newyorknewyork wrote:Nalod wrote:knicks1248 wrote:newyorknewyork wrote:knicks1248 wrote:GustavBahler wrote:newyorknewyork wrote:I've been thinking this for a little while. In terms of talent, this team is more talented than the 54 win team in 2012. They lack the experience of that team, but have more talent and more depth. Doesn't gurantee that they will come together like that team did though.
Agree with this take if you switched the word "talent" with "performance" because that better captures where the players on the 54 win team were at the time. That team had at least 3 future HOFers, and some others like KT, who used to be elite in certain aspects of their game. The talent level on that team was off the charts, but the strong performance out of the gate only lasted half a season, before the best players started literally retiring during the season.
Performancewise agree we look better and deeper. We have a lot of good young players, as opposed to some good old players. Definitely dont have the experience of the 54 win team, but availability is the best ability.
This team is not more talented, not even close. Not only that, that 54 team had a system, a floor leader, role players like JR 6th man, Felton, prigs, novak, and a player that lead the league in scoring.
I Think we are going to go as far as FIZ, Randle and DSJ take us.
Problem is that team never was healthy enough to be a complete team because they were old. So all the pieces they had contributed at different times during the season. On paper looks like we had all these pieces but again they hardly played together for the season. Only about like 6-7 players did. Sheed played 21 games to start the season while Kmart was added to the team toward the end of the season. Amare and Shumpert missed half the season.
This team would matchup well and have the advantage at SF with Morris. This team would beat them up in the paint with the rebounders it has.
the predictions that season was 42 to 45 wins, we were consider a talented old team that wouldn't hold up, and we didn't
But JR and melo, balled out that season, and NOVAK was an absolute sniper.
I'm probably am on a short list of fans that think this roster can win 42 games if fiz and his staff know what the hell they're doing as far as preparation, scouting and identifying roles and rotation.
If he comes out with that same mind set of waiting 5, 10, 15, 20 games in to figure it out, were toast and he should be fired.
The problem with young kids today is they dont put in the work to be great, they seem comfortable with being OK
Seems like your predicting 42 wins so you can call for the Fiz head to roll.
.500 gets you playoffs in the weak east.
As much as I hope your prediction comes true I really don't see this. It would be wonderful but I don't see the talent infusion to increase the win total by 25 games.
Our win total will probably come down to how well our Gs are able to shoot the basketball this year. If some combination of Smith, Frank, Barrett, Payton shoot at quality %s then they can win 40 games.
But 40(fg)-30(3)-60/70(ft) % lines are gonna lose games. Thinking about FT shooting may be an issue from our guards.
I'll never forget when allan houston said (when JVG coached the knicks) "we may not be the most talented team, but we will always be the most prepared team, Playing hard is a waste of time and energy if your not also playing smart .
That means they knew the opposing teams game plan like the back of their hand, which made us one of the top defensive teams in the NBA.
Fiz job is to raise the IQ of his players, that will substitutes for the lack of marquee talent.
We have a bunch of guys that will play hard, now it's up to the coaching staff to make them play smart, if that means benching the young guys because they rather play PS4/XBOX for 5 hrs, instead of 4 hrs in the gym or watching film, so be it.
A 25 game improvement sounds like a lot, but when you purposely throw about 30 games last season, and you add 9 veteran players (essentially an entire rotation of players)it's not that far fetch.
