PG: Knicks vs. Thunder: BELT-TO-ASS GAME

[Gravy]

y'all better hope firing the coach works because they're all out of moves besides that

The fans move is putting much better players in the starting lineup like Kolek, Hukporti and Dadiet. Here we go again with that

every fanbase thinks there's somebody on the bench that should be playing and that their coach is an idiot. it's universal when you're not winning. "they need to develop the youth" well yes but it's not really that easy. they been developing jericho sims for years and he still sucks. in fact, i believe that young man is 39 years old now.

thats true, every fanbase crashes out after a loss. I thought we learned a lesson from our previous wave of scrub draft picks but I guess not.

[Clyde_Style]

Problem - Teams have adjusted to Brunson from last year & they have the big guards to slow him down. Thibs is still running the offense through Brunson even though the team as a whole has changed.

Solution - Run the offense through KAT and incorporate more of an inside out game which forces opposing teams to react to Towns and his ability spread the ball.

Just doing motion and read and react isn’t going to work with Mikal, Towns & OG. You have to actually tailor your offense to the players on your team.

OG excels with post ups and backdoor cuts with the occasional catch and shoot. Relegating him to catch and shoots, ISO’s and a post ups here and there is misusing him. Mikal works as a secondary playmaker for others who does backdoor cuts and midrange catch and shoots. Relegating him to the corner with ISO’s and catch and shoots is mis using him. I could keep going. The bench is weak but this is why you stagger minutes. It’s common sense that the average fan understands but an nba coach doesn’t is perplexing. Tom probably understands this and just doesn’t give a fu*k, he’s doing it his way.

Well this idiot is about to find a mutiny on his hand because OG & Mikal are doing silent protests if anyone is really paying attention.

Raptors are so easy to beat that our one victory in the last five games may fool some people into not seeing how obviously checked out these guys became after the Thunder eviscerated them in the 4th quarter in OKC. Since then this team has been sleepwalking most of the time.

This was the 4th game since getting spanked in OKC and they have not been the same. Losing a few games is not the issue, it's how they're losing. They look completely disjointed and like a different team that went on a 9 game winning streak against weaker teams. But they hit a wall in OKC and they now seem lifeless, disinterested and all of them are mostly settling for terrible ISO ball.

It's obvious to most of us. I can't imagine how anyone who has actually watched the team all season can casually pretend there is not a problem in the ranks already. I don't recall anything of this nature last season, not this body language, no way. This is different.

Great post brother.

Disinterested is the keyword you said. OG & Mikal especially are the main culprits because they feel left out the most in the offense. Ball finds energy is a real thing. It’s affecting the defense and the offense. Mikal in Phoenix and Brooklyn was way more involved than he is here. Despite the reports denying it, OG left NY to get more involved as well.

It makes sense why Josh 1. Played with extra energy today & 2. Why Josh made that quip about people having to stop with egos and agendas in the locker room interview.

Thibs is not good at managing egos this is the same **** that happened in Minnesota and instead of stepping in, he put his hands up, stepped to the side and watched the chaos unfold.

Good insight, because Thibs is not that skilled at the politics of player hierarchies. He's more of an old school 3 Musketeers one for all, all for one guy. As long as he has that buy-in he can push them to their limits, but it is a blunt force philosophy that is psychologically obtuse.

Players do want good coaching that gives them plays to run that gets everyone their touches, but we're seeing Brunson devolve from his prior stud status to his current implementation as a blunt force instrument trying to batter the defense with his stutter steps and step backs and it is neither creative nor effective nor inclusionary. It has to have the other guys wondering WTF is going on?

I doubt Brunson wants to be that guy who gums up the works, but if all Thibs knows how to do is give Jalen the ball and say make something happen then that's what JB is going to do. And it is working less and less to the point of consistent failures to execute an offense in the past week.

If people think they are checked out due to exhaustion alone, then I will repeat that I don't believe they've watched the whole season. It is obvious guys are checked out. Fatigue is only one factor. The other is the coach has run out of ideas and they are getting game planned and outcoached. Nobody likes to get punked, but that is what is happening now. Other coaches have us figured out due to Thibs incredibly predictable and boring strategies.

[Jalen Bluntson]

I'm going full buzz. I hope we lose ten more in a row! Tom has to get the fuq up outta here,

[jvsimonetti0514]

The Teams getting embarrassed a lot lately and think it ties directly towards their slow starts. Not sure if it can be fatigue when it’s at the beginning of the game. They’ve basically stopped hitting shots. It’s been a few weeks for both OG and Brunson and it looks like Mikal’s joined them too. I can buy that’s fatigue but there’s deeper issues at play. The jumper thing looks like it’s gotten in brunson’s head cuz outside of the game in OKC, he hasn’t really made the right play either. I feel for them cuz the rarely get officiated the same as the other team but it doesn’t excuse him for missing so many passes.

Team doesn’t have enough shot creation either. Slowing down Brunson really breaks the whole offense down. Thunder kept sending doubles at him and no one could help him or take advantage of it. Pretty much everyone panicked. It makes sense to try to get towns more involved and run the offense through him but is it smart to run the ball through the post. It’s not 1995 anymore. It still might be worth a try. There’s a bunch of issues and I’m not sure there’s really any answers.

[JayTWill]

OKC bench: +76

Knicks bench:-40

Must be nice to have a guy on your bench that can score 31 easily if some of your starters dont have it. Fans want our starters to play their minutes, then play with the bench too to help them and wonder why at the end of the game the starters minutes are so high and they are tired.

OKC starters: +55

Knicks starters: -85

The bench clearly has issues but how is the solution to just run the starters into the ground? What does it accomplish? This team has a ton of issues. I don't think Thibs is the solution to any of them.

What about a solution of better players? We lost too much bench talent in the trades for starters

How do we get better players without any real assets? The core of the team doesn't have a ton of untapped potential. Thibs definitely doesn't have any untapped potential. Is your solution to just keep Thibs around and continue what we are doing? If the Paynes and Shamets of the world are not enough do you think adding more vet min guys is going to make a difference?

At this point I rather invest time and development into the young guys in hope that 1 or 2 of them will become better contributors than the vet min guys this team will attract under Thibs. No one is going to want to come here for the vet min for the possibility that they crack Thibs' rotation. My only issue with playing the young guys now is that I don't see Thibs as a true developmental coach.

[G_K_F]

It appears this front office made a bunch of maneuvers in the offseason all to get softer and remain a 2nd round exit.

[rajajackal]

in the first quarter when i saw brunson was trying to beat the point guard he was playing against instead of setting up his team to beat theirs i got a bad feeling. then i saw us slacking on defense and rebounding and by the mid 2nd quarter i turned it off. i'm in a good place mentally i don't need that ****

[rajajackal]

Why did we ever let go of Johnnie Bryant? He would have been a logical choice when Thibs gets canned.

we brought him here for donovan, didn't get donovan, and thibs took the team to the heights of the thibs zone. once there was a coaching vacancy on donovan's team and he hadn't yet been promoted, it was obvious what bryant would do

i'd rather have donovan than brunson btw even though i obviously love jb. he's just hitting a hard ceiling it seems and i think we were counting on him to be a premier all star with the team we put together. it is possible that we forum-dwelling luddites do not know more about basketball than becky hammon after all

[HerSports85]

This is the most accountability I’ve seen from him. He must feel the pressure from Leon.

Read on Twitter

?s=46&t=nv1DuIYAil1NHCZU015rLg

[TKKnicks1]

Playing Huk out of no where was an interesting move by Thibs. It wouldn't be the first time his hand has been forced to shake up the roster. I'd like to see Huk play next to KAT.

[rajajackal]

The Teams getting embarrassed a lot lately and think it ties directly towards their slow starts. Not sure if it can be fatigue when it’s at the beginning of the game. They’ve basically stopped hitting shots. It’s been a few weeks for both OG and Brunson and it looks like Mikal’s joined them too. I can buy that’s fatigue but there’s deeper issues at play. The jumper thing looks like it’s gotten in brunson’s head cuz outside of the game in OKC, he hasn’t really made the right play either. I feel for them cuz the rarely get officiated the same as the other team but it doesn’t excuse him for missing so many passes.

Team doesn’t have enough shot creation either. Slowing down Brunson really breaks the whole offense down. Thunder kept sending doubles at him and no one could help him or take advantage of it. Pretty much everyone panicked. It makes sense to try to get towns more involved and run the offense through him but is it smart to run the ball through the post. It’s not 1995 anymore. It still might be worth a try. There’s a bunch of issues and I’m not sure there’s really any answers.

kind of passer he's proven himself to be, i'm comfortable with this adjustment. it's time to recognize that towns is our best player and run the team that way

[Clyde_Style]

Brunson is still an excellent player, but he is a shoot first PG and he lacks the natural facilitation instincts to continue to be effective as a floor general without a better plan of attack. He was beginning to show improved passing skills during the winning streak, but was when the players were all moving off the ball and looking for each other. But if the plan is for Brunson to be the primary point of attack almost every time down the floor it is going to fail against the better defensive teams.

Brunson seems to be completely out of his own ideas on how to make that work and Thibs is not setting him up to be more effective as the PG. All of the past 40 and 50 baggers by Brunson seems to have fooled Thibs into thinking Brunson trying to ram the ball down the mouth of the defense is going to work with any consistency.

Brunson's creativity right now is at its lowest ebb. Thibs is letting it run its course at this point.

[Clyde_Style]

The Teams getting embarrassed a lot lately and think it ties directly towards their slow starts. Not sure if it can be fatigue when it’s at the beginning of the game. They’ve basically stopped hitting shots. It’s been a few weeks for both OG and Brunson and it looks like Mikal’s joined them too. I can buy that’s fatigue but there’s deeper issues at play. The jumper thing looks like it’s gotten in brunson’s head cuz outside of the game in OKC, he hasn’t really made the right play either. I feel for them cuz the rarely get officiated the same as the other team but it doesn’t excuse him for missing so many passes.

Team doesn’t have enough shot creation either. Slowing down Brunson really breaks the whole offense down. Thunder kept sending doubles at him and no one could help him or take advantage of it. Pretty much everyone panicked. It makes sense to try to get towns more involved and run the offense through him but is it smart to run the ball through the post. It’s not 1995 anymore. It still might be worth a try. There’s a bunch of issues and I’m not sure there’s really any answers.

kind of passer he's proven himself to be, i'm comfortable with this adjustment. it's time to recognize that towns is our best player and run the team that way

KAT is being mismanaged. I just said the same about Brunson, but it is clear our offense runs better when KAT is incorporated into plays early in the clock.

[Jalen Bluntson]

Brunson is still an excellent player, but he is a shoot first PG and he lacks the natural facilitation instincts to continue to be effective as a floor general without a better plan of attack. He was beginning to show improved passing skills during the winning streak, but was when the players were all moving off the ball and looking for each other. But if the plan is for Brunson to be the primary point of attack almost every time down the floor it is going to fail against the better defensive teams.

Brunson seems to be completely out of his own ideas on how to make that work and Thibs is not setting him up to be more effective as the PG. All of the past 40 and 50 baggers by Brunson seems to have fooled Thibs into thinking Brunson trying to ram the ball down the mouth of the defense is going to work with any consistency.

Brunson's creativity right now is at its lowest ebb. Thibs is letting it run its course at this point.

Yeah. There's only so much you can do when the primary function of the point guard is to figure it out as you go.

[Gravy]

OKC starters: +55

Knicks starters: -85

The bench clearly has issues but how is the solution to just run the starters into the ground? What does it accomplish? This team has a ton of issues. I don't think Thibs is the solution to any of them.

What about a solution of better players? We lost too much bench talent in the trades for starters

How do we get better players without any real assets? The core of the team doesn't have a ton of untapped potential. Thibs definitely doesn't have any untapped potential. Is your solution to just keep Thibs around and continue what we are doing? If the Paynes and Shamets of the world are not enough do you think adding more vet min guys is going to make a difference?

At this point I rather invest time and development into the young guys in hope that 1 or 2 of them will become better contributors than the vet min guys this team will attract under Thibs. No one is going to want to come here for the vet min for the possibility that they crack Thibs' rotation. My only issue with playing the young guys now is that I don't see Thibs as a true developmental coach.

Every time we say the team is out of options they bring someone in we never thought they could. So I'll wait and see if they can do it again.

If you think the kids have some high potential that will never be developed here all I can say is that has not been proven true yet under Thibs. IQ, RJ, Deuce have developed to their potential here. But like Sham said you may keep hoping these new guys turn into great players too. with a brand new coach that will save them

[rajajackal]

Brunson is still an excellent player, but he is a shoot first PG and he lacks the natural facilitation instincts to continue to be effective as a floor general without a better plan of attack. He was beginning to show improved passing skills during the winning streak, but was when the players were all moving off the ball and looking for each other. But if the plan is for Brunson to be the primary point of attack almost every time down the floor it is going to fail against the better defensive teams.

Brunson seems to be completely out of his own ideas on how to make that work and Thibs is not setting him up to be more effective as the PG. All of the past 40 and 50 baggers by Brunson seems to have fooled Thibs into thinking Brunson trying to ram the ball down the mouth of the defense is going to work with any consistency.

Brunson's creativity right now is at its lowest ebb. Thibs is letting it run its course at this point.

Yeah. There's only so much you can do when the primary function of the point guard is to figure it out as you go.

[rajajackal]

Brunson is still an excellent player, but he is a shoot first PG and he lacks the natural facilitation instincts to continue to be effective as a floor general without a better plan of attack. He was beginning to show improved passing skills during the winning streak, but was when the players were all moving off the ball and looking for each other. But if the plan is for Brunson to be the primary point of attack almost every time down the floor it is going to fail against the better defensive teams.

Brunson seems to be completely out of his own ideas on how to make that work and Thibs is not setting him up to be more effective as the PG. All of the past 40 and 50 baggers by Brunson seems to have fooled Thibs into thinking Brunson trying to ram the ball down the mouth of the defense is going to work with any consistency.

Brunson's creativity right now is at its lowest ebb. Thibs is letting it run its course at this point.

i'm frustrated that he showed us he can play floor general well and then regressed the moment he trailed in the first round of all star voting

[rajajackal]

The team just needs to quit on Thibs so he will resign. I say a losing record in January gets us closer to this.

we better hope not. because then our head coach is rick brunson. who i think is part of the nagging chemistry issues.

[rajajackal]

ik i'm double and triple posting like a mf forgive me i had to watch this game at work so i'm catching up on talking my **** lol

[Worst_to_First]

The Teams getting embarrassed a lot lately and think it ties directly towards their slow starts. Not sure if it can be fatigue when it’s at the beginning of the game. They’ve basically stopped hitting shots. It’s been a few weeks for both OG and Brunson and it looks like Mikal’s joined them too. I can buy that’s fatigue but there’s deeper issues at play. The jumper thing looks like it’s gotten in brunson’s head cuz outside of the game in OKC, he hasn’t really made the right play either. I feel for them cuz the rarely get officiated the same as the other team but it doesn’t excuse him for missing so many passes.

Team doesn’t have enough shot creation either. Slowing down Brunson really breaks the whole offense down. Thunder kept sending doubles at him and no one could help him or take advantage of it. Pretty much everyone panicked. It makes sense to try to get towns more involved and run the offense through him but is it smart to run the ball through the post. It’s not 1995 anymore. It still might be worth a try. There’s a bunch of issues and I’m not sure there’s really any answers.

kind of passer he's proven himself to be, i'm comfortable with this adjustment. it's time to recognize that towns is our best player and run the team that way

KAT is being mismanaged. I just said the same about Brunson, but it is clear our offense runs better when KAT is incorporated into plays early in the clock.

KAT is a cheat code gifted to an unimaginative offense but we still do not maximize that.