GT: @Knicks VS Celtics: Game 6: 5/16/25-FRI 8PM ET; ESPN

[mpharris36]

the unfortunate part of all this is KAT does have to play better. We need him too but he's going to have to figure out how to do it by himself because he sure isn't going to get help from Thibs to scheme him better looks.

It will be the same 3 pt line face up drives or post ups along with the occasional trail 3 if BOS allows it, along with a few low block post ups with a big coming to double.

Putting him in the low block makes sense in theory but in reality it gets undone by the help Boston can send off of Hart.

When Hart's setting the screen to bring Kornet in the action, KAT should be at the 3-point line, not in the dunker spot.

There's no justification for such low volume of 3s. This falls on Thibs. We should see more trail 3s, and more pick-and-pop action. He's one of the best shooting bigs in the history of the game. It's silly.

Its fascinating that he did respond when a question came his way on the amount of 3's he is taking and he said he just following the game plan. I wonder if Thibs is just so wrapped up with a smaller wing guarding KAT that he has to post him up...when there are other ways to take advantage of that matchup and not just play right into the Celtics gameplan to forece KAT into the post and then have there center just ignore Hart and double when he gets it in the low block.

To get trail 3's we need to get stops...so our defense is a direct correlation also to KAt's 3pt attempts...we need Hart grabbing rebounds and pushing the pace because that is where those high volume 3's come into play.

I said this before...we need to run Brunson/Hart high and I mean high P&R action...BOS is picking up Brunson nearly full court so this should work...where Hart flashes up near half court to screen brunson...then brunson should have full momentum going down hill to attack either KP/Kornet/Horford (whoever is on Hart). That will then either force help to where KAT/Mikal/OG should be spacing the floor ready for kickouts...or if they don't help Brunson should then kill there bigs with floaters or middies.

[Adelheid]

alot of emphasis has been stated on how poor the knicks players have played, which is true btw - but hardly any point raised on how trashy the referees are in this game

Rule of thumb: Don't let expect the refs to bail you out of **** games. Knicks as a team have had **** games. Individually, we're have moments of greatness. The way OG shot the ball yesterday was awful. Easily should have been a 10 point lead if OG shot was falling.

the last game wasnt the usual knicks 5 vs the other team + ref, its a new low for this league...even wwe referees look more honorable and honest than them

[Jeff Van Gully]

the unfortunate part of all this is KAT does have to play better. We need him too but he's going to have to figure out how to do it by himself because he sure isn't going to get help from Thibs to scheme him better looks.

It will be the same 3 pt line face up drives or post ups along with the occasional trail 3 if BOS allows it, along with a few low block post ups with a big coming to double.

Putting him in the low block makes sense in theory but in reality it gets undone by the help Boston can send off of Hart.

When Hart's setting the screen to bring Kornet in the action, KAT should be at the 3-point line, not in the dunker spot.

There's no justification for such low volume of 3s. This falls on Thibs. We should see more trail 3s, and more pick-and-pop action. He's one of the best shooting bigs in the history of the game. It's silly.

Its fascinating that he did respond when a question came his way on the amount of 3's he is taking and he said he just following the game plan. I wonder if Thibs is just so wrapped up with a smaller wing guarding KAT that he has to post him up...when there are other ways to take advantage of that matchup and not just play right into the Celtics gameplan to forece KAT into the post and then have there center just ignore Hart and double when he gets it in the low block.

To get trail 3's we need to get stops...so our defense is a direct correlation also to KAt's 3pt attempts...we need Hart grabbing rebounds and pushing the pace because that is where those high volume 3's come into play.

I said this before...we need to run Brunson/Hart high and I mean high P&R action...BOS is picking up Brunson nearly full court so this should work...where Hart flashes up near half court to screen brunson...then brunson should have full momentum going down hill to attack either KP/Kornet/Horford (whoever is on Hart). That will then either force help to where KAT/Mikal/OG should be spacing the floor ready for kickouts...or if they don't help Brunson should then kill there bigs with floaters or middies.

you'd like to think KAT can shoot over a smaller defender in space. even if he can't do it off a screen. like, some trailer action and some dare you to stop me action. i personally believe it's a thibs call and one i don't agree with. there are times we should be putting up a few no-conscious ones just for the flow of the game.

nation of thibslam does not support extremism or terrorism.

[TheGreenArrow]

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Still with this Bs Smdh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Wildcat]

Would like to see some KAT and Josh Hart pick and roll action. Have we ever tried that?

Problem is KAT doesn't set proper screens and picks. He either does light contact and the plays ends, rolls in the way of the dribbler. But I think it's mostly the light contact that makes it near useless.

I mean Josh Hart setting the screen. Since dudes are always playing off of him, that would help open up the paint or let KAT shoot the 3.

Ah, got it. For a pick 'n roll, you don't want KAT handling the ball with a smaller player. Setting an off ball screen for KAT could work, but that requires KAT to know how to operate it and JB/Mikal/OG to recognize it. The offense has not shown me enough to believe they can do that creatively.

[mpharris36]

Putting him in the low block makes sense in theory but in reality it gets undone by the help Boston can send off of Hart.

When Hart's setting the screen to bring Kornet in the action, KAT should be at the 3-point line, not in the dunker spot.

There's no justification for such low volume of 3s. This falls on Thibs. We should see more trail 3s, and more pick-and-pop action. He's one of the best shooting bigs in the history of the game. It's silly.

Its fascinating that he did respond when a question came his way on the amount of 3's he is taking and he said he just following the game plan. I wonder if Thibs is just so wrapped up with a smaller wing guarding KAT that he has to post him up...when there are other ways to take advantage of that matchup and not just play right into the Celtics gameplan to forece KAT into the post and then have there center just ignore Hart and double when he gets it in the low block.

To get trail 3's we need to get stops...so our defense is a direct correlation also to KAt's 3pt attempts...we need Hart grabbing rebounds and pushing the pace because that is where those high volume 3's come into play.

I said this before...we need to run Brunson/Hart high and I mean high P&R action...BOS is picking up Brunson nearly full court so this should work...where Hart flashes up near half court to screen brunson...then brunson should have full momentum going down hill to attack either KP/Kornet/Horford (whoever is on Hart). That will then either force help to where KAT/Mikal/OG should be spacing the floor ready for kickouts...or if they don't help Brunson should then kill there bigs with floaters or middies.

you'd like to think KAT can shoot over a smaller defender in space. even if he can't do it off a screen. like, some trailer action and some dare you to stop me action. i personally believe it's a thibs call and one i don't agree with. there are times we should be putting up a few no-conscious ones just for the flow of the game.

nation of thibslam does not support extremism or terrorism.

I get the sense KAT isn't a guy that likes to shoot with a guy right under him. He has more of a set shot...so even with his height he can get blocked (I think White got him last night). We don't use him as a movement shooter...which I think we could explore more.

He's not Dirk in the sense where he has that high release on that jumper where he just shoots over small guys. KAT typically has to go to fadeways or step backs to get separation...but when smaller guys are on him that always seems to take away his high volume 3's.

[Jeff Van Gully]

the unfortunate part of all this is KAT does have to play better. We need him too but he's going to have to figure out how to do it by himself because he sure isn't going to get help from Thibs to scheme him better looks.

It will be the same 3 pt line face up drives or post ups along with the occasional trail 3 if BOS allows it, along with a few low block post ups with a big coming to double.

Putting him in the low block makes sense in theory but in reality it gets undone by the help Boston can send off of Hart.

When Hart's setting the screen to bring Kornet in the action, KAT should be at the 3-point line, not in the dunker spot.

There's no justification for such low volume of 3s. This falls on Thibs. We should see more trail 3s, and more pick-and-pop action. He's one of the best shooting bigs in the history of the game. It's silly.

Its fascinating that he did respond when a question came his way on the amount of 3's he is taking and he said he just following the game plan. I wonder if Thibs is just so wrapped up with a smaller wing guarding KAT that he has to post him up...when there are other ways to take advantage of that matchup and not just play right into the Celtics gameplan to forece KAT into the post and then have there center just ignore Hart and double when he gets it in the low block.

To get trail 3's we need to get stops...so our defense is a direct correlation also to KAt's 3pt attempts...we need Hart grabbing rebounds and pushing the pace because that is where those high volume 3's come into play.

I said this before...we need to run Brunson/Hart high and I mean high P&R action...BOS is picking up Brunson nearly full court so this should work...where Hart flashes up near half court to screen brunson...then brunson should have full momentum going down hill to attack either KP/Kornet/Horford (whoever is on Hart). That will then either force help to where KAT/Mikal/OG should be spacing the floor ready for kickouts...or if they don't help Brunson should then kill there bigs with floaters or middies.

i been meaning to ask, have you ever coached? I've always loved reading the basketball analysis in your posts over the years. you strike me as someone who has coached at some level.

[Wildcat]

alot of emphasis has been stated on how poor the knicks players have played, which is true btw - but hardly any point raised on how trashy the referees are in this game

Rule of thumb: Don't let expect the refs to bail you out of **** games. Knicks as a team have had **** games. Individually, we're have moments of greatness. The way OG shot the ball yesterday was awful. Easily should have been a 10 point lead if OG shot was falling.

the last game wasnt the usual knicks 5 vs the other team + ref, its a new low for this league...even wwe referees look more honorable and honest than them

Gotta raise above it. No one shot the ball well enough to where I'm looking at the refs. The refs absolutely sucked yesterday, but in the 1st half, Knicks should have had a strong lead.

[Jeff Van Gully]

Its fascinating that he did respond when a question came his way on the amount of 3's he is taking and he said he just following the game plan. I wonder if Thibs is just so wrapped up with a smaller wing guarding KAT that he has to post him up...when there are other ways to take advantage of that matchup and not just play right into the Celtics gameplan to forece KAT into the post and then have there center just ignore Hart and double when he gets it in the low block.

To get trail 3's we need to get stops...so our defense is a direct correlation also to KAt's 3pt attempts...we need Hart grabbing rebounds and pushing the pace because that is where those high volume 3's come into play.

I said this before...we need to run Brunson/Hart high and I mean high P&R action...BOS is picking up Brunson nearly full court so this should work...where Hart flashes up near half court to screen brunson...then brunson should have full momentum going down hill to attack either KP/Kornet/Horford (whoever is on Hart). That will then either force help to where KAT/Mikal/OG should be spacing the floor ready for kickouts...or if they don't help Brunson should then kill there bigs with floaters or middies.

you'd like to think KAT can shoot over a smaller defender in space. even if he can't do it off a screen. like, some trailer action and some dare you to stop me action. i personally believe it's a thibs call and one i don't agree with. there are times we should be putting up a few no-conscious ones just for the flow of the game.

nation of thibslam does not support extremism or terrorism.

I get the sense KAT isn't a guy that likes to shoot with a guy right under him. He has more of a set shot...so even with his height he can get blocked (I think White got him last night). We don't use him as a movement shooter...which I think we could explore more.

He's not Dirk in the sense where he has that high release on that jumper where he just shoots over small guys. KAT typically has to go to fadeways or step backs to get separation...but when smaller guys are on him that always seems to take away his high volume 3's.

true. i wanted to attack thibs on that angle, but to be fair, KAT has always seemed uncomfortable with defended threes. and i agree it probably has a lot to do with his shot. i was a similar kind of stretch "big" (i'm only 6'4"). set shooter. never took them contested if i could help it. the motion was just too slow and defendable. so i listened and stayed my big ass in the post. lol.

[Buttah304]

While we can be doing a better job of trying to spam P&R to get KAT open from 3PT he’s actually shooting himself in the foot quite often.

For starters, the majority of KATs screens are laughably atrocious. You could quite literally call Taj to get off the couch and he will plant a better, more physically imposing screen than Towns to free up space. If you watch a guy like Myles Turner for example, his screens are borderline illegal but it allows him to slip the screen with maximum space to get an actual clean look off. KATs feel lazy, half baked, and more times than not he doesn’t set the screen in a location that would in theory be advantageous to him.

The other thing I’ll say with KAT is that he needs to relocate better on the floor. There are plenty of times on player drives that if his opposing big is trying to collapse the paint he should immediately look to reposition himself on the floor where he could get a clean look. At that point the opposing big might find himself caught in the middle of defending the rim and wanting to close out on the perimeter. I understand that he might be looking for a dump down or offensive board but man our drives look CLOGGED.

KAT has had such a heavy dose of 2PT FGA that he’s not operating enough outside the painted area. I can appreciate how efficient he can be there (the other night he was 11-14 from 2PT), but there isn’t enough balance.

[Wildcat]

Its fascinating that he did respond when a question came his way on the amount of 3's he is taking and he said he just following the game plan. I wonder if Thibs is just so wrapped up with a smaller wing guarding KAT that he has to post him up...when there are other ways to take advantage of that matchup and not just play right into the Celtics gameplan to forece KAT into the post and then have there center just ignore Hart and double when he gets it in the low block.

To get trail 3's we need to get stops...so our defense is a direct correlation also to KAt's 3pt attempts...we need Hart grabbing rebounds and pushing the pace because that is where those high volume 3's come into play.

I said this before...we need to run Brunson/Hart high and I mean high P&R action...BOS is picking up Brunson nearly full court so this should work...where Hart flashes up near half court to screen brunson...then brunson should have full momentum going down hill to attack either KP/Kornet/Horford (whoever is on Hart). That will then either force help to where KAT/Mikal/OG should be spacing the floor ready for kickouts...or if they don't help Brunson should then kill there bigs with floaters or middies.

you'd like to think KAT can shoot over a smaller defender in space. even if he can't do it off a screen. like, some trailer action and some dare you to stop me action. i personally believe it's a thibs call and one i don't agree with. there are times we should be putting up a few no-conscious ones just for the flow of the game.

nation of thibslam does not support extremism or terrorism.

I get the sense KAT isn't a guy that likes to shoot with a guy right under him. He has more of a set shot...so even with his height he can get blocked (I think White got him last night). We don't use him as a movement shooter...which I think we could explore more.

He's not Dirk in the sense where he has that high release on that jumper where he just shoots over small guys. KAT typically has to go to fadeways or step backs to get separation...but when smaller guys are on him that always seems to take away his high volume 3's.

He's not because KAT doesn't "jump" when shooting 3's. He got his shot blocked by White because he was under him, and that's basically how Holiday/whoever has been playing KAT. If they're in his space, he's not going to shoot a contested 3. That's also a no-no in Thibs book. So it's another example of two people (coach and player) showing their differences in style and approach.

[Jeff Van Gully]

Rule of thumb: Don't let expect the refs to bail you out of **** games. Knicks as a team have had **** games. Individually, we're have moments of greatness. The way OG shot the ball yesterday was awful. Easily should have been a 10 point lead if OG shot was falling.

the last game wasnt the usual knicks 5 vs the other team + ref, its a new low for this league...even wwe referees look more honorable and honest than them

Gotta raise above it. No one shot the ball well enough to where I'm looking at the refs. The refs absolutely sucked yesterday, but in the 1st half, Knicks should have had a strong lead.

yeah. i'm not accepting the refs excuse on this one. we just weren't it. celtics were. i take my hat off. for real.

[Wildcat]

While we can be doing a better job of trying to spam P&R to get KAT open from 3PT he’s actually shooting himself in the foot quite often.

For starters, the majority of KATs screens are laughably atrocious. You could quite literally call Taj to get off the couch and he will plant a better, more physically imposing screen than Towns to free up space. If you watch a guy like Myles Turner for example, his screens are borderline illegal but it allows him to slip the screen with maximum space to get an actual clean look off. KATs feel lazy, half baked, and more times than not he doesn’t set the screen in a location that would in theory be advantageous to him.

The other thing I’ll say with KAT is that he needs to relocate better on the floor. There are plenty of times on player drives that if his opposing big is trying to collapse the paint he should immediately look to reposition himself on the floor where he could get a clean look. At that point the opposing big might find himself caught in the middle of defending the rim and wanting to close out on the perimeter. I understand that he might be looking for a dump down or offensive board but man our drives look CLOGGED.

KAT has had such a heavy dose of 2PT FGA that he’s not operating enough outside the painted area. I can appreciate how efficient he can be there (the other night he was 11-14 from 2PT), but there isn’t enough balance.

Facts.

[iLLSonChandla]

ESPN games are nauseating

[Chanel Bomber]

the last game wasnt the usual knicks 5 vs the other team + ref, its a new low for this league...even wwe referees look more honorable and honest than them

Gotta raise above it. No one shot the ball well enough to where I'm looking at the refs. The refs absolutely sucked yesterday, but in the 1st half, Knicks should have had a strong lead.

yeah. i'm not accepting the refs excuse on this one. we just weren't it. celtics were. i take my hat off. for real.

The refs were awful but we also didn't show up.

Most of our guys were awful. Thibs was frozen and didn't react to what was happening on the court.

Like in the Hawks series, Thibs was Lt Gorman yesterday:

Watch on YouTube

[Jeff Van Gully]

Gotta raise above it. No one shot the ball well enough to where I'm looking at the refs. The refs absolutely sucked yesterday, but in the 1st half, Knicks should have had a strong lead.

yeah. i'm not accepting the refs excuse on this one. we just weren't it. celtics were. i take my hat off. for real.

The refs were awful but we also didn't show up.

Most of our guys were awful. Thibs was frozen and didn't react to what was happening on the court.

Like in the Hawks series, Thibs was Lt Gorman yesterday:

Watch on YouTube

i don't know if coach was shook. lol. he seemed especially incensed and... motivational. but i hold him fully accountable for how we defended the three. i saw some lack of effort. but, as has been called out, one foot in the paint and two feet on the ball looks like a bad choice.

[Chanel Bomber]

yeah. i'm not accepting the refs excuse on this one. we just weren't it. celtics were. i take my hat off. for real.

The refs were awful but we also didn't show up.

Most of our guys were awful. Thibs was frozen and didn't react to what was happening on the court.

Like in the Hawks series, Thibs was Lt Gorman yesterday:

Watch on YouTube

i don't know if coach was shook. lol. he seemed especially incensed and... motivational. but i hold him fully accountable for how we defended the three. i saw some lack of effort. but, as has been called out, one foot in the paint and two feet on the ball looks like a bad choice.

Lol no he wasn't shook but sometimes he's too passive and doesn't recognize the moment, seemingly thinking the wave will crash if you just let it.

Yesterday's game was awful but it was just one loss. They need to regroup, both players and coach bringing a higher sense of urgency to game 6.

[Jeff Van Gully]

The refs were awful but we also didn't show up.

Most of our guys were awful. Thibs was frozen and didn't react to what was happening on the court.

Like in the Hawks series, Thibs was Lt Gorman yesterday:

Watch on YouTube

i don't know if coach was shook. lol. he seemed especially incensed and... motivational. but i hold him fully accountable for how we defended the three. i saw some lack of effort. but, as has been called out, one foot in the paint and two feet on the ball looks like a bad choice.

Lol no he wasn't shook but sometimes he's too passive and doesn't recognize the moment, seemingly thinking the wave will crash if you just let it.

Yesterday's game was awful but it was just one loss. They need to regroup, both players and coach bringing a higher sense of urgency to game 6.

good point. there may have been a pathway to extending the KO punch in the 2nd the way they did in the 3rd.

but no champ is going to lay down and die. on those hallowed grounds.

and i believe the knicks when they say they don't care where. but OUR hallowed grounds need to source some magic too. like game 4.

[Wildcat]

yeah. i'm not accepting the refs excuse on this one. we just weren't it. celtics were. i take my hat off. for real.

The refs were awful but we also didn't show up.

Most of our guys were awful. Thibs was frozen and didn't react to what was happening on the court.

Like in the Hawks series, Thibs was Lt Gorman yesterday:

Watch on YouTube

i don't know if coach was shook. lol. he seemed especially incensed and... motivational. but i hold him fully accountable for how we defended the three. i saw some lack of effort. but, as has been called out, one foot in the paint and two feet on the ball looks like a bad choice.

It takes one KAT to knock the scheme out of whack. We have more examples than not of KAT going rogue on D. I bet this ish is exhausting for people like OG and Mikal (and Hart to a lesser extent). It can be very demoralizing.

[HEZI]

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