martin wrote:One man's halftime takeI started the Knicks game late, only at halftime but it is jarring how much better the defense is with Sims out there. And I mean the perimeter defense too. Having Sims there guarding PNR more effectively makes Mikal and OG look so much better.People who have been killing the wings D on those PNRs sometimes forget it is a team defensive play. If the big doesn't play it right the guys fighting over the screen is in a no-win situation. If the guard can just get down hill with no resistance from the big in drop the guy getting screened can't recover.
Doesn't mean KAT is still not an overall positive with his offense but that's always been his weakness as a defender. And easier said than done for Mikal/OG/Hart to make up for it.
Our entire energy, effort and D was far superior to what I've seen all year regardless if George/Maxey were making some tough shots.
I thought Sims early and Precious late gave GREAT ENERGY and really did to a degree expose the lack of effort you see from Kat.
I was thinking damn - are we best just playing Jalen and Kat individually --- rather than trying to get by defensively with both on the floor.
martin wrote:And Precious finally looked like he belonged as a small ball C. He was fantastic.
Precious started slow -- blew some layups and allowed Maxey to come full court blow right by him until Precious goal tended at the rim.
BUT --- down the stretch his D was great and the catch-up block off glass was BEAUTIFUL.
BOTH SIMS / PRECIOUS were big time in spots tonight ---- weird we rarely see this type of overall team energy.
Makes me wonder if energy was high because we knew Towns was out, or if it was just more Sims/Precious or if guys sending a message to Kat.
ToddTT wrote:Dragon wrote:We really need a centre, I know Mitch is coming back.... but after all these years, do we have confidence that he will remain on the floor the rest of the games and in the playoffs?
Yes.
2% confidence.
Agree - I'm highly confident at 1%.
martin wrote:Cam Payne makes his first 3pointer of the game and it's heat check shots the rest of the game. Did I get that right?
No - he hit 2-4 from 3 (50%) - had 2 assists and 1 steal in 7 minutes and was a +1.
The ball was moving and we were running -- his minutes were great.
After that Thibs never put him back in and ran Brunson out there for 29 minutes straight in 2nd half unless I missed something.
I love the pace when Payne plays - don't love all his shots but love how aggressive and fast pace he plays.
A win is a win. I don't like that we lost the lead and had to go into OT but thankfully we get it done. Plus we need to get better at closing out games which we've struggled at this season.
Brunson was again amazing. He just owns that team! And that dunk was Jo Morant level! Hart was fantastic again with another triple double. Bridges second straight game hitting the 3 which is a great sign! OG is still struggling with the corner 3 and he seems a step slow defensively but he made a big 3 with about a minute left. Loved that one play where the ball swung around and ended with a 3 from Deuce.
Great minutes off the bench! Best game from Deuce since coming back and Payne continues to provide a spark. Good minutes from Precious too!
LivingLegend wrote:martin wrote:Cam Payne makes his first 3pointer of the game and it's heat check shots the rest of the game. Did I get that right?
No - he hit 2-4 from 3 (50%) - had 2 assists and 1 steal in 7 minutes and was a +1.
The ball was moving and we were running -- his minutes were great.
After that Thibs never put him back in and ran Brunson out there for 29 minutes straight in 2nd half unless I missed something.
I love the pace when Payne plays - don't love all his shots but love how aggressive and fast pace he plays.
Cam reminds me of Xavier McDaniel in a strange way. There are one or two spots on the floor where I think he's automatic, and everything else is a nail biter
Chandler wrote:LivingLegend wrote:martin wrote:Cam Payne makes his first 3pointer of the game and it's heat check shots the rest of the game. Did I get that right?
No - he hit 2-4 from 3 (50%) - had 2 assists and 1 steal in 7 minutes and was a +1.
The ball was moving and we were running -- his minutes were great.
After that Thibs never put him back in and ran Brunson out there for 29 minutes straight in 2nd half unless I missed something.
I love the pace when Payne plays - don't love all his shots but love how aggressive and fast pace he plays.
Cam reminds me of Xavier McDaniel in a strange way. There are one or two spots on the floor where I think he's automatic, and everything else is a nail biter
He reminds me Greg Anthony. Must be the lefty thing.
Chandler wrote:LivingLegend wrote:martin wrote:Cam Payne makes his first 3pointer of the game and it's heat check shots the rest of the game. Did I get that right?
No - he hit 2-4 from 3 (50%) - had 2 assists and 1 steal in 7 minutes and was a +1.
The ball was moving and we were running -- his minutes were great.
After that Thibs never put him back in and ran Brunson out there for 29 minutes straight in 2nd half unless I missed something.
I love the pace when Payne plays - don't love all his shots but love how aggressive and fast pace he plays.
Cam reminds me of Xavier McDaniel in a strange way. There are one or two spots on the floor where I think he's automatic, and everything else is a nail biter
I guess if you are talking about shot selection. Other than that I can’t think of any other similarities. X-Man is more similar to OG or Mikal
My biggest gripe - and I've generally been more on the Thibs side of the minutes discussion, was you had Deuce McBride looking healthy, playing well on both ends last night. Why couldn't he have rotated him in for more minutes? OG especially with jelly legs seems like he's begging for more rest. The whole team at the beginning of the third quarter opened up totally flat. He kept that starting unit out there playing like that for so long. And then at the end of the game he went back to OG after Deuce had helped them get some separation and we evaporated a 7 pt lead. Thankfully OG played well in OT, but I think there were instances last night where you have a player he does trust in Deuce that he didn't use.
I think a lot of the minutes issue can self correct if Deuce, Achiuwa and Payne play more - its only 8 men and the bottom 3 don't get a ton of time. Deuce and Achiuwa have missed time or are ramping up, which is part of the issue, but no excuses from here forward.
I thought last night having Achiuwa switch instead of sitting back in drop was a huge adjustment. Achiuwa has amazing mobility and recovery ability and is a really good defender on switches and it finally played into his strengths last night.
Everything Payne does looks weird, but he's an energy player. He brings a lot of energy on both sides of the ball. He's small, but he gets in peoples faces on defense, dives after the ball, plays aggressively. His shot looks weird and he can occasionally miss badly, but on net he's a pretty good 3 pt shooter and he's a momentum shooter. Plus I don't know what it is, but when he's on the other team and he makes a shot it pisses you off so much because it looks so strange. Gets in people's heads.
I think he plays an ok PG, he's most a pace player and a shoot first player, but he can run things a bit.
VDesai wrote:My biggest gripe - and I've generally been more on the Thibs side of the minutes discussion, was you had Deuce McBride looking healthy, playing well on both ends last night. Why couldn't he have rotated him in for more minutes? OG especially with jelly legs seems like he's begging for more rest. The whole team at the beginning of the third quarter opened up totally flat. He kept that starting unit out there playing like that for so long. And then at the end of the game he went back to OG after Deuce had helped them get some separation and we evaporated a 7 pt lead. Thankfully OG played well in OT, but I think there were instances last night where you have a player he does trust in Deuce that he didn't use.I think a lot of the minutes issue can self correct if Deuce, Achiuwa and Payne play more - its only 8 men and the bottom 3 don't get a ton of time. Deuce and Achiuwa have missed time or are ramping up, which is part of the issue, but no excuses from here forward.
I thought last night having Achiuwa switch instead of sitting back in drop was a huge adjustment. Achiuwa has amazing mobility and recovery ability and is a really good defender on switches and it finally played into his strengths last night.
I think the Knicks, coaching staff operates in at least 2 modes. You are either hurt and can't play or you are available and you give as much as you got. If you on a minutes restriction or are ramping up, Thibs holds player to what the med staff tell him.
It's more of a black and white style, very little room for grey interpretation and so less guessing. In or out.
Deuce has been in and out of lineup since beginning of year. You keep that sort of guy - and Precious may have been in same mode for a bit - on a fairly strict diet. Hammys are tough to manage.
Same as having sex with an ugly woman?
WP76 wrote:ToddTT wrote:That game sucked. I’m so ****ing disgusted!!!We gave them free chicken.
Think of how awful we'd feel if we'd have choked this one away, too. A win's a win--even if it's ugly.
NYStateOfMind wrote:Same as having sex with an ugly woman?WP76 wrote:ToddTT wrote:That game sucked. I’m so ****ing disgusted!!!We gave them free chicken.
Think of how awful we'd feel if we'd have choked this one away, too. A win's a win--even if it's ugly.
With a nice body? A bittersweet symphony!
Been there, done that. Haha
BigDaddyG wrote:NYStateOfMind wrote:Same as having sex with an ugly woman?WP76 wrote:ToddTT wrote:That game sucked. I’m so ****ing disgusted!!!We gave them free chicken.
Think of how awful we'd feel if we'd have choked this one away, too. A win's a win--even if it's ugly.
With a nice body? A bittersweet symphony!
martin wrote:
TF is the point about these last 2 minutes report when they never punish the zebras for errors or make any improvements? It's so stupid to me.
SergioNYK wrote:martin wrote:
TF is the point about these last 2 minutes report when they never punish the zebras for errors or make any improvements? It's so stupid to me.
how would the league measure improvements?
I think they do get graded on a regular basis and mistakes are noted. The Refs make more money based on seniority but new refs replace retired refs and those whom are not renewed. Making mistakes costs them. The fan won't see it, nor feel any relief given on this reports.
That was a great shot by Maxey and OG did a good job there. That was just good basketball there until the ref blew the whistle. It sucks. over a season we get calls so perhaps sit evens out.
I prefer they do make stuff like this public than not.
martin wrote:
We have a great rate on challenges, but to leave on in your pocket and not use it here in the final minute of the game was super strange. This was a high leverage play and even if you only thought we had a 25% chance of overturning it, that could have won you the game in regulation. Honestly during a full review you might even say Maxey traveled on that.
