PG: Knicks vs Portland

[spree2kawhi]

what is unreasonable is to act like those of us who expect to see more consistency have the expectations of greatness like curry or lebron from mikal.

Fair enough, but he’s shooting 50% from the field on the season and he has been a good defender. The plus / minus is still remarkable and was there from the start.

Some poster, I forgot who, had even gone on record saying something along the lines of “I always demand perfection” as if the team owed him/her something. I think that is just ridiculous. This team is in year one and it is a league of outstanding teams and talent.

And that is quite a thing to say online. I wonder what the person looks like in real life.

yeah, mikal is what he is - expecting him to be perfect is unreasonable as hell. there is always going to be those that bring the ridiculousness here(i'm guilty of that - especially in gamethreads) we even have posters who give brunson sht for being human and he is the best knick i've seen in my life (sorry pat and Melo).

as for mikal his defense has been great - he has kept some really talented players in check. it's the offensive side that is frustrating - i agree that some of it, maybe a lot of it is a system issue, but that form change and his fear of contact is a him issue. and the investment magnifies it all. we went all in on him so we need him to be at his best for this window to open.

How bad is it though?

50 FG% and a great slasher off the ball. Automatic from mid-range. All of that is true.

As for the three-point shooting, 35 3P% is still 35%… Tatum shoots 35, too… Doncic 34%, Morant 29%, and if you look at other players with his role, there’s more of the same everywhere: Murphy, McDaniels, Caldwell-Pope, Kuminga, Jrue Holiday, Dyson Daniels, hell, even Jimmy Butler - these are all names people will mindlessly bring up when bashing Bridges, and I agree, they’re great players. I’m talking about the percentages though, and this is a case of double standards imo. I’m not frustrated.

(Edit: I’m a little proud I didn’t pull the trigger on a dubious R-bomb here in this context)

[Gravy]

Bridges is our Rip Hamilton

Yup. We'd been using him as a C&S player and he's not.

Another C&S wing (OG) is a clear need.

Speaking of OG... god I love watching him live. He's everywhere on both ends.

Well this is really an issue, OG doesn’t want to be just a C&S player he wants the ball. And Mikal is a better shot creator than OG but has also shied away from attempts. The obvious solution to me would be running more stuff for Mikal having him take over as the next option and having OG play off ball more instead of attempting his slow and usually ineffective drives. But OG may react badly to this. And OG has also been really good and I applaud his aggressiveness so I hate to mess that up. But at the end of the day there’s only one ball

We cant start letting the offense run through Mikal then KAT is not getting enough shots, then OG starts complaining that he's not involved in the offense then Hart needs to shoot if he's open, then Brunson is still going to take the most shots because he's our best player. Some guys will have to sacrifice their touches, happened with the 70s Knicks and it took a while for the Lebron Heat to figure it out.

[HEZI]

Coaching matters. Good to know we have one of the best in the game. Road wins especially out west aren’t easy even against a bad team

Could you give some examples of the good coaching you saw in the last game? I know it's easier for me to see a player's successes and failures but i'm truly curious to know what you saw from the coaching that made you want to post this.

Gravy and HEZI are the last diehard Thibs defenders, don't take them seriously.

My coach keeps winning because that’s all he does and it doesn’t matter who is playing or not playing. Turning bad teams into good teams and mediocre players into stars.

Sad to see y'all so broken

[mpharris36]

Could you give some examples of the good coaching you saw in the last game? I know it's easier for me to see a player's successes and failures but i'm truly curious to know what you saw from the coaching that made you want to post this.

don't do this...its a road to nowhere...

Is he coaching now or is Brunson still carrying him from the bench in street clothes?

It's mikalkalina or whatever you call him that somehow randomly remembered how to play basketball now that he got actual offense run through him

[NoDopeOnSundays]

Could you give some examples of the good coaching you saw in the last game? I know it's easier for me to see a player's successes and failures but i'm truly curious to know what you saw from the coaching that made you want to post this.

Gravy and HEZI are the last diehard Thibs defenders, don't take them seriously.

My coach keeps winning because that’s all he does and it doesn’t matter who is playing or not playing. Turning bad teams into good teams and mediocre players into stars.

Sad to see y'all so broken

Bro didn't even watch the game but in here yapping. I would have at least expected you to tune in to see Simons show out

[robillionaire]

Should never have blown the lead after KAT’s two 3’s. But also when is the last time he got two 3’s in a row in the clutch?

if Brunson was playing it’s likely nobody else would have touched the ball down the stretch so Towns never attempts those and Bridges never gets to attempt that game winner. But also we probably still win the game, and easily win it in regulation. With fewer mistakes. So while I can’t complain about what has objectively been a winning strategy to put the ball in the hands of captain clutch and let him cook, still it is cool to see our other guys get the opportunity and make the most of it. Should be a confidence boost for everyone involved. And good as a fan to know this team can beat you in various ways if they need to.

[K_ick_God]

Is it starting to look like Mikal and JB not a great fit?

[mpharris36]

I'm fascinated to play CLE with our big lineup of Mitch/KAT/OG/Mikal/Brunson

CLE doesn't want to put Garland or Mitchell on Brunson. Which means they both have to guard Bridges and OG.

OG with that high low game is pretty good ceiling off defender in post for a post up and imagine a small guard on him should be food down low

[Capn'O]

Bridges is our Rip Hamilton

Yup. We'd been using him as a C&S player and he's not.

Another C&S wing (OG) is a clear need.

Speaking of OG... god I love watching him live. He's everywhere on both ends.

I said it to my man Guano after the lakers post game. We were using Mikal like we were using Donte last year...and he will continue to fail if we continue to use him in that role. He is not a C&S floor high volume floor spacer. He can C&S from the corners but he is a guy you want to use off movement play him in screens and get him into the middy/paint and then that opens up his 3 ball.

Maybe this stretch without Brunson will open our stubborn coaches mind a bit.

Right and I hope Jalen is seeing some openings for him.

[prophet_of_rage]

Yes. His middy is so automatic it opens a lot.

Bridges is our Rip Hamilton

Yup. We'd been using him as a C&S player and he's not.

Another C&S wing (OG) is a clear need.

Speaking of OG... god I love watching him live. He's everywhere on both ends.

Did you call in to KFTV?

Sent from my SM-S9080 using RealGM mobile app

[HEZI]

don't do this...its a road to nowhere...

Is he coaching now or is Brunson still carrying him from the bench in street clothes?

It's mikalkalina or whatever you call him that somehow randomly remembered how to play basketball now that he got actual offense run through him

That’s what a good coach does. He finds a way to get the best out of whoever is available to play. Is Mikalikina now ok playing 41 minutes? Wasn’t tired anymore? Huh, interesting how that works when you have the green light to shoot more. All of a sudden legs are fresh and you can play 48 minutes no problem.

[Capn'O]

Bridges is our Rip Hamilton

Yup. We'd been using him as a C&S player and he's not.

Another C&S wing (OG) is a clear need.

Speaking of OG... god I love watching him live. He's everywhere on both ends.

Did you call in to KFTV?

Sent from my SM-S9080 using RealGM mobile app

Nope.

[Guano]

Fair enough, but he’s shooting 50% from the field on the season and he has been a good defender. The plus / minus is still remarkable and was there from the start.

Some poster, I forgot who, had even gone on record saying something along the lines of “I always demand perfection” as if the team owed him/her something. I think that is just ridiculous. This team is in year one and it is a league of outstanding teams and talent.

And that is quite a thing to say online. I wonder what the person looks like in real life.

yeah, mikal is what he is - expecting him to be perfect is unreasonable as hell. there is always going to be those that bring the ridiculousness here(i'm guilty of that - especially in gamethreads) we even have posters who give brunson sht for being human and he is the best knick i've seen in my life (sorry pat and Melo).

as for mikal his defense has been great - he has kept some really talented players in check. it's the offensive side that is frustrating - i agree that some of it, maybe a lot of it is a system issue, but that form change and his fear of contact is a him issue. and the investment magnifies it all. we went all in on him so we need him to be at his best for this window to open.

How bad is it though?

50 FG% and a great slasher off the ball. Automatic from mid-range. All of that is true.

As for the three-point shooting, 35 3P% is still 35%… Tatum shoots 35, too… Doncic 34%, Morant 29%, and if you look at other players with his role, there’s more of the same everywhere: Murphy, McDaniels, Caldwell-Pope, Kuminga, Jrue Holiday, Dyson Daniels hell, even Jimmy Butler - these are all names people will mindlessly bring up when bashing Bridges, and I agree, they’re great players. I’m talking about the percentages though, and this is a case of double standards imo. I’m not frustrated.

It's not terrible but it's a problem. His above the break 3 has tanked this year.


Are you satisfied with this version of mikal for the investment the knicks gave up and the 4/156? And do you believe with the consistency he has given this year we can be contenders?

I don't dislike mikal but unless he steps up/is used correctly our window is closed. And tbh, I worry that he can't be a true 3rd option on a contender. Though I think maybe that with OG they can split time maybe as the 3rd... idk, I just want more from mikal. Og hoops like a wrestler/football player. So I don't think it's fair to expect him to carry an offensive load.

[prophet_of_rage]

Is there a reason Hart is on the court in late game situations when the team needs a basket? The only time I can remember Thibs benching Hart in a moment like that is in the Heat game where he put Mikal back in the game after benching him the entire 4th. If the Blazers decided to trap Bridges coming off that screen on the game winner what does Hart provide in that situation?

A run to the rim. If they were going to trap that high Hart wouldn't have DHOed

Sent from my SM-S9080 using RealGM mobile app

[Capn'O]

Bridges is our Rip Hamilton

Yup. We'd been using him as a C&S player and he's not.

Another C&S wing (OG) is a clear need.

Speaking of OG... god I love watching him live. He's everywhere on both ends.

Well this is really an issue, OG doesn’t want to be just a C&S player he wants the ball. And Mikal is a better shot creator than OG but has also shied away from attempts. The obvious solution to me would be running more stuff for Mikal having him take over as the next option and having OG play off ball more instead of attempting his slow and usually ineffective drives. But OG may react badly to this. And OG has also been really good and I applaud his aggressiveness so I hate to mess that up. But at the end of the day there’s only one ball

I freaking hate to say this but watching last night... I think Mikal should be in Harts role as the secondary play creator and that leaves Hart as the odd man out which means... goddamn it... Melo was right and a guy like Camara who would be happy in a 3D role might be our biggest need.

I bet Thybulle can be had even though he's not really the 3 part of it. He was available yesterday but didn't play in PDX. Kind of the odd man out.

[NoDopeOnSundays]

Is it starting to look like Mikal and JB not a great fit?

They're a fit, but we need better sets to run them together. The Knicks are literally the best PnR team in the NBA (1.02 points per possession) but we don't use the play with any real frequency, or involve the players in it that should be good. Mikal is in the 80th percentile as a PnR ball handler but it takes an injury to Brunson for his play frequency to increase, we go from all Brunson iso in the 4th to last night being all Mikal screens in the 4th. There was a damning stat 2 weeks ago that said KAT only had 10 threes off a screen all season, and just look at last night and remember how few screens were set by KAT for Mikal.


We are where the Cavs were last year when Donovan dominated the ball and they had a clunky offense because the coach couldn't incorporate anyone outside of "your turn, my turn" basketball.

[robillionaire]

Could you give some examples of the good coaching you saw in the last game? I know it's easier for me to see a player's successes and failures but i'm truly curious to know what you saw from the coaching that made you want to post this.

Gravy and HEZI are the last diehard Thibs defenders, don't take them seriously.

My coach keeps winning because that’s all he does and it doesn’t matter who is playing or not playing. Turning bad teams into good teams and mediocre players into stars.

Sad to see y'all so broken

Deep down I know some folks are sick seeing us win games like this because they know it reduces the chances they can get this man fired, the obsession runs quite deep. Like they had their whole diatribe ready and had to throw it out because Mikal hit the shot. And that’s probably happened 30 times this year because we have the best clutch record in the entire nba. But yep, all he does is win basketball games.

7 wins from passing Pat Riley for 4th in all time Knicks coaching wins, 32 wins from passing Van Gundy for 3rd place. Very likely he will wind up 2nd all time behind Red Holzman. Bright days ahead in thibsworld

[spree2kawhi]

yeah, mikal is what he is - expecting him to be perfect is unreasonable as hell. there is always going to be those that bring the ridiculousness here(i'm guilty of that - especially in gamethreads) we even have posters who give brunson sht for being human and he is the best knick i've seen in my life (sorry pat and Melo).

as for mikal his defense has been great - he has kept some really talented players in check. it's the offensive side that is frustrating - i agree that some of it, maybe a lot of it is a system issue, but that form change and his fear of contact is a him issue. and the investment magnifies it all. we went all in on him so we need him to be at his best for this window to open.

How bad is it though?

50 FG% and a great slasher off the ball. Automatic from mid-range. All of that is true.

As for the three-point shooting, 35 3P% is still 35%… Tatum shoots 35, too… Doncic 34%, Morant 29%, and if you look at other players with his role, there’s more of the same everywhere: Murphy, McDaniels, Caldwell-Pope, Kuminga, Jrue Holiday, Dyson Daniels hell, even Jimmy Butler - these are all names people will mindlessly bring up when bashing Bridges, and I agree, they’re great players. I’m talking about the percentages though, and this is a case of double standards imo. I’m not frustrated.

It's not terrible but it's a problem. His above the break 3 has tanked this year.


Are you satisfied with this version of mikal for the investment the knicks gave up and the 4/156? And do you believe with the consistency he has given this year we can be contenders?

I don't dislike mikal but unless he steps up/is used correctly our window is closed. And tbh, I worry that he can't be a true 3rd option on a contender. Though I think maybe that with OG they can split time maybe as the 3rd... idk, I just want more from mikal. Og hoops like a wrestler/football player. So I don't think it's fair to expect him to carry an offensive load.

No and yes. Yes, I firmly believe this team is a contender if upgraded at the center position (that could simply be Mitch back in shape). And no, I’m not really satisfied but would have expected more from Bridges too, but I’m not in here crying, bitching or trading OG on one, Bridges on another and Towns basically every other day. This is a process and I think this team will be twice as good next season if no tweaks are made, and there will be tweaks. So yes, I believe this will be a contending team and that the pieces fit nicely.

[Capn'O]

7 wins from passing Pat Riley

Good. **** Pat.

[robillionaire]

Yup. We'd been using him as a C&S player and he's not.

Another C&S wing (OG) is a clear need.

Speaking of OG... god I love watching him live. He's everywhere on both ends.

Well this is really an issue, OG doesn’t want to be just a C&S player he wants the ball. And Mikal is a better shot creator than OG but has also shied away from attempts. The obvious solution to me would be running more stuff for Mikal having him take over as the next option and having OG play off ball more instead of attempting his slow and usually ineffective drives. But OG may react badly to this. And OG has also been really good and I applaud his aggressiveness so I hate to mess that up. But at the end of the day there’s only one ball

I freaking hate to say this but watching last night... I think Mikal should be in Harts role as the secondary play creator and that leaves Hart as the odd man out which means... goddamn it... Melo was right and a guy like Camara who would be happy in a 3D role might be our biggest need.

I bet Thybulle can be had even though he's not really the 3 part of it. He was available yesterday but didn't play in PDX. Kind of the odd man out.

OG already got paid so he’d probably be cool with it but you also probably pay someone a lot less to do that role than we pay OG so there’s that perspective. Anyway I think we can make it work