******

Briggs, for years, believed in focusing on an elite versatile big man, even if highly paid, and a ball dominant attacking point guard who was a pure offensive engine as the best means for the Knicks to win a championship. League trends showed that, based on positional value, value for slot in the draft and personnel trends, plus changes in the CBA, that paying heavily for centers and point guards was an archaic way to team build. Also Briggs advocated using young players and draft picks in trades for veterans who were more proven on the court. Again, league trends promoted trying to build through the draft, organically developing a young players full Bird Rights over time, and building rapport/synergy with years together, and if a team was lucky, they'd get multiple breakouts of young players while still in their cost controlled rookie contract phase. The league trends favored the "Space And Pace" game. Effectively nothing was more valuable on paper than an above average 3 And D NBA caliber starting wing, compared to pivots and point guards. Briggs also wanted more aggression in free agent signings for help the Knicks needed. I had, for years, argued that there were serious drawbacks to picking up too many players as street free agents, as no full Bird Rights is incredibly limiting in terms of roster building.

Briggs was right. While this current Knicks championship team broke the mold on what was possible on how to build a modern current NBA winner, he was right. If the team built more my way, they would not likely have a ring now. Don't get me wrong, my view point aligns to league trends, amassing assets, mining bargains/value and cap flexibility is generally a good thing. But Briggs wanted risks taken, and his view of how the Knicks could be a champion yet again prevailed. I give Briggs all the credit in the world. I'm a very good informal analyst on professional basketball personnel, especially the NBA. The positions I pushed were based on logic and maximizing the odds/opportunities. But sometimes, to get ahead, you need to take risks that don't make sense.

What the Knicks did this season, to win a ring, will echo into every front office in the league for the next decade. Every cap specialist and analytics calculator head is going to have to revisit their previous held positions on how to build a champion. What happened here is a game changer. What the Knicks accomplished here should not have been possible. They defied the refs who tried to cheat them and they defied the system that said this kind of team building was just not possible. It's the most "New York Thing" possible - That much defiance.

Briggs, I love you buddy. You were right all along. You deserve to hear that. And I am not one to give praise lightly. No doubt, your methodology was a little bit crazy at times, but completely sane ideas are never the ones to change the world around them. I'll only be here on the forums for another week or so, then I'm gone. I only came back a little while to speak good words for Crush and celebrate this Knicks championship with the rest of the faithful.

I dub this season's championship as an enduring tribute to CrushAlot and proof of life that the "Briggs Method" is viable, undeniable and potent.

TripleThreat wrote:

Philc1 wrote:Rose was nothing short of brilliant but Perry got the party started drafting RJ and Mitch and signing Randle when his value was low because the lakers gave up on him.

IMHO, Leon Rose was very very very short of "brilliant" multiple times.

However, the core 5 Knicks that won a ring, four were acquired via trade. The fifth was a street free agent signing. Not a single one of them was a natural first round pick by New York. Out of their full primary rotation, the Knicks had three 2nd rounders contribute ( McBride, MRob, Diawara)

The way the CBA has been designed in the modern era, it's meant to punish teams who try to build the way the Knicks built this team. Here's the interesting part. The most recent CBA, with the punitive "Aprons" was really designed, IMHO, to destroy the success of the dynasty Golden State Warriors. Other owners never wanted to see a Durant to a championship team core situation again.

Except, those changes opened the door for the TWolves to want to dump KAT at all possible cost, which gave the Knicks a chance to dump Randle and get a very versatile and productive center out of it.

The league mantra and pathway, via their CBA's were also meant to reward teams who built through the draft, kept a clean flexible cap sheet and mined all possible opportunities available. The Warriors did that. They had three core draft picks pan out ( Curry, Thompson and Green), had some luck, but also kept an almost spotless level cap sheet year to year in their dynasty phase. No one could have predicted a huge cap spike and then the NBPA refused a smoothing option. But owners never had to offer that up to a vote to the players. Now, it's clear, with the new 2nd Apron penalties, the league system PUNISHES teams who build through the draft. The old Thunder where they had a solid run with Durant, Westbrook, Harden, Ibaka would not be possible in the current era.

Don't get me wrong, the Knicks also had some luck on their side ( How Dallas handled Brunson and his contract there, that Brunson WANTED to be here in New York, that the newer CBA killed off the kind of veteran ring chasers that might have helped the Spurs in the Finals, that the KAT trade was created by a major systemic change in the first place and other tweaks along the way, etc)

Everyone knows the NBA drafts are rigged, including the lottery, and the Knicks under Dolan would never get a high pick with a franchise player available that way.

This championship was incredible timing, maximizing the difference in the league's "virtue signaling" ( i.e. that they encourage and reward teams who build through the draft) and how they really operate ( use refs to cheat and extend series, abuse teams who actually use the system well, let big shoe companies get leverage to put their clients into more favorable positions deep in the playoffs that will also appease the major networks who broadcast games)

This season was not just about defiance, but also about the Knicks clear destiny. No matter how much the league tried to cheat them, they still found a way to win.

There really isn't much in life sweeter than climbing that mountain that haters said you could not. Well, actually one thing is better, when said mountain is made of those dead stacked haters after you cut their throats first.

Briggs was right. He always said the perceived "optimal" market based way was rigged. And it was. It still is rigged actually.

Rose built this roster with zero draft lotteries rigged for him. He didn’t have Wemby gifted to him or James Harden demand a trade to the Knicks. KD and Kyrie didn’t sign here. He acquired assets then flipped them for superstars like KAT and OG. Even his second round picks have been good.

gradyandrew wrote:I think it's hilarious that someone can argue that the NBA is biased against the Knicks at the same time when the league is about to have their first expansion in about 25 years and are more incentivized then ever to boost the value of the league this year.

Not taking anything away from the Knicks, but there were a bunch of fouls called on SA during 4th qtr. 3 point attempts- by far the most valuable plays in the game.

What? Did you say what? The what with the what the? There were fouls called on the Spurs? O really? What does that mean? Are fouls not supposed to be called? That's like saying " I feed my kids" you are supposed to feed your kids!!! That's nothing to be proud of and it doesn't prove any points, lol

ramtour420 wrote:

gradyandrew wrote:I think it's hilarious that someone can argue that the NBA is biased against the Knicks at the same time when the league is about to have their first expansion in about 25 years and are more incentivized then ever to boost the value of the league this year.

Not taking anything away from the Knicks, but there were a bunch of fouls called on SA during 4th qtr. 3 point attempts- by far the most valuable plays in the game.

What? Did you say what? The what with the what the? There were fouls called on the Spurs? O really? What does that mean? Are fouls not supposed to be called? That's like saying " I feed my kids" you are supposed to feed your kids!!! That's nothing to be proud of and it doesn't prove any points, lol

Lol. Can anyone else remember a regular season game vs. Harden and the Rockets where the Knicks were down by 3 with.7 seconds on the clock? Knicks inbounded the ball, hit a three as time expired and then the shot was waived off because according to the announcer "the Rockets had told the refs they were going to foul as soon as the ball was inbounded"? That was one of the biggest bull**** calls ever and something I noticed stopped happening against the Knicks about 4 seasons ago.