GT: Playoffs Game 5 (NYK Leads 3-1) - New York Knicks vs Cleveland Cavaliers - 7:00 PM - 4/26/23 - GO FOR THE KNOCKOUT!

[god shammgod]

Mitch is the clear 2nd most important player this series.

Brunson still has to be the #1 most important player without him RJ would be our #1 option and that isn't going to work regardless of how well he played last two games.

but we actually have the worst offense per 100 in the playoffs of all teams even with brunson. but our d and offensive rebounding is number 1. take that smarty pants.

we have the worst offense per 100 because one we are playing the #1 defensive team in the NBA and two JuJu couldn't hit water if he fell out of a boat.

You still need to score to win. You know that...even if the offense is ugly someone has got to find a way to put the ball in the basket even if you are playing elite defense and rebounding.

[robillionaire]

Mitch is the clear 2nd most important player this series.

Brunson still has to be the #1 most important player without him RJ would be our #1 option and that isn't going to work regardless of how well he played last two games.

but we actually have the worst offense per 100 in the playoffs of all teams even with brunson. but our d and offensive rebounding is number 1. take that smarty pants.

we have the worst offense per 100 because one we are playing the #1 defensive team in the NBA and two JuJu couldn't hit water if he fell out of a boat.

You still need to score to win. You know that...even if the offense is ugly someone has got to find a way to put the ball in the basket even if you are playing elite defense and rebounding.

our abysmal 3 point shooting across the board is the main thing holding the offense back otherwise it's not been that bad, hopefully this is the game where the shots start falling

[rajajackal]

this series is simple. the game where josh hart was hurt, we lost. otherwise, he breaks them

[mpharris36]

but we actually have the worst offense per 100 in the playoffs of all teams even with brunson. but our d and offensive rebounding is number 1. take that smarty pants.

we have the worst offense per 100 because one we are playing the #1 defensive team in the NBA and two JuJu couldn't hit water if he fell out of a boat.

You still need to score to win. You know that...even if the offense is ugly someone has got to find a way to put the ball in the basket even if you are playing elite defense and rebounding.

fine 1B

[8516knicks]

Little known fact ignored by the media - Knicks in a closeout playoff game beat re-appearance of Halley's Comet by 38 years!

[GONYK]

Key to the game: Cedi Osman getting over 18 mins

[j4remi]

This should be the toughest game of the series tonight...but I feel like if the Knicks blitz early, the Cavs might wilt.

[3toheadmelo]

TIM DUNCAN

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[dakomish23]

Just execute.

They’re going to go on some runs. They’re at home. They’re a good team.

Brunson can’t try to do what he did in game 2 and be Superman. Randle can’t get frustrated and disengage. RJ can’t start reverting back to his horrific one on one backpedaling to half court for a running start that misses badly nonsense.

Just execute. Do that and you’ll have the best chance to close this out tonight.

[Buttah304]

Keys to a W:

1) Don’t give up base line drives to Okoro
2) Ensure Rubio is on the floor for 6+ min
3) Osman over 20min
4) Green over 12min
5) IQs off ball defense on Garland
6) Donovan sulking about lack of Ohio night life
7) LeVert believing he’s “him”
8) Mobley over dribbling/trying to create offense

[Besart19]

Mitch Robinson - Tiago Splitter
Isaiah Hartenstein - Aron Baynes
Obi Toppin - Aron Baynes
Julius Randle - Boris Diaw
RJ Barrett - Kawhi Leonard
Quentin Grimes - Danny Green
Josh Hart - Manu Ginobili
Evan Fournier - Marco Belinelli
Deuce McBride - Corey Joseph
Immanuel Quickley - Patty Mills
Jalen Brunson - Tony Parker
Derrick Rose - not a counterpart

Our coaching staff is stacked with elite assistants like Spurs back then... We only lack a Timothy Duncan

[3toheadmelo]

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[Wildcat]

I suspect Randle will have a big game. Close this game out so the team can rest. I think the Bucks win their next one. Then it's a coin flip. Still can't believe Jimmy was only doubled like 5 or 6 times. Talk about the king of no adjustments and I really, really hate being a backseat driver to coaches, but that was putrid. Bub gone if the Bucks lose and maybe Nurse is in.

[DOT]

did Fred Katz really rank Dean Wade as a better player than RJ Barrett in this series before it started...my god the buffoonery

You know for a fact that if you polled this board asking if they'd rather have RJ or Dean Wade, it'd be at least 50/50 before this series

Right now, it'd probably be closer to 67/33 for RJ.

[HarthorneWingo]

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some nice talk about rj and then some talk about how mitch has made the team elite on d and offensive rebounding. fred says he's the most important player in this series.

Peeps here wanted to trade Mitch for Myles Turner

[APE]

Let's take care of business tonight

[cgf]

Love to see Macri HUMBLED due to RJ, he's treated Barrett like a damn SCRUB without acknowledging that there's just not enough ball to go around when Brunson and Randle are SO ball dominant (Don't mind it from Brunson) and Randle's "Off Nights" in these playoffs has proven it.

As far as Mitch, He's been playing with that level of GRAVITY in the paint for months now. Again, worth so much more than some "Stretch 5" who'll shoot but not control the paint on both ends. We don't need that. Mitch is PERFECT for this team.

i think this analysis is off. i do think having 3 ball dominant players in your starting lineup is challenging, especially if one of them isn't great at shooting it. but the reason rj hasn't been succeeding has been his decision-making. this is something all of his reasonable detractors have been saying stands between him and being a useful cog in the offense. he's not a guy who should be creating for himself. he should be striking opportunities (that baseline drive when levert closed out on him) and creating shots for others when he draws defenders to his muscling around inside. now he is doing that, and it is working. so really, his critics aren't being proven wrong. he's just finally getting it right. and i can't speak for anyone else but i've said all along that i'm happier seeing rj succeed than the alternative!

RJ is finally making good decisions and there’s people acting like he’s been doing that for the past 4 years

Like most things, it's both. RJ is being more aggressive...especially with Ju & Obi pulling Mobley out of the paint...and Barrett is simply finishing/shooting better. Both are leading to the improved results, which in turn are leading to cavs reacting more to his drives, which is opening things up on the perimeter for others.

Hopefully it continues because RJ isn't a bad player...especially when he's defending as well as he has been in this series...he's just a bad finisher & shooter; which can be improved.

[HerSports85]

Be greedy, and go for the kill.

[cgf]

TIM DUNCAN

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To be fair to the kid, Duncan spent 4 years in college polishing his game and working on his body. If Mobley followed the same arc he'd be getting ready for his senior year at USC right now, not preparing himself for an elimination playoff against Mitch & Julius, and his rookie year wouldn't have been until the 24-25 season.

[3toheadmelo]

TIM DUNCAN

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To be fair to the kid, Duncan spent 4 years in college polishing his game and working on his body. If Mobley followed the same arc he'd be getting ready for his senior year at USC right now, not preparing himself for an elimination playoff against Mitch & Julius, and his rookie year wouldn't have been until the 24-25 season.

hes not even beating the AD comparisons. AD was much better at his age. i dont see what's so "generational" about mobley. hes been completely ass