I'm sure you 😏 all know the beef coming out
In this year 2020 NBA Draft as well as FA's

Now new Experienced Coach Tom is here with
NBA Playoffs resume

What? Gets it done we're making NBA playoffs
In under 2 years? All under J.Dolan

If you know

Draft a good 3 and D wing guy at 8

Sign one of the following 3 to start at PF: Bertans, Melo or Gallinari

4 years ago small ball over everything, this year’s playoff was about skilled big men.

Eastern Conference:

Barring some major catastrophe, these six teams will be locks to make the playoffs.

Toronto Raptors

Miami Heat

Milwaukee Bucks

Boston Celtics

Brooklyn Nets

Philadelphia 76ers

These teams will have to fight for the last two slots:

Orlando Magic, Indiana Pacers, Washington Wizards, New York Knicks, Charlotte Hornets, Chicago Bulls, Atlanta Hawks, Cleveland Cavaliers, Detroit Pistons

I don't see the Pistons, Cavs, Bulls and Hornets going anywhere.

The Hawks are very well run and have quite a bit of young talent. I think they fight their way in.

Can the Knicks punch out the Magic, Pacers and Wizards for the last slot?

Thibs is a defensive coach first and foremost. The East is much weaker than the West. The Knicks would need to build a purely defensive team. They just aren't going to be able to score enough to keep up with other teams. They'll need to draft Okoro at 8th and Tyler Bey at 27th. Sign Nerlens Noel and Andre Roberson as free agents. Push hard on restricted FA DeAnthony Melton. Combined with MRob and Frank N, they can put a tough defensive team on the floor every night. They'll need to openly punt some games. Use their 10th-15th men heavily in those games so their core players can focus their energy on games that are more winnable. I'd say if there was an 82 game schedule, then the Knicks would need to openly punt about 15 games. Just use their third string and use a relentless full court press the entire time in those games. Regarding the rest of the games, on the offensive end, they need to play to contact as much as possible. The league doesn't really call as many charges as it used to, but be willing to eat the charge calls and be willing to have guys foul out of the game. They won't hit free throws at a great rate but the point will be to wear down the other team. They'll need to depend on their defense to create transition offense for them.

They need a couple of veteran enforcer types, in so much as the league will currently allow. They'll need defensive identity so some lead guards on other teams will need to hit the floor. On the trade market, you'll have to look at a "Big Monster" type player like Nurkic or Steven Adams.

Other guys to look at would be Aron Baynes, Kris Dunn, DeMarcus Cousins, Kent Bazemore and Rondae Hollis Jefferson on the free agent market.

You need to create so much damage to game flow, that the refs will finally give up. They'll finally stop trying to manage the chaos and let a lot of stuff slide. The trick is to beat the **** out of all the non marketable players. You can't just maul Greek Freak, but Khris Middleton is cannon fodder.

You also need a media campaign to go along with this to force the league to market it. This insulates the league from pushing too hard against this style of play and prevents too much use of the refs to punish the Knicks for this style of play. A good media spin is "New York Tough". I would highlight one New Yorker every home game as the honorary guest, a regular person who exemplifies the NY tough spirit in their lives. Give them 10 grand and put them on the website. Have a home game where firefighters and cops can come for free if they come in uniform. Make the honey badger the unofficial mascot. Give out rolls of military grade duct tape with the Knicks logo on it. You want viral videos of low end G Leaguers doing extreme training. You want your G Leaguers doing log PT in the streets with media all around them. You need to make it so if the league doesn't like it, they are perception wise looking to oppose the true blue collar working class spirit of America.

This is the best way ( low chance) to get the 8th seed. It would also require a draft strategy designed to get the Knicks into the playoffs in two years, first and foremost, over any other goal.

shinmen wrote:

TripleThreat wrote:https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/28999893/nba-future-power-rankings-predicting-best-worst-franchises

Eastern Conference:

Barring some major catastrophe, these six teams will be locks to make the playoffs.

Toronto Raptors

Miami Heat

Milwaukee Bucks

Boston Celtics

Brooklyn Nets

Philadelphia 76ers

These teams will have to fight for the last two slots:

Orlando Magic, Indiana Pacers, Washington Wizards, New York Knicks, Charlotte Hornets, Chicago Bulls, Atlanta Hawks, Cleveland Cavaliers, Detroit Pistons

I don't see the Pistons, Cavs, Bulls and Hornets going anywhere.

The Hawks are very well run and have quite a bit of young talent. I think they fight their way in.

Can the Knicks punch out the Magic, Pacers and Wizards for the last slot?

Thibs is a defensive coach first and foremost. The East is much weaker than the West. The Knicks would need to build a purely defensive team. They just aren't going to be able to score enough to keep up with other teams. They'll need to draft Okoro at 8th and Tyler Bey at 27th. Sign Nerlens Noel and Andre Roberson as free agents. Push hard on restricted FA DeAnthony Melton. Combined with MRob and Frank N, they can put a tough defensive team on the floor every night. They'll need to openly punt some games. Use their 10th-15th men heavily in those games so their core players can focus their energy on games that are more winnable. I'd say if there was an 82 game schedule, then the Knicks would need to openly punt about 15 games. Just use their third string and use a relentless full court press the entire time in those games. Regarding the rest of the games, on the offensive end, they need to play to contact as much as possible. The league doesn't really call as many charges as it used to, but be willing to eat the charge calls and be willing to have guys foul out of the game. They won't hit free throws at a great rate but the point will be to wear down the other team. They'll need to depend on their defense to create transition offense for them.

They need a couple of veteran enforcer types, in so much as the league will currently allow. They'll need defensive identity so some lead guards on other teams will need to hit the floor. On the trade market, you'll have to look at a "Big Monster" type player like Nurkic or Steven Adams.

Other guys to look at would be Aron Baynes, Kris Dunn, DeMarcus Cousins, Kent Bazemore and Rondae Hollis Jefferson on the free agent market.

You need to create so much damage to game flow, that the refs will finally give up. They'll finally stop trying to manage the chaos and let a lot of stuff slide. The trick is to beat the **** out of all the non marketable players. You can't just maul Greek Freak, but Khris Middleton is cannon fodder.

You also need a media campaign to go along with this to force the league to market it. This insulates the league from pushing too hard against this style of play and prevents too much use of the refs to punish the Knicks for this style of play. A good media spin is "New York Tough". I would highlight one New Yorker every home game as the honorary guest, a regular person who exemplifies the NY tough spirit in their lives. Give them 10 grand and put them on the website. Have a home game where firefighters and cops can come for free if they come in uniform. Make the honey badger the unofficial mascot. Give out rolls of military grade duct tape with the Knicks logo on it. You want viral videos of low end G Leaguers doing extreme training. You want your G Leaguers doing log PT in the streets with media all around them. You need to make it so if the league doesn't like it, they are perception wise looking to oppose the true blue collar working class spirit of America.

This is the best way ( low chance) to get the 8th seed. It would also require a draft strategy designed to get the Knicks into the playoffs in two years, first and foremost, over any other goal.

I like your plan even though I'm not sure it's doable.

This would have been a good plan. In the 80's. Also, between Nerlens, Frank and Roberson (who had major surgery) you would not have anyone that can make a basket. Hopefully the Knicks will be forward thinking and not try to relive the glory of yesterdays NBA. And to think that the NBA can be convinced to adapt a type of game in which their is limited scoring and favors the defense is shortsighted at best. For those that have not noticed, the league has worked very hard at making sure that the rules keep offensive scoring at a premium.

The plan should be to continue to build on the youth and use some of the mediocre assets, draft picks to get guys that can SHOOT and play fast up tempo basketball. Of course it would be best to find two way players but enough of this fantasy that teams can just out work other teams by having guys that can only play defense. To try to create that narrative is ignoring the basic facts of modern day game and the recent success of offensive minded teams. Feel the only way the Knicks will turn it around is to establish a decent base of young talented players, have enough assets to trade for solid young proven players and then and only then to have enough cap space to attract 2 main pieces that would put us into serious contention of the eastern conference. Think we are on the way to possibly having 2 young future pieces. Maybe more after this drat. Think we have multiple mediocre assets that can be flipped for proven young talent. And we have Cap space. Cap space and assets that should not be wasted on multiple pieces that only fit the 80's NBA. Not to mention that this bunch of mediocre players do not seem to create anything more than a lottery team. Which we already have.

TripleThreat wrote:https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/28999893/nba-future-power-rankings-predicting-best-worst-franchises

Thibs is a defensive coach first and foremost. The East is much weaker than the West. The Knicks would need to build a purely defensive team. They just aren't going to be able to score enough to keep up with other teams. They'll need to draft Okoro at 8th and Tyler Bey at 27th. Sign Nerlens Noel and Andre Roberson as free agents. Push hard on restricted FA DeAnthony Melton. Combined with MRob and Frank N, they can put a tough defensive team on the floor every night. They'll need to openly punt some games. Use their 10th-15th men heavily in those games so their core players can focus their energy on games that are more winnable. I'd say if there was an 82 game schedule, then the Knicks would need to openly punt about 15 games. Just use their third string and use a relentless full court press the entire time in those games. Regarding the rest of the games, on the offensive end, they need to play to contact as much as possible. The league doesn't really call as many charges as it used to, but be willing to eat the charge calls and be willing to have guys foul out of the game. They won't hit free throws at a great rate but the point will be to wear down the other team. They'll need to depend on their defense to create transition offense for them.

They need a couple of veteran enforcer types, in so much as the league will currently allow. They'll need defensive identity so some lead guards on other teams will need to hit the floor. On the trade market, you'll have to look at a "Big Monster" type player like Nurkic or Steven Adams.

Other guys to look at would be Aron Baynes, Kris Dunn, DeMarcus Cousins, Kent Bazemore and Rondae Hollis Jefferson on the free agent market.

You need to create so much damage to game flow, that the refs will finally give up. They'll finally stop trying to manage the chaos and let a lot of stuff slide. The trick is to beat the **** out of all the non marketable players. You can't just maul Greek Freak, but Khris Middleton is cannon fodder.

You also need a media campaign to go along with this to force the league to market it. This insulates the league from pushing too hard against this style of play and prevents too much use of the refs to punish the Knicks for this style of play. A good media spin is "New York Tough". I would highlight one New Yorker every home game as the honorary guest, a regular person who exemplifies the NY tough spirit in their lives. Give them 10 grand and put them on the website. Have a home game where firefighters and cops can come for free if they come in uniform. Make the honey badger the unofficial mascot. Give out rolls of military grade duct tape with the Knicks logo on it. You want viral videos of low end G Leaguers doing extreme training. You want your G Leaguers doing log PT in the streets with media all around them. You need to make it so if the league doesn't like it, they are perception wise looking to oppose the true blue collar working class spirit of America.

This is the best way ( low chance) to get the 8th seed. It would also require a draft strategy designed to get the Knicks into the playoffs in two years, first and foremost, over any other goal.

There was a Knicks marketing piece back in the '90's with a scowling Ewing, Mason and X-man front and center.
"You can come to the Garden, just don't try to drive the lane"

What exactly is a draft strategy to get the Knicks into the playoffs in two years? Seriously just asking.

Let's see... tanking, we've done that, hasn't really worked out. Don't see RJ getting us into the playoffs any time soon, let alone next year.
Draft for position? We did that with Frankie... still waiting.
Draft best player available? Maybe we'll see how that works out. Someday. When this new front office gets to show us how smart they are.
Trade up for a better pick? Hasn't happened lately. Nobody does this for (or with) us.
Trade down for more picks? Our draft history with multiple 1st round picks is putrid, for what it's worth.

HofstraBBall wrote: Although "Getting to the Play Offs" in the East is that not difficult. Feel if the Knicks get lucky with the 8th pick, we pick up a solid shooter(Draft or FA) and sign a FA PG we get there.

Getting to the playoffs from the Knicks current position is insanely difficult.

Like a lot of people, you refuse to factor in margin of error. Teams will miss on picks. Guys will get hurt and it will derail their careers. If a team can get 3-4 of it's first round picks to pan out as hoped in a decade, that's actually a pretty good return.

A two year rebuild means finding cost certainty in your personnel. That's done with veterans facing some type of market adjustment based on their limitations, like a Kris Dunn, when you badly need replacement level roster depth.

Am I saying I'd want Dunn in any other circumstance? No, I wouldn't. But the scenario provided is a two year rebuild. The question DJMusic asked, while I suspect he didn't intend it as such, is actually along the lines of questions front offices ask for possible intern candidates in interviews. "I wouldn't do that" is only a third of the answer.

DJMUSIC wrote:
What worries me are guys whom are brought in to Nyk
For possible deals but my question is how important ?
Is it for guys whom really want to be Knicks & excell.

The only starter locks will be MRob ( and he's no guarantee to stay healthy all year) and RJ Barrett. That means the Knicks can offer three starting slots and regular rotations minutes for 6-7 new players. They have open cap space.

So a guy like Nerlens Noel has been paid the minimum for the last two years. His actual production value is around 9 million dollars. Is he going to get that much in the open market? No, but he'll get more than the league minimum. He's 26 and entering his prime. If the Knicks offer him more than the minimum but less than 9 for four years, with the fourth being a team option, that might be more security than any other team can offer him. The enticement is a starters slot, more years than anyone else and guaranteed minutes. If the deal can be made shorter, maybe the Knicks can flip him in a trade.

Guys will pick max money/max years/pathway to starting and the most minutes/pathway to the postseason

So no, players with better options will not pick the Knicks. If VanVleet can get the same money/same years from Toronto that the Knicks offer, why would he leave?

Tier 4 and Tier 5 free agents are looking to hang onto their careers. The uniform they wear is secondary to max money/max years. It doesn't mean they won't play hard, it's just the Knicks are not going to get a completely flawless guy in free agency. That player is available for a reason.

If the Knicks could get a Noel, Roberson, Dunn and Bazemore for 70-80 percent of the cost of VanVleet, even if they could get him, STRICTLY FOR THE SCENARIO GIVEN, I don't see that as a bad thing. This team needs cost certainty in volume for their personnel.

2nd Tier Restricted free agents have not yet faced true market correction. RFA lean towards middle class contracts but without the typical strain of most middle class contracts happening while players are in their decline phase. This is where former 2nd rounders and UDFA who have a moderate breakout turn into hidden value against a cap sheet. I recognize names like Melton, Chiozza and Konchar are not sexy, but other teams have footed their developmental cost in coaching/minutes/roster spots to offset the possible increased risk factor. I've done the math on it, this is where the Knicks need to shop in free agency aside from some very careful Tier 4 free agent targets.

TripleThreat wrote:

HofstraBBall wrote: Although "Getting to the Play Offs" in the East is that not difficult. Feel if the Knicks get lucky with the 8th pick, we pick up a solid shooter(Draft or FA) and sign a FA PG we get there.

Getting to the playoffs from the Knicks current position is insanely difficult.

Like a lot of people, you refuse to factor in margin of error. Teams will miss on picks. Guys will get hurt and it will derail their careers. If a team can get 3-4 of it's first round picks to pan out as hoped in a decade, that's actually a pretty good return.

A two year rebuild means finding cost certainty in your personnel. That's done with veterans facing some type of market adjustment based on their limitations, like a Kris Dunn, when you badly need replacement level roster depth.

Am I saying I'd want Dunn in any other circumstance? No, I wouldn't. But the scenario provided is a two year rebuild. The question DJMusic asked, while I suspect he didn't intend it as such, is actually along the lines of questions front offices ask for possible intern candidates in interviews. "I wouldn't do that" is only a third of the answer.

Of course you can not account for guys breaking a leg but if you look at the state of the East (Who all have the same probability of guys breaking a leg, missing on players) and what the Knicks had just last year you can see it is not Insanely difficult. We were just 9 wins behind the 8th place Magic. We did not have a PG or SG that could make a consistent outside shot. The one PG that seemed ok enough to run the offense, Payton, was hurt the beginning of the year. We had a coach that did not seem to have a smart plan for both our offense or defense. (See Randle being a PF and coach's eventual firing). However, we did have Morris and Randle making a significant impact on the offensive end. A duo that was improving as the season went on. Prior to Morris being traded we won 5 out of the last 7 games. Once Morris was traded we went on to lose 8 out of the next 10. If you look at the East you will have the Wiz get Wall back, maybe. And the Nets get back KD and Kyrie. Nets already made the top 8 so Wiz may be a team to contend for the 8th as are the Cavs if they pick a difference maker in the draft. This assumes there are not teams that made the playoffs in 2020 losing key pieces.

As I mentioned. Think we can expect the same production from Randle, hopefully minus the ball handling. MR will be his usual blue collar self. RJ will hopefully improve his shooting. Our other pieces are decent role players that can contribute off the bench. If we can pick up an upgrade at PG,(better shooter), Draft an athletic two way SF, pick up Morris or someone like him in FA, draft or sign a solid 3pt shooter and stay healthy`, then I do not think getting the 8th spot is "Insanely Difficult"

But of course, this is Fan optimism.

fwk00 wrote:Let's assume there's fire where there's smoke.

There is NO MARKET for Chris Paul so OKC will need to absorb some ballast for CP3.

Something like Randle, Ellington, Knox, and DSJ for CP3, HOU 2026 FRP, LAC 2024 FRP

PG: CP3, Ntilikina, Reggie Jackson [FA], Riller [D38]
Swing: RJ, Bullock, Dot, Iggy, Pinson, Bogdanovic [FA], Vassell [D8], Bane[D27]
FrontCourt: MR, Portis, M. Harrell [FA], C. Wood [FA], Wooten

My wild-assed guess.

I can't wrap my head around any multiple team trades but I'd put an outside chance the 76ers could come up with something for CP3 or could facilitate something while also wanting him and making some semblance of sense.