Shams: Knicks, Guerschon Yabusele agree to deal

[BKlutch]

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Yabu cooking!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

There's something about his style of play that I really love. I'm looking forward to seeing a lot of him this season.

[BowlRips]

by season's end, he's going to be playing the most minutes next to KAT/OG/Bridges/Brunson of any other Knick.

[Wildcat]

by season's end, he's going to be playing the most minutes next to KAT/OG/Bridges/Brunson of any other Knick.

This team still has Hart. So that's a bold prediction.

[StlHawksFan]

by season's end, he's going to be playing the most minutes next to KAT/OG/Bridges/Brunson of any other Knick.

This team still has Hart. So that's a bold prediction.

Right so game it out. I think Brown will start Deuce. It slides Bridges back to being more of an off-ball defender which helps insulate Towns. It's not as good as having Mitch there but it's still better because it also adds another shooter on offense.

So one lineup is:
C KAT
F OG
F Bridges
G Deuce
G Brunson

Suppose Hart is the first sub. He can come in for anyone 1-4 if Brown trusts Deuce to be the 1. Most likely though he comes in for Deuce at the 6min mark.

Next up is Clarkson. He likely comes in for Brunson at the 4min mark. And with him come Mitch and Yabu for KAT and OG. Now it's Mitch, Yabu, Hart, Bridges, and Clarkson.

At the 2 min mark OG checks back in for Bridges.

Second quarter Brunson and Deuce are back in for Hart and Mitch and it's small ball 5 out for a few minutes: Yabu, OG, Clarkson, Deuce, and Brunson.

9min mark, Clarkson and Yabu get yanked for Bridges and KAT and we're back to the starting 5.

6min mark Hart, Clarkson, and Mitch in. OG, Deuce, and Brunson sit. Now it's the big lineup: Mitch, KAT, Hart, Bridges, and Clarkson.

2min mark Yabu in for KAT, Brunson in for Bridges.

At the half:
Towns 15
OG 16
Bridges 16
Deuce 12
Brunson 16
Hart 12
Clarkson 12
Yabu 9
Mitch 10

Overall because Deuce starts the team needs Clarkson off the bench more frequently. The rest of the bench minutes go to front court players: Hart, Mitch, and Yabu.

Obviously I am just guessing here but it just doesn't seem like it could possibly be Yabu getting the most burn unless Brown chooses to start Mitch.

[BKlutch]

Hoops Hype predicts Yabu as 10th best player in 2025 Eurobasket!
https://www.hoopshype.com/story/sports/nba/2025/08/27/top-15-players-at-the-2025-eurobasket-basketball-tournament-jokic-doncic-antetokounmpo/85815372007/

10. Guerschon Yabusele (France)
After making headlines last summer not only with his play, but with his poster dunk over LeBron James in the Olympics...

...Guerschon Yabusele heads to this Eurobasket with a lot of momentum, as France is 5-0 in pre-tourney play. Most recently, the French National Team defeated Giannis Antetokounmpo and Greece 92-77 as Yabusele went four-for-five from the field with three threes, finishing with 14 points.

And with no Rudy Gobert or Victor Wembanyama suiting up for France this summer, look for Yabusele to make an even bigger impact for his country.

The versatile, supersized forward is a strong player in international competition and will look to help France win gold this summer, after the country finished with silver at both the 2022 Eurobasket and 2024 Olympics.

Even though France will be one of the favorites at the event, Yabusele discussed the challenges ahead for the team:

France’s path in Eurobasket won’t be easy, with Luka Doncic’s Slovenia, Giannis Antetokounmpo’s Greece, Nikola Jokić’s Serbia, and other powerhouses waiting down the road. But Yabusele welcomes the challenge. “Those are some of the best players in the world. That’s why I think this is going to be one of the biggest competitions. It’s going to be tough, and in terms of basketball, one of the purest. They’re huge for their teams — not just scoring, but passing, playmaking. We’ll try to keep them low in scoring and assists. But at the end of the day, every team is dangerous. We just have to focus on ourselves, play our game, and whatever happens, happens.”

[Jalen Bluntson]

by season's end, he's going to be playing the most minutes next to KAT/OG/Bridges/Brunson of any other Knick.

This team still has Hart. So that's a bold prediction.

People are so sure lineup is gonna change because of the way Thibs ran things. I would bet my life this place will explode if Hart starts. We better have him running around like a lunatic to keep defense honest if that's the plan. Get him the ball moving towards the rim. It's his ONLY weapon on offense. Standing on the perimeter waiting for the ball will not work. We will have the same issues. Hoping Brown and Co. Know what they're doing either way.

[JayTWill]

by season's end, he's going to be playing the most minutes next to KAT/OG/Bridges/Brunson of any other Knick.

This team still has Hart. So that's a bold prediction.

People are so sure lineup is gonna change because of the way Thibs ran things. I would bet my life this place will explode if Hart starts. We better have him running around like a lunatic to keep defense honest if that's the plan. Get him the ball moving towards the rim. It's his ONLY weapon on offense. Standing on the perimeter waiting for the ball will not work. We will have the same issues. Hoping Brown and Co. Know what they're doing either way.

Yeah, I actually don't mind trying Hart again as long as he is being active on both ends of the court. He can be useful on offense when he is not just standing around. I had more issues with defense last year.

[Wildcat]

This team still has Hart. So that's a bold prediction.

People are so sure lineup is gonna change because of the way Thibs ran things. I would bet my life this place will explode if Hart starts. We better have him running around like a lunatic to keep defense honest if that's the plan. Get him the ball moving towards the rim. It's his ONLY weapon on offense. Standing on the perimeter waiting for the ball will not work. We will have the same issues. Hoping Brown and Co. Know what they're doing either way.

Yeah, I actually don't mind trying Hart again as long as he is being active on both ends of the court. He can be useful on offense when he is not just standing around. I had more issues with defense last year.

We have enough of a sample size to prove Hart should not be starting. Bench needs his energy. Deuce plays better with Hart.

[Jalen Bluntson]

People are so sure lineup is gonna change because of the way Thibs ran things. I would bet my life this place will explode if Hart starts. We better have him running around like a lunatic to keep defense honest if that's the plan. Get him the ball moving towards the rim. It's his ONLY weapon on offense. Standing on the perimeter waiting for the ball will not work. We will have the same issues. Hoping Brown and Co. Know what they're doing either way.

Yeah, I actually don't mind trying Hart again as long as he is being active on both ends of the court. He can be useful on offense when he is not just standing around. I had more issues with defense last year.

We have enough of a sample size to prove Hart should not be starting. Bench needs his energy. Deuce plays better with Hart.

We have zero sample size. This isn't Thibs offense anymore. Not even saying I disagree. I am in wait and see mode. Hart is great at pushing the pace. If he wasn't a weak/scared 3pt shooter we wouldn't even be having this discussion.

[Wildcat]

Yeah, I actually don't mind trying Hart again as long as he is being active on both ends of the court. He can be useful on offense when he is not just standing around. I had more issues with defense last year.

We have enough of a sample size to prove Hart should not be starting. Bench needs his energy. Deuce plays better with Hart.

We have zero sample size. This isn't Thibs offense anymore. Not even saying I disagree. I am in wait and see mode. Hart is great at pushing the pace. If he wasn't a weak/scared 3pt shooter we wouldn't even be having this discussion.

Does not matter if it's Thibs' offense. The other team knows how to guard Hart. You can change the system but you can't change the player.

[WaltFrazier]

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Yabu cooking!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

There's something about his style of play that I really love. I'm looking forward to seeing a lot of him this season.

Too bad Dadiet couldn't have gotten some experience on that squad. But France is so deep. Third most NBA players at 14, after US (453), and Canada (24)

https://worldpopulationreview.com/country-rankings/nba-players-by-country

[JayTWill]

People are so sure lineup is gonna change because of the way Thibs ran things. I would bet my life this place will explode if Hart starts. We better have him running around like a lunatic to keep defense honest if that's the plan. Get him the ball moving towards the rim. It's his ONLY weapon on offense. Standing on the perimeter waiting for the ball will not work. We will have the same issues. Hoping Brown and Co. Know what they're doing either way.

Yeah, I actually don't mind trying Hart again as long as he is being active on both ends of the court. He can be useful on offense when he is not just standing around. I had more issues with defense last year.

We have enough of a sample size to prove Hart should not be starting. Bench needs his energy. Deuce plays better with Hart.

I'm open to switching up the starting 5 depending on matchups. Deuce was my preferred 5th starter last year. I know you were disappointed with him but the team performed incredibly well with him on the floor all year.

I just wanted to point out despite Hart's offensive limitations the team was able to perform pretty well on offense throughout the year though it wasn't always pretty. When he is standing around and turning down open shots it jumps off the screen but when he is active he can create easier opportunities for himself and others.

It was the defensive end where the team was getting hurt the most with him on the court. He's not a rim protector or a POA defender and he gets lost as a team defender when he is not focused imo. Our 3 pt defense was trash with him on the court and he likes to hang around the paint while not actually protecting the paint.

https://www.pbpstats.com/wowy-combos/nba?TeamId=1610612752&Season=2024-25&SeasonType=Regular%2BSeason&PlayerIds=1628404&OnlyCommonGames=true

Personally I wouldn't want Yabu playing too many minutes with KAT and JB because I could create similar defensive issues once again though i'm sure people would love the spacing and shooting. You can get away with 1 guy not being able to score or shoot but it is difficult to overcome multiple poor defenders.

[Wildcat]

Yeah, I actually don't mind trying Hart again as long as he is being active on both ends of the court. He can be useful on offense when he is not just standing around. I had more issues with defense last year.

We have enough of a sample size to prove Hart should not be starting. Bench needs his energy. Deuce plays better with Hart.

I'm open to switching up the starting 5 depending on matchups. Deuce was my preferred 5th starter last year. I know you were disappointed with him but the team performed incredibly well with him on the floor all year.

I just wanted to point out despite Hart's offensive limitations the team was able to perform pretty well on offense throughout the year though it wasn't always pretty. When he is standing around and turning down open shots it jumps off the screen but when he is active he can create easier opportunities for himself and others.

It was the defensive end where the team was getting hurt the most with him on the court. He's not a rim protector or a POA defender and he gets lost as a team defender when he is not focused imo. Our 3 pt defense was trash with him on the court and he likes to hang around the paint while not actually protecting the paint.

https://www.pbpstats.com/wowy-combos/nba?TeamId=1610612752&Season=2024-25&SeasonType=Regular%2BSeason&PlayerIds=1628404&OnlyCommonGames=true

Personally I wouldn't want Yabu playing too many minutes with KAT and JB because I could create similar defensive issues once again though i'm sure people would love the spacing and shooting. You can get away with 1 guy not being able to score or shoot but it is difficult to overcome multiple poor defenders.

Deuce won me over in the playoffs, so for now, I'm cool with him. If you can tell me Brown will know how to not have KAT suck on D, by all means, let's try Deuce out there. Key with Mitch is that he's so much more verbal out there and communicates well with OJ and Bridges. KAT zones out too much. I don't want him anchoring my D.

The Knicks offensive efficiency fell off the cliff when teams decided to put their C's on him back in January.

[Jalen Bluntson]

We have enough of a sample size to prove Hart should not be starting. Bench needs his energy. Deuce plays better with Hart.

We have zero sample size. This isn't Thibs offense anymore. Not even saying I disagree. I am in wait and see mode. Hart is great at pushing the pace. If he wasn't a weak/scared 3pt shooter we wouldn't even be having this discussion.

Does not matter if it's Thibs' offense. The other team knows how to guard Hart. You can change the system but you can't change the player.

You can change how the player is used. If he's standing around on the perimeter, fire Mike Brown immediately. I don't care if it's off the bench either. He's gotta push the pace when he can or be in constant motion when he doesn't have the ball. He can cause mayhem for the defense and you can't have a Center chasing him around.

Thibs was just clueless.

[JayTWill]

We have enough of a sample size to prove Hart should not be starting. Bench needs his energy. Deuce plays better with Hart.

I'm open to switching up the starting 5 depending on matchups. Deuce was my preferred 5th starter last year. I know you were disappointed with him but the team performed incredibly well with him on the floor all year.

I just wanted to point out despite Hart's offensive limitations the team was able to perform pretty well on offense throughout the year though it wasn't always pretty. When he is standing around and turning down open shots it jumps off the screen but when he is active he can create easier opportunities for himself and others.

It was the defensive end where the team was getting hurt the most with him on the court. He's not a rim protector or a POA defender and he gets lost as a team defender when he is not focused imo. Our 3 pt defense was trash with him on the court and he likes to hang around the paint while not actually protecting the paint.

https://www.pbpstats.com/wowy-combos/nba?TeamId=1610612752&Season=2024-25&SeasonType=Regular%2BSeason&PlayerIds=1628404&OnlyCommonGames=true

Personally I wouldn't want Yabu playing too many minutes with KAT and JB because I could create similar defensive issues once again though i'm sure people would love the spacing and shooting. You can get away with 1 guy not being able to score or shoot but it is difficult to overcome multiple poor defenders.

Deuce won me over in the playoffs, so for now, I'm cool with him. If you can tell me Brown will know how to not have KAT suck on D, by all means, let's try Deuce out there. Key with Mitch is that he's so much more verbal out there and communicates well with OJ and Bridges. KAT zones out too much. I don't want him anchoring my D.

The Knicks offensive efficiency fell off the cliff when teams decided to put their C's on him back in January.

I'm not sure what the best option for KAT's defense is. We saw a little bit of Mitch with the starters in the Pacers series with mixed results but i'm not sure if 2 bigs are a great combo in that situation with their pace and their ability to stretch the floor. The defensive rating looks like it was 16-17 points worse per 100 with Mitch on the court in those 4 games so there is no way we can say he obviously fixes the defense by starting. It's too small of a sample size to judge.

We also saw the Knicks come back to win in game 3 with KAT at the 5 all 4th quarter surrounded by a bunch of defenders since JB was in foul trouble although he did close the game out. The defense looked very solid with better perimeter defenders around KAT in that situation and the defense was solid most of the year with KAT on and Brunson off.

I'm not sure if there is any easy solution for the defense when JB and KAT are on the court together. I assume Brown will adjust the lineup depending on the matchup and the Knicks may possibly run some zone now that Thibs is gone.

It's part of the reason I wished they focused a little more on the defense this off-season. We added 2 players that mimic KAT and Brunson in some ways. From what I have seen Yabu played most of his minutes at the 5 last year which allowed him to space the floor, attack closeouts and beat his man down the court. Unfortunately he provides little resistance at the rim on the defensive end from my understanding. Some Sixers fans said Nurse didn't experiment much with him at the 4 so his ability there is uncertain to me.

[god shammgod]

He’s a backup, he’ll play like a backup. Y’all be writing fan faction on this site where supporting characters have these side quests where they become the main protagonist.

[JayTWill]

That Yabu/Mitch bench combo...

[stuporman]

Key reserves can play an important role for teams going deep into the playoffs. More than just give mins to spell 'star' starters they can offer match up advantages and give crucial production.

Knicks fans are notorious for mythicizing back ups or end of bench guys but we have seen players that rise up to impact. Mitch, iHart, Divo first seen as backups all became important parts of the rotation and helping the Knicks win games, even playoff games.

It's encouraging to see Yabuty excel this summer for his national team and do it as a team captain, showing his leadership qualities, too. His size, length, physicality and shooting are things the Knicks have lacked in the forward rotation.

[BKlutch]

Today, Yabu played the most minutes for France (22:44) while scoring 11 (two players scored 12). France destroyed Belgium by 28 points, 92-64. He's looking more and more like an all around decent player. He's so much fun just watching his strength and court savvy.

[WargamesX]

Today, Yabu played the most minutes for France (22:44) while scoring 11 (two players scored 12). France destroyed Belgium by 28 points, 92-64. He's looking more and more like an all around decent player. He's so much fun just watching his strength and court savvy.

Yeah to me he is the equivalent of a full MLE player. The only reason the Knicks got him is he didn’t have the opportunity to show a full season of production and Philly has too many overpaid players.