DLeethal wrote:Worst thing would be a horrible injury here that impacts next season or a career. Don’t be reckless. We can still sweep Indy without OG Imo.

OG carried us in game 2. Precious will have a lot of work to do defensively and won’t be able to contribute offensively. Plus now we need Sims and or Burks. This might go to 7 games. I hope he can get well soon.

DLeethal wrote:Worst thing would be a horrible injury here that impacts next season or a career. Don’t be reckless. We can still sweep Indy without OG Imo.

Tipping point. We do need another body as we can't really go with 6. Next man up and we win this in 6 perhaps? Its been a grind, now it gets harder.

Breaking point, I can see a scenario where knicks lose next 4 games and are done. Jalen is banged up and that might not improve.
Mitch is done. OG likely out for two games and what does he come back looking like?

The bench that Thibs does not utilize will now be called to step up. That will be cool as all get out if that occurs. You guys get to boast I was not a "believer", and I won't care because Im enjoying the winning.
I can live with the Becky Hammons and Barkleys. Given the parity of the season I did not see us as favorites so it won't destroy me if we don't make it to the ECF's. Im really having fun. Up 2-0 is excellent. If injuries were our breaking point and we wore down our guys can walk tall.
This team has a very nice future even if we run it back as is.

OG, I hope that leg is good to go sooner than later.

DLeethal wrote:Knicks played without Randle, OG, Mitch for a huge chunk of the season. This isn’t anything new. They didn’t fall off a Cliff and still played above .500 ball. They can still beat this Indiana team 1 out of 2 in Indy. Deuce probably gets going and drops 20 tonight and Precious actually defends Siakam better than OG.

c'mon now.... let's be realistic

Just stay focused and find a way to get one in Indy. If its tonight its demoralizing to Indy and it tips the odds.

Moonangie wrote:These are the times when new stars emerge. Backup players get to take their shot. Duece-anity times fellas! Simsanity time! It's gonna be Precious! That's what "next player up" is all about. Let's see what you got, young man. Can you handle the pressure?

We need one win in Indy. Just one.

Did you say it’s time for a Shake-up?

jaydh wrote:

DLeethal wrote:Knicks played without Randle, OG, Mitch for a huge chunk of the season. This isn’t anything new. They didn’t fall off a Cliff and still played above .500 ball. They can still beat this Indiana team 1 out of 2 in Indy. Deuce probably gets going and drops 20 tonight and Precious actually defends Siakam better than OG.

c'mon now.... let's be realistic

I am ... Precious has defended Siakam brilliantly this season. OG does a heck of a job as well, but Siakam has bullied him a bit in the post. He's been useless against Precious in their matchup mins.

nycericanguy wrote:yea OG has been great on help defense and rotating off switches, but his 1 on 1 defense vs Siakam this series has been surprisingly... average? Siakam seems to be a tough matchup for him. Siakam cooked him in 1 on 1 situations in G1 and he was getting position on him very deep in the paint rather easily.

Yea OG will contain him well and keep him from going off, and Precious IMO will do the same. The issue becomes in the mins where Precious is playing C and Hart is guarding Siakam.

DLeethal wrote:

jaydh wrote:

DLeethal wrote:Knicks played without Randle, OG, Mitch for a huge chunk of the season. This isn’t anything new. They didn’t fall off a Cliff and still played above .500 ball. They can still beat this Indiana team 1 out of 2 in Indy. Deuce probably gets going and drops 20 tonight and Precious actually defends Siakam better than OG.

c'mon now.... let's be realistic

I am ... Precious has defended Siakam brilliantly this season. OG does a heck of a job as well, but Siakam has bullied him a bit in the post. He's been useless against Precious in their matchup mins.

Don’t want to jinx anything particularly with Indy going back home to a raucous home crowd but I tend to agree with Leethal in terms of Precious is REALLY GOOD defensively. I have high hopes for him.

Biggest? Now outside of Will Jalen be healthy is does Thibs go small (Deuce) or big (Precious).

Offensive rebounding is so big to us and Josh is not great defensively (guarding Siakim) so I tend to think Thibs goes BIG but late in the season he was going with Deuce (he may also think starting Deuce could unlock him offensively).

Interesting game - don’t think we win a high scoring game in Indy — think we have to take 20 points off their total to have a shot.

LivingLegend wrote:

nycericanguy wrote:yea OG has been great on help defense and rotating off switches, but his 1 on 1 defense vs Siakam this series has been surprisingly... average? Siakam seems to be a tough matchup for him. Siakam cooked him in 1 on 1 situations in G1 and he was getting position on him very deep in the paint rather easily.

Siakim got 10 points when guarded by OG (5 buckets) and he shot 6-18 (14 points for game). Zero free throws when guarded by OG so that’s better than average defense to me from OG.

That sort of implies only one bucket on Precious - and he made a really, really tough Turnaround as I recall. Do you have his numbers against Precious?

Hack a Siakam has to be considered if he really is having a great game. Siakam has looked like Mitch on FT.