Mikal Bridges is really good (when he's allowed to be)

[NoLayupRule]

Bridges and Duce and probably Shamet and Paine will all benefit from Brunson's absence

as hopefully will Thibs

if we enter the playoffs healthy with a rested Brunson and more trust in our bench then its a good thing overall

3rd or 4th seed are equally fine IMO

[WaltFrazier]

How many picks do people think Bridges was actually worth on his contract?

At the most, 2. His contract is really good for the production he brings.

Brooklyn wasn't willing to settle for 2. In reality, 28 other teams would bargain for 3 (2 + a pick swap), but since it's the Knicks, the Knicks tax, plus its with the Nets, made it 5.

I thought the Knicks tax was only for the Nets? No?

[JXL]

How many picks do people think Bridges was actually worth on his contract?

At the most, 2. His contract is really good for the production he brings.

Brooklyn wasn't willing to settle for 2. In reality, 28 other teams would bargain for 3 (2 + a pick swap), but since it's the Knicks, the Knicks tax, plus its with the Nets, made it 5.

I thought the Knicks tax was only for the Nets? No?

Its every team working on trades with the Knicks.

[WaltFrazier]

With the emergence of these podcasts it really gives you a better understanding of what these players go through nightly. Just saw one with JR Smith on what it was like to guard Ray Allen and Reggie Miller with fighting over screen after screen and it takes a toll on your body and legs that you just don't have anything left in the tank on the offensive end. Thibs been riding Mikal all season having him guard the other teams best player while playing close to 40 MPG! No wonder why his offense has dropped off as much as it has and some nights he doesn't even attempt more than 5 shots. This has a lot more to do with coaching than an individual players production. Once again Thibs never puts his players in the best position to thrive.

Well OG guards the best opponent a lot but the point still stands because Mikal was forced to guard the PG a lot. It's helped having Deuce start because he takes over the opposing PG. What is really needed is a good two way wing about 6'7-6'9 who can spell Mikal and OG in a 3 man platoon. That's a hard guy to get if you want him to be a shooter as well. But other teams have them, like DeAndre Hunter.

If Mitch could start then Hart could be that wing off the bench, minus the shooting but with hustle and rebounding.

[JXL]

With the emergence of these podcasts it really gives you a better understanding of what these players go through nightly. Just saw one with JR Smith on what it was like to guard Ray Allen and Reggie Miller with fighting over screen after screen and it takes a toll on your body and legs that you just don't have anything left in the tank on the offensive end. Thibs been riding Mikal all season having him guard the other teams best player while playing close to 40 MPG! No wonder why his offense has dropped off as much as it has and some nights he doesn't even attempt more than 5 shots. This has a lot more to do with coaching than an individual players production. Once again Thibs never puts his players in the best position to thrive.

Well OG guards the best opponent a lot but the point still stands because Mikal was forced to guard the PG a lot. It's helped having Deuce start because he takes over the opposing PG. What is really needed is a good two way wing about 6'7-6'9 who can spell Mikal and OG in a 3 man platoon. That's a hard guy to get if you want him to be a shooter as well. But other teams have them, like DeAndre Hunter.

If Mitch could start then Hart could be that wing off the bench, minus the shooting but with hustle and rebounding.

Victor Oladipo is available, but would wait until the offseason to sign him.

[WaltFrazier]

With the emergence of these podcasts it really gives you a better understanding of what these players go through nightly. Just saw one with JR Smith on what it was like to guard Ray Allen and Reggie Miller with fighting over screen after screen and it takes a toll on your body and legs that you just don't have anything left in the tank on the offensive end. Thibs been riding Mikal all season having him guard the other teams best player while playing close to 40 MPG! No wonder why his offense has dropped off as much as it has and some nights he doesn't even attempt more than 5 shots. This has a lot more to do with coaching than an individual players production. Once again Thibs never puts his players in the best position to thrive.

Well OG guards the best opponent a lot but the point still stands because Mikal was forced to guard the PG a lot. It's helped having Deuce start because he takes over the opposing PG. What is really needed is a good two way wing about 6'7-6'9 who can spell Mikal and OG in a 3 man platoon. That's a hard guy to get if you want him to be a shooter as well. But other teams have them, like DeAndre Hunter.

If Mitch could start then Hart could be that wing off the bench, minus the shooting but with hustle and rebounding.

Victor Oladipo is available, but would wait until the offseason to sign him.

He's not in the 6'7-6'9 wheelhouse

[Kidknick!]

Coaching MALFEASANCE. A damn shame that it came to this with Thibs. Mikal has been a scapegoat for some really terrible nonsense from the coach.

[HopelessKnick]

At the most, 2. His contract is really good for the production he brings.

Brooklyn wasn't willing to settle for 2. In reality, 28 other teams would bargain for 3 (2 + a pick swap), but since it's the Knicks, the Knicks tax, plus its with the Nets, made it 5.

I thought the Knicks tax was only for the Nets? No?

Its every team working on trades with the Knicks.

Brooklyn did supposedly turn down a Memphis offer of 4 FRPs for Bridges.

I would have been ok with the trade if it was the Knicks and Bucks 2025 pick along with maybe the 2027. The 2029 and 2031 picks were completely excessive....unprotected FRPS 5 and 7 years into the future I would only trade for a superstar or at least all-star player.

The sample size is small but Bridges has been playing much better in Brunson's absence, so far getting 24points/5assists on 60%+ and 40+% from 3. Also been getting to the line 5 times per game.

Crazy fact: In the last 5 games Bridges shot more Free throws (20) than in the entire months of february and November combined (16). This type of stuff is really kind of inexcusable from a coaching standpoint. The sample size is small so we gotta see how it goes the rest of the way but if Bridges keeps up this type of play then he would be worth 3 FRPs IMO.

[DimesandKnicks]

I'd rather have Donte and 5 picks

[DimesandKnicks]

We could have a Cleveland type of turn around with a new coach. We beat those guys last year. When I see our second unit with OG being the only started I just don't get it from a coaching persepctive. The offense should have always been run throuhg Bridges with our second unit considering the guy was a number one on a putrid team like the Nets

[ctorres]

Mikal is averaging 23/4/5 on 63/47/95 shooting splits over the last 5 games

He has been able to step up in the absence of Brunson

[DimesandKnicks]

We keep hearing how Thibs lives in the film room and doesn't have a wife and kids (I believe) because of his dedication to the game but what does he actually do? We misuse KAT, not post touches, no spamming PNR, our defenseive rotation sucks and shows with every KAT PNR. It took like until the our first post season with Brunson for me to even see them run sets offensively. I really don't know what his impact is on the players.

[Moose]

I'd rather have Donte and 5 picks

Twolves wanted Donte.

It doesn't always work this way, but they may have had a plan that to them was more like: Bridges + KAT for all those assets. As opposed to individual moves.

[Fury]

I'd rather have Donte and 5 picks

Me too but how

[NoDopeOnSundays]

Mikal is averaging 23/4/5 on 63/47/95 shooting splits over the last 5 games

He has been able to step up in the absence of Brunson

And the question is, why is the coach incapable of getting that type of production out of him when Brunson is here?

[HopelessKnick]

Mikal is averaging 23/4/5 on 63/47/95 shooting splits over the last 5 games

He has been able to step up in the absence of Brunson

And the question is, why is the coach incapable of getting that type of production out of him when Brunson is here?

Exactly! If we could have Mikal be aggressive, get 22/5 with good efficiency and defense...we'll have a much better chance against the elite team. I think he has it within himself, but needs a coach that can mix stuff up more.

[thebuzzardman]

Mikal is averaging 23/4/5 on 63/47/95 shooting splits over the last 5 games

He has been able to step up in the absence of Brunson

And the question is, why is the coach incapable of getting that type of production out of him when Brunson is here?

All Brunson's fault. He's a devil.

[HopelessKnick]

I'd rather have Donte and 5 picks

Twolves wanted Donte.

It doesn't always work this way, but they may have had a plan that to them was more like: Bridges + KAT for all those assets. As opposed to individual moves.

I like KAT a lot and wouldn't reverse the trade but I think they undervalued the Detroit pick. I think no one expected Detroit to take such a major step so that the pick would convey......now it is Randle/DD and a 17th/18pick which is another pretty valuable asset.

You can look at it this way: Minnesota won 56 games last season and this season they'll end up around 47/48 most likely. That's minus 8 -9 wins. Really there hasn't been any significant other change to their team. In a simplistic way one could argue thus KAT>DD+Randle. I know there goes more into it but the Wolves still have gotten significantly worse as of now. I do however believe that in a match-up with the Celtics or OKC for example, KAT could put us at a bigger disadvantage matchup wise than Randle/DD. Thus the overall verdict on the trade may be more mixed.

[Kidknick!]

I'd rather have Donte and 5 picks

Our boy Donte will be back in the summer.

[ctorres]

I'd rather have Donte and 5 picks

Me too but how

We would have to trade Mitch for Donte straight up

I'm lost with all this apron stuff under the CBA, so I don't know if we will be too over the cap this summer to be allowed to do a sign and trade using Precious to get Donte back