Mid Season Report Cards

[mpharris36]

Curious to see how the board breaks down our players/coach:

Brunson - A-
KAT - A
OG - B
Hart - A+
Bridges - B
McBride - C+
Payne - B+
Precious - B+
Shamet - C
Ryan - D+
Kolek - Incomplete
Dadiet - Incomplete
Hukporti - B-
Mitch - Incomplete

Thibs - C+

Breakdown:

Brunson has been great it took him some time to figure out when to score and when to pass. He can still have some tunnel vision moments but all in all he is typical cap...making the right plays at the right time

KAT far exceeded my expectations. Has the best NET rating on the team for any of the starters. His shooting opens up so much for his teammates, I didn't realize how good of a driver he was attacking closeouts, and is a pretty solid passer (ball doesn't stick). And his rebounding has been excellent. Yes there are some deficiencies defensively (some exposed by the defensive coverage we ask him to play) others just because he is not a great rim protector but all in all he has been amazing and an MVP candidate.

Hart - probably been our best all around player. The glue to the team. Having a career year in terms of production. All those questions in preseason about him fitting in seems to be in the past.

Bridges - Slow start shooting where it was legit to start questioning the shot. But not concerned at all. His defense has really picked up lately and while he has some inconsistencies scoring. Its going to continue to take time know his role and fit in with two dominant offensive players like Brunson/KAT. But all in all his impact on both ends of the floor is felt.

OG - Came out like gang busters to start the season earning that contract. Shooting great, scoring, and doing it all. Hit a bump in the road (maybe due to him playing more minutes then he has ever played) figuring out his role (Harts comments about sacrificing I think were directed at him). But his shot fell off the map and he wasn't impacting the game defensively the same way. Then in late Jan after a few days off things got back on track. He is now banged up but hopefully he will be after all start break.

Bench:

Deuce has had a rough year. Injuries, inconsistent shooting and defense. Had his best game of the year vs Indy the other day but it hasn't been a great year with the expectations he was going to be a 6th man of the year type candidate. Hopefully he gets right in the 2nd half because he is a huge x-factor for this team that lacks bench scoring.

Payne can't for much more. Gave him a B+ because his shot selection is horrid...but for his role and what we need he has been really good. Has the teams best NET rating. And gives the team a needed spark off the bench.

Precious started the years slow because of the hamstring injury but he is playing some great basketball recently especially with OG down. Still makes some mindless plays and is a bit jumpy on defense going for headfakes. But again for what we paid him and his overall impact. He has been super impacful.

Shamet...expected him to be a much betters shooter. Been pretty underwhelming.

The rest of the team is pretty incomplete for me. Hukporti has given some decent minutes when he plays and lets hope Mitch can stay healthy the rest of the year.

Thibs haven't been a huge fan this year. I will give him credit its a new team and the team is playing together/hard and for the most part prepared for there matchups and at the end of the day we are 36-18 but the team is super talented. I do think this is the one area where we certainly can improve especially vs the better teams. Need less drop coverage with KAT (maybe Mitch helps there), less packing the paint and giving up 3's, team also needs to be better prepared to handle the KAT vs smaller defender and Brunson vs bigger defender + zone because we will see both later in the season and playoffs.

[robillionaire]

28/28 A+

[spree8]

Hart: A+ (career season, heart of the team)

Towns: A (blame his only issues on the finger and the refs)

Brunson: A- (doing better but still needs to pass more/not force)

Huk: B+ (showed a lot of potential w/ limited reps)

Mikal: B (he’s improved on both ends, needs more touches)

OG: B (great start, fell off due to fatigue, then injured)

Deuce: B (injured way too much, but always gives 100%)

Cam: B (dude is on JR levels of chucking, but somehow has good %’s)

Precious: B (showing a bit more than last yr, wish his 3 was reliable)

Shamet: C (inconsistent mins+major injury=hard to have good 3pt %)


Thibs: D+ (the offense is more of a reflection of the massive talent we have than anything he’s running. Credit to him for letting them do what they want on that end, but we shoot like 95% of our shots under 3 seconds on the shot clock… tells me there’s really not much creativity, just the basics. KAT and Mikal could be used better.

Switches sometimes on D, been an improvement, but not nearly enough to spare our guys from getting crushed on screens. Mikal is one of the top guys in the league getting annihilated by screens @ POA. Drop coverage and not defending the 3. Been a little better with the minutes and playing the bench more, but needs more consistency.

Just don’t get how a seasoned coach doesn’t see the things we all see, or maybe he does and is just too stubborn? Our record is the only reason it’s not a failing grade. A coach who did these things and had some offensive creativity, with this team, I think we’re #1 with a unanimously positive outlook on the playoffs no matter who we face.)

[thebuzzardman]

B-

[robillionaire]

Here’s my honest one

Towns - A+
Brunson - A
Hart - A
Mikal - C (could be lower, this is ignoring the package. If I consider the package, D-)
OG - B (would be A but the injury)
Payne - C+
Shamet - F
Precious - C+ (lots of games missed with injury)
Rookies - N/A besides Dadiet he gets an F
Deuce - D+ (injury also a factor)
Sims - F
Ryan and other bench players - F
Mitch - F (back by December, good one, why weigh 320?)
Thibs - B+ (ran a modern offense better than people thought, actually started towns at the 5 so he could have a career year, good team record 4th best in NBA with new team and strategy to integrate, best record in 28 years etc.)

[sol537]

Brunson - B+ (has to do better at balancing playmaking vs hero ball)
KAT - B+ (has to do better on the defensive end)
OG - B (ups and downs but Thibs has been riding him too hard)
Hart - B+ (has to fix his 3pt shot and improve his defensive lapses)
Bridges - B (has to be more aggressive on both ends)
McBride - C+ (injuries have derailed his season so far)
Payne - B (pleasant surprise, but a psycho)
Precious - B (injuries slowed him but he's filling his role nicely)
Shamet - C (was terrible for a few games but good in some games, mixed bag)
Hukporti - C (major ups and downs... needs time but potential is there as a back-up)
Kolek - Incomplete
Dadiet - Incomplete
Mitch - Incomplete

I'm not an easy grader...

[MrDollarBills]

Minutes Policia checking in

Brunson - A+
KAT - A+
OG - A
Hart - A+
Bridges - B-
McBride - C+
Payne - C-
Precious - C
Shamet - D
Ryan - N/A Seems like a waste of a roster spot.
Kolek - N/A
Dadiet - N/A
Hukporti - C
Mitch - N/A

Team Offense: B+

Team Defense: D

Thibs: C

Bridges to me needs to get his ass in gear. Stop being so passive and look to attack.

The 3 point defense is unacceptable. We will lose in the 2nd round if this isn't fixed.

[MrDollarBills]

Josh Hart should be an all star.

[Kampuchea]

Brunson - A
KAT - A+
OG - A
Hart - A+
Bridges - B
McBride - B
Payne - B+
Precious - B
Shamet - D
Ryan - F
Hukporti - D


Thibs: A+

[E-Balla]

I grade based on contracts and role. The more you earn the better you gotta be.

Brunson B+: He's been amazing, but not as consistent as he usually is especially against elite teams. He's 45% from the field against top 10 defenses this is the most I've seen defenders bother him since we got him and his defense is awful but at the end of the day he's top 5 offensively.

KAT B-: His production is in line with his level of pay. The biggest boost and surprise has been his health and his offensive rebounding KAT is playing well enough to have us middle of the pack defensively which is way more than expected.

OG C-: The most inconsistent offensively in our starting 5, but the most consistent defensively. He's been decent in weak side rotations, and his help defense on the perimeter has been 10/10. He just happens to be making #2 option money.

Bridges C-: Underpaid, but we gave up a lot of assets for him so I'm including that in his evaluation. Probably our most important player so far as an X factor, leads the league in distance traveled, minutes, and games played and I'm pretty sure he's top 5 in matchup difficulty and top 2 in drives defended. And he's been meh. Most nights he's good, but when he's off he's off and our team falls apart. Offensively he's a top 5 3rd option in the league.

Hart A+: Easily team MVP so far to me. He's the glue that's holding the squad together. He's making everything, has some of the most spectacular layups and is constantly giving 10/10 effort. Definitely the emotional leader on the floor.

McBride A: Inconsistent but he's not paid for consistency. His defense is great and when his shot is falling he's been able to carry us in moments where nobody else could buy a bucket. He's at least an MLE guy on a near minimum deal.

Payne A+: Can't lie I hated the signing but he's been amazing the pace we play with when he's on the floor throws opponents off consistently. He's the perfect backup to a slower more halfcourt methodical PG like Brunson.

Precious D+: He'd be higher if he wasn't injured for so long. His job is to not get killed out there and he's been actually playing well so it's a nice welcomed surprise. He just has to stay healthy and this will be a C+ by the end of the year.

Thibs B: His defense has been predictably poor for our players but his offense is shockingly good. I don't think anyone expected a Thibs squad to be so fluid offensively.

Everyone else gets an incomplete grade (shoutout to Huk though).

[Jalen Bluntson]

Team gets an A
Coach gets a C
The grades in this thread F-

[StlHawksFan]

Brunson - A- seems like he loses focus at times but when he's on, he's on

KAT - A- he tries on defense but he's just not a drop C. A+ offense, B- perimeter D, D+ interior D

OG - A- Knicks fault really. He'd be a 30ppg guy if the Knicks brought in more hot celebs for him to impress

Hart - A+ allstar snub

Bridges - C+ he started as an F and worked up to a B. C+ on average.

McBride - B- lost the consistency that we desperately need right now off the bench

Payne - A- so much more than I ever expected. If only he could stop chucking up prayers

Precious - B+ turning into a quality backup 4

Shamet - D I feel for the guy coming back from injury but he's too inconsistent

Ryan - F a 3pt specialist that couldn't hit a 3

Kolek - B- plays well when he plays but doesn't do the things that a guy like Deuce did to get consistent minutes as the 9th man

Dadiet - F couldn't crack the rotation and then got hurt

Hukporti - B better than expected but way too foul prone

Sims - C- even though he got traded

Thibs - B he's been crafty at times but his stubbornness has cost us at least two wins

[nykballa2k4]

Spoiler:

Curious to see how the board breaks down our players/coach:

Brunson - A-
KAT - A
OG - B
Hart - A+
Bridges - B
McBride - C+
Payne - B+
Precious - B+
Shamet - C
Ryan - D+
Kolek - Incomplete
Dadiet - Incomplete
Hukporti - B-
Mitch - Incomplete

Thibs - C+

Breakdown:

Brunson has been great it took him some time to figure out when to score and when to pass. He can still have some tunnel vision moments but all in all he is typical cap...making the right plays at the right time

KAT far exceeded my expectations. Has the best NET rating on the team for any of the starters. His shooting opens up so much for his teammates, I didn't realize how good of a driver he was attacking closeouts, and is a pretty solid passer (ball doesn't stick). And his rebounding has been excellent. Yes there are some deficiencies defensively (some exposed by the defensive coverage we ask him to play) others just because he is not a great rim protector but all in all he has been amazing and an MVP candidate.

Hart - probably been our best all around player. The glue to the team. Having a career year in terms of production. All those questions in preseason about him fitting in seems to be in the past.

Bridges - Slow start shooting where it was legit to start questioning the shot. But not concerned at all. His defense has really picked up lately and while he has some inconsistencies scoring. Its going to continue to take time know his role and fit in with two dominant offensive players like Brunson/KAT. But all in all his impact on both ends of the floor is felt.

OG - Came out like gang busters to start the season earning that contract. Shooting great, scoring, and doing it all. Hit a bump in the road (maybe due to him playing more minutes then he has ever played) figuring out his role (Harts comments about sacrificing I think were directed at him). But his shot fell off the map and he wasn't impacting the game defensively the same way. Then in late Jan after a few days off things got back on track. He is now banged up but hopefully he will be after all start break.

Bench:

Deuce has had a rough year. Injuries, inconsistent shooting and defense. Had his best game of the year vs Indy the other day but it hasn't been a great year with the expectations he was going to be a 6th man of the year type candidate. Hopefully he gets right in the 2nd half because he is a huge x-factor for this team that lacks bench scoring.

Payne can't for much more. Gave him a B+ because his shot selection is horrid...but for his role and what we need he has been really good. Has the teams best NET rating. And gives the team a needed spark off the bench.

Precious started the years slow because of the hamstring injury but he is playing some great basketball recently especially with OG down. Still makes some mindless plays and is a bit jumpy on defense going for headfakes. But again for what we paid him and his overall impact. He has been super impacful.

Shamet...expected him to be a much betters shooter. Been pretty underwhelming.

The rest of the team is pretty incomplete for me. Hukporti has given some decent minutes when he plays and lets hope Mitch can stay healthy the rest of the year.

Thibs haven't been a huge fan this year. I will give him credit its a new team and the team is playing together/hard and for the most part prepared for there matchups and at the end of the day we are 36-18 but the team is super talented. I do think this is the one area where we certainly can improve especially vs the better teams. Need less drop coverage with KAT (maybe Mitch helps there), less packing the paint and giving up 3's, team also needs to be better prepared to handle the KAT vs smaller defender and Brunson vs bigger defender + zone because we will see both later in the season and playoffs.

Brunson - B+
Doing about as well as you can expect. Adjusting to sharing with another alpha in KAT. Still has to grow more into a complimentary role as opposed to turn taking.

KAT - B-
Offense he is elite. As advertised. However his defense has been abysmal. I think we posters could score on him in the paint. Miscast as a full time center, but since that's what he is playing, that's how I am grading. His fitness is lackluster. If he took care of his body the way Kobe, LeBron, Randle have done, he could be a legit MVP.

OG - C
Not entirely his fault, but his purpose was to guard Tatum and the elite wings, has come up small. Surprisingly unathletic and slow footed for such a strong defensive player, clearly relies on strength, length, and high bball IQ. Would be better with rim protection behind him, but in the current system, he has not been shining. His FG% and corner 3% (35 in one corner, 39 in the other) have been lower than one would think and since he is being asked to play PF, his rebounding has been below league average.

Hart - A+
I prefer Hart on the bench. It turns the bench into a weapon rather than something you have to withstand. However it is going to be hard to argue putting Josh on the bench because he has been elite despite lack of a jump shot. Still think we need to talk him into being our Manu once Mitch is back rolling, but doubt that will happen.

Bridges - C
Bridges has been fine. Part of the grade is based on the price we paid and the person who he is replacing. Last year, Donte was setting the knicks record for 3 pointers made while being a pesky (too many risks taken) ball hawk. Bridges has been ... fine. Just watched the Celtics smoke him 1:1 coverage. seen him foul a ton of 3 point attempts (some bad calls). Shot has been inconsistent. While he is certainly a jack of all trades, he doesn't quite whip around the court like his fellow Novians.

McBride - C-
Another 'not entirely his fault' situation. Thibs has taken the ball out of his hands to some extent, so his production is not where we would expect it. Defense is still good. Tools are all still there, just not shining the way we all expected. His 3% is down, TS% is down.

Payne - A
Payne is the beneficiary to McBrides detraction. When he is in, he runs the offense effectively, is a fair defender, and is not shy about taking his shots. I would prefer Deuce in this role, but he is playing it and doing so fairly well. For his contract, he is playing about as well as anyone could hope. I would argue that he is the best value vet min in the league.

Precious - B+
Has shown more offensive flash of late, but need to see it consistent. Could call his grade incomplete since he missed time, but from what I have seen, for 6M, he is an asset for sure.

Shamet - B
Very redundant player, but a vet min who is capable when given time and opportunity. Obvious rust from being out, but stroke looks to be improving, good feet on defense, comfortable and capable at both guard spots.

Ryan - C
Well below his career averages, but such low opportunities, not sure if he has played in one meaningful minute. I can't grade someone who is on a min contract and doesn't really play below a C unless they are actively harming the team.

Kolek - B
Thibs has him buried, but when he plays, you can see what he brings. Has that Dallas Nash vibe, slowed down white chocolate pass game.

Dadiet - B
The fact he is a young raw prospect and actually saw non-garbage time playing time is enough for me.

Hukporti - B
For the last pick in the 2nd round, for him to play at all is a win. He was able to play well enough to supplant the other almost undrafted center we had. He still moves his legs too much when he plays, very awkward almost in a ronnie turiaf kind of way, but putting him at C next to KAT was one of the most pleasant stretches of Knicks basketball I was able to watch all season.

Mitch - TBD


Thibs - D
It's hard to bash a coach who is leading the team to the 3rd seed in the conference, top 5 team in the league. However the obvious is obvious. I am not a fan of the development system, not a fan of how rigid his rotations are, not a fan of his reliance on his circle of trust rather than considering system fit.
If you know that you need a drop coverage center, and you look at stats (we know Thibs loves his stats) you see KAT is THE WORST for drop coverage. Yet you keep playing and add help for KAT resulting in more open 3's. The best teams hit them which is why they destroy us. If Thibs were to coach to his strengths rather than coach to his "next up in the order" mentality, opening day starting 5 would have been Sims-Towns-OG-Bridges-Brunson. Bench would have been Huk, Hart, McBride, Payne.
FWIW, Javale McGee is still a FA, if you are starting the season without Robinson, Precious then maybe get a guy like McGee or similar just to fill that function.
Minutes police know that every minute of playing time = a dice roll for injury. He is taking extra dice rolls, probably by the dozens, to make sure he wins 2-4 more games in the season. Not a great trade off.
Also, in the playoffs, the best teams flip the switch, maybe THEN ask more of their stars, tighten the rotation. By that point, the best teams have had their 10-15th men play enough through the long season that that if they have to go to next up -- they can do so.
For Thibs, he is so stingy, that if the playoffs were to hit, he would just tighten further from 9 to 8 to 7, maybe 6 players just to avoid the "not ready" players who -- if on any other team -- would be ready to at least try to give something.

Love Thibs. Glad he is home. He won't win the big one unless he is willing to make a sacrifice. He used to have drive like a mad man in a Hyndai and make it perform like a Lexus. Now he has a BMW, he needs to drive it accordingly.

[8516knicks]

Agree in general but for Mitch I'd fail him for ballooning to 317 and being out now almost 2 years on an ankle injury. Make him repeat 2024. Oh, he is. Nevermind.

[Clyde_Style]

Jalen Bluntson - A+ - For representing RealGM Knicks fandom with visceral rage and for showing no mercy towards those whose dedication wavers. Equipped with tasers and gasoline soaked smudge sticks, Bluntson forges the path forward towards the inevitable title run by the best Knicks squad since Mother Arrow queefed forth son Green Arrow into the realm. A legion of outsourced laborers will be required to scrape clean Bluntson's windshield of the crud of banished so-called fans pulped on the front of his RealGM Tour Bus as he careens with reckless abandon through miscellaneous board threads unleashing retribution on those who show any signs of vacillating commitment. Wolf packs cower in huddles at night at the fearsome howl of the enraged Bluntson.

[Jalen Bluntson]

Jalen Bluntson - A+ - For representing RealGM Knicks fandom with visceral rage and showing no mercy to those whose dedication wavers. Equipped with tasers and gasoline soaked smudge sticks, Bluntson forges the path forward towards the inevitable title run by the best Knicks squad since Mother Arrow queefed forth son Green Arrow into the realm. A legion of outsourced laborers will be required to scrape clean Bluntson's windshield of the crud of banished so-called fans pulped on the front of his RealGM Tour Bus as he careens with reckless abandon through miscellaneous board threads unleashing retribution on those who show any signs of vacillating commitment. Wolf packs cower in huddles at night at the fearsome howl of the enraged Bluntson.

[TheGreenArrow]

Mpharris-F- - - - - - -!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Guano-C+!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Nodope-D-!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
3tothehead-F-!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Jalen Bluntson-F- - - - -!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Buzzy-F- - -!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Context-A+!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Kampuecha-F!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Iron mantis-C!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Walt Frazier-C+!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Chanel Bomber-B-!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Reign23-C-!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Wildcat-C!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Capn0-B!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Nykballa2k4-D-!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Fat Kat-B+!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Spree2Kawhi-C-!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Adelheid-B!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
B8RcDeMktfxC-C+!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

P2 in the coming days!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[HopelessKnick]

I'll keep it short:

A: Brunson + KAT + Hart --> KAT is just an offensive juggernaut and IMO has raised his value around the league. 25points/14rebounds on 50/40/85. Hart with a superb season, deserving of all-star considerations. Brunson unleashes himself when needed, otherwise I just appreciate the guy so much I hope already he retires a knick one day. Praise to Leon for getting them here.

B: OG and Bridges --> both playing solid/good seasons. Was hoping for a bit more but maybe that'll still come after the break. Happy we got them both. Again praise to Leon for getting them here.

C: Deuce and Precious --> Really was hoping for more of an breakthrough with Deuce but so far hasn't happened. Precious I like a lot and he is getting better and better.

The rest is incomplete to me. On Thibs I'm in the middle but generally I do not like his overreliance on starters and reluctance to develop the bench.

Outlook: I'm a big believer in Mitch and what he can do for this team. I think the fact that we haven't had a true rim protecting force at all this season and are still sitting at 36-18 tells you a lot about this team. If Mitch can get to that 25minutes and play like he did early last season, I do not fear Boston, Cleveland or OKC. I think we would give all of them a very tough fight at least. My biggest hope is just that we have our guys healthy for the playoffs. Given our positioning, the utmost focus should be on health for the remainder of the season (looking at Thibs here).

[spree2kawhi]

Mpharris-F- - - - - - -!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Guano-C+!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Nodope-D-!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
3tothehead-F-!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Jalen Bluntson-F- - - - -!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Buzzy-F- - -!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Context-A+!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Kampuecha-F!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Iron mantis-C!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Walt Frazier-C+!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Chanel Bomber-B-!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Reign23-C-!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Wildcat-C!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Capn0-B!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Nykballa2k4-D-!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Fat Kat-B+!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Spree2Kawhi-C-!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Adelheid-B!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
B8RcDeMktfxC-C+!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

P2 in the coming days!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

TheGreenArrow?

[thebuzzardman]

Love all the lower than A scores for Brunson. You all deserve Elfrid Payton.