What is krak Alakin fellow thermonuclear a efforts. I am Dan Valley coming at
you with get Another twenty twenty three, twenty twenty four NBA Team look Ahead
and because I actually know when this one is going up, this is the
midway point of the look Ahead series number fifteen that I have up before October
one. So I'm kind of impressed with myself. I'm normally running around like
a maniac, and I'm still running around like a maniac. But these might
all be up in time. We're onto New York Knicks, which means it's
time for Andrew Jay Claudio from Knicks Film School. G MAC, as many
of you may know him, does a great job doing basically everything over there.
He does. He does everything. Follow him on the Twitter machine at
Andrew Jay Claudio Underscore, don't leave out the unders were like I did.
It is on the screen. It'll be in the YouTube and podcast descriptions,
as will the links to where you can subscribe to Nick's Film School. If
you're listening to this podcast and have not subscribed to them already. Given the
number of times like Grant and my Hat tipped them, what the fuck,
guys, so go do that, Claudio, how are you doing for Valley?
I'm doing great. Can't complain, although as a football fan, I
guess I can because of what happens to my quarterback a little over a week
and a half ago. But we are here to talk about the stability of
a James Dolan owned franchise. Notice the New York Knicks. How about you
like them? Apples? How about that for irony that I'm turning to the
Knicks for my safe space where I can't be hurt anymore. The Nicks.
This podcast is always fascinating for me because of how I grew up a Knicks
fan. But they're so steady. At the moment, I had trouble with
the outline be so it was just like it could have been really short,
like I could I could have just sent you like we could have done this
in like seven base questions because they're so continuity has been prioritized there, which
is a good thing. So yeah, I mean let's start with well,
maybe we should start with any recent events. Do you read anything into James
Dolan saying he doesn't like owning sports teams or do you read into Julius Randall.
I know you guys, talked about this on KFS. Already leaving CIA.
The CIA thing is more interesting for me at least, I don't even
know what it's interesting in pertaining to like, is it interesting because I think
he's gonna leave the Knicks. Is it interesting because how closely CIA and the
Knicks and the relationship is, or how may CIA may run the Knicks if
you believe what's out there. I just think it's been very obvious who gets
a certain type of treatment with the Knicks, and it's the CIA clients.
The thing about Randall that's fascinating in that sense is like you need to be
one of two things to be in, like the cool kids club with the
Knicks CIA client or a Kentucky grad. So he does still have that going
for him, and I wonder if that's enough. He did have ties with
the guy that he's going to be working with over at WMI. I don't
think it's as important a relationship as some Knicks fans are making it out to
be that that's why he left CIA. The Dolan thing, a billionaire gave
a quote when he was talking about that was more of a troll class right
right right, I there is. It was the topic of conversation because it's
the offseason and Knicks fans need to react to everything in the most non nuanced
way, shape and form. I but like, here's that's what we're talking
about. Like those are the Knicks stories at the moment. An All Star
change representation. The owner has a new building in Vegas that looks like a
golf ball and we're asking him about it and he was like, oh,
yeah, being an owner is kind of annoying. Like that, there's nothing
up in the air about how far we've come, right, Like, I'm
not worried about whether or not my head coach is liking porn tweets on Twitter
or getting in a fight with Matt Barnes or the Charles Oakley getting banned from
the garden. Like we've come like David Finsdale bringing an axe to practice,
Like we're so far removed from those days that I'm just like, I hope
this extension gets done before the season starts. You know. Yeah, I
will say I tend not to buy into the I don't think there's a bias
against the Knicks and the media and somehow you and I always tumble into this.
But I am I think people actually appreciate this sentiment that normally probably hate.
Listen we talk about the Knicks. I did see there was the clip
going around I forget from which podcast, But the way someone was talking about
the Knicks and their concerns was just like, okay, like it's we can
make fun of the past, and we can even make fun of like maybe
the structure a little bit of this runoff, but like they have for the
most part proven that they are not incompetent. So like the way that it
was being discussed was that the Knicks have all this instability and what's going on
with Dolan and can you trust their their front office? And it's just like
even the Julius Randall discourse makes me a little uneasy because I there are concerns
real valide you know's about Julius Randall. You don't make two all NBA teams
by accident, and so it's we can talk about tough as fit would be
with other teams. So it's great to see how far the Knicks have come.
Where we're coming up on October. We're not talking about a potential like
mega trade, even though like the theories will be out there, but it's
not like oh fuck, like the Knicks should have went after they didn't give
up enough to go get Donovan Mitchell. So I enjoy kind of just like
this stability element because it allows you to focus more on the team that's there
and like those concerns and those fits, even if you're not super high on
them, Like, let's talk about that my first My first question, though,
I think we do have to start with last season, and I do
find it an instructive exercise when like mega things happened in the playoffs and the
dust settles. How much did you read into the circumstances of how they lost
to the heat. Was there anything leading into the off season that really stuck
with you the most that maybe we even still harping on leading into this season.
So when you sent me to this question, I was fascinated by how
you worded it with the circumstances of their loss to the Heat. I gotta
be honest, when the dust settled, and I really looked at last season,
and I think this has been a common thing with a lot of us
over at Knicks film school. Man. I think the Knicks can hold their
head high that they're the East team that gave the Heat the most trouble.
And I know, like you don't want to claim a moral victory, and
that's kind of cliche, But for a franchise that hasn't claimed a lot of
victories period over the last two decades, I think I'm gonna claim that moral
victory, especially with the criticism that they received from this podcast. We did
our They haven't caught up yet, but we did our regrades for like last
off season and revisit what we said some of the ship that I said about
the jail and runs and acquisition. Nothing I want to make. Nothing to
do with the contract. That's what everyone goes to. Like they thought,
No, I was all about the machinations and what I thought it said about
their vision. I missed, like you absolutely celebrate what was there. We
we both smashed the over because it wasn't there over under like thirty seven or
something. God pounded thirty seven by by the opening night. Yeah, and
the victory they obliterated Acts. They won a playoff series against the team I
picked the Calves to beat them, and did I pick the Knicks because I've
did whatever You picked the Calves. I remember I did Calves in six.
I think I probably wanted Kavs in seven. You want a playoff series against
the team that I didn't go. I don't have receipts, but I would
argue most people pick Cleveland to win that series. They the Cleveland was favored
to win the series too, which is why it wasn't a crazy thing when
you were leading up during our series preview with a lot of people saying that
the Calves were gonna win. Even more so, like all that research we
did on the Calves last year leading up to that series, We're like,
oh, this is really good basketball team, you know. And it's why.
Like I was talking to John the eve of the first playoff game,
and we were both saying, like, why are we not more excited about
this series? And we both came to the conclusions because everything single thing that
we read about the Calves and research the Calves like, oh, they like
they're probably gonna win this series. They're really good. And to see the
way the Knicks thoroughly dominated them, like you have Mitchell and Allen and these
introspective quotes that are out there of like am I tough enough? Did I
not meet the bright lights of the playoffs in New York City? With the
right frame of mind. And look, that might just be like a young
player getting his first taste of playoff basketball. Not Mitchell, but like Jared
Allen and Evan Mobley and these guys that have never been in this situation,
and like the Knicks rose to the occasion. And I remember the night that
they clinched. Sure, they beat the Calves, they won the series in
five. You had to sit there and be like, it's house money from
here if you had them winning a playoff series, not even just any playoff
series, but the Donovan Mitchell bull they're the team that didn't trade for him
and then beat him in a five game series, Like the rest has to
be house money. And for as much as the Heat showed up to the
playoffs as an eighth seed that has struggled most of the year. And if
you wanted to discount like what they had accomplished, like almost lost in the
play in like we forget there, like three minutes away and a couple of
Max Ruse threes away from losing to the Bulls in that fourth quarter. Look,
if allowed the de Rosen to come to that game, we might be
talking about it completely. That's all I'm saying you never know, maybe the
Knicks are in the conference finals and then it's a whole different story. But
like I thought, that was a different Miami Heat team that at a certain
point, like because they've been there, they're able to rely on their experience.
I wasn't disappointed, but I was annoyed that they a loss of series.
I was like sad that the season was over, But I had a
lot of respect for that Heat team, especially when they went up three on
the Calves. Especially when they beat the Calves, and then through two games
of that Nugget series, it was like, are they gonna do this again?
And then you know, the basketball gods have finally decided that they weren't
going to shoot forty percent from three in every series. But yeah, I
leave last season with so many more positives than negatives, including what ended up
being their downfall in that series against the Heat. I think the challenge of
having a season like that, and that's why I phrase the question this way
is now you have to progress forward, and I think a lot of people
struggle to understand that growth isn't linear, Like the Knicks could technically have a
worse record, but maybe be a better basketball team, like maybe maybe you're
just trust their half court offense more outside of getting rebounds type deal, or
like Jalen Brunson having an ISO his way to you know, the thirty points
or whatever. And I received a lot of criticism from an unflattering subset of
Knicks Twitter earlier this offseason because I said, if I had to bet against
them being better or worse, it would be worse because I don't think that
they solved some of their biggest issues, in part because I don't think this
off season was set up to solve some of their biggest issues. And I
think a lot of people I'm not trying to pat myself on the back here,
but when you're giving the analysis of oh, this Knicks off season wasn't
very splashy. It could it wasn't supposed to be like it just wasn't set
up to be. And so do you like, what do you make of
their off season relative to that where a lot of people are, oh,
they should have been more aggressive on the trade front versus No, that's separate
from what reality is, like, this is what they were able to do.
So just what were your general impressions of how they did this offseason overall?
I don't understand anybody that says that needed to be more aggressive. I
don't see the move that's out there that they needed to make. This isn't
really a buyer's market at the moment unless you were all in on Dame and
all in on James Harden trade. At this point, there wasn't an obvious
trade to make for the Knicks for what their needs are. Like you said,
any issues that they may have on the roster, we're not going to
be solved. The Obi situation needed to be resolved. They did. They
needed were shooting, and they got a guy that I think is going to
at least incrementally and improve their shooting. They solved two of their issues there.
He said, I think the words you used were second coming of Steph
Curry. I did see. See the things you say off the record are
supposed to stay off the record. That's why I've never been a Capitol j
journalists. Gotcha, gotcha. I think they're in pole position. Pole position
when it becomes a buyer's market again. And like there was conversations that we
were It's funny we heard that they were having conversations. They were interested in
ogn and Nobi and that there was some Knicks Raptors talk, and then what
news came out of the Knicks and Raptors that the Knicks are suing the Raptors
in civil court. So I don't know if that takes that off the table
or fight. As far as I'm concerned, I was satisfied with the Nick
soft season. I thought they got better this offseason. I don't know how
much better, but I like the options that this this current roster was going
to uh now have going into this season. And the truth of the matter
is, like the big move that they made this offseason happened at last year's
deadline and getting Josh Hard and they've just they've hit a whole different ceiling with
him on the roster and could do so many different things with him on the
team. And I I'm all in on this Knicks Villanova version that h that
they wrote to a lot of success last season. I would argue the biggest
move of the offseason was actually Josh Hart's like you up tweet to mckel bridges
away. I think that was the most important move of the of the off
season. You know, if it wasn't for the fact that the Nets and
the Knicks haven't made a trade with each other since Reagan was running for reelection.
I'd be all in on, like get the we're one away like they
got Archidiacono on an exhibit ten. So we're just we're one away, Like
what's it? What's the Nets Knicks trade to make it happen? And it's
just it's not happening. He's gonna have to go to another team that then
dalso doesn't want him, and then he'll go to the Knicks. But for
now, we'll settle for our j Barrett, you know, So do you
think Donte Decenzo provides enough shooting and movement to really jazz up this offense?
So there's two different questions there. The shooting I think he does if it's
simply that he's taking all of Obi Toppins three point attempts and I have it
here like last season, Deeven Tnzo shot thirty nine percent overall thirty nine point
seven from three forty three percent from the corners, and it's forty percent in
one corner forty eight percent in the other. And ironically that forty eight percent
is the highest in the league from that spot that corner. The opposite three
point corner. The Knicks have Quentin Grimes, who shot forty seven percent,
So they have the two guys that shot the highest percentage from both corners last
year, which I think can come in handy when you have them probably interchanging
with each other on the court at all times. The simple adjustment of every
Obi corner of three that he probably shouldn't have been taking in the first place
is now going to be taken by a guy that's good from the corners.
It makes a team better. It is a a version of the Knicks that
I can get behind. Not for nothing, but he might take some of
Josh Hart's threes next season, and Hart, does Josh Hart have threes that
you can do? So like that's the thing. He was taken to a
game and there'd be like a couple of games where he'd take five. Like
here's the other part. Maybe Josh Hart taking some of Obi toppins three some
last season as now you're backup four slowly makes them have more shooting than as
a result of the adjustment of him moving into the backup four role. That's
the shooting side of it, the movement. I mean that means to be
seen. Oh really, that's the that's the conversation about that's the conversation about
TIBs and about the offense. Like it was great point. Yeah, I'm
looking at the player. The answer is yes, but will he be allowed
to provide the movement that we're probably that's okay, that's it's like, it's
the million dollar question. The Nicks had an outstanding offensive rating last year.
It played to their strength the way that they play. This penetrate, get
to the rim. Everybody crashed the boards ton of isolation. It's a read
and react offense. It's why I think they went and got another cornerboy in
Dante di Vincenzo, because if you drive and two guys collapse, the corners
will be open. And for half the season they were learning the offense.
You'd have r J with tunnel vision, You'd have Julius with tunnel vision.
You'd have Jalen Brunson at time with tunnel vision. And as the season went
along they started to find the corners. I'm curious if a summer around Steve
Kurt and our expolstra for Tom Thibodeau inspired the thought of more ball movement and
some more screening and more pick role. I'm not as optimistic as maybe some
that they're gonna change up too much, because I do think the strength of
this team is still it's physicality and they're they're taking advantage of the offensive boards.
But it could be wrong. Maybe maybe the old dog can learn some
new tricks that I mean to relay all this Di Vincenzo like, I do
think he can add that element. I'm just it remains to be seen if
he will be adding that new element. I think my concern is when you
look at what they and again I want to reiterate that I don't think it's
an out there I don't think it's bad that they signed Donte Devincenzo. I
think he is an intriguing fit, if not a good fit, but this
idea that he kind of fills the role which I saw floating around, which
is why it's a concern that he's some capslock, higher volume shooter that's not
like what he's historically been. He's at I think him being around like eight
three point attempts for thirty six minutes the past year years, that is great
volume. You mentioned the corners. I think that's great. Corner three point
attempts are still at the Knicks like peak, that's the only twelve percent of
their shots coming from the offense. And Donte Devincenzo specifically, yes been good
from the corners. He's also only shot overall like part of really space in
the floor is like can you hit those above the brakes? He's been shaky
above the break up and down throughout his career. He's only shot better than
like thirty six percent on catching shoot threes twice in his career. And look
he had at basically every stop. Sacramento was weird. It was post injury
that era and Sacramento what was happening. But he's had great guys like looking
at Milwaukee spoon feeding him and so it's not like, oh, we gets
to play with Jalon Brunton, now this is fine. So I think he's
a good fit. I'm just curious whether we see what the Knicks need most,
like, does he nudget enough to where we see a material difference,
because it might be a different type of player that they need, And again
that player wasn't out there, So go ahead and take get Donte DiVincenzo.
I'm perfectly fine with that. I'm just concerned learned that the expectations for his
impact are being set a little too high or maybe being divorced a little bit
from what they will be in reality. So I'm not sure. I hope
I'm not projecting that I think specifically, except for your Steph Curry comment,
Well, I mean you see greatness, you recognize it, you acknowledge it.
Dan, I think they're gonna be better. Like it's it's not.
I don't think they're gonna be one of the best. I just he's gonna
take all of Obie toppings three pointers from last year. Obie Topping came into
this league after shooting one hundred and two three pointers in college and was told,
like, go corner to corner, like that's what we're asking you.
Like he did also shoot above the break threes two and had one stretch where
he was shooting thirty seven percent for like two months and then regressed back to
what he probably is, which is a guy that should be taking two to
three threes a game while running rim to rim and releasing on the break and
getting easy buckets that way instead and take advantage of his vertical spacing rather than
his on court spacing. I think Stevencenzo u in that role and then just
being able to go Josh Hart at the four rather than Obi at the four.
We'll just it'll fit a lot better. And especially we have no idea
what RJ is going to be this year, so it's just like every year,
it's just like it's it's a thing like if RJ's not hitting his three
is, then he and Hart end up being like it becomes even more important
for you to have another shooter out there, because teams just went zone against
the nixt second unit so many times. I mean shit, they went zone
against their first unit so many times, and so it was very easy to
find ways to stop them. And I think Evencenzo adds an element that can
that can help break those zones whenever they get stuck facing one. Is there,
Like, should we bank on there being more three point volume from Josh
Hart this year, because I'm a very big believer in in the volume itself.
Forget about the percentages for a second. Defenses defend you differently when they
know that you're not actively of waiting that shot. And Josh Hart at times
you mentioned there were stretches where he didn't in Portland, he saw hat in
New Orleans a little bit it's definitely saw a new y like he actively avoids
taking three pointers for these long stretches. So it's funny. When he first
got to New York, he said that one of the first things Tips said
to him was, you've got the green light, like, let it fly.
You take as many threes as they'll give you. And for a while
it seemed like he found like a niche and he's actually he shot pretty well
from three when he first became a Nick and it was I don't think this
will last long, but like, well, we'll ride this for as long
as we can, and the volume went down, and then the first round
series against the Calves, he shot really well from three, and then the
Heat series happened, and what you're talking about him how the Heat guarded him
and said, we'll just if josh hart beats us from three. Then josh
hart beat us from three, and a game two he did, and then
by Game three, when Josh Hartt was having offers from between Game one and
Game three, the Knicks finally went back to their starting lineup that worked for
most of the year with Kriton Grimes, and it was too late at that
point to save the season. And it's why. I because he's coming in
as your backup four. I don't see his the need for his three point
volume to go up as much if he was still playing your traditional your traditional
three or two, whichever lineups he was gonna play. Maybe, but he
can kind of be like the Draymond role to an extent, a little Draymond
Draymond next to Looney. It doesn't have the most amount of spacing. But
like, because Heart's gonna play the backup four, I think he can.
He can get away with his one to two three pointers a game or even
fewer. And as of right now, I'm not as concerned about his volume
going up. I will take the other rounds. I want to see it
go up, like I would like to see it double like a four.
Yeah, And I think it's a testament. I do think it's a testament
of fact what you're saying, what he does as a defender as sort of
a pace setter, ball mover for this team, that you're comfortable with him
taking one and a half two attempts per game because you know how much value
he's providing elsewhere. I just think there is I'm not even talking about makes
and like I mean, he did shoot what was he at last year when
he was with the next like fifty one percent from three feet two, which
again I'm not sold on that being I think the key over his season,
you know, so I would like to see it go up. I'm just
curious to see whether it will. He remains incredibly important to the team either
way. I think the extension, by the way, was fine, especially
when it's reviewed against the cap going up. It's kind of tacked onto his
current deal. He's never gonna be making more than twelve percent of the cap.
So I'm just fascinated because like they've kind of leaned into these guys who
like, without having these unless you're gonna play having four yer a bunch of
minutes, Like you just don't have a ton of guys that are going to
come in and just get you a bunch of looks from three or get off
a bunch of looks from three. First of all, I guess that's not
gonna happen that playing N forty eight a bunch of minutes. I think it's
important for him to get his volume up, and this may be the case
if Tibbs is determined to play him next to RJ and Mitch in consistent stretches.
Because this is this is like my biggest criticism of Tibbs, Like the
RJ, Josh Hart lineup cannot it can happen, like it just it cannot.
It's a thing that just did not work last season when Heart came over.
I've got some lineup data that I went and got. So if you've
got r J and Heart and Mitch together in ninety minutes last year was a
negative eighteen point four net rating proposing offensive rating on that probably sub one hun
under one hundred, under a hundred. Yeah, so it's like it was
really really bad. But when you switch out Mitch for Isaiah Hartenstein, who's
not always in the dunker spot, so this allows r J and Heart to
either get to the rim or maybe you have to honor their three point shooting,
it's a plus eleven. Then you add the Quentin Grimes to that lineup
and it's plus Now, this is this is an eighteen minutes we're talking about,
but it's a plus twenty nine and a half. Then you add,
uh job, you add how do I have this? R J? I
Emmanuel quickly to that, and it's plus twenty five. Like I'm solely looking
at the bench units here, because that's what we're talking about is when Immanuel
Quickly is on with the two of them, when Quentin Grimes, you might
play some backup minutes or basically if you swap out Quentin Grimes or Donte di
Vincenzo, uh, it works in that same type of format. And then
if you take Mitch out, who is like four to six feet away from
the rim at all times, then you know the rim might be opened a
bit. They ran the offense with Isaiah Hartenstein at the at the three point
line or the foul line extended from time to time last year, so you
were able to see what this team looks like when the rim is open.
Oh, Josh Hard from and quickly for RJ. Barrett and I think the
Josh Hart volume on threes can stay where it's at if you're playing him in
the right lineups. If you've got a Mitch in r J and especially Julius
out there, then yeah, he's he's your other shooter. Like teams are
gonna play zone and it's like okay, like it's Jalen Brunson has to take
contested threes or r J. One of r J Julius Josh Hart are gonna
have to take threes. So it's my biggest criticism of Tips is to put
the lineups with spacing out there or with shooting out there. And the biggest
thing you can do is to split up r J and Josh Hart minutes as
much as you humanly possibly can Emmanuel quickly. I feel like there's so much
to talk about with him. Let's begin with actually last season, what impressed
you the most about his development? Maybe even something that was missed because he
did enter it sort of the national lexicon at some point last year when he
really started to take off. Maybe that's one of the radar about his development.
So like it's like you just hit on it. Like it's tough to
say that someone that finished second it's sixth Man of the Year didn't receive enough
recognition, even if I thought he should have finished first and sixth Man of
the year. Not that I'm rehashing old arguments with Dan for Valley, but
that's neither here nor there. I often suggest that maybe the right player won
six Man of the Year. It seems as if the availability of Malcolm Brogden
was as much of a deficiency during the regular season as it was during the
playoffs. Dan for Valley agree the cliff look. I think he finally got
the opportunity when they went to a nine man rotation to just show like what
he can do if given the opportunity, and like his per thirty six numbers
were around the same when he finally started to get the rotation minutes when they
when they took forty eight out, when they took Cam Reddish out, when
they took Derek Rose out, and just said quickly, you're the backup point
guard at times, you're gonna play next to Jalen Brunson. And he really
showed some off ball defense and it goes the underrated part is his defense is
his rebounding, Like he was an outstanding defensive rebounder for for long stretches last
year. In fact, he got hurt in the playoffs in Game three against
the Heat and then in Game four when he wasn't there that he got like
eleven offensive rebounds because he was always getting to the line, like that's a
that's a tips principle, as he preaches to his guards get to the free
throw line on on three point attempts, and the Heat were doing that like
beating them at their own game all throughout the Game four and the rest of
the series. So I have so many good things to say about Manuel Quickly.
Also, uh, it's it's a bit of a cherry picked stat but
I looked this up. On the offensive end of there were only thirty nine
players last year that shot at least four hundred and fifty three's and four hundred
and fifty twos. They're only third nine players that did both of those last
year, and Emmanuel quickly grades out at about the top fifteen in a efficiency
it's about it's around the exact same spot as Jason Tatum. I'm not saying
it may quickly is Jason Tatum. I'm saying on that type of shot diet,
he was pretty damn efficient, And you know, from a sixth man
perspective, I think getting that type of impact, that type of value in
that spot is partly why they were able to be kind of fine when Jalen
Brunson wasn't on the floor. This wasn't just like Jalen Brunson carried the Knicks
to the five seed and forty seven wins, Like they had a lot of
depth on this team and coming from impactful places lower down the roster. Also
a friendly reminder, even as someone who would not pick him to win sixth
Man of the Year, that filling in in the starting lineup when their injuries
is part of being the sixth man. That is part of right, that's
right. I was very impressed during the regular season, at least with his
live dribble decision making, I thought came a long way. And then the
defense, Like you said, the playoffs, however, were like pretty disastrous
for him. Has it? Did they change how you view him at all?
What is the Was it the ball handling that worried you the most?
Was it him just like it felt like it was being knocked off his spots
or not getting to his spots? Was it just What do you take away
from his playoff campaign? Yeah, deer in headlights has been the perfect description
both apparently. So, man I it's a tough part about the postseason for
me is that I love the playoff win and getting past the Cavs, and
you know, even the two wins against the Heat were pretty fun and the
Garden was amazing, and I don't get to celebrate any of it with the
manual quickly or his success. He did have some moments in the Cavs series,
like games three. In Game four he was on the court with the
garbage time game he got like ten of his twelve points. Or was that
game three? I can't remember what that so that might have been. That
might have been game three of the Heat series when in for garbage time.
Uh point being the way I'm I'm trying to compartmentalize his season is that like
the eighty two games sample is the more impressive thing. The playoffs are absolutely
disappointing. Jalen Brunson in his first playoffs with the Mavericks was so disastrous that
he was losing minutes to Trey Burke by Game seven. So Rome wasn't built
in a day. Certain young players take playoff failures early on in their career
and they turn it into making them better and making them more successful. And
if there's one thing that Emmanuel quickly has shown Knicks fans over the years,
it's that he's going to take every learning experience he can to get better.
And I'm trusting that he'll do that this offseason. I do think because the
playoffs matter just a ton, especially with an aspiration. The aspirations that the
Knicks have. What is it like? How does it impact how you view
a potential extension that I think we all do expect. I would probably bet
on it getting done rather than not getting done. Is there like, what
is the number? Like the highest number? They're like, okay, Like
this is fine because when we had this podcast, well I don't know if
it was this podcast, but you and I are podcasting sometime last season.
I think we came up with like one hundred and ten million. Yeah,
we would have been okay with Is that still the number? Has that changed
it all for you? I'm hoping they can settle around four for ninety.
I would go to four one oh four puts him in the ballpark of R.
J. Brunson, Randall. The they've they've done a good job.
If there's no clear alpha contract wise on this team, look, I think
you can heal a lot of any potential issues with the minutes that are going
to be distributed this year. I think Josh Hart's gonna play a lot of
crunch time this year and as a result, there really at least one rotation
spot or one of courts spot for four people between Dvencenzo Grimes, R.
J and quickly, and if quickly's like approaching restricted free agency, that could
lead to some issues in the locker room. And I think all of that
goes away if you just pay him like a starter, And if you pay
him four one oho four, which, as every single NBA podcast out there
acknowledges, with the cap going up, that contract is going to look fine,
especially if the team trades for him and wants to start him. So
I'm I'm at four one oh four, maybe putting incentives in there, and
so it's a four ninety that can get to one oh four. He's just
he's such an important piece to what they're gonna need to be this year.
Like God forbid, Jalen Brunson gets hurt, here's Emmanuel Quickly. He can
be your backup point guard for however long he's out. And while there is
a drop off, in my mind, it's not enough of a drop off
that he still can't help you win games. I think I'd probably be fine
with that number, But do you think again, I think it's more of
a negotiation, how just because of how the playoffs unfolded, And it seems
like kind of unfair to read into such a small sample size, but it's
such an important time of the year because it's such an important sample size that
I do think it becomes more of a negotiation based off what just happened Dan
if he had had a good playoffs, like if they had got into the
conference finals and quickly it had a couple of games where it's like, oh,
they had a quickly game. I think we're talking four one twenty,
like that's how good he was last season, and then what the playoffs might
have potentially cost him. I think they're they probably started at four for eighty
or four for eighty four, and they they you've heard the I'm sure you've
read the stuff about how he wants four he wants nine figures, which is
why I said, like, if he's if there's any potential dysfunction or dissension
in the locker room that could come from his camp because he's losing minutes and
his approaching free agency restricted free agency. The way you avoid that isn't just
pay him like a starter and he could play sixteen minutes one game because r
J's going off, or you want to close with Evan Kenzo or Grimes,
and it's like, Okay, that's fine. I got paid like there's there's
no issues here anymore. Julius formerly of CIA, Randall dead to me one
of the most divisive players in the league. I again, I said it
at the top. It's for someone who made two All NBA teams, even
if he wouldn't have voted for him in either season. Just absolutely, it's
interesting because of how he's viewed. I'll use the word interesting and it's bizarre.
I do think last season, but he probably didn't receive enough credit for
In the regular season, I thought he did a better job of playing within
the larger context of the team. I think a lot of it could have
been incremental. You start digging into the type of touches he was using,
how long he was holding the ball. Though, I think there was a
real even if it wasn't an effort, there was a real difference. However,
we're now like we've got through another playoff campaign. I know he was
banged up, but it under delivering there looks like he can kind of be
out of sorts. We'll get to RJ. Barrett. But RJ Barrett has
all this success driving it on the ball. Where are you at on Julius
Randall? What makes him so divisive do you view him as I mean,
we'll get to that. When we talked to like, where are you just
at with Julius Randol? What are you? He's been in the league forever
now, but like, what are you he's on this team, what are
you watching most closely for at this point relative to his fit with this on
this roster. So I will start here. I think the further I got
away from the playoffs, the more I empathized with the two ankle injuries.
By all accounts, he wasn't healthy when he played Game one in Cleveland,
and it showed he just didn't have the same burst that he used to He
really guided. He was kind of out there as a decoy for a lot
of the Cavs series, and in the Heat series he did play better.
But guess what last game of the Cavs series, when he was actually playing
well in that first half of Game five, lands on cars Lefert's ankle,
the exact same injury he suffered against the Heat during the regular season. And
so then he comes back and only misses one game. And you know,
I've I accept the playoff numbers for what they are and how bad he was
and it's tough. There's no defending him. I think I'm able to compartmentalize
and at least not get him a pass. But like, the guy did
have two really bad ankle injuries, like suffer and then at surgery after the
season, and you're at least to be able to be like he was playing
hurt, Like you're out there, there's no excuses for performance, like you
have to like if you're on the court, you're healthy enough to play.
And I have to judge that. I can at least contextualize it too,
like he was out there playing on a bad ankle. As far as like
what Julius Randall is, I'm I'm Joe Pesci in the Irishman. It is
what it is. I don't think there's another level for him to get to.
I was impressed at the three point volume last year and his willingness to
shoot eight was nine attempts per thirty six minutes. I think he needed to
for what that offense was. They were gonna need that type of volume from
him, especially if RJ was gonna have the regular season that he had.
And look, I as you said, like not a lot of knicks have
made all NBA twice in their franchise. That is like grading him against other
knicks, which might not be the best, you know, grading Rubric to
use. But well, let me I accept him for what he is.
You know, I wanted to interject here he made All NBA twice. They're
only fifteen All NBA spots. I don't want to hear that if so and
so played in more games, I don't want to hear he waited Julius Randall's
availability, looking at his midsplayed too much. I don't want to hear that
they just got rid of positions. Making all NBA caveats and all is fucking
difficult. And so I am. You know, I'm not the biggest Julius
Randall guy. He's a two time All NBA player. That's not something that
you can just write off. If you want to have the discussion about he's
just such a unique player and his fit is so specific or it's so tough.
If you don't want him to play the way he's playing in New York,
that's a fine discussion have. He still has made two All MBA teams,
and it was not even if you didn't vote for him, it was
not completely undeserved. On accident fueled buy. Injuries are part of every NBA
season, So I just let me just interject there with a little bit of
like the and you're not that you were, You have not been disparaging his
all NBA appearances. I just think I recognize that I don't think he has
like a ton of trade value, but he's incredibly valuable in his role right
now for the most part, and that led to to all MBA apperances.
So I just I find it weird that we can't sort of like separate the
compartment to usual the word compartmentalize the two, Like, yeah, Julius Randall's
a flawed player who he's more valua of the Knicks and any of the other
team, but Julie t Rendel is also a pretty useful basketball player in the
role that he is playing right now. Just twenty five, ten and six
is not something to sneeze at, you know, And I know counting stats
aren't valued the way they used to be, but they're is proof average points
a game signs a minimum deal. That's clearly But also, like the guy
did also like the impact metrics also great out that he's not think it's a
pretty impactful player too, because of his defensive rebounding and what he can give
you on that end of the floor. Yeah, I think a lot.
As far as Knicks fans are concerned, I think he's just gonna have to
have a monster playoff once and all these questions get answered, like dominate a
playoff series, be the reason the Knicks won a playoff series, And I
mean this is going to turn into an RJ conversation, I'm pretty sure so,
Like RJ had a miserable regular season and the takeaway from last season for
him is eight playoff games, and Julius had an outstanding regular season and the
takeaway for him is like eight playoff games. And it works the exact opposite.
And it's funny how like every other year, Nick's fans have to choose
between the two, and they've made it really easy. At times. They've
never both been good at the same time, We're both been bad at the
same time. It's always like, oh, I'm definitely on Julius side this
time. I'm definitely on our Ja's side this time. You know. With
r J, I think what's most I think why people might have glom onto
what he did in the playoffs was that it was basically a proof of concept
because of what he was doing. If he does this, if he's given
this opportunity. And John wrote about this, It was a fantastic piece.
I think it was earlier this offseason's newsletter. I don't know how many weeks
ago. I did quote it in the outline I sent you. RJ has
these incredible numbers over is like the final eight games of the playoffs or whatever
it was. But and John presented this caveat, and it's one that you
and I have talked about on this podcast, on the Nick Film School podcast.
It is so abundantly clear he is most comfortable and best when he has
the on ball opportunity. Not just we're worried about his three point shooting numbers,
but it feels like it opens up the rest of his game, and
that's like the most useful version of him. What is the path forward for
this? RJ and Julius Randall dynamic because for so much of the handwringing over
like, oh, it's gonna eventually be Randall or Obi, and it was
like, no, it was never Randall or Obi because Randall was clearly way
better than Obi. It feels like a Randall or RJ discussion if it needs
to be had. I'm asking you, if you see a path forward with
them together, or if you view it in the same vein, who's the
one that's gonna have to have the larger conceit if this dynamic is going to
work, just take it wherever you want. But that is this. This
might be the single most fascinating question for me entering the nixt season is just
this RJ and Julius Randall not necessarily the dynamic together, Like how does this
look moving forward if it's going to be together long term? So as I
was just teasing, like Knicks fans know it's one or the other, Like
Knicks fans have come to terms with the fact that it's gonna end up having
to be either Julius or RJ. I think two years ago it was very
clear who Knicks fans shows after the season Julius had and the last like two
three months of the season what RJ was with a thirty usage And I was
like, all right, this is inefficient, but it's thirty. It's twenty
four game Like, you can't can't fully discredit it. John has the theory
that they were trying to boost his trade value for Donovan Mitchell, which we
all saw how that went. And then last season, I mean, you
want to talk about fall off a cliff and look, you could say the
on ball reps is what he wants and what he needs. The guy ran
the second unit, like It's not like he wasn't getting on ball reps.
It wasn't like they weren't calling plays for him. This isn't a guy that
you know, when Julius isn't there gets a twenty six usage. This is
a guy throughout last season finished the season with a twenty six usage. That's
not low. You know, it's the third highest usage on the team.
If you're saying he should be the second highest usage, that's a different conversation
and a different roster construction. And look, if Julius gets hurt this year,
you're gonna see it because guess who's the backup for right now Josh hard
Which works in concept, but you know, as the starting four might look
a little different. I think, at least for this season, it's it's
really gonna be on tips to figure out the right lineups that they play together,
like I think with heart with Hartenstein, so that with the rim is
more free at times, will be good to make sure that you have one
of the Vincenzo grimes or quickly on it all times. Next to Julius and
r J will be important like the funny maybe the best kept secret or maybe
the not the best kept secret, but like the more more forgotten timeline of
last seasons are they stopped playing crunch time after Josh Hark got traded to the
Knicks, like was not playing in closing minutes, and the Knicks were better
as a result. So you know there will be certain games. So maybe
RJ doesn't play in crunch time and it stinks to say that. And you'd
love to think that the what we saw in the playoffs ignited something and maybe
did prove a concept that a lot of RJ Barrett stands out there have said
needed to happen. I'm not so sure that. I'm not so sure that
it will necessarily lead to its more minutes and a big change next season.
You know that is a real problem though, because he is starting the four
year, one or seven million dollars extension, and I think I think what
you outlaid is what's best for this team. If you are eventually trying to
pick between these guys, or you've already made your choice and you think that
it's Julius Randall that is not r J. Beret could kill it, like
in that role, but if he's not closing games for you because you view
him as that much of a liability under your current roster construction, it messes
with his trade value, It could mess with the look he got paid.
So maybe it won't mess with the dynamics of the team, and that this
doesn't get talked about enough. I think outside of the next circles, like
the vibes coming from that next team least right just imaculate, like they are
clearly just like close and get along behind the scenes, which not mission critical,
but like that's pretty like that's a good luxury to have. So I'm
so fascinated by it. I still believe that if he could be on the
floor as the second primary ball handler and there's like three positive shooters around him,
I mean, you talked about this already. I think that's not just
the pathway forward. I actually do think that that is one we'll see consistent
attack mode, more efficient opened up his game. R J. I still
fully believe that is that more valuable than what Julius Randall brings to the table.
I honestly have no idea positionally because he's six seven maybe, but like
RJ. Barrett, regressed defensively last season, and if that continues, that's
this becomes a whole different discussion. And that's the thing, the defensive side
of the ball. I haven't even talked about my bigger issue. And I
had to make sure I went and got the stats to remind myself how bad
he was last year, Like, you've got to shoot better than thirty one
percent from three for me to be like, oh, we just need you
to like, like we're gonna take away all your three pointers, so because
you're not good there, and if you're then gonna tell me that he needs
to be getting to the rim with his own ball reps and his passing,
Well, you need more than two and a half assist a game. You
need more than fifty less than fifty percent from two last season. Like,
yes, he gets to the rim at will, it doesn't change the fact
that he's not good when he gets to the room. He's better last year,
don't get me wrong, but like, you have to be a more
efficient player for me to then demand you get more shots. Now. Again,
this some of this does fall on the head coach. Like I'm not
someone that like thinks anything tips touches is is. He's not King Midas.
I do think you need to deploy r J in the correct line nine of
specifically ones that don't have Josh Hart and don't have Mitchell Robinson. But that's
the reserve. Like that, that's a very specific thing, Like you could
play Julius in a lot of lineups, and especially at the shot making ability
that Julius had last season. You know, It's why I think I'm gonna
always lean in that direction. If far as Is becomes more efficient this year,
I'm not even saying like he doesn't have to be a fifty forty ninety
guy. I'll settle for forty four thirty six like eighty at this point,
like I'll settle for am Manuel quickly splits last season, which is why it
became very evident quickly his third best player on this team. Quickly is the
third reason why this team is going to to be the five seed and make
it to the second round. The playoffs were great. I will always appreciate
what those eight games were. The regular season sample size is gonna have to
start to mirror it more for me to start making like exs and O strategies
around making sure we cater the team to RJ strengths, you know. And
also if we're going to criticize Julius Randold for being such a unique and specific
fit and then you need to do the same thing for RJ B what we're
talking about. I will say I hope him. I think he was at
like forty three or forty four percent from mid range, and the playoffs that
better not emboldened him to take more mid range. I don't I don't want
to see it. Get that guard like that probably needs to be eradicated from
his game. He's taken almost like a third of his attempts from there,
and that's just you need to You have not proved to me that you have
like any sort of pull up game or that you like just from the Like,
your jump shot is just not something we could trust. So I'd like
to see him cut down on those. Maybe that helps your efficiency. I
do think some of the rim stuff when you're watching him, a lot of
it's on him. Some of the other stuff is like all right, well
there was this was a little bit more open around here. It could be
better. But again it gets into the wire you tailoring your roster construction to
RJ Barrett when he is not compared to Julius random Julius Randold's played better over
a much larger SAMP, much better over watch larger example, to warrant that
consideration, whether you want to give either of them that consideration, different matter
altogether. And look, I feel like I've been way too negative about r
J. I need to emphasize how much of a revelation those eight playoff games
were, like the same way that I understand people having their hesitations about quickly
after last year's playoffs are why I also join in the celebration of what RJ
was. That they don't beat the Calves without RJ Barrett. We were wondering
if he was gonna get benched after that second Cleveland game, and he showed
up and a shook Cleveland team was on the floor, and honestly it shook
nixt team was on the floor except RJ Barrett in Game three, and then
he puts up almost thirty in Game four, and then he's with a hobble.
Julius and whatever, like a short circuited em manual quickly. RJ.
Barrett is the one keeping them in games in the Heat series, Like,
I have to acknowledge how great he was, and I'm like rooting for him
to duplicate that over an eighty two game sample this upcoming season, and I
think he's gonna get the opportunity and at least for one more year. You
know what should we be watching monitoring most closely for Quentin Grimes. You're three
mm hmm, so because he like next year he will be extension eligible and
he's based like the minutes have always. The minutes are going to be tricky
to navigate this year because of the acquisition of well, not the acquisition,
the signing of of Deevincenzo, and then what Quentin Grimes his minutes became with
Josh Hart. I've been reading a lot about not reading a lot of but
I've been taking note of his workouts with JJ Reddick. I'm hoping that that
leads to more of emulating the guy's career and emulating the guy's game. This
I hate to bring up coaching again, but he's gonna need the Evan Fournier
playbook. I don't need him to just get two three point attempts a game.
Maybe on penetrating kicks. I think you can call plays like pin downs,
picking pops, like you can do stuff for Quentin Grimes to say this
is the shot like we're trying to get in this offense. It doesn't just
have to be corner threes or above the break threes. You can actually run
a play to get him open so he knows where his shots are coming from.
I think that's the biggest thing I'm looking for with Grimes, is is
he going to get enough shots or specifically no, like, is he gonna
be able to keep the same efficiency from three without always knowing when where his
shots are coming from? But even more so, is he gonna be on
a roster that actually knows to make sure shots are going to come for him?
You know what I'm saying? Yeah? And is that like a concern
at all when you're not looking at just him, but even RJ. Barrett
Emmanuel quickly if you want to throw Deuce McBride and there go ahead like this
current roster set up, there's a I would say maybe dart's too strong of
a word, but shooting is still a concern. Let's put it there,
and you have this surplus of ball dominance in the sense that, Okay,
there's Jille and Brunson, there's Julius Randall. Then there's other guys who would
prefer to operate on ball. Looking at Emmanuel quickly, looking at RJ.
Barrett, we want to talk about can we get plays call for Quentin Grimes
off the ball? Okay, fine, but if you want Quentin Grimes to
like drive a little bit more, get him some on ball reps? Is
this and you can maybe it's like, is it not necessarily conducive two steps
forward from these young guys or is there one player of those three core youngsters
that stands to see their development an opportunity limited the most because of the way
that this roster is built. If it's contributing to winning, yes, and
I it's a kind of a cop out answer, but like I'm not,
like we just talked about it. I'm not gonna like make sure RJ has
on ball reps if it's at the expense of like we just want to see
what this looks like, right, Like I'd rather I know what this looks
like when you have Jalen Brunson on ball reps. I know what looks like
when you have Julius Randall on ball reps. I think this team came up
with a strategy that worked really well, especially post Josh Hart trade. And
as like the growth in development, this is not a team that's rebuilding.
This isn't a team that is necessarily, you know, trying to maximize I
don't want to say it's not important that these guys get better and like it
like who cares. But at the end of the day, like I'm looking
for a team that's trying to win as many games as possible next year like
this, like like you said, like, this is the team that it's
gonna at least want to, if not win the same number of games as
they did to a year ago. They're at least don't want to make the
playoffs and get as far as they did a year ago, which is gonna
be even more difficult. And unfortunately that might mean that you know, some
of these guys take more linear moves in development than they do you know,
gigantic steps forward. Now, look, if you want to actually give you
I already mentioned the worry, and it's that there's one crunch time spot for
four guys in this on this roster, and I have no idea how Tips
is going to navigate this. I think it should be it's gonna be Brunson,
it's gonna be Randall, it's gonna be a center, And then I
think it's gonna be Josh Hart. I think Josh Hart, as much as
I love him and think he's a highly impactful player, and he's Jalen Brunson's
boy from Villanova, I think his spot should be up for grabs. I'm
realistic to the fact that he can miss a crunch time here and there if
someone else has it going, or if it's matchup dependent, and I think,
like quickly the ladder not to step on the toes of like a later
quite But I hope that the way they look at closing games, just because
of how their personnel shakes out. I do hope Tips builds it more around
matchups. I mean, like, who has it going? It's kind of
the same thing, like I hope it's I hope it's more fluid, Like
I get the Randall and Jalen bruns In locks like fine, like I at
a center, yeah, at a center, Like it can't just be there's
a four guarantee crunch time spots because then like if RJ has it going,
it's him or Josh Hart like that has to be the case. If Quickly
has it going, like honestly, Quickly would be my guarantee, and then
it's the three spot that is up for grass. But I recognize there will
be night where they need more size, so you go with RJ eight to
two, and then go with a shooter, whether it be Grimes or de
Vincenzo, like, there are options to use. This can't be hockey shifts
where it's like very clear who is playing now and there's one spot that gets
alternated out, which is probably my biggest fear. The Knicks exist in this
weird space and I'm not sure there's another team in the league that's a good
analog for them where they're good. They're looking to compete now, but I
think even internally and externally with their fans, meet members, everyone just recognizes
this is not the team. And yet they're also at a point where you're
not even banking on one of the youngsters turning this into the team, Like
I think the ship is sailed on RJ. Barrett. There you can have
I hopes for Quentin Grimes or Emmanuel quickly, but I don't think anyone's looking
at even if they reached their ninety nine percentile outcome. They've elevated the Knicks
two title contenders. So the and I think this is a correct assumption.
People think it's about the Thunder. I think it'd be more correct about the
Knicks. They are going to push their chips in at some point. It
is, it's just going to happen. That's not saying they suck. I
think it's just a fact. How has the emergence of Joe and Brunson as
just an all NBA caliber player shifted How that search needs to unfold in two
ways. First, if you were I'm assure, I'm assuming we talked a
year ago and said that the Knicks need two stars right like they were there
were two superstars away right. Neither of us thought Jalen Brunson was going to
be a superstar. I think I was higher. Oh no, I was
hiring him than you, But I knew. I knew they had like a
potential All star here. It was probably a phrase where it's like now you
would probably still say they need a player. I would argue, who is
better than Jalen Brunson. To part Jalen Brunson, I probably said you need
two players better than Jalen Brunson, which I don't think you need anymore.
I would have agreed with that a year ago, and now after watching wood
Brunson gave us in the playoffs, bro if anybody else shows up in game
six against the Heat, I'm literally one other player that was by four points
in that game and Jalen Brunson had forty of them. Like one other person
shows up, if Tibbs shows up, If Argi goes one for ten,
Julius goes three or fourteen quickly doesn't play like if one other person, like
the only person that showed up for him was Scott Foster, and then he's
a hero. I think I tickled Dan. If one other person shows up
in that game, he's a hero that forced the game seven back to MSG.
Like that's how high I am on Jalen Brunson. Yes, you do.
You need to go get if you want to contend for a title,
and go get another guy, Like, yeah, this isn't the roster,
but I'm at the point where there's one untouchable on the roster right now,
it's Jalen Brunson, and that wasn't the case a year ago. The thing
that's fascinating if you look at what this offseason was is because the untouchables Jalen
Brunson, the Knicks are out on the point guard trade market like Dame was
never a conversation for me, And there's like some even there was reporting on
Harden. I don't even think that was a real conversation. That was like,
oh, is they Philly just looking at salary? Dump him? Like
okay, then let's talk. But like I think, if you were trading
for James Harden, it's like you said, because you're then flipping James Harden,
Like maybe the Knicks would have tried to make that work for a year.
I don't think. Look, there's a trade that the Knicks might want
to make with the seventy six ers, it's not for James Harden, you
know. So, Yeah, I love they do love Daniel House. Yeah,
yes, yes, oh so Bias Harris Long Island Native. No,
you we obviously know who the big fish is on the sixes of the Knicks
want Cia client Joel Embiide. I think that it's been really fascinating to be
like, yeah, it was never realistic that they were gonna go in after
Harden. And there's been nothing like Stephen A. Smith said, go get
Dame, and there's been nothing that's come out from the Knicks that are like,
yeah, we're interested in Dame and which I wouldn't make sense to do
it either. I will say I like the idea of Dame next to Jalen
Brunson way more than I do James Harden, who just doesn't play off the
ball well at all. And you what would be your like, why would
you like James? I'm why would like either? I'm like, no,
no, no, I think they should go after either. But if it
was between the two and they were gonna do this, it's not even like
close for me. I'll just like, no, it'd be it'd be Dame
that I'd want to see overhard next to jeln bruns I want to see neither.
We should make that clear. I'm choosing options. See if you're telling
me there's no option, See, I would also choose Dame Overharding. I
But that's like the takeaway of the season is that they they're out on the
point guard market, they got it, Like, now they need to surround
him. It's a trade young models, how they need to build the roster
and hopefully do a better. Yeah, well, just like you need to
surround him with defense and shooting, like you need to make sure you have
average to above average defender. Honestly, you probably need elite around him because
of his size. He is a small guard that gets picked on a lot
against against good teams, especially good teams good point guards. So while he's
gonna have an elite offensive ability that you know your t other teams are honestly
not even gonna be able to stop, you're gonna have to someone hide him
on the defensive end. Is there like a I know there's the Joel and
beat stuff that's going around out there. I tend to think more of that.
And this is dependent on availability, but I think we can frame it
this way because Joelbi is not available right now either. I just feel like
it needs to be sort of this power wing that like the Combo two or
three four guys a little bit more positionless with size than they have right now.
Where it's yeah, they have some really good rebounding under size guards,
but the wings on this team. If we're talking like true blue wings,
RJ. Barrett comes the closest to filling that criteria and he does not fill
it on me. It's just because he's that six seven body where everyone else
like the de Vincenzos and the Quentin Grinds, and that Josh Harts are like
these six five six four six foot six like not wings, like they're like
swing men or Josh Josh Hard even feels like more of a forward even though
he's like smaller. So I think that needs are but are there regardless of
whether it's a big what they fall? There any names aside from Embid that
you just have circle that you're monitoring not I'm not talking right now. I'm
think you're talking about this year's trade in line, but like, let's look
forward to the twenty twenty five traded Like what names do you just have circles?
Is mcal Bridges potentially avail on another team in twenty twenty five not on
the Nets? I do I So I diverge from you where I do think
the Nets would trade him to the Knicks if they get to the point where
they're moving him. I honestly don't think the front office that's in place.
From what I know about the team when I was there, more, I
don't think Sean Marks gives a fuck, And so I believe that if they
were going that route, they are not going to look at us like,
WHOA, we can't trade him to the team in the same city who we're
trying to be worse than right now, And even though divisions don't really matter
anymore, Like, I just don't. I don't see that whereas you do.
Maybe there's something I'm missing there, but from what I understand, I
just don't think that would be an issue. Listen, you're probably right.
In fact, probably you're right. I'm of the mentality that I'll see it.
I'll believe it when I see it, like I will, just I'll
wait until the trade happens before I consider it a possibility. Like the Nixon
Heat have made one trade. Ever, it was for pat Riley to be
the Knicks head coach, like Appartley still there to be the Heath head coach,
be the Heat head Coach's yeah, like pat Riley's still there running that
show. So like I get that a little bit more where it's and Brooklyn
is trying like Brooklyn doesn't want to help further a Knick's agenda of let's play
the twenty sixteen Villanova Wildcats all on the same roster, Like, I don't
think they're gonna help facilitate. If you're trying to be good, you absolutely
don't want to do that. If you're entering a different phase of your existence,
you just you can't afford to care. As the Nets, I'm not
talking about the like if it's if there are two teams that are on this,
like let's forget about Michail Bridges. Let's just say there was a trade
between them. Now they're both trying to be good before or five seeds in
the East, whatever, and there's like there could be a mutually beneficial trade
for them. I could see that being a factor. But if you are
pivoting this into a directional shift as Brooklyn, which by the way, I
would predict is coming, I don't know if it's this season, but this
idea that they're going to kind of float around like in six and five and
staid like it's cute, it's not gonna happen. They will. They will
enter a rebuild. That is my prediction. By I would say by the
start of twenty four twenty five, I'd be shocked if they're not rebuilding.
So how long do those Harden picks last? Like, how long do they
have until those expire? Uh? Because that's that's a cat. There is
a Shawn Marks has already done the thing where it's like your picks are gone.
I don't think he cares about that. I mean it's a factor.
Yeah, but I think if it gets to a point where, well,
what are we doing here, we might be sending a pick that's like it's
currently constructed. I'm not they might send top ten picks out every year anyway.
Yeah, so all right, maybe I still I believe it when I
see it. It's this is across all sports. Like the Mets and Yankees
don't make trades. The Jets and Giants have made one in the last two
decades. Like this is like Raiders than Islanders have never made a trade.
Like this is a thing that happens in the city. If it happens,
like you might be right that the narrative of New York teams not trading with
each other, it might be enough that it doesn't matter. Miles that make
meet Miles Bridges is not the player I'm trying to mention Michael Bridges is the
ideal dream scenario, uh, the probably more available one as og Na Nobi
and the CIA of it all. You want to talk about things I noticed
this offseason, it equally as important as Julius leaving CIAA was O g n
and Obi joining CIA. My opinion is, yeah, as long as Mitchell
Robinson is here, the Knicks have enough players who have higher turnover rates that
assist rates just but when you're putting guys next to Jalen Brunson, they need
to be above average three point shooters and elite defenders. He fills both of
those boxes. And look, you want to talk about opening up usage for
oh, he'd probably go out for r J or come here for RJ or
quickly. But like, because he's not going to command such a high usage,
that opens up the potential for more Quentin Grime shots or more whicheveryone stays
quickly or r J shots. You know, I I wonder if you run
into the same issue of him or Josh Hart needing to be on the court
one or the other. But defensively, those are the two types of players,
along with Curt and Grimes that you'd want to put next to Jalen Brunson,
And it's why I'd be I'd absolutely be interested in in O Gianna Noobi
trade. Personally, I would. It would depend on price. For me,
he is entering the final year of his deal. I tend to be
lower just on his offense than most other people. But he has done a
good job coming away as a shooter. But because I had Michael Bridges on
my list and you mentioned O Giana Nobi, is there an element of and
it's twofold that Jalen Brunson is good enough and that if we inject like real
spacing into this team, it doesn't need to be We're waiting on a Joel
and bad trade. We're hoping the Clippers implode and Paul George becomes available that
I'd be another fantastic fit. By the way, even though he's he's older.
We're sitting there waiting for it's gonna go wrong in Phoenix at some point
and Devin Booker is gonna need to request out is it? Are they maybe
has Jalen Brunson changed at all? Where the potential of this team or even
if you don't inject, I'll keep saying Capslock bold text Italics Superstar in Oganna
Nobi level player or mcaal Bridges level player could really fuse this team with like
a higher plane of purpose where maybe they're not one of the three foremost contenders,
but like there's a scenario where they come out of the East. I
mean, we did to see an eighth seed get to the finals last year,
and that's like real alien shiit coud like it is, Okay, so
one of Miami is. I don't care about the numbers. I watched to
the games. It's alien shit. I don't know what is And if it
happens again and they don't get Dame and they just let two rotation players leave
for nothing, extraterrestrial shit, I don't. I don't understand what's going on
in there. I agree, and it's why Like when when I saw them
doing it to the Celtics too, I just pointed at what was going on.
I was very much Lebron and that meme of j R. Smith.
I was like to Nicks fans, see they do it to everybody. You
mentioned the Celtics, by the way, the real Galaxy brain thing, and
it's not gonna be the player that you think I'm about to say, is
it goes so wrong there? Jason Tatum's like, no, I'm not signing
my Supermax and then like, that's that's the name. That is the name.
I hinted at this with John that he can technically like request the trade
next offseason. I also think like the Lakers are the team that, like,
if he's gonna go anywhere, it's gonna go play for Kobe's old team.
I think he's gonna sign what Austin Reeves and two picks that's not getting
you Jason Tatum, No, well he'll leave. He could just leave in
two years, like he'll go, oh, that's not happening because the league
has essentially neutered free agency. That'll be I'll be I'll be shocked if he
if we see a caliber of that player's walk in free agency. Listen,
if the Bucks say we're not trading you nice, we may get that there
too. So there, so all right, I guess the difference would be,
is Jason Tatum a player you play it out with if he doesn't guarantee
he'll come back? The answers yes, But if you have and the answers
yes. With Johannis like it was with Kadi and Okay. See, the
difference is is if they're actually requesting out, you don't play it out.
Kevin Durant requested out. The only reason he got traded is because he got
hurt and Kyrie went well. Kyrie like if they were there were seven,
they were twenty and two at one point last year. So the thing I
disagree about though, is that if Kyrie's trade request came and Kevin Durant was
healthy, that Kevin Durant trade requests would have followed anyway, because hey,
that's what happened over the off season. They were both healthy. Kyrie requests
the trade, it didn't work out well. Then Kevin Durant issued his mandate
and then he played takebacks on it. So so you're saying that, So
you're saying, because that is what happened last off season, that Kyrie asked
for a trade, they said no, he signed, he opted in for
the full They tell him to go find one signed and he couldn't. Well
except like you go go be a Laker was the only thing. And the
nets were like, we don't want the Lakers package, and then the what's
it called? Then like during the day of free trade and then you get
during the season. I just I'll never forget the day that they that Kyrie
asked for a trade. John and I were doing a Patreon pod. Macie
and I were doing a Patreon pod and we were saying, like, if
you had to put a hypothetical one hundred dollars chip on a championship winner right
now or an Eastern Conference winner right now, who would it be? And
I said the healthy version of Brooklyn. He's like, man, that's that's
my answer too, because of what they looked like. And I wonder if
like winning being the cure all if you just don't play it out, if
your guy, even if you guys, your guys ask for a trade.
If you're saying that Kyrie would have asked for a trade even if they were
thirty in two on that day, then yeah, maybe that's like enough of
a nuclear situation. I don't know that Jannis and Jason Tatum, we're gonna
make things that nuclear well. And I think the difference there though, is
is it Kyrie's trade value had reached a nader and so if you decided not
to trade him, or maybe he doesn't request a trade, you decided because
you didn't offer him an like an extension that he wanted, that you were
going to let it play out anyway and risk him leaving. Kevin Durand had
already signed an extension. That situation plays out so much differently if he was
in a contract year, they wouldn't have been like, no, we're just
gonna play this out after the Kevin Durant trade requests. So if Jason Tatum
is KG and won't request to trade or say he's not coming back and did
overy honest, those teams have to play it out if they believe they have
a chance of keeping it. I agree, And I also there's one team
I think Tatum would go to, Like, it's absolutely one tam Like.
It's very much the Dame situation, except Tatum is closer to free agency.
I think he would walk and go to the Lakers. Look, I said
it was Galaxy brain. I'm just I don't think it's gonna be. I
would be shocked if he walks. If he walks like I would, it
would be a trade. To me, that would be my guest. But
I guess it's the Lakers cap she is pretty clean in two years and look
we're getting makes so much money that it doesn't matter like to pass on the
long term security, but the trend that we have seen, I agree with
you. I think he's gonna sign an extension next summer. I'm saying,
if there's one alternative reality, I think it's to walk to go to the
Lakers. I think there's one version of Jason Tatum's career that he'd be okay
pivoting to that isn't an entire career with the Celtics. It's going and playing
for Kobe's old team. This has predictably gone off the rail, so that
my final question on kind of the trade front was real quick, real quick.
I agree with you all. Paul George. By the way, Paul
George, what I don't think that's realistic for this offseason and who knows about
he's the perfect this off season that ends in like so like there was a
portion of this offseason when Nick Sedworth thought of potentially to be the third team
in a James Harden trade, where it's like Will sends you the depth and
the pick pieces that you need, Clippers, just send us Paul George and
you build around Kauai James Harden, Russell Westbrook and you know R. J.
Barrett or whatever you want to call the rest of that roster, and
like Paul George's then your back up for he's the perfect win the playoff of
like like Josh Hart and Julius Randall and would anchor TIBs defense and off ball
defense the way that he needs you to. I'm right there with you on
Paul George. I just I don't know how realistic it is anymore. You
need I mean, in a way it would be the ideal scenario, but
you need the Clippers not to sign him or Kauhi to an extension, which
I think it's probably fair to say they won't. Like I don't know what
you're if they want the max, Like, I don't know what you're like
based off their availability the best few years. I don't know how you offer
that. It would have to be Oh shit, went sideways again in LA.
There's another injury that's not Paul George that has thrown their season, you
know, into the fire. James Harden isn't there of course, like the
Sixers didn't trade him there, and Paul George just like, hey, I'm
leaving after this season, so you get him middle of the year. They
don't really have any leverage, so the price point is so low. This
is kind of a nice segue into my question though, is is there any
worry or concern that the Knicks' best trade offers have diminis in shine and I
will I want to phrase it this way, not because I think that they
have no assets, but when you kind of look at the Wizards and Pistons
picks, you can't guarantee those will ever convey the fact that they're protected so
far out and they get a little looser. Okay, great, the Bucks
pick is looking a lot more valuable because of what Jannis said, so that's
a plus. However, we've already seen RJ. Barrett's on his new deal
not nearly as valuable as he was even this time last summer, like they
were still more of a mystery box appealed to him. I Q has headed
that same direction in the sense that maybe he's viewed more highly around the league,
but because he's getting off his rookie scale, we just see percept.
Look at how perception of Tyler Hero and Jordan Pool change as soon as they
signed their second contracts. They've already gotten off of Obie who got them to
second round picks. And now when you look at the Knicks' own picks,
you can still say, hey, we're gonna short the future of the Knicks,
because the Knicks are the Knicks. Are the Knicks or the Knicks.
If you're giving them a good player and they have Jalen Brunson, the Knicks
are not gonna knicks Like the Knicks are gonna be good and that'll be the
new Knick. Like that that's what knicksing will be. So I look at
it and say, if you get into these really competitive the Joel Embiid sweepstakes,
the Jason Tatums Reef stakes that you and I have just manifested, apparently,
like once you get to that level, how confident are you that they
can actually cobble together the best offer? Now? Like I do think and
I think this is a good thing that Jalen Brunson has changed so much for
them. I don't know if they have the same asset firepower they did a
year or two years ago. Like the mystique of it all, and part
of the mystique was, oh, it's the Knicks. So like, if
you can get a future Knicks pick in twenty twenty seven. That's gonna mean
a lot. This is a testament to what the Knicks are now. But
I don't think a twenty twenty seven Knicks pick is actually all that valuable anymore.
Man, I just I disagree. I think the number one thing that
James Stolan does for this franchise is the best thing he ever. That he
hates owning, that he doesn't like to be the owner of. But the
number one thing he can always do for this franchise, at least at current
time, is that teams will always value their picks more because they are convinced
something he owns will crash and burn. Do I recognize that they don't have
rookie scale guys to trade and like the Dallas tanking so that way they get
ten instead of the Knicks getting eleven did kind of mess with their plans?
Sure, But I also think like going into next offseason, if Dallas gets
thirteenth pick, the Knicks could potentially have two picks in this upcoming draft to
offer teams. Maybe a twenty twenty seven Knicks pick might not be as valuable,
especially if they have Jannis or Embiid and Jalen Brunson or Jason Tatum.
You know who knows we need to start This needs to be a thing like
let's get the Jason Tatum watch. Yeah, yes, people give a photoshop,
get on that look. Because the Knicks are have not They've had a
nice little three year run. They've had a nice three year stretch of competence
that I think has raised their curating to a point where we're finally talking about
basketball. Right, it doesn't change well, so like even last year during
the Donovan Mitchell sweep sticks, right, we were told that like three Knicks
picks are going to be super valuable because if you can bet on a team
to fuck up over the next ten years, it's gonna be the Knicks.
And if you're telling me in twenty twenty seven, when Jannie or and Beat
are still there, it's not as valuable. Fine, But if you're stretching
these things out to twenty thirty two, like what's more likely in twenty thirty
two, James dolean team is gonna be good or James Dolean's team is going
to be bad. And that's the calculation that a lot of teams are gonna
make. And it's what I've been been standing on the Knicks still have all
their picks to offer. They can throw in all these you know protected you
know Milwaukee pick. I think that might actually be their best asset at this
point, best singular asset unless you think twenty thirty Knicks pick. I think
the twenty thirty one Knicks pick right now is like, who knows what that
could be. It's it's not even necessarily a golden ticket. It's just like
we've seen this team give out golden tickets, have golden tickets because they're bad
and not know what to do with them, you know, I get that.
I do think though, and maybe this was always the case that they're
probably a little bit more reliant on whatever star becomes available, like naming them
as a team that they want to go to, then they probably were like
they always do, which they always do. They well, yes, but
I'm saying, like we've seen scenarios where the team just go like Paul Georgian,
okcy, they go out and trade for him anyway, Kawai and Toronto.
Maybe that happens with Dame. I wouldn't expect it to, but I
would love it too. Uh, let's get to the cookie cutter portions.
Dost Uh, is there any under the radar strengths and or concerns about the
Knicks. We have not really discussed yet. It's one. It's literally one
strength that I'm well. It's one concern that I have, and it's what
if Julius Randall goes down, Like I'm fine with Josh Sharters, you back
up for I'm not as confident in it. If he's just starting for now,
maybe this could lead Tips finding religion and going to some smaller lineups with
r J at the four or Josh Hard at the four and just maximizing zing
shooting as much as possible you get either Fournier or Deuce McBride in the rotation.
Dear God, don't let it be just I'm gonna go to Jericho Sammons
because then I'll lead the league in rim protection and offensive rebounds like great,
here comes the zone again. I still think that the Knicks strength last year
was their physicality, led by Julius Randall being like a dominant force going to
the rim and making you honors three point shot. So if he goes down,
I do think that is a step down for the Knicks where they just
it's the sneaky part about keeping obi last year that a lot of Knicks fans
had an issue with is like Julius Randol went down in the playoffs and they
needed Oie tapping like to help them win a couple of playoff games in the
first round. So they don't have that luxury this year. I think mine
would be And it's a concern rather than a strength. Not to be too
pessimist. Is just like the Mitchell Robinson high stakes experience because of how limited
he can be on office. I actually think he did earlier on in the
season, specifically, like we saw a little bit he got smarter on handoffs.
I felt like he was making more decisions than he normally did on offense.
But like when you're in crunch time, I feel like he poses his
defense and rebounding is so valuable. But we've already talked about a center we
didn't name that Jo Robinson is d center. He was four or twelve from
the foul line in crunch time. He didn't go there often, but he's
got thirty three percent in crunch time at the foul line. Can he improve
at all in free throws where if you're gonna have to one where you don't
think about pulling him in crunch time. Then if he's on the floor,
teams won't look to kind of foul him. Now, it helps that once
you get inside two minutes, like you're not going to commit the off ball
fouls anyway. But I'm even talking like six minutes left in the fourth quarter
or something. Well, so this is this actually would lead to a strength
and a concern. He was so dominant in that calv series, like completely
neutralized Moblian Allen to the point where I'm pretty sure his shoulders were like still
tattooed on the chest of Evan Mobley. I'm pretty sure. I'm not sure,
but man, that game five for him and Josh Hart, they had
as many rebounds as the Calves. Was just it was insane to see how
much his offensive rebounding became not just like us strength, but the reason that
they're going to advance to the next round. And then spow neutralized it.
But Spo looked at the same crunch time free throw numbers that you're looking at,
and the strategy for the Heat all playoffs or all series against the Knicks
was if Mitch gets a rebound, you found like he's not getting put backs
he can get as many rebounds as he wants. If he gets an offensive
rebound, make him learn two shots at the line, and like we saw
over those six games, he was just completely neutralized. It was to the
point where it was kind of it should have been Hartenstein's series. But you
know, I digress. Yeah, it's a it's a note, and we'll
see how they they navigative teams recognize what the heat did and maybe you know,
resort to putting Mitch, making Mitch beat you at the line rather than
just accepting off He got the rebound and here comes the dunk. You know,
I am hopeful that again he wasn't like this amazing passer, but I
thought there was just a little bit more decision making layers to his offense last
year, and so maybe hopeful that hey, could he hit fifty percent of
his free throws rather than like what was the at last year. He's gone
down every fifty forty percent or whatever it was. So I'm less deful than
you are. Thirty nine point four. I gave him too much credit with
the forty percent mark. Yeah, yeah, I just I think I know
it's similar to Julius. It is what it is, but like on on
a less less elite scale of like, I don't think Mitch is ever going
to be all NBA, but I think I think he's like a top twelve
center in the league, and especially when he's what he's a lead at is
one of the best in the league. You know, with offensive rebounding quick
point of clarification, I was talking about the playoffs. I think he was
closer to fifty percent in the regular season. So go, Mitch, you're
really efficient at the fun real quick that game five against the Heat where they
went to Hack and Mitch and he made like five of six of his free
throws. It was one of the funniest experiences. Like our seasons on the
line and Mitchell Robinson is at the line to save it. Ye, wonder
what's gonna happen. Look, we're reading into an immanual, quickly small postseason
sample. We're reading into an RJ. Barrett postseason stating into Julius Randis.
But let's read into the Mitchell Robinson free throw experience exactly exactly, Yeah,
fifty ninety from him last year next year confirmed. So when you look at
the ten man rotation building, the top ten guys that are gonna play the
most for this team. It feels like there are nine locks, and you
can correct me if I'm wrong on any of these. Jalen Brunson, Quentin
Grimes, RJ. Barrett, Julius Randall, Mitchell Robinson, Josh Hart,
Dante DiVincenzo, Immanuel Quickly and Isaiah Hartenstein all feel like they're just locks to
be in the regular rotation. I think not only are those the locks,
I think that's the rotation. If you're extending it to the next is it
like Deuce McBride, Is it Evan Fournier, Like who is getting like the
tenth spot? Like when you think like breaking case or emergency type pent or
like we might see some real Duce McBride breaking case of emergency. They're going
I think they're gonna stick with the nine men rotation that worked so well last
year. It gives more minutes to Quickly, it gives more minutes to Josh
Hart, more minutes too, like they have some super subs. And with
Devincenzo, I don't think Devincenzo came here to just be like a backup.
I think he recognizes that they're allocating one rotation spot to uh someone's minutes in
the nine man. So that's that's I think part of the calculation. This
will be matchup dependent, I think, or rhythm dependent on the game.
But you can build one preferred crunch time unit, the closest thing, the
best one that comes close to one size fits all. Let's phrase it.
What what is that for this team? Jalen Brunson, manual quickly, Josh
hart Julius Randall, and then I'll say Mitch, but I mean a center.
Yeah, Jericho Sims if he's avout, No, like it's him or
Hartenstein, Like I actually do think they're interchangeable, but I like I would
say Mitch with the caveat that, Like I was very okay when Isaiah Hartenstein
was closing last year. Is there a weirdo on conventional quirky lineup that you
would like to see them try? So I have two and then I have
one that is like the worst lineup ever that I could see Tims trying once.
It's I mean, these are these are the never gonna happen lineups that
we go to. Everybody meant to be. So it's Randall at center for
both of these lineups, and one lineup I've got Randa. It's not going
to happen, right, So Randall at center, Josh Hart and then you're
two. You're two corner boys, Grimes and Evincenzo, and then I you
as the point guard. So this could be like a second unit where you
go small and you know you have Randall be your center, You've got five
got like Heart then becomes kind of your your de facto Draymond that he's not
looking to shoot at all, and he can kind of distribute and push on
the brake, maybe like get eight assists that night, and then you just
got these shooters around him, and you know, just subout Heart for r
J and then quickly for JB. And it's the exact same lineup where it's
Randall at the center, and then you've got all these these wings and guards
going at it in the lineup that's never gonna happen. The lineup I'm afraid
of is if we get some injuries and then potentially get Mitchell Robinson, Jericho
Sims, RJ, Barrett, Josh harton Duce McBride, and it's just like
tips, They're they're gonna play a zone and they're all gonna sit like an
umbrella around the paint, and he's gonna be like, yeah, but look
at my room protection, look at my rebounding. You know, it's more
likely that they would just go out and trade for Taj Gibson from Hington.
If if if that came to that scenario, Hey, TODs Gibson free agent
right now. No, he's with the Wizards. He say, did he
Resign's right? Resign? They scooped TIBs Manis was baking on that for mid
season. I'm sure he's an influence in the locker room, in the front
office. Yes, so mine would be the four. I want to see
four guards and then I don't really care who the big is. If if
if I could pick whoever, I would say, you don't want just throw
heart at the five and let's go with five guards. But don't think even
Shenzo Mattuel quickly, Jalen Brunson, Quentin Grimes pick you're big. If it's
isaiahrten Steps, Mitchell Robinson, Joyus Randam would be kind of interesting. Maybe
can we just throw Nathan Knight in there, like, let's really go off
the let's go off the rails. But I would love I want to see
the four actual guard lineup, Like, don't try to sell me and Josh
Harder, r J. Barrett is one of these guards, those four guards.
I don't even I'll let you pick the big. It could be whatever
big you want. I like the shooting, I like the spacing. I'm
just so reserved to the fact that's never gonna happen. But that's what this
question is meant to be. We need to be able to conceive on our
own accord. There was one clothe the last time they played the Heat during
the regular season, the game Julius Randall got hurt. The closing lineup that
game didn't have Jalen Brunson and didn't have Julius Randall, and I couldn't believe
what my eyes were seeing like quickly closed with Grimes and r J and Josh
Hart and Hartenstein. I was like, wait, wait a minute, this
is Tim's doing this. He's not putting Jalen Brunson back in the game.
And it gave me high hopes for the playoffs. And then, like you
know, having I had the outer body experience. I think it was against
Philly when he just decided to play Obi Toppin and Julius Randall together. I
was like Game five of the season Camp Braddish only played the last eight minutes
of each half, and it was like, wait, what is happening.
He's literally throwing shit at the wall because he knows he's about to get fired.
Yeah, some and hacks were advocating for that. I just I was
always on the tips. It's my only question here Dan at the end of
this as far like any last questions I have, is are you ready to
apologize Tom Thibodeau? No, because I don't really know if what strings do
you think he was pulling? Other than like Jalen bruns In was otherworldly,
Julius Randall was really good, and the roster was kind of built to like
play the way that they did on it, Like what is what did he
do? He was a little bit I will say it seemed like he was
a little bit more experimental this year as opposed to previous years. But like,
do you think Tibbs was like a driving force of their offensive success?
Absolutely? They play a style that like he personally wants. It's why the
most frustrating part about the conversation with the Knicks right now is you cannot argue
against their offensive rating. But you can't argue about how they got there.
That's a guy. It's a team that maximized the possession game and like the
really not great in efficiency, although when they Josh Hark got there, the
efficiency got better. But this is a team that was made in Tibbs identity
and played in Tibbs identity, low risk, low turnovers, high offensive rebounds,
get to the line like they didn't like he didn't find religion, and
like suddenly the Warriors showed up. It wasn't like the splits and bomb movement.
No, it was like exactly what you saw from there Crows in their
early twenty tents. You know, I would almost I mean, all right,
that got you the same thing it's always got you, was like a
bunch of regular season success. Yeah, we talk a lot about will there
be more movement on this team now that Donda Devincenzo's here, And I kind
of feel like, yeah, him letting the second units kind of play really
fast, like that's I guess he deserves them. But no, I'm not
apologizing. If he wants an apology, the Knicks need to do better than
average eighty eight points per one hundred possessions. In the half court in the
playoffs, and then then I will apologize. So it's the playoffs sample size
is what we're you mentioned. I don't think you can inherit. It was
very Grizzlies esque the way that they had their offensive success during the regular season,
where you don't inherently trust it. And I guess it's fair to say
the roster was built in the image of TIBs rather than like he was coaching
around it. So that's fair, But then like that kind of makes me
less inclined to apologize to him. Look, I'm mostly fucking with you.
You don't need to apologize to Tom Thibodeau. Ever, he doesn't. There
are people heavily I will say, there were people who seem like they're heavily
invested in Tom Thibodeau's success were in my DMS after I wrote that article last
year. We're very unhappy and luckily I actually haven't heard from them since.
So what's what's cia clients are in your DMS? Goodness, Tom Thibodeau a
client, by the way, one of them could have been Tom Thibodeau for
all. Yeah, I don't think he knows how to navigate Twitter. I
think he just he's looking for the Synergy app on his phone. He doesn't
understand the social part of social media. That's true. Yes, okay,
so they're over under like so many other teams. By the way, this
is the year of forty four and a half. That's what the Knicks over
under is set on. So the first part of this is are you taking
me over the under ups? Yes, over you have like you were very
quick on that. I think the quickest answer we've had all we're fifteen,
look aheads in. That's the quickest answer I've gotten. I think they're gonna
win fifty games this year. Okay, now do that? And how many
teams in the East are you prepared to set guarantee will be better than the
Knicks guarantee guarantee? I think Milwaukee will be better. I think Boston would
be better. I answered this with with Justin from the from the Chase down
Justin Rowan our music. Yeah, yeah, I was gonna say like he
asked me this a couple of weeks ago, and I've I've like changed my
answer so many times. I think the Calves will be better than the Knicks
this year. I love what they did with their offseason, just studying them
and then watching them over those five games, and it's like, oh,
you're a you have four guys really and you really need to add like a
fifth guy or a rotation of fifth guys that you can throw at teams.
And they went and got Trus, They went and guy George Nyang. I
think they've they've put shooting in places that they need to put shooting, and
I just really like what they've done. I think they're built for regular season
success and playoff success for that matter. Philly's the interesting one. It's done,
so it's okay, but is it regular season over? Yeah? Look,
so James Harden's either gonna be upset that he's still there or you're gonna
move him for who and what like if you end up parlaying him into Dame
or another star, maybe, but like there's just Nick Nurse is talking about
Joel Ebid playing more games and more minutes than any normally. This is just
this team is built to fail right now, unless there's some miraculous resolution to
the James Harden soap opera. So is there a version of this team that's
like two years ago where when the Sixers made the Ben Simmons for James Harden
trade. They were the two seed. Is there a version of this team
that with Joel Embiid being an MVP candidate again, they're a four seed?
No, you need maybe that might I love Tyrese Maxie. You would need
a mega leap from him, and I just don't know. I just don't.
I wouldn't be Look, could they be better than the Knicks? Yes?
Are you guaranteeing it? Though? It's my point here? No,
I would. I respect Joel Embiad a ton. I'm not just saying that
because I want to come play for my basketball team. I would be married
in the Hamptons. He's already in a New York state of mind. So
you see listen as someone who else who got married on Long Island in this
summer. I respect you, Joel Embiid for having good taste. I I'm
not closing the door. Oh you said, I'm not gonna guarantee the Sixers
will be better than the Knicks. I think that's the four five this year.
And I'm not sure who has home court? What about so the teams
you named? Just to get my answer, I have the Calves might actually
be my most confident pick looking at just the regular season, I'm gonna throw
Milwaukee in there because the top end talent is still good, there's age,
injury concerns. This is I'm gonna pick Boston. But my spicy take is
just like there is more implosion potential there than I think people realize. Functional
interesting, those are the three and then there's the whole. I'm not paying.
I wouldn't guarantee Philly. I'm not guaranteeing in Atlanta. The one that's
tough for me is just like, do we just assume Miami gets Dame because
if it's Dame Bam and Jimmy Butler, they're going to be better than the
Knicks. Like that. That's the caveat I wrote down is this is as
is like if they heat or there, then yeah, that's they're probably in
the four or five. And then maybe the Knicks of the sixers of the
five. I will say, and I mean this is a comment, the
Knicks floor in this Eastern Conference should be six. Yea, that should be
their floor just because it's the three teams we named. And then you can
say, all right, maybe both Philly and Miami are better, or maybe
Atlanta really just for some reason. I don't know why. Perhaps Quinstider makes
a big difference. I'm still not super high on their roster. A team
like that comes up, like maybe Indiana just pops or just something along those
lines should be their floor. If we my only pushback against that, and
we mentioned this already is like a worst case scenario for the Knicks is like,
is Julius Randall still on this every other season track? It is just
I'm not banking on it. And I think because you have Jalen Brunson,
it's so much different than following his MP campaign. Like that's among the like
things looming over the specter of this. You literally took my answer to my
response to what like, I Julius may not be all in, Well,
I don't think he's gonna be all NBA this year typically later, but we'll
leave c AA. You're all like it, Julius R take it. Listen.
I'd be singing a different tune if you hadn't left the family. But
as as mister Corleone once said, you never take sides against the family.
Just the Randall look, I Julius may regress a ton this year. The
stability and comic force that I believe Jalen Brunson is allows me to believe in
the floor that you're you're projecting, and it's why I probably have the knicks
of the four seed right now. I could see them getting up to a
three seed given the schedule, or some injuries happen to Boston, Milwaukee or
Cleveland, who knows. But look, I'm also I'm riding high off this
job. This post Josh Hart team. After they traded for Josh Hart,
they were number one in offense, there were two in net rating, and
everybody's issues with the team were like, oh, you know, the true
shooting is not great. They're effective field goal percentage is not great. There
there that's a fake offense that just takes advantage of rebounds. Well after the
Josh Hart shade. It's a twenty five game sample size, which it's me
is long enough of a sample size to make this some kind of conclusion.
They were seventh and effective field goal percentage and seventh and true shooting. That's
long enough for me to say this, And it's not like they were just
playing a bunch of tanking teams. There's three wins against the Heat in that
stretch. There's two wins against Boston, one in Boston during that stretch,
like they were going up against teams that they were going to be contending with
in the Eastern Conference. One win in Cleveland, by the way, and
it's enough of a sample size for me to say that's a team that's gonna
compete next year. Granted no injuries happened, and granted you know, the
Heat don't get Dame, which I don't think they will. Oh, that's
that's fairly spicy if you don't think they're gonna get Dame. I think Joe
Cronin is dug in enough that we're to the point where he'll either out of
Spike, keep Dame and be like fine, ruined your legacy him in Portland,
or maybe there's a Massi trade out there. I don't think Philly at
this point has the assets. I just don't know how, like, like,
what do you do, like trade him for Harden and either's a three
teen deal or a team that wants Harden gets them. But I think he's
at the point if, first of all, we both know if Scotty Barnes
is on the table, that's the trade. But I think we're at the
point where him to Miami. They've gone all in on like you're gonna trade
him here, and as someone who waited did for Donovan, Mitchell will becomeing
Nick all last offseason. Then it not to happen. The situation feels very
similar. I root for randomness in chaos. So I hope that I hope
that you're actually correct. Yes, Claudio, are you able to tell our
listeners where they can find you in all the magnificent work that you do?
Of course you could find Nick's Film School on Twitter, Instagram, TikTok,
Facebook, you name it threads if you're looking for a Twitter alternative, even
though we don't use it at Nick at Nick Film School, so the word
Nick spelt like the New York Knicks film and then sko l because we're cool
like that. We're We got a ton of pods leading up to this offseason.
It's a lot of positive taking us through the off season, and then
some pods that are leading up to training camp and then the regular the preseason,
regular season start. We go live after every game. We have off
day podcasts when they're not up playing. We have pregame podcasts the days they
are playing. We have Twitter spaces shows. We have mailbags q and as
we have a Patreon if you want to check it out. We have the
Knicks covered wall to wall. And uh, it's always great when when a
good friend like Dampa Valley lets you on to come and talk about the work
that you do, because I respect the work that this man does at all
times. Oh stop it, but yes, Nick's Film School. You guys
are behemoth great works. Well go follow them. The links to where you
can Patreon and just where you can subscribe to the plot will be in the
YouTube and podcast description. Congratulations Claudio, you now officially have the longest look
ahead so far, and I will hazard I don't think I'm gonna have another
hundred minute look ahead this summer, so thank you so much. As you
go by now I will be spamming you will get into future for another looks.
Thanks so much of course,