HEZI wrote:JayTWill wrote:HEZI wrote:
This is so false. How many “for the first time in franchise history” or “for the first time in x amount of years” have we gotten out of this group this season? Whether individual or team accomplishments there’s been a bunch of things this group has done that hasn’t been done for a long time in franchise history. They are obviously being maxed out. I’m not sure what else you are looking for out of a group that isn’t a contender. You can’t say they aren’t a contender then at the same time expect contender like results. Otherwise they would be a contender.
And if development was really a priority then the front office shouldn’t have punted on so many draft picks. First of all there is a league for development, it’s literally called the development league aka DLeague aka the GLeague. That’s where you can develop your rookies who need it and aren’t ready.
What are the positives of keeping this team? If you come to terms they aren’t contender why are you focusing on the coach instead of asking for actual roster changes? If you know the roster isn’t good enough then what’s the point of it? What are the positives?
I have no clue what you are talking about as far as "the first time in franchise history" as if that means something. You don't think this years' team could be better in any possible way?
Do you believe this team has a chance to contend this year? If not what is the point of playing the starters so many minutes, shortening the rotation and not playing the young guys while investing time in guys that probably won't be here next year? Is Thibs building something going forward that I just can't see?
I'm very open to roster changes but i'm not exactly sure how they do that now and get better? By selling low on Mikal after overpaying for him? Admitting that KAT is a bad fit at the 5 but hoping someone else likes him at the 5 after Thibs wears his body down? Trading the young guys with no value that have been glued to the bench all year so many people are assuming they suck? Hoping that some quality player is watching how Thibs uses his bench and wants to come play his beautiful brand of basketball for the vet min or the small taxpayer MLE that they could find anyone with last summer?
The entire roster has changed since his first playoff appearance in year 1 and almost all of the youth and draft picks have been traded away yet the team may still get bounced in round 1 just like it did 5 years ago.
Nope they can’t be better. With every rotation “solution” a new problem is created so while you think you fixed one thing you do so by breaking something else. That’s because the roster is constructed in such a way that coaching won’t fix the issues.
Nope they don’t have a chance to contend. Thibs is doing his job which is to coach to win every game. That’s what he gets paid to do with each paycheck. He’s not the GM or trainer or doctor or all these other things you believes a coach is responsible for, he just coaches.
The roster will have to be fixed by the same guy who put the team together. At least roster changes are realistic. Expecting an NBA coach to teach these soon to be 30 year olds how to shoot, dribble and defend at this stage in their careers and fix all the problems with the team is unrealistic.
I have never thought any of the Knicks teams in the last 5-6 years had the talent to contend. Not the January 2024 Knicks, not the Decmeber 2024 Knicks. I can see the flaws in the roster the front office constructed with Thibs and things players could be better at individually but the idea that somehow Thibs has found the exact best solution possible to every problem is ridiculous.
As far as improving the team how are roster changes a simple solution? You can't call someone like Mikal a "mid" role-player and then magically turn him into a better player especially when you have almost no assets to attach to him. You can't just magically change players into better players especially when the guys you are trying to move are already in their primes.
What are they supposed to do now? Hope that the Bucks GM saw Brunson and KAT not take this team to another level together and think to himself that maybe he should exchange possibly a top 5 player in Giannis for KAT to try him with an ageing Lillard and a worse supporting cast? Hope that a team gives the Knicks a better player making $23M or less for Mikal just because? Break Mikal up into multiple cheaper pieces that aren't as good as him individually? Trade Brunson who probably has the highest trade value and hope another player fits better with the team?
Explain to me how they will make the roster significantly better with the way you talk about the players some of the vets, the young players that Thibs won't even let touch the court, the limited draft capital available to trade and the limited money to offer. Changing the coach is very easy. You don't have to worry about trade value or the salary cap.
We struggled on defense early and we had a lot of injuries to the bench to overcome. We were winning though and the vibes were pretty amazing. Going back to the Chicago game where KAT got hurt and at the ASB the vibes changed. It just doesn't have the same energy they had earlier this season. They seem tired and worn out mentally after losses. Losing Brunson hurts a lot but, like I have said, something wasn't right before the injury.
RIP mags
