Knicksfan wrote:In terms of this season, I’m conflicted.On one hand, I will join all of your high praises on the regular season. It’s been the best time I’ve had since Linsanity and the last playoff run. Probably more, so much so that it pushed me to make a trip to NY and be part of this special season by going to my first NBA and Knicks game in NY. It was special and represented the hardworking and overachieving nature of the city and the fans.
Now, I’ll be honest and say that I feel very sad about the ending, and not because we lost. I’m sad that the Knicks never looked like the hardworking, good adjusting, overachieving team that always found a way. We looked so overmatched, it just left me this hallow sense that we should’ve been a lottery team because we are way worse than we looked in the regular season.
In the end, I thank them for the good memories, but I realize we are farther from being a contending team than their good stretch made me think, and yes, a good stretch. We were a .500 team for half a season, but thanks to a solid ending our record looked as good as it did. We need big work. Half of this roster should be gone. Some key pieces need to be evaluated to see their true value. We aren’t as close as we thought, and have a hard work ahead to define who should we keep and who should go.
I would agree with all of your sentiments. Knicks did get exposed as a team and for individual players. But I also feel that when you don't have your starting C (and his hobbled mini mirror backup who ANCHORED the D for months) and your starting PG also disappeared for whatever reason, life is not as bad as we just saw.
Atlanta got healthy and hot at the right time, let's not under estimate what they are doing over there. Getting Gallo, Bogi, Hunter back at the right time with a coach who actually knows what he is doing was key for them. That team probably UNDERperformed until the end.
I thought that the Knicks were one of the easier teams to scout and scheme against - just play a semi zone and double Randle. Blitz ball handlers like Randle/RJ/IQ and make them give up ball, they are not good at that. Good teams did it during the season and instantly killed the Knicks. Think Spurs and Miami. I always wondered why more teams didn't employ this strategy but perhaps lack of practice with zones and where to double front was just outside their norms.
Knicks could not expose Trae as a defender - Atlanta could hide Trae on Bullock all day long - and the Knicks were not geared toward stopping Trae/Capella without Mitch/Noel AND the PG doing their thing with help that needed to be exact. Inserting Rose into starting lineup negated the Knicks defense.
Randle/RJ didn't do their thing on offense. Missed a lot of shots they hit during the season. Playoff pressure. Atlanta D. Zero PG help.
I didn't like the Rose move the starting position but Elf REALLY failed everyone. Felt like he had MSG crowd energy for a hot minute and that was it. Bring Rose in to help with the offensive struggles of RJ/Randle and your defense gets exposed. Maybe start Frank but realistically that's throwing stuff against a wall to see if it sticks.
For me, the radical move would have been to start Elf and Burks and see if Atlanta guarded Elf with Trae and then post Elf up. But that would be a severe departure from Knicks O and completely letting Atlanta dictate the series matchups.
Knicks proved to me that they could play defense for months at a time and that it was a priority. They just didn't have the juice for the playoffs.
I'm glass half full with cap space, picks, and FO that seems competent.
