Knixkik wrote:BlueKnickers wrote:Knixkik wrote:BlueKnickers wrote:Knixkik wrote:Swishfm3 wrote:SergioNYK wrote:Unless you tell me we are getting an equal or better player than Brunson this summer, there is nothing to look forward to next season and beyond.
Brunson, and his dad, straight up for Giannis sounds good.
Move everyone to natural positions (OG at SF and Bridges to SG) and sign either Colby White or Sexton to run PG. Keep Kolek as back up
If you want to single handedly destroy the culture that was built here over the last 4 years, that’s the right move. Giannis as the main guy; how many playoff series has he won in the last few years? Now if you’re adding Giannis as a 1B, it makes total sense.
You actually think maintaining the status quo is the answer.
And what glorious culture are you speaking of?
The culture where the starting unit lacks chemistry and consistency?
The culture run by a pampered star with his daddy calling the shots?
You mean that culture?
Yeah, you heard me correctly. Brunson is pampered. He does whatever he wants on the court without giving a flying donut hole how it impacts his teammates.
Brunson is catered to by this organization and the coaches have little influence over how he plays.
Daddy makes sure it stays that way.
That's called pampering.
Knicks went from joke of a franchise to single handedly being the most steady, consistently good team in the league. Now players want to play here, Giannis tried to negotiate a trade exclusively to the Knicks. All of this happened with the arrival of Brunson. I know you’re new here so maybe you don’t remember the Knicks prior to Brunson. Or are too young. Cool either way. But for 20 years things were mostly bad until Brunson arrived. Few players individually turn a franchise around. He’s one of them. Status quo isn’t the answer but blowing it up is knicks purgatory all over again. Trust me it’s not fun.
You can take the culture factors a step further too. Brunson is the reason the Knicks were able to recruit the best medical staff in the league to join the franchise. Brunson is the reason the Knicks are below the second apron right now. I could go on. I am not saying he’s perfect. He’s got tunnel vision and maybe contributed to an imperfect roster around him. But you take the good with the bad. And I keep hearing about his dad. No one give a f—k about his dad lol. His dad being on the coaching staff is an irrelevant. Even the media never mentions his dad because who cares? He’s not bothering anyone. But this summer, win or lose, the focus should be simply adding more shot making/ play making alongside Brunson and of course addressing the coaching situation if Brown doesn’t correct this.
Refactoring your line-up when you have lots of talent to trade is not blowing it up. It is changing the mix. They don't need to tank, they need a different starting unit.
You don't give a f-ck about Rick Brunson, but you speak for yourself alone. You probably have never been in a high-powered work environment where the bosses progeny get special treatment, because if you had that experience you sure as hell would not be so glib as to say nepotism does not affect Brunson's teammate.
So maybe next time don't try to upstage someone by saying they are too young to know better. If anything your takes are very conventional Knicks fan sentiments almost verbatim. You resist cutting analysis because you want to hold on to some hallmark sentiment about gratitude like you have PTSD from two decades of mismanagement so you don't want to rock the boat.
The team is clearly dysfunctional. Stop taking criticism of Brunson so personally. The team is not going to contend this year, but if they reset with some changes they could be right back in the mix next year. Look at what mere mortal CJ did for the Hawks when they acquired him. Chemistry and execution is what matters in the playoffs, I think you would agree with me on that. And we don't have either. The changes that will be needed to be made are too late to make for this playoff run. It will have to happen in the off-season and players are going to be moved. You know this is happening already. Not sure why criticism of players bother you so much, it is the nature of the beast.
I won’t comment on the personal work stuff too much and didn’t mean to sound like I am trying to upstage you. I will say that since Rick Brunson has been on every one of Thibs’ coaching staffs he’s had, been a longtime assistant and is a former nba player, I think you’re overextending on that part. The media has never said a peep about issues with Brunson and nepotism, so it’s unfair to assume there’s any issue there. Still, we agree things need to be done to address the flaws, I just think the player who changed the entire franchise from joke into contender isn’t a top problem. To me that’s not taking it personal, it’s just practical. But this is what they went through with Ewing. Knicks fans hate their star players at a certain point after not winning a title. Just the nature of the beast. There’s major problems with this team but let’s see how the playoffs go. I think the biggest issue right now is coaching and playmaking outside of Brunson. Not Brunson and his dad.
So, here we may be in agreement:
If it is not Brunson, then it is coaching. This is to say Brunson needs to harmonize his game with his teammates and if he can't do it by his own volition then that requires a coach with the vision and the juice to get Brunson and everyone else on the same page.
So, what if it is Brunson's limitations that are a core issue? Are you prepared to consider this or not? Because there are many reasons Brunson may not be a player you want to run your offense through.
Basic reasons you don't build a team around Brunson:
1. Short PG in a league full of big PGs - Two liabilities from this - Defense and ability to see the floor as the playmaker which limits his passing options.
2. One-way player - Franchise players are usually two-way players. There are some exceptions like Jokic, but those instances come with other benefits which leads to # 3,
3. Does not make his teammates better - Brunson has gravity, but he is sub-par in leveraging it to the benefit of his teammates. He does not level up his teammates who more often than not stand around watching Brunson ISO or wait for their turn to ISO. Many of Brunson's teammates shot attempts come late in the clock when Brunson has failed to get off a shot and has to get rid of the ball before the shot expires.
4. Hero Ball - You live by the sword, you die by the sword. When your teammates almost never take the last shot, then you better be the best hot dog in the world. Up to now Brunson has been very clutch, but his decision making is faltering and the cracks of this approach are always exposed in the playoffs. It takes a village and Brunson acts like he doesn't need them.
5. Strategy - Since most PGs are the primary ballhandler, they are the proxy for the coach and by extension are the one who orchestrates strategy on the floor. When the season started, Brunson was complying with Brown's speeded up offense and it was working. Brunson ditched that approach and has gone back to primarily ISO ball the majority of this season. It is neither strategic nor will it be effective in the playoffs. Good coaches figure you out, which leads to point # 6
6. Game Planning - Brunson is becoming easier and easier for the opposition to game plan. The more myopic Brunson becomes the more teams pressure him early in the clock and Brunson's response is becoming less coherent over time. Brunson's ego is getting in the way and he is forcing his ISO against stiffer defenses and double teams. You see the results and they are not pretty.
7. Leadership - This starting unit is not harmonious. The chemistry is poor. Whether the starters like each other personally or not, the respect for each other to play their respective roles well and in a unified fashion is a product of both the players themselves and whomever their leader is. Brunson is not demonstrating the leadership skills necessary and his style of play is alienating his teammates.
In the future, I suggest you don't dismiss what people are saying because you don't like what you are hearing.
The best response is make your own list about why Brunson is a franchise player and how we can build a contender around him. That would actually be constructive.
And TBH I have not seen anyone here do it yet.
Why? Well perhaps because the cons outweigh the pros at this point, because being a great scorer may not be enough to justify constructing a whole team around one player. And until KAT becomes the # 1 offensive option, this issue will remain with the current lineup.
The NBA has a history of great scorers whose team's offense ran through someone else or even multiple players on the floor depending on the offensive scheme. But the ISO heavy offense is rarely the one that wins championships. And when your PG is the scorer and the one pounding the ball, they better be exceptional in some of the other categories above or they become a black hole on offense. Without compensatory abilities on defense you may be dealing with an unsolvable situation.
In conclusion, I say you cannot build a team around Brunson with the possible exception he is controlled by a more alpha player or a very alpha coach.
