NYKBocker wrote:I still blame Payton. Dribble dribble dribble payton.

It always starts with his ****ty play ...........

TPercy wrote:Not too bothered by this but man do we need shooters. irks me how teams can just play 2-3 zone all game. Thibs also needs to get these guys to move the ball quicker.

Not too bothered by not being able to beat Miami even when they are short handed?

I know we are in the kool-aid trip of the Knicks being respectable because they beat the teams they need to beat and have lots of moral victories against better teams, but what’s the point of trying to make the playoffs if we aren’t gonna try to put the best effort once there?

And before all the kool-aid bears come to hunt me, I’m aware of our deficiencies even at full strength and know we are far from healthy, even the players that suit up. My concerns are fixable things that still in the second half of the season remain the same.

The offensive plan of the starting lineup is nonexistent, almost pre-season level. Point guard dribbles the ball for a few seconds, passes to a guy that does the same only to shoot a contested three while Opposing the defense is set to grab the rebound and run. It’s so reliant on Randle creating or RJ bullying up that no coach should dare to claim that an offensive strategy. Offense looks better with the bench simply because Rose is a creator and Quick is a good shooter, but again, no evident strategy.

The bench use has also reached the high point of worry. We all talked about how important was to use young players from time to time. The coach stuck to his veteran guns. Now we are very short handed. Many players out while others are obviously playing through stuff that is limiting them. Meanwhile, guys like Knox, Frank and Obi haven’t been developed at all for this situation. Obi, in particular, is a mess that while he seems to share the blame with his tentative play, he still has seemingly been played out of position from the beginning. Who wouldn’t be tentative out there when you are being asked to play a different style on the fly and your playing time is still inconsistent?

This isn’t specifically about losing to the Heat, or to the Sixers or to any other powerhouse. This is about HOW we do it. If we were outing ourselves in the best possible situation to compete, I’d accept defeat against those teams every time because we tried it all. It just seems that we aren’t trying it all, mainly on offense. I’m thankful we have Thibs because he has returned NY to its identity of a fighter and a grinder on defense. But some decisions and strategies are really questionable and, sorry kool-air bears, but I can call them out without losing sight of my love for this team.

Knicksfan wrote:

TPercy wrote:Not too bothered by this but man do we need shooters. irks me how teams can just play 2-3 zone all game. Thibs also needs to get these guys to move the ball quicker.

Not too bothered by not being able to beat Miami even when they are short handed?

I know we are in the kool-aid trip of the Knicks being respectable because they beat the teams they need to beat and have lots of moral victories against better teams, but what’s the point of trying to make the playoffs if we aren’t gonna try to put the best effort once there?

And before all the kool-aid bears come to hunt me, I’m aware of our deficiencies even at full strength and know we are far from healthy, even the players that suit up. My concerns are fixable things that still in the second half of the season remain the same.

The offensive plan of the starting lineup is nonexistent, almost pre-season level. Point guard dribbles the ball for a few seconds, passes to a guy that does the same only to shoot a contested three while Opposing the defense is set to grab the rebound and run. It’s so reliant on Randle creating or RJ bullying up that no coach should dare to claim that an offensive strategy. Offense looks better with the bench simply because Rose is a creator and Quick is a good shooter, but again, no evident strategy.

The bench use has also reached the high point of worry. We all talked about how important was to use young players from time to time. The coach stuck to his veteran guns. Now we are very short handed. Many players out while others are obviously playing through stuff that is limiting them. Meanwhile, guys like Knox, Frank and Obi haven’t been developed at all for this situation. Obi, in particular, is a mess that while he seems to share the blame with his tentative play, he still has seemingly been played out of position from the beginning. Who wouldn’t be tentative out there when you are being asked to play a different style on the fly and your playing time is still inconsistent?

This isn’t specifically about losing to the Heat, or to the Sixers or to any other powerhouse. This is about HOW we do it. If we were outing ourselves in the best possible situation to compete, I’d accept defeat against those teams every time because we tried it all. It just seems that we aren’t trying it all, mainly on offense. I’m thankful we have Thibs because he has returned NY to its identity of a fighter and a grinder on defense. But some decisions and strategies are really questionable and, sorry kool-air bears, but I can call them out without losing sight of my love for this team.

I hear you man. I don’t like our offensive gameplan either but to me this game comes down to the fact that our best player was playing hurt, we were missing Mitch on boards and Rose lobs, and we needed our zone busters to shoot well and they didn’t. Not to mention we are still a game above .500 so I’ll tolerate this kind of performance against a team that are darkhorses to be in the finals again.

TPercy wrote:

jrodmc wrote:I forget, did we get blown out by the shorthanded Sixers and their refs twice?

Trying it all? You see something in Obi that someone with as short a leash as Thibs is going to see as useful? Look at things the other way, how many Obi-My-God airballs do you need to see when you're an every-possession-is-as-precious-as-my-children's-blood coach (although he doesn't have any kids yet).

Knox is the prototypical space cadet on the defensive end. Frankie has seemingly forgotten AGAIN that EVERYONE really needs to put the effing ball in the round hole. You have some magical insight into Theo ****ing Pinson's offensive game that the rest of the world doesn't?
And this is just what we see in games. You think they're lighting it up in practice and Thibs and company are just abject morons?

We're 5th in the east. We just lost to the team that went to the FINALS last season while playing with two semi-injured starters and without our freak project center. I get it. Elfrid Satan is what he is. The offense is boring and predictable when RJ and Quick aren't hitting 60% from 3. Throw in Frankie going 0 for 0 game after game and I can understand the frustration.

Hopefully Rose goes back to the starters and life will right itself.

Being in the middle of a playoff hunt is hardly Kool aid.

Elfrid Satan LMAO

That's not mine. I humbly respect some other poster's copyrights to that.

TPercy wrote:Not too bothered by this but man do we need shooters. irks me how teams can just play 2-3 zone all game. Thibs also needs to get these guys to move the ball quicker.

Yup. Swing Swing baby

And thats OK. The whole crew is trending up. We will have cap space to make deals and retain key guys. We have 2 FRPs and a high #2. Its a great first year. Expectation is to win every night and finally thats not bull****. We play D and we bang and have a lot of room/assets for growth and improvement. Losses like this suck.