GustavBahler wrote:

SocraticBallin22 wrote:ROLO was horrible last night. He couldn't handle any passes thrown to him and was getting beat it seemed on every rebound. There is a reason why Portland started him last year but never closed with him. He is very limited offensively and clogs up the middle on offense. Not athletic enough either to make a huge difference on the glass or finishing around the basket. That's problematic.

Disagree with almost everything you said. Those were two bad passes that were thrown to him, and Lopez has been one of the best offensive rebounders in the league. He's made a living off of put backs. Unfortunately its hard to get putbacks when almost no one is taking it to the rim. Havent seen Lopez close a game since the begining of the season. Without him we have given up leads, unable to make stops. Lopez is in a slump but I woudnt say this is the player right now that he has always been.

well said but its hard to explain this to people

nyknickzingis wrote:Robin is playing a lesser role. Look at his minutes in POR vs NYK, and in 23 minutes he's giving a team 7/6/1.3 whereas his best years he was playing 30+ mpg.
Phil didn't sign him to be a franchise center, he signed him be to exactly what he is, with better understanding of the offense he's become more consistent and reliable.

What people don't see is that had Porzingis not been the player he has been, which wasn't a given from NYK perspective in June, they would have Lopez averaging 30 minutes a night and he'd look more valuable. But if there's been improvement to the team's defense and rebounding, it's in large part due to Lopez and Porzingis.

I only want to trade Lopez if it's a clear upgrade. He was a good asset brought in by Phil using the capspace.

he's a solid player who brings intangibles like boxing out for others to get rebounds and being a decent rim protector. but he is not really a starting front court player on a contending team in terms of overall impact. i can understand why some see him as overpaid right now, but i can see him making a transition to being a terrific bench player on a contending knicks team. he is entering is prime age-wise, but he is ultimately a bench player on a contender. (so is afflalo for that matter.)

dk7th wrote:

nyknickzingis wrote:Robin is playing a lesser role. Look at his minutes in POR vs NYK, and in 23 minutes he's giving a team 7/6/1.3 whereas his best years he was playing 30+ mpg.
Phil didn't sign him to be a franchise center, he signed him be to exactly what he is, with better understanding of the offense he's become more consistent and reliable.

What people don't see is that had Porzingis not been the player he has been, which wasn't a given from NYK perspective in June, they would have Lopez averaging 30 minutes a night and he'd look more valuable. But if there's been improvement to the team's defense and rebounding, it's in large part due to Lopez and Porzingis.

I only want to trade Lopez if it's a clear upgrade. He was a good asset brought in by Phil using the capspace.

he's a solid player who brings intangibles like boxing out for others to get rebounds and being a decent rim protector. but he is not really a starting front court player on a contending team in terms of overall impact. i can understand why some see him as overpaid right now, but i can see him making a transition to being a terrific bench player on a contending knicks team. he is entering is prime age-wise, but he is ultimately a bench player on a contender. (so is afflalo for that matter.)

I'm in this boat.

nyknickzingis wrote:I think "bench" and "starting" player when it comes to guys that aren't your #1, 2 or 3rd option isn't all that different. Lopez gets 23 mpg, which isn't big minutes as a starter. But I much rather he start at 5, than Quinn who is a bit undersized. I much rather Porzingis not play all his minutes at 5 right now (even though eventually I'd like Porzingis to be our 5).

Portland was a really good team. They had Lopez playing 30 minutes a night at Center. The 3 main options were Aldridge, Lillard, Batum/Matthews. I think he can be a starter on a contender. He just can't be a team's top 3 option on offense or someone you can rely on to play a bit role on offense outside of setting screens, holding post position, 2nd chance points etc.

Right now I look at the Knicks team and I don't think the problem is guys like Lopez, Afflalo or even Calderon. Combined they make 27 M. That's about what you'd get for 3 veteran players like that. What the issue with this team IMO is Melo. He's making 2-3 times the amount a starter does, he's making superstar money, yet producing more like a fringe all-star. He's a very good player, but I rather have Deng and Brandon Knight for the Knicks than Melo. For the same money, you'd be able to get Deng and Knight. So as unpopular as it may be to say this, I find the guy who is still the biggest let down is Melo. He's being paid like a MVP/top 10 player yet not playing on a consistent basis like one. Lopez, Afflalo, Calderon are what they are, and are paid accordingly. Melo is paid money to be as good as Paul George, James Harden or someone of that level, but hasn't been able to play at that level for a few years now.

Right now MELO isn't at his peak level but I think there's a chance he'll pick up his play at some point. I'm still waiting for April MELO! He has a tendency to get hot later in the season. It's gonna be interesting to see how this team performs the rest of the way as they continue to develop and gel as a team and as individuals.

mreinman wrote:bump

rolo was off the charts again tonight and is the biggest culture and defensive change that is making us a good team and a cohesive friendly bunch

not everyone can see what rolo brings. You have to have an eye for basketball

When defending RoLo early in the season I remember RoLo saying he was the leader of the defense and was gonna bring that to the team. He has had such a positive impact on this team's defense. Also he's a terror on the offensive boards. RoLo and KP have been dominant in the paint. Glad we got him.