martin wrote:

So you're saying that Deuce scores as much as male virgin stuck in a room full of lesbians. Wonder how he was ever able to help conceive a kid finishing that poorly near the hole

Nalod wrote:Yeah, I see the point but if iHart had the onions and confidence he'd have wanted a player option and he'd have opted out.
The Birdrights would have been great, I agree.
Given his history prior to knicks, I don't think anyone really saw this coming. The New CBA also limited things.
towns and iHart would have been incredible. Perhaps if Mitch was not injured he could have been traded. Not sure that really would have made a difference but he was, iHart bolted and in the context of the moment Randle was not a factor in last yaers playoffs and enabled us to get an allstar/likely all NBA 2nd leading rebounding that we did. It was a really good tilt.

All the accolades for that move enhanced fans expectations. Knicks not finishing top two also diminished our dreams as did winning just 1 more game than last year. Losing a "Gift" that was iHart and yet we really did not fall back maybe should be applauded as a FO that is on it?
Instead there is a sect of miserable fans calling for Thibs head all mad already should Knicks falter.
Its a reasonable response but lets see what happens and how.

Like you said previously, he was making $2M with the Clips and had been cut or traded many times previously.

And Leon gets paid the big bucks to actually safeguard against this IMHO. If iHart wanted a PO 3rd year, maybe you give him an extra couple million across the first 2 years - which is nothing - to get that 3rd year team option. Got to play the odds and bet on the team and development. They liked him enough to give him a 2 year deal.

martin wrote:

Panos wrote:It may be weird to say this about your $50M all NBA center, but I think Towns is the X factor in these coming playoffs.
If the Knicks are to advance, he needs to be the player he was in the first 20 games of the season: Taking a good amount of 3's and hitting at a high rate, *controlled* drives to the basket without offensive fouls, good passes to teammates, and maybe block a shot every game. I feel Brunson will be Brunson, and he'll bring it. We need Towns to do the same. After that Bridges/OG need to be more present than invisible, but I think the biggest key to wins is Towns. Fingers crossed.

I think this is spot on. It's like a waterfall effect for the team. If KAT is grooving, it'll make everyone else's life much easier.

Brought it tonight!
Game 1:
23 pts on 70% shooting, 11 RB, 5 AST, 4 STL, 2 BLKS, only 3 fouls - FILLED the stat sheet!
Keep it up, Big KAT!

Philc1 wrote:

Panos wrote:

martin wrote:

Panos wrote:It may be weird to say this about your $50M all NBA center, but I think Towns is the X factor in these coming playoffs.
If the Knicks are to advance, he needs to be the player he was in the first 20 games of the season: Taking a good amount of 3's and hitting at a high rate, *controlled* drives to the basket without offensive fouls, good passes to teammates, and maybe block a shot every game. I feel Brunson will be Brunson, and he'll bring it. We need Towns to do the same. After that Bridges/OG need to be more present than invisible, but I think the biggest key to wins is Towns. Fingers crossed.

I think this is spot on. It's like a waterfall effect for the team. If KAT is grooving, it'll make everyone else's life much easier.

Brought it tonight!
Game 1:
23 pts on 70% shooting, 11 RB, 5 AST, 4 STL, 2 BLKS, only 3 fouls - FILLED the stat sheet!
Keep it up, Big KAT!

It’s almost like we don’t miss Hartenstein.

Completely true!!!

If the playoffs were one round.

Nalod wrote:Or one game.

Deeper!

SergioNYK wrote:https://www.instagram.com/reel/DJE2882xoZ_/?igsh=MXZjNTN3cjQzYmE3bA==

Ha too funny

martin wrote:

blkexec wrote:Dude is making 60 mil. If he can’t be the second leading scorer we need to trade him. Hes a liability on defense already. Can’t be passive on offense too. That’s one think you didn’t say about Randles offense. He wasn’t passive.

Yes to all of this. If I'm Leon, I'd want to know that KAT is going to be an ace on offense and figure out how to be a dominant force. That's what he was traded for and his specialty.

If he can't step up, Knicks path forward changes dramatically.

KAT turns 30 this year. I don't think his game is going to change on either side of the ball.

Maybe better chemistry or coaching helps.

martin wrote:

ToddTT wrote:

martin wrote:

blkexec wrote:Dude is making 60 mil. If he can’t be the second leading scorer we need to trade him. Hes a liability on defense already. Can’t be passive on offense too. That’s one think you didn’t say about Randles offense. He wasn’t passive.

Yes to all of this. If I'm Leon, I'd want to know that KAT is going to be an ace on offense and figure out how to be a dominant force. That's what he was traded for and his specialty.

If he can't step up, Knicks path forward changes dramatically.

KAT turns 30 this year. I don't think his game is going to change on either side of the ball.

Maybe better chemistry or coaching helps.

KAT hasn’t been in the playoffs much, kinda sorta in the same space as Randle or Dirk a long time ago.

They need to figure out how to be impactful within their skill set IMHO

Gotta dig deep, just like Jalen has.

I hear what you are trying to say about Kat in the playoffs but I'm not following your player comparisons....

Dirk was very good right out the gate in the playoffs....He averaged 23 & 8 his first year in the playoffs. Then, 28 & 11 and 25 & 10 the followig 2 years. His scoring average increased in the playoffs from the regular season...We all watched Randle struggle in the playoffs in his 2 years with the Knicks. He numbers we way down from what he did in the regular season. The opposite was true for Dirk.

Also, Brunsons 2nd year in the playoffs was with the Mavs and he averaged 28 pts per vs the Jazz in the first round and 22 for the entire playoffs...Is was that playoff performance that lead to the contract he got from us. And we're all witnessing what he has done in the playoffs with us since he got here....

Panos wrote:

blkexec wrote:Dude is making 60 mil. If he can’t be the second leading scorer we need to trade him. Hes a liability on defense already. Can’t be passive on offense too. That’s one think you didn’t say about Randles offense. He wasn’t passive.

I'm really in this camp. He's not worth his contract. Sorry.