Knixkik wrote:

Rookie wrote:

Knixkik wrote:

Rookie wrote:I would go all in and build a trade around IQ for Derozan and make Derozan our 6th man. The defense would take a hit but Derozan can get buckets and is also an excellent passer

There’s a pie in the sky idea. DeRozan is probably still a few years away from becoming a 6th man though. Indiana is said to be looking for a PF. Maybe Toppin for Duarte? Duarte has a rookie contract 1 year longer and we know how the front office and coaching staff feels about him. He’s not an elite scorer but he’s a young 2-way wing.

Pie in the sky? Chicago is notoriously cheap and it's starting to look like the players are giving up on their season. That can't be a good locker room right now with all of the losing. I think a lot depends on what happens with Ball. Can he come back healthy and they start winning? We could give them some expiring contracts like a Rose (feel good story) and Cam. That would save them 20M next season. Throw in a good young player like Obi or IQ and why wouldn't they start a reboot. By the trade deadline they will know if it's time to blow it up or not.

I’m with you. I’m saying it more from the perspective of expecting DeRozan to approve of and adjust to a 6th man role. Seems like it would be a tough transition for many reasons. He was an allstar last year.

I can’t disagree but I don’t think you’ll find anyone in this organization who doesn’t want to match up against Cleveland and Derozan gets us there. We could find a way to make it work. Knicks with Derozan could be a tough playoff team and Derozan is a finisher and we need that.

fishmike wrote:

GustavBahler wrote:

fishmike wrote:

GustavBahler wrote:

wargames wrote:

blkexec wrote:It’s like a balance beam or seesaw effect. Adding offense to the second unit means you have to sacrifice defense somewhere.

The reality is we will have a deficit somewhere regardless which direction we go. Add EF and defense suffers. Add deuce and offense suffers. The real question is which pain point can Thibs overcome.

We all thought if you give thibs offensive players, he can help them improve their defense. That hasn’t worked.

So thibs did the opposite. Removed the offensive roll players for defense roll players. Thibs knows how to win with defensively wired players and we needed that defense in the second unit to compliment the offensive big 3 we have.

I think we finally have a nice balance and maybe the answer is not externally but internal development. Helping deuce with his 3pt form. Help IQ change his mindset from a backup PG to a scoring 6th man. Convince RJ he can be a star like derozan without shooting 3s. Improve hart and get him more involved with his passing skills.

So many more developmental things we can do before messing with the chemistry thibs has cooked up.

The only issue with this is RJ and Randle are both playing near 40 minutes a game for this too work. It’s fun to be on a win streak doing it, but that isn’t sustainable for another 52 games and playoff serie(s). This team’s best players will be gassed again when it matters most. The Knicks need someone at the forward spot who can play significant minutes and get RJ/Randle down to the 32-35 minutes per night range.

I also don’t think Obi is that guy either. He is looking like an ancillary piece, not someone who can carry an offense or they can rely on to get buckets night in and out.

I disagree

This game from this year (last season) shows what Obi can do if he's the number one option. He was scoring from everywhere. His teamates were feeding the hot hand.

This season Obi is being parked in the corner, as a spot up shooter. I dont see anyone really making an effort to get him going this season. But he's expected to regularly drop buckets. Like I said, this isnt Steve Novak we're talking about. Someone you leave at the arc, and forget for the most part.

Not suggesting that Obi will regularly drop 40, if he gets more touches. Im confident he'll play well enough for there to be less talk about moving him.

trash time... those end of year games are fun but dont match real NBA intensity. IQ also finished with triple doubles and he's again painfully struggle to put the ball in the basket.

Obi hasnt really shown any of that this year beside hitting more 3s for a stretch. Would love to see it, but we have not SEEN it except in extended garbage time

Obi put up a lot of high difficulty shots in that game, as the number one option. Throwing the word "trash" out there isnt accurate. Not the only part of the season where he showed something. Only part of the season where they were running the offense mainly through him. Big reason why he finished strong last season.

IQ with a triple double wouldnt surprise me at all, at any time of the season. If he were used correctly. Quickley is a scorer first, not a PG. Some team will hopefully figure that out.

well that scorer is shooting like 37% from the field below 30% from 3.... seems like defense and distributing is exactly the correct use for him.

PG has to run the offense, and score. Im guessing that IQ not having to multi-task, mainly focusing on getting buckets, is the best use of his skills. His current slump aside.

Thibs has been trying to turn Quickley into a PG since day one. I dont see a floor general, I see a gunner who can also dish.

Believe it would be a big mistake to trade Quick, before a stretch at SG. Still bellieve Grimes is the one who should be backup PG. Doubt it will happen while Thibs is coach though.

Knixkik wrote:

Rookie wrote:

Knixkik wrote:

Rookie wrote:

Knixkik wrote:

Rookie wrote:I would go all in and build a trade around IQ for Derozan and make Derozan our 6th man. The defense would take a hit but Derozan can get buckets and is also an excellent passer

There’s a pie in the sky idea. DeRozan is probably still a few years away from becoming a 6th man though. Indiana is said to be looking for a PF. Maybe Toppin for Duarte? Duarte has a rookie contract 1 year longer and we know how the front office and coaching staff feels about him. He’s not an elite scorer but he’s a young 2-way wing.

Pie in the sky? Chicago is notoriously cheap and it's starting to look like the players are giving up on their season. That can't be a good locker room right now with all of the losing. I think a lot depends on what happens with Ball. Can he come back healthy and they start winning? We could give them some expiring contracts like a Rose (feel good story) and Cam. That would save them 20M next season. Throw in a good young player like Obi or IQ and why wouldn't they start a reboot. By the trade deadline they will know if it's time to blow it up or not.

I’m with you. I’m saying it more from the perspective of expecting DeRozan to approve of and adjust to a 6th man role. Seems like it would be a tough transition for many reasons. He was an allstar last year.

I can’t disagree but I don’t think you’ll find anyone in this organization who doesn’t want to match up against Cleveland and Derozan gets us there. We could find a way to make it work. Knicks with Derozan could be a tough playoff team and Derozan is a finisher and we need that.

In a vacuum yes he would be a huge help.

What kind of vacuum? Its important.

Rookie wrote:

GustavBahler wrote:

Knixkik wrote:

Rookie wrote:

Knixkik wrote:

Rookie wrote:

Knixkik wrote:

Rookie wrote:I would go all in and build a trade around IQ for Derozan and make Derozan our 6th man. The defense would take a hit but Derozan can get buckets and is also an excellent passer

There’s a pie in the sky idea. DeRozan is probably still a few years away from becoming a 6th man though. Indiana is said to be looking for a PF. Maybe Toppin for Duarte? Duarte has a rookie contract 1 year longer and we know how the front office and coaching staff feels about him. He’s not an elite scorer but he’s a young 2-way wing.

Pie in the sky? Chicago is notoriously cheap and it's starting to look like the players are giving up on their season. That can't be a good locker room right now with all of the losing. I think a lot depends on what happens with Ball. Can he come back healthy and they start winning? We could give them some expiring contracts like a Rose (feel good story) and Cam. That would save them 20M next season. Throw in a good young player like Obi or IQ and why wouldn't they start a reboot. By the trade deadline they will know if it's time to blow it up or not.

I’m with you. I’m saying it more from the perspective of expecting DeRozan to approve of and adjust to a 6th man role. Seems like it would be a tough transition for many reasons. He was an allstar last year.

I can’t disagree but I don’t think you’ll find anyone in this organization who doesn’t want to match up against Cleveland and Derozan gets us there. We could find a way to make it work. Knicks with Derozan could be a tough playoff team and Derozan is a finisher and we need that.

In a vacuum yes he would be a huge help.

What kind of vacuum? Its important.

The Stamoulis 3000?

Must be a regional brand

martin wrote:

Rookie wrote:

gradyandrew wrote:I think when Thibs shortened the rotation, he made it so at least one of Randle JB or RJ is always on the court. Since that seems to be the key factor in our success over this stretch (our big 3 all getting stretches at initiating the offense) I don't think anything needs to change.

How many times do we have to see RJ start playing like a crack head in this role before we are like 'if we have playoff aspirations we need to fix this'? Small sample size of RJ with the 2nd unit so far but I'm already like 'nah'

I think it goes for the whole team: as long as it takes.

The Knicks are in dev mode and we will see these guys fail over and over and over again. As long as there is some progress is some aspects of what they are trying to do, you keep doing it.

RJ's December numbers have been rock solid- 21 PPG on 55% TS and strong D 103 DRtg. As Technomaster showed minute wise, it's also sustainable.

As far as injuries to any of the big 3 go, the best solution would be to increase IQ's time to 30+ per game and a starting role while then counting on Rose Fournier or Cam to play with the second unit.

gradyandrew wrote:

martin wrote:

Rookie wrote:

gradyandrew wrote:I think when Thibs shortened the rotation, he made it so at least one of Randle JB or RJ is always on the court. Since that seems to be the key factor in our success over this stretch (our big 3 all getting stretches at initiating the offense) I don't think anything needs to change.

How many times do we have to see RJ start playing like a crack head in this role before we are like 'if we have playoff aspirations we need to fix this'? Small sample size of RJ with the 2nd unit so far but I'm already like 'nah'

I think it goes for the whole team: as long as it takes.

The Knicks are in dev mode and we will see these guys fail over and over and over again. As long as there is some progress is some aspects of what they are trying to do, you keep doing it.

RJ's December numbers have been rock solid- 21 PPG on 55% TS and strong D 103 DRtg. As Technomaster showed minute wise, it's also sustainable.

As far as injuries to any of the big 3 go, the best solution would be to increase IQ's time to 30+ per game and a starting role while then counting on Rose Fournier or Cam to play with the second unit.

With a nine man rotation, and Obi on the shelf, RJ gets to operate in that second unit as the main guy. Like him or not, being the main guy is a roll RJ will thrive in. He’s also more of a playmaker in that roll.

And I agree with Martin. When your in hybrid development phase (develop while being competitive) some players will be up and down. But if we are seeing progress as a team or as a player, then wait and see what comes out.

It’s hard to make a trade and not mess up the chemistry we have. Look how hard it was to find the right recipe with the current roster. I think it’s too early for any major trades. I can see the FO flipping unused players for picks.

Keep building team chemistry, add more pick assets, develop the yoots and make the playoffs.

Now is not the time to get cute. That was done when thibs sat his grandson. Drink your tea and relax.

BigDaddyG wrote:

cooch2584 wrote:CRUISIFY ME!!! BRING BACK MELO!! Onna vet min or max contract, what do we have to lose??

The better question is what do we have to gain?

Some Honey Nut Cheerios