Hawks (5) @ Knicks (4) - Playoffs Round 1 - Game 1 - SUNDAY May 23 - 7:00pm

[thebuzzardman]

Big 15

Sounds nice. Nice thing of Randle to say. Wake me up when they get a real 2nd option.

Nice team, good bench. Well coached - I like the FUTURE of the team, IF the FO does the right things with the cap space and extra picks. I'm not going to get too wound up over what they do here.

Team isn't all that good. It's fortunate they are playing another not that impressive team in the Hawks, in spite of the fact the Hawks capped themselves out for their squad and it's two fans are always on here chirping, god knows why.

I'm okay with that. We got enough to beat the Hawks and then the next round is going to be awful after that. Hawks aren't a guaranteed win but we'll play hard and it'll be meaningful. Not sure what your point is? Anyone here think we're contenders yet? I would say Randle is the 2nd option and we're missing a true 1st.

I've seen enough people confidently predicting the Knicks will get through the Hawks. You are among the realists.

At least the Knicks didn't cap themselves out for this level of ability, unlike the Hawks.

[F N 11]

Mad scary fans here worried about the hawks as if they have an elite defensive team. Get outta here with that weak ****. Knicks got defense and offense.

[Mecca]

Hey guys,

I just wanted to pop in and say what's up with some brief thoughts. First off, I hope y'all are well.

- RJ made me eat a lot of crow this season. He fixed the closed gate w his right hand in his shot and it completely changed his outlook as a player. He plays different than the brand that I stan, so it took some getting used to, but yeah, I admit the L on RJ. He's a real core piece that we're lucky to have.

- Randle, again, I couldn't have been more wrong on. He has his spots on the court he's automatic at & you can tell he's lived in the gym. He's 90% LeBron right now, lol.

- Thibs, I was wrong again. He's a top 5 coach in the NBA off culture alone. We really are some dawgs.

- Toppin at least is serviceable now, but I hated the pick and still do. We still don't use him as a rim runner lol.

- Oh yeah, I keep getting notifications from my rgm pals that Phish Tank keeps throwing jabs at me on here so I have to address it. Dawg, I unfollowed you because you subtweet me constantly and argue just to argue. + I thought it was lame when you were making fun of DSJ & Bullock for swapping jerseys. Both from NC & dealt with tragedies in life. That was poor taste. We are 2 different types of fans. I'm an objective/pessimistic Knicks fan that is an NBA fan as well and you're more of an optimistic Knicks-centric fan. We just too different. I never delete tweets to hide an opinion, I've already told you why I delete ALL my tweets. If you aren't a fan of me, cool, but stay on your side dawg. It wouldn't be Mecca w out a dash of drama, so there it is lol.

- Anyways, I hope y'all in good spirits. It's still defund Elfrid Payton for life. Hoping we start IQ by game 2. Longterm, I want to sign Lonzo and hold all our assets for the next star that becomes available and build w that.

[thebuzzardman]

If RJ plays against the hawks as well as he did in the regular season, we have a 2nd option...at least for this series.

I don't expect a 2nd year, 20 year old player to put in that kind of consistency.

If RJ has even 2 very strong outings in this series I'd consider that a big plus, maybe even a deciding factor. What's significant to me is he's getting playoff experience at age 20. Randle had to wait until he was 26.

Yup. Anything else is gravy.

Also, I'm just posting a lot so people have to see the KD Vagina avatar.

[3toheadmelo]

Hey guys,

I just wanted to pop in and say what's up with some brief thoughts. First off, I hope y'all are well.

- RJ made me eat a lot of crow this season. He fixed the closed gate w his right hand in his shot and it completely changed his outlook as a player. He plays different than the brand that I stan, so it took some getting used to, but yeah, I admit the L on RJ. He's a real core piece that we're lucky to have.

- Randle, again, I couldn't have been more wrong on. He has his spots on the court he's automatic at & you can tell he's lived in the gym. He's 90% LeBron right now, lol.

- Thibs, I was wrong again. He's a top 5 coach in the NBA off culture alone. We really are some dawgs.

- Toppin at least is serviceable now, but I hated the pick and still do. We still don't use him as a rim runner lol.

- Oh yeah, I keep getting notifications from my rgm pals that Phish Tank keeps throwing jabs at me on here so I have to address it. Dawg, I unfollowed you because you subtweet me constantly and argue just to argue. + I thought it was lame when you were making fun of DSJ & Bullock for swapping jerseys. Both from NC & dealt with tragedies in life. That was poor taste. We are 2 different types of fans. I'm an objective/pessimistic Knicks fan that is an NBA fan as well and you're more of an optimistic Knicks-centric fan. We just too different. I never delete tweets to hide an opinion, I've already told you why I delete ALL my tweets. If you aren't a fan of me, cool, but stay on your side dawg. It wouldn't be Mecca w out a dash of drama, so there it is lol.

- Anyways, I hope y'all in good spirits. It's still defund Elfrid Payton for life. Hoping we start IQ by game 2. Longterm, I want to sign Lonzo and hold all our assets for the next star that becomes available and build w that.

good to see you fam. hope all is well with you

[Clyde_Style]

I don't expect a 2nd year, 20 year old player to put in that kind of consistency.

If RJ has even 2 very strong outings in this series I'd consider that a big plus, maybe even a deciding factor. What's significant to me is he's getting playoff experience at age 20. Randle had to wait until he was 26.

Yup. Anything else is gravy.

Also, I'm just posting a lot so people have to see the KD Vagina avatar.

Yes, you're crafty like that. You actually got me to VIEW IMAGE because I wasn't sure what vulgarity was lurking in that thumbnail

I sorely regret it

[thebuzzardman]

Hey guys,

I just wanted to pop in and say what's up with some brief thoughts. First off, I hope y'all are well.

- RJ made me eat a lot of crow this season. He fixed the closed gate w his right hand in his shot and it completely changed his outlook as a player. He plays different than the brand that I stan, so it took some getting used to, but yeah, I admit the L on RJ. He's a real core piece that we're lucky to have.

- Randle, again, I couldn't have been more wrong on. He has his spots on the court he's automatic at & you can tell he's lived in the gym. He's 90% LeBron right now, lol.

- Thibs, I was wrong again. He's a top 5 coach in the NBA off culture alone. We really are some dawgs.

- Toppin at least is serviceable now, but I hated the pick and still do. We still don't use him as a rim runner lol.

- Oh yeah, I keep getting notifications from my rgm pals that Phish Tank keeps throwing jabs at me on here so I have to address it. Dawg, I unfollowed you because you subtweet me constantly and argue just to argue. + I thought it was lame when you were making fun of DSJ & Bullock for swapping jerseys. Both from NC & dealt with tragedies in life. That was poor taste. We are 2 different types of fans. I'm an objective/pessimistic Knicks fan that is an NBA fan as well and you're more of an optimistic Knicks-centric fan. We just too different. I never delete tweets to hide an opinion, I've already told you why I delete ALL my tweets. If you aren't a fan of me, cool, but stay on your side dawg. It wouldn't be Mecca w out a dash of drama, so there it is lol.

- Anyways, I hope y'all in good spirits. It's still defund Elfrid Payton for life. Hoping we start IQ by game 2. Longterm, I want to sign Lonzo and hold all our assets for the next star that becomes available and build w that.

Good to hear from you.

What's your take on Lonzo at PG and the lack of dribble penetration in his game?

Obviously he'll split some time with Rose initially yet still be able to find extra minutes at SF/SG. Also, his ability to pass yet also make 3's is a big improvement over Elf.
There are people considering Schroeder in similar, probably slightly higher price range, and conversely, McConnell as a cheap stop gap.
Also, even among Lonzo fans, I'm pretty sure they see him as an iterative step, where the Knicks need to get a 3 level scoring wing to go along with Randle/Lonzo/Rose, until RJ matures into that player in 2 or 3 years.

I'd assume you are in the last group?

[thebuzzardman]

If RJ has even 2 very strong outings in this series I'd consider that a big plus, maybe even a deciding factor. What's significant to me is he's getting playoff experience at age 20. Randle had to wait until he was 26.

Yup. Anything else is gravy.

Also, I'm just posting a lot so people have to see the KD Vagina avatar.

Yes, you're crafty like that. You actually got me to VIEW IMAGE because I wasn't sure what vulgarity was lurking in that thumbnail

I sorely regret it

[jayu70]

My thinking is having Trae's defender play him straight up and also have the guy defending the inbounder come over to trap/double Trae to get the ball out of his hands or not even let him catch the ball, this would make someone else bring the ball up against pressure and run a few seconds off the shot clock. I personally feel confident with any one of our guys helping trap/double Trae and having Noel/Taj protecting the rim when we are at a disadvantage.

I wouldnt do this all game though, fatigue would be very real in the 4th.

I get what you are saying and that is something Trae has been dealing with since he entered the league. Last year that was a problem. This year, particularly in the latter half of the season under Nate not a problem.
In the 2nd half of our games, Bogi has been receiving the inbounds and running the offense off the bat thereby limiting teams effectiveness in trying to trap Trae, and it's given Nate a chance to develop Trae off ball.

I've been thinking about Bogi, Hunter, Collins, Huerter, Lou, & Gallo vs Barrett, Rose, Burks, Quickley & Bullock lately cause I feel pretty good about Julius vs Trae & Capela...as long as we don't get murdered on the boards.

So How confident are you in your secondary scorers? Do y'all feel good about how much Lou & Gallo have left in the tank, and that the inexperienced guys like Huerter & Hunter will handle the pressure well? You guys have two more guys than we do with mitch out, but that presupposes that all of those supporting pieces on both sides will deliver...which is never a lock with two teams this inexperienced, playing in their first postseason series.

Speaking of Hunter, any news about how he's doing? Cause he didn't look 100% in those final regular-season games and him being limited figures to make a big difference on your hopes of slowing Randle down.

Per Nate, Hunter had a great week of practice and will know if his minutes restriction will be lifted from the 25 monutes he played last game. His offense is still coming, but his defense has been back.

Secondary scorers: Bogi has been on a tear since Nate took over, hoping his Olympic and Int'l games makes up for lack of NBA playoff experience. Collins can hold his own, he's another lob threat for Trae, shoots 39% from 3 and if he has a smaller guy defending, Nate will post him - he has a stepback and he can turn and face for a jumper. Hunter's 3 ball isn't back but he was able to drive the ball and score. Lou runs hot and cold, Gallo is a bucket getter but they have playoff experience. Huerter is the wild card - he's been inconsistent from 3, but he's a plug n play guy who has played PG, SG, SF off the bench and starting.

Snell and Hill will be our vets that Nate trusts if the young wings falter or foul trouble.

Breakdown of past Playoff Minutes and games:

Hawks
Lou Williams - 1796 minutes, 71 games
Clint Capela - 1307 minutes, 61 games
Tony Snell - 533 minutes, 38 games
Danilo Gallinari - 783 minutes, 25 games
Solomon Hill - 355 minutes, 24 games
Total: 4774 minutes, 219 games

Knicks
Taj Gibson - 1443 minutes, 66 games
Derrick Rose - 1784 minutes, 46 games
Alec Burks - 278 minutes, 17 games
Nerlens Noel - 157 minutes, 12 games
Reggie Bullock - 27 minutes, 4 games
Norvel Pelle - 7 minutes, 1 game
Total: 3696 minutes, 146 games

[Zenzibar]

My thinking is having Trae's defender play him straight up and also have the guy defending the inbounder come over to trap/double Trae to get the ball out of his hands or not even let him catch the ball, this would make someone else bring the ball up against pressure and run a few seconds off the shot clock. I personally feel confident with any one of our guys helping trap/double Trae and having Noel/Taj protecting the rim when we are at a disadvantage.

I wouldnt do this all game though, fatigue would be very real in the 4th.

I get what you are saying and that is something Trae has been dealing with since he entered the league. Last year that was a problem. This year, particularly in the latter half of the season under Nate not a problem.
In the 2nd half of our games, Bogi has been receiving the inbounds and running the offense off the bat thereby limiting teams effectiveness in trying to trap Trae, and it's given Nate a chance to develop Trae off ball.

I've been thinking about Bogi, Hunter, Collins, Huerter, Lou, & Gallo vs Barrett, Rose, Burks, Quickley & Bullock lately cause I feel pretty good about Julius vs Trae & Capela...as long as we don't get murdered on the boards.

So How confident are you in your secondary scorers? Do y'all feel good about how much Lou & Gallo have left in the tank, and that the inexperienced guys like Huerter & Hunter will handle the pressure well? You guys have two more guys than we do with mitch out, but that presupposes that all of those supporting pieces on both sides will deliver...which is never a lock with two teams this inexperienced, playing in their first postseason series.

Speaking of Hunter, any news about how he's doing? Cause he didn't look 100% in those final regular-season games and him being limited figures to make a big difference on your hopes of slowing Randle down.

Good points.

If I may.

You're right about the offensive boards and if I were Nate ($25k) McMillan it would be a point of offensive emphasis. In the same light, the Hawks should draw Julius away from the boards leaving Noel or Taj isolated on the Off boards with Capela.

How I would counter is with picking up the pace and running Capela continuously to the point of exhaustion. Once he gets subbed for, we should be able to unleash Rose's short game and RJ's drives to the basket.

While the Hawks have good bench 3pt shooters, the Knicks are just as good if not slightly better, evident by the season long points diff against opponents.

What differentiates our bench from others is their 3pt efficiency but also that the defense on the 2nd unit is really good. I would have to say bench defense for the Hawks will be something to watch.

[Zenzibar]

I get what you are saying and that is something Trae has been dealing with since he entered the league. Last year that was a problem. This year, particularly in the latter half of the season under Nate not a problem.
In the 2nd half of our games, Bogi has been receiving the inbounds and running the offense off the bat thereby limiting teams effectiveness in trying to trap Trae, and it's given Nate a chance to develop Trae off ball.

I've been thinking about Bogi, Hunter, Collins, Huerter, Lou, & Gallo vs Barrett, Rose, Burks, Quickley & Bullock lately cause I feel pretty good about Julius vs Trae & Capela...as long as we don't get murdered on the boards.

So How confident are you in your secondary scorers? Do y'all feel good about how much Lou & Gallo have left in the tank, and that the inexperienced guys like Huerter & Hunter will handle the pressure well? You guys have two more guys than we do with mitch out, but that presupposes that all of those supporting pieces on both sides will deliver...which is never a lock with two teams this inexperienced, playing in their first postseason series.

Speaking of Hunter, any news about how he's doing? Cause he didn't look 100% in those final regular-season games and him being limited figures to make a big difference on your hopes of slowing Randle down.

Per Nate, Hunter had a great week of practice and will know if his minutes restriction will be lifted from the 25 monutes he played last game. His offense is still coming, but his defense has been back.

Secondary scorers: Bogi has been on a tear since Nate took over, hoping his Olympic and Int'l games makes up for lack of NBA playoff experience. Collins can hold his own, he's another lob threat for Trae, shoots 39% from 3 and if he has a smaller guy defending, Nate will post him - he has a stepback and he can turn and face for a jumper. Hunter's 3 ball isn't back but he was able to drive the ball and score. Lou runs hot and cold, Gallo is a bucket getter but they have playoff experience. Huerter is the wild card - he's been inconsistent from 3, but he's a plug n play guy who has played PG, SG, SF off the bench and starting.

Snell and Hill will be our vets that Nate trusts if the young wings falter or foul trouble.

Breakdown of past Playoff Minutes and games:

Hawks
Lou Williams - 1796 minutes, 71 games
Clint Capela - 1307 minutes, 61 games
Tony Snell - 533 minutes, 38 games
Danilo Gallinari - 783 minutes, 25 games
Solomon Hill - 355 minutes, 24 games
Total: 4774 minutes, 219 games

Knicks
Taj Gibson - 1443 minutes, 66 games
Derrick Rose - 1784 minutes, 46 games
Alec Burks - 278 minutes, 17 games
Nerlens Noel - 157 minutes, 12 games
Reggie Bullock - 27 minutes, 4 games
Norvel Pelle - 7 minutes, 1 game
Total: 3696 minutes, 146 games

Question Jayu. Does Capela's 50% free throw accuracy during his playoff career and subsequent benching during close 4th quarter games, concern you?

[jayu70]

I get what you are saying and that is something Trae has been dealing with since he entered the league. Last year that was a problem. This year, particularly in the latter half of the season under Nate not a problem.
In the 2nd half of our games, Bogi has been receiving the inbounds and running the offense off the bat thereby limiting teams effectiveness in trying to trap Trae, and it's given Nate a chance to develop Trae off ball.

I've been thinking about Bogi, Hunter, Collins, Huerter, Lou, & Gallo vs Barrett, Rose, Burks, Quickley & Bullock lately cause I feel pretty good about Julius vs Trae & Capela...as long as we don't get murdered on the boards.

So How confident are you in your secondary scorers? Do y'all feel good about how much Lou & Gallo have left in the tank, and that the inexperienced guys like Huerter & Hunter will handle the pressure well? You guys have two more guys than we do with mitch out, but that presupposes that all of those supporting pieces on both sides will deliver...which is never a lock with two teams this inexperienced, playing in their first postseason series.

Speaking of Hunter, any news about how he's doing? Cause he didn't look 100% in those final regular-season games and him being limited figures to make a big difference on your hopes of slowing Randle down.

Good points.

If I may.

You're right about the offensive boards and if I were Nate ($25k) McMillan it would be a point of offensive emphasis. In the same light, the Hawks should draw Julius away from the boards leaving Noel or Taj isolated on the Off boards with Capela.

How I would counter is with picking up the pace and running Capela continuously to the point of exhaustion. Once he gets subbed for, we should be able to unleash Rose's short game and RJ's drives to the basket.

While the Hawks have good bench 3pt shooters, the Knicks are just as good if not slightly better, evident by the season long points diff against opponents.

What differentiates our bench from others is their 3pt efficiency but also that the defense on the 2nd unit is really good. I would have to say bench defense for the Hawks will be something to watch.

This will be interesting. It just depends on if Nate runs out a 'bench only unit'. I expect our starters to see an uptick in minutes from the regular season. Trae is leading in minutes at 33 per game. All others have been at 30 and below.

[jayu70]

I've been thinking about Bogi, Hunter, Collins, Huerter, Lou, & Gallo vs Barrett, Rose, Burks, Quickley & Bullock lately cause I feel pretty good about Julius vs Trae & Capela...as long as we don't get murdered on the boards.

So How confident are you in your secondary scorers? Do y'all feel good about how much Lou & Gallo have left in the tank, and that the inexperienced guys like Huerter & Hunter will handle the pressure well? You guys have two more guys than we do with mitch out, but that presupposes that all of those supporting pieces on both sides will deliver...which is never a lock with two teams this inexperienced, playing in their first postseason series.

Speaking of Hunter, any news about how he's doing? Cause he didn't look 100% in those final regular-season games and him being limited figures to make a big difference on your hopes of slowing Randle down.

Per Nate, Hunter had a great week of practice and will know if his minutes restriction will be lifted from the 25 monutes he played last game. His offense is still coming, but his defense has been back.

Secondary scorers: Bogi has been on a tear since Nate took over, hoping his Olympic and Int'l games makes up for lack of NBA playoff experience. Collins can hold his own, he's another lob threat for Trae, shoots 39% from 3 and if he has a smaller guy defending, Nate will post him - he has a stepback and he can turn and face for a jumper. Hunter's 3 ball isn't back but he was able to drive the ball and score. Lou runs hot and cold, Gallo is a bucket getter but they have playoff experience. Huerter is the wild card - he's been inconsistent from 3, but he's a plug n play guy who has played PG, SG, SF off the bench and starting.

Snell and Hill will be our vets that Nate trusts if the young wings falter or foul trouble.

Breakdown of past Playoff Minutes and games:

Hawks
Lou Williams - 1796 minutes, 71 games
Clint Capela - 1307 minutes, 61 games
Tony Snell - 533 minutes, 38 games
Danilo Gallinari - 783 minutes, 25 games
Solomon Hill - 355 minutes, 24 games
Total: 4774 minutes, 219 games

Knicks
Taj Gibson - 1443 minutes, 66 games
Derrick Rose - 1784 minutes, 46 games
Alec Burks - 278 minutes, 17 games
Nerlens Noel - 157 minutes, 12 games
Reggie Bullock - 27 minutes, 4 games
Norvel Pelle - 7 minutes, 1 game
Total: 3696 minutes, 146 games

Question Jayu. Does Capela's 50% free throw accuracy during his playoff career and subsequent benching during close 4th quarter games, concern you?

Yes.
Nate has been playing him in games where teams deploy the Hack-A-Pela before the 2 minute warning, he hasn't been extremely terrible.
If the game is close, he has done the offense/defense sub with both him and Trae. He has brought Gallo in for Capela and Solomon Hill for Trae. Or Collins slides to Center.
It's been a liitle hard to determine an established pattern since so many guys have been out for extended periods.

[newyorker4ever]

I see speculation as to which player might be the "X" factor for the Knicks.

The correct answer is EVERYONE, because the Knicks are lacking in talent enough that they need basically every player to play their A game to win most games, but especially ones where the other team is actually good.

It's going to take some luck for the Knicks to advance. Maybe it happens, maybe it doesn't. Doesn't change the fact the Knicks need to add two more players - another real PG and another legit scoring wing.

Sorry if I'm halfway looking ahead to next year.

I'll enjoy whatever run they might have in them but I'm under no illusions about this team. 6

Big 15

Sounds nice. Nice thing of Randle to say. Wake me up when they get a real 2nd option.

Nice team, good bench. Well coached - I like the FUTURE of the team, IF the FO does the right things with the cap space and extra picks. I'm not going to get too wound up over what they do here.

Team isn't all that good. It's fortunate they are playing another not that impressive team in the Hawks, in spite of the fact the Hawks capped themselves out for their squad and it's two fans are always on here chirping, god knows why.

Hey Buzz....wake up the Knicks have a 2nd option....



What they need is a 1st option.

[newyorker4ever]

Big 15

Sounds nice. Nice thing of Randle to say. Wake me up when they get a real 2nd option.

Nice team, good bench. Well coached - I like the FUTURE of the team, IF the FO does the right things with the cap space and extra picks. I'm not going to get too wound up over what they do here.

Team isn't all that good. It's fortunate they are playing another not that impressive team in the Hawks, in spite of the fact the Hawks capped themselves out for their squad and it's two fans are always on here chirping, god knows why.

If RJ plays against the hawks as well as he did in the regular season, we have a 2nd option...at least for this series.

3rd option....

[Clyde_Style]

Does anyone find the timing very awkward to see a wiretap saying the Hawks will likely retain McMillan as coach?

[8516knicks]

Does anyone find the timing very awkward to see a wiretap saying the Hawks will likely retain McMillan as coach?

Well, I wasn't expecting them to say he'd probably be fired if they won.

[Clyde_Style]

ESPN Predictions Round-Up

New York Knicks (4) vs. Atlanta Hawks (5)

Jerry Bembry: Knicks in 6

Nick DePaula: Knicks in 6

Nick Friedell: Knicks in 6

Kirk Goldsberry: Knicks in 6

Tim Legler: Knicks in 6

Zach Lowe: Hawks in 6

Tim MacMahon: Knicks in 6

Bobby Marks: Knicks in 7

Dave McMenamin: Knicks in 6

Monica McNutt: Knicks in 6

Kevin Pelton: Knicks in 7

Omar Raja: Knicks in 7

Jorge Sedano: Knicks in 7

Ramona Shelburne: Knicks in 5

André Snellings: Hawks in 6

Marc J. Spears: Knicks in 6

Royce Young: Hawks in 7

Ohm Youngmisuk: Knicks in 7

Bring me the head of Zach Lowe!

[TheGreenArrow]

Read on Twitter

Read on Twitter

Damn none of the other ny teams are with us!!!!

**** them then!!!!!!

All we got is is!!!!!

NEW YORKKKKKKK!!!!!!

WE HERE!!!!!!!!!

[omerome]

Read on Twitter

Read on Twitter

Damn none of the other ny teams are with us!!!!

**** them then!!!!!!

All we got is is!!!!!

NEW YORKKKKKKK!!!!!!

WE HERE!!!!!!!!!

I can understand the Liberty rooting for the Nuts because they play in the same building, but I can't explain the Mets. But yeah, fk em anyways.