PG Knicks/Pistons

[thebuzzardman]

Can't take too many more games of Mikal driving to within 2 feet of the foot, veering away 4 more feet and then taking a fadeaway jumper so he winds up 12 feet away.

No wonder he's never missed a game.

I wouldn't even put this guy in the same sentence as AC Green.

Green actually played with heart and grit, two things that Mikal has never possessed.

Clyde Frazier - "but AC Green didn't believe in fornicating"

[god shammgod]

one of you knuckleheads got to make the game thread....i did my part yesterday

[JayTWill]

I'm afraid I have quite no idea what you are arguing. My position is simply Deuce is too small to be paired in the backcoirt with Brunson.

Is it your position that the Knicka backcourt players are all small and defensively poor?

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I'm saying replacing Deuce with Hart doesn't make things better defensively this year. Hart has been complaining with the refs instead of getting back on defense at times. In transition he hasn't been consistently sprinting back. He gets caught ball watching far too often. He likes to sink down into the paint in anticipation of a rebound but he doesn't box out or keep track of his man. He can be slow to close out. He does all this while also being incredibly undersized himself. He provides a little more physical resistance in the paint than Deuce but he only has a 1.5 inch standing reach advantage over Deuce.

Some clips from last Piston's game with almost a full roster outside of Mitch
https://www.nba.com/stats/events?CFID=&CFPARAMS=&ContextMeasure=DEF_FGA&EndPeriod=0&EndRange=28800&GameID=0022400549&PlayerID=1628404&RangeType=0&Season=2024-25&SeasonType=Regular%20Season&StartPeriod=0&StartRange=0&TeamID=1610612752&flag=1&sct=plot&section=game

Obviously they don't show all of the things Hart does defensively good and bad but in those limited clips I don't see much positive impact from Hart. He is just kinda out there. Either shots go in or they don't.

If you put him in Deuce's role yesterday I don't think it would have gone well either. Hart doesn't really have the length or athleticism to bother many good offensive players. He doesn't slow down big guys or really quick guys or really skilled guys. I would think his best defensive matchup would be against more physical guards/forwards but he admitted his toughest matchup is Demar Derozan. I'm not really sure who Hart defends well at this point.

Hart helps on the glass and finishing a defensive possession with a rebound is incredibly important but so are the many other things occurring before the rebound opportunity. The team has had defensive issues as a whole this year and I believe Hart has been part of the problem.

What do you think Hart's strengths are defensively outside of rebounding?

I note that you limit it to Hart's defensive strengths versus overall strengths. Hart's defensive strengths are his rebounding and his ability to create and pick up loose balls. He keeps possessions alive and he gets on the floor. He is the sparkplug guy. He brings those two things that Deuce does not. And at 6'5 he brings more length and strength to the court. Players don't immediately isolate on him even if they aren't the primary scorers. He can hold his ground better and contest.

Now let's talk about his benefits to the offence where he generates extra possessions, runs the offence, creates transition opportunities that get the Knicks playing faster and unselfishly always passes to the open man. Although he isn't a great shooter he can drive and create or drive and finish at a high level. He is also very willing to be a fifth scorer which allows more touches to the players who need them. If Hart were in yeasterday I do believe we beat the Pistons. He can handle their physicality and his passion would equal out theirs.

But I don't particularly care about last night. Longterm Deuce cannot be a starter next to Brunson because their skills are duplicative and so are their defensive shortcomings.

I spoke about the defensive side since you said they can't hide both Deuce and Brunson defensively as if they don't have to attempt to hide Brunson and Hart defensively. Hart guarding guys like Ausur Thompson is not because the Knicks are worried about him posting up a smaller player all game. If Ausur Thompson wins a series against the Knicks by iso'ing or posting up all game I would be shocked. He took 4 shots last night. If he was on the Knicks we might try a strategy like that but I doubt it would be successful.

Brunson + Hart without Deuce have a defensive rating of 118
Brunson + Deuce without Hart have a defensive rating of 104
The team has a defensive rating that is 7-8 points lower with Hart off the court.

Does any of this mean that replacing Deuce with Hart in the starting lineup will automatically make the team better defensively? No. There is very limited data on Deuce playing with the rest of the starters in place of Hart. Honestly I don't even care who starts. Neither of them are my ideal choice next to Brunson but numbers and the eye test don't show Hart making a huge impact this year.

Josh Hart had an incredible individual rebounding game against the Pistons last time. Here are the clips

https://www.nba.com/stats/events?CFID=&CFPARAMS=&ContextMeasure=REB&EndPeriod=0&EndRange=28800&GameID=0022400549&PlayerID=1628404&RangeType=0&Season=2024-25&SeasonType=Regular%20Season&StartPeriod=0&StartRange=0&TeamID=1610612752&flag=1&sct=plot&section=game

What you don't see in any of those clips is Josh Hart and his size advantage. You see other guys contesting shots. You see other guys boxing out. You see other guys fighting for rebounds. Him hanging around the paint all game is great for his individual rebounding numbers and creates an opportunity to push the pace and generate easier offense but he isn't protecting the rim or providing any deterrence in the paint or putting himself in position to close out to the perimeter. It's reflected in the numbers.

He is "contesting" nearly as many shots at the rim as our poor rim protecting center while somehow giving up higher percentages at the rim and opponents are also shooting nearly 7% points higher from 3 with him on the court. He is not helping to protect the rim or the 3 point line. He is in no man's land far too often.

I like Hart. I'm just curious what things would look like with him in a more reduced role. I look at him as more an opportunistic player than the energy and effort player some people describe him as. I would like to see more consistent energy and effort from him throughout his entire game outside of just attacking open lanes to the basket or a rebound which he might be able to provide with less minutes whether starting or not.

[Reign23]

you can look at it another way.

A completely healthy pistons teams needed an amazing 4th qtr to beat us in there building without 2 of our starters and our rim protector.

I have seen brunson in multiple playoff series to know he will be ready come playoff time. We sometimes we have a long layoff (about a week) after the season is over because of the play-in. What is happening right now shoudn't impact the playoffs.

I will judge this group fully come playoff time.

this is where I am at, too.

[Reign23]

damn the pacers are resting all of their starters tonight...

[HopelessKnick]

Can't take too many more games of Mikal driving to within 2 feet of the foot, veering away 4 more feet and then taking a fadeaway jumper so he winds up 12 feet away.

No wonder he's never missed a game.

I had to laugh but unfortunately it is indeed true. There is a reason he averages 1 free throw a game. He literally takes zero contact over the course of a season.

[nedleeds]

If Brunson was wise, he be

asking for a trade to Houston or LA ...

[WargamesX]

Can't take too many more games of Mikal driving to within 2 feet of the foot, veering away 4 more feet and then taking a fadeaway jumper so he winds up 12 feet away.

No wonder he's never missed a game.

I had to laugh but unfortunately it is indeed true. There is a reason he averages 1 free throw a game. He literally takes zero contact over the course of a season.

Mikal would break like a twig taking contact, meanwhile he is so skinny he is perfect for getting open off of screens.

[nedleeds]

55,456 words about homeless mans KCP and Walmart brand Mario Chalmers.

[Zenzibar]

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A lot of questions about this team will be answered pretty soon!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

They were supposed to start a fight or something because they threw a lob at the end of the game???

It's kind of a microcosm of the game. The Pistons wanted this one more than the Knicks did. They wanted to send a message. We weren't really interested in doing that. Probably at least in part because a few guys were out but also there's no reason to go all out with our spot pretty much wrapped.

A winning mentality, not even a Championship mentality is just that, mental. This Team's mentality, whether it's the starters or bench is not convincing to me. You?

[LookToShoot]

This is going to be a sweep for the Knicks.

[SunsRback4Good]

This is going to be a sweep for the Knicks.

Yes, easy sweep for the knickerbobbers.