1 00:00:02,919 --> 00:00:07,320 What is krack alakin Hardwar Knox listeners, I am Dan Valley coming at you 2 00:00:07,400 --> 00:00:11,160 with a super swift intro because we have a long podcast to get through about 3 00:00:11,160 --> 00:00:14,519 the New York Knicks. Just a quick note, we brought on Nick's Film 4 00:00:14,599 --> 00:00:18,839 Schools. Andrew Claudio a frequent guest and friend of the podcast. Follow him 5 00:00:18,879 --> 00:00:23,199 on Twitter at Andrew J. Claudio. Underscore spelled exactly as it sounds. 6 00:00:23,399 --> 00:00:28,079 Follow Nick's Film School at nick Film School School spelled s k O O L 7 00:00:28,399 --> 00:00:31,160 in that handle. He is also the host of Final Review Pod, which 8 00:00:31,160 --> 00:00:35,759 we talk touch on very briefly to start at Final Review Review Pod. Please 9 00:00:35,759 --> 00:00:39,039 please, pretty please remember to rate, review and subscribe to Hardwardox wherever you 10 00:00:39,039 --> 00:00:41,679 get your podcast. If this is the first time you're listening to us because 11 00:00:41,719 --> 00:00:45,520 you stumbled upon us for some reason, or you're a religious follower of everything 12 00:00:45,600 --> 00:00:50,079 Andrew Claudio and Nick's Film School does consider throwing us that permanent subscription. Follow 13 00:00:50,119 --> 00:00:53,479 us on Twitter at Hardwood Knox ratings and reviews. Help us a ton on 14 00:00:53,520 --> 00:00:57,399 iTunes as well, even if you don't use iTunes. Finally, we did 15 00:00:57,439 --> 00:01:00,439 record this podcast just before it was announced that Louis Randall was entering the league's 16 00:01:00,439 --> 00:01:04,959 health and safety protocols. Nothing we say about his season, as hard as 17 00:01:04,959 --> 00:01:07,599 we are at him, is overly insensitive, and we mentioned that we do 18 00:01:07,719 --> 00:01:11,719 care about him as a person as well, so we did not record this 19 00:01:11,760 --> 00:01:15,319 podcast and anticipate dumping on him after he entered league's health and safety protocols. 20 00:01:15,359 --> 00:01:19,599 Neither Andrew nor I said anything that was necessarily unfair about him, even though 21 00:01:19,599 --> 00:01:23,200 we do talk about his trade value around the league. Just wanted to clear 22 00:01:23,200 --> 00:01:27,760 that up, though, because I want to be sensitive and sympathetic to all 23 00:01:27,760 --> 00:01:30,519 these people that are in and out of lease health and safety protocols, because 24 00:01:30,560 --> 00:01:34,519 as we all know at this point, COVID is no motherfucking joke. With 25 00:01:34,640 --> 00:01:37,879 that out of the way, let's get to lots and lots and lots and 26 00:01:37,879 --> 00:01:42,159 lots and lots of Nick's talk with Nick Nick's film schools. Andrew Claudio, 27 00:01:42,599 --> 00:01:49,120 Andrew, welcome back to the Hardwood Knocks podcast. You dutifully responded to an 28 00:01:49,159 --> 00:01:53,879 Andrew Claudio signal to talk about dedication. You are a good friend. How 29 00:01:53,920 --> 00:01:59,200 are you doing, sir? I am great, Dan, I am excited 30 00:01:59,239 --> 00:02:04,040 to be here. The next of one three in a row Movies are out 31 00:02:04,280 --> 00:02:07,719 and they're not safe to go see. But we're going to figure out a 32 00:02:07,719 --> 00:02:12,840 way to get through this month of December in this season all at all, 33 00:02:13,120 --> 00:02:16,919 am I am spinning, spinning positive? Dan, How are you? I 34 00:02:16,960 --> 00:02:25,439 am spectacular relative to the world shambles so compared to that before, we belly 35 00:02:25,479 --> 00:02:29,599 flop because we're not gonna die. We're belly flopping, belly flopping. We're 36 00:02:29,639 --> 00:02:32,840 belly flopping into the next Do you have any upcoming projects at Final Review Pod? 37 00:02:34,080 --> 00:02:36,599 Not V as I mentioned at the top of the intro, but just 38 00:02:36,719 --> 00:02:39,439 Final Review Pod, Any projects, recent podcasts, anything you want to plug 39 00:02:39,479 --> 00:02:44,280 with that really quickly so our listeners can check it out. So I will 40 00:02:44,319 --> 00:02:49,639 say, for those of your listeners that have HBO Max and we're fans of 41 00:02:49,680 --> 00:02:53,919 the Matrix in nineteen ninety nine, the episode coming out this week is a 42 00:02:53,000 --> 00:02:57,759 deep dive on the original Matrix from nineteen ninety nine. We're doing a full 43 00:02:57,840 --> 00:03:02,639 final review of the movie Top five Keanu Reeves, top five of the Wachowskis 44 00:03:02,639 --> 00:03:07,639 who have a very interesting filmography. We're excluding the new one that is also 45 00:03:07,719 --> 00:03:13,919 on HBO Max. But if your listeners want to re explore the original trilogy. 46 00:03:14,039 --> 00:03:17,639 I was stunned by how much I thought we all hated the second two 47 00:03:17,680 --> 00:03:22,439 sequels and how much fun I had with them on a rewatch as an adult. 48 00:03:22,800 --> 00:03:27,840 They're nowhere near the tire fire that they were alleged to be in OH 49 00:03:28,000 --> 00:03:31,520 three. But they're not the masterpiece. Some people have tried through through revisionist 50 00:03:31,520 --> 00:03:35,759 history saying they are. Having said all of that, I think night Stand 51 00:03:35,800 --> 00:03:38,400 Unite is also a pretty big year for movies in like a turn of the 52 00:03:38,439 --> 00:03:42,599 century type of thing, the Y two K panic of it all, the 53 00:03:42,759 --> 00:03:46,680 like a lot of other things happened that year that led to a lot of 54 00:03:46,759 --> 00:03:52,879 state Right, yes, obviously that's going to be my number one of the 55 00:03:52,960 --> 00:04:00,080 category. We have actually have a really fun category on action individual action scene, 56 00:04:00,319 --> 00:04:03,439 which the matrix has like three candidates. Whether you want to go with 57 00:04:03,520 --> 00:04:09,400 the hallway scene or the lobby scene where they where Trinity runs up the side 58 00:04:09,400 --> 00:04:13,479 of the wall, whether you want to go with the final fight between Neo 59 00:04:13,599 --> 00:04:15,639 and Smith, or the one that I'm probably gonna end up going with, 60 00:04:15,720 --> 00:04:19,839 which is the bullet time where he dodges the bullets on the roof, which 61 00:04:20,160 --> 00:04:25,000 I still remember seeing it in a theater at real time and just not knowing. 62 00:04:25,399 --> 00:04:28,480 I didn't know movies could do that, so I obviously didn't know a 63 00:04:28,519 --> 00:04:31,560 person could do that. So I it's a deep time on the Matrix and 64 00:04:31,600 --> 00:04:38,000 then we'll be reviewing Matrix resurrections over the weekend. That's Final Review available wherever 65 00:04:38,079 --> 00:04:44,720 podcasts are available, follow them on Twitter at Final Review pods. Spelled exactly 66 00:04:44,759 --> 00:04:47,399 as it sounds. I'd probably rather talk about movies that I have not seen, 67 00:04:47,439 --> 00:04:49,920 by the way, I haven't seen a single second of any Matrix movie. 68 00:04:50,839 --> 00:04:54,680 Then the Knicks at this point, but we brought you on under the 69 00:04:54,720 --> 00:04:59,839 guise of talking about a Kemball Walker comeback and maybe a Knicks come back. 70 00:05:00,040 --> 00:05:01,600 And I know they've won three in a row, but it doesn't feel like 71 00:05:01,680 --> 00:05:08,560 it, that's for sure. After that abomination of a victory against the Detroit 72 00:05:08,920 --> 00:05:13,560 Distance G League team, the Kemba. I sent you questions about Kemba, 73 00:05:13,639 --> 00:05:15,759 but we have to change the discourse on him right now, all right ahead. 74 00:05:16,120 --> 00:05:19,160 He's had three bad games, Is it over? Was this a flash 75 00:05:19,160 --> 00:05:23,199 in the pan? What is just your theory behind what he was doing? 76 00:05:23,199 --> 00:05:28,000 Because he had he had some really high highs after being I guess forced back 77 00:05:28,040 --> 00:05:30,480 into the rotation because of the availability of the roster when he was out of 78 00:05:30,519 --> 00:05:34,040 it. But the past three games, and really the past two have been 79 00:05:34,199 --> 00:05:36,800 been pretty rough. Well, that's what I'll say. I'll push back a 80 00:05:36,879 --> 00:05:42,639 little bit and specifically point to the last two because the like I'm big on, 81 00:05:42,639 --> 00:05:45,600 triple doubles are not an indication of how good of a game you had. 82 00:05:45,639 --> 00:05:50,279 He shot really poorly on Christmas Day, but the offense ran so much 83 00:05:50,319 --> 00:05:56,680 more smoothly through him, which is what you saw during this Eastern Conference Player 84 00:05:56,720 --> 00:06:00,879 of the Week run that he had in that he wasn't in. He wasn't 85 00:06:00,040 --> 00:06:04,959 conceding or deferring to Julius more often because they were both trying to figure out 86 00:06:04,959 --> 00:06:09,759 their roles in an offense together. And this time he was being much more 87 00:06:09,759 --> 00:06:13,720 aggressive. He was driving more, was it finishing as much as you'd like, 88 00:06:13,879 --> 00:06:16,959 But now it looked like you were getting the juggernaut of kimber Walker that 89 00:06:17,079 --> 00:06:20,480 you expected as you were gonna be able to rely on when you signed him 90 00:06:20,480 --> 00:06:26,279 in the offseason, and the last two games, the Timberwolves and then the 91 00:06:26,319 --> 00:06:29,839 Pistons said we're just gonna trap timber Walker. He's not gonna be able to 92 00:06:29,959 --> 00:06:32,720 drive, and we're gonna make Julius Randall or Evan Fournier or r J. 93 00:06:32,920 --> 00:06:35,959 Barrett beat us. And guess who hasn't been able to beat them. It's 94 00:06:36,040 --> 00:06:41,800 Julius Randall and Evan Fournier and RJ. Barrett. And thankfully this benched unit 95 00:06:41,879 --> 00:06:46,279 of young studs has been able to kind of rescue them the last two days. 96 00:06:46,360 --> 00:06:48,920 Quickly, he's been pretty good the last two games. They eventually just 97 00:06:49,000 --> 00:06:54,680 kind of hung on against the Minnesota Timberwolves, and look the Timberwolves. The 98 00:06:55,319 --> 00:07:00,959 Pistons game last night was a bit of a low point I think for what 99 00:07:00,000 --> 00:07:03,680 the actual biggest problem with this team is. But as far as Kemba goes, 100 00:07:03,759 --> 00:07:10,480 I think he came back firing, just firing away, knowing this might 101 00:07:10,480 --> 00:07:15,480 be his last chance to consistently played right. So it was like but from 102 00:07:15,480 --> 00:07:20,079 the Boston game to then the Pistons where when he showed up then he scores 103 00:07:20,160 --> 00:07:25,600 forty four against the Wizards, It's like, Okay, Kemba's if he's gonna 104 00:07:25,639 --> 00:07:28,920 be this, this isn't the Kemba that got benched. Then he shows up 105 00:07:28,920 --> 00:07:32,319 on Christmas and when a shot wasn't falling was creating offense for other people. 106 00:07:32,720 --> 00:07:38,680 And if you left Christmas a little optimistic that maybe this is what the lineup 107 00:07:38,720 --> 00:07:44,800 is finally going to be going forward, your confidence in that has equally vanished 108 00:07:45,120 --> 00:07:48,279 as quickly over the last two games. So I when we were originally going 109 00:07:48,319 --> 00:07:53,560 to make this a Kemba Walker Comeback podcast, I was gonna tell you how 110 00:07:53,600 --> 00:07:58,680 my skepticism was there. I was excited to see, like what the next 111 00:07:58,720 --> 00:08:03,519 week or so looked like and see if Kemba could maintain some stability. But 112 00:08:03,639 --> 00:08:07,160 I looked at the fact that he's a guy, an older guy that just 113 00:08:07,199 --> 00:08:11,040 had twenty one days off that seemed to have shown up back to the lineup 114 00:08:11,439 --> 00:08:16,360 with a fury, and once that wears off and a couple of forty minute 115 00:08:16,399 --> 00:08:20,360 games from TIBs goes happens, I think there was gonna be a really steep 116 00:08:20,439 --> 00:08:24,600 drop off. And I think you've seen that the last two games. The 117 00:08:24,680 --> 00:08:28,920 two red flags were him ever sniffing anywhere near forty minutes, Yeah, it's 118 00:08:28,959 --> 00:08:31,840 going back, and then just the defensive effort and even the aggression on the 119 00:08:31,879 --> 00:08:35,440 glass. It was just like, this isn't even like, this isn't the 120 00:08:35,519 --> 00:08:39,000 Kemba we saw in Boston basically ever except for the start, and that wasn't 121 00:08:39,000 --> 00:08:41,759 even the rebound. His defense when he first went to Boston, and I 122 00:08:41,759 --> 00:08:46,480 always maintained in Charlotte that he was a better defender than credited, and I 123 00:08:46,639 --> 00:08:48,879 might have I've probably said that he was a defensive upgrade over Alfred Peyton coming 124 00:08:48,919 --> 00:08:52,799 to this season, which two, I wasn't out for Peyton. Seeing that, 125 00:08:52,919 --> 00:08:56,679 though, I think it was clear, Okay, this is a ride. 126 00:08:56,960 --> 00:09:00,279 Maybe we'll get maybe the Knicks will get more than a few games out 127 00:09:00,320 --> 00:09:01,720 of it, and we'll have to see if it's sustained. Like at any 128 00:09:01,840 --> 00:09:07,159 level, I still the thing I wanted to throw you. What he did, 129 00:09:07,279 --> 00:09:11,279 even when he was benched, is still really important to this team, 130 00:09:11,320 --> 00:09:15,279 which lacked someone even away from the Wren, who could consistently hit off the 131 00:09:15,360 --> 00:09:18,720 dribble jumpers. He again is their most or not again, he is their 132 00:09:18,759 --> 00:09:22,159 most efficient off the dribble jump shooter this season. For the entire year, 133 00:09:22,679 --> 00:09:26,159 he's one of four players shooting thirty seven percent or better on off the dribble 134 00:09:26,200 --> 00:09:28,120 threes and taking at least four a game. The only other players doing that 135 00:09:28,240 --> 00:09:31,960 are Zach Levine, Trey Young and Steph Curry or sorry, Garland Levine and 136 00:09:31,960 --> 00:09:37,879 Steph Curry, that ship matters. Did you agree with the decision to not 137 00:09:39,000 --> 00:09:41,600 just take him out of the starting lineup, but to foist him out of 138 00:09:41,600 --> 00:09:46,720 the rotation in the first place. At the time, yeah, I understood 139 00:09:46,720 --> 00:09:50,919 it at least. The thing that the take cycle hasn't really understand from, 140 00:09:50,960 --> 00:09:54,000 and I'll just say this with somebody who's seen every minute of every Knixt game 141 00:09:54,360 --> 00:10:00,679 this year, is that the starting lineup when Kemba was benched was like historically 142 00:10:01,159 --> 00:10:05,559 bad. There's that status account that just likes to post the graphic of your 143 00:10:05,720 --> 00:10:09,840 fate team's favorite player when something terrible goes wrong, and it's just an animation 144 00:10:09,879 --> 00:10:15,320 of them smiling. And the one they posted about the Knick starting five is 145 00:10:15,320 --> 00:10:20,360 like they have the worst plus minus of any five man lineup with this amount 146 00:10:20,360 --> 00:10:24,720 of minutes in NBA history. So something was broken. You can't and listen, 147 00:10:24,720 --> 00:10:28,399 this is three weeks ago, so maybe we'll get to it, but 148 00:10:28,519 --> 00:10:31,600 you can't bench Julius Randall at the time. The guy just made an All 149 00:10:31,679 --> 00:10:35,919 NBA team and an All Star team, and is had elevated his place on 150 00:10:35,960 --> 00:10:41,200 the team where he's earned the right to like struggle for the first twenty games. 151 00:10:41,639 --> 00:10:45,159 You're not gonna bench r J because he's in year three while his minutes 152 00:10:45,200 --> 00:10:48,960 and some concern his minutes had been cutting into some concern had you know crept 153 00:10:50,039 --> 00:10:54,399 In Evan forney a like you just signed him to three plus one, so 154 00:10:54,720 --> 00:10:58,360 you're not gonna bench him in the first year of a contract like that. 155 00:11:00,080 --> 00:11:03,320 And then the other option, like Mitchell Robinson did get ben So the other 156 00:11:03,320 --> 00:11:09,080 option is is kemba Walker who if Tims didn't view him as a starter, 157 00:11:09,279 --> 00:11:13,600 which is what he said, then fine. I think the more realistic reaction 158 00:11:13,720 --> 00:11:16,559 is like, I don't want to start Derrick Rose. I don't want to 159 00:11:16,559 --> 00:11:20,799 start a manual quickly, which is why he moved Burkes into the starting rotation. 160 00:11:22,440 --> 00:11:26,960 Which listen, we'll talk about Julius in a second. I'm sure I 161 00:11:26,039 --> 00:11:31,039 think the move was with the idea that we need to kick start this starting 162 00:11:31,039 --> 00:11:37,360 five led by Julius Randall being the focal point, and this was his attempt 163 00:11:37,399 --> 00:11:39,600 to do it. I also think people playing the result about how the Knicks 164 00:11:39,639 --> 00:11:43,799 went like what two and seven, two and eight over that stretch that was 165 00:11:43,879 --> 00:11:48,600 a very brutal part of their schedule. They've played a lot of good teams 166 00:11:48,879 --> 00:11:52,240 in those ten games, and then Kemba comes back and they're playing all these 167 00:11:52,240 --> 00:11:56,759 bottom feeders and taking teams where they can survive, you know, a bad 168 00:11:56,799 --> 00:12:01,600 performance like we saw last night, and then just the backups come in and 169 00:12:01,759 --> 00:12:05,919 you know the league is kind of playing shorthanded because of COVID and that benefit 170 00:12:05,080 --> 00:12:07,799 well, like they've they've benefited. The Knicks are benefiting now the fact that 171 00:12:07,840 --> 00:12:13,320 they had COVID two weeks ago, which is when you know that stretch of 172 00:12:13,399 --> 00:12:16,120 Kemba being benched happened. And then at a certain point the only way Kemba 173 00:12:16,159 --> 00:12:20,519 got back in is because the Knicks were eight guys down and like Derek Rose 174 00:12:22,080 --> 00:12:24,679 is now gonna miss your months, So it turned into out of necessity he 175 00:12:24,799 --> 00:12:31,639 came back. And I think that the Kemba we saw that one player of 176 00:12:31,720 --> 00:12:35,320 the week wasn't the one that got bench. The Kemba we've seen the last 177 00:12:35,360 --> 00:12:39,320 two games with the struggling starting five is and it's why like, yeah, 178 00:12:39,320 --> 00:12:43,600 you could say the defensive effort is there. He's still getting like owned on 179 00:12:43,639 --> 00:12:48,320 defensive closeouts, like on for three you can get whatever bucket you want on 180 00:12:48,440 --> 00:12:52,279 him if you catch him like five feet from the basket, which teams have. 181 00:12:52,919 --> 00:12:58,120 So it's really just his offense that had really taken a step up over 182 00:12:58,159 --> 00:13:03,120 the last over the last those three games stretch, and you know, we'll 183 00:13:03,120 --> 00:13:05,919 see what happens. You're now going forward that some of the regression when they 184 00:13:07,000 --> 00:13:09,600 kicking, Yeah, I was. I was understanding of why they did it, 185 00:13:09,720 --> 00:13:13,799 while not while also I think every Knicks fan said this while acknowledging that 186 00:13:13,879 --> 00:13:18,559 Kema Walker isn't like the problem, He's just part of a larger problem. 187 00:13:20,080 --> 00:13:22,440 I ended up somewhere around there where it was I didn't think there was actually 188 00:13:22,519 --> 00:13:26,440 a solution or a realistic one that a change that they could have made that 189 00:13:26,480 --> 00:13:31,039 really would have reinvigorated what ails the most, which feels like a bunch of 190 00:13:31,039 --> 00:13:33,399 different things at this point where they're so deep yet they feel like they're at 191 00:13:33,399 --> 00:13:37,519 a talent deficit at the same time, which is just a weird spot to 192 00:13:37,559 --> 00:13:41,279 be. And the thing I took issue with is I thought removing Kemba cow 193 00:13:41,360 --> 00:13:45,480 too too much to the player that Julius Randall became next season. It was 194 00:13:45,519 --> 00:13:50,279 sort of to me like this admission that he needed to be in more control, 195 00:13:50,360 --> 00:13:52,200 and I think picking Alec Burk's over I get why you wouldn't want to 196 00:13:52,200 --> 00:13:56,639 start Derek Rozer manual quickly, but also making Alec Burks like the quote unquote 197 00:13:56,679 --> 00:14:01,120 point guard was also another admission of this needs to be Julius Randall's show, 198 00:14:01,360 --> 00:14:05,279 and aside from him not playing well enough to earn that, it's also at 199 00:14:05,320 --> 00:14:09,559 some point if Julius Randall. What was interesting to me about the Kemba edition 200 00:14:09,600 --> 00:14:11,519 and some of the other editions than this Nicks made over the offseason is I 201 00:14:11,559 --> 00:14:16,960 wanted to see Julius Randall in a more streamline offensive role, and he's looked 202 00:14:16,960 --> 00:14:20,000 like he struggled. He did do a little bit better playing off Kemba I 203 00:14:20,000 --> 00:14:24,799 Felix since Kemba came back, but he struggled to not even just do what 204 00:14:24,799 --> 00:14:26,559 he did last season, but to play off others, and like that's a 205 00:14:26,600 --> 00:14:33,000 scalability problem for them. And I value too much even just the idea of 206 00:14:33,080 --> 00:14:35,360 Kemba, especially if you're not gonna have Derek Grows or IQ on the chords 207 00:14:35,399 --> 00:14:39,240 where I would have benched Fournier. That is not because I didn't watch any 208 00:14:39,320 --> 00:14:43,559 Nick games, as many people were claiming that that's anyone who said that they 209 00:14:43,559 --> 00:14:46,840 should bench Fourmia. Yes, there was probably an oversimplification there, but the 210 00:14:46,840 --> 00:14:48,440 immediate was, oh, you haven't watched any Nick games this year. I 211 00:14:48,559 --> 00:14:54,279 just thought that decision it couto too much to a player that Julius Randall right 212 00:14:54,320 --> 00:15:01,080 now clearly is not. But how do you ben in that situation? Now 213 00:15:01,120 --> 00:15:05,000 he's done, he's under contract for now three years like benching him? Are 214 00:15:05,039 --> 00:15:07,879 you saying put him in the second unit or bench? First of all, 215 00:15:07,879 --> 00:15:09,639 I wouldn't have removed Camba from the rotation. I know now you have three 216 00:15:09,639 --> 00:15:15,120 small guards on the bench. I would play all three small guards at the 217 00:15:15,120 --> 00:15:16,919 same time and just not care. I would just I would like I would 218 00:15:16,919 --> 00:15:20,919 have found a way I would have promoted an actual point guard or more of 219 00:15:20,960 --> 00:15:24,519 a floor general, more of a more of a non out Burks player to 220 00:15:24,519 --> 00:15:26,879 the starting lineup. Is what I would have done the first place, even 221 00:15:26,919 --> 00:15:28,840 if you would have. But if it was four and yeah, yes, 222 00:15:28,879 --> 00:15:33,120 it's easier. You could move him to the second unit and then promote Burks. 223 00:15:33,120 --> 00:15:37,679 And it's kind of like a similar dynamic. I and look, I 224 00:15:37,720 --> 00:15:41,519 think at some point and four Day's had some high highs this year. But 225 00:15:41,720 --> 00:15:45,759 he's the streakiest. He's a streakiest shooter I've ever watched. He's a he's 226 00:15:45,799 --> 00:15:48,759 a you're you're used to follow baseball, right, like you remember playing named 227 00:15:48,799 --> 00:15:52,799 Lucas Duda. He used to play for the Mets. So like Duda would 228 00:15:52,840 --> 00:15:58,120 bat two ten all season and then in three separate weeks throughout the year would 229 00:15:58,159 --> 00:16:02,679 just have like nine runs in each week. That's Fournier where it's like he'll 230 00:16:02,720 --> 00:16:07,679 have four straight games maybe even like thirty five straight minutes of the worst basketball 231 00:16:07,720 --> 00:16:11,600 player you've ever seen, then for two minutes straight, oh four or five 232 00:16:11,639 --> 00:16:15,159 from three, and there's this effective vehicle percentage going up, which is why, 233 00:16:15,200 --> 00:16:18,399 like you let him keep shooting. And I think a shot diet this 234 00:16:18,440 --> 00:16:22,639 season has been different from what he's normally gotten, which is why he struggled 235 00:16:22,639 --> 00:16:26,120 to really find like what shots he's supposed to take, what shots he wants 236 00:16:26,159 --> 00:16:30,840 to take. Look where I think we're both hinting at the actual biggest problem 237 00:16:30,879 --> 00:16:34,759 with the team. Whether they bench Canberra bench Fournier or not, the biggest 238 00:16:34,799 --> 00:16:38,720 issue with this team is that they showed up this year with what they thought 239 00:16:38,799 --> 00:16:44,960 was a guarantee in Julius Randall, and he's been anything but. And last 240 00:16:45,039 --> 00:16:48,399 night against the Pistons was the breaking point because it wasn't just going two of 241 00:16:48,440 --> 00:16:53,120 eleven with five points against the G League version of a five and twenty eight 242 00:16:53,159 --> 00:16:57,759 team. It's the effort. It's the lack of hustle. It's the body 243 00:16:57,840 --> 00:17:02,039 langue, which is the arguing with the refs that we've watched all season, 244 00:17:02,480 --> 00:17:06,559 and it's that he wants to be treated like a superstar but he's not playing 245 00:17:06,680 --> 00:17:11,519 like one. And it's seeped into every other element of the team to the 246 00:17:11,599 --> 00:17:15,559 point where like, no shit, Kemba Walker wasn't playing well next to him, 247 00:17:15,559 --> 00:17:19,759 No shit. RJ. Barrett's been struggling next to him. Fortyer has 248 00:17:19,799 --> 00:17:23,480 been horror, has been struggled to find a role next to him. Anybody 249 00:17:23,480 --> 00:17:27,519 you put into the starting five next to Julius Randall has played horribly. So 250 00:17:27,599 --> 00:17:32,359 no wonder Alec Burks looks bad in the starting five for two weeks, goes 251 00:17:32,400 --> 00:17:37,640 back to the bench and saves their as last night, it's from ruined Alex 252 00:17:37,720 --> 00:17:41,400 Burks against the League Pistons. That is just which that sentence is a real 253 00:17:41,480 --> 00:17:45,319 thing, you know, like, so I gotta plug my buddy in Knicks 254 00:17:45,319 --> 00:17:51,599 film school John macray and his newsletter today, he had a chart of like 255 00:17:51,680 --> 00:18:00,160 the Knicks main nine rotation pieces, every single player has a significantly lower on 256 00:18:00,240 --> 00:18:04,039 off net rating then when they're with Julius Randall. Then when they're not with 257 00:18:04,119 --> 00:18:10,039 Julius Randall. Every single player is better when they're not playing next to him 258 00:18:10,319 --> 00:18:14,119 than when they are, which leads to the bigger issue that this team has, 259 00:18:14,480 --> 00:18:18,359 and it's that the one hundred and forty million dollar man whose extension hasn't 260 00:18:18,400 --> 00:18:22,759 even kicked in yet, has been anything but the player that they signed long 261 00:18:22,880 --> 00:18:26,920 term. Yeah, and you know, I will say a lot of those 262 00:18:26,960 --> 00:18:30,799 minutes when you're not playing with Julius Randall, they're coming against probably weaker lineups, 263 00:18:30,839 --> 00:18:33,839 which helps. But he has been bad enough to where I think that's 264 00:18:33,839 --> 00:18:37,240 stat is salient. And when you look at his breakdown from this year compared 265 00:18:37,319 --> 00:18:41,160 to last year, they've done and this comes back to me saying I think 266 00:18:41,200 --> 00:18:44,720 they've pandered too much to him. When you look at his like shot type, 267 00:18:44,720 --> 00:18:48,079 breakdown, touch time, they're pretty similar to last year. And when 268 00:18:48,119 --> 00:18:52,119 you added Fournier and Kemba still had rows. Alec Burks is in the equation 269 00:18:52,400 --> 00:18:56,000 you want to groom. RJ. Barrett I would almost argue that's a problem. 270 00:18:56,039 --> 00:19:00,559 And the efficiency on just a lot of those looks is plum. He's 271 00:19:00,599 --> 00:19:03,279 not shooting. He's at forty two point three percent affect the field goal percentage 272 00:19:03,279 --> 00:19:07,920 on jumpers. That's more than eight percentage points down from last year. But 273 00:19:07,960 --> 00:19:11,519 you also watch him and it's not even just a matter of him not hitting 274 00:19:11,519 --> 00:19:15,680 shots he was making last year. There have been a higher percentage of his 275 00:19:15,880 --> 00:19:18,400 He has a lower usage rate, higher turnover rate, and it's not even 276 00:19:18,440 --> 00:19:22,680 like he's trying to make the right decision. He's losing the ball in a 277 00:19:22,680 --> 00:19:26,000 lot of these instances. And his defense has been atrocious this season. I 278 00:19:26,000 --> 00:19:30,720 don't think he needed to be career best. Julius Randall, who was very 279 00:19:30,799 --> 00:19:34,839 much not just playing to have this year's salary picked up. He was playing 280 00:19:34,880 --> 00:19:38,079 for an extension that he got, so you expect like a little slip off, 281 00:19:38,200 --> 00:19:42,200 and Tim's definitely overlied him in last year. He's been in atrocity on 282 00:19:42,279 --> 00:19:48,119 the defensive end, and it's I'm just curious as to now that we're more 283 00:19:48,160 --> 00:19:49,400 than a third of the way through the season. Whatever we are through the 284 00:19:49,440 --> 00:19:52,920 season, I've lost track of time, game standings, all that. Shit. 285 00:19:53,319 --> 00:19:56,400 What is the concern level here about this moving ahead? Because, as 286 00:19:56,400 --> 00:20:02,839 you mentioned, this extension has not kicking yet. Yeah, yeah, it's 287 00:20:02,920 --> 00:20:07,000 it's we're in Defcon five here, Dan, Like, I don't want to 288 00:20:07,039 --> 00:20:11,920 say it's like in an untradeable contract at this point. But look, I 289 00:20:11,960 --> 00:20:18,200 tweeted about this last night, what Julius Randall was last year during a time 290 00:20:18,240 --> 00:20:21,440 where a lot of us, I mean, I'm sure everybody in the country 291 00:20:21,480 --> 00:20:23,960 could relate to this, a lot of us needed something just fun to root 292 00:20:25,039 --> 00:20:30,720 for. And the redemption story that Julius Randall was. He gave a lot 293 00:20:30,799 --> 00:20:36,559 of Knicks fans while what was happening in Brooklyn was like a thing, like 294 00:20:36,599 --> 00:20:40,720 they chose to go there. They chose the Nets over the Knicks. And 295 00:20:40,799 --> 00:20:44,680 twenty nineteen, that summer was the lowest point I think for a lot of 296 00:20:44,759 --> 00:20:49,759 us, realizing how far the Mighty have fallen. And then like Julius Randall 297 00:20:49,960 --> 00:20:55,599 shows up after all of us have been stuck inside for nine months and turned 298 00:20:55,680 --> 00:21:00,880 himself into an All NBA player and gave the team an identity and a leader 299 00:21:00,279 --> 00:21:04,039 that fans could buy into. And I did it. I bought into it. 300 00:21:04,119 --> 00:21:08,400 I like fell in love with the Randall story. His player tribute article 301 00:21:08,759 --> 00:21:14,119 was like heartfell he recognized, like I knew I had to be better, 302 00:21:14,359 --> 00:21:18,400 and a lot of us thought, Okay, this is our guy going forward, 303 00:21:18,799 --> 00:21:21,559 which is why when the extension happened, we thought, oh we got 304 00:21:21,599 --> 00:21:23,839 him at a bargain. Are you kidding me? He could have waited a 305 00:21:23,920 --> 00:21:29,680 year and then gotten an extension off of free agency, he could attested the 306 00:21:29,720 --> 00:21:33,279 market INSTEADY signs for less. This is a great deal he's making Gordon Hayward 307 00:21:33,279 --> 00:21:38,440 of money. Absolutely, Julius Randall, you're our guy. And now if 308 00:21:38,480 --> 00:21:42,240 he's gonna be this where he's so detrimental because you mentioned like most of the 309 00:21:42,319 --> 00:21:48,279 plus the off the on off net ratings are against backups, that doesn't explain 310 00:21:48,480 --> 00:21:52,599 why, like Alec Burks is like such a bad player with him on the 311 00:21:52,640 --> 00:21:55,440 floor next to Julius. I guess you're just saying, when Juliet, when 312 00:21:55,880 --> 00:21:59,119 Burks is off the floor, when Julius is off the floor, Burks, 313 00:21:59,119 --> 00:22:02,920 it's because he's playing with back with the backup five. Then just put Albi 314 00:22:03,039 --> 00:22:07,640 Topping into that, because that's the other element of this that people are frustrated 315 00:22:07,640 --> 00:22:11,839 with in New York is that how much better they're not just without Julius but 316 00:22:12,000 --> 00:22:17,720 with Obie. And it adds this element of like a guy that isn't a 317 00:22:17,759 --> 00:22:23,559 ball stopper, that isn't like this this black hole of productive basketball. And 318 00:22:23,599 --> 00:22:30,920 look, the trade Randall, bench Randall, sit Randall calls have started with 319 00:22:30,119 --> 00:22:34,119 Knicks fans and they're only gonna get louder if this is the version of him 320 00:22:34,160 --> 00:22:40,480 that is under contract for the next four years. And I'm not taking a 321 00:22:40,599 --> 00:22:42,400 victory lap here because I was very much wrong about Julius Randall. He would 322 00:22:42,400 --> 00:22:48,640 winked me last season when we recorded a podcast right before he signed his extension, 323 00:22:48,720 --> 00:22:51,839 my co host and I my co host Adam asked me if I would 324 00:22:51,839 --> 00:22:56,079 sign Julius Randall with the extension, and I said yes. But the whole 325 00:22:56,119 --> 00:22:59,920 issue here is that not only was last year and outlier season, it was 326 00:23:00,000 --> 00:23:03,880 one that the Knicks didn't even see coming because they drafted Obie Topping in the 327 00:23:03,880 --> 00:23:07,480 first place. That really got me thinking. But I got caught up in 328 00:23:07,880 --> 00:23:10,519 the fact that I'm very much I want to see players get paid, and 329 00:23:10,559 --> 00:23:12,640 he had a legitimate whether he should have been second team All MBA. He 330 00:23:12,720 --> 00:23:18,680 had a very legitimate all MBA case last year, and when you look at 331 00:23:18,720 --> 00:23:21,119 what the extension was going to pay him, there was a chance, as 332 00:23:21,160 --> 00:23:23,440 you mentioned, that it became somewhat of a bargain at least a net plus 333 00:23:23,519 --> 00:23:26,000 contract, because it's not actually what his full max would have been had he 334 00:23:26,079 --> 00:23:32,880 hit the open market this year. I don't they were they should not have 335 00:23:32,920 --> 00:23:34,559 sign him to the extension. I think it's just clear they should have made 336 00:23:34,599 --> 00:23:38,119 This is the cold Talus business perspective. In me, You either he either 337 00:23:38,240 --> 00:23:41,680 needed to give you another discount off the top, or you make him play 338 00:23:41,680 --> 00:23:45,839 out this season and roll your dice on the free agency market next year, 339 00:23:45,880 --> 00:23:48,680 because the difference in what he would have been paid would have been substantial. 340 00:23:48,880 --> 00:23:51,880 But I think you also need to look like, what team, knowing that 341 00:23:51,920 --> 00:23:55,680 the cap space landscape was going to be so constrained this upcoming summer, what 342 00:23:55,759 --> 00:23:59,200 team wanted Julius Reynolds. It's number one type option, and the thing that's 343 00:23:59,240 --> 00:24:03,880 always I wondered about Randall and thought I thought again, I thought this was 344 00:24:03,920 --> 00:24:07,079 the right mood so I'm not taking victory of that. Here is what happens 345 00:24:07,079 --> 00:24:11,160 when he's not anywhere near the focal point, or when his role is attempted 346 00:24:11,200 --> 00:24:15,680 to be adjusted at all, and the Knicks haven't even given him that opportunity. 347 00:24:15,720 --> 00:24:19,160 And if you need to be basically the number one on a team and 348 00:24:19,279 --> 00:24:23,759 can't be anything less and still be effective, there are big problems there. 349 00:24:23,920 --> 00:24:30,079 And so my the take that I've been ruminating on, and at this point, 350 00:24:30,119 --> 00:24:33,119 if I were the Knicks, if I could get off of Julius Randall's 351 00:24:33,160 --> 00:24:37,680 contract without getting actual value in return, and I was just able to escape 352 00:24:37,680 --> 00:24:41,119 the money he has played so bad, I don't know if I would green 353 00:24:41,200 --> 00:24:45,720 light that. I am heavily considering it. Maybe I'm getting too caught up 354 00:24:45,720 --> 00:24:48,559 in the moment, but that's what I've been thinking about for the past month 355 00:24:48,640 --> 00:24:52,640 or so, is that if you gave me an out of Julius Randall's contract, 356 00:24:52,640 --> 00:24:56,160 if the flipper said, here's Eric Bletzo and Sergeibaka and you're just getting 357 00:24:56,200 --> 00:24:59,599 a spot. I'm not even kidding. I am considering that because this is 358 00:25:00,519 --> 00:25:03,200 and you're itching to speak, and I want you to speak. So it's 359 00:25:03,279 --> 00:25:07,319 just this is So if this is the new Julius Randoll, or even if 360 00:25:07,359 --> 00:25:11,400 he's not even close to the version he was last year, you've kind of 361 00:25:11,440 --> 00:25:15,279 trapped yourself because I think we all knew Julius Randol can't be the number one 362 00:25:15,640 --> 00:25:19,119 on a title contender. I don't even see the version of a Julius Ryandoll 363 00:25:19,160 --> 00:25:22,759 that makes sense as a number two, because I'm not actually sure that his 364 00:25:22,920 --> 00:25:26,319 game can scale down to that level or his usage, I should say, 365 00:25:26,359 --> 00:25:33,799 if that makes any sense. So a couple of things. Your your sentiment 366 00:25:33,920 --> 00:25:37,759 about getting Julius out of here is something that's been brewing amongst all Knicks fans, 367 00:25:37,759 --> 00:25:41,000 so you're not alone. And he seems like a good guy by the 368 00:25:41,039 --> 00:25:45,079 way I think this is. This is not personal. That's the thing about 369 00:25:45,119 --> 00:25:47,720 about this. We're not saying this because I don't know what's going on with 370 00:25:47,839 --> 00:25:49,920 him, like if something's happening off the court, all that effort he put 371 00:25:49,920 --> 00:25:52,519 into the last year, So I want to make that clear, Like I 372 00:25:52,599 --> 00:25:56,440 recognize all the emotional turmoil everyone's dealing with, and he had a hell of 373 00:25:56,480 --> 00:25:59,920 a year last year. But like I said, just from the cold callis 374 00:26:00,039 --> 00:26:03,319 business perspective. Please take the speaking beaton again for me as I continue rambling, 375 00:26:03,559 --> 00:26:07,680 you're good. The thing that's most disheartening for me is like we didn't 376 00:26:07,680 --> 00:26:12,440 just buy into Julius Randall, the player I brought into Julius Randall like the 377 00:26:12,559 --> 00:26:18,599 father. Kaiden is like an adopted son amongst Knicks fans, like his birthday 378 00:26:18,680 --> 00:26:21,319 was a couple of weeks ago, and seeing Julius though the coolest. They 379 00:26:21,319 --> 00:26:23,039 had a toy story, excuse me, not a toy story, a space 380 00:26:23,119 --> 00:26:27,640 Jam themed birthday party. Dan I wish I had been invited, like Obie 381 00:26:27,759 --> 00:26:33,519 Topping got Kaid in a Poppa shot for his birthday. So like across the 382 00:26:33,599 --> 00:26:37,799 board, we were all in on the Randall's becoming the first family of Knicks 383 00:26:37,799 --> 00:26:41,759 basketball. And they did that video of him announced I think it was Julia 384 00:26:41,160 --> 00:26:45,400 when Kaid and gave him the Most super Player Award trophy, Like we all 385 00:26:45,440 --> 00:26:48,240 were like, yeah, this is this is like a story we can all 386 00:26:48,279 --> 00:26:52,799 get behind. We have all become like part of the Randall family, or 387 00:26:52,880 --> 00:26:56,079 they've become part of the Knicks family. Like the sentimental gushy stuff that sports 388 00:26:56,400 --> 00:27:02,200 doesn't let you see sometimes because it's just play better or play play, play 389 00:27:02,240 --> 00:27:07,880 better, or you're gone didn't exist last year. The trade Randall stuff, 390 00:27:07,319 --> 00:27:11,599 if this is gonna be him, has started February third, because of the 391 00:27:11,640 --> 00:27:17,640 extension that he signed is the earliest he can be traded, and that's become 392 00:27:17,720 --> 00:27:19,759 the new deadline for Nicks fans. It's like, as soon as that happens, 393 00:27:21,240 --> 00:27:25,880 Canna Blake Griffin scenario, what the Clippers did to him happened where they 394 00:27:25,920 --> 00:27:27,960 signed him, and then the first chance they got, they will like go 395 00:27:29,039 --> 00:27:34,519 to Detroit have fun. Look, the other part of this, and you 396 00:27:34,559 --> 00:27:38,640 mentioned him, and I hinted at it last when I was last talking with 397 00:27:38,839 --> 00:27:44,279 Burke's and the other guys that have been successful, is that Obi Toppin has 398 00:27:44,319 --> 00:27:49,160 looked incredible this season in limited minutes. And the part of the limited minutes 399 00:27:49,200 --> 00:27:55,720 that frustrates everybody is because if Obi looked great in limited minutes but Julius was 400 00:27:55,799 --> 00:27:57,960 hitting the long twos and the threes like he did last year, I don't 401 00:27:57,960 --> 00:28:02,799 think anybody would be upset because it would just be like, we need Obie 402 00:28:02,880 --> 00:28:07,200 to play more next to Randall. Now it's like there's no real there's no 403 00:28:07,240 --> 00:28:11,720 real reasoning if this is the Julius Randall we're gonna see that Obi Toppin should 404 00:28:11,720 --> 00:28:15,720 be playing eleven minutes a game. There's no reason. Like against the Timberwolves 405 00:28:15,759 --> 00:28:21,039 the other night, Obie got eleven, Randall got thirty eights, and Randall 406 00:28:21,079 --> 00:28:25,599 went five of twenty and they only beat the short handed, short handed Timberwolves 407 00:28:25,599 --> 00:28:30,839 by I think eight points that night. Like that can't happen. And to 408 00:28:30,880 --> 00:28:34,880 your other point about the role that Julists can play, I do think next 409 00:28:34,920 --> 00:28:40,519 to a point guard that next to a point guard, like I'm listen, 410 00:28:40,519 --> 00:28:42,839 I'm just throwing random names out there, but like Dame, like a Ben 411 00:28:42,920 --> 00:28:45,920 Simmons, like like Kemba, like the way we saw it, for a 412 00:28:45,960 --> 00:28:52,279 couple of games where someone else is running the offense, he can be successful. 413 00:28:52,319 --> 00:28:56,000 I do think there is a role like that in Julius. The problems 414 00:28:56,079 --> 00:28:57,960 he has to hit shots and the long tunes just aren't falling this year, 415 00:28:59,200 --> 00:29:03,599 the threes aren't full this year, and look he's just he's if those aren't 416 00:29:03,599 --> 00:29:07,559 gonna fall his shot, Diet's gonna look completely different that then, yeah, 417 00:29:06,960 --> 00:29:12,039 they've handcuffed themselves to this guy that if he's not gonna be a productive jump 418 00:29:12,079 --> 00:29:15,480 shooter anymore than what do you even have in him If he's just gonna like 419 00:29:15,519 --> 00:29:19,759 be a Brian Grant all of a sudden, it's not something you want, 420 00:29:21,000 --> 00:29:26,240 especially when it's Brian Grant with Kobe's shot selection. Yeah, and I don't 421 00:29:26,240 --> 00:29:29,240 even know if he works as a in theory like the pick and pop stuff, 422 00:29:29,240 --> 00:29:30,440 if he's gonna hit his jumpers like you said, that's fine. Yeah, 423 00:29:30,440 --> 00:29:33,279 I don't even know if he works as a rim runner like that. 424 00:29:33,400 --> 00:29:37,680 If you're gonna do that with Julius Randall, it's like play Obie topping a 425 00:29:37,759 --> 00:29:40,599 bunch. Well, okay, that's the that's the argument. If you're gonna 426 00:29:40,640 --> 00:29:42,279 just make him a runner, Obie's the guy, Like, get him out 427 00:29:42,319 --> 00:29:47,160 here and let Obie do it. I will say, like some of Julia's 428 00:29:47,319 --> 00:29:51,519 most successful moments this year is when the Nicks get him running downhill and it's 429 00:29:51,559 --> 00:29:55,359 not just like catch the ball on the wing and do something which leads to 430 00:29:55,440 --> 00:30:00,160 a jump shot, you know, like a long too, and it's at 431 00:30:00,240 --> 00:30:03,400 him in motion going downhill towards the rim. Because he's been a fine finisher 432 00:30:03,880 --> 00:30:10,279 this year. Like, I will say that the issue is not like whether 433 00:30:10,359 --> 00:30:12,759 or not Julius can do it. It's that they have an elite version of 434 00:30:12,799 --> 00:30:17,720 it as his backup right now, So what is most impressed you about Obie 435 00:30:17,720 --> 00:30:21,880 Topping this year? His role is not big enough. I do wonder what 436 00:30:21,880 --> 00:30:26,119 he would look like if you do and like make his role bigger? Is 437 00:30:26,160 --> 00:30:30,279 can he? I mean part of when you just watch the Knicks play Obi 438 00:30:30,359 --> 00:30:34,119 Toppins and there's really no way to measure there's aside from the speed at which 439 00:30:34,160 --> 00:30:38,759 they play. Obi Toppin's energy is just infectious, the good kind of infectious 440 00:30:40,000 --> 00:30:42,359 and not unlike anything else we've been dealing with lately the past couple of years. 441 00:30:42,720 --> 00:30:45,920 But what else is impression most about him? And do you see what 442 00:30:45,960 --> 00:30:51,799 he's able to do sustaining over a larger role. And the thing I'll add 443 00:30:51,799 --> 00:30:53,680 on top of that is, even if it can't, you need to do 444 00:30:53,720 --> 00:30:57,319 a better job of exploring the threshold of Obie Topping than what you are now. 445 00:30:57,960 --> 00:31:00,400 He's this is year two. Like, find out how many minutes per 446 00:31:00,400 --> 00:31:03,000 game he can play, because we know it's more than he's been getting this 447 00:31:03,039 --> 00:31:06,920 season. But if you don't think he's a thirty to thirty three minute per 448 00:31:07,000 --> 00:31:10,160 game player or whatever it is, find that out You haven't even given the 449 00:31:10,160 --> 00:31:14,039 opportunity to beat that yet. And again, a lot of that goes back 450 00:31:14,079 --> 00:31:17,680 to I'll answer your question, I promise you said the answer. The answer 451 00:31:17,720 --> 00:31:21,559 is energy of what's impressed you about Obi. He as soon as the Knicks 452 00:31:21,559 --> 00:31:25,680 get the ball on an offensive rebound or on a defensive rebound, it's they're 453 00:31:25,680 --> 00:31:27,599 turning to have the ball. He's like already on the other side of the 454 00:31:27,640 --> 00:31:32,559 court. And there's a clip that one of our film guys posted a couple 455 00:31:32,559 --> 00:31:37,839 of weeks ago of Obi literally just running suicides from baseline to baseline on like 456 00:31:37,920 --> 00:31:41,200 four straight possessions, and he made it to the rim both times, block 457 00:31:41,240 --> 00:31:44,119 to shot, try to lay up, blocked the shot, dunked it, 458 00:31:44,160 --> 00:31:47,119 and it's like, oh, was the first man down to the other side 459 00:31:47,160 --> 00:31:53,680 of the court every time. The issue with Obie's minutes is solely to do 460 00:31:53,839 --> 00:31:57,279 with the fact that Julius did what he did last year, and Tibbs has 461 00:31:57,319 --> 00:32:00,640 clearly given him car blanch to try and do it again. We're not now 462 00:32:00,759 --> 00:32:06,599 thirty six games in, thirty five games in, and I wonder if last 463 00:32:06,680 --> 00:32:09,680 night was the moment you start to see it turned that the Knicks looked dead 464 00:32:09,880 --> 00:32:14,480 against the Pistons for three and a half. For two and a half quarters, 465 00:32:14,960 --> 00:32:20,359 Obie and the backups come in and the energy just is elevated, and 466 00:32:20,759 --> 00:32:22,400 like, this is something that I wanted to see them do when we talked 467 00:32:22,519 --> 00:32:25,200 before the season, Dan, I wanted to see Obie play the five or 468 00:32:25,200 --> 00:32:30,640 at least Obie Randall lineups together because I thought like that, I want to 469 00:32:30,640 --> 00:32:32,279 see what that looks like. I want to see when the Knicks goes small 470 00:32:32,400 --> 00:32:37,359 and if that energy can still kick in. Like to Julius his credit, 471 00:32:37,480 --> 00:32:42,440 he's still passing a ton because they they teams saw what the Hawks did last 472 00:32:42,480 --> 00:32:45,519 year and have been doing the exact same thing for most of this year. 473 00:32:45,559 --> 00:32:49,440 The problem is the jump shots are also falling like they did in the Hawks 474 00:32:49,519 --> 00:32:54,680 series last year, so the regression has been real. Obie Toppin's energy, 475 00:32:54,720 --> 00:33:00,160 Obie Toppin's athleticism. His per thirty six right now is nineteen and eight. 476 00:33:00,200 --> 00:33:05,000 Now, I get a lot of that is inflated because he's playing like thirteen 477 00:33:05,039 --> 00:33:07,880 minutes a game. I'll excuse me, He's up to sixteen minutes a game 478 00:33:07,920 --> 00:33:14,319 at this point. Yeah, there you go, Tibbs. I'm not as 479 00:33:15,480 --> 00:33:20,119 I'm not. Until recently, I haven't been as crazy about the OBI minutes 480 00:33:20,160 --> 00:33:23,799 because I actually think in short spurts it provides them energy. And it's why 481 00:33:23,799 --> 00:33:29,039 the bench has been such a weapon. That if the starting five could just 482 00:33:29,200 --> 00:33:31,839 play, even for as long as they do, and then the bench builds 483 00:33:31,880 --> 00:33:36,680 like a fifteen point lead, then there's your offense. There's the thing that 484 00:33:36,720 --> 00:33:40,240 Tibbs is actually created. Is this bench unit that is the Knick's most valuable 485 00:33:40,279 --> 00:33:44,559 weapon that teams can't beat, which is honestly how they beat teams last year, 486 00:33:45,359 --> 00:33:47,920 and that's the starting lineup has regressed so far that every time the bench 487 00:33:49,000 --> 00:33:52,759 comes in, it seems like they're digging them out of a hole. And 488 00:33:52,799 --> 00:33:55,440 Obie's been a main been a main cog of that I've been. I'd also 489 00:33:55,480 --> 00:34:00,119 like to see you with thirty minutes of OBI looks like. I think there's 490 00:34:00,119 --> 00:34:04,480 a game that they had a couple of weeks ago against Toronto where the Knicks 491 00:34:04,480 --> 00:34:07,960 had just started to get their COVID hit and I figured this was Obie's best 492 00:34:07,960 --> 00:34:09,840 game, and then the next day went into health and safety protocols. That 493 00:34:09,920 --> 00:34:12,960 was a rule for a little bit. You had a good game, had 494 00:34:12,960 --> 00:34:16,800 a good literally, it was our j good game health and safety. It 495 00:34:16,840 --> 00:34:21,400 would be a good game health and safety. Quentin Grimes seven three is health 496 00:34:21,440 --> 00:34:24,239 and safety. Dude McBride is starting. Oh, Kevin Knox is a lot 497 00:34:24,239 --> 00:34:28,079 health and safety. So I yes, that's that was a very frustrating thing, 498 00:34:28,079 --> 00:34:34,920 which led than Kemba Walker showing up. So the game against Toronto, 499 00:34:35,039 --> 00:34:40,840 before Obi went into health and safety protocols, he was like easily their best 500 00:34:40,840 --> 00:34:45,079 player. I think he was their game high score or close to it. 501 00:34:45,639 --> 00:34:49,559 And what Toronto decided, this is a credit to Nick Nurse, was we're 502 00:34:49,599 --> 00:34:52,119 just gonna take the rim away from you and we're gonna play like six feet 503 00:34:52,119 --> 00:34:54,360 off of you. We're gonna turn you into a jump shooter. If you 504 00:34:54,400 --> 00:34:59,320 hit him, great, but if you don't, then like the Knicks are 505 00:34:59,320 --> 00:35:02,280 gonna be screwed. And Obi went one of five from three in the fourth 506 00:35:02,360 --> 00:35:07,079 quarter of that game, TIBs finally pulled the plug and sat Obie. Knicks 507 00:35:07,079 --> 00:35:09,679 fans were upset, but when Obi sat, the Knicks went on a seven 508 00:35:09,679 --> 00:35:13,800 old run to take the lead, and it was clear, Okay, we 509 00:35:13,840 --> 00:35:16,119 need people that can make some jump shots down the stretch of this game, 510 00:35:16,199 --> 00:35:22,559 which Obi cannot be. So I wonder if over a larger sample size of 511 00:35:22,599 --> 00:35:25,480 him playing more minutes, teams start to game plan for that athleticism. He's 512 00:35:25,480 --> 00:35:30,280 gonna get his one, two, three dunks a game regardless. It's when 513 00:35:30,360 --> 00:35:35,000 he has to rely on his jump shooting that I am concerned about, because 514 00:35:35,000 --> 00:35:38,920 he's not that stretch five like John Collins or like that type of prototype. 515 00:35:39,039 --> 00:35:44,199 Yet I think with time he could work on it. And look, I'm 516 00:35:44,199 --> 00:35:49,239 with you, I want to see it. But there's clearly a role he's 517 00:35:49,280 --> 00:35:52,880 been very good at, and it's a very small sample size that he's been 518 00:35:52,920 --> 00:35:55,960 able to come in and be a little flash of lightning for ten to fifteen 519 00:35:57,000 --> 00:36:00,920 minutes a game, and I think the path actually expanding his minutes is I'm 520 00:36:00,960 --> 00:36:02,119 not even I mean at this point, if if it needs to come at 521 00:36:02,119 --> 00:36:05,960 the expense of Randall, but you mentioned it, play him with Randalls. 522 00:36:05,960 --> 00:36:08,079 They haven't even played two hundred possessions together yet this season, and the Knicks, 523 00:36:08,079 --> 00:36:12,079 by the way, are net positive in those minutes with a terrible defense, 524 00:36:12,079 --> 00:36:14,639 as you might expect, but a great offense, and the defense has 525 00:36:14,679 --> 00:36:16,559 just not been good enough to prioritize like, oh, we can't play Obi 526 00:36:16,920 --> 00:36:22,400 and Random together because our defense will suffer too much. So I think that's 527 00:36:22,440 --> 00:36:24,039 what also needs to get lost. This doesn't have to be like an Obi 528 00:36:24,199 --> 00:36:29,519 or Randall situation. The Knicks are because of the contract. They're beholden to 529 00:36:29,639 --> 00:36:31,239 Randall to some extent, Like you need to plumb the depths of what he 530 00:36:31,239 --> 00:36:36,639 has left because a huge part of your future just hinges on it. This 531 00:36:36,679 --> 00:36:40,519 is not an Evan Fourne situation where it's the deal lengths are similar at this 532 00:36:40,559 --> 00:36:43,719 point, but not really. You have two more years of every four day 533 00:36:43,719 --> 00:36:46,719 after this, his salaries a little bit less. So if you benched Fournier 534 00:36:46,880 --> 00:36:50,199 like you to me, you can do that. He's new. You can 535 00:36:50,239 --> 00:36:52,920 bench fourney not even play him, and yet it's to some cost. But 536 00:36:52,079 --> 00:36:55,519 Randall is more of the problem. You still need to play him. Let's 537 00:36:55,559 --> 00:36:59,039 just see what he looks like with Obie. And I think you kind of 538 00:36:59,079 --> 00:37:01,079 already alluded to this. But some of the things that I would like to 539 00:37:01,079 --> 00:37:04,880 see more from obis you mentioned the shooting, like you wanted to become that 540 00:37:04,960 --> 00:37:08,239 actual stretch big or even just being able to have I don't want, like 541 00:37:08,320 --> 00:37:13,239 better ball skills from a stand still which John Collins has done a really good 542 00:37:13,320 --> 00:37:15,679 job of developing in the half court. What are you looking to see better 543 00:37:15,679 --> 00:37:19,519 from Obi or those two things? The jump shooting is obvious? Are the 544 00:37:19,519 --> 00:37:22,039 ball skills there is? It's something It's like, what are you really looking 545 00:37:22,079 --> 00:37:25,440 to see more from his development? You hit it, and it's the the 546 00:37:25,599 --> 00:37:29,840 ability to hit a jump shot more consistently, the ability to hit the corner 547 00:37:29,920 --> 00:37:32,320 three more consistently, which is where they place him on a lot of plays, 548 00:37:32,360 --> 00:37:36,639 which makes sense because if they're gonna they're gonna close out on the corner 549 00:37:36,760 --> 00:37:39,559 three, then like a quick pass and then Obie's right at the rim for 550 00:37:39,559 --> 00:37:45,320 one of these highlight dunks going forward. I mean, look, he's actually 551 00:37:45,320 --> 00:37:47,719 been a better defender than I think a lot of people thought he was going 552 00:37:47,760 --> 00:37:52,880 to be coming out of Dayton, and look to extent about him being able 553 00:37:52,920 --> 00:37:57,239 to create His usage ration is up to twenty two percent, which I mean, 554 00:37:57,320 --> 00:38:00,679 look from from a guy that's really just like kind of catching alleys for 555 00:38:00,760 --> 00:38:06,000 most of his offense. I like that some of the plays that you see 556 00:38:06,000 --> 00:38:07,920 to get called for him now are him getting the ball on the wing and 557 00:38:08,079 --> 00:38:12,119 using his speed to get to the rim. Lady. It only happens like 558 00:38:12,159 --> 00:38:15,639 once or twice a game, but you do see it. I mean, 559 00:38:15,679 --> 00:38:19,400 look, the only thing I'm really gonna see from Obi is all these things 560 00:38:19,400 --> 00:38:22,519 I'm gonna see from Obi. Only where we're gonna get to see it is 561 00:38:22,559 --> 00:38:27,920 if he plays more. And look, the issue with playing him next to 562 00:38:28,039 --> 00:38:31,039 Randall is that Tibbs. I don't know if this is a Tibbs issue, 563 00:38:31,440 --> 00:38:37,119 because I still am very pro Tibbs in like I'm in that camp, but 564 00:38:37,239 --> 00:38:40,159 TIBs before the season, the reason that I was calling it a pipe dream 565 00:38:40,159 --> 00:38:46,079 that Tim's gonna do it is because he values like a legitimate rim protector, 566 00:38:46,519 --> 00:38:51,440 like a Mitchell Robinson, like Maryland's Noel, like Taj Gibson. And there 567 00:38:51,440 --> 00:38:55,519 are three guys on the depth chart ahead of Obie to play that that center 568 00:38:55,599 --> 00:38:59,199 role, even though when Obie comes in, it's Randall that gets to play 569 00:38:59,239 --> 00:39:04,719 the center. How how TIBs looks at it? So yeah, I I 570 00:39:04,880 --> 00:39:08,639 it'd be tough for me to say there's anything other than being becoming a more 571 00:39:08,679 --> 00:39:15,960 consistent jump shooter from from Obie. That he's been such a overall net positive 572 00:39:15,440 --> 00:39:19,519 that I just want to see more from Obie let alone specific things I want 573 00:39:19,519 --> 00:39:24,000 to see more of you measured. Mitchell Robinson played better of late ish, 574 00:39:24,039 --> 00:39:28,559 but for most of this season he wasn't even doing cardio out there. For 575 00:39:28,719 --> 00:39:31,280 much of the season, it felt like, what what is going on there? 576 00:39:31,360 --> 00:39:35,599 Or even if I want to be jenders and say what was going on 577 00:39:35,679 --> 00:39:38,760 there? So there's a couple of things to play. One is that the 578 00:39:38,840 --> 00:39:45,079 Knicks gave him if it's a qualifying off from I'm unfamiliar with the specific terms, 579 00:39:45,199 --> 00:39:47,639 but Mitchell Robinson is playing in the final year of a deal and he 580 00:39:47,679 --> 00:39:52,079 wants an extension. So he moped around for a couple of weeks to start 581 00:39:52,119 --> 00:39:55,880 the year, especially since Nerland's Noel got a contract. Taj Gibson came back 582 00:39:55,960 --> 00:40:00,199 and then was immediately the team's backup five with Noel got hurt. And then, 583 00:40:00,519 --> 00:40:05,679 look, we just talked about how little the break in case of emergency 584 00:40:05,920 --> 00:40:09,039 Obie Topping tool was used, but it was used enough that Mitchell Robinson's minutes 585 00:40:09,039 --> 00:40:14,679 were cut at the beginning of the year. And look, Mitchell Robinson hurt 586 00:40:14,719 --> 00:40:16,679 his foot last year, so he could only work on his upper body, 587 00:40:16,840 --> 00:40:21,599 and he clearly went to the gym and only worked on his upper body, 588 00:40:21,639 --> 00:40:24,679 because he showed up this season looking like a bodybuilder, and it took away 589 00:40:24,840 --> 00:40:30,320 all of his agility, all of his athleticism that we fell in love with 590 00:40:30,440 --> 00:40:35,280 the first three seasons, and it made it tough to see a long term 591 00:40:35,440 --> 00:40:38,840 solution with him. Over the last couple of weeks, he's clearly slimmed down 592 00:40:38,920 --> 00:40:44,000 and the athleticism has come back a little bit, and it's why some of 593 00:40:44,000 --> 00:40:47,440 these like Groneman rebounds that he's gotten have been encouraging to see, and he's 594 00:40:47,440 --> 00:40:52,159 been a legitimate rim protector again over the last couple of games. I actually 595 00:40:52,320 --> 00:41:00,159 am encouraged that he'll be able to as the weight goes away and he becomes 596 00:41:00,199 --> 00:41:05,280 like lighter and more agile, that the Mitchell Robinson that we liked at points 597 00:41:05,360 --> 00:41:08,960 last year, at points two years before will show up, and you know, 598 00:41:09,039 --> 00:41:12,840 the one we've seen the last couple of weeks will be the Mitchell Robinson 599 00:41:12,880 --> 00:41:15,400 we have more often than the one we had for the first couple of weeks. 600 00:41:15,400 --> 00:41:19,360 It was really just the conditioning thing, because again, like you said, 601 00:41:19,360 --> 00:41:22,559 it wasn't even just out there getting cardio. The guy I don't want 602 00:41:22,559 --> 00:41:25,360 to see overweight. I just think his body changed and he's had to now, 603 00:41:25,920 --> 00:41:30,079 you know, through a lot of work, which is apparently reportedly he's 604 00:41:30,400 --> 00:41:35,400 been trying to do that and be you know, we're specifically on cardio more 605 00:41:35,440 --> 00:41:40,119 than anything else. So yeah, I think Mitch has recognized the problem and 606 00:41:40,199 --> 00:41:45,440 has started to fix it over the past couple of games. Is there any 607 00:41:45,440 --> 00:41:50,559 concern to the element of even the best version of Mitchell Robinson is so finite 608 00:41:51,519 --> 00:41:54,079 in terms of his utility on offense, How do you figure on what to 609 00:41:54,119 --> 00:41:58,000 sort of pay him when he's going to enter as a free agent, because 610 00:41:58,000 --> 00:42:00,440 this is if you want him to put like even one dribble on the floors, 611 00:42:00,480 --> 00:42:05,039 He's like, there's gonna be a problem for Mitchell Robinson. How much 612 00:42:05,119 --> 00:42:07,199 How many dribbles does I mean? I generally don't know the question how many 613 00:42:07,280 --> 00:42:13,079 dribbles does Jared Allen take? Okay, so I don't I don't have the 614 00:42:13,119 --> 00:42:15,559 dribble numbers for Jared Allen, right, But like in general, Jared Allen 615 00:42:15,639 --> 00:42:19,519 had will take more dribbles on belines to the basket. But he also has 616 00:42:19,599 --> 00:42:22,599 like a and this is not something I want Mitchell Robinson to try and develop. 617 00:42:22,679 --> 00:42:25,599 Please, Like he has a hook shot, like he has other stuff, 618 00:42:25,679 --> 00:42:30,639 other ways to finish where Mitchell Robinson is like I'm going to subsist on 619 00:42:30,000 --> 00:42:34,119 look the putbacks, like the highlight, like dungs and lobs, and he 620 00:42:34,199 --> 00:42:37,639 is He's a very he can be a very devastating roller. I just don't 621 00:42:37,679 --> 00:42:43,360 know. I don't know how much you pay that guy when he's not a 622 00:42:43,400 --> 00:42:46,360 transcendent defender right now, Like this is the comparisons that people were giving him 623 00:42:46,360 --> 00:42:51,320 to Rudy Gobert way back when I'm pretty sure that sip is ship is sailed. 624 00:42:51,599 --> 00:42:53,320 And I do think you want in this day and age. I don't 625 00:42:53,320 --> 00:42:55,639 think he needs to shoot threes. I don't think he needs to shoot off 626 00:42:55,639 --> 00:43:00,280 the dribble jumpers. But you want a little bit more of a dynamic offensive 627 00:43:00,400 --> 00:43:04,840 arsenal out of your five spot. And I'm just curious. I don't think 628 00:43:04,880 --> 00:43:07,280 that means he can't be a really good player, because I do think it 629 00:43:07,440 --> 00:43:12,280 engaged and I guess trimmed down. Mitchell Robinson, as you called it, 630 00:43:12,320 --> 00:43:15,719 is a very good player. But you do have to start looking at the 631 00:43:15,760 --> 00:43:17,000 future of all right, well he's gonna hit the open north, Like what 632 00:43:17,039 --> 00:43:22,119 are you paying this dude. So there's a lot of variables at play. 633 00:43:22,679 --> 00:43:29,239 If Mitch and if slimmed down Mitchell Robinson is going to be what we get 634 00:43:29,320 --> 00:43:31,840 for the next couple of months, then I think the Knicks look to trade 635 00:43:31,840 --> 00:43:37,119 Newlands Nowell and look to extend Mitch to like four for fifty two, which 636 00:43:37,239 --> 00:43:43,159 is like right around the Robert Williams contract. I actually I'll disagree that his 637 00:43:43,280 --> 00:43:47,800 defense, his perimeter defense is just not existent anymore. Stretch stretch fives kill 638 00:43:47,920 --> 00:43:52,760 him now because he just the Knicks had to make an adjustment. We've been 639 00:43:52,800 --> 00:43:57,280 doing this film series called Knicks Film Threads on our YouTube channel where we've been 640 00:43:57,400 --> 00:44:01,639 highlighting what the Knicks have done to try and hide Mitch now on stretch fives 641 00:44:01,679 --> 00:44:07,400 where the Knicks will go to like Kemba or r J on the five on 642 00:44:07,559 --> 00:44:10,199 instead of on the switch and having Mitch have to come back out to cover 643 00:44:10,679 --> 00:44:15,159 on the perimeter. I do think his rim protection has still been there, 644 00:44:15,239 --> 00:44:21,480 like the blocks are still incoming. He just at times will not know because 645 00:44:21,519 --> 00:44:24,159 because he had this fouling issue to start his career, he'll at times not 646 00:44:24,360 --> 00:44:30,000 know when to go hunting for blocks or whether to avoid at certain times, 647 00:44:30,039 --> 00:44:32,199 so he'll hesitate whether or not because he knows he only gets six fouls. 648 00:44:34,760 --> 00:44:37,960 That version of Mitch that's lighter, I don't think is anything more than like 649 00:44:38,199 --> 00:44:43,320 a four for fifty two and that look, I don't know what that is 650 00:44:43,519 --> 00:44:47,400 even to a market value at this point. I know that I think he's 651 00:44:47,440 --> 00:44:52,119 a He's better than Newrland's Noel, at least because Newryland's no Well consistently being 652 00:44:52,199 --> 00:44:58,519 an injury injury issue. Is on this team for three years and twenty nine 653 00:44:58,800 --> 00:45:01,199 million dollars or thirty one one million dollars over the next couple of years. 654 00:45:01,199 --> 00:45:05,480 There's some bonuses and incentives, and it's really a two plus one. But 655 00:45:07,039 --> 00:45:10,480 I think you'll see what Mitch's value and what his next contract will be based 656 00:45:10,559 --> 00:45:15,079 on a if neroone's nowhile comes back and is anything productive over the next couple 657 00:45:15,079 --> 00:45:21,079 of months and be whatever version of Mitch Robinson they get, And look, 658 00:45:21,119 --> 00:45:24,199 if he's gonna be the version we've saw again the last two weeks when it 659 00:45:24,239 --> 00:45:30,440 seemed like his conditioning is finally caught up with the bulk up mister Robinson that 660 00:45:30,480 --> 00:45:35,039 we saw, then I think that guy is worth extending and a guy that 661 00:45:35,199 --> 00:45:38,960 you're okay, Like they've sat Evan Fournier for multiple fourth quarters in certain situations. 662 00:45:39,199 --> 00:45:45,239 You just sit Mitch in certain situations down the stretch when you don't need 663 00:45:45,599 --> 00:45:49,119 a rim protector, you need extra extra shooting on the floor. And I 664 00:45:49,159 --> 00:45:52,320 never think he's gonna be like an offensive player where you'll ever call a play 665 00:45:52,400 --> 00:45:54,960 for You also never call the play for Tyson Chandler. Not saying that the 666 00:45:55,000 --> 00:46:00,440 same player, but the same idea that he's there to play defense, get 667 00:46:00,519 --> 00:46:06,400 rebounds, and you know, put back everything that's available for him. The 668 00:46:06,519 --> 00:46:08,719 Robert Williams comp is interesting because I think he's an example of a player that 669 00:46:08,800 --> 00:46:13,800 might be similar to Mitch who has made the most of his tools, where 670 00:46:13,800 --> 00:46:16,280 it's like you can trust him to pass on the short role and you're not 671 00:46:16,480 --> 00:46:21,039 gonna ever think that Mitchell Robinson is gonna do that. He's also look, 672 00:46:21,239 --> 00:46:23,760 I'm not arguing Mitchell Robinson's in protection, but like when you talk about transcendent 673 00:46:23,800 --> 00:46:28,239 defense, I don't think Robert Williams is a transcendent defender. Like he's a 674 00:46:28,360 --> 00:46:30,000 much better like pull him out and if you need him to guard one on 675 00:46:30,079 --> 00:46:36,480 one smaller players or even like can like be more disciplined contesting stretch fives. 676 00:46:36,639 --> 00:46:38,679 I'm gonna trust him way more than Mitchell Robinson. But the comp is interesting 677 00:46:38,679 --> 00:46:43,159 in the sense that these are two bigs that have really, for whatever reason, 678 00:46:43,199 --> 00:46:45,320 whether it's foul trouble, their teams don't trust them. Like Mitchell Robinson 679 00:46:45,320 --> 00:46:47,639 has averaged more than twenty five minutes per game like one, so they've never 680 00:46:47,719 --> 00:46:52,000 played these huge, like thirty plus minute per game roles. So maybe that's 681 00:46:52,000 --> 00:46:53,360 a number to wind up with. I would say as a right now, 682 00:46:53,400 --> 00:46:58,440 I'd feel wildly uncomfortable as a mixed team giving Mitchell Robinson a four and fifty 683 00:46:58,480 --> 00:47:02,800 two deal based off what we've seen season, especially with Neroland's still under contract. 684 00:47:02,920 --> 00:47:06,800 If you have no money long term invested in a center, like if 685 00:47:06,880 --> 00:47:09,679 Norland Zoell is gone, and like your centers are Jericho, Simson, Mitch, 686 00:47:10,119 --> 00:47:15,360 then like fine, like I'm actually okay with investing in that because then 687 00:47:15,519 --> 00:47:20,920 in the position overall, you you have market value what teams usually put into 688 00:47:20,960 --> 00:47:24,119 their center. Yeah, but it's like nothing non Rudy Gobert Yo kids do. 689 00:47:24,360 --> 00:47:27,320 Right, But does that even have to be part of the calculates when 690 00:47:27,400 --> 00:47:30,599 Nolan's well is essentially in a contract for one more year after this one, 691 00:47:30,639 --> 00:47:32,920 because it's a two plus one that he signed. From a playing time perspective, 692 00:47:34,079 --> 00:47:37,440 I think it is like the look, we're all trying to recalibrate what 693 00:47:37,559 --> 00:47:42,199 happened last year, especially with Julius, but like nolan'sall was really good when 694 00:47:42,280 --> 00:47:46,199 Mitchell Robinson went out for the year, so I understood like the knick spot 695 00:47:46,280 --> 00:47:51,800 went all in on continuity this year, which is why the Alec Bork's signing 696 00:47:51,960 --> 00:47:55,719 looks really good. The Derrick Rows signing, I still think that he was 697 00:47:55,760 --> 00:48:00,400 their best player when he got hurt. I think because of Covid, because 698 00:48:00,400 --> 00:48:05,000 they were playing shorthanded, because of what happened with Kemba, because they've needed 699 00:48:05,119 --> 00:48:09,719 him. Rose played entirely too many minutes and it led to him needing to 700 00:48:09,760 --> 00:48:14,719 go get surgery on his ankle. In a different role where he can be 701 00:48:14,880 --> 00:48:20,039 the backup point guard that plays twenty five minutes a game, I think that's 702 00:48:20,119 --> 00:48:24,159 okay and that contract will reflect that going forward as well. I think, 703 00:48:24,960 --> 00:48:28,519 look, with Norland's Noel being here essentially, like you said, only one 704 00:48:28,559 --> 00:48:34,559 more year. If he comes back and looks like the the non fans in 705 00:48:34,840 --> 00:48:38,760 stands person Maryland's Noel, then like a that's a center that you want to 706 00:48:38,880 --> 00:48:44,960 keep on the floor, which is what the Knicks. More we are recalculating 707 00:48:45,000 --> 00:48:46,960 as we go forward. It's all right, you've clearly taken a step back. 708 00:48:47,079 --> 00:48:52,079 You've clearly taken a step forward. And that's why this offseason and the 709 00:48:52,119 --> 00:48:55,360 trade deadline are going to be so interesting coming up. There's Noel is easily 710 00:48:55,400 --> 00:48:58,480 one of the most underrated players in the league last year. I guess I'm 711 00:48:58,519 --> 00:49:01,199 looking at more of the perspective of if it's for one year, you're paying 712 00:49:01,239 --> 00:49:05,920 both if you think Mitchell Robinson is really worth that, do you want either 713 00:49:06,000 --> 00:49:07,639 of those? Even if you split the minutes down the middle, these are 714 00:49:07,800 --> 00:49:12,039 only two centers if we're healthy, twenty four minutes a game for each, 715 00:49:12,360 --> 00:49:15,679 Like that's just we've never seen either of them, I think, aside from 716 00:49:15,679 --> 00:49:19,320 Mitch, played more than that over the course of an entire season at this 717 00:49:19,400 --> 00:49:21,960 point, and so I don't think if you want to if you want to 718 00:49:22,000 --> 00:49:23,559 get to Obie Topping at the five, Julius Randall to five, like, 719 00:49:23,960 --> 00:49:27,559 yeah, there are and they clearly don't want to do that. But I 720 00:49:27,639 --> 00:49:30,360 get the logistical concerns, I wouldn't be worried about it. If you want 721 00:49:30,400 --> 00:49:32,880 to pay Mitch no one's the will doesn't impact that for me at all, 722 00:49:34,079 --> 00:49:37,760 just because it's a single year of the overlap fine. I think. Then 723 00:49:38,280 --> 00:49:43,159 the other aspect of signing Mitch to an extension is like or at least just 724 00:49:43,599 --> 00:49:47,559 signing him long term, is that the peak version of Mitchell Robinson is also 725 00:49:47,599 --> 00:49:52,159 tradable, you know, and a contract like that I think is also tradable. 726 00:49:52,239 --> 00:49:55,119 He becomes more of an asset when he has these these three weeks stretches. 727 00:49:55,400 --> 00:49:58,639 Is that a team will look and say, listen, it's a guy 728 00:49:58,800 --> 00:50:00,760 that you know, I can't he be our Jared Allen? Why can't he 729 00:50:00,880 --> 00:50:05,760 be are a rim running big? They also provides elite room protection at the 730 00:50:05,840 --> 00:50:09,119 other end, you know, if he can become Jared Allen on offense, 731 00:50:09,159 --> 00:50:15,360 who I think is look more than rim run And so it's like, I'm 732 00:50:15,400 --> 00:50:20,119 more like, can Mitchell Robinson become like the better version of Newland's Noel on 733 00:50:20,199 --> 00:50:24,119 offense? At this Like that's where I'm at with Mitchell Robinson's offense. Nolan's 734 00:50:24,119 --> 00:50:29,119 all on offense scores. It's like two points a game. Again, I'm 735 00:50:29,159 --> 00:50:31,119 looking from us, yes, but from like a skill set, like the 736 00:50:31,239 --> 00:50:37,119 depth of skill set, like can he be Rudy Gobert on offense or like 737 00:50:37,800 --> 00:50:40,440 that's that's essentially what you need at this point, where like my point is 738 00:50:40,760 --> 00:50:45,320 a Jared Allen or even a Robert Williams is far more versatile on offense than 739 00:50:45,559 --> 00:50:50,760 Mitchell Robinson is right now. And I don't think that that is detrimental. 740 00:50:51,280 --> 00:50:54,559 I do think it needs to reflect how they go about deciding whether or what 741 00:50:54,840 --> 00:50:57,599 to pay him this office. He's, like you said, the rest of 742 00:50:57,639 --> 00:51:00,519 this year plays a big part of that too, because I was just convinced 743 00:51:00,559 --> 00:51:01,880 he was gonna be awesome. I was just I was just convinced he was 744 00:51:01,880 --> 00:51:06,039 gonna be awesome this year, and that has not been the case for much 745 00:51:06,079 --> 00:51:09,679 of this season. Yeah, look, I'm I'm I'm not convinced either way. 746 00:51:10,039 --> 00:51:14,679 I'm not one hundred percent. I think we've traded mister Robinson on the 747 00:51:14,760 --> 00:51:17,599 post game shows a lot this year, and then he'll come back and have 748 00:51:17,760 --> 00:51:21,920 fourteen and eighteen and it's like, oh, we have to there's your extension 749 00:51:22,519 --> 00:51:28,480 argument for Mitchell Robinson. Look, the value of a center, any intelligent 750 00:51:28,599 --> 00:51:34,880 NBA person obviously yourself knows, unless it's Gobert, Embiad or Jokich, it's 751 00:51:36,400 --> 00:51:38,199 you ever like like should you ever pay a center? You know? Is 752 00:51:38,320 --> 00:51:43,079 like the argument, can't you find somebody at the fifteenth Big or wherever the 753 00:51:43,119 --> 00:51:46,960 Knicks are gonna get slotted this year? So I'm with you. I just 754 00:51:47,159 --> 00:51:52,360 think, like the value that mister Robinson does provide when he's right, I 755 00:51:52,519 --> 00:51:59,079 think at thirteen million dollars a year is actually a bargain and for what especially 756 00:51:59,239 --> 00:52:02,639 and this is I mean a larger tips conversation to the type of team that 757 00:52:02,800 --> 00:52:07,599 Tims likes to play, like the best version of Mitchell Robinson is essential. 758 00:52:08,639 --> 00:52:13,800 We have not talked about who is arguably the single most important Nick long term 759 00:52:13,920 --> 00:52:16,159 yet, And that's okay, Barrett. I think you could probably say Julius 760 00:52:16,239 --> 00:52:19,840 Randall for all the wrong reasons right now. But RJ. Barrett was supposed 761 00:52:19,840 --> 00:52:22,679 to be like that was the blue chip prospect, the swing player who, 762 00:52:22,760 --> 00:52:27,360 if he hit, could really change the trajectory of this franchise even more so 763 00:52:27,480 --> 00:52:30,679 than Julius Randall. What is the concern levels the phrase we're using a lot 764 00:52:30,719 --> 00:52:34,880 on this podcast, what's the concern level of him this season? And I 765 00:52:35,000 --> 00:52:38,559 think I'm not worried, But defensively, I think he's been like mostly fine 766 00:52:38,719 --> 00:52:44,480 this year. It's the offense, and I'm just curious as to I even 767 00:52:44,559 --> 00:52:47,360 think, you know, he's shooting piss poor on corner threees this season and 768 00:52:47,400 --> 00:52:52,280 he's always done really well on those. That'll be fine. I'm just wondering, 769 00:52:52,559 --> 00:52:54,920 And I think I asked you about this on the preseason pod. If 770 00:52:54,960 --> 00:52:59,440 there are like too many offensive cooks in the kitchen outs where he doesn't have 771 00:53:00,000 --> 00:53:01,679 a lot of what's happened might be on him, But does he have the 772 00:53:01,880 --> 00:53:07,199 room to even like test or expand what he can do on offense at this 773 00:53:07,320 --> 00:53:10,320 point, And because when you do dig into like his usage data, it 774 00:53:10,440 --> 00:53:15,239 does seem whether it's because he's too hesitant or this is sort of an edict 775 00:53:15,360 --> 00:53:19,239 from how the coaching staff wants him to play, that he doesn't have the 776 00:53:19,320 --> 00:53:22,559 ball as much, and even when he actually has the ball, he doesn't 777 00:53:22,679 --> 00:53:24,639 he's not creating as much with it, And so are they trying to turn 778 00:53:24,719 --> 00:53:30,519 him into just like this more complimentary, complimentary offensive player than someone who might 779 00:53:30,599 --> 00:53:37,719 be not a focal point but like a really major part of your your offensive 780 00:53:37,760 --> 00:53:39,960 game plan. I'm just what have you made of his offensive season so far? 781 00:53:40,599 --> 00:53:45,079 So you know, we've been getting a couple of people, a call 782 00:53:45,119 --> 00:53:50,639 of nickspands arguing on behalf of our j that he's being used poorly. And 783 00:53:50,719 --> 00:53:55,599 I think look to our larger conversation about Julius, I think anybody playing next 784 00:53:55,679 --> 00:54:00,400 Julius Randall right now is going to struggle. That being said, part of 785 00:54:01,039 --> 00:54:07,280 the struggles of this starting five are interest that Julius isn't hitting shots. RJ's 786 00:54:07,320 --> 00:54:12,840 jump shot not even was broken, was non existent for like the entire month 787 00:54:12,880 --> 00:54:15,239 of November. Now there's reports that he was sick, like dealing with a 788 00:54:15,320 --> 00:54:21,239 stomach bug for a couple of weeks, like had to leave a nationally televised 789 00:54:21,280 --> 00:54:24,480 game against Brooklyn because like his stomach issues were that bad. Then missed the 790 00:54:24,599 --> 00:54:30,239 next game against Chicago. Then he he had a he came back against Denver 791 00:54:30,480 --> 00:54:37,599 looked bad, and then and the postgame Tibbs mentioned like something about how RJ 792 00:54:37,760 --> 00:54:39,039 just seems to get back in the gym, because that's what he did last 793 00:54:39,119 --> 00:54:42,800 year to fix his shot. But he's been sick and John and I have 794 00:54:43,039 --> 00:54:45,639 disagreed about whether that was calling out RJ for not being in the gym or 795 00:54:45,679 --> 00:54:49,199 whether him just explaining, yeah, he's been sick. When he's not sick 796 00:54:49,239 --> 00:54:52,280 anymore, he'll get back in the gym. Came out the next game, 797 00:54:52,360 --> 00:54:55,400 it had like thirty five against the Spurs and looked great, and then as 798 00:54:55,480 --> 00:55:02,239 always, entered into health and safety protocalls. RJ's literally his immune system has 799 00:55:02,280 --> 00:55:06,320 failed him. It sounds like this year, which is why it's like, 800 00:55:06,400 --> 00:55:09,960 I'm not even saying like like I blame him for that. It's just like 801 00:55:10,119 --> 00:55:15,280 it's tough to really gauge or evaluate anything from what he's done this year. 802 00:55:15,440 --> 00:55:20,159 Other than the first first two weeks, it looked like he might have taken 803 00:55:20,199 --> 00:55:23,440 a leap. Then he went into a shooting slump that nobody could explain, 804 00:55:23,559 --> 00:55:29,840 and it's stended out to like four, five, six weeks. I'm not 805 00:55:30,199 --> 00:55:31,519 I'm not out on RJ. Barrett. I think this has just been a 806 00:55:31,599 --> 00:55:38,000 weird year for everybody in the starting five. I think the lack of shooting 807 00:55:38,159 --> 00:55:42,280 has been contagious in the starting five as well, because he'll also have these 808 00:55:42,320 --> 00:55:45,320 forty eight streaks of like I'm one for Steven then all of a sudden, 809 00:55:45,360 --> 00:55:53,159 I'm three for three. I would look at his finishing at the rim numbers 810 00:55:53,599 --> 00:55:59,920 as far as people that say whether or not r J isn't being used well 811 00:56:00,199 --> 00:56:01,840 enough, because anytime he gets to the ball, he gets to the rim 812 00:56:01,920 --> 00:56:05,760 successfully and it's just like the worst finished. Sure, I know he's been 813 00:56:05,880 --> 00:56:08,159 better this year, but he hasn't been good this year. There are so 814 00:56:08,320 --> 00:56:14,639 many poor attempts to make a layup in traffic from RJ Barrett where he doesn't 815 00:56:14,719 --> 00:56:19,039 get into the body that he doesn't actually like try to finish. He's just 816 00:56:19,079 --> 00:56:22,480 hoping to get bailed out by a call, and that I think it's been 817 00:56:22,800 --> 00:56:25,880 honestly more concerning than it's jump shooting, which I think with time will come. 818 00:56:27,199 --> 00:56:30,639 So I don't know if like, I don't know if he's like was 819 00:56:30,719 --> 00:56:32,639 given the reins to the If he was given the reins to the offense, 820 00:56:32,719 --> 00:56:37,159 we saw what it might look like, and that version of r J hasn't 821 00:56:37,199 --> 00:56:40,440 been here since the first like five or six games of the season. I 822 00:56:40,480 --> 00:56:45,039 don't yeah, And he's always kind of since the end of the league like 823 00:56:45,519 --> 00:56:47,320 he can be aggressive and it's good, but then it sort of Peters out 824 00:56:47,360 --> 00:56:51,159 where it's not consistent, And to your point, he is shooting a career 825 00:56:51,280 --> 00:56:54,199 high percentage at the rim that's only fifty seven percent. It's not good. 826 00:56:54,320 --> 00:56:57,800 People want to know it's not good. He is, And I will say 827 00:56:57,840 --> 00:57:00,760 about his shooting, I think the struggles have always been overplayed because I think 828 00:57:00,800 --> 00:57:02,800 the corner three point shooting is an outlier. He's hitting thirty six percent of 829 00:57:02,880 --> 00:57:06,679 as above the brake threes this year and in a year we're shooting is down 830 00:57:06,719 --> 00:57:08,679 in general, and where he kind of had a wonder you know what happened 831 00:57:08,760 --> 00:57:12,239 last year? Was it like the limited fans there, like, was there 832 00:57:12,320 --> 00:57:15,800 some sort of that involved. That doesn't worry me either. I'm just I 833 00:57:15,880 --> 00:57:19,880 don't even know if he's being used improperly. So much as the Knicks is 834 00:57:19,960 --> 00:57:23,199 pecking order offensive options now, I feel like they might have went like leaned 835 00:57:23,360 --> 00:57:28,559 into one or two signings too many focused on the offense over the offseas, 836 00:57:28,599 --> 00:57:30,960 especially if they were going to rely on Julius Randall. Still to this extent, 837 00:57:31,119 --> 00:57:35,880 it leaves r J in sort of this like really gray area in his 838 00:57:36,159 --> 00:57:40,760 terms of his mode of operation. I ultimately just think there's probably some medium 839 00:57:40,760 --> 00:57:45,559 between what he was last year what he's done this season, and then there's 840 00:57:45,599 --> 00:57:47,840 still I still think there's a better on ball player there, though, is 841 00:57:47,880 --> 00:57:52,719 what I'm getting at. I just don't know whether the Knicks right now have 842 00:57:52,840 --> 00:57:57,920 the bandwidth or the desire to explore it. I think the counterpoint is that 843 00:57:58,079 --> 00:58:01,960 we've seen our J show flashes that when he has it going, like they'll 844 00:58:02,000 --> 00:58:06,000 go to him, they'll run the offense through him. There's been like four 845 00:58:06,079 --> 00:58:10,119 games this year where but that's the thing, like those are the really the 846 00:58:10,199 --> 00:58:14,360 only four games where he showed up and been that. There's been very few 847 00:58:14,440 --> 00:58:19,079 games where r J has it going and they're not giving it to him. 848 00:58:19,320 --> 00:58:22,119 Like when he has it working, okay, looks like we're calling plays for 849 00:58:22,199 --> 00:58:25,920 RJ this entire quarter, and like Tims will then play him more minutes than 850 00:58:27,000 --> 00:58:30,079 play him with the second unit so he can get minutes with them, And 851 00:58:30,800 --> 00:58:35,079 like this is where I think overall, the performance of r J is a 852 00:58:35,159 --> 00:58:37,039 lot on r J. I don't blame him for getting sick. I don't 853 00:58:37,400 --> 00:58:43,199 like want to say like it's his own fault, because like be like things 854 00:58:43,280 --> 00:58:47,920 happen. I just I think largely like you're gonna give more of a responsibility 855 00:58:49,000 --> 00:58:52,840 to a guy that's shooting poorly, that just that other than Julius Randall. 856 00:58:52,880 --> 00:58:55,039 That doesn't make sense to me, you know, yeah, I mean they 857 00:58:55,079 --> 00:59:00,440 could do a better job of untethering his minute to Julius Randall might help him, 858 00:59:00,440 --> 00:59:05,679 because you mentioned r J plus bench shootings or r J plus whatever he 859 00:59:05,840 --> 00:59:08,480 has. I should have refreshed this before, but he's played fewer than two 860 00:59:08,519 --> 00:59:12,559 hundred possessions without Julius random this season. And if we're gonna say that Julius 861 00:59:12,599 --> 00:59:15,920 Randalls making everyone worse right now, I think you can display some of the 862 00:59:15,960 --> 00:59:19,039 blame onto again. I don't even know if the Knicks are using him improperly. 863 00:59:19,480 --> 00:59:22,360 I don't think they are actually relative to the personnel that they have. 864 00:59:22,039 --> 00:59:25,239 I need to see r J. Barrett to me, he needs have more 865 00:59:25,360 --> 00:59:30,039 runway to breathe on offensive to I'm not even talking about spacing just because the 866 00:59:30,079 --> 00:59:35,679 Knicks again are a good three point shooting team overall. I just I want, 867 00:59:36,199 --> 00:59:37,239 I need them to plumb the depths of r J. Barrett Moore. 868 00:59:37,239 --> 00:59:38,960 I don't want to say that too many times, but like I need to 869 00:59:39,000 --> 00:59:43,039 see it. We're in years three and I think there's more to offer there, 870 00:59:43,320 --> 00:59:46,199 and I don't think they've given him that level of opportunity this season. 871 00:59:47,039 --> 00:59:50,719 I think when he's had it going, they have I guess, and I 872 00:59:50,840 --> 00:59:52,800 think, but you can't, like you can't just ride the hot like this 873 00:59:53,000 --> 00:59:55,639 is someone who's still getting young, Like do you see what you're saying? 874 00:59:57,079 --> 00:59:59,960 I just think they like, you know, very early on in the game, 875 01:00:00,519 --> 01:00:02,920 like RJ will have over four first quarters and then it's like, okay, 876 01:00:04,519 --> 01:00:07,159 like we know how this game is gonna go based off the track record 877 01:00:07,159 --> 01:00:08,519 over the last three years. We know if we're getting a good r J 878 01:00:08,719 --> 01:00:12,599 game or a bad RJ game, And like, oh, four from three 879 01:00:12,719 --> 01:00:16,840 might also be coincided with oh of like one of four from two and all 880 01:00:16,880 --> 01:00:21,239 four of the shots are at the rim. So like, look, I 881 01:00:21,400 --> 01:00:24,159 opened this by about r J by saying, like, I don't blame anybody 882 01:00:24,239 --> 01:00:29,920 also for struggling next to Julius Randall, there is a clear central, constant 883 01:00:30,000 --> 01:00:32,800 problem with this team where I'd love to see r J get more minutes with 884 01:00:32,840 --> 01:00:38,800 the second unit. I think if he had taken a leap, there would 885 01:00:38,800 --> 01:00:43,599 be nothing the Knicks could do about holding him back. I think that leap 886 01:00:43,840 --> 01:00:50,920 has been minimized because again there's there's a game early in the season against the 887 01:00:51,079 --> 01:00:55,920 Pelicans where the team was struggling, Pelicans didn't have ingram or Zion. The 888 01:00:57,119 --> 01:01:00,320 game was closed down the stretch and RJ closed out the game, like took 889 01:01:00,400 --> 01:01:04,119 all their shots down the stretch. I think, get like thirty six thirty 890 01:01:04,199 --> 01:01:09,800 seven points. And like since that time, that version of r J hasn't 891 01:01:09,840 --> 01:01:15,440 existed and its other than a couple of flashes. And I don't I don't 892 01:01:15,480 --> 01:01:20,159 think it's really I don't think it's an overall schematic issue. I think he's 893 01:01:20,239 --> 01:01:23,639 shot poorly and they'll I mean, look, it's it may just the schematic 894 01:01:23,719 --> 01:01:28,719 issue might be a Julius Randall thing. But I also think RJ hasn't necessarily 895 01:01:28,880 --> 01:01:32,360 earned the extra possessions where they're running the offense through him. You know, 896 01:01:34,519 --> 01:01:36,960 I agree with that. I don't know that he's earned the larger role. 897 01:01:37,039 --> 01:01:39,000 I also think that we're at a point where I wish the Knicks would give 898 01:01:39,039 --> 01:01:42,119 him one to just see, like where we're at. Oh, look when 899 01:01:42,119 --> 01:01:45,199 they trade him in a couple of weeks and he goes to a team where 900 01:01:45,199 --> 01:01:46,320 he could be the focal point of the offense. Then maybe we'll get to 901 01:01:46,320 --> 01:01:52,159 see what happened. On a more positive note, or the plural notes. 902 01:01:52,239 --> 01:01:57,679 Quentin Grimes Duce McBride have like these reinvigorating performances before they both ender Lee health 903 01:01:57,760 --> 01:02:00,480 and safety protocols. Do either one of that? Let's I don't know if 904 01:02:00,519 --> 01:02:04,440 we need to fast forward. Let's just imagine a world in which there's not 905 01:02:04,519 --> 01:02:09,079 a revolving door of players available. Uh in the NBA? Do either of 906 01:02:09,159 --> 01:02:15,840 them? Do you see Tibbs letting them factor into a full or strength rotation. 907 01:02:20,360 --> 01:02:23,719 I mean, look, the better answer, the easy answers know the 908 01:02:25,480 --> 01:02:29,760 answer I want to give us. I hope. So I think Grimes is 909 01:02:29,840 --> 01:02:31,960 here to stay. I will say that I think shot of adrenaline on defense, 910 01:02:32,000 --> 01:02:36,920 please, Like that's the that's the thing, Like Tims is gonna play 911 01:02:36,960 --> 01:02:39,880 guys that defend, which is the irony of the biggest issue with the Knicks 912 01:02:40,000 --> 01:02:45,599 right now. I think Grimes is are in the spot if he's gonna shoot 913 01:02:45,719 --> 01:02:49,719 like he has from three and then be the on ball defender that he is. 914 01:02:50,000 --> 01:02:52,800 I mean, look, I get it. The G League Pistons last 915 01:02:52,920 --> 01:02:57,800 night seeing what Deuce McBride was also, I think is why you're excited for 916 01:02:57,880 --> 01:03:00,840 him to eventually find a role with this team. But this is why, 917 01:03:01,000 --> 01:03:06,519 like I'm okay with when Kemba got benched, if they were to go to 918 01:03:07,039 --> 01:03:13,199 a lineup that included starting lineup, but like inserting Deuce McBride into the rotation, 919 01:03:13,960 --> 01:03:17,480 Like there are guys I want to see before Kemba Walker that especially hun 920 01:03:17,679 --> 01:03:22,840 defense at the point guard position, and Duce McBride is one of them. 921 01:03:22,960 --> 01:03:27,199 And I mean that the things we've talked about that I like about the Knicks, 922 01:03:27,239 --> 01:03:30,840 the Obi Toppins, the Manuel Quickly is the Deuce mcbrides, the Quentin 923 01:03:30,920 --> 01:03:37,400 Grimes. That's the actual thing Knicks fans are leading on right now that has 924 01:03:37,480 --> 01:03:44,519 them surviving these these regression periods from Julius, which is ironic because they have 925 01:03:44,960 --> 01:03:47,679 their one game behind their pace from last year. I get a different contexts, 926 01:03:47,760 --> 01:03:52,159 but like they were eighteen and seventeen this point last year, the seventeen 927 01:03:52,199 --> 01:03:55,639 eighteen now, the fact that they haven't had anything more other than our j 928 01:03:57,039 --> 01:04:01,519 like in the Leon Rose Tom Thibodeau era, they've had I think they've had 929 01:04:01,639 --> 01:04:04,199 five draft picks, six draft picks. No, no, no, I 930 01:04:04,320 --> 01:04:08,360 was right. You can cut this if you want me try to figure out 931 01:04:08,360 --> 01:04:11,880 howny draft picks. They have six draft picks and all six seem to be 932 01:04:12,039 --> 01:04:15,039 like they hit on all of them. And one of them was the fifty 933 01:04:15,079 --> 01:04:16,639 eighth pick in the draft and Jericho Sims and he looks like he could be 934 01:04:16,760 --> 01:04:21,480 like a solid backup center in the league. I think that's the thing that 935 01:04:21,800 --> 01:04:26,480 you're excited about. That if the Nicks did want to become sellers at the 936 01:04:26,559 --> 01:04:30,199 deadline and trade Alec Burke's Boom, Quentin Grimes steps up into his rotation spot, 937 01:04:30,239 --> 01:04:34,079 if they did want to offload Kemba to a contender, Boom, Deuce 938 01:04:34,199 --> 01:04:39,719 McBride is in the rotation, and they have younger players to come in if 939 01:04:39,760 --> 01:04:44,360 this season does go sideways, and I think they're gonna be productive young players 940 01:04:44,440 --> 01:04:49,000 as well. He moving in. You know, you bring up whether they'll 941 01:04:49,000 --> 01:04:51,960 become sellers, and I have a question about that. But without talking about 942 01:04:53,079 --> 01:04:55,599 a player, he wanted them to acquire what direction they should be at it. 943 01:04:55,840 --> 01:04:59,519 Who's the player that they need to be shopping or that they need to 944 01:04:59,639 --> 01:05:02,320 trade. It advanced that February tenth deadline. Who is just don't make this 945 01:05:02,400 --> 01:05:04,920 a surprise. I sent you the question at advance. Well, yeah, 946 01:05:05,000 --> 01:05:10,840 I just that's the thing is, like there's no one player that ill that 947 01:05:10,880 --> 01:05:13,880 where we're at the foot. Oh yeah. At this point, the problem 948 01:05:13,960 --> 01:05:17,599 with the question is, like the obvious answer, I don't think anybody wants 949 01:05:17,679 --> 01:05:23,480 them. So I don't think anybody's given you anything for Julius Randall or Evan 950 01:05:23,559 --> 01:05:28,480 forty eight. Right now, Mitch probably gets you something, kemba, kemba. 951 01:05:28,519 --> 01:05:30,840 If you can trade him two games ago probably gets you something. You 952 01:05:30,920 --> 01:05:35,199 know, give him two weeks off again, ings off, let him play 953 01:05:35,239 --> 01:05:41,239 two games. That's the solution. Fine, Like the pieces you're willing to 954 01:05:41,440 --> 01:05:45,599 part with, like are the things that people probably don't want right now. 955 01:05:45,760 --> 01:05:49,559 Burke's might actually be the guy because he's shown me he can be as an 956 01:05:49,639 --> 01:05:55,199 off the bench sixth man, instant offense type of guy, which any contender 957 01:05:55,280 --> 01:05:58,480 would like. But like, I think the Knicks might also kind of like 958 01:05:58,639 --> 01:06:00,920 him too, which is the difficult parting ways with Alec Burks? Why would 959 01:06:00,920 --> 01:06:03,599 you do that? Just yet? You know how? Think you look at 960 01:06:03,639 --> 01:06:09,360 his shooting numbers, like combined in fourth quarters last year and this year, 961 01:06:09,440 --> 01:06:12,079 he's been so big for them, and also his struggles in the starting lineup 962 01:06:12,119 --> 01:06:14,880 like kind of reinforce his value because it's like, oh, if you make 963 01:06:15,000 --> 01:06:16,320 him come off the bench or put him in a little bit of a smaller 964 01:06:16,440 --> 01:06:19,400 role, like this is perfect for him, which I think if you're a 965 01:06:19,440 --> 01:06:23,559 contender, that entices you even more. I'm not trading out works is I'm 966 01:06:23,559 --> 01:06:27,119 the Knicks. I think the actual answer is Julius Randall. I think it's 967 01:06:27,119 --> 01:06:30,599 an answer that a lot of people don't want to give, aren't ready to 968 01:06:30,679 --> 01:06:33,360 give right now. That's fine. The more realistic and I think level headed 969 01:06:33,360 --> 01:06:38,079 answer less reactionary is Evan Fournier to where I don't know that teams are gonna 970 01:06:38,119 --> 01:06:41,639 want him, but his contract numbers manageable enough, his deal short term enough 971 01:06:41,679 --> 01:06:45,800 that if you're trying to buy And I went on a Pacers podcast and the 972 01:06:45,880 --> 01:06:49,599 trade framework we came up with was Evan Fournier, Obie Toppin too heavily protected 973 01:06:50,159 --> 01:06:54,480 first round picks for a Miles Turner. Like you can make a deal like 974 01:06:54,840 --> 01:06:58,480 that with an Evan Fournier's deal. That's my point. You can chake it 975 01:06:58,840 --> 01:07:00,199 all you want. If anyone's watching us on camera, whether I even flip 976 01:07:00,360 --> 01:07:04,559 this segment for YouTube is remain to be seen. But I think the answer 977 01:07:04,679 --> 01:07:09,039 is Fournier just because it could be Nerlands. No. Well, but those 978 01:07:09,039 --> 01:07:12,519 are the deals where it's like you don't have to you could attach stuff too 979 01:07:13,119 --> 01:07:16,440 to make them more digestible and to get you either an upgrade or a player 980 01:07:16,519 --> 01:07:19,599 who you think better fits what you're trying to do or your overall trajectory. 981 01:07:19,760 --> 01:07:23,480 Don't get me wrong, I'd love to trade Evan Fournier. I'm not putting 982 01:07:23,519 --> 01:07:25,760 over the toppit in the deal. And I say I like, I have 983 01:07:25,800 --> 01:07:29,960 any say in this, but the attachment that Knicks fans have built to Obi 984 01:07:30,079 --> 01:07:33,400 toppin if the thing that you get back for him is Miles Turner, Like 985 01:07:33,800 --> 01:07:38,039 we just talked about the value of a center in the NBA a couple of 986 01:07:38,079 --> 01:07:40,559 minutes ago. Like, I don't think Knicks fans are ready to part with. 987 01:07:40,719 --> 01:07:45,280 The one guy that has made Julius Randall's struggles tolerable is that when Julius 988 01:07:45,360 --> 01:07:47,960 leaves to get to watch him, you know, I don't think any Knicks 989 01:07:47,960 --> 01:07:51,360 fan wants a part of And that's why I said, like, the easy 990 01:07:51,440 --> 01:07:55,639 answer is Fournier or Randall, But I don't think a team is gonna want 991 01:07:55,679 --> 01:07:59,760 them unless you add something else, and Knicks fans don't want to part with 992 01:08:00,079 --> 01:08:03,320 something else. Myself included I do, I would be curious, and this 993 01:08:03,440 --> 01:08:06,400 is the nuclear I think the Knicks don't even want to go this route, 994 01:08:06,400 --> 01:08:11,000 but I mentioned it at the earlier before. I do think there's a team 995 01:08:12,000 --> 01:08:15,440 that could probably call it together like short term salaries or salary filler, and 996 01:08:15,559 --> 01:08:17,119 is willing to roll the dice on Julius Randall. I just don't know. 997 01:08:17,159 --> 01:08:20,199 If you're the Knicks, can you save face by making move up? Because 998 01:08:20,199 --> 01:08:24,439 when the when the Clippers turned around and traded Blake Griffin, they got stuff, 999 01:08:24,640 --> 01:08:28,920 lots of stuff for Blake Griffin. You're at a point with Julius Trannel 1000 01:08:28,920 --> 01:08:30,760 if you're doing you mentioned that they might have to sweeten it. I'm just 1001 01:08:30,880 --> 01:08:34,640 talking about can you get like out of that contract entirely. I doubt they're 1002 01:08:34,640 --> 01:08:39,439 ready to go that route just yet, which is also why I think that 1003 01:08:39,560 --> 01:08:43,199 he probably can't be the answer here, even though I think he's my answer. 1004 01:08:43,359 --> 01:08:45,239 I also just think I'm not saying I'm ahead of the curve. Heer. 1005 01:08:45,279 --> 01:08:47,760 You've mentioned Knicks fans want to trade him. I do think there's like 1006 01:08:47,880 --> 01:08:53,880 this feeling that we can't, that people can't say this just yet, and 1007 01:08:54,239 --> 01:08:56,880 that's maybe why he's not more of a common answer. It's you can tell 1008 01:08:56,920 --> 01:08:59,000 about how Betty's been, Oh, we can't trade him when his values this 1009 01:08:59,079 --> 01:09:01,119 low that you supposed this, his value is going to actually get better, 1010 01:09:01,560 --> 01:09:04,800 and I don't know that we can do that, is my point. So 1011 01:09:05,239 --> 01:09:10,800 I think we're in agreement on the two guys that are the most desired to 1012 01:09:10,920 --> 01:09:14,880 be traded from this fan from this team, by this fan base. It's 1013 01:09:15,000 --> 01:09:17,640 the when you go to Obi Toppin, you go to quickly and start throwing 1014 01:09:17,680 --> 01:09:20,319 in these young pieces that the fan base has fallen in love with, and 1015 01:09:20,399 --> 01:09:25,800 look, I reject prospect hugging, which is why, like r J. 1016 01:09:25,920 --> 01:09:30,279 Barrett's not untouchable. I just don't want to trade him for a guy that's 1017 01:09:30,319 --> 01:09:33,039 not gonna play like a major role on this team, you know, like 1018 01:09:33,319 --> 01:09:36,720 like we're not getting a we're not getting like a difference maker. I'd rather 1019 01:09:36,800 --> 01:09:42,600 see what r J. Barrett becomes. The exact same thing applies to Obi 1020 01:09:42,720 --> 01:09:46,119 Toppin, where I don't want to see him become of Mary Sodomyer in Indiana. 1021 01:09:46,600 --> 01:09:50,600 So if you can offload Julius Randall after February there, which is why, 1022 01:09:51,359 --> 01:09:55,439 look, you will find more allies that I think you realize in Nicks 1023 01:09:55,520 --> 01:10:00,640 in Nick's land right now that the trade Julius train has gotten more passengers. 1024 01:10:00,800 --> 01:10:04,920 And I think last night really was the moment that everybody you know jumped on 1025 01:10:05,079 --> 01:10:08,680 it and said, like, listen, this is this is a problem the 1026 01:10:08,920 --> 01:10:12,279 Knicks. Arguably their most productive player on the team this year has been his 1027 01:10:12,399 --> 01:10:15,319 backup and it's why I think Knicks fans would rather see what would be topping 1028 01:10:15,399 --> 01:10:19,439 becomes with with four minutes and not in a Miles Turner trade. More than 1029 01:10:19,439 --> 01:10:23,479 anything else. I'm glad I hosted to my Julius Randall feelings to the point 1030 01:10:23,479 --> 01:10:27,600 that they became stale and cliche. That is always the goal. So what 1031 01:10:27,840 --> 01:10:30,279 is the I think it could be easier to say a superstar, but like, 1032 01:10:30,359 --> 01:10:35,039 what is the player archetype, whether it's a position or skill set that 1033 01:10:35,199 --> 01:10:40,000 you would like to see them acquire or that they need to acquire at the 1034 01:10:40,079 --> 01:10:42,960 deadline, or even just moving forward, like we could just move past this 1035 01:10:43,079 --> 01:10:45,880 season as well at this point, So Miles Turner is the guy. It's 1036 01:10:46,000 --> 01:10:49,760 it's the trade package. I think that would eventually be become too rich for 1037 01:10:49,840 --> 01:10:56,479 my blood. Look, I don't think the Sixers would trade Ben Simmons in 1038 01:10:56,600 --> 01:10:59,720 division. I don't think the Knicks have what the Sixers want to make a 1039 01:10:59,760 --> 01:11:02,920 Bend Simmons trade. They do have a fuck Can I say that word on 1040 01:11:02,960 --> 01:11:05,960 this pod? I apologize if I can't. Oh, they do have a 1041 01:11:06,239 --> 01:11:10,960 ton of pot of picks that they can afford to trade over the next couple 1042 01:11:11,000 --> 01:11:15,479 of years, which is where I think you could if if they're highly protected, 1043 01:11:15,479 --> 01:11:18,680 I think you could trade use those assets to get a guy like Turner, 1044 01:11:19,119 --> 01:11:25,239 or if they take away the protections, you could get Ben Simmons. 1045 01:11:25,479 --> 01:11:29,880 Cat has intrigued me. O. I think the Timberls have actually start to 1046 01:11:29,960 --> 01:11:32,399 build something that they're not gonna want to trade Cat as well, and that 1047 01:11:32,600 --> 01:11:35,319 like that's something I would trade. Will be topping in r J Barrett flow 1048 01:11:35,319 --> 01:11:40,079 like if you get telling me like but like that's the point. It's like, 1049 01:11:40,159 --> 01:11:43,800 if I'm gonna trade and I'm gonna trade my prospects for a center, 1050 01:11:43,920 --> 01:11:46,720 I'm not trading for Miles Turner. Like that's that's the issue that I have 1051 01:11:46,840 --> 01:11:49,439 with this. You know, I wouldn't give up prospects for Turner, but 1052 01:11:49,439 --> 01:11:51,960 if you're getting all four days deal in the process, will be topping. 1053 01:11:51,960 --> 01:11:55,760 Wouldn't be a deal breaker there for me. But then that goes back to 1054 01:11:55,920 --> 01:12:00,520 a much larger argument from the Porzingis trade that, like in theory trading, 1055 01:12:00,520 --> 01:12:05,199 Porzingis was like not an issue guy coming off an ACL injury that has yet 1056 01:12:05,279 --> 01:12:10,640 to prove he can play a full season. Like in theory, I get 1057 01:12:10,680 --> 01:12:14,399 it. It's when the only thing you're getting back is cap space and Dennis 1058 01:12:14,399 --> 01:12:18,439 Smith Junior. Because what you used in the Porzingis trade was Tim Hardaway Junior 1059 01:12:18,520 --> 01:12:21,560 was a bad contract. We're go offloading him. Courtnately, it was a 1060 01:12:21,600 --> 01:12:26,640 bad contract. We're offloading him. Probably signed Trey Burke, Like I don't 1061 01:12:26,680 --> 01:12:30,880 want to make up for the mistakes of the Evan forty eight trade by then 1062 01:12:30,000 --> 01:12:32,800 having to give up something else. They're just ride it out and have forty 1063 01:12:32,840 --> 01:12:38,399 eight sit fourth quarters and we'll just enjoy when he has these stay streaky moments 1064 01:12:38,560 --> 01:12:41,960 like there are other We talked about the value of a center. There were 1065 01:12:42,000 --> 01:12:46,359 ways to find value at the center position without overpaying for Miles Turner. Well, 1066 01:12:46,800 --> 01:12:49,920 I think it's I agree with you in some I think it's different when 1067 01:12:49,960 --> 01:12:55,720 you're getting back Miles Turner as opposed to like the temporary placeholder poopo platter you 1068 01:12:55,800 --> 01:12:58,439 got back from the Dallas Mavericks. Dennis Smith Junior was like very much, 1069 01:12:59,079 --> 01:13:01,359 not like you could sell it as a look when he was drafted. He's 1070 01:13:01,359 --> 01:13:04,840 still kind of young. I think Turners weren't. And he's also not making 1071 01:13:04,920 --> 01:13:08,720 that much for what he does. I think he's he's paid a market value. 1072 01:13:08,720 --> 01:13:10,640 If you're worried about paying him tween twenty three, I get it, 1073 01:13:10,840 --> 01:13:13,359 so if that's not the player giving it up for I just think it's different 1074 01:13:13,680 --> 01:13:17,720 if you're actually getting someone back of Turner's caliber or similar Should you be having 1075 01:13:17,760 --> 01:13:20,000 if you have to greet, if you'd rather give up, if that's so 1076 01:13:20,079 --> 01:13:23,840 you don't have to give up Burkes, or so you don't have to get 1077 01:13:23,920 --> 01:13:28,039 like. I don't think you're getting Miles Turner or even a player of similar 1078 01:13:28,119 --> 01:13:30,920 caliber without giving up one of your young guys. There's picks and salary fillers 1079 01:13:30,960 --> 01:13:33,800 only gonna get you so far to begin with. But I do I think 1080 01:13:33,840 --> 01:13:39,000 I'm out all together on which is becomes sellers as a result. Then well 1081 01:13:39,039 --> 01:13:41,640 you do, and you do have Mitchell Robinson, who I don't think I 1082 01:13:41,720 --> 01:13:45,479 think is a significant downgrade for Miles Turner, but you can at least well 1083 01:13:45,479 --> 01:13:48,960 if he comes cheaper. YadA, YadA, YadA to your would you go? 1084 01:13:49,279 --> 01:13:53,119 So the Ben Simmons stuff I thought was interesting, they were only tangentially 1085 01:13:53,199 --> 01:13:56,159 linked. This is the final or second to final question here for you. 1086 01:13:57,039 --> 01:14:00,000 Would you do? It's a three team scenario where the Knicks are probably sending 1087 01:14:00,039 --> 01:14:02,199 a team a bunch of stuff that is in turn sending Philly someone they actually 1088 01:14:02,279 --> 01:14:05,479 want, and Simmons goes to the Knicks. Is that something like do you 1089 01:14:05,720 --> 01:14:10,800 like the idea of Ben Simmons in New York? I despise the idea of 1090 01:14:10,880 --> 01:14:14,840 Simmons next to Julius Randall. But Simmons is also like kind of the exact 1091 01:14:14,960 --> 01:14:17,319 sort of swing. It feels like this roster would would need to take. 1092 01:14:18,760 --> 01:14:24,960 So there's there's vacuums here to look at this from right. I don't like 1093 01:14:25,119 --> 01:14:28,039 him next to Julius Randall. You're right, I don't like him in New 1094 01:14:28,119 --> 01:14:31,359 York. I love him with Tom Thibodeau. I love him in that type 1095 01:14:31,399 --> 01:14:36,640 of defensive intensity that Tim's will love and play Ben Simmons forty nine minutes a 1096 01:14:36,760 --> 01:14:40,680 night. He'll have him running a lap around the court as soon as the 1097 01:14:40,720 --> 01:14:45,920 buzzer hits, like he would love to have Ben Simmons running captaining his defense. 1098 01:14:46,399 --> 01:14:53,239 The overall negatives of how Philly went, Like, man, you think 1099 01:14:53,359 --> 01:14:57,680 the Philly fans are hard, Ben, have one of these zero field goal 1100 01:14:57,720 --> 01:15:01,720 attempt fourth quarters in a playoff game at the Garden and see if you're able 1101 01:15:01,840 --> 01:15:09,159 to travel outside of the metropolitan area anytime soon. I don't think the fit 1102 01:15:09,359 --> 01:15:14,479 for New York is good, while the basketball fit for Tibbs I actually think 1103 01:15:14,560 --> 01:15:18,399 would work more than it does. But like you have to consider the non 1104 01:15:18,479 --> 01:15:23,079 basketball things. Unfortunately with Ben Simmons, like what's happened to him this year, 1105 01:15:23,119 --> 01:15:25,520 and like, God bless him. I hope whatever like is going on 1106 01:15:25,720 --> 01:15:30,880 upstairs is actually being fixed this year. Clearly Philly broke him, and I'm 1107 01:15:30,760 --> 01:15:38,039 I'm honest with the city that the Knicks playing and how they've broken probably weaker 1108 01:15:38,119 --> 01:15:42,199 players in the past, And I don't know if that is a good fit 1109 01:15:42,359 --> 01:15:45,399 this fan base with that player. Yeah, I think the the other thing 1110 01:15:45,520 --> 01:15:48,560 is is the mental health stuff. People just assuming that it's a it's a 1111 01:15:48,680 --> 01:15:51,119 ruse. I would never assume that. And if it is, either, 1112 01:15:51,359 --> 01:15:55,359 yeah, I just I don't. I won't even consider that that's what's happening. 1113 01:15:55,600 --> 01:15:58,760 I also can't imagine what if someone went to TIBs talking about, like 1114 01:15:58,960 --> 01:16:00,880 I need to take time off for my men health, Like that's just not 1115 01:16:00,000 --> 01:16:02,439 the coach that I see, and I'm not even making light of it. 1116 01:16:02,520 --> 01:16:06,680 I think you're right. It just feels like a bad emotional and tactical fit. 1117 01:16:06,880 --> 01:16:12,239 To be honest, I have two names for you go ahead that I 1118 01:16:12,279 --> 01:16:15,520 would like to see him go after one. I don't know how much stuff 1119 01:16:15,520 --> 01:16:17,199 I would give up, and he's played so well lately. I also don't 1120 01:16:17,199 --> 01:16:19,640 know what. I don't know if the team would be interesting training him. 1121 01:16:20,119 --> 01:16:24,159 Josh Hart is the type of player that this team could need. And if 1122 01:16:24,199 --> 01:16:27,560 look they need like another maybe Quentin Grimes is it, But like even if 1123 01:16:27,560 --> 01:16:30,880 it's Barrett and Quentin Grimes, like they just need like another really good active 1124 01:16:30,920 --> 01:16:38,560 perimeter defender. The second name. It's a bigger swing, slightly more realistic 1125 01:16:38,640 --> 01:16:41,520 though, and his stock is like kind of teetering on down right now. 1126 01:16:41,520 --> 01:16:45,279 I'm not sure how much you've watched him. Derek White is, Yeah, 1127 01:16:45,520 --> 01:16:48,600 can really give you point of attack defense across like you know two or three 1128 01:16:48,680 --> 01:16:54,199 spots can do stuff on ball offensively, but isn't the most efficient at it. 1129 01:16:54,239 --> 01:16:56,239 And so I don't know whether you want to, you know, dare 1130 01:16:56,840 --> 01:17:00,159 pair that with Julius Randall and RJ Barrett right now. He's also not the 1131 01:17:00,239 --> 01:17:02,039 player. I don't give up allbi topping for him. I don't give up 1132 01:17:02,079 --> 01:17:04,239 RJ Barrett for him. I don't give up quickly for him. It's the 1133 01:17:04,319 --> 01:17:06,680 Spurs are looking to go in a different direction. They already paid him, 1134 01:17:08,119 --> 01:17:12,319 they want salary filler picks. Maybe you're willing to give up like I would 1135 01:17:12,359 --> 01:17:15,760 give up Druce mcbrider, Quentin Grimes for him. Probably maybe it would be 1136 01:17:15,880 --> 01:17:19,800 like a but those are like names. I don't think there's a we could 1137 01:17:19,800 --> 01:17:23,359 talk about stars or if it's a Damien Loader. I just don't think there's 1138 01:17:23,359 --> 01:17:26,800 a player out there. And I don't think one player is going to solve 1139 01:17:26,880 --> 01:17:29,560 everything for the Knicks, which makes them I tweeted this a while ago. 1140 01:17:30,520 --> 01:17:33,560 There's so much right and wrong with the Knicks at the same time. Because 1141 01:17:33,560 --> 01:17:36,000 you look at the talent on the roster, you look at the depth some 1142 01:17:36,079 --> 01:17:40,000 of their bench performances. They have this nice mix of veterans and youth. 1143 01:17:40,359 --> 01:17:43,199 Even if you want to quibble about playing time, it's like, okay, 1144 01:17:43,199 --> 01:17:45,960 at least we've seen the flashes from Obi toppin. We have an idea of 1145 01:17:45,960 --> 01:17:47,840 what RJ. Barrett could be from last year. But there's just no like 1146 01:17:48,640 --> 01:17:54,159 magic solution here. There's just no one. I couldn't even come up with 1147 01:17:54,199 --> 01:18:00,640 a player, a semi available player, a top like that would just inject 1148 01:18:00,880 --> 01:18:03,880 something into the Knicks that makes them a better team or a much better team 1149 01:18:03,920 --> 01:18:08,720 than they were last season. I think that's what's tricky about navigating this deadline. 1150 01:18:08,760 --> 01:18:11,399 So I'll leave you with those names and also finish with this question. 1151 01:18:11,840 --> 01:18:15,880 What are the chances that they actually become sellers at the deadline? And do 1152 01:18:15,039 --> 01:18:18,800 you think that if we're going to fast forward to February third, I'm using 1153 01:18:18,840 --> 01:18:21,600 the Randle date, like you said, is sort of that artificial deadline. 1154 01:18:21,840 --> 01:18:25,720 Maybe it's not Randle they're selling, but if they're just you know, we're 1155 01:18:25,800 --> 01:18:28,720 talking right now. They are two games out of the six, two losses 1156 01:18:28,720 --> 01:18:30,640 out of the six spot in the East. This isn't a dire situation if 1157 01:18:30,680 --> 01:18:33,880 that's where you want to get back to. Do you do you think they 1158 01:18:33,920 --> 01:18:39,199 should be operating as sellers of the deadline if they're in a similar spot to 1159 01:18:39,239 --> 01:18:41,880 where they are right now, one game under five hundred as they close it 1160 01:18:41,920 --> 01:18:47,720 on that So, after the long answer coming from a very rambley question, 1161 01:18:47,760 --> 01:18:53,399 so I probably I got you no worries. I after the Golden State game 1162 01:18:53,439 --> 01:18:58,000 where Steph set the record, the Knicks had a stretch of a Knicks have 1163 01:18:58,359 --> 01:19:01,960 a stretch I think eight teen games coming up. It's the eighteen or sixteen 1164 01:19:02,079 --> 01:19:06,960 games against like all teams that are under five hundred or around, like they're 1165 01:19:06,960 --> 01:19:12,520 not gonna play any more Warriors types going forward. And it's that stretch that 1166 01:19:12,640 --> 01:19:15,760 Nick Spans have looked at where it's like, you go, you're nine and 1167 01:19:15,920 --> 01:19:19,560 nine in that stretch, then there's no point in even like talking about the 1168 01:19:19,640 --> 01:19:24,159 playoffs after this, Like you're you're a ten seed. You might as well 1169 01:19:24,239 --> 01:19:28,039 try to sell off some of the pieces you have and your sellers. They're 1170 01:19:28,159 --> 01:19:31,760 currently five and two in that stretch and they have Oklahoma City, Toronto, 1171 01:19:32,199 --> 01:19:36,720 Indiana, Boston, Boston, San Antonio coming up in their next six games, 1172 01:19:38,199 --> 01:19:45,439 so game exactly exact, so like they have a much easier schedule coming 1173 01:19:45,520 --> 01:19:50,159 up. That's say they go something crazy like like I'll be I'll be real, 1174 01:19:50,520 --> 01:19:54,720 somewhat realistic to how they played down to opponents this year, specifically the 1175 01:19:54,800 --> 01:20:00,359 last two games. Let's say in those eighteen games they go eleven and seven, 1176 01:20:00,479 --> 01:20:03,199 which is honestly generous compared to what they've been. I think that puts 1177 01:20:03,279 --> 01:20:08,239 them back at five hundred and then for the rest of the season. That 1178 01:20:08,359 --> 01:20:14,359 stretch also puts you at January twentieth, so you'll then have like a couple 1179 01:20:14,399 --> 01:20:17,560 of weeks before the deadline to know and that's really by that point you'll know 1180 01:20:18,439 --> 01:20:23,000 what the Knicks are, whether they're sellers, whether they can go after for 1181 01:20:23,039 --> 01:20:27,199 the sixth seed, whether they're you know, I mean, whether what is 1182 01:20:27,319 --> 01:20:30,479 of Julius Randall at that point, because look, I like Josh Shart. 1183 01:20:30,560 --> 01:20:32,920 I think he would solve some of the knicks problems. Think he'd be an 1184 01:20:33,000 --> 01:20:36,119 upgrade over Evan Fournier if that's a deal you could work around on those two 1185 01:20:36,199 --> 01:20:41,600 players. I'm in Derek White loved him when he when he I think he 1186 01:20:41,680 --> 01:20:44,159 could shoot better. And that's so I don't want to know if I want 1187 01:20:44,199 --> 01:20:46,199 to give up a significant piece for him. But like you said, it's 1188 01:20:46,199 --> 01:20:50,720 a maybe on what the young pieces you'd have to give up the trade I 1189 01:20:50,840 --> 01:20:55,239 did the player, maybe not necessarily the trade the person. I actually think, 1190 01:20:55,399 --> 01:20:58,319 if I were to give one answer to this question that she gave me, 1191 01:20:59,279 --> 01:21:02,239 if the Pelicans were willing to part with somebody and it was brandon Ingram, 1192 01:21:02,840 --> 01:21:05,600 that's somebody I would trade RJ. Barrett for, and I would put 1193 01:21:05,640 --> 01:21:10,399 our J. Barrett back with his teammate Zion. See if that is a 1194 01:21:10,520 --> 01:21:13,720 kick in the pants his duke teammate, Zion. If that's kicking the pants 1195 01:21:13,760 --> 01:21:16,000 and Zion needs to go, you know, get back into shape. I 1196 01:21:16,119 --> 01:21:19,560 get to play my college roommate. Awesome, Like that's the type of guy 1197 01:21:19,760 --> 01:21:25,279 I would want to invest in long term and see if that kick starts this 1198 01:21:25,439 --> 01:21:28,760 team. But the issue Dan, and this I think is where we can 1199 01:21:29,199 --> 01:21:31,399 a perfect place to wrap up, is there is one player that can fix 1200 01:21:31,439 --> 01:21:35,800 the Knicks this year, and it's Julius Randall. If he returns at all 1201 01:21:36,119 --> 01:21:40,640 to the player that he was last year, I'll take the player he was 1202 01:21:40,800 --> 01:21:45,199 after Fizdale got fired, and there was like four weeks where he was averaging 1203 01:21:45,359 --> 01:21:50,880 twenty three and eleven on legitimately good efficiency and not looking like a turnstyle on 1204 01:21:51,000 --> 01:21:57,119 defense. There was effort there. I don't need this la fitness version of 1205 01:21:57,279 --> 01:22:01,319 him from last year. That was one of the best individual seasons a Nick 1206 01:22:01,399 --> 01:22:08,239 has ever had, and that's not hyperboly like the season he had From accounting 1207 01:22:08,279 --> 01:22:12,880 stats plus the three point percentage, only Larry Bird and Nikolaukis have had it 1208 01:22:13,039 --> 01:22:16,680 in NBA history. There that is a legitimate stat that the Knicks Julius Randall 1209 01:22:16,680 --> 01:22:21,119 accomplished last year, which is why second team All NBA was warranted. And 1210 01:22:21,279 --> 01:22:28,119 I think that player has to be like seventy percent of that the rest of 1211 01:22:28,239 --> 01:22:33,159 the year. So if Randall can figure any thing out over the next couple 1212 01:22:33,239 --> 01:22:39,279 of weeks against inferior opponents, then that will depend on whether or not whether 1213 01:22:39,359 --> 01:22:43,399 or not it's even worth pursuing upgrading at the deadline, or whether or not 1214 01:22:43,640 --> 01:22:48,079 exploring other nuclear options or what the Knicks should do. I would probably agree 1215 01:22:48,119 --> 01:22:51,359 across the board, And there's also just a little caveat of I don't know 1216 01:22:51,399 --> 01:22:56,680 what's selling looks like for this team anymore, because you probably don't have widespread 1217 01:22:56,720 --> 01:22:59,880 interest in Randall or Fournier at this point. What are you gonna get for 1218 01:23:00,159 --> 01:23:02,760 Well, I don't I don't really think they should move Burks just because the 1219 01:23:02,840 --> 01:23:06,159 contract that he's on. But it would be Burks and I guess Robin like 1220 01:23:06,479 --> 01:23:10,880 dots with selling and then maybe Kemba. That's it. It's Burks, Robinson, 1221 01:23:10,960 --> 01:23:13,960 Kemba, because not even just those three, because I think you'd get 1222 01:23:14,079 --> 01:23:17,000 something for them. It's like I said, Deuce then slides in for Kemba, 1223 01:23:17,199 --> 01:23:21,920 Grimes then slides in for Burks. Jericho Sims could then slide in for 1224 01:23:21,960 --> 01:23:27,680 Mitch as far as rotation replacements once they're gone. Like this is where you 1225 01:23:27,720 --> 01:23:30,319 give the Knicks development staff, Walt Parent coming over from Utah, like the 1226 01:23:30,399 --> 01:23:36,479 guy that discovered a top one seed in the West out of Donovan Mitchell and 1227 01:23:36,560 --> 01:23:42,600 Rudy Gobert. Like they scouted properly and drafted properly, and they've got guys 1228 01:23:42,640 --> 01:23:45,560 to fill holes when you trade off these pieces and add on to the treasury 1229 01:23:46,119 --> 01:23:50,680 chest of assets. I just the bigger issues on this team that will determine 1230 01:23:50,720 --> 01:23:55,600 whether they're this like Mini sellers or not, like, they're not gonna go 1231 01:23:55,720 --> 01:24:00,479 nuclear like Indiana Mite. I think the Knicks. It's all gonna depend on 1232 01:24:00,479 --> 01:24:03,079 what Julius Randall is over the next couple of weeks. And then if I 1233 01:24:03,119 --> 01:24:05,960 mean, look, they're not when they make those trades, then gonna sit 1234 01:24:06,039 --> 01:24:10,439 Julius Randall the rest of the season. It would just the even more frustrating 1235 01:24:10,479 --> 01:24:14,279 part. But you know, we'll see what happens. Andrew, this was 1236 01:24:14,399 --> 01:24:18,359 great and incredibly long as always, but also incredibly enjoyable. Are you able 1237 01:24:18,399 --> 01:24:23,199 to tell our listeners where they can find you and all the fantastic work that 1238 01:24:23,279 --> 01:24:28,079 you do, so you could find my production work over at Nick's Film School. 1239 01:24:28,159 --> 01:24:31,000 We have a podcast on the Blue Wire podcast Network. We have a 1240 01:24:31,079 --> 01:24:35,000 YouTube channel. Just search for Nick's Film School. You could find us both 1241 01:24:35,039 --> 01:24:39,760 of our regularly scheduled shows that we put the whole episodes up on YouTube, 1242 01:24:39,760 --> 01:24:43,359 as well as a postgame live stream if you want to get our reaction to 1243 01:24:43,520 --> 01:24:47,399 specific Nick's games. Last night was a doozy where our leader and CEO, 1244 01:24:47,560 --> 01:24:53,560 Jonathan macgray went off on Julius Randall much more aggressively than I did as well. 1245 01:24:53,680 --> 01:24:56,720 So if you want to go for anyone who is not familiar with Jonathan 1246 01:24:56,720 --> 01:24:58,640 macgree, he takes a lot for him to go off. I saw the 1247 01:24:58,680 --> 01:25:02,600 clip that you post or beds whoever. Basically for him to say something like 1248 01:25:02,720 --> 01:25:06,720 that, it's a thing where like he's a teacher in his in real life, 1249 01:25:06,800 --> 01:25:11,960 so he has a lot of patients in him and last night Julius finally 1250 01:25:12,119 --> 01:25:15,720 made him put somebody in detention. So we have the YouTube channel, we 1251 01:25:15,800 --> 01:25:18,399 have a Patreon if you want to contribute to that, and obviously you could 1252 01:25:18,439 --> 01:25:23,920 find all of our stuff at Nick's Film score Us with a newsletter plenty of 1253 01:25:24,079 --> 01:25:27,159 great Knicks content. I really do think we're it's a top tier for Nicks 1254 01:25:27,479 --> 01:25:30,880 Nick's coverage across the board as far as fan generated content. And then my 1255 01:25:31,079 --> 01:25:38,119 podcast Final Review my buddy film critic of Bernard Ozowski and I review a different 1256 01:25:38,319 --> 01:25:43,920 all time great movie every week using ten different top five categories and try to 1257 01:25:44,000 --> 01:25:47,720 actually quantify how great that movie is. This week we're doing the Matrix. 1258 01:25:47,840 --> 01:25:53,279 To start off twenty twenty two, we're doing Mad Max Fury Road, which 1259 01:25:53,359 --> 01:25:57,439 is going to give me the opportunity to talk about great car chaises in movies. 1260 01:25:57,520 --> 01:26:01,039 Hello Fast and Furious franchise. It's a great It's a really fun show 1261 01:26:01,079 --> 01:26:03,399 and a different way to talk about movies that I think if you are a 1262 01:26:03,520 --> 01:26:09,319 fan of movies, you will enjoy it. That's file review available everywhere. 1263 01:26:09,479 --> 01:26:13,640 Podcasts are available. I echo everything you say, but I would add that 1264 01:26:13,800 --> 01:26:17,199 Nick's film Cool is the standard bearer for all Nick's coverage, not just among 1265 01:26:17,319 --> 01:26:21,760 fans. So go check out Andrew and the folks over at Nick's Film School. 1266 01:26:23,039 --> 01:26:25,119 Thanks so much, man, As you know, I'll be pestering you 1267 01:26:25,199 --> 01:26:28,199 again in the future. This was a blast as always. As always, 1268 01:26:28,279 --> 01:26:28,760 Dan, thank you.