Panos wrote:

VDesai wrote:While Bridges is playing like crap, would you insert McBride into the SL over him?

I'm still thinking, as I thought from the beginning that Hart + Bridges + OG is not the desired 2-3-4 players. At the time, though I thought it would be Hart to the bench for Precious. Even though I thought Bridges was an overpay (something which Martin made sure to call me "insane" for thinking), I didn't expect him to come off the bench. Now I don't know WHO should be starting. If Precious over Bridges, we have no real 2 guard in the line up. At this point, I would 100% trade Mikal for DVD and hope he could round back into the shape he was in with us last year - only I don't think we're allowed to.
JB
DDV
Hart
OG
KAT

I still don't think Hart + Bridges + OG is the desired starting 2-3-4. We could use a sniper in there. And we're not getting the defense out of this trio that we expected so why stick with it? We have so many options:
Improve defense (twin towers): Huk - Towns - OG - Mikal - JB (Need some shot blocking, Huk SMASH!)
Improve defense (traditional): Towns - Precious - OG - Hart - JB (get some beef up front, move OG back to SF)
Improve shooting: Towns - OG - Hart - Deuce - JB (replace Mikal's shooting with Deuce)
Relieve JB pressure: Towns - Hart - Mikal - JB - Kolek (four ball handlers, if Mikal steps up)

Panos wrote:

Panos wrote:

VDesai wrote:While Bridges is playing like crap, would you insert McBride into the SL over him?

I'm still thinking, as I thought from the beginning that Hart + Bridges + OG is not the desired 2-3-4 players. At the time, though I thought it would be Hart to the bench for Precious. Even though I thought Bridges was an overpay (something which Martin made sure to call me "insane" for thinking), I didn't expect him to come off the bench. Now I don't know WHO should be starting. If Precious over Bridges, we have no real 2 guard in the line up. At this point, I would 100% trade Mikal for DVD and hope he could round back into the shape he was in with us last year - only I don't think we're allowed to.
JB
DDV
Hart
OG
KAT

I still don't think Hart + Bridges + OG is the desired starting 2-3-4. We could use a sniper in there. And we're not getting the defense out of this trio that we expected so why stick with it? We have so many options:
Improve defense (twin towers): Huk - Towns - OG - Mikal - JB (Need some shot blocking, Huk SMASH!)
Improve defense (traditional): Towns - Precious - OG - Hart - JB (get some beef up front, move OG back to SF)
Improve shooting: Towns - OG - Hart - Deuce - JB (replace Mikal's shooting with Deuce)
Relieve JB pressure: Towns - Hart - Mikal - JB - Kolek (four ball handlers, if Mikal steps up)

You should know by now, Thibs doesn’t care about options. He settles on a lineup and uses his in game rotations to shake things up.

blkexec wrote:

VDesai wrote:I didn't know that he was so erratic. We are f'd till he busts out of this slump.

Mikal is better when he’s the focal point. He can do more than just catch and shoot. But on this team that’s his role. And he has to perfect that. Otherwise Thibs needs to bench him or reduce his mins.

Bridges has had plenty of games this year where he showed more than just catch and shoot...He is leathal from the mid-range and was one of the reasons he dropped 41 on the Spurs. Catch and shoot should not be his role and the last few games he has gone away from it...We need to get Bridges going early and get him looks, whether its cutting and or som mid-range looks...

VDesai wrote:I didn't know that he was so erratic. We are f'd till he busts out of this slump.

Seems like it will be like this with him unless something in the gameplan changes.

He is as much of an enigma as the rest of the team.

I don't understand how it could start so bad, get so good for a period, and then get so bad again. Everyone has ups and downs, but this is totally extended feast and famine and this is not a player who had that reputation coming in.

Panos wrote:

Knicksfan wrote:

VDesai wrote:I didn't know that he was so erratic. We are f'd till he busts out of this slump.

Seems like it will be like this with him unless something in the gameplan changes.

He is as much of an enigma as the rest of the team.

JB is not an enigma - he's a bad-ass, tough player that plays his ass off every night in spite of getting the crap beat out of him. Occassionally, has an off night. Sure, he could run more plays/set up teammates a bit more. Esp with other teams double teamming him. Gets better all the time. If he were 6'6' he'd be a serious MVP candidate. We know what he is, Not an Enigma.
Towns is not an enigma - he's an inside/outside terrific scorer, rebounds at a high rate, that struggles a little with defending the rim, and with offensive fouls. He is better than I thought before he got here, I admit. He's not a *****. Complains a bit too much. Not an enigma either.
OG is a terrific defender, can score when set up. Can't create for himself, bad handle. Not enigmatic.
Hart what can't be said about this guy? Shit, I'd take 3 of him. He's a freakin warrior. He's Anthony Mason in Latrell Sprewell's body.

Bridges. Maybe a bit of an enigma. Dude should have a much bigger role on this team, if he could just be more consistent. I continue to argue that he should be more involved as a playmaker to give JB some room. Maybe if he plays as a distributor for a spell, he can settle down. His defense is not up to what was advertised. He's still got a lot to prove to me.

Agreed, JB is a stud. I think his off nights are directly associated with being guarded by athletic 6'10-7' wingspan players. He can tear most of the league up. But you put SGA or Ant on him and he struggles. Especially if he isn't getting the foul calls.

Towns is puzzling me, leading to the enigma standard. I never expected him to rebound so well. I expected him to shoot from outside more. I expected him to drive less. Also, don't think he is getting the love on the drives. I expected the offense to start with Towns in the high post with all wings moving for a motion offense set, and in the last 7 seconds of the clock, for Brunson to get to work to create his own shot. Towns reading pick and pops/pick and rolls off Brunson.

Bridges is underperforming my expectations and pretty volatile in his scoring. Feast or famine. I expected to get a 20% usage 3&D with a good midrange - but got a midrange shooter. I have faith in this man, but certainly looking for more consistency in his game.

The 3 point shooting has been awful in the last 10 games or so (excluding last night). Not sure if it is the legs, the coaching, just a slump or what. But when they are on from 3 they win by 30+.

He does well at home, but better vs. Western conf. teams.
While we look at his stats, might we consider who and how teams guard him? come credit to some that execute well vs. him?
Sometimes that matters, right? Of course.

Does anything jump off the pages?

VDesai wrote:What a ride this guy has us on. Couldn't buy a shot for a couple weeks and then couldn't miss last night. I hope we have another hot streak coming. Just need to call him out for a couple days here and he gets his shot fixed.

Or maybe we could use a real offensive system that accentuates a players strengths. Maybe more curls into the mid range with KAT initiating from the high post. I think this would be good for Brunson as well when he's guarded by the next twitchy, lengthy 6'7" freak.