GT: Knicks vs Pistons GAME 1 4/19/25 @ 6 PM on ESPN

[thebuzzardman]

We have the two best players in this series and five of the best six. Let them know.

We have a coach that won’t contest the 3. They have multiple 3point shooters

[TKKnicks1]

Just for the love of God don't let Malik Beasley go off. There isn't a shot that dude won't take and he could get hot if we suck at defending the three. Same thing with Tim Hardaway.

[Spree2Houston]

We'll win this series. This is our championship

[Jeff Van Gully]

AI on how the Knicks should defend Cade

To effectively guard Cade Cunningham, the Knicks need to employ a team effort, focusing on making it difficult for him to score and limiting his opportunities to make shots. This involves a combination of different defensive strategies, including individual defense, switching on pick-and-rolls, and potentially using traps. The Knicks should also aim to disrupt Cunningham's base tough shot-making and limit his ability to attack the rim.

Here's a more detailed breakdown of how the Knicks can approach guarding Cunningham:

1. Team Defense and Switching:
Collective Effort:

It's unlikely that any single Knicks player can completely contain Cunningham, so the team must work together to make it difficult for him to score.

Switching on Pick-and-Rolls:

The Knicks should be prepared to switch on pick-and-roll plays, allowing their players to match Cunningham's attacking tendencies.

Different Looks:

The Knicks should vary their defensive schemes to keep Cunningham guessing and prevent him from getting into a rhythm.

2. Individual Defensive Assignments:
OG Anunoby:

Anunoby is likely to be the primary defender on Cunningham, but he should not be expected to guard him alone.
Focus on Getting Cunningham to the Left:

The Knicks may try to force Cunningham to take contested shots on his left side, as he is more comfortable shooting with his right.

Limit Three-Point Attempts:

The Knicks should focus on contesting Cunningham's three-point attempts and making him work for open shots.

3. Specific Defensive Tactics:

Disrupt Base Tough Shot-Making:
The Knicks should focus on disrupting Cunningham's ability to make tough shots, forcing him to take less efficient shots.
Make Cunningham Work at the Point of Attack:

The Knicks should make Cunningham work for every possession, forcing him to make tough decisions and avoid getting easy buckets.

Be Physical:

The Knicks should employ a physical defensive approach, making it difficult for Cunningham to get to the rim and forcing him to make contested shots.

Traps:

The Knicks may use traps on pick-and-roll plays to further limit Cunningham's scoring opportunities.

4. Other Considerations:

Cunningham's Playmaking:
The Knicks should also focus on limiting Cunningham's impact as a playmaker, particularly on offensive plays.
Cunningham's Skillset:

The Knicks need to understand that Cunningham is a versatile player who can do a variety of things on offense.

Limit Second-Chance Opportunities:

The Knicks should focus on rebounding effectively to prevent Cunningham from getting second-chance opportunities.

Looks like we've found our next coach

AI coach > Thibs

ppl gon call for CoachGPT's head when cade roasts his switching targets in the midrange and post.

[Jeff Van Gully]

We have the two best players in this series and five of the best six. Let them know.

We have a coach that won’t contest the 3. They have multiple 3point shooters

i'm watching this.

also, i know buzz be buzzing, but i don't think it's so much that we don't defend the three at all. we concede too many as part of a numbers game that sometimes leads to easy twos (like our long misses do) and... wide open makes from talented ass NBA players.

my biggest concern with the drop/shell is that in its ideal form it requires really complex and difficult (dare i say unrealistic) closeouts to defend the three in today's game. and some of those rotation completions are so unrealistic it looks like a concession.

...and sometimes it's totally a concession.

coach brother jeff would def try to catch a thibs team lacking. but would also recognize the punishment that comes with the misses.

as has been discussed ad nauseam -- there's a personnel requirement for it to really work. god bless KAT, but mitch is the only big we have that we can do it with.

thibs aside, i'm not sure what the answer is for the teams that have players (especially bigs) who take logo threes. picking guys up that far concedes easy twos. it's a picking of poison when the floor is spaced that far. bipedal creatures just don't cover that kind of ground.

[knicksstuff]

We have the two best players in this series and five of the best six. Let them know.

We have a coach that won’t contest the 3. They have multiple 3point shooters

They have one guy who shoots above league average for 3s

[thebuzzardman]

We have the two best players in this series and five of the best six. Let them know.

We have a coach that won’t contest the 3. They have multiple 3point shooters

They have one guy who shoots above league average for 3s

You leave guys open and they get comfortable and they'll shoot well.

[thebuzzardman]

AI on how the Knicks should defend Cade

Looks like we've found our next coach

AI coach > Thibs

ppl gon call for CoachGPT's head when cade roasts his switching targets in the midrange and post.

[sol537]

Knicks in 5. Pistons are scrappy but they're about to learn what CLE learned two seasons ago... the lights are bright in NY.

[knicks1999]

I don’t see Cam Payne playing in the playoffs unless there are injuries

[dakomish23]

We better not take a minute of this for granted or we'll find ourselves down a big hole real quick.

[Spree2Houston]

I think Thibs shocks everyone and starts the big lineup with Mitch and KAT

[DOT]

my biggest concern with the drop/shell is that in its ideal form it requires really complex and difficult (dare i say unrealistic) closeouts to defend the three in today's game. and some of those rotation completions are so unrealistic it looks like a concession.

This is like, kind of the whole issue

If you're gonna run a defense the way Thibs is, you need all 5 guys to be perfectly in sync at all times

And we're not. It's largely on the coach, Thibs has not adjusted to the fact that teams now have 4 or even 5 shooters on court, we're still trying to rotate as if there's only 1 or 2 real threats from 3 off the drive. Plus, all the crazy minutes we've played leads to guys getting tired which leads to little concentration slips, little mistakes which pile up over the season

In theory, you could run what Thibs wants. But in practice, it is unrealistic

Also, I just gotta say, at this point in his career Mitch is just not that guy any more. His rookie/sophomore years, before the injuries and the bulking up, maybe. But now he's lost so much of his athleticism, he's noticeably much slower. And he hasn't been a good rim protector the past 2 seasons (70% dFG both years)

With that being said, it shouldn't hurt us too bad this series. Their only good shooter comes off the bench, Duren is a complete non-shooter, and Ausar Thompson is almost a non-factor from 3 too.

[rajajackal]

i saw mitch in a blue practice jersey on the latest knicks ig post

[Jeff Van Gully]

my biggest concern with the drop/shell is that in its ideal form it requires really complex and difficult (dare i say unrealistic) closeouts to defend the three in today's game. and some of those rotation completions are so unrealistic it looks like a concession.

This is like, kind of the whole issue

If you're gonna run a defense the way Thibs is, you need all 5 guys to be perfectly in sync at all times

And we're not. It's largely on the coach, Thibs has not adjusted to the fact that teams now have 4 or even 5 shooters on court, we're still trying to rotate as if there's only 1 or 2 real threats from 3 off the drive. Plus, all the crazy minutes we've played leads to guys getting tired which leads to little concentration slips, little mistakes which pile up over the season

In theory, you could run what Thibs wants. But in practice, it is unrealistic

Also, I just gotta say, at this point in his career Mitch is just not that guy any more. His rookie/sophomore years, before the injuries and the bulking up, maybe. But now he's lost so much of his athleticism, he's noticeably much slower. And he hasn't been a good rim protector the past 2 seasons (70% dFG both years)

With that being said, it shouldn't hurt us too bad this series. Their only good shooter comes off the bench, Duren is a complete non-shooter, and Ausar Thompson is almost a non-factor from 3 too.

clearly i agree. it's a gamble in the modern game. i'd say it's fair to criticize thibs for trying to fit a square personnel peg into a round strategic hole (or something like that). i also think it's fair to think that the drop/shell/intense rotation scheme might be best-case scenario for now given alternatives and team construction. when i consider the alternatives, i kinda don't want to see them go full switch. you know the 1 and 5 will be hunted mercilessly.

at full strength we HAVE seen the perimeter players trust each other and communicate better. those moments made the shell look more effective and mitigated some of the drop. and i think part of that lack of communication is on the players. without throwing each other under the bus, both players and coaches seem to recognize that interplayer trust and communication has to continue to improve. it can take time. last year's group was really locked in. there was a magic i don't see since the trade, despite thinking the group is more talented today.

not sure mitch is done though. i'll reserve judgment until i see him out there this time.

[Wildcat]

We better not take a minute of this for granted or we'll find ourselves down a big hole real quick.

That's the only thing I'm concerned about. They need to go in and handle business and not look at their talent vs. their own.

[sol537]

I think Thibs shocks everyone and starts the big lineup with Mitch and KAT

I would be shocked, but it would be most welcomed, to be sure.

Mitch
KAT
OG
Bridges
Brunson

Bench: Hart (28 mins), Deuce (18 mins), Shamet (16 mins)

8-man rotation. Our best 8 guys right now. Precious and Payne purely situational. Hart as the back-up PG a la Ben Simmons.

Knicks in 5.

[Wildcat]

I think Thibs shocks everyone and starts the big lineup with Mitch and KAT

I would be shocked, but it would be most welcomed, to be sure.

Mitch
KAT
OG
Bridges
Brunson

Bench: Hart (28 mins), Deuce (18 mins), Shamet (16 mins)

8-man rotation. Our best 8 guys right now. Precious and Payne purely situational. Hart as the back-up PG a la Ben Simmons.

Knicks in 5.

I want that starting lineup, too, but there's no size depth from the bench. You're force to play a 9-man rotation.

[sol537]

I think Thibs shocks everyone and starts the big lineup with Mitch and KAT

I would be shocked, but it would be most welcomed, to be sure.

Mitch
KAT
OG
Bridges
Brunson

Bench: Hart (28 mins), Deuce (18 mins), Shamet (16 mins)

8-man rotation. Our best 8 guys right now. Precious and Payne purely situational. Hart as the back-up PG a la Ben Simmons.

Knicks in 5.

I want that starting lineup, too, but there's no size depth from the bench. You're force to play a 9-man rotation.

Not really... Mitch can get to 32 mins per game and KAT can get to 37 mins and you always keep one of them on the floor at all times. So KAT plays without Mitch for 16 minutes or so and those are during Hart's minutes. Plenty of teams don't use a traditional big off the bench.

[cgf]

I'm excited. I like these Pistons, but hopefully we can handle them the way we did Cleveland in 2023.