And now, we're good??? No... it can't be. Are we still worthy?

We have a team of hustlers. True Knicks. Meaningful games. Every game feels winnable.

Is this really happening?!?!?

This squad is mentally tough, not just the starters.

Good for Julius, RJ and IQ to experience Playoff basketball though

Both Hahn and Wally Szczerbiak both are gushing over the fact our team has the "it" factor. I use lower case because I don't want anyone confusing this with the worst FO guy we've had next to Phil.

Singing the praises of Noelaj Gibsonlens!

And best barometer of team goodness of all time: MY WIFE IS ASKING IF WE CAN CAST THE YOUTUBE HIGHLIGHTS OF THE GAME! (She is a classic frontrunner though)

MS wrote:Thibs needs to cut out this Payton experiment. Let’s move IQ to the starting lineup and give the guys some added space to operate out there.

Rose can give us the scoring boast off the bench with Burks.

They will definitely push whoever they play. Julius really has turned into the real deal. If it was the 2022 offseason we would be in business. They are getting really close with RJ and Randle taking the steps towards consistent All Star games.

Completely agree. I don't see him benching Payton this late in the year, he's just going to keep him to 15-20 mpg the rest of the way and play Rose, Quickley, and Burks the majority of the PG minutes. What he is doing right now is working, no point in changing it this late in the year. Just ride out the year and let Payton walk and come up with a better replacement plan. As for RJ and Randle, they are steering the ship right now, alongside a great supporting cast. But RJ and Randle are the reason this team has a bright future, given their ages and willingness to improve. I hope we can retain nearly everyone on fair contracts. Still so many unknowns. Burks, Bullock, Rose, and Noel have been so important to the success and hopefully we can get them all back. Need to maintain an open max slot, or close to it as well, because a superstar will eventually want to come here with all the positive going on.

Jimbo5 wrote:Before the season started, i was thinking when will it be the Knicks' year to be the surprise team of the season! We have been the perennial laughingstocks of the NBA, the butt of all the jokes. Even up until the all star break when the knicks have been winning a part of me feels uneasy, a part of me is waiting for the other shoe to fall off, for the season to start unraveling again. As a knick fan, i am so use to all the disappointments that im scared to fully enjoy the surprising season this knicks team is currently having.

Im happy with the way this team fights until the buzzer sounds each and every game. I love the 90's knicks vibe. How this team plays represents the city well. That is why a part of me wants this team to continue the rebuilding process. I dont what this knicks team to become the Brooklyn Mercenaries when the start of next season arrives. I just find what the Nets did so unsatisfyingly fake.after making the playoffs with D'Angelo and highlighting their culture as a free agency draw, they got their own superfriends and threw away the culture. I know- whatever it takes to win a championship but if the knicks take that route, it will be fun to win a championship but a part of me feels that win will be empty and shallow.

I want the knicks to win a championship with most of this current core of young players in the line up. For me they are just a good starting pointguard and a young(27 year old or younger) budding superstar away from being contenders. I hope they can make this happen!!!

It’s time to believe.

I literally love watching this team every game, because they compete hard every game. I see your point about retaining the young core of the current roster, but at what cost? Progress can be a tough process. Cutting some of the deadwood and adding a decent pg ( Lonzo for me ) to this core and who knows what we can achieve?

For me the righteous path is a combination of both philosophies. Building via draft with the yoots and adding established super stars.

I see the Nets plans back firing if Harden, Durrant can’t stay on the floor. And Irving, he’s ticking time bomb.

We reap what we sow.

But its quite fun. It happed the moment we hired Thibs and stopped doing stupid shyt. We are simply enjoying the residual effects.
I plead for my friends to not get mad if we fall back a bit and take winning for granted. What is happening is Randle and RJ are our guys. But keep an open mind. If “Journeyman” like Burks and Bullock can succeed so can others. And remember we get here with Payton starting at PG. How bad is the guy? He does things well enough to get us here and a good dude.