Kessler is more valuable than just Deuce.
Herb Jones makes Mitch money so its an easy mention but whose minutes is he eating? Who goes?
What yoot is due to make a move to the rotation? How do we maximize salary with them?
Stay with Mitch another year and likely let him walk or trade him this off season for picks or a project?
Can Huk stay healthy?

Kat is morphing into Embiid. Similar style plays but not as dirty. Joel is a better defender. Big 7 footers that can get to the rim. Rare commodity. He gets mauled and he mauls "silly". Can we get him to improve defensively. Not saying he has to be great, just better? His body is taking a beating. Is this sustainable?

Bridges has a few great clutch games. Defensive stops that ended games. He was bad last night. Again time to panic?
Josh! I love Josh. He works hard on his jumper and has streaks but we need a 2 guard that can shoot. When he is on we win. We destroy teams. When not he takes it to the rim and he kicks it out which is not awful, but we eating too much time.

Too many questions to be addressed before team is to make tweaks. They will but its also about opportunity to who is available if trade is on the table.

I have no qualms that there is a chemistry issue to derive the max from this teams potential but even discussing moves based on the emotionality of losing a game the night before out of frustration even for a fan is not good thought process if anyone is to be taken seriously.
At least look at the money when doing so and who will get paid. Kessler will get a raise soon. Can we afford it? What does Utah really want for him?

Haliburton is obnoxious but he freaking was incredible leading his team. Credit the pacers. They getting it done.

GustavBahler wrote:No Mitch, no ECF. No way we would have made it without him. I would keep Mitch on the bench next season.

What is Bridges trade value? IDK, but I don’t want to watch another season of Bridges taking the longest route to the rim to avoid contact, or fall back jumpers.

I’m also worried about KAT and Brunson’s D collectively. The team can get away with one liability on D, not two. I seriously doubt we trade KAT. So whoever is coach next season is going to have to figure out a way to make it work. I don’t believe starting Mitch is the answer. Just like Gobert wasn’t the answer next to KAT in Minny.

Maybe trade Bridges, move Hart to the bench and find a better fit in the starting lineup who can defend bigs.

Agree with most

At the end of the day, we are playing 7 vs 10.
Our starters have played 33% more minutes in playoffs something like over 3k to Pacers 2300.
Add the fact that the 10 the Pacers have can all hit a three consistently and we have Hart and MR that can’t shoot. We are not there roster wise.
Run it again and add some bench help and a replacement for Hart in SL. Which would help bench.
We have some young guys so maybe they take a Deuce type of step forward?

HofstraBBall wrote:

GustavBahler wrote:No Mitch, no ECF. No way we would have made it without him. I would keep Mitch on the bench next season.

What is Bridges trade value? IDK, but I don’t want to watch another season of Bridges taking the longest route to the rim to avoid contact, or fall back jumpers.

I’m also worried about KAT and Brunson’s D collectively. The team can get away with one liability on D, not two. I seriously doubt we trade KAT. So whoever is coach next season is going to have to figure out a way to make it work. I don’t believe starting Mitch is the answer. Just like Gobert wasn’t the answer next to KAT in Minny.

Maybe trade Bridges, move Hart to the bench and find a better fit in the starting lineup who can defend bigs.

Agree with most

At the end of the day, we are playing 7 vs 10.
Our starters have played 33% more minutes in playoffs something like over 3k to Pacers 2300.
Add the fact that the 10 the Pacers have can all hit a three consistently and we have Hart and MR that can’t shoot. We are not there roster wise.
Run it again and add some bench help and a replacement for Hart in SL. Which would help bench.
We have some young guys so maybe they take a Deuce type of step forward?

I agree…. Not everyone is built like Dennis Rodman, he would hit the bike for an hour after each game. There is a reason for decades players play the number of minutes they play otherwise we would just play 5 players for 48 minutes straight and o my sub out for foul troubles.

Let me ask you guys a question, if we trade coaches and PG’s in this series who wins the series?
I think we sweep. I’m not taking anything from Brunson and I still think Brunson is better than Haliburton. But Brunson does not get his teammates in the game. Thibs gives Brunson too much leeway.

With that being said I just think Thibs needs to go and Brunson needs to cut get his teammates in the game and less iso with everybody not named Kat or Brunson. I don’t think we need to make any major roster changes.

DLeethal wrote:Trade KAT for Durant. Trade Deuce for Walker Kessler.

Brunson - Mikal - OG - Durant - Kessler
Kolek - Wright - Hart - Mitch

Dadiet - Hukporti

Durant actually fills a ton of holes on this team and we become one of the best defensive teams in the league.

We get a deep shooter we desperately need who can get shots off against any defense. A guy who can play good team defense. Will also rebound and secondary playmake and hit the momentum shots that no one else on this team makes besides Brunson.

If the idea is to move Kat, this is probably the swing the fences move to make in terms of value. The playbook is out on how to guard Kat. Most if not all teams will guard Kat with a wing and play their 5 on Josh if we don't m=move him to the bench next year.

Durant gives us a 1 or 1A comppliment to Brunson on the offensive end. While Durant no longer defends like he did when he was on the Warriors, he is still a much better defender than Kat or Hart. A much as I like Kat, he can be game planned for and his best attributes can be neutralized by a strong wing defender. Even at 36, Durant average 27 on 52% from the field and 43 from 3. The risk of this trade however is health. Durant only played 62 games last year.

Off-season moves? Hire a sculptor to make sculptures for outside MSG in honor of our immense comeback culminating in game 7 win at garden.

Our victory will be sweeter their pain deeper.

Bridges best stretch of games was probably when Brunson was out with an injury and Deuce and then Wright took over the point of attack defensive duties. Bridges seemed more comfortable and effective when he was defending off the ball, getting into the passing lanes, and disrupting the other teams offense. We need a wing or a big guard that can take guard the point of attack and that can make the opposing team pay for daring to put a 5 on him.

nycericanguy wrote:

Knicksfan wrote:

nycericanguy wrote:we dont need any desperation moves, we beat BOS which is what we were built to do, and BOS will only be weaker going forward. We are right there with IND, if only for that game 1.

I think just signing a guy like Hortford, along with more chemistry and growth from guys like Huk would go a long way.

We are definitely not there with IND and Game 1 wasn’t an aberration, but a confirmation of a huge issue this team has had all year long.

This team does need a defensive starting center, but not Horford. I wish we could’ve undone the Mikal trade, because those picks could’ve given us a real difference maker at C like Kessler.

Going into last nights game there was a 2 point difference, yes we are right there and this series should easily be 2-2.

Yes it sucks right now, but you cant be irrational and emotional. We didn't close out game 1, but IND also hit a ton of lucky shots to win that game. Nesmith literally went 6-6 from 3 in about 3 minutes, that NEVER Happens, Hali got an incredibly lucky bounce at the end also.

it happened and its a loss, but lets not act like IND is blowing us out of the water either.

last night we lost because of TO's, its not like IND just dominated on sheer talent. We made alot of unforced TO's and it cost us.