Question for me in deciding if you have a good team is whether all your players are playing in their best role.
Fitz wanted Randle to be a PF/PG. Not a good role. He seems to have accepted a smaller role on offense where he looks to pass to others. Is that his best role?
RJ seems to think his role is to be the main scorer. Is a kid that shoots with the efficiency and low percentage at which he does the one you want at this role?
Now we have JB who most are expecting to take on a DM type role of being a franchise player. Despite just being a solid PG.
EF thinks he needs to continue to break 3pt records.
Imho, roles should be as follows on offense:
Randle: Alpha down low at the post position with occasional movement to the three point line to open up room for JB and RJ. He should be getting a touch at the low post everytime we get into a half court set and make quick decision to go hard at basket or kick out on double teams. He should also be secondary target for PnR with JB behind MR.
RJ: Penetrating wing who creates for himself and others with the dribble. Occasional three point threat to spread the floor for others. Biggest focus point where he has failed is creating for others off his drives. Rarely gets rid of tunnel vision to see the floor.
JB: The GO button when offense is standing still and not moving at a high pace. Drive and create for others. Much more PnR with MR and JR.
EF: Do not have to shoot a three every time. Hurt defenses that are double teaming other positions not just by shooting a three. Also drive or rotate the ball to do so. Sometimes the first pass out of a double team is not the best shot.
MR: Has to develop at 10 foot jumper. Imagine how effective he would be in PnR if defender was not able to go under pick every time.
IQ: The second units GO button. Same role as JB. Get guys involved with your pace.
Rose: Be the Vet.
Grimes: Take over EFs starting position. Lol
Thibs best role is to run his vets in a tight rotation, until their wheels fall off.
If we going to talk about everybody’s best role, you gotta start with the head of the snake. Then shet rolls down hill from there.
Randle I’m sure loves thibs just like most vets. But this team needs a coach willing to be dynamic and flexible real time. Yes I appreciate thibs for making the necessary change to give mins to yoots.
But when grimes return, will Thibs continue to use EF as the starting shooting guard or pulls Obi for Randle, when Obi had it going and Randle was stinking up the joint, that’s the issue for me.
iHart: best backdoor passer on the team. Looks above average when making those plays. Needs at least 10 possessions per game dedicated to that. It would be super nice to have some backdoor plays drawn up specifically for him to pass to cutters. Like a screen to free up the cutter or something
HofstraBBall wrote:Question for me in deciding if you have a good team is whether all your players are playing in their best role.
Fitz wanted Randle to be a PF/PG. Not a good role. He seems to have accepted a smaller role on offense where he looks to pass to others. Is that his best role?
RJ seems to think his role is to be the main scorer. Is a kid that shoots with the efficiency and low percentage at which he does the one you want at this role?
Now we have JB who most are expecting to take on a DM type role of being a franchise player. Despite just being a solid PG.
EF thinks he needs to continue to break 3pt records. Imho, roles should be as follows on offense:
Randle: Alpha down low at the post position with occasional movement to the three point line to open up room for JB and RJ. He should be getting a touch at the low post everytime we get into a half court set and make quick decision to go hard at basket or kick out on double teams. He should also be secondary target for PnR with JB behind MR.
RJ: Penetrating wing who creates for himself and others with the dribble. Occasional three point threat to spread the floor for others. Biggest focus point where he has failed is creating for others off his drives. Rarely gets rid of tunnel vision to see the floor.
JB: The GO button when offense is standing still and not moving at a high pace. Drive and create for others. Much more PnR with MR and JR.
EF: Do not have to shoot a three every time. Hurt defenses that are double teaming other positions not just by shooting a three. Also drive or rotate the ball to do so. Sometimes the first pass out of a double team is not the best shot.
MR: Has to develop at 10 foot jumper. Imagine how effective he would be in PnR if defender was not able to go under pick every time.
IQ: The second units GO button. Same role as JB. Get guys involved with your pace.
Rose: Be the Vet.
Grimes: Take over EFs starting position. Lol
Does the coach determine the role? "RJ seems to think"..........Is that how this works?
JB expecting to take on a DM type? Or, play his game?
Fitz wanted Randle then to be point forward. We had diffreent roster then and Randle the following season was allstar/all nba.
My point? Thibs and staf direct the players?
RJ has been making some darn good plays passing off.
Seems to me Thibs players hit ceilings then make marked improvement. They play thru new roles and take steps back before moving forward. Obi, RJ, and Quick in particular. Grimes struggle in SL to me was he was working on new things. Was this Cam's preseason?
RJ and Randle are making quicker decisions. Its sometimes not pretty. 6 games to label might be premature.
If you look at last seasons stats by the month instead of full season you see all kinds of windows that look very different. RJ had incredible stretches later in the season as an example.
Im seeing Quick's defense improved and his shot now falling after a slow start. Obi range is coming into focus.
I think it's time to move IQ into the starting lineup for Fournier. He's been the most solid advanced stats guy on the team for the past 3 seasons. If the Knicks are going to give RJ that big contract, it only makes sense to give IQ the chance to earn it as well. He's kind of a quirky guy and I think that holds him back a little but he's proven night in and night out that good things happen when he's on the floor. The rest of the starters are locked in long term so not as easy to move to the bench. We don't need a repeat of last season where it took This 40 games to bench Kemba. Tonight vs Atlanta was a bad, bad sign for the team and something needs to change.
I don't know, but I can tell you where Julius Randle is best suited for the remainder of the season.
Nalod wrote:HofstraBBall wrote:Question for me in deciding if you have a good team is whether all your players are playing in their best role.
Fitz wanted Randle to be a PF/PG. Not a good role. He seems to have accepted a smaller role on offense where he looks to pass to others. Is that his best role?
RJ seems to think his role is to be the main scorer. Is a kid that shoots with the efficiency and low percentage at which he does the one you want at this role?
Now we have JB who most are expecting to take on a DM type role of being a franchise player. Despite just being a solid PG.
EF thinks he needs to continue to break 3pt records. Imho, roles should be as follows on offense:
Randle: Alpha down low at the post position with occasional movement to the three point line to open up room for JB and RJ. He should be getting a touch at the low post everytime we get into a half court set and make quick decision to go hard at basket or kick out on double teams. He should also be secondary target for PnR with JB behind MR.
RJ: Penetrating wing who creates for himself and others with the dribble. Occasional three point threat to spread the floor for others. Biggest focus point where he has failed is creating for others off his drives. Rarely gets rid of tunnel vision to see the floor.
JB: The GO button when offense is standing still and not moving at a high pace. Drive and create for others. Much more PnR with MR and JR.
EF: Do not have to shoot a three every time. Hurt defenses that are double teaming other positions not just by shooting a three. Also drive or rotate the ball to do so. Sometimes the first pass out of a double team is not the best shot.
MR: Has to develop at 10 foot jumper. Imagine how effective he would be in PnR if defender was not able to go under pick every time.
IQ: The second units GO button. Same role as JB. Get guys involved with your pace.
Rose: Be the Vet.
Grimes: Take over EFs starting position. Lol
Does the coach determine the role? "RJ seems to think"..........Is that how this works?
JB expecting to take on a DM type? Or, play his game?
Fitz wanted Randle then to be point forward. We had diffreent roster then and Randle the following season was allstar/all nba.
My point? Thibs and staf direct the players?
RJ has been making some darn good plays passing off.
Seems to me Thibs players hit ceilings then make marked improvement. They play thru new roles and take steps back before moving forward. Obi, RJ, and Quick in particular. Grimes struggle in SL to me was he was working on new things. Was this Cam's preseason?
RJ and Randle are making quicker decisions. Its sometimes not pretty. 6 games to label might be premature.
If you look at last seasons stats by the month instead of full season you see all kinds of windows that look very different. RJ had incredible stretches later in the season as an example.
Im seeing Quick's defense improved and his shot now falling after a slow start. Obi range is coming into focus.
in the NBA, coach can "suggest" but these high profile, high income players are stubborn and thought process already ingrained.
My view that RJ "Thinks" he is the main scorer comes from years of watching him. Also stats. He has taken the most shots on the team. Clue one. Clue two, he has the least amount of assists per minute of any player. Has he had flashes of decent passes? Sure. But his offensive game needs to be more multidimensional. If not he is just another high volume low efficiency wing.
As mentioned, Randle has accepted his role. Problem is, he looks like someone ready to be cast of to China. No confidence and is just a deer in the headlights. Reason why it's important to put together a team with players who already fit the roles needed and who have shown to be comfortable in that role.
Do players still have time to adapt. Of course. Question, like Randle, is if they are going to be at their best doing so.
BigDaddyG wrote:I don't know, but I can tell you where Julius Randle is best suited for the remainder of the season.
Would agree. Maybe add a straight jacket to that.
Was at the game last night. He kept talking to himself. Shaking his head. Head down on the bench.
No confidence. Effort was there but more like panic.
Obi looked great. If Obi continues to hit his three at a high click and is introduced to the art of passing and playing defense, he should be given most of the minutes on nights like last night.
Randle was a shell of past years last night. Think if he continue this path, he along with Rose and Fournier should be traded at deadline.
