Gonna start by posting this here. Should be required viewing before the season.

With Brunson, Hart, DDV and Bridges it isn’t hard to see the framework and efficiency of a 4-1 motion offense for this team. Watching this video, you can see our actual guys working within that system.

You can also see how Randle and OG Anunoby fit well in this system. Unfortunately, Mitch Robinson lacks some of the passing to be the 1 effectively. I could see Randle + any 4 running the 4-1 if Randle can keep his head up. When Robinson is in the game, might need to modify that offense.

A guy like Saddiq Bey makes sense at the backup 4. Though his injury status would want me to put him on a contract like Reggie Bullock where we get the benefit of a few years for the 5.2 MLE for as long as possible. Saddiq’s time in the NBA haven’t been on great teams. He may need time to recover from bad coaching as well as injuries.

It’s also the reason why a guy like Walker Kessler might make a ton of sense with his size on the ball screen and soft hands. The Knicks will need strong screen assists and passing out of the post. I think mostly of Randle here when I talk about triple double Randle.

And if you are looking at lineups and finalizing the roster, I don’t think we need to get too wild and crazy. I’d love to get Tyus Jones. Not sure if we can afford him. Gary Trent is another maybe here. If I knew I could add Tyus Jones or Gary Trent, then moving Deuce in a deal for Kessler might hurt less. Hell, I might do it if I could add Kris Dunn.

We lack the real size to deal with the Embiid and Jokic’s of the NBA. Robinson does a number on them. I think we do need a guy like Walker Kessler or Nick Richards, but a little patience might be necessary. OG can hold down most of the league on defense and Randle can handle the pivot on offense.

Brunson / Kolek
DDV / Deuce / Diop
Bridges / Hart / Dadiet
Randle /
Anunoby / Robinson / Sims

A lot of ways to fill this squad out, but they have the absolute skill sets to run a 4-1 really well.

EwingsGlass wrote:

Rookie wrote:I enjoy it when the ball moves but we got a few sticky hands in the starting unit and at least one guy who likes to jog up and camp out

I hear you. There are a lot of reason why this could go wrong. But outside of top 10 players, you’d be hard pressed to find a PF/C with a higher assist percentage than what we have. I think the key to this team that puts it ahead of a lot of other teams is that it has a vision - a core competency. I am curious how much of the efficiency basketball was coming from Thibs vs a guy like Bryant. I have Thibs as an old school taskmaster. They definitely have eFG in their minds coming into the season. I worry a lot of that was Bryant’s approach.

Those things never come from just one person and disappear. Knicks have lost a lot of their core assistants already, still the same core philosophies. Those are typically set up way ahead of time by everyone.

My thinking is how to make life easier for KAT? We did this for Jalen, its Kats turn.