nyknickzingis wrote:First thing is KP's position. Tough call. I think he may be a starting 5 longterm. That means Willy comes in off the bench, and they play together a little but KP does not play his most minutes at 4, he plays them at 5. That means Willy and O'Quinn play the rest of the minutes at 5. If Willy becomes really good you probably move O'Quinn next season by deadline. I really like O'Quinn. Don't even wanna talk about the fact that we have Noah.I think Lance with his corner 3 and defense has shown he is a starting level player for us in impact. Team has played so much better since Lance returned, especially as a starter.
What we then need is a 4 or 3 that fits with KP/Lance. Tatum may be that guy, but lets see where we draft.
I like Randle and Baker, but they are backups IMO. Youth wise we need to go find starter level talent 25 or under for the 2 and 1 spots if we're looking for a youth movement.
Overall, I think we make a good Melo trade that gives us a draft pick and one starter 25 years old or younger, we're on the right track. We can either keep Rose at currently salary and let him walk and use capspace to sign someone young maybe who can start. But until we trade Melo, forget about a real youth movement. You think last night would have happened with Melo? Sure we may have won with him, but no way do you see Randle, and the 2nd unit play for that extended period and those kind of freedom with Melo on the court with them. And you saw KP get more touches in the post/mid-range where usually Melo gets them in the Triangle.
I'm still not a fan of O'Quinn. He has some nice games - passing, blocking, shooting from deep mid-range and I'm not sure how his advanced stats are decent but they are; I just don't seem him as a player that can long term change his game enough to fit on a team that goes deep into the playoffs. Maybe as a 4th big off the bench at the price of his current contract, but not at $10M for which he will seek in 2 years. He makes too many mental mistakes over and over and over again that are the same and haven't changed much in 2 years (just his conditioning and weight have changed). Often times just loses his man for no reason; sits in the paint when his guy has the ability to knock down the 20 foot jumpshot, must take like 3 pump fakes just to go up for a layup, takes 10 seconds just to gather himself underneath the rim.
Also, for me, Lance can become a good bench player, a 7th/8th guy in your rotation IF he figures out how to play within himself. I think this still may have to do with the Knicks just being so poor defensively and LT feeling like he needs to make up for everyone else, so he seems to overplay defensively. Takes too many drives to the basket which are certainly not his forte. He is a very good spot up jumpshoot and I'd wish he'd stay in that mode more often.
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3/7/2017 10:04 AM
