I haven't seen defense this bad in a while. I wasn't a fan of the Mike Woodson switch defense, but he would have us playing a whole lot better.
Last 18/19 NY Knicks season transmission: "F*** all the haters from you to SAS" See y'all in '20
- Thread starter DPresidential
- Start date
-
- Tags
- blackexcellence fizdale knicks
JMurder
SOHH Member since 01...
Outside of a few stretched, I wouldn't say we were they bad defensively
The amount of defense you're going to be putting up when it comes to the drama & disappointment Kristaps will bring to Dallas..nikkas are still trying to protect Frank Nicotine.
nikkas will think you're a Bad Boy Piston hall of famer.
It's going to be good times.
Aintnobodystupid
All Star
Last edited:
storyteller
Veteran
Let's not mince words here fam, if you watched the Knicks last night against the Pistons there were two reasons to stick around. One was Dennis Smith Jr who has quickly taken to the free wheeling nature of Fizdale's offensive system and the other was Mitch Robinson who can give you more impact in 15 minutes than most rookies give in 30. Everything else was kinda ugly and the final score shows that. The best thing the Knicks have going right now is a roster full of young players with upside, but that can also lead to giving up 40 in a quarter or a loss of composure offensively at closeout time. These are the growing pains you're gonna have to deal with and it can be tough. Watching today and knowing the games that are most meaningful won't happen until next season tips off can be difficult; but looking for trends in play and growth of players is a rewarding experience. So if you're watching with me, let's ride fam and if not; it's all good, I've got you...let's look:
DSJ: Dennis Smith Jr seems custom built to attack the swing passing, multiple screen using offensive sets that Fizdale lets his guards attack from. The centerpiece of the KP deal pumped in 31 points, 8 assists, 2 boards and 2 steals in 35 minutes in very efficient fashion. Smith went 9/15 from the field, a solid 2/5 from three and went a shaqtastic 11/19 from the line...Put aside that Mitch could have given him free throw tips tonight, 19 attempts at the line is massive and promising. That stat also points to just how much of a monster DSJ was on virtually every downhill trip he took. The athleticism we saw when this 21 year old threw down a 360 dunk on a fast break wasn't even the best part, it was the blow bys in half court sets where he got free lay-ups because nobody on the weakside could get over fast enough to contest. But it wouldn't be a fair recap if we didn't talk about the flaws too. The jump passing habit and picking up his dribble early really hurt him to the tune of 4 TO's (one was a bad lob but the others came off of correctable ball handling habits). He also had defensive and communication lapses as his time on the floor was extended; not surprising with the offensive load he was carrying but notable. Lastly, the obvious one is the missed free throws. But in similar fashion to the defense, the free throw struggles exacerbated late in the game with fatigue. The reality here is a young play had a fantastic performance, one of the best we've gotten from any PG in a long time. The lapses and mistakes are all things a film room session and more time to build up his endurance can improve. This is exciting and let me add an intangible to the mix. Dennis Smith Jr plays with an edge. He hasn't backed down from bigs and I wasn't mad about the flagrant foul on Blake, because that chip on his shoulder feeds his non-stop attack. He even carried that into postgame comments where he took responsibility for the loss and called out Griffin's flopping. I love it.
Dot: I always enjoy Damyean Dotson starts because you can rely on solid defense and shooting, he's three and D embodied in a sophomore player. That's especially true when he's able to just let the game come to him, which Dennis Smith's play allowed for. Dot put up 10 points, 2 assists and 2 boards on 4/8 shooting in 24 minutes. I don't have too much new to say about his game, it's steady as they come. My one complaint is probably that in letting the game come to him, he allowed himself to be solid but unremarkable out there. He plays well enough to attack a bit more and the lumps that come with more aggression will be just fine.
Knox: It's looked like a rookie wall for Kevin Knox ever since he closed out a rookie of the month winning December. Now he's also figuring out how to gel with his fifth (Burke, Frank, Mudiay, Allen, Smith) starting PG of the season. That combo translated to a really tough night for the promising young player who put up 7,2 and 2 on 2/8 shooting over 35 minutes out there. That's not to mention 3 TO's from the kid. The frustrating bit is that Smith and others did a decent job of finding Knox good looks from distance but he's been struggling to cash them in (1/4 from three). Knox had his best moments going to the basket with momentum but also picked up TO's doing so. The jumper will open up the floor for him but I'm not sure his legs are there. The Allstar Break is coming and I'm hopeful that he'll come back refreshed and ready to combine with Dennis Smith for a rookie-sophomore offensive pairing that teams are already stressing stopping.
Vonleh: Noah Vonleh got three minutes out there where Blake Griffin went right at him and the Pistons defense funneled the ball to him by collapsing on everyone else. Fiz wound up benching him after 3 misses in those 3 minutes, two coming from three point land. They converted to PF's that are more reliable three point shooters the rest of the way.
DJ: It's tough to describe Deandre Jordan's performance without bringing up DSJ. Jordan and Smith have great chemistry together and it's helping both guys thrive in a new system with all new teammates. DJ put up 14 and 11 with 2 blocks on 5/5 from the field or more accurately from inside of the paint. Of the vets that have taken the floor for the Knicks all season, he's had the most visible positive effect on teammates. This is best exemplified in a second half play where Smith and DJ had a miscommunication on the pick and roll which led to an easy Detroit lay-up. It was on both guys and in these circumstances, we've seen Tim Hardaway jaw at and push blame onto the other guy in the past. DJ though, gave a gesture to Smith and the two actually had a civil conversation...that simple and yet we've been missing that kind of behavior and leadership on the floor.
Allen: I've got a soft spot for hard work guys that turn up on the defensive end and Kadeem Allen fits the bill. He also doesn't force anything offensively but since he's limited, that puts limitations on the rest of the offense too. So it's a give and take situation with the G league call-up. Allen went 3/6 shooting and made his only three pointer for 7 points, 2 assists and 4 boards in 15 minutes. That's really nice production in limited minutes but the product on the floor translated to "not bad" more than anything else. A big positive for Allen is that he's constantly attacking follow-ups with 2 of his 4 rebounds coming on the offensive end, one leading to an immediate put back. It's a wrinkle in his game that adds value and puts added pressure on defensive bigs.
Trier: Allonzo Trier has had some trouble finding consistent productivity for a while now and it feels like there's a bit going on upstairs. We've gone from jawing at THJ because he wouldn't pass on the break, to turning the ball over on a three on two break forcing the wrong pass. In the halfcourt, he's seeing less touches but has visibly been moving the rock more when he does get touches. All of this combines to create a 30 minute night with a pedestrian production of 7 points, 2 assists and 3 boards on 3/9 from the field and carrying 2 TO's as well. It seems like he's looking for balance between attacking and passing, we've gotten more lobs and attempts at playmaking with mixed results but I'll take the growing pains. The alley oops to Mitch alone are a welcome progression and the struggle now speaks to an honest try at making himself more than iso-scorer.
Lance: This was vintage Lance Thomas that used to frustrate me to no end. Even when he makes the right choice, the end result is a mess (hence the old "Life" inspired moniker Can'tGetRight). Lance took Vonleh's place and the Pistons continued to funnel the ball to him. Lance was able to pump fake by his defender and attack the rack consistently only to miss dunks, have lay-ups blocked and make good decisions look like mistakes. Thomas went 2/7 for 4 points, 1 assist and 1 rebound in 13 minutes. Honestly, the hard work and hustle is something that's grown on me especially in this struggle year but last night was like a flashback to Jared Jeffries without any charges taken.
Hezonja: Mario Hezonja went 3/11 from the field and missed his only 2 three point attempts producing just 8 points. But he STILL outperformed the other PF's by having the agility to keep up with Blake Griffin on face-ups and the energy to attack the boards and transition. That kept Hezonja on the floor for 33 minutes and helped him add 7 rebounds, an assist and 2 steals to the poor shooting night. This wasn't Super Mario or Wario; but it was a needed performance on a night when nobody else was giving anything of value at PF. The major positive for Mario was in his attacking the basket, even on misses he was drawing bigs which opened up offensive rebound opportunities for the Centers who capitalized. So don't let the awful percentage fool you, Mario was solid last night.
Mitch: Some day Mitchell Robinson will get 30 minutes out there and we will finally see what his impact feels like for extended time. Mitch was brilliant for the 15 minutes that Fizdale allotted him, tallying 11 points, 6 rebounds (3 offensive boards) and 3 blocks along with 5/7 from the free throw line. Robinson has found fast chemistry with Dennis Smith by being a similar player to Jordan, shown off better rebounding instincts of late and he's limited his fouls as well which makes it possible to keep him out. Why he's not getting more minutes? I have no idea. The drawn fouls and made free throws are especially uplifting because he's struggled from the line and with the team finally realizing that no one can get as high as Mitch does for the ball (even his eyes scream, I get higher than anybody); the ability to draw and convert free throws is going to become more and more important. 11, 6 and 3 in 15 minutes is pretty astounding, now I want to see what the line looks like in 20, 25 and then 30.
Luke and Hicks: Both of last years two-way players made garbage time appearances for 4 minutes. It wasn't enough to make any eye opening moments but it is nice to see two guys that have put in work for the Knicks over these past two seasons get an opportunity.
Fiz: Well, the offensive system doesn't look any different but having a PG that can consistently beat up the pick and roll or freestyle his way through good defense off of athleticism is showing promise in the simplicity. I still think Fiz might be overplaying some young cats. Knox looked like the massive burden he shouldered in December has taken his legs away while DSJ is going from inconsistent minutes with mixed DNP's to a huge role out of the gate. In terms of negatives, that's an issue I can live with. But it does make the limited playing time for Mitchell Robinson even more confusing. He lets a lot of youngsters play through fatigue but Mitch has a quick hook even when he's not in foul trouble. That said, the biggest compliment Fizdale can get came from DSJ in the post game interview. DSJ mentioned how much he hates losing but credited Fizdale with making him remember that he's having fun again. I can appreciate that because in this kind of tank season, keeping morale up is always a challenge. Fiz may have found his muse here. It's like finding your character in a fighting game. Fiz tried Burke, Mudiay, Frank, Trier and even Allen before finding the skillset in DSJ to make things gel. The team missed a lot of good looks, but the offense is flowing well right now and hopefully that continues. Now we can cross our fingers that Frank's return will make patch the defense back up and suddenly the young core may show us true two way potential and upside. I've had plenty of complaints for Fiz, but these last couple of months could be a lot of fun. The trade deadline is behind us, the malcontents and bad fits have been shipped out and now he should have free rein to give us a real idea about what his vision is.
DSJ: Dennis Smith Jr seems custom built to attack the swing passing, multiple screen using offensive sets that Fizdale lets his guards attack from. The centerpiece of the KP deal pumped in 31 points, 8 assists, 2 boards and 2 steals in 35 minutes in very efficient fashion. Smith went 9/15 from the field, a solid 2/5 from three and went a shaqtastic 11/19 from the line...Put aside that Mitch could have given him free throw tips tonight, 19 attempts at the line is massive and promising. That stat also points to just how much of a monster DSJ was on virtually every downhill trip he took. The athleticism we saw when this 21 year old threw down a 360 dunk on a fast break wasn't even the best part, it was the blow bys in half court sets where he got free lay-ups because nobody on the weakside could get over fast enough to contest. But it wouldn't be a fair recap if we didn't talk about the flaws too. The jump passing habit and picking up his dribble early really hurt him to the tune of 4 TO's (one was a bad lob but the others came off of correctable ball handling habits). He also had defensive and communication lapses as his time on the floor was extended; not surprising with the offensive load he was carrying but notable. Lastly, the obvious one is the missed free throws. But in similar fashion to the defense, the free throw struggles exacerbated late in the game with fatigue. The reality here is a young play had a fantastic performance, one of the best we've gotten from any PG in a long time. The lapses and mistakes are all things a film room session and more time to build up his endurance can improve. This is exciting and let me add an intangible to the mix. Dennis Smith Jr plays with an edge. He hasn't backed down from bigs and I wasn't mad about the flagrant foul on Blake, because that chip on his shoulder feeds his non-stop attack. He even carried that into postgame comments where he took responsibility for the loss and called out Griffin's flopping. I love it.
Dot: I always enjoy Damyean Dotson starts because you can rely on solid defense and shooting, he's three and D embodied in a sophomore player. That's especially true when he's able to just let the game come to him, which Dennis Smith's play allowed for. Dot put up 10 points, 2 assists and 2 boards on 4/8 shooting in 24 minutes. I don't have too much new to say about his game, it's steady as they come. My one complaint is probably that in letting the game come to him, he allowed himself to be solid but unremarkable out there. He plays well enough to attack a bit more and the lumps that come with more aggression will be just fine.
Knox: It's looked like a rookie wall for Kevin Knox ever since he closed out a rookie of the month winning December. Now he's also figuring out how to gel with his fifth (Burke, Frank, Mudiay, Allen, Smith) starting PG of the season. That combo translated to a really tough night for the promising young player who put up 7,2 and 2 on 2/8 shooting over 35 minutes out there. That's not to mention 3 TO's from the kid. The frustrating bit is that Smith and others did a decent job of finding Knox good looks from distance but he's been struggling to cash them in (1/4 from three). Knox had his best moments going to the basket with momentum but also picked up TO's doing so. The jumper will open up the floor for him but I'm not sure his legs are there. The Allstar Break is coming and I'm hopeful that he'll come back refreshed and ready to combine with Dennis Smith for a rookie-sophomore offensive pairing that teams are already stressing stopping.
Vonleh: Noah Vonleh got three minutes out there where Blake Griffin went right at him and the Pistons defense funneled the ball to him by collapsing on everyone else. Fiz wound up benching him after 3 misses in those 3 minutes, two coming from three point land. They converted to PF's that are more reliable three point shooters the rest of the way.
DJ: It's tough to describe Deandre Jordan's performance without bringing up DSJ. Jordan and Smith have great chemistry together and it's helping both guys thrive in a new system with all new teammates. DJ put up 14 and 11 with 2 blocks on 5/5 from the field or more accurately from inside of the paint. Of the vets that have taken the floor for the Knicks all season, he's had the most visible positive effect on teammates. This is best exemplified in a second half play where Smith and DJ had a miscommunication on the pick and roll which led to an easy Detroit lay-up. It was on both guys and in these circumstances, we've seen Tim Hardaway jaw at and push blame onto the other guy in the past. DJ though, gave a gesture to Smith and the two actually had a civil conversation...that simple and yet we've been missing that kind of behavior and leadership on the floor.
Allen: I've got a soft spot for hard work guys that turn up on the defensive end and Kadeem Allen fits the bill. He also doesn't force anything offensively but since he's limited, that puts limitations on the rest of the offense too. So it's a give and take situation with the G league call-up. Allen went 3/6 shooting and made his only three pointer for 7 points, 2 assists and 4 boards in 15 minutes. That's really nice production in limited minutes but the product on the floor translated to "not bad" more than anything else. A big positive for Allen is that he's constantly attacking follow-ups with 2 of his 4 rebounds coming on the offensive end, one leading to an immediate put back. It's a wrinkle in his game that adds value and puts added pressure on defensive bigs.
Trier: Allonzo Trier has had some trouble finding consistent productivity for a while now and it feels like there's a bit going on upstairs. We've gone from jawing at THJ because he wouldn't pass on the break, to turning the ball over on a three on two break forcing the wrong pass. In the halfcourt, he's seeing less touches but has visibly been moving the rock more when he does get touches. All of this combines to create a 30 minute night with a pedestrian production of 7 points, 2 assists and 3 boards on 3/9 from the field and carrying 2 TO's as well. It seems like he's looking for balance between attacking and passing, we've gotten more lobs and attempts at playmaking with mixed results but I'll take the growing pains. The alley oops to Mitch alone are a welcome progression and the struggle now speaks to an honest try at making himself more than iso-scorer.
Lance: This was vintage Lance Thomas that used to frustrate me to no end. Even when he makes the right choice, the end result is a mess (hence the old "Life" inspired moniker Can'tGetRight). Lance took Vonleh's place and the Pistons continued to funnel the ball to him. Lance was able to pump fake by his defender and attack the rack consistently only to miss dunks, have lay-ups blocked and make good decisions look like mistakes. Thomas went 2/7 for 4 points, 1 assist and 1 rebound in 13 minutes. Honestly, the hard work and hustle is something that's grown on me especially in this struggle year but last night was like a flashback to Jared Jeffries without any charges taken.
Hezonja: Mario Hezonja went 3/11 from the field and missed his only 2 three point attempts producing just 8 points. But he STILL outperformed the other PF's by having the agility to keep up with Blake Griffin on face-ups and the energy to attack the boards and transition. That kept Hezonja on the floor for 33 minutes and helped him add 7 rebounds, an assist and 2 steals to the poor shooting night. This wasn't Super Mario or Wario; but it was a needed performance on a night when nobody else was giving anything of value at PF. The major positive for Mario was in his attacking the basket, even on misses he was drawing bigs which opened up offensive rebound opportunities for the Centers who capitalized. So don't let the awful percentage fool you, Mario was solid last night.
Mitch: Some day Mitchell Robinson will get 30 minutes out there and we will finally see what his impact feels like for extended time. Mitch was brilliant for the 15 minutes that Fizdale allotted him, tallying 11 points, 6 rebounds (3 offensive boards) and 3 blocks along with 5/7 from the free throw line. Robinson has found fast chemistry with Dennis Smith by being a similar player to Jordan, shown off better rebounding instincts of late and he's limited his fouls as well which makes it possible to keep him out. Why he's not getting more minutes? I have no idea. The drawn fouls and made free throws are especially uplifting because he's struggled from the line and with the team finally realizing that no one can get as high as Mitch does for the ball (even his eyes scream, I get higher than anybody); the ability to draw and convert free throws is going to become more and more important. 11, 6 and 3 in 15 minutes is pretty astounding, now I want to see what the line looks like in 20, 25 and then 30.
Luke and Hicks: Both of last years two-way players made garbage time appearances for 4 minutes. It wasn't enough to make any eye opening moments but it is nice to see two guys that have put in work for the Knicks over these past two seasons get an opportunity.
Fiz: Well, the offensive system doesn't look any different but having a PG that can consistently beat up the pick and roll or freestyle his way through good defense off of athleticism is showing promise in the simplicity. I still think Fiz might be overplaying some young cats. Knox looked like the massive burden he shouldered in December has taken his legs away while DSJ is going from inconsistent minutes with mixed DNP's to a huge role out of the gate. In terms of negatives, that's an issue I can live with. But it does make the limited playing time for Mitchell Robinson even more confusing. He lets a lot of youngsters play through fatigue but Mitch has a quick hook even when he's not in foul trouble. That said, the biggest compliment Fizdale can get came from DSJ in the post game interview. DSJ mentioned how much he hates losing but credited Fizdale with making him remember that he's having fun again. I can appreciate that because in this kind of tank season, keeping morale up is always a challenge. Fiz may have found his muse here. It's like finding your character in a fighting game. Fiz tried Burke, Mudiay, Frank, Trier and even Allen before finding the skillset in DSJ to make things gel. The team missed a lot of good looks, but the offense is flowing well right now and hopefully that continues. Now we can cross our fingers that Frank's return will make patch the defense back up and suddenly the young core may show us true two way potential and upside. I've had plenty of complaints for Fiz, but these last couple of months could be a lot of fun. The trade deadline is behind us, the malcontents and bad fits have been shipped out and now he should have free rein to give us a real idea about what his vision is.
KnickstapeCity
RIP Big Dikk :wow: :mjcry:
@storyteller love what you wrote about DSJr and DJ. 
The kid is so dope. Frank who? Give me Dennis Smith Jr, baby. He’s so good. Ooooh. Sooo good. Is there any chance that we can keep DJ on a friendly contract going forward? I like him a lot.
storyteller
Veteran
It probably depends on whether we get two max cats or not fam. I don't think we can get DJ at the cost of one of the exceptions and we'd be right up against the cap just to sign the two max players. If we were to only sign one though, I think DJ could be brought back at a decent price since bigs without jumpers aren't getting paid like they used to. Mitch might already be ready for a much bigger load though and I'm not sure how DJ would feel about reducing his role when the dude can still flat out do work. I really like what we've gotten from him so far though; first dude who actually feels like a real leader out there with the skills to back it up and command respect.
Wargames
One Of The Last Real Ones To Do It
Peter Popoff
Baba Yega in black uptowns
This was a beautiful trade.
ISO
Pass me the rock nikka
UniKornet is shooting 43% from 3 on high volume especially given his minutes also averaging impressive stocks per 36 minutes (1.3 steals and 1.4 blocks)
Y'all think this guy can be a legit stretch 5 and rim protector for us off the bench in the future? His rebounding and slow footed defense is a work in progress.
Y'all think this guy can be a legit stretch 5 and rim protector for us off the bench in the future? His rebounding and slow footed defense is a work in progress.
