nixluva wrote:fwk00 wrote:nixluva wrote:fwk00 wrote:CrushAlot wrote:SocraticBallin22 wrote:Jack: 32 minutes. Lee: 38 minutes.
Starters played heavy minutes.
Only 17 minutes for Frank.
No minutes for Willy, Dotson and Burke.
And still lose.
How exactly are we a rebuilding team again?
It was a two point game. I think the only difference maker in that group is Burke.
Sorry, Crush, this was not a two point game. This should have been a blowout that the Knicks won. The incomprehensible turnovers, bad play by THJ, soul-crushing mediocrity of KP, and did I mention turnovers turned this into yet another loss that should have been a laffer.
If the claim is that we are not tanking then we need a new FO. Tanking teams are less obvious.
IMO this is kind of how they want to do it. Play hard and if they're losing that's who they are and you just make the moves you need to make and draft the best talent you can. They didn't TANK. They simply lost games. Until the Deadline this is the only way to play it. Once they get to the deadline they will have to make deals or stand pat. It's a simple set of decisions at this point.
nixluva, you don't need mind-numbing analytics to do the math. To get to the playoffs, we need wins against teams like Milwaukee. For the FO to say they want to win, make the playoffs, and so on and then sit on their hands for six or seven games waiting for a deadline is passive/aggressive surrender.
*Every* game counts. Every game like this reduces our chances dramatically because the simple math of games-left-to-play is a shorter and shorter runway to the playoffs. Its a no-brainer.
If we're serious about winning, the methodology is insane. And its not even about the playoffs, its about learning how to win - we aren't learning that.
Even following the trajectory of the FO rhetoric - *when* do we finally have talent? When do we win? Another three years? Five years? Maybe a decade... why not? We'll be debating THJ's no-trade clause by then.
I almost miss Dolan.
I'm just not seeing this angle you're presenting in terms of the overall strategy of the Team. They have some young talent that's not ready and some Vets that have more experience. They didn't want to TANK but rather play this out naturally and see what happens. They still have some games to review before making the final decision on any deals they may be considering.We still have the same scenario as we did to start the year. They have some players they're looking at as part of the rebuild. They have some vets that are tradeable. They have picks and maybe they can add more or some young talent via trades. Sounds pretty logical to me.
Two days ago from ESPN [Begley]: " At the moment, the Knicks have no intention of selling off assets at the Feb. 8 deadline and tanking the rest of the season. The club wants to remain competitive and fight for playoff position while it's feasible. The Knicks enter play Thursday three games out of eighth place in the Eastern Conference.
Reasonable people can disagree over the merits of that strategy. Some fans would probably love to see the Knicks lose the rest of their games to improve their chances of landing a top pick in the NBA lottery.
The Knicks aren't going to take that approach just yet, but that doesn't mean they're blindly chasing a playoff berth and ignoring their future."
So the claim is that they're NOT tanking. Okay.
You claim is that the team has "some young talent that's not ready" and "some Vets that have more experience". Okay.
Where you [and the FO] lose me is in the "some games to review" category. Review exactly what? The young talent isn't getting floor time. The Vets are a well-known commodity. The concept of winning is best realized by teams with better vets and teams with more talented "young talent". They beat us routinely.
We don't have the same scenario as the beginning of the year. At the beginning of the year we had a chance to make the playoffs. Now our chances evaporate with every wasted game "reviewing". Here reviewing is synonymous with LOSING.
Presumably there are trades to evaluate. Let me offer my doubts. While the Knicks are reviewing [vomit bags in hand] our recent games, Boston, Detroit, the Clips,and other teams are actually active. They could wait around waiting for Godot but they don't.
So back to the Begley report that the Knicks are not tanking. Do *you* believe that? Because, in my mind, "not tanking" means not losing and right now the Knicks are the Dictionary definition of LOSE.
Obviously this all reads like a drunken, armchair, wannabe GM but in my experience you would aggressively work to identify assets being exposed for trade from other teams [you don't need a scouting report - its on HoopsHype], prioritize the talent you're looking for, and make the trade happen asap. This presumably improves your chances not to tank, to win, and maybe even win enough to host a playoff series.
Contrast this to reviewing games played in a vortex of humiliating losses, waiting for [better is the enemy of good enough] better deals, and eliminating any good reason to try winning more games [you've waited too long to have them matter].
My logic is simply that the FO is as aggressive as the players are in trying to succeed - ...whatever will be will be...
This disenfranchises fans.
