PG: Knicks lose to Thunder

[The KnicksFix]

Maybe give them minutes when we're up 30 against bad teams, or play 1 or 2 of them meaningful minutes with 3-4 starters at a time so they aren't just out there playing as a 5 man bench unit getting stomped out.


We have the least played bench the NBA has seen in 20 years.

The bench kind of sucks. Knick homerism aside

I'm blue in the face already from saying Kolek is the prize hidden on the bench. He could have been enough to keep Brunson from having to play drunk tired at the end. Kolek is the baller we need

It’s amazing really, we can all see that Kolek just needs some burn, but Thibs coaches every game like it’s game 7 of the finals. Bum coach

[K_ick_God]

Honestly this may sound extreme to some of you but something like Bridges shooting up 14 with no shot clock left is Thibs’ fault as well.

He’s asleep at the switch.

If his team is doing whatever, that’s 100% his bad coaching, his fault, and really pretty damning.

It’s the NBA. One momentum play is all you need to turn a game. Seen it many times. No room for free lancing or self inflicted wounds and if it happens, means he’s missing potentially fatal details from the bridge.

[thebuzzardman]

OKC developed their bench.

NYK have not developed their bench.

4th quarter it became iso hero ball.

We built the lead on unselfish team basketball.

OKC has a better benck because they have had a zillion 1st round picks. That's talent.

Knicks bench is all 2nd rounders, NBA castoffs and projects.

Ajay Mitchell played 13 minutes for them, he was the 38th pick by us


Their bench is castaways, Isaiah Joe was cut by the Sixers and Wiggins the guy that lit us up was the 55th pick.

Guess we need more Sims and Hukporti

[thebuzzardman]

OKC developed their bench.

NYK have not developed their bench.

4th quarter it became iso hero ball.

We built the lead on unselfish team basketball.

OKC has a better benck because they have had a zillion 1st round picks. That's talent.

Knicks bench is all 2nd rounders, NBA castoffs and projects.

Precious, Shamet, Payne - castoffs. Trade throw ins. Not good players
Hukporti and Dadiet - never going to make it in the nba
Kolek - might be a backup somewhere one day? Not good on defense so prolly not.
McBride - He’s ok but he didn’t play. Plays hustle D but still a streaky scorer, don’t think he is the reliable bucket getter we need
Mitch - never plays, doesn’t contribute on offense
Sims - yes, the 1 dimensional vertical leaper who can’t do anything with that skill is still on the roster
Assorted other scrubs not worth even mentioning but for the sake of brevity, Toppin, Matt Ryan if that’s even his name. Boo Boobies

Consolidate please

Bingo

[Strick]

Frustrating loss and completely avoidable. I was there so I am sure I missed plenty that they aired on TV.

Refs were suspect for stretches but not blaming the loss on them

Thibs is a lunatic for playing these guys so many mins. They beat us at our own game. Those 2nd chance buckets and back breaking plays went the other way tonight. Maybe it’s because we are running our guys into the ground with 40+ mins every night?

I haven’t checked the box score but it literally felt like we lost every single minute Cam Payne was on the floor

Felt like there were way too many stretches where KAT wasn’t involved which is inexcusable.

Hopefully we can learn from it and get better. Thibs has cost us quite a few games and this seemed like another one. Several points in the game to put it away up 11+ points

[thebuzzardman]

OKC developed their bench.

NYK have not developed their bench.

4th quarter it became iso hero ball.

We built the lead on unselfish team basketball.

OKC has a better benck because they have had a zillion 1st round picks. That's talent.

Knicks bench is all 2nd rounders, NBA castoffs and projects.

Look at their bench players draft spots...mostly second rounders and a UFA.

They just know how to pick 'em.

Correct. The Knicks bench is ass.

[K_ick_God]

OKC has a better benck because they have had a zillion 1st round picks. That's talent.

Knicks bench is all 2nd rounders, NBA castoffs and projects.

Ajay Mitchell played 13 minutes for them, he was the 38th pick by us


Their bench is castaways, Isaiah Joe was cut by the Sixers and Wiggins the guy that lit us up was the 55th pick.

Guess we need more Sims and Hukporti

Young players can energize a team though.

And as far as losing by 20 in the 4th, you have to cut off and answer momentum plays. Usually, the Knicks are good about hanging around, and not losing contact.

[The KnicksFix]

It feels like the early 90s all over again. We were good, almost great, just not enough.
Sigh, I pray I’m wrong.

[thebuzzardman]

Face it. Knicks a 2nd round exit this year. Luckily Leon has several years to fix the bench and or coach.

[RHODEY]

Frustrating loss and completely avoidable. I was there so I am sure I missed plenty that they aired on TV.

Refs were suspect for stretches but not blaming the loss on them

Thibs is a lunatic for playing these guys so many mins. They beat us at our own game. Those 2nd chance buckets and back breaking plays went the other way tonight. Maybe it’s because we are running our guys into the ground with 40+ mins every night?

I haven’t checked the box score but it literally felt like we lost every single minute Cam Payne was on the floor

Felt like there were way too many stretches where KAT wasn’t involved which is inexcusable.

Hopefully we can learn from it and get better. Thibs has cost us quite a few games and this seemed like another one. Several points in the game to put it away up 11+ points

I am, there were a ton of no calls on Towns and Brunson....in a game like this that is the difference betweenus losing and us continuing our rampage to blow them out.

[Buttah304]

Yes there are a million things we can point to. Having said that…how is it even possible that when a team traps Brunson with 2 wings we have one countermeasure: get Josh Hart the ball and he’ll dribble it for 6-7 seconds above the break and through no fault of his own our offensive possession becomes broken and stagnant. It’s truly unacceptable and other coaches are going to try and exploit that in the playoffs yet again. Maybe it was understandable with previous iterations of Thibs teams but not when you trade for KAT and Mikal. Crossing your arms and being angry doesn’t count as an adjustment.

[thebuzzardman]

It feels like the early 90s all over again. We were good, almost great, just not enough.
Sigh, I pray I’m wrong.

Knicks forever two players short

[Fat Kat]

It's odd too, because Thibs used Noah as his point center while having Rose who was sort of like Brunson in temperament.

You'd think Thibs would recognize the value of running more plays through KAT

They were essentially doubling KAT by having IShart sink in the paint vs. Josh. We just have to hit shots to defeat that offense. That and run PnR with Josh and KAT.

The whole thing with no threes for KAT is a part of this. That stretches their offense instead of letting them pack in defenders waiting to double KAT

We just had an opposing coach we beat recently said that KAT's threes is a kind of nightmare for defenses

They use the wing to guard against the 3s and the big to guard the paint. It can work for a good defensive team if we don’t make them pay. This is Washington trying it

Watch on YouTube

[RHODEY]

It feels like the early 90s all over again. We were good, almost great, just not enough.
Sigh, I pray I’m wrong.

Its the opposite, we have the talent but not the cohesion and bench...yet. This is year 1 we have 3-4 more to improve.

[JayTWill]

OKC's bench tonight while missing 2 key rotation players in Holmgren and Caruso

Isaiah Joe - 2020 49th pick (Waived by the Sixers after his 2nd year)
Kenrich Williams - Undrafted (Picked up by OKC at almost 26 years old)
Aaron Wiggins - 2021 55th pick
Jaylin Williams - 2022 34th pick
Ajay Mitchell - 2024 38th pick (Traded from the Knicks)

Also starting
Lu Dort - Undrafted

They also play their 13-15 guys when short-handed.

I don't know if any of these guys ever crack Thibs' rotation.

[snadler]

1) Knicks are a great team
2) OKC will be in the nba finals
3) Knicks must add to their bench to compete for a ring. Just not sure how? Maybe buyout candidates

[thebuzzardman]

OKC's bench tonight while missing 2 key rotation players in Holmgren and Caruso

Isaiah Joe - 2020 49th pick (Waived by the Sixers after his 2nd year)
Kenrich Williams - Undrafted (Picked up by OKC at almost 26 years old)
Aaron Wiggins - 2021 55th pick
Jaylin Williams - 2022 34th pick
Ajay Mitchell - 2024 38th pick (Traded from the Knicks)

Also starting
Lu Dort - Undrafted

They also play there 13-15 guys when short-handed.

I don't know if any of these guys ever crack Thibs' rotation.

Knicks have always sucked at scouting while OKC has always been excellent

[jvsimonetti0514]

Read on Twitter

?s=46&t=W09F6FrMDfp5_y1gKYgF1g

Embarrassing!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

That the Knicks bench kind of sucks? Yes.

Thunder went on runs as soon as one of our starters were out. So of course their broadcasters wanted to see more of them

[NoDopeOnSundays]

OKC has a better benck because they have had a zillion 1st round picks. That's talent.

Knicks bench is all 2nd rounders, NBA castoffs and projects.

Ajay Mitchell played 13 minutes for them, he was the 38th pick by us


Their bench is castaways, Isaiah Joe was cut by the Sixers and Wiggins the guy that lit us up was the 55th pick.

Guess we need more Sims and Hukporti

Giving Pacome/Kolek meaningful minutes with the starters to develop them and help ease the minutes load on the starters is too much to ask? We have the least played bench in 20 years, there have been worse benches on better teams that have played more than this one.

The Thunder give Ajay Mitchell 16mpg, and have been doing that since the start of the season so that when the time comes to play another top team they're comfortable seeing if he has it on that night. He had it tonight. If the second best team in the NBA can find minutes for a 2nd round pick, we should try expanding the rotation to more than just 7 guys.

[Guano]

Yes there are a million things we can point to. Having said that…how is it even possible that when a team traps Brunson with 2 wings we have one countermeasure: get Josh Hart the ball and he’ll dribble it for 6-7 seconds above the break and through no fault of his own our offensive possession becomes broken and stagnant. It’s truly unacceptable and other coaches are going to try and that in the playoffs yet again. Maybe it was understandable with previous iterations of Thibs teams but not when you trade for KAT and Mikal. Crossing your arms and being angry doesn’t count as an adjustment.

Kat onky taking 13 shots is unacceptable. Its a waste of resources not to run the offense through him more. Especially in this game with Jalen W on him in the post.