. The only thing he seemed to apply his intelligence to up until recently, was his own survival. Lets see a real course correction on the court, before we throw Mills a parade.

I feel much better about the Knicks after reading that. More defense, more 2 way players, more unselfish basketball!!! Bring it on!!!

CrushAlot wrote:That was a great read. Thanks for posting it. I hope the reasons things were so bad when he ran the Knics before Phil were things he could not or was not allowed to control.

Mills has his eyes set on "THE FUTURE!" 1938!

HofstraBBall wrote:Mills has his eyes set on "THE FUTURE!" 1938!

I'd settle for 1970.

stanleybostitch wrote:And the approach articulated by Mills is candy to my ears: "...a new defensive mindset that puts a premium on making stops. Only from there can a productive offense flow. We will emphasize ball movement, body movement, spacing and screening, while understanding that these changes will be a work in progress. We may not be there at first, but that the brand of ball our players will aspire to fulfill."

When a new pro sports GM or coach or manager first shows up, they get a short honeymoon period. The local and nation wide press hype up the regime change and excitement because they want to dig in and get access to this new person if they pan out and exist there long term. Also it costs the press nothing. A nice easy fluff piece at the beginning when no games are being played and the stakes are low will be forgotten fast. Real real real fast.

Mills is talking basic team basketball.

Poppovich was interviewed once and the reporter was complimenting the way the Spurs play. Unselfish disciplined team ball. Pop of course had to jab him a little, saying ALL NBA TEAMS AND PLAYERS SHOULD PLAY THIS WAY.

Part of this is fall out of the Stern era. Where individual marketing meant more for the profit margin than actual functional team play. Part of it is the height dependency in the talent pool. A very consistent contingent from the poorly socialized/poorly educated bracket exists in an almost no accountability structure.

The bizarre and sad thing is the Knicks could have made the playoffs EVERY YEAR that Melo was here. All the players simply had to push max effort, keep working on expanding their game and commit to team ball and team/win first methodology. Would they win a ring? No. Would they get a top seed? No. But in a gutted East, they could have hit the 8th seed close to every year.

But STAT need his wine baths and picking new robes for his stupid film festivals, instead of working on getting a three point shot and actually doing anything to improve his defense.

Play as hard as you can, all the time. The Spurs do this. How hard is that really? Max effort? That Mills has to come forward to say things and a playing philosophy THAT SHOULD BE THE BARE MINIMUM STANDARD FOR BEING A PROFESSIONAL is pretty pathetic on the part of the Knicks roster who just don't care.

The Kings just got tired of it. They drafted THREE guys with talent who have high character pedigree. At some point, you just need to shed the toxicity off the roster.

"Play the game the right way" That's all Mills is saying. Is it that hard for players on this roster to do?

Melo can't even give the bare minimum to help this team. He won't even put his hands in the air to try to close out a shooter. How pathetic do you have to be to not even do that much?

One day, Melo is going to look back at his career, and realize, no matter the Olympics, no matter the college victory, he only cheated himself the most. He could have given his best, and instead will have to live with the regret of caring more about selling cologne or stupid hats over winning. Lawrence Taylor said it best, a man needs to be proud of his whole life, not just the days he played. This is why parents tell their kids to try the hardest they can, do give max effort and do your best. Think about it, some 9 year old kid GETS THIS CONCEPT but Melo does not.

Good take TT, and it's mind boggling that its been _decades_ since we've played good, fundamental basketball, but there it is. The culture change underway is a huge needed step in the right direction. If Melo ends up on the roster next year I expect he'll either get on board or be aggressively boxed out.

Mills era in NY has been really bad, why am I suppose to believe that will just up and change. The in experience phil turned to mills a lot, and the results were horrific.

knicks1248 wrote:Mills era in NY has been really bad, why am I suppose to believe that will just up and change. The in experience phil turned to mills a lot, and the results were horrific.

You believe every else you read.

This era started when Dolan hired McKinsey and they fired Grunwald. No, it was not Grunwalds fault. Then Dolan hired Mills.
Then he hired Phil and put him as president. On paper, a good idea. Phil could sell it because he is arrogant and PHil.
WE all know what transpired and the resulting wins and losses. Mistakes were made.
Going forward there is a further evolution to this process. Since its "the KNicks" we all are suspect and damaged. Obviously everything we do is subject ridicule until success is achieved.
Thats ok. Knicks deserve that.
But if you think "Gee, things are processed differently than before" then maybe there is reason for hope.
Proof is not on these pages or a blog. Its in the result.
But, fans can be hopeful and enjoy the process without being "stupid". Its their choice.
Just like Knicks1248 chooses to be suspect that the past will carry forward to the future.
Thats his choice.
Either way it takes time and hindsight. KNicks are in a better position to trade and draft then a few years back. Only time can heal the sins of the past. Draft picks wasted or foolishly traded are not easily cured.

Nalod wrote:This era started when Dolan hired McKinsey and they fired Grunwald. No, it was not Grunwalds fault. Then Dolan hired Mills.
Then he hired Phil and put him as president. On paper, a good idea. Phil could sell it because he is arrogant and PHil.
WE all know what transpired and the resulting wins and losses. Mistakes were made.
Going forward there is a further evolution to this process. Since its "the KNicks" we all are suspect and damaged. Obviously everything we do is subject ridicule until success is achieved.
Thats ok. Knicks deserve that.
But if you think "Gee, things are processed differently than before" then maybe there is reason for hope.
Proof is not on these pages or a blog. Its in the result.
But, fans can be hopeful and enjoy the process without being "stupid". Its their choice.
Just like Knicks1248 chooses to be suspect that the past will carry forward to the future.
Thats his choice.
Either way it takes time and hindsight. KNicks are in a better position to trade and draft then a few years back. Only time can heal the sins of the past. Draft picks wasted or foolishly traded are not easily cured.

He was part of the regime the made bad trades and bad signings with "No Trade Clauses".

Just because you keep your draft picks, doesn't make you a better President then the guy who traded them away if the results are the exact same.

the handle of melo has been a PR blunder all the way around, he was right behind phil chasing melo all over the country to get him to sign, he endored the noah signing, and was days away from taking on Anderson contract if perry didn't give him a wake up slap..

mills is who he is?

knicks1248 wrote:

Nalod wrote:This era started when Dolan hired McKinsey and they fired Grunwald. No, it was not Grunwalds fault. Then Dolan hired Mills.
Then he hired Phil and put him as president. On paper, a good idea. Phil could sell it because he is arrogant and PHil.
WE all know what transpired and the resulting wins and losses. Mistakes were made.
Going forward there is a further evolution to this process. Since its "the KNicks" we all are suspect and damaged. Obviously everything we do is subject ridicule until success is achieved.
Thats ok. Knicks deserve that.
But if you think "Gee, things are processed differently than before" then maybe there is reason for hope.
Proof is not on these pages or a blog. Its in the result.
But, fans can be hopeful and enjoy the process without being "stupid". Its their choice.
Just like Knicks1248 chooses to be suspect that the past will carry forward to the future.
Thats his choice.
Either way it takes time and hindsight. KNicks are in a better position to trade and draft then a few years back. Only time can heal the sins of the past. Draft picks wasted or foolishly traded are not easily cured.

He was part of the regime the made bad trades and bad signings with "No Trade Clauses".

Just because you keep your draft picks, doesn't make you a better President then the guy who traded them away if the results are the exact same.

the handle of melo has been a PR blunder all the way around, he was right behind phil chasing melo all over the country to get him to sign, he endored the noah signing, and was days away from taking on Anderson contract if perry didn't give him a wake up slap..

mills is who he is?

Also, keep it real. Next year's first round pick is the first that was eligible to be traded during Phil's tenure. Nice job keeping the 2018 pick.

Sure Mills has been here for much of the disastrous years. I think he did learn a lot from the Phil years and it's been a good learning experience. Along with the bad has been some good and Mills is looking to build on the good and clean out the bad! The youth on the roster is part of the good that came out of the Phil Years!

Can't have it both ways! Mills HIRED Perry! The current stance is logical and the new additions are adding fresh blood to the mix. Mills made clear his vision and it makes sense. Now we have to see what his new team can get done. There's a good base to build on which Phil and Mills Haters refuse to acknowledge!

nixluva wrote:Sure Mills has been here for much of the disastrous years. I think he did learn a lot from the Phil years and it's been a good learning experience. Along with the bad has been some good and Mills is looking to build on the good and clean out the bad! The youth on the roster is part of the good that came out of the Phil Years!

Can't have it both ways! Mills HIRED Perry! The current stance is logical and the new additions are adding fresh blood to the mix. Mills made clear his vision and it makes sense. Now we have to see what his new team can get done. There's a good base to build on which Phil and Mills Haters refuse to acknowledge!

well this sounds as if your willing to give mills a clean slate despite yrs of bad service..

But when it comes to melo, that slate can't be clean?