NYKBocker wrote:Mitch and IHart protected the lane last year. Right now, it feels like a layup line with Brunson guarding in the perimeter. Really need Mitch back.

Mitch wouldn't have helped defend those last 2 3 pointers by Beasley

Uptown wrote:

NYKBocker wrote:Mitch and IHart protected the lane last year. Right now, it feels like a layup line with Brunson guarding in the perimeter. Really need Mitch back.

Mitch wouldn't have helped defend those last 2 3 pointers by Beasley

Thought we actually played best when Mitch was gone and I-Hart got to shine with his SMART D, rebounding and passing.

Yes Mitch will help rim protect and in 1/2 court but wondering how great our transition D will be if we yank say (Mikal) to insert Mitch and watching Kat/Mitch struggling up and down the court together.

And with Mitch on the floor -- is Kat Mr 25 and 14 or does the lane clog up with Mitch and the whole offense slow. There is a reason entire league going to shooting centers.

I still can't believe how poor our perimeter defense is with our 3 supposed wing defenders.

Part of me wonders if there is some frustration from both (primarily) Bridges and OG in that they are called on to defend but receive little to no help from Kat/Jalen defensively. It's one thing if you are limited but it's another in Kat's case where he seems disinterested. It's hard to hide 1 crappy defender we are hiding 2 and that fact appears to be bringing down the other 3.

Uptown wrote:

NYKBocker wrote:Mitch and IHart protected the lane last year. Right now, it feels like a layup line with Brunson guarding in the perimeter. Really need Mitch back.

Mitch wouldn't have helped defend those last 2 3 pointers by Beasley

ToddTT wrote:Serenity now.

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jskinny35 wrote:

LivingLegend wrote:

martin wrote:

Nalod wrote:
As Clyde said, the shots were short and he alluded we might be tired on the back end of a back to back........
Seems like Precious really wants to score and is slow to make the reads on defense. This was his issue in Toronto.

OG I think is evolving a bit and hitting a wall at times. He got fouled, but he put a spin move on Stewart in the paint last night and got to the rim. I never saw him do that. They are also trying to get him to trap his man on a mismatch more. He is eager to pass the ball out and does that very well, but I think the team wants him to work his defender more.

he is a work horse and perhaps needs less minutes. Perhaps all these are adding up.

I've been disappointed with Precious play and I can't tell how much of it is getting back into flow or playing small ball C - doesn't seem like that is a good fit for him either - or whatnot. He has not performed yet and should be doing more or taking advantage of his opportunity more.

Been disappointed with P as well but I tend to think it's an overall team thing.

Last year down the stretch we were all in sync - hard nosed and scrapping. This team with both Brunson/Kat on the floor as well as finesse player Bridges is the antithesis of hard nosed and scrappy.

The unit as a whole is not playing well -- as noted I think by Hahn last night --- teams just don't feel us and they are comfortable on offense.

We could blame lack of athleticism BUT Pistons beat us down the stretch with Harris, Beasley, THJ (3 average athletes in 30s) and 6'8" (somewhat lumbering) I-Stewart on the court and we were still overwhelmed with wingstop non-existent, Josh always lost and Jalen/Kat doing nothing defensively.

IMO the biggest difference is this offseason we traded (lost) grit and defensive tenacity for increased offensive capabilities and it so far hasn't resulted in that much improvement. Last years team beats the Pistons last night simply because are defense was much better overall. Yes last years team didn't possess the ability to beat OKC or Boston but we sure played more our style. Last year we were at 95% capacity for defense and toughness with 75% offensive capacity. This year we are more like 75% defense and 85% offensive capacity. SO when KAT is hot from deep we can outplay the differences but when the team is struggling offensively - we are not defensively strong enough to carry us through much of the time.

If the roster remains the same and we can't move either Bridges or Hart to the bench in some way to improve balance for the starters and reserves we only have Mitch to rely on to help save us. KAT has far exceeded what I thought he could offer us offensively - but he has not shown enough rim protection that this defensive unit absolutely needs to thrive like last year. You can't get out on the shooters well enough if you also don't protect the pain well. I suspect we would be better off if we had somehow been able to retain IHart and not sign KAT as he rotated much better.

Maybe starting Mitch next to KAT is the only way we can resume our defensive ways while taking a slight hit offensively.

That's a bit of a lop-sided take IMHO. Record wise, the Knicks are better than last year's season at the 40+ mark. The Knicks haven't fully found their identity or it may not be as well defined. They have a long way to go on defense to make it over the hump. It should be obvious that the Knicks have a much higher ceiling offensively.

The Knicks have a tough schedule ahead. They also have like the 5th or 6th best record in the league. They are not in the top echelon of teams in the league but are clearly in that second tier, something we could not say last year.

They have work to do. Their floor may not be as stable as last year's iteration but their top end ceiling is absolutely pointing towards championship level tier with some time.

That's my take. It's only been 40+ games.

DLeethal wrote:

jskinny35 wrote:

LivingLegend wrote:

martin wrote:

Nalod wrote:
As Clyde said, the shots were short and he alluded we might be tired on the back end of a back to back........
Seems like Precious really wants to score and is slow to make the reads on defense. This was his issue in Toronto.

OG I think is evolving a bit and hitting a wall at times. He got fouled, but he put a spin move on Stewart in the paint last night and got to the rim. I never saw him do that. They are also trying to get him to trap his man on a mismatch more. He is eager to pass the ball out and does that very well, but I think the team wants him to work his defender more.

he is a work horse and perhaps needs less minutes. Perhaps all these are adding up.

I've been disappointed with Precious play and I can't tell how much of it is getting back into flow or playing small ball C - doesn't seem like that is a good fit for him either - or whatnot. He has not performed yet and should be doing more or taking advantage of his opportunity more.

Been disappointed with P as well but I tend to think it's an overall team thing.

Last year down the stretch we were all in sync - hard nosed and scrapping. This team with both Brunson/Kat on the floor as well as finesse player Bridges is the antithesis of hard nosed and scrappy.

The unit as a whole is not playing well -- as noted I think by Hahn last night --- teams just don't feel us and they are comfortable on offense.

We could blame lack of athleticism BUT Pistons beat us down the stretch with Harris, Beasley, THJ (3 average athletes in 30s) and 6'8" (somewhat lumbering) I-Stewart on the court and we were still overwhelmed with wingstop non-existent, Josh always lost and Jalen/Kat doing nothing defensively.

IMO the biggest difference is this offseason we traded (lost) grit and defensive tenacity for increased offensive capabilities and it so far hasn't resulted in that much improvement. Last years team beats the Pistons last night simply because are defense was much better overall. Yes last years team didn't possess the ability to beat OKC or Boston but we sure played more our style. Last year we were at 95% capacity for defense and toughness with 75% offensive capacity. This year we are more like 75% defense and 85% offensive capacity. SO when KAT is hot from deep we can outplay the differences but when the team is struggling offensively - we are not defensively strong enough to carry us through much of the time.

If the roster remains the same and we can't move either Bridges or Hart to the bench in some way to improve balance for the starters and reserves we only have Mitch to rely on to help save us. KAT has far exceeded what I thought he could offer us offensively - but he has not shown enough rim protection that this defensive unit absolutely needs to thrive like last year. You can't get out on the shooters well enough if you also don't protect the pain well. I suspect we would be better off if we had somehow been able to retain IHart and not sign KAT as he rotated much better.

Maybe starting Mitch next to KAT is the only way we can resume our defensive ways while taking a slight hit offensively.

We have a higher ceiling and a lower floor this season IMO. I don't know if this years team wins that dog fight against Philly last year in the playoffs. But last years team post-Randle injury doesn't blow teams out of the water with the same frequency this team does. They also don't let middling teams play like all stars and out tough them like we do this year.

This team ain't it right now, anyone saying we are a true contender as we sit here today is lying to themselves. That said, Cleveland wasn't a contender last year and here they are now with just some seasoning and coaching shift. We probably need to make the same kind of moves Cleveland made a couple years ago on the margins when they added Niang and Strus. We need two more bench pieces and maybe a starter that slides Hart to the bench.

It took 2 full seasons and the start of the next before Cleveland, with all of their main pieces in place, to finally put things together.

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