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what the kids are up to during summer break.......RJ, Knox, DSjr and “Frankie Smokes”.
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Nalod
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8/17/2020  11:34 PM
I you google Frank, one of his nicknames is just that. Not making that up.

Usually nothing happens unless there is video. Came across this so have fun........
https://www.postingandtoasting.com/2020/8/16/21370754/checking-in-on-the-young-knicks-frank-boxes-kevin-knox-faces-off-with-kevin-durant

AUTOADVERT
Nalod
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8/18/2020  9:20 AM
Vide, hopes and Dreams..........And the Ball Brothers.

With Lamelo in the draft and Lonzo unremarkable fans are tempted to see what can be. At the same time Dennis and Frankie are still here.
Stability going forward is the key. Frank and Dennis both have had turbulent environments. I wonder if our new staff are enthusiastic about what they can do with them.
The video of Dennis is a reminder of his explosiveness. Yes, its just pickup and he is not doing it in the bubble but there was a buzz about this kid before his decline. He looks less bulky then previous. I recall reading his trainer noting that his body matured into thicker core like a running back, or Baron Davis type.
Frankie hits like two shots more per game his shooting percentage starts to look better. Last season we saw "Better" offensive output, better playmaking and of course the great defense. I thought the inconsistent/Consistent ratio's were trending. Not a break out in the Linsanity mold. Nalod is a fan and thus I see it thru hopeful lens.
Reality is a rookie will need a season to grow. One of Frank or Dennis will shine and one will likely be set free or be in a trade. I'd like to see RJ at the three and we install a SG that can actually shoot (Dani?). I'd like to see Frank be our Floor General/PG. Does that mean we don't draft a PG? Pehraps we do but short of a phenom few can step in and run the team.
I expect a trade, I expect a lot of changes so the notion of DSjr and Frank both being here come next season are really not valid. But for now its all we got. Thursday lottery sort out the pick and trade value of those who hold the cards.

knicks1248
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8/18/2020  9:44 AM
Franks shooting percentage sucks because he takes too many low percentage shots, 9 out of every 10 shots is a perimeter shot. If he would focus all his training on taking it to the basket, not only would his shooting percentage go up, but so will his FT attempts and eventually his ppg.

DSJ is the better player IMO, Better fit, he has all the skills from an offensive stand point, if he can get his head out of his ass, and get his mental right, he could at least be as productive as FELTON was for us under MDA. I actually see DSJ more like a D Rose under THIBS.

I honestly don't know what to say about knox, that guys energy and IQ is just so low, and his body language at times is painful to watch

ES
technomaster
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8/18/2020  11:44 AM
Frank: I think he looks like a totally different player than when he joined the team as a rookie. He's really matured physically and has improved as a player, though really, we need to see more. I think one wrinkle for him to add into his game is always be in attack mode. Even if he's just meant to be a facilitator while running a play, we have to hope he has the awareness and green light to make a read and go for it. He might lull his defender to sleep thinking he's just going to swing the ball, but if he sees an opening and his defender is already leaning the wrong way, he needs to feel good about breaking the script and going for the score.

DSJ: We've seen suggestions that his body has matured, but has that taken away his power/explosiveness? (it seemingly happen to Steve Francis way back when) And if it has, have other elements of his game been able to take steps to add deceptiveness/wiggle/skills? I'd LOVE to see him be awesome in the NBA... in fact, this is my ideal scenario, but seems far fetched given how far he sunk this past season. But hoping for a guy to bounce back that failed so badly is no strategy to build a team.

Knox: The biggest problem for him, is that after starting out as a 6'8" rookie with everyone saying that he's still growing... he shrunk to 6'7" under the new measurement system. So now, as a merely average-sized SF, his deficiencies are magnified. But I was thinking about Coach Calipari laying on the accolades for Knox during the draft process and is still touting his upside almost 2 years later. This came to mind after seeing Jamal Murray really tearing it up in their playoff game. I had drafted Murray in a keeper league years ago. Coach Cal back then said he might struggle early, but said he'd turn out as good as anyone in that draft class. (He was picked #7 in 2016, behind Simmons, Ingram, Jaylen Brown, Bender, Kris Dunn, and Buddy Hield.)

Has Coach Cal been wrong about his lottery-bound Kentucky prospects before?

Fortunately this site can help us answer that:
https://basketball.realgm.com/ncaa/conferences/Southeastern-Conference/8/Kentucky/258/nba-players

The biggest failures (relative to draft position) are Nerlens Noel and Kidd-Gilchrist, but to give them the benefit of the doubt, both of them had some injury woes. Noel also is a big man without a shot that might have done better in another era. Malik Monk (#11) wasn't as good a prospect as D'Aaron Fox to begin with, and is doing reasonably for his draft slot.

So what does that say about Knox? Well, he's had some fantastic games in the NBA - certainly bigger flashes of brillance than many players have ever had in the NBA, but a lot of the time he's struggled. You can't go into next season with confidence that he'll be a big part of the team, but he's still very young and made some subtle improvements to his game. In his social media highlight clips, he doesn't look extremely balanced in his spin moves(his feet are huge, what are they, Shaq-sized?), but sometimes it doesn't need to look pretty to be effective. Partly because of Coach Cal's confidence in him (and the fact that his development coach from UK is on the Knicks staff), I can see him growing as a player. He might still be 2-3 years away from being a legit starter on a good team, if he reaches his upside.

“That was two, two from the heart.” - John Starks
Nalod
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8/18/2020  12:20 PM
technomaster wrote:Frank: I think he looks like a totally different player than when he joined the team as a rookie. He's really matured physically and has improved as a player, though really, we need to see more. I think one wrinkle for him to add into his game is always be in attack mode. Even if he's just meant to be a facilitator while running a play, we have to hope he has the awareness and green light to make a read and go for it. He might lull his defender to sleep thinking he's just going to swing the ball, but if he sees an opening and his defender is already leaning the wrong way, he needs to feel good about breaking the script and going for the score.

DSJ: We've seen suggestions that his body has matured, but has that taken away his power/explosiveness? (it seemingly happen to Steve Francis way back when) And if it has, have other elements of his game been able to take steps to add deceptiveness/wiggle/skills? I'd LOVE to see him be awesome in the NBA... in fact, this is my ideal scenario, but seems far fetched given how far he sunk this past season. But hoping for a guy to bounce back that failed so badly is no strategy to build a team.

Knox: The biggest problem for him, is that after starting out as a 6'8" rookie with everyone saying that he's still growing... he shrunk to 6'7" under the new measurement system. So now, as a merely average-sized SF, his deficiencies are magnified. But I was thinking about Coach Calipari laying on the accolades for Knox during the draft process and is still touting his upside almost 2 years later. This came to mind after seeing Jamal Murray really tearing it up in their playoff game. I had drafted Murray in a keeper league years ago. Coach Cal back then said he might struggle early, but said he'd turn out as good as anyone in that draft class. (He was picked #7 in 2016, behind Simmons, Ingram, Jaylen Brown, Bender, Kris Dunn, and Buddy Hield.)

Has Coach Cal been wrong about his lottery-bound Kentucky prospects before?

Fortunately this site can help us answer that:
https://basketball.realgm.com/ncaa/conferences/Southeastern-Conference/8/Kentucky/258/nba-players

The biggest failures (relative to draft position) are Nerlens Noel and Kidd-Gilchrist, but to give them the benefit of the doubt, both of them had some injury woes. Noel also is a big man without a shot that might have done better in another era. Malik Monk (#11) wasn't as good a prospect as D'Aaron Fox to begin with, and is doing reasonably for his draft slot.

So what does that say about Knox? Well, he's had some fantastic games in the NBA - certainly bigger flashes of brillance than many players have ever had in the NBA, but a lot of the time he's struggled. You can't go into next season with confidence that he'll be a big part of the team, but he's still very young and made some subtle improvements to his game. In his social media highlight clips, he doesn't look extremely balanced in his spin moves(his feet are huge, what are they, Shaq-sized?), but sometimes it doesn't need to look pretty to be effective. Partly because of Coach Cal's confidence in him (and the fact that his development coach from UK is on the Knicks staff), I can see him growing as a player. He might still be 2-3 years away from being a legit starter on a good team, if he reaches his upside.

Kenny Payne is a curious hire as we have Two Wildcats here and AD a free agent.
Frank not attacking the basket might have been as much a function of Hornacek directive as his coach. Season two A function of injury and yet another season of turmoil. Team was a few over .500 early and he had a nice thing going with KP. Then he had shoulder issues and the groin.
I thought this past season despite coaching changes and a new roster he did progress. As much as I want improvement I want to see consistency and that has to come from the top. Maybe that includes frank, maybe he gets traded.

jskinny35
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8/18/2020  12:44 PM
If Monk is available - I'd revisit the trade for DSJr as there's not enough positives to offset his negatives (bad body language, no outside shot, plays the point like it's still 1996-2003). Only exception would be if it's revealed he is coming off a back or leg injury. That would mean he's probably untradeable but would at least offer an alternative explanation to why he looked terrible (last year) compared to looking halfway decent right after he was traded here. Monk can at least shoot from outside which we need desperately. I'd offer Knox for any future late first rounder (if we could find a team to take that), but fine if he stays this year so we can finally challenge/answer Calipari's 3 year promise...
Nalod
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8/18/2020  2:53 PM
Why does Charlotte do that if Monk is better?
I'd love it if DSjr can prove us all wrong!!!! Its to our benefit.
HofstraBBall
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8/18/2020  6:14 PM
Nalod wrote:Why does Charlotte do that if Monk is better?
I'd love it if DSjr can prove us all wrong!!!! Its to our benefit.

Agree. Feel like its rinse and repeat attitude with fans. There comes a time when teams have to invest more than one year in their picks/trades. Yet they are anxious to trade for just about anyone else or even worse another long shot in the draft that has yet to play a full year of college basketball.

'Knicks focus should be on players that have grown up playing soccer or cricket' - Triplethreat 8/28/2020
what the kids are up to during summer break.......RJ, Knox, DSjr and “Frankie Smokes”.

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