Last 18/19 NY Knicks season transmission: "F*** all the haters from you to SAS" See y'all in '20
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seemorecizzy
Superstar
missed the game but i seen highlights of frank playin well
salute to him, but we cant overeact. these games come too few and far between. lets hope he can keep it up
fitz knows what hes doing. in simple terms, he benched frank to see if he has any heart or pride in his game. he wanted to see if he was a bytch. this whole year is a trail run for everyone, real shyt starts next season
salute to him, but we cant overeact. these games come too few and far between. lets hope he can keep it up
fitz knows what hes doing. in simple terms, he benched frank to see if he has any heart or pride in his game. he wanted to see if he was a bytch. this whole year is a trail run for everyone, real shyt starts next season
He's 20 and it's all about potential...not actual production.missed the game but i seen highlights of frank playin well
salute to him, but we cant overeact. these games come too few and far between. lets hope he can keep it up
fitz knows what hes doing. in simple terms, he benched frank to see if he has any heart or pride in his game. he wanted to see if he was a bytch. this whole year is a trail run for everyone, real shyt starts next season
Him showing he is capable is gold. A 20 year old being completely NBA ready is a diamond- very rare.
He just needs to continue on the path he's on and trust Fiz.
It's looking up.
The same way I wouldn't expect Knox to put up 17 a game, I just want to see he's capable of what he did last night
seemorecizzy
Superstar
i dont need him to drop 18 every game
im just asking that he doesnt have 2 good games a month. those triple donuts that got him benched werent acceptable
hes old enough to contribute on a regular basis
plenty of players his age and younger are doing it, no excuses
i got no issues with knox, hes progressin well.
Hold up...
How the fukk did Timmy end up shooting over 50% yesterday?
He was hot trash before I stopped watching.
I had to stop watching the game BEFORE Frank came in last night b/c I had to put my daughter to sleep.
How the fukk did Timmy end up shooting over 50% yesterday?
He was hot trash before I stopped watching. I had to stop watching the game BEFORE Frank came in last night b/c I had to put my daughter to sleep.
storyteller
Veteran
Even on another double digit loss and being a bottom five team in the league, the Knicks managed to inject some optimism into an otherwise tough loss via the play of the youth. Frank Ntilikina and Kevin Knox led the way, but Dotson and Robinson were impact players as well on a night where the starting unit never got their act together. Defensively, pick and roll defense continues to be an achilles heel for New York as guards too often switch and weakside help manages to be late even for players that cheat off their man and gravitate toward the lane. Offensively, the ball movement was there with a number of players involved in playmaking but assists continue to be fleeting for the head ball handlers. But the positivity comes from signs that the Frank, Dotson, Robinson trio, advanced stats marvel that it is, might be reunited in the rotation. Excitement is building as Kevin Knox might not have found his efficiency, but he has found his scoring in a multitude of ways. A tank is much easier to accept when the youth shows their upside and starts to display chemistry. Let's get into it:
Mudiay: This was a night where Emmanuel Mudiay's shot wouldn't fall and his performance tapered off thanks to it. Mudiay was able to make some things happen as a passer, but the combination of struggling to score and also to contain Kemba Walker made this a tough night for the Knicks starting PG. Mud went 3 for 9 from the field and missed all 4 of his three pointers, without doing enough elsewhere to cover for his attrition as a scorer. Mudiay finished with 6 points, 4 assists to 2 TO's and 3 rebounds in 19 minutes of play. It's worth mentioning that Mario Hezonja started the game guarding Walker instead of Mudiay and I'm not really sure what Fiz had in mind there.
Hardaway: Tim Hardaway had his best shooting game in a while and I'm wondering how much of that comes down to him looking to create and do more with the ball than settle on jumpers. Hardaway shot 7 for 13 from the field and made 3 of his 5 three pointers on his way to an extremely efficient 21 points from the field. He still pulled a couple of those heat check, long jumpers but reeled it in for the most part. That was accomplished by attacking the defense off the dribble and with passing which helped THJ to 5 assists on the night but also led to 5 turnovers over the course of 35 minutes that he played. I should stress this bit, as frustrating as the TO's are, I actually can deal with that struggle if it comes with an efficient scoring night and some honest playmaking. Yes, Tim Hardaway has his flaws and still isn't putting it all together offensively at once but if he's a streaky shooter than recognizing the cold streaks and refusing to settle is a welcome development. It's the other end of the court that bothered me. Jeremy Lamb lit it up from the field and outside of taking one charge, Hardaway didn't stand out as a help defender except when he was late to rotate.
Mario: Mario Hezonja kinda got thrown to the wolves with a Kemba Walker assignment to start the game. He did not handle that any better than you might expect, it probably wasn't fair of Fiz to even try that madness. Hezonja's 3 attempts to answer on the other end were misses. After five minutes of this, Fizdale sent Mario to the bench where he would spend the rest of the night.
Vonleh: On a night where Noah Vonleh actually forced a couple of shots, he also had one of his best all around games to make up for the inefficiency. Vonleh showed up some really nice awareness, especially on some early post passes. In recent games, we've seen Vonleh take face up opportunities to dribble into space and score off his momentum going inside. Last night though, the Hornets didn't let him get any of that, instead making Vonleh pass the ball which turned out to be just fine. Noah went 1 for 5 from the field and only had 3 points but he also tallied 9 assists and 10 rebounds in 30 minutes with just 2 TO's. He took a couple of three's where he didn't receive the ball in rhythm and it showed, but for the most part Vonleh took what he was given and that meant lots of assists. Defensively, it really is astounding how reliable this guy is on a switch. His value in the pick and roll dominated NBA falls moreso on his defensive abilities than the fact that he really does seem to have three point spacing ability. I will issue a complaint though because I gotta be fair. Vonleh sometimes grabs a board and dribbles up court which is cool, but it's as effective when he's looking off a guard that could get the ball up the court faster. The goal is to put the defense off balance and speed is more important than anything there.
Kanter: Well the Hezonja on Kemba thing gets worse when you consider that it put Kemba Walker and Cody Zeller into a constant attack against Mario and Kanter who both struggle with pick and roll defense. Zeller went off in the first quarter and it honestly set Kanter's night off to a really rough start. Kanter finished with a still efficient 3 of 6 from the field for 6 points and 4 boards in 18 minutes but the Kemba/Cody pick and roll attack was too potent to keep Kanter out there very long.
Frank: Frank Ntilikina went the first 8 minutes of his time out there without a field goal made and only taking two attempts (one forced mind you). If Burke or Trier were available, it's possible that Frank woulda gone right back to the doghouse...or at least someone probably said something to him at halftime. That's because Ntilikina came out in the third quarter on attack mode like we've rarely seen. Frank hit three pointers, attacked the lane moving left, pulled up off the dribble and moved well off the ball while accumulating 18 points and 1 assist shooting 7 for 11 from the field. The three point struggles for Ntilikina have been well documented so watching him hit all four of his tries was especially promising. We also saw a bit of emotion out of Frank as his buckets helped turn a blowout into a game with an outside chance for a comeback. This was one half and approximately 12 minutes of play (cut short by fouling out on dubious calls) for 18 points that put on full display the potential that can be unlocked from this 20 year old. It wasn't all roses though. Frank had 3 TO's and some unforced errors like a lob to Mitch that was too far behind the big man. Defensively, Frank had a tough first half especially with Tony Parker's crafty style; this is purely anecdotal speculation but it seems like crafty PG's give the French Prince a lot more trouble than ones who rely on athleticism. I'll keep an eye on that moving forward.
Dot: There's a weird thing that happens when I look at Damyean Dotson's statlines on many nights. I get a bit of a "that's it?" feeling from what the boxscore is showing not because Dotson played poorly but because the eye test shows a much bigger impact than the stats can convey. Take last night for instance. Dotson's 31 minutes came with 12 points and 3 assists to 3 TO's and rare weak night on the boards with just 1 rebound. But that doesn't display just how good the defense looked when Dot got to work beside Frank and Mitch. The 12 points looks more meaningful when you consider it came on 6 makes for 8 attempts, truly efficient. Even the rebounding misses the times where Dot is getting after it and creating opportunities for others to get a looseball that otherwise would have been an easy rebound for an opposing big. It's a trip too because Dot's statlines are never bad but his impact feels even bigger.
Knox: Let me just deal with the caveats before I heap my praise on Knox because it can get out of hand if I don't. Kevin Knox was 10 for 25 from the field with no assists over 41 minutes of play. Defensively, he's started to show some improvements but nothing to the magnitude that he cracks anything but average so far. The 25 attempts included some forces and soft takes in the lane; Knox took some floaters in traffic or tried to finesse things when a stronger take might have drawn a whistle. But he's 19 years old and just put up 26 points and 15 rebounds against a playoff caliber team; a fact that completely supercedes any negativity you might fish out of the performance. Mixed in with the weaker takes were some more coast to coast, high momentum finishes in the lane. The rookie runs hard through screens which affords him what little space he needs to get off looks to the tune of 4 for 8 from three. Even with the 25 attempts, Knox had moments where he passed up a tough but decent look and let the Knicks build a play up. To top that off, the flashes of good instincts and rebounding ability exploded with that fifteen board tally. Knox has the size and athleticism, plus the instincts to become a very good rebounding forward while also having the mentality to turn those boards into one man fast break attacks. This kid is going to get stronger, his handle has tons of room for improvement and he's already able to get off a variety of looks inside the lane. Kudos to Fiz as well, for getting Knox more involved in off ball action and now handling through screens as well. The efficiency will take time and work, but we're seeing the foundation for a player who has massive upside. It will probably be years to even approach Kevin Knox's peak potential but even getting halfway there will produce an impact scorer for the Knicks.
Lee: Lee spent 13 minutes out there and did some nice things but still looks a bit out of place. The chemistry is coming, the looks are getting better, but the results are still shaky. 4 points, 2 assists and 2 rebounds for Courtney Lee in 13 minutes where we're kinda still waiting to see vintage Lee. Last season he attacked PnR opportunities with solid results, he hasn't shown comfort demanding the ball and doing that yet but I'm confident it will come and with a young team that is inconsistent...it'll actually be a welcome addition to alleviate some pressure.
Mitch: Mitchell Robinson, even when he keeps the foul trouble in check, finds ways to not put up big minutes. Last night he had a scary moment when an opposing big fell on his arm that cost Mitch a chunk of the first half. That's unfortunate too because in his 19 minutes of play, Robinson was active and making things happen. Mitch clocked 6 points, 2 blocks and 2 rebounds in a Dotson like performance where the statistics don't begin to show the entirety of his impact. We know that Robinson gets after it but he's begun to log blocks where a perimeter big tries to pump fake and drive past Robinson. Those were plays where the rookie big was getting into a ton of foul trouble early on but last night against Kaminsky (and against Morris with the Wizards before that) we saw Mitch track the ball handler across the lane and swat the attempt. This isn't sarcasm, the three fouls in twenty minutes is exciting to see. There's already the promise of a more disciplined defender who still changes and blocks shots from the opposition all over the court. The next step is still getting this kid out there for 25 minutes or more which is as much on Mitch (and some luck) as it is on Fiz.
Baker: Ron Baker gave some solid minutes after Frank fouled out. In just 9 minutes of play, Baker added 5 points and 3 assists simply by being in attack mode. He's hard to dislike because he plays hard any chance he gets. The best bit for him? Baker made his one three point attempt and really his upside all sits on him becoming a formidable 3 and d piece...that's where he'll have a chance to carve out a long term niche in NBA.
Fiz: Kevin Knox and Frank Ntilikina have both responded well to their benchings, showing potential at levels that we hadn't seen before. The starters that struggled the most last night were held accountable and saw the bench rather than extended time to force the issue. The best news of all is that Knox got 41 minutes and Dotson got 31...the kids got the keys when the starters wouldn't step up. That said, I don't think Knox replacing Hezonja will change the lingering issues with the starting line-up. The starters have had good offensive chemistry but struggled on defense while Knox is an offensive booster who also struggles on defense. There was also the head scratcher of Mario on Kemba (did Fiz get asked about this?). I don't know if that move was the motivate Mario or to let Mudiay focus on offense or what but it really didn't work out. Those question marks are easier to stomach though because everyone got fair treatment and the youth was given the spotlight. When the team is blown out with expiring players taking bad shots and playing poor defense; it's a tougher pill to swallow then when they lose by double digits but the effort level is increased and you can actually picture the positive developments impacting the Knicks next year. I don't mind keeping the kids off the bench as long as they stick together and get their shots. We're approaching a third of the way in and it's time to really settle into roles and let these guys know what you want them to become. Also, on the playcalling situation, I definitely saw a basket out of a horns set which I'm hoping to see get expanded use over time. The playbook really does appear to be expanding which is almost as exciting as the players developing themselves.
Mudiay: This was a night where Emmanuel Mudiay's shot wouldn't fall and his performance tapered off thanks to it. Mudiay was able to make some things happen as a passer, but the combination of struggling to score and also to contain Kemba Walker made this a tough night for the Knicks starting PG. Mud went 3 for 9 from the field and missed all 4 of his three pointers, without doing enough elsewhere to cover for his attrition as a scorer. Mudiay finished with 6 points, 4 assists to 2 TO's and 3 rebounds in 19 minutes of play. It's worth mentioning that Mario Hezonja started the game guarding Walker instead of Mudiay and I'm not really sure what Fiz had in mind there.
Hardaway: Tim Hardaway had his best shooting game in a while and I'm wondering how much of that comes down to him looking to create and do more with the ball than settle on jumpers. Hardaway shot 7 for 13 from the field and made 3 of his 5 three pointers on his way to an extremely efficient 21 points from the field. He still pulled a couple of those heat check, long jumpers but reeled it in for the most part. That was accomplished by attacking the defense off the dribble and with passing which helped THJ to 5 assists on the night but also led to 5 turnovers over the course of 35 minutes that he played. I should stress this bit, as frustrating as the TO's are, I actually can deal with that struggle if it comes with an efficient scoring night and some honest playmaking. Yes, Tim Hardaway has his flaws and still isn't putting it all together offensively at once but if he's a streaky shooter than recognizing the cold streaks and refusing to settle is a welcome development. It's the other end of the court that bothered me. Jeremy Lamb lit it up from the field and outside of taking one charge, Hardaway didn't stand out as a help defender except when he was late to rotate.
Mario: Mario Hezonja kinda got thrown to the wolves with a Kemba Walker assignment to start the game. He did not handle that any better than you might expect, it probably wasn't fair of Fiz to even try that madness. Hezonja's 3 attempts to answer on the other end were misses. After five minutes of this, Fizdale sent Mario to the bench where he would spend the rest of the night.
Vonleh: On a night where Noah Vonleh actually forced a couple of shots, he also had one of his best all around games to make up for the inefficiency. Vonleh showed up some really nice awareness, especially on some early post passes. In recent games, we've seen Vonleh take face up opportunities to dribble into space and score off his momentum going inside. Last night though, the Hornets didn't let him get any of that, instead making Vonleh pass the ball which turned out to be just fine. Noah went 1 for 5 from the field and only had 3 points but he also tallied 9 assists and 10 rebounds in 30 minutes with just 2 TO's. He took a couple of three's where he didn't receive the ball in rhythm and it showed, but for the most part Vonleh took what he was given and that meant lots of assists. Defensively, it really is astounding how reliable this guy is on a switch. His value in the pick and roll dominated NBA falls moreso on his defensive abilities than the fact that he really does seem to have three point spacing ability. I will issue a complaint though because I gotta be fair. Vonleh sometimes grabs a board and dribbles up court which is cool, but it's as effective when he's looking off a guard that could get the ball up the court faster. The goal is to put the defense off balance and speed is more important than anything there.
Kanter: Well the Hezonja on Kemba thing gets worse when you consider that it put Kemba Walker and Cody Zeller into a constant attack against Mario and Kanter who both struggle with pick and roll defense. Zeller went off in the first quarter and it honestly set Kanter's night off to a really rough start. Kanter finished with a still efficient 3 of 6 from the field for 6 points and 4 boards in 18 minutes but the Kemba/Cody pick and roll attack was too potent to keep Kanter out there very long.
Frank: Frank Ntilikina went the first 8 minutes of his time out there without a field goal made and only taking two attempts (one forced mind you). If Burke or Trier were available, it's possible that Frank woulda gone right back to the doghouse...or at least someone probably said something to him at halftime. That's because Ntilikina came out in the third quarter on attack mode like we've rarely seen. Frank hit three pointers, attacked the lane moving left, pulled up off the dribble and moved well off the ball while accumulating 18 points and 1 assist shooting 7 for 11 from the field. The three point struggles for Ntilikina have been well documented so watching him hit all four of his tries was especially promising. We also saw a bit of emotion out of Frank as his buckets helped turn a blowout into a game with an outside chance for a comeback. This was one half and approximately 12 minutes of play (cut short by fouling out on dubious calls) for 18 points that put on full display the potential that can be unlocked from this 20 year old. It wasn't all roses though. Frank had 3 TO's and some unforced errors like a lob to Mitch that was too far behind the big man. Defensively, Frank had a tough first half especially with Tony Parker's crafty style; this is purely anecdotal speculation but it seems like crafty PG's give the French Prince a lot more trouble than ones who rely on athleticism. I'll keep an eye on that moving forward.
Dot: There's a weird thing that happens when I look at Damyean Dotson's statlines on many nights. I get a bit of a "that's it?" feeling from what the boxscore is showing not because Dotson played poorly but because the eye test shows a much bigger impact than the stats can convey. Take last night for instance. Dotson's 31 minutes came with 12 points and 3 assists to 3 TO's and rare weak night on the boards with just 1 rebound. But that doesn't display just how good the defense looked when Dot got to work beside Frank and Mitch. The 12 points looks more meaningful when you consider it came on 6 makes for 8 attempts, truly efficient. Even the rebounding misses the times where Dot is getting after it and creating opportunities for others to get a looseball that otherwise would have been an easy rebound for an opposing big. It's a trip too because Dot's statlines are never bad but his impact feels even bigger.
Knox: Let me just deal with the caveats before I heap my praise on Knox because it can get out of hand if I don't. Kevin Knox was 10 for 25 from the field with no assists over 41 minutes of play. Defensively, he's started to show some improvements but nothing to the magnitude that he cracks anything but average so far. The 25 attempts included some forces and soft takes in the lane; Knox took some floaters in traffic or tried to finesse things when a stronger take might have drawn a whistle. But he's 19 years old and just put up 26 points and 15 rebounds against a playoff caliber team; a fact that completely supercedes any negativity you might fish out of the performance. Mixed in with the weaker takes were some more coast to coast, high momentum finishes in the lane. The rookie runs hard through screens which affords him what little space he needs to get off looks to the tune of 4 for 8 from three. Even with the 25 attempts, Knox had moments where he passed up a tough but decent look and let the Knicks build a play up. To top that off, the flashes of good instincts and rebounding ability exploded with that fifteen board tally. Knox has the size and athleticism, plus the instincts to become a very good rebounding forward while also having the mentality to turn those boards into one man fast break attacks. This kid is going to get stronger, his handle has tons of room for improvement and he's already able to get off a variety of looks inside the lane. Kudos to Fiz as well, for getting Knox more involved in off ball action and now handling through screens as well. The efficiency will take time and work, but we're seeing the foundation for a player who has massive upside. It will probably be years to even approach Kevin Knox's peak potential but even getting halfway there will produce an impact scorer for the Knicks.
Lee: Lee spent 13 minutes out there and did some nice things but still looks a bit out of place. The chemistry is coming, the looks are getting better, but the results are still shaky. 4 points, 2 assists and 2 rebounds for Courtney Lee in 13 minutes where we're kinda still waiting to see vintage Lee. Last season he attacked PnR opportunities with solid results, he hasn't shown comfort demanding the ball and doing that yet but I'm confident it will come and with a young team that is inconsistent...it'll actually be a welcome addition to alleviate some pressure.
Mitch: Mitchell Robinson, even when he keeps the foul trouble in check, finds ways to not put up big minutes. Last night he had a scary moment when an opposing big fell on his arm that cost Mitch a chunk of the first half. That's unfortunate too because in his 19 minutes of play, Robinson was active and making things happen. Mitch clocked 6 points, 2 blocks and 2 rebounds in a Dotson like performance where the statistics don't begin to show the entirety of his impact. We know that Robinson gets after it but he's begun to log blocks where a perimeter big tries to pump fake and drive past Robinson. Those were plays where the rookie big was getting into a ton of foul trouble early on but last night against Kaminsky (and against Morris with the Wizards before that) we saw Mitch track the ball handler across the lane and swat the attempt. This isn't sarcasm, the three fouls in twenty minutes is exciting to see. There's already the promise of a more disciplined defender who still changes and blocks shots from the opposition all over the court. The next step is still getting this kid out there for 25 minutes or more which is as much on Mitch (and some luck) as it is on Fiz.
Baker: Ron Baker gave some solid minutes after Frank fouled out. In just 9 minutes of play, Baker added 5 points and 3 assists simply by being in attack mode. He's hard to dislike because he plays hard any chance he gets. The best bit for him? Baker made his one three point attempt and really his upside all sits on him becoming a formidable 3 and d piece...that's where he'll have a chance to carve out a long term niche in NBA.
Fiz: Kevin Knox and Frank Ntilikina have both responded well to their benchings, showing potential at levels that we hadn't seen before. The starters that struggled the most last night were held accountable and saw the bench rather than extended time to force the issue. The best news of all is that Knox got 41 minutes and Dotson got 31...the kids got the keys when the starters wouldn't step up. That said, I don't think Knox replacing Hezonja will change the lingering issues with the starting line-up. The starters have had good offensive chemistry but struggled on defense while Knox is an offensive booster who also struggles on defense. There was also the head scratcher of Mario on Kemba (did Fiz get asked about this?). I don't know if that move was the motivate Mario or to let Mudiay focus on offense or what but it really didn't work out. Those question marks are easier to stomach though because everyone got fair treatment and the youth was given the spotlight. When the team is blown out with expiring players taking bad shots and playing poor defense; it's a tougher pill to swallow then when they lose by double digits but the effort level is increased and you can actually picture the positive developments impacting the Knicks next year. I don't mind keeping the kids off the bench as long as they stick together and get their shots. We're approaching a third of the way in and it's time to really settle into roles and let these guys know what you want them to become. Also, on the playcalling situation, I definitely saw a basket out of a horns set which I'm hoping to see get expanded use over time. The playbook really does appear to be expanding which is almost as exciting as the players developing themselves.
Francis White
i been away to long, my feeling died.
Bring back Melo and JR to take them to the playoffs.
Wargames
One Of The Last Real Ones To Do It
So Kemba ain't coming brehs 
What's the move if nobody comes?
What's the move if nobody comes?
Keep building through the draft.So Kemba ain't coming brehs
What's the move if nobody comes?
storyteller
Veteran
So Kemba ain't coming brehs
What's the move if nobody comes?
In a perfect world, I'd shift to selling our cap space like the Cavs are doing. Between teams that spend this offseason to land stars but start to see luxury tax issues and teams that are cap locked like the Blazers and Wizards we could do worse than extracting a good but overpaid player at the price of draft capital. Then we lay low and wait for the next Jimmy Butler situation or try to combine the draft assets for a trade up to grab somebody we think will be another KP level game changer (like trading up for a Luke Doncic).
seemorecizzy
Superstar
he said he aint comin?So Kemba ain't coming brehs
What's the move if nobody comes?
storyteller
Veteran
Yeah, he's another one of "I'm staying put" FA's...it's December though, so you never know.
Kemba Walker: I Don't Have Any Interest In Coming Back Home To NY Right Now
ikbm
Formerly ikillbabymamas
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seemorecizzy
Superstar
never in free agency history have players been so blunt about not wanting go come to a team lol
usually they keep it coy
