My Posse's On Broadway: Official NY Knicks 2016-2017 Season Thread

krazykid18

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no homo but was jennings always this small looking on the screen, when he played for the bucks or pistons he wasn't this small i never noticed how tiny he looks on the screen until that a small ass nikka
 

Sampson

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no homo but was jennings always this small looking on the screen, when he played for the bucks or pistons he wasn't this small i never noticed how tiny he looks on the screen until that a small ass nikka

He lost a lot of weight. He gained a lot because of rehab, and has been playing at 210 pounds. He's now about 175.

 
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storyteller

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So last night we saw how much a break neck pace can give your team in terms of offensive match-ups. The BJ overhand bounce pass from half court to a coasting KP who dunks it...that came about 3 seconds after the Nets MADE A BASKET. The defense was much improved last night and the offense started to show ball movement and cohesion that was almost never visible under Fisher or Rambis. I'd stress that people should temper their excitement though as this game was against a Nets team resting players and nobody on the Knicks got more than 20 mins out there, so let's not bump vets out of the rotation just yet...but the pressure is on some vets for sure.

The PG's:
Jennings - Want to see proof that box scores aren't a fair way to judge a player's game? Jennings was 2 for 6 from the field, scored 4 points and had 3 TO's to his 5 assists...but anybody that watched the game could see his impact was huge and it was largely positive. He was a one man fast break even on made baskets, he was bobbing and weaving into the lane in ways that completely annihilated the shape of the defense. He can complete passes at impossible angles. The speed he plays is always gonna threaten reaching out of control levels, that'll happen from time to time in any game; but the impact it has is tremendous.

Randle - I don't think it's safe to send him to the D-League. His jumper is reliable all over the floor, his handle is solid for a PG and he plays a smart brand of basketball for such an aggressive player. The stand out moments for him though, came on some really nice defensive sets where he grabbed steals and made ball handlers uncomfortable. Not only is he good enough to make the team, but he's worth finding minutes for to see if he can continue to be effective as part of the rotation.

Sasha - I can't hate too much on this one. He made the right cuts and passescoutside of a couple of forced shots. His jumper is looking better this season and he scored very efficiently. That said, I didn't see anything from him that I didn't get from Randle and Sasha's defense was poor. Whitehead wasn't a fair match-up, but he got blown by and proceeded to blame bigs who really shouldn't have to leave their assignments every single time down...especially not immediately after the ball has crossed half court smh.

The SG's:
Lee - I'm not gonna overanalyze it. I'll just be a broken record. He does everything he's supposed to do without forcing anything. Great fit, great contract and a reliable starting SG.

Holiday - Only got 10 minutes out there and never really found a rhythm. He floated a bit last night and wasn't the presence he had been one game before.

Baker - Knocked down threes, knew which pass to make and how to complete it, and he continues to be a talented defender. There was a fast break moment where he pulled up from three that looked seriously Reddikk-like...and I think that's the hope for this guy, that he can develop into a similar player to JJ Reddikk. A heady, three and D player would be amazing to develop from this rook.

The SF's:
Melo - Less Iso's plus some catch and shoot makes that were really fluid off Jennings' drives. He set a great tone early, knocking a ball away from his man and diving on it. This was a more rounded Melo and closer to the player I expect to see. When he chose to Iso against Hollis-Jefferson; he had the proper spacing to make an effective move. He gave a lot of space on defense but that's a smart decision against such a bad shooter.

Lance - Quiet but effective game. He didn't stand out for anything negative or positive really. I did like that he switched from taking three's to mid range, good idea to try and get his jumper going...plus it was effective for him.

Kuz - Doesn't look like he's really ready for a rotation place, but he has flashes of play where you can tell he's able. For such a tall cat, he's a really fluid athlete and the form on his jumper is nice. There's upside to the kid's game, but I think it'll take a bit of patience as he figures things out. He gave up a TO because he didn't realize how quickly a defender will recover in this league.

Tokoto - Probably the best he's looked at any point with the Knicks, but surrounded by so many promising youngsters it really didn't mean much. His motor and athleticism are unquestionable but I think it's obvious that his time will be in the D-League.

The PF's:
KP - He looks mentally prepared to take on a bigger role. With Melo off the floor, he looked to Iso and attack. He had an array of plays that showed his versatility. There was an off ball cut, a transition bucket off a made basket and a few pick and rolls hard to the rack. Nothing new to say about his defensive play, but it's just as advertised last season...disruptive and effective.

KOQ - MUCH better performance last night.In 12 minutes he had 4 points, 2 assists and 3 boards. He was good inside, made some nice passes and his willingness to pull up with the ball forces a big man to stay nearby at all times. Most importantly though, he looks like he can give PF minutes without hurting us on one end of the floor which wasn't really the case last season.

N'Dour - His energy and mobility is really great. I say it all the time, but he just finds ways to effect the game no matter what the circumstances. At one point, the offense went away from his end of the court so he had two weakside tip-ins on misses. On defense, he's always around the ball. His jumper was a bit more shaky here but he's another guy whose willingness to pull it forces the defense to respect him. I envision him pushing Lance for minutes at SF if he can show perimeter defensive prowess.

The C's:
Plumlee - What'll stand out to most is the old school "no easy buckets" foul that he set the tone for the game with early. What might be missed is the just foolish fouling he did afterward. He picked up 3 fouls in 5 minutes because of a looseball poor decision and a foul on B. Lopez who was receiving the ball 3 feet behind the top of the arc...really bad. The overzealousness is nice in terms of energy but really poor fouling will keep him off the floor. As an athlete and with a great motor, he has some hope for a third C type of role though.

Willy - The revelation after two games is that this kid is rotation ready already. He's more agile than advertised and he makes up for his foot speed with great instincts. His post footwork almost doesn't exist any more in young bigs. He looks to make passes to cutters too. He even took a three from the wing at one point that looked like it was going in but hit a little long. If his jumper can fall 16-18 feet out, he's not just gonna be a solid young bench piece; he'll be an impact back-up big.

Amundson - Fast break dunk was nice. He is who he is...a likely placeholder while Plumlee develops into a younger, taller and more athletic version of himself.

Overall - Fun game to watch. It turned a bit into a summer league game more than a preseason one in the fourth. The defensive improvement was a godsend after the struggles in Houston. The new parts are really exciting to watch and unlike year's past; they're showing right away how they fit and the type of roles that they can play.

Here's a bench unit I'd really like to see get burn at some point:
Jennings, Holiday, Lance or N'Dour, KP, Willy.
 

storyteller

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How's Hornaceks coaching looking?

It's tough to judge because it's still a point in preseason where the coaches are just looking at their rosters. The Nets rested a few starters and the Knicks ran a summer league unit for a while. But a couple of things that are promising: Hornacek calls TO's pretty quickly when he senses momentum shifts or the team losing focus even at this early point; the defensive communication and effort was vastly improved after that first ugly game; and the decision to start Plumlee got a hustle player into the back end of the defense plus seemed to light a fire under KOQ as he played with a lot more urgency on both ends.
 
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