getting melo to play this type of ball turned this team around and that is the runnaway top reason.

dk7th wrote:if kp were not as impactful as he is then melo does not change his game. melo had another great game but kp has been the catalyst.

not sure about that.

It already had it's veteran talent - Melo, Lopez, Calderon, Afflalo. And that's where the 30-35 win expectation came from.

What no one knew is that there was a guy ready to play 2-way impact basketball for 30 (starter minutes) a night. That's made us even better, and a team that will compete on a nightly basis and stay with anyone out there. I give credit to Porzingis because the stuff he does for the Knicks is not easily replaceable. Blocking shots, shooting 3's, creating his own shots from the PF/C spot are a combination of talent very very hard to find. Right now you look around the league and tell me how easy it is to find someone that does that from the PF/C spot (swat, board, shoot 3's, create his own shot). It's a rare set of skills for a player of his size. It's made the Knicks the longest and one of the toughest covers front court wise in the league.

Think about it - in free agency if we had signed LeMarcus or DeAndre we'd have been so happy. Yet we got a guy in Porzingis who is giving you that close to that level of play. Different type of players, just saying, it's an example of how good he's been. His PER is 18+ which is along the lines of DeAndre and LMA.

Also falling to #4 seems to be a blessing. At #1 we likely go with Towns. At #2 I think we go with Okafor or Russell. I think where we were at, it made Phil Jackson feel much much more willing to take a chance on drafting Porzingis. Gaines would have drafted Porzingis #1, but I don't know if Phil would have. So it all worked out pretty damn well in terms of falling down. I'd rather have Porzingis than Russell/Okafor to be honest.

mreinman wrote:don't think I would give him the credit though he gets some.

getting melo to play this type of ball turned this team around and that is the runnaway top reason.

Im a Porzingis homer. My favorite part is how well he's blending with Lopez and Melo on both ends of the court. Wow. Really exciting.

mreinman wrote:

nixluva wrote:I think the point is that KP playing this well on both ends has given this franchise a totally different stance RIGHT NOW! It was always a "wait and see" or "in time they could be" proposition. KP is making it a Right Now team. Then when you add on top of that MELO buying in as he has, that has changed the trajectory of this franchise improvement from long term to present.

I believed in this team but this is even better than I hoped! KP has adjusted to this level so fast!!!

If you knew this then you would have picked them to win 60

That's just stupid! I picked 45-50 wins based on how I viewed the talent and how they would come together at some point this season. I was EXTREMELY detailed in my threads on how positively I felt about this team's ability to compete.

nixluva wrote:

mreinman wrote:

nixluva wrote:I think the point is that KP playing this well on both ends has given this franchise a totally different stance RIGHT NOW! It was always a "wait and see" or "in time they could be" proposition. KP is making it a Right Now team. Then when you add on top of that MELO buying in as he has, that has changed the trajectory of this franchise improvement from long term to present.

I believed in this team but this is even better than I hoped! KP has adjusted to this level so fast!!!

If you knew this then you would have picked them to win 60

That's just stupid! I picked 45-50 wins based on how I viewed the talent and how they would come together at some point this season. I was EXTREMELY detailed in my threads on how I positively I felt about this team's ability to compete.

if you honestly took your record predictions for the past 10 years, how do you think you did?

nixluva wrote:

mreinman wrote:

nixluva wrote:

mreinman wrote:

nixluva wrote:I think the point is that KP playing this well on both ends has given this franchise a totally different stance RIGHT NOW! It was always a "wait and see" or "in time they could be" proposition. KP is making it a Right Now team. Then when you add on top of that MELO buying in as he has, that has changed the trajectory of this franchise improvement from long term to present.

I believed in this team but this is even better than I hoped! KP has adjusted to this level so fast!!!

If you knew this then you would have picked them to win 60

That's just stupid! I picked 45-50 wins based on how I viewed the talent and how they would come together at some point this season. I was EXTREMELY detailed in my threads on how I positively I felt about this team's ability to compete.

if you honestly took your record predictions for the past 10 years, how do you think you did?

You don't even know how I've been doing with predictions. But that's besides the point. We all know the team was hampered by Dolan's interference in the past. Not everything is about season predictions!!! As I've said many times we talk about far more things than season predictions and on various topics I contribute to the forum.

For instance when talking about the Triangle, which you and others have been disagreeing with me all along!!! I've defended my position on the Triangle and haven't wavered. How's that looking now?

perfect!

mreinman wrote:

nixluva wrote:

mreinman wrote:

nixluva wrote:

mreinman wrote:

nixluva wrote:I think the point is that KP playing this well on both ends has given this franchise a totally different stance RIGHT NOW! It was always a "wait and see" or "in time they could be" proposition. KP is making it a Right Now team. Then when you add on top of that MELO buying in as he has, that has changed the trajectory of this franchise improvement from long term to present.

I believed in this team but this is even better than I hoped! KP has adjusted to this level so fast!!!

If you knew this then you would have picked them to win 60

That's just stupid! I picked 45-50 wins based on how I viewed the talent and how they would come together at some point this season. I was EXTREMELY detailed in my threads on how I positively I felt about this team's ability to compete.

if you honestly took your record predictions for the past 10 years, how do you think you did?

You don't even know how I've been doing with predictions. But that's besides the point. We all know the team was hampered by Dolan's interference in the past. Not everything is about season predictions!!! As I've said many times we talk about far more things than season predictions and on various topics I contribute to the forum.

For instance when talking about the Triangle, which you and others have been disagreeing with me all along!!! I've defended my position on the Triangle and haven't wavered. How's that looking now?

perfect!

Whatever man! Nothing you say can kill the joy I have in how this team is playing right now! They're executing at a high level and trusting each other! It's a reflection of Phil and Fish doing their jobs and the players buying in!

mreinman wrote:love it too but the 100's of i told you so threads as if you have the vision that we all wished for?

you win some you lose some ... sometimes you are wrong and sometimes you are right ... they are winning now and looking pretty solid and cohesive.

There was no inevitability about that.

For me . . . it was about how it COULD come together.

My only issue is not with people who said it WON'T happen (because that was as likely as not) but rather with people who said it COULDN'T happen ("Triangle is outdated" and etc).

Those are 2 different things . . .