KnickDanger wrote:BingBong wrote:I'm actually surprised at how well Precious Achiuwa has played, and he is a definite improvement over Hart in backing up Randle. Hart belongs on the smaller side of the court IMO. A solid backup to Randle is a damn good thing, and we haven't had a real option there since losing Obi. That little pickup in the trade was little more than a sidenote in the news, but I'm sure Thibs was all in for him being thrown into the deal. I imagine that Thibs even demanded it. I'd be hesitant to ditch Achiuwa for no reason. It just causes another hole that needs filling, and there aren't that many decent big men who play the 4 position and don't whine about spending most of the game on the sidelines. Achiuwa grew up on the streets of NY as a die-hard Knicks' fan. He is reinvigorated to prove to the city and himself that he's the real deal. He's 6'8" and a legitimate no. 4. He's only 24 yrs old, a top 20 draft pick who has not been given a lot of opportunity to shine on the court at Miami or Toronto. Just because the big news of the trade was OG and the others seemed like "throw ins", he's actually a talented power forward and can even spell the 5 spot in emergencies. Against the Nuggets the other day, he played 22 minutes...had 10 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 block and a plus 18. And he's still just getting to jell with the team. Geesh...cut him some slack...give the guy a chance!
You sound very reasonable for someone named “BingBong!” Thank you for spelling out what I was implying. Two things I will amplify here - he gives us depth at the 5 when Mitch and Hart are out and also at the 4 where we devoted a long thread to that concern. Most importantly, he has been on an upward arc since coming here - no need to derail that train prematurely.
Yeah, my message board name is goofy. I hate coming up with a name for a board and since bing bong was all the rage back then when I joined, I just grabbed it. Haven't been on the board in over a year though, but have followed the Knicks with a passion.
As for Achiuwa, I'm actually surprised we were even able to get him. And he went so far under the radar at the time of the trade, as well he should have since OG was the headline. But he's young and very motivated now, and playing on the court he dreamed about since a little kid. He just needs to learn how the team works in tandem with each other. His best days are ahead of him for sure. Hell, he's younger than one of my grandsons, who I still can only see him as a "wet behind the ears kid".
As far as a trade goes, I'm a little nervous, as we seem to have found an ideal chemistry as is. Whatever move is made, getting and keeping the ever elusive chemistry between the players is more important than feeding a superstar the ball. Five players working as one can almost always take down a team relying on their superstar. Once Mitch is back, he's one more piece of the puzzle we haven't gotten to see with OG on board. That leaves the second team with Deuce, Grimes, Hart, Achiuwa, and iHart...which is a damn good team to come off the bench. I know we're going to lose Grimes because he'll cost too much to keep (otherwise, he's ideal for the two-three spot)...dittos with iHart I'm afraid. I really want to keep Hartenstein if we can work the numbers to keep him. That might not be possible from all I've read. The only player that makes sense (assuming Grimes is part of the trade) is Brogdon who can slide right into the two spot as well as play the point if necessary. Brogdon off the bench to spell Divincenzo would not lose a step when the second team comes in. Brown would not be quite as good to trade for as he's more of a two-three player and Hart isn't going to the bench in place of Hart, leaving Brown to play the two. And if my numbers are correct, Brogdon brings more offensive firepower than Brown...albeit a little, and his defense might be a little less than Brown's defense. I guess, whatever player requires giving up the least amount of assets is the better deal. And keeping Grimes to the end of the season does not hurt the team at all.
I don't know. I have quite a bit of faith in Thibs and the front office to make the right decision if they do decide to make a trade. So far, Thibs has kept to the script and not trading away the future for an elderly superstar like the days of old. He's on the right track and is borderline genius so far.
Seriously though, I agree. I think he has done well with his minutes. We are 11-1 in the Achiuwa era!