"Death to the Pessimistic State of Mind" - Nas Voice: NYK '23 Pre-Season Thread
- Thread starter DPresidential
- Start date
Honestly, our bench is probably the most exciting part of this season for me. There isn’t a better bench 5 in the league than Rose, IQ, Burks, Obi and Noel.
Here’s to a fun and HEALTHY season brehs… i want that top 4 seed back…
Knicksman20
Superstar
My brother @DPresidential forgot to tag me lol. Stay strong & hang in there bro. There's many here like myself that respect you & care 
I'm looking forward to this season & hopefully we prove last year wasn't some kind of fluke
5 bold Knicks predictions for 2021-22 season
Will New York be a playoff team again?
With the Knicks' season about to begin, here are five bold predictions on what’s about to unfold between now and April.
These are based on past performances and some conjecture.
Some predictions may be bolder than others, and are working off the assumption that injuries won’t play a major role...
Knicks secure home court in playoffs again
Why not? Most of the NBA world priced in regression for this Knicks team despite their evident improvements. They’re going to have a top 10 defense -- a big help in accumulating regular season wins -- and Tom Thibodeau-coached teams tend to have an intensity edge before the playoffs as well.
Some cite the rest of the East getting better, but there aren’t a great deal of threats. The Milwaukee Bucks and Brooklyn Nets likely top the standings, but the Miami Heat are extremely thin past its first seven guys and tends to perform better in the postseason.
The Atlanta Hawks should be trouble. The Boston Celtics suffered through COVID and injuries last year but are ultimately returning with a similar, and arguably worse roster. The Chicago Bulls had a splashy summer, signing non-winners who are an awkward fit with little defense.
Mitchell Robinson makes an All-NBA Defensive Team
It may have only been short glimpses in an injury-riddled season, but last year’s Robinson looked as if he took the biggest step in his NBA development yet. He’s not fully practicing yet, but came into training camp beefed up and more mature.
When healthy, he is a hugely impactful defensive presence, and should he stay healthy for most of this season, will earn honors for it. His physique and athleticism are matched by few, plus his defensive IQ is sure to keep climbing with a second season under Thibs.
Julius Randle and RJ Barrett get even better
This should not be a bold prediction. However, after standout second Knick seasons from the pair last year, many expect regression from them.
That is backwards nonsense. Randle is about to turn 27, entering his prime with added weapons around him. He’s improved every year he’s been in the league, excluding injury and David Fizdale-plagued seasons.
Barrett’s seemingly improved every month he’s been in the NBA, displaying the mental fortitude and work ethic any team wants out of a top pick. He just became eligible to drink in the United States this summer.
Randle making another All-NBA team should surprise nobody. Barrett joining him on an All-Star team if the Knicks have a strong record come February shouldn’t, either.
Derrick Rose wins Sixth Man of the Year
The Knicks won their fair share of individual accolades for their terrific 2020-21, including Randle’s Most Improved Player and Thibodeau’s Coach of the Year honors. Coming in a strong third for Sixth Man of the Year was Rose, despite spending a good part of the season hurt or toiling in a Detroit Pistons uniform.
Now he’s primed to spend a full season with the Knicks coming off his best season in years, and is sure to spend most of it as a reserve behind Kemba Walker. This gives him a real shot at the award, especially given how much more efficient he was than last year’s winner, Jordan Clarkson.
Knicks win a playoff series
This should be goal No. 1 for this team after an embarrassing postseason wipeout to the Hawks and a fruitful summer.
Leon Rose and Scott Perry brought in a former All-Star point guard and multifaceted wing to help ease the burden off Randle, who watched the tape back and knows he needs to be better.
We’re still a long way from April and seeding will play a huge role, but one thing we know is this Knicks team believes it can beat any of the other 29. So long as they aren’t matched up with the Bucks or Nets, there’s no reason to think they have an unrealistic chance at advancing to the second round this time.
https://sny.tv/articles/knicks-bold-predictions-2021-22-nba-season
I'm looking forward to this season & hopefully we prove last year wasn't some kind of fluke
5 bold Knicks predictions for 2021-22 season
Will New York be a playoff team again?
With the Knicks' season about to begin, here are five bold predictions on what’s about to unfold between now and April.
These are based on past performances and some conjecture.
Some predictions may be bolder than others, and are working off the assumption that injuries won’t play a major role...
Knicks secure home court in playoffs again
Why not? Most of the NBA world priced in regression for this Knicks team despite their evident improvements. They’re going to have a top 10 defense -- a big help in accumulating regular season wins -- and Tom Thibodeau-coached teams tend to have an intensity edge before the playoffs as well.
Some cite the rest of the East getting better, but there aren’t a great deal of threats. The Milwaukee Bucks and Brooklyn Nets likely top the standings, but the Miami Heat are extremely thin past its first seven guys and tends to perform better in the postseason.
The Atlanta Hawks should be trouble. The Boston Celtics suffered through COVID and injuries last year but are ultimately returning with a similar, and arguably worse roster. The Chicago Bulls had a splashy summer, signing non-winners who are an awkward fit with little defense.
Mitchell Robinson makes an All-NBA Defensive Team
It may have only been short glimpses in an injury-riddled season, but last year’s Robinson looked as if he took the biggest step in his NBA development yet. He’s not fully practicing yet, but came into training camp beefed up and more mature.
When healthy, he is a hugely impactful defensive presence, and should he stay healthy for most of this season, will earn honors for it. His physique and athleticism are matched by few, plus his defensive IQ is sure to keep climbing with a second season under Thibs.
Julius Randle and RJ Barrett get even better
This should not be a bold prediction. However, after standout second Knick seasons from the pair last year, many expect regression from them.
That is backwards nonsense. Randle is about to turn 27, entering his prime with added weapons around him. He’s improved every year he’s been in the league, excluding injury and David Fizdale-plagued seasons.
Barrett’s seemingly improved every month he’s been in the NBA, displaying the mental fortitude and work ethic any team wants out of a top pick. He just became eligible to drink in the United States this summer.
Randle making another All-NBA team should surprise nobody. Barrett joining him on an All-Star team if the Knicks have a strong record come February shouldn’t, either.
Derrick Rose wins Sixth Man of the Year
The Knicks won their fair share of individual accolades for their terrific 2020-21, including Randle’s Most Improved Player and Thibodeau’s Coach of the Year honors. Coming in a strong third for Sixth Man of the Year was Rose, despite spending a good part of the season hurt or toiling in a Detroit Pistons uniform.
Now he’s primed to spend a full season with the Knicks coming off his best season in years, and is sure to spend most of it as a reserve behind Kemba Walker. This gives him a real shot at the award, especially given how much more efficient he was than last year’s winner, Jordan Clarkson.
Knicks win a playoff series
This should be goal No. 1 for this team after an embarrassing postseason wipeout to the Hawks and a fruitful summer.
Leon Rose and Scott Perry brought in a former All-Star point guard and multifaceted wing to help ease the burden off Randle, who watched the tape back and knows he needs to be better.
We’re still a long way from April and seeding will play a huge role, but one thing we know is this Knicks team believes it can beat any of the other 29. So long as they aren’t matched up with the Bucks or Nets, there’s no reason to think they have an unrealistic chance at advancing to the second round this time.
https://sny.tv/articles/knicks-bold-predictions-2021-22-nba-season
Last edited:
We bd l
id love all that. Season 3 RJ gonna be a scary sightMy brother @DPresidential forgot to tag me lol. Stay strong & hang in there bro. There's many here like myself that respect you & care
I'm looking forward to this season & hopefully we prove last year wasn't some kind of fluke
5 bold Knicks predictions for 2021-22 season
Will New York be a playoff team again?
With the Knicks' season about to begin, here are five bold predictions on what’s about to unfold between now and April.
These are based on past performances and some conjecture.
Some predictions may be bolder than others, and are working off the assumption that injuries won’t play a major role...
Knicks secure home court in playoffs again
Why not? Most of the NBA world priced in regression for this Knicks team despite their evident improvements. They’re going to have a top 10 defense -- a big help in accumulating regular season wins -- and Tom Thibodeau-coached teams tend to have an intensity edge before the playoffs as well.
Some cite the rest of the East getting better, but there aren’t a great deal of threats. The Milwaukee Bucks and Brooklyn Nets likely top the standings, but the Miami Heat are extremely thin past its first seven guys and tends to perform better in the postseason.
The Atlanta Hawks should be trouble. The Boston Celtics suffered through COVID and injuries last year but are ultimately returning with a similar, and arguably worse roster. The Chicago Bulls had a splashy summer, signing non-winners who are an awkward fit with little defense.
Mitchell Robinson makes an All-NBA Defensive Team
It may have only been short glimpses in an injury-riddled season, but last year’s Robinson looked as if he took the biggest step in his NBA development yet. He’s not fully practicing yet, but came into training camp beefed up and more mature.
When healthy, he is a hugely impactful defensive presence, and should he stay healthy for most of this season, will earn honors for it. His physique and athleticism are matched by few, plus his defensive IQ is sure to keep climbing with a second season under Thibs.
Julius Randle and RJ Barrett get even better
This should not be a bold prediction. However, after standout second Knick seasons from the pair last year, many expect regression from them.
That is backwards nonsense. Randle is about to turn 27, entering his prime with added weapons around him. He’s improved every year he’s been in the league, excluding injury and David Fizdale-plagued seasons.
Barrett’s seemingly improved every month he’s been in the NBA, displaying the mental fortitude and work ethic any team wants out of a top pick. He just became eligible to drink in the United States this summer.
Randle making another All-NBA team should surprise nobody. Barrett joining him on an All-Star team if the Knicks have a strong record come February shouldn’t, either.
Derrick Rose wins Sixth Man of the Year
The Knicks won their fair share of individual accolades for their terrific 2020-21, including Randle’s Most Improved Player and Thibodeau’s Coach of the Year honors. Coming in a strong third for Sixth Man of the Year was Rose, despite spending a good part of the season hurt or toiling in a Detroit Pistons uniform.
Now he’s primed to spend a full season with the Knicks coming off his best season in years, and is sure to spend most of it as a reserve behind Kemba Walker. This gives him a real shot at the award, especially given how much more efficient he was than last year’s winner, Jordan Clarkson.
Knicks win a playoff series
This should be goal No. 1 for this team after an embarrassing postseason wipeout to the Hawks and a fruitful summer.
Leon Rose and Scott Perry brought in a former All-Star point guard and multifaceted wing to help ease the burden off Randle, who watched the tape back and knows he needs to be better.
We’re still a long way from April and seeding will play a huge role, but one thing we know is this Knicks team believes it can beat any of the other 29. So long as they aren’t matched up with the Bucks or Nets, there’s no reason to think they have an unrealistic chance at advancing to the second round this time.
https://sny.tv/articles/knicks-bold-predictions-2021-22-nba-season
Ironman
#Knickstape
Soon
We back
I’m hyped. Where my homiez?
Knicks’ Immanuel Quickley details Year 2 expectations and harmonious relationship with Tom Thibodeau
By Fred Katz 3h ago
6
Tom Thibodeau knows what to expect when he bellows at Immanuel Quickley. The Knicks coach’s intensity grows and the 22-year-old guard begins to smirk, enough to show he is receiving the message.
It goes two ways. Quickley has pinpointed how to identify Thibodeau’s fervor, too. It starts with a look, he says.
“A little scowl sometimes,” Quickley described it.
It’s a signature of Thibodeau’s — as is the baritone passion that conveys the message. He coaches his players hard. And Quickley, who is entering his second NBA season, has learned it firsthand.
“I love it. I love it. … That’s what you want,” Quickley said. “You want somebody that’s gonna push you, hold you accountable. And I don’t smile to be disrespectful. I smile because I really love when somebody gets on me because it’s a challenge.”
Soon, Quickley will put all that coachability to use. The Knicks open up the preseason Tuesday against the Pacers. Their regular-season schedule will tip off two weeks from Wednesday. And unlike last year’s training camp, the guard is coming into this season with a defined role.
Quickley is an entrenched member of the Knicks’ bench group, ready to run alongside Derrick Rose, Alec Burks and Obi Toppin. Quickley is an instant-offense scorer, thanks to ignitable off-the-dribble scoring and a pillowy floater. But what’s next?
Whenever Thibodeau fields inevitable questions about if the Knicks can or will or want to acquire a superstar, he responds with the same point: he’s worried about internal development more than how the front office can flip players or draft picks for someone else’s franchise player. He mentions the recent evolution of Julius Randle, who was not an All-NBA performer when he joined the Knicks but became one under Thibodeau’s tutelage.
This season, there are others with a chance to improve.
Former No. 3 overall draft pick R.J. Barrett is only 21 years old and honed his jumper while solidifying his defense as a second-year player. All-Star status is ambitious for anyone, but Barrett is on a positive trajectory. And then there’s Quickley, who can help the bench thrive in an even more refined manner.
Thibodeau says he’s “very comfortable” with the 22-year-old running the point, but Quickley would mostly go to his first read as a rookie, something that’s true for most inexperienced pros. In Year 2, can he better execute those check-down passes he sometimes struggled with in 2020-21? Can he start to create while running pick-and-rolls?
Fortunately, he’ll have help.
“The great value with (Quickley) is that he plays with Derrick and Alec, and so really the point (guard) is interchangeable with those guys. They move the ball and they make plays for each other real well,” Thibodeau said. “So, oftentimes, Quickley will bring it up. Derrick will bring it up. Alec could bring it up or we’ll get into dribble-handoffs. … We’re gonna fly around.”
Thibodeau is correct. The Knicks, as constituted, don’t need another point guard, considering Rose and Kemba Walker will split the 48 minutes there. But both veterans have injury-laden histories. What if one of them has to sit due to an injury or just needs a night off? Walker, after all, didn’t play both games of any back-to-back last season in Boston.
All of a sudden, Quickley would have to carry more weight.
“I feel like I’m a basketball player first. Whether that’s playing the one, playing off the ball, being able to score, being able to facilitate and help others score, I feel like that’s what I’m best at is just being versatile,” Quickley said. “That’s what the NBA game is. You look at players like when (conventional point guards) Kyle Lowry and Fred VanVleet were playing together (in Toronto). There’s players all across — there’s no such thing as a quote-unquote point guard.”
But there is such a thing as a lead decision-maker, someone who gathers and organizes the offense. The Knicks scored an impressive 112.8 points per 100 possessions when Quickley was the lead guard last season, according to data-tracking site Cleaning the Glass. But they reached that number in part because Randle often dominated as a facilitator in those lineups.
Quickley can still learn. And the Knicks are betting he will.
There aren’t many other point guard options beyond Rose and Walker. Burks creates off the dribble. Of course, so does Randle. Miles McBride plays the point, but no team wants to rely on a rookie second-rounder coming out of training camp.
At some point, the Knicks might need Quickley, not just as a scorer but also as an improved decision-maker.
“We know the things he does well,” Thibodeau said. “And when you look at our league now, I would say the definition of a point guard has changed. We see a lot more scoring point guards. We see pick-and-roll point guards. We see power point guards that get downhill and make plays. So, it’s play to your strengths and cover up your weaknesses.”
Thibodeau points out the way Quickley studies film, describing the guard as if he’s Quentin Tarantino with a handle. Quickley goes back and watches practices, just to study what he did well and poorly. He has watched every single minute of each scrimmage the Knicks have played during training camp, he says.
He spent the summer trying to pick up nuances from the competition, watching the Trail Blazers’ CJ McCollum, the Warriors’ Stephen Curry and other guards he admires. McCollum, specifically, is an appropriate subject, considering his style.
McCollum, who may now own the title of “Best Player Who’s Never Made An All-Star Team” after Mike Conley finally got there, gets to the paint about as little as any efficient, scoring guard can. He’s at the peak of Quickley’s genre. He carves up defenses with midrange pullups, a crafty floater and 3-pointers.
Sound familiar?
“I’m a good athlete, not a great athlete. I’m strong, but not as strong as most players,” Quickley said. “So I have to work hard. I have to be the hardest worker on whatever team I’m on.”
Finishing around the rim was an adventure for Quickley as a rookie — and that was when he even got there. He rarely ever traversed deep into the crowded paint, instead settling for those floaters, a strength of his. But no shot is better than one right at the hoop. Layups and dunks, meanwhile, made up only 6 percent of Quickley’s field-goal attempts last season. And he knows this.
He says he tried to get stronger this summer. (And yes, statements from young players about adding muscle, shedding body fat and showing up “in the best shape of my life” have become a media day tradition as old as the NBA itself. But all we have for now is Quickley’s word — until Tuesday night, when he can give us a glimpse of how he may have changed.)
If Quickley’s brawnier, maybe he can force his way to the hole more, or maybe he can finish through contact better once he arrives. He was a crafty foul-seeker last season, a strategy he’ll have to adjust with referees cracking down on inorganic shooting motions now. Maybe the extra power gets him another free throw or two.
How about on the other side? Is he fighting a little tougher when an opposing ballhandler tries to muscle him? Or is he flying in the other direction when a stable screener comes to level him?
Expectations have adjusted after the surprise rookie season.
First-year players, even ones who become top-notch stars, rarely ever impact winning, especially not right away and especially not when they go No. 25 in the draft, as Quickley did in 2020. But the Knicks, a No. 4 seed last season, were better because of Quickley’s presence. Their bench units, especially once the team acquired Rose, ran opposing ones off the floor. Quickley would catch fire from deep or have spurts where he’d score six points in three minutes to keep the reserves afloat until Randle and Co. returned to close games.
But the Eastern Conference is more competitive this season, and the Knicks will lean on Quickley a little more now. He has his first chance to show off the new and improved him Tuesday.
“He’s a sponge,” Thibodeau said. “He watches everyone. … He’ll come in virtually every night, and he’s always working on something. And then he masters it. So, that’s what I love about him.”
(Photo: Ryan Stetz / NBAE via Getty Images)
By Fred Katz 3h ago
Tom Thibodeau knows what to expect when he bellows at Immanuel Quickley. The Knicks coach’s intensity grows and the 22-year-old guard begins to smirk, enough to show he is receiving the message.
It goes two ways. Quickley has pinpointed how to identify Thibodeau’s fervor, too. It starts with a look, he says.
“A little scowl sometimes,” Quickley described it.
It’s a signature of Thibodeau’s — as is the baritone passion that conveys the message. He coaches his players hard. And Quickley, who is entering his second NBA season, has learned it firsthand.
“I love it. I love it. … That’s what you want,” Quickley said. “You want somebody that’s gonna push you, hold you accountable. And I don’t smile to be disrespectful. I smile because I really love when somebody gets on me because it’s a challenge.”
Soon, Quickley will put all that coachability to use. The Knicks open up the preseason Tuesday against the Pacers. Their regular-season schedule will tip off two weeks from Wednesday. And unlike last year’s training camp, the guard is coming into this season with a defined role.
Quickley is an entrenched member of the Knicks’ bench group, ready to run alongside Derrick Rose, Alec Burks and Obi Toppin. Quickley is an instant-offense scorer, thanks to ignitable off-the-dribble scoring and a pillowy floater. But what’s next?
Whenever Thibodeau fields inevitable questions about if the Knicks can or will or want to acquire a superstar, he responds with the same point: he’s worried about internal development more than how the front office can flip players or draft picks for someone else’s franchise player. He mentions the recent evolution of Julius Randle, who was not an All-NBA performer when he joined the Knicks but became one under Thibodeau’s tutelage.
This season, there are others with a chance to improve.
Former No. 3 overall draft pick R.J. Barrett is only 21 years old and honed his jumper while solidifying his defense as a second-year player. All-Star status is ambitious for anyone, but Barrett is on a positive trajectory. And then there’s Quickley, who can help the bench thrive in an even more refined manner.
Thibodeau says he’s “very comfortable” with the 22-year-old running the point, but Quickley would mostly go to his first read as a rookie, something that’s true for most inexperienced pros. In Year 2, can he better execute those check-down passes he sometimes struggled with in 2020-21? Can he start to create while running pick-and-rolls?
Fortunately, he’ll have help.
“The great value with (Quickley) is that he plays with Derrick and Alec, and so really the point (guard) is interchangeable with those guys. They move the ball and they make plays for each other real well,” Thibodeau said. “So, oftentimes, Quickley will bring it up. Derrick will bring it up. Alec could bring it up or we’ll get into dribble-handoffs. … We’re gonna fly around.”
Thibodeau is correct. The Knicks, as constituted, don’t need another point guard, considering Rose and Kemba Walker will split the 48 minutes there. But both veterans have injury-laden histories. What if one of them has to sit due to an injury or just needs a night off? Walker, after all, didn’t play both games of any back-to-back last season in Boston.
All of a sudden, Quickley would have to carry more weight.
“I feel like I’m a basketball player first. Whether that’s playing the one, playing off the ball, being able to score, being able to facilitate and help others score, I feel like that’s what I’m best at is just being versatile,” Quickley said. “That’s what the NBA game is. You look at players like when (conventional point guards) Kyle Lowry and Fred VanVleet were playing together (in Toronto). There’s players all across — there’s no such thing as a quote-unquote point guard.”
But there is such a thing as a lead decision-maker, someone who gathers and organizes the offense. The Knicks scored an impressive 112.8 points per 100 possessions when Quickley was the lead guard last season, according to data-tracking site Cleaning the Glass. But they reached that number in part because Randle often dominated as a facilitator in those lineups.
Quickley can still learn. And the Knicks are betting he will.
There aren’t many other point guard options beyond Rose and Walker. Burks creates off the dribble. Of course, so does Randle. Miles McBride plays the point, but no team wants to rely on a rookie second-rounder coming out of training camp.
At some point, the Knicks might need Quickley, not just as a scorer but also as an improved decision-maker.
“We know the things he does well,” Thibodeau said. “And when you look at our league now, I would say the definition of a point guard has changed. We see a lot more scoring point guards. We see pick-and-roll point guards. We see power point guards that get downhill and make plays. So, it’s play to your strengths and cover up your weaknesses.”
Thibodeau points out the way Quickley studies film, describing the guard as if he’s Quentin Tarantino with a handle. Quickley goes back and watches practices, just to study what he did well and poorly. He has watched every single minute of each scrimmage the Knicks have played during training camp, he says.
He spent the summer trying to pick up nuances from the competition, watching the Trail Blazers’ CJ McCollum, the Warriors’ Stephen Curry and other guards he admires. McCollum, specifically, is an appropriate subject, considering his style.
McCollum, who may now own the title of “Best Player Who’s Never Made An All-Star Team” after Mike Conley finally got there, gets to the paint about as little as any efficient, scoring guard can. He’s at the peak of Quickley’s genre. He carves up defenses with midrange pullups, a crafty floater and 3-pointers.
Sound familiar?
“I’m a good athlete, not a great athlete. I’m strong, but not as strong as most players,” Quickley said. “So I have to work hard. I have to be the hardest worker on whatever team I’m on.”
Finishing around the rim was an adventure for Quickley as a rookie — and that was when he even got there. He rarely ever traversed deep into the crowded paint, instead settling for those floaters, a strength of his. But no shot is better than one right at the hoop. Layups and dunks, meanwhile, made up only 6 percent of Quickley’s field-goal attempts last season. And he knows this.
He says he tried to get stronger this summer. (And yes, statements from young players about adding muscle, shedding body fat and showing up “in the best shape of my life” have become a media day tradition as old as the NBA itself. But all we have for now is Quickley’s word — until Tuesday night, when he can give us a glimpse of how he may have changed.)
If Quickley’s brawnier, maybe he can force his way to the hole more, or maybe he can finish through contact better once he arrives. He was a crafty foul-seeker last season, a strategy he’ll have to adjust with referees cracking down on inorganic shooting motions now. Maybe the extra power gets him another free throw or two.
How about on the other side? Is he fighting a little tougher when an opposing ballhandler tries to muscle him? Or is he flying in the other direction when a stable screener comes to level him?
Expectations have adjusted after the surprise rookie season.
First-year players, even ones who become top-notch stars, rarely ever impact winning, especially not right away and especially not when they go No. 25 in the draft, as Quickley did in 2020. But the Knicks, a No. 4 seed last season, were better because of Quickley’s presence. Their bench units, especially once the team acquired Rose, ran opposing ones off the floor. Quickley would catch fire from deep or have spurts where he’d score six points in three minutes to keep the reserves afloat until Randle and Co. returned to close games.
But the Eastern Conference is more competitive this season, and the Knicks will lean on Quickley a little more now. He has his first chance to show off the new and improved him Tuesday.
“He’s a sponge,” Thibodeau said. “He watches everyone. … He’ll come in virtually every night, and he’s always working on something. And then he masters it. So, that’s what I love about him.”
(Photo: Ryan Stetz / NBAE via Getty Images)
Knicks' Immanuel Quickley details Year 2 expectations and harmonious relationship with Tom Thibodeau – The Athletic
Kevin Knox may get some burn today
Starting lineup for tonight
