Brown has a lot of work to do with this team defensively cause we are not even close to where we need to be.
BigDaddyG wrote:VDesai wrote:Knicks are a finesse team. Teams like Orlando and Detroit make them uncomfortable and get off their game
You can come out and say it. We're soft, especially with OG out.
Definitely soft physically, but I think their mental toughness under Thibs overcame that
I think a few things-
Achiuwa was an adventure, but he was athletic and could move his feet. Lots of speed and spring. Replacing him with Yabu should have added a plus shooter, but now we are slow and unathletic up front
Mitch can't move on the perimeter like he did in the playoffs last year.
We lack a Big wing/4. Just having OG isn't enough. We were week at this spot last year too
Hukporti should play. He has been credible for the most part over the last year. A couple bad games and now he can't get in? We need his defense and size and his athleticism.
We need someone who is ready to basically throw down at any moment.
The NBA rewards the aggressor every time.
Our guys are too corporate... we need someone who is willing.. and basically wants to have a fight out there.
Being nice will not get us anywhere.
Watching Suggs basically foul everyone and get away with it while he throws himself on the floor at the sight of a defender's shadow so the zebras can bail him out with foul call.. and they do.. almost every time... makes me sick watching it.
And worst yet... Wendell Carter Jr sets that dirty screen at the halfcourt to take out Shamet.. and there is not one hard foul on the guy...
We play soft... We need to stop trying to be buddies with everyone and start making real enemies...
Knicksfan wrote:martin wrote:nycericanguy wrote:damn is that the same shoulder for Shamet?
Yes
Oh ffs why us every year?
I’m starting to really hate the Magic.
We are very likely going to face them in the playoffs at some point
ramtour420 wrote:Knicksfan wrote:martin wrote:nycericanguy wrote:damn is that the same shoulder for Shamet?
Yes
Oh ffs why us every year?
I’m starting to really hate the Magic.
We are very likely going to face them in the playoffs at some point
Then we are fudged…
This team has a lot of basketballs to grow up before the playoffs and I honestly wonder if they can do it. Brown will surely have them improving in many ways at that point, but I wonder if the defensive strategy will be that much better and if the aggressive factor will ever be there. Tonight it was embarrassing, but we already have Orlando and Miami as our “daddys” and we have yet to face Detroit. And of course, the big bad Nuggets and Thunder still exist.
I don’t know how we could move away from being a scrappy, give-your-all-on-defense team to be such a soft and disinterested team whenever someone plays us tough, but it’s so anti-NY that I really, really dislike it.
Our on ball defense is terrible! It's like our bigs are tired of covering for them and said f it. We got too many smalls that play big. Instead of bigs that can play small. Orlando saw this weakness and exploited it.
Everyone thought we wouldn’t be able to handle DET who is tougher than ORL and we did when it came down to it. I’m not worried about getting beat up by Orlando in a playoff series. I am worried however about our ability to play good enough defense to win 50-55 games. I am also worried about our ability to have a decent road record.
OG has an outsized impact on this team. His on/off numbers showed this before the injury. We are gonna struggle without him. Indy was like 7 games under .500 while Nesmith was out last year. Certain guys are just the glue of teams and OG is that guy for us it seems. He keeps the defense afloat and allows them to clamp down better down the stretch where they have been falling apart at the seams lately.
But OG, Mitch, Mikal, Deuce are the pieces that make this team halfway decent on D. We need all of them active.
DLeethal wrote:But OG, Mitch, Mikal, Deuce are the pieces that make this team halfway decent on D. We need all of them active.
We all knew it was never Brunson’s team 
martin wrote:DLeethal wrote:But OG, Mitch, Mikal, Deuce are the pieces that make this team halfway decent on D. We need all of them active.
We all knew it was never Brunson’s team
Wow that’s even more “outsized” than I remember. Yea we will be lucky to hover around .500 without him.
The Demon is not glue, he is the epoxy!
Nalod wrote:The Demon is not glue, he is the epoxy!
He is what binds the offense and defense!
we have a good team and ultimately we'll be fine. OKC is on another planet though and will only keep getting better.
It just feels like we've kinda blown the last step and put ourselves in a tough spot. Things were fine after the OG trade, but it feels like we should have stopped there for a bit. I love Mikal, but giving up 5 1st's for him was an overpay. Which led to us giving away Grimes, having to trade for KAT (instead of using a couple of 1sts for someone like Kessler). and now the Yabu signing is another shot in our own foot.
nycericanguy wrote:we have a good team and ultimately we'll be fine. OKC is on another planet though and will only keep getting better.It just feels like we've kinda blown the last step and put ourselves in a tough spot. Things were fine after the OG trade, but it feels like we should have stopped there for a bit. I love Mikal, but giving up 5 1st's for him was an overpay. Which led to us giving away Grimes, having to trade for KAT (instead of using a couple of 1sts for someone like Kessler). and now the Yabu signing is another shot in our own foot.
iHart, I’m blaming him for everything
martin wrote:nycericanguy wrote:we have a good team and ultimately we'll be fine. OKC is on another planet though and will only keep getting better.It just feels like we've kinda blown the last step and put ourselves in a tough spot. Things were fine after the OG trade, but it feels like we should have stopped there for a bit. I love Mikal, but giving up 5 1st's for him was an overpay. Which led to us giving away Grimes, having to trade for KAT (instead of using a couple of 1sts for someone like Kessler). and now the Yabu signing is another shot in our own foot.
iHart, I’m blaming him for everything
Not getting that 3rd year in the contract when we signed iHart was everything. I hope they push for 3rd year team options going forward with players that could break out. We would be a completely different team today had we perhaps paid a little more for Hartenstein initially to secure that 3rd year.
In today's salary cap hell, the one or two year rental is a luxury only teams well below the 2nd Apron can indulge in.
Frankly, if a player does not want to sign a 3rd year option with us, we need to move on.
We have one last chance at getting some small contracts locked up this offseason, before we are done adding talent for a few years after Mitch resigns.
nyvector16 wrote:martin wrote:nycericanguy wrote:we have a good team and ultimately we'll be fine. OKC is on another planet though and will only keep getting better.It just feels like we've kinda blown the last step and put ourselves in a tough spot. Things were fine after the OG trade, but it feels like we should have stopped there for a bit. I love Mikal, but giving up 5 1st's for him was an overpay. Which led to us giving away Grimes, having to trade for KAT (instead of using a couple of 1sts for someone like Kessler). and now the Yabu signing is another shot in our own foot.
iHart, I’m blaming him for everything
Not getting that 3rd year in the contract when we signed iHart was everything. I hope they push for 3rd year team options going forward with players that could break out. We would be a completely different team today had we perhaps paid a little more for Hartenstein initially to secure that 3rd year.
In today's salary cap hell, the one or two year rental is a luxury only teams well below the 2nd Apron can indulge in.
Frankly, if a player does not want to sign a 3rd year option with us, we need to move on.
We have one last chance at getting some small contracts locked up this offseason, before we are done adding talent for a few years after Mitch resigns.
Killed a possible Thibsian Knicks dynasty and started an OKC one.
Smashmouth Knicks
Brunson Mikal OG Randle iHart
Deuce DDV Hart Mitch
I know this game is already in the rear window, but just look how Phily reacted to these guys playing quasi-football BBall. We need to put some of these guys in their place... Next time we play Orlando we better be ready to throw down. If Knicks play corporate again, they will lose. We have to teach that team and the NBA a lesson. Your not gonna call fouls and let these guys foul on almost every play and then protect them with ticky tack fouls... Send a message.
