Before you get too hyped about our success....

[Clyde_Style]

Someone on Twitter brought this up last night, but the real test for this team is going to be the brutal stretch (18 of 25 games on the road) heading into the ASB. If they can continue to rack up the home wins before that happens, and head into the break ~.500, then we could be looking at playoffs. A long way to go, but the team is competitive and the games are must-watch.

All it would take to win some of those games on the road is if the team plays up to its current level

and

Doug gets more burn
Frank keeps evolving
Tim refines his shot selection

so there is plenty more upside to this team this season

especially as they get more accustomed to each other

and

refine their defense

If Tims shot selection doesn't improve, I hope Jeff starts yanking him...maybe give Dotson some burn. Hopefully with the light schedule the next week or so, they will have time to watch tape and point these things out to him. Team should look sharper with a few days of practice coming up. They only play tonight, Sunday & Wed if I'm not mistaken.

I don't why some of you keep praying for something you know is not happening anytime soon.

[NoLayupRule]

this will still be a tank/lottery season

but what we are seeing here is growth of the team and growth of our franchise player in a quicker and more impressive way than we had anticipated in best case scenario

[Clyde_Style]

Someone on Twitter brought this up last night, but the real test for this team is going to be the brutal stretch (18 of 25 games on the road) heading into the ASB. If they can continue to rack up the home wins before that happens, and head into the break ~.500, then we could be looking at playoffs. A long way to go, but the team is competitive and the games are must-watch.

All it would take to win some of those games on the road is if the team plays up to its current level

and

Doug gets more burn
Frank keeps evolving
Tim refines his shot selection

so there is plenty more upside to this team this season

especially as they get more accustomed to each other

and

refine their defense

I hope so. The fear would be that the current level of play is more or less the ceiling for this team, and faced with adversity some of the cohesion we see could devolve a little bit, but your scenario is equally possible. We'll have to see –– the team is still largely untested.

Very interested in tonight's game, which is basically a "schedule loss" on paper. Road back to back coming off of a wildly successful home stand –– the type of game where you'd expect to see a hangover and a lack of competitive fire. Think back to the second night of our home and home against Charlotte around this time last year. We won the first at home in thrilling fashion (overtime, I think?), and then no-showed the next night in their building. Of course, it's a totally different team + makeup, so I'll be looking for the young guys to come out hungry and actively fight that hangover. That would be telling. If we lose tonight, it's also not the end of the world at all.

Why would it be the ceiling when there is plenty of youthful talent being developed by the coaching staff?

Frank is just getting started. KP has tons of room to improve. Dougie is starting to roll. Dotson is waiting patiently. Tim can certainly get better.

The synergies are just forming now. Much upside is left in this season

[Clyde_Style]

this will still be a tank/lottery season

but what we are seeing here is growth of the team and growth of our franchise player in a quicker and more impressive way than we had anticipated in best case scenario

And at what point do you revise that projection?

[3toheadmelo]

i have no expectations for this team. just going with the flow

[SelbyCobra]

I don't want to speak for others, but I am much happier about KP's superstar play and Frank's early play vs. our record. To me, the season is a massive success if KP keeps this up and Frank continues to grow as a 19 year old. The record is just gravy.

I mostly agree with this, and definitely the sentiment behind it, but I actually disagree with the record being gravy - the record is the most important thing. There are a lot of young cats in this league who we all drool over in the Around The NBA threads, who post great stats and look amazing in highlights. If the Knicks have one of those in KP, then I'm stoked.

But most, if not all of those players are not in winning situations all by themselves. They lose tons of games and their fans talk about them needing help, or another piece before the glorious production they contribute can actually produce wins. The ones who have the great statistical production AND control the team's win production on their own are the only real cornerstones of the league - the transformative players. So to me the wins are the most important thing with KP shouldering the load on this Knicks roster.

I'd rather the Knicks go 37-45 this year with KP averaging 19 PPG then 22-60 with KP averaging 28 PPG. The former, to me at least, means that KP is potentially a transformational player with the potential to LEAD championship level teams. (For the record, I'm not saying I'd be mad with KP coming out and averaging 28 PPG on a team with a terrible record ).

[Fat]

Why can’t people get hype this is what we wanted a competitive young team and KP proving he can be that guy.

Playoffs is a long shot I think any level headed fan knows that but if anyone wants to be hype and have faith we’re a playoff team and love what there seeing then so be it we can’t knock them for that.

I personally rather tank but I’ll definitely support us playing well and showing fight

[NBA Fan 1234]

i have no expectations for this team. just going with the flow

This.

It's a win-win either way. If we win more games than we should, that means our internal development is legit, KP has taken extra step, Frank is a stud, etc. We'd be winning games while developing our two franchise cornerstones (I like Willy, but I don't consider him an untouchable cornerstone). If we lose more games than we should, we'll be developing our guys anyway and will end up with a high pick.

I'm just enjoying the ride and the way most of the team has played thus far.

[Yankeeknickfan]

Op is right. Especially since the last two wins aren't really sustainable

[shtolky]

I don't want to speak for others, but I am much happier about KP's superstar play and Frank's early play vs. our record. To me, the season is a massive success if KP keeps this up and Frank continues to grow as a 19 year old. The record is just gravy.

I mostly agree with this, and definitely the sentiment behind it, but I actually disagree with the record being gravy - the record is the most important thing. There are a lot of young cats in this league who we all drool over in the Around The NBA threads, who post great stats and look amazing in highlights. If the Knicks have one of those in KP, then I'm stoked.

But most, if not all of those players are not in winning situations all by themselves. They lose tons of games and their fans talk about them needing help, or another piece before the glorious production they contribute can actually produce wins. The ones who have the great statistical production AND control the team's win production on their own are the only real cornerstones of the league - the transformative players. So to me the wins are the most important thing with KP shouldering the load on this Knicks roster.

I'd rather the Knicks go 37-45 this year with KP averaging 19 PPG then 22-60 with KP averaging 28 PPG. The former, to me at least, means that KP is potentially a transformational player with the potential to LEAD championship level teams. (For the record, I'm not saying I'd be mad with KP coming out and averaging 28 PPG on a team with a terrible record ).

I don't really disagree with what you said. When I said the record was gravy, I really meant that it's secondary (though not unimportant) to the play of KP and Frank. Those two are 22 and 19 respectively, so to see them playing well is great as they are just scratching the surface. I also think that if KP keeps playing like this, wins will follow. Not a chance we lose a ton of games with KP averaging 28ppg, hitting clutch shots, and playing excellent interior D. That's why I, and I think a lot of others, are off the tank. We would rather KP go nuts and win some games over us being a bottom 8 lotto team and KP just being meh. Give me the sure thing superstar now and build around that.

[Jeff Van Gully]

Someone on Twitter brought this up last night, but the real test for this team is going to be the brutal stretch (18 of 25 games on the road) heading into the ASB. If they can continue to rack up the home wins before that happens, and head into the break ~.500, then we could be looking at playoffs. A long way to go, but the team is competitive and the games are must-watch.

i mean, how entertaining is this group?

i bet they get some adds onto the national schedule now. they always have a couple flex spots for situations like this, and some teams get pulled.

people want to see the unicorn.

knicks vs. bucks should be national for a long time.

[Jeff Van Gully]

the christmas game should be HAM

[SelbyCobra]

the christmas game should be HAM

I'm going home for the first time in 4 years and the Christmas game is the only home game while I'm there, so I have to go with my oldest. Tickets are CRAZY right now though - $170 a piece just to get in the building.

[NoLayupRule]

this will still be a tank/lottery season

but what we are seeing here is growth of the team and growth of our franchise player in a quicker and more impressive way than we had anticipated in best case scenario

And at what point do you revise that projection?

march probably


Im not a tank guy
but I don't think this is a team that can go all the way

I think were overachieving and I love it
Making the playoffs would be huge for this team that was expected to do nothing

but missing the playoffs and getting one more quality player would be just fine too


if were able to get the 6th seed and its march then Im committed
7-8th seeds are a 50/50 on worth doing in my mind


and beyond that we may well be trading Lee, Kanter or KOQ at some point this season
any of which would submarine this team

[Jeff Van Gully]

the christmas game should be HAM

I'm going home for the first time in 4 years and the Christmas game is the only home game while I'm there, so I have to go with my oldest. Tickets are CRAZY right now though - $170 a piece just to get in the building.

ugh.

[Slicin N Dicin]

Right now - I'm hype...idgaf. Seeing the team in 2 weeks, best believe I want a win

[MaseInYourFace]

My expectations are low so no worries here.

[BasicBall]

All I want is for them to continue to play hard and develop Frank....By the way, this streak started when Jack became a starter and Frank started to get minutes....Solid point guard play is vital in the NBA and NY has been getting that. Jarrett Jack has been a godsend! All that being said, NY still needs a small forward, so I am still praying we are good enough to be bad enough to draft Michael Porter Jr! WORD!!

PS, Jabari Parker would be a great addition too....just saying

[NoLayupRule]

All I want is for them to continue to play hard and develop Frank....By the way, this streak started when Jack became a starter and Frank started to get minutes....Solid point guard play is vital in the NBA and NY has been getting that. Jarrett Jack has been a godsend! All that being said, NY still needs a small forward, so I am still praying we are good enough to be bad enough to draft Michael Porter Jr! WORD!!

PS, Jabari Parker would be a great addition too....just saying

yeah

and he's looking for a fat paycheck

I wonder if he will hit free agency and if so if we could lure him in

[magnumt]

I don't want to speak for others, but I am much happier about KP's superstar play and Frank's early play vs. our record. To me, the season is a massive success if KP keeps this up and Frank continues to grow as a 19 year old. The record is just gravy.

I swear man, each and every time your POVs ALWAYS echeny own!

--Mags