Gotta give him credit for:
1. Hiring Thibs
2. Not trading Randle
3. Not firing Perry
4. Not starphucking.
5. Letting Thibs get his Vets
6. Decent moves in first draft.
Lmk, if I missed something?

My predictions, after we win this year's chip is that he extends Randle and tries to go after a couple of Max super players. Knicks have enough assets to make a deal for a team's big star. Which may be enough to attract a second max to the mix. Saw a scenario where we go after Lillard and try to entice Leonard to sign. Leonard expressed the desire to play with Same before. Dream scenario but considering what Rose just did with small well thought out moves, I would not put it past him.

If he can't pull off something big, my plan B hope is that we resign Burks and Rose then go after guys like Dinwiddie, Graham, Nunn, Powell and use our multiple draft assets to maybe move up and take advantage of this alleged stronger draft.

What's everyone's predictions/hope?

Thibs and Randle were the glue this year. Great effort by the front office. Feels good to have the playoffs on the horizon. Garden is going to be electric.

MS wrote:5. Not letting Thibs get his vets was the big win and listening to his guys in the front office, making smart one year signings that all fit into the team concept. Thibs wanted Gordon and Marcus Morris. Sometimes it's the moves you don't make.

Thibs and Randle were the glue this year. Great effort by the front office. Feels good to have the playoffs on the horizon. Garden is going to be electric.

Thibs got Gibson and Rose. Both who have been big. And also played the vets contrary to Knock fandom desires.
Hard to say hiw Gordon or Morris would have played out given we did not get them.
Agree that sometimes moves you don't make are more important. To his credit he did several no moves.

Knixkik wrote:I still wonder what noise we could make if we went all-in on VanVleet. He chose Toronto because he wants to continue winning, and the irony is NY was a better place for him to do that. He would have been a perfect fit on a Thibs team. That being said, i think Leon and Wes are working the back-channel to brag about what they have done in an effort to bring a big piece here to bring this team to the next level next year. We are ahead of schedule but the work is just beginning.

Is what it is. Rose has been fantastic. The Thibs hire and building out of his support staff has been fantastic. People were like "Thibs has Woody looking over his shoulder" did anyone see the reaction from the team when Woody came back? Julius/RJ have totally bought in and Thibs himself has evolved as well

For Leonard and Lillard to get here you looking at a mind numbing reduce like The clippers exhibited two years ago. Lillard gonna coat a bundle and Leonard contract will eat a lot. can we keep Randle in that scenario? Kawahi best days might be past while randle is NOW!!!!! RJ is 20, lets grow one, keep Randle and if Lillard shakes lose make a move.
We got a FO that is not stupid to starphuch and leave the role players few. Dolan is not making any melo like deals anymore.
IM not sure I’d be happy if we went a “Clippers Style” redo over night.
Are we not happy with Randle and his growth? That is a great thing. We got a guy THEN he elevated. DRose has been a great story. IQ, a lower 1st round pick other teams missed on for a change. We might focus on Obi but “Damn” we done got a good on later!!!
Writing off OBI is Knick fans still suffering. Its ok. WE not quite there yet.

Prediction. I’m not sure how fast we keep changing but other teams will improve on this weird season and perhaps our seedlings might not be so easy next year even if we improve. I’m not ready to use this season as the benchmark. It might be a bit of an anomaly depending on 100 variables.
Let’s finish the week in one piece and no injuries, see how get seeded. Win or lose I hope we give whomever all they can handle!!!

martin wrote:I would add

1a. Hiring Thib's assistant coaches: Payne, Bryant, Woodson(?). The other guys were Thibs long time assistants
3b. Hiring WWW

Yes....Bryant and Payne have been huge in the individual development of some of our guys. Bryant is also the coach whisperer. Not sure if anyone pays attention, but Bryant can be often seen leaping off his chair, and racing towards Thibs to whisper in his ear. I think it was the Pels game when Bryant approached Thibs during a dead ball situation with a few seconds remaining. All of a sudden, Burks and Quickley enter the game and Burks made a big 3.

WWW has the influence and ties to pretty much every major player (figuratively and literally) in the league. He was the main one pushing us to Draft Quickley...

Uptown wrote:

martin wrote:I would add

1a. Hiring Thib's assistant coaches: Payne, Bryant, Woodson(?). The other guys were Thibs long time assistants
3b. Hiring WWW

Yes....Bryant and Payne have been huge in the individual development of some of our guys. Bryant is also the coach whisperer. Not sure if anyone pays attention, but Bryant can be often seen leaping off his chair, and racing towards Thibs to whisper in his ear. I think it was the Pels game when Bryant approached Thibs during a dead ball situation with a few seconds remaining. All of a sudden, Burks and Quickley enter the game and Burks made a big 3.

Yes to all of this. I truly think Bryant has been put into place to follow as head coach when Thibs retires.

Nalod wrote:Haywood would have been great with RJ and randle. That Rose did not get hurt makes our season what it was but no telling the future. FvV over Payton would have been fun also.

For Leonard and Lillard to get here you looking at a mind numbing reduce like The clippers exhibited two years ago. Lillard gonna coat a bundle and Leonard contract will eat a lot. can we keep Randle in that scenario? Kawahi best days might be past while randle is NOW!!!!! RJ is 20, lets grow one, keep Randle and if Lillard shakes lose make a move.
We got a FO that is not stupid to starphuch and leave the role players few. Dolan is not making any melo like deals anymore.
IM not sure I’d be happy if we went a “Clippers Style” redo over night.
Are we not happy with Randle and his growth? That is a great thing. We got a guy THEN he elevated. DRose has been a great story. IQ, a lower 1st round pick other teams missed on for a change. We might focus on Obi but “Damn” we done got a good on later!!!
Writing off OBI is Knick fans still suffering. Its ok. WE not quite there yet.

Prediction. I’m not sure how fast we keep changing but other teams will improve on this weird season and perhaps our seedlings might not be so easy next year even if we improve. I’m not ready to use this season as the benchmark. It might be a bit of an anomaly depending on 100 variables.
Let’s finish the week in one piece and no injuries, see how get seeded. Win or lose I hope we give whomever all they can handle!!!

Would take the kitchen sink but could probably keep Randle. Here is a write up on it:

https://tradenba.com/trades/MaylqSvja

Would probably like plan B and hope to just sign KL but we have had our hearts broken before hoping for a big signing just cuz.

martin wrote:

fishmike wrote:

martin wrote:

Knixkik wrote:I still wonder what noise we could make if we went all-in on VanVleet. He chose Toronto because he wants to continue winning, and the irony is NY was a better place for him to do that. He would have been a perfect fit on a Thibs team. That being said, i think Leon and Wes are working the back-channel to brag about what they have done in an effort to bring a big piece here to bring this team to the next level next year. We are ahead of schedule but the work is just beginning.

I don't watch TOR at all but it seems like they disappointed this year. COVID. Playing in FL. All of their top line guys missed 20-30 games. Tough situation.

I keep thinking about VanVleet and if he was really worth $20M for 4 years for a team like the Knicks. Fred had some awesome performances deep into playoffs on a team that had a lot of other players who drew attention.

Barely shoots above .500 eFG.
Shoots ~39% from 3 which is decent but not lights out?
Barely got to the rim this year without a bunch of other gravity players?
Undersized but tough defender?

Fred made $21M this year. Knicks had the cap room but in comparison spent $6M, $5M, $4.2M, $8M on Burks, Noel, Bullock, Rose for a total of $23M. Major depth that helped them this year.

Is Fred worth $20M of pure cap space for a team like the Knicks? As a major comparison, Randle signed for starting at $19M.

Randle is a dream signing... its pretty rare, but I think even if FVV signs we still bring some of those guys in or back... Surely Bullock and Rose. The main thing is this offseason we are now locked into that player. It really just depends on who we use cap space on this offseason.

For me the question is, Would Fred's $20M be the best use of the cap space or no? Randle is (now) the high barometer of what you can bring in. Morris at $15M for 1 year got us 4 years of IQ at (generously) $3M.

Even with the revelation that Knicks made playoffs this year, they ain't getting further or deeper into playoffs just cause of VanVleet; they would do better but not move the needle better. Also, no chance at Rose/Vildoza who are lower cost options that may rate out better in the long term.

One would tend to agree with this. If we look at Rose's per 36 and Fred's, you can make an argument that Vanvleet would not have provided much more value. Of course, we would not know how he would actually do on this roster vs the Raps. Do think he may add a bit in the playoffs. As he has shown he can do.

I keep pushing the need to stay away from any kind of expensive long-term contracts unless, as you said, it is for a guy that significantly moves the needle. It's the reason I keep suggesting guys like Dinwiddie, Nunn, Graham to go along with Luca and bringing back Rose. Not to mention they have to be guys under 35. There could be a case made that a guy like CP3 would truly move the needle for us in this year's playoffs but **** $90 million and lots of assets for a 35-year-old is tough to imagine.