And you did not even bother to note that Deuce is also out and back sooner than Jalen. Oh, and our back up PG, though that young fella and the Wright stuff have been fine. One thing I liked and had not noticed during the game was on that Lon you showed of hart to OG, the hockey assist came from Wright who was directing Hart to throw the lob (though Hart probably did not need the direction).
Jalen’s absence seems to have unlocked OG and Bridges. I am wondering if it is also partially responsible for Shamet’s improved play. He has also been noticeably more aggressive.
That is going to be a really difficult balancing act. I am sure Jalen is wondering how to still be Captain Clutch and to make sure those guys don’t take a step back. He is also, hopefully, wondering how to not have the defense take too big a step back when he returns. I don’t know how likely it is that you can have four 20 plus point scorers.
This team has embodied the saying that “You’ll never know how much you can get done until you have to get it done”. I love the way the team has pulled together and appear to be having fun while doing it.
We were told by some that the coach always grinds his players into the dust, and yet, 74 games in, OG and Mikal are playing their best ball of the season. Now a respectable 7-5 without their MVP candidate (and also without two backup point guards), maybe the two-time COTY knows what he’s doing a little.
Brunson reminds me of Clyde...smart and unselfish...Clyde figured a way to include Monroe...Brunson sees whats happening and will figure a way to get this machine running even smoother!!!
Thibs has done a great job holding the team together and winning through this injury stretch and deserves a lot of kudos. Being able to do this is one of his great strengths. He is a great floor raiser and if we are happy with regular season winning and second round playoff exits let's continue with this by all means. I think he would have the Suns in the playoffs.
But, figuring out how the whole team can be greater than the sum of the parts is a ceiling raiser job. I continue to be skeptical about whether the starting lineup with JB and Hart in it can work against the better teams. The decision to start Wright over Kolek was dysfunctional Elfrid Payton over IQ type we can't give the rookies a chance nonsense. Wright had a good first quarter against the Bucks but didn't do much thereafter and was -9 in a game we won by 9 whereas Kolek was +18. We got off to terrible starts in the 1Q and 3Q against the Blazers because Wright wasn't initiating the offense. I get pulling Kolek out of the game if it's Brunson and you want to put the starters back in at their regular time. But, this was Wright's second game as a starter after being the 4th string guy. Why pull Kolek out of the game when he built the lead both times so you could put the 4th string guy back in at a preplanned time ... Makes zero sense.
Playoffs require adjustments not stubbornness. On the plus side for Thibs, Barrons reported that if you want to live to 100, being stubborn helps ... so he's got that going for him.
Hope JB and Deuce can be back for the Cleveland game--a back-to-back following the Philadelphia game. Knicks could then be at full strength. If they can blow out Philly by the end of the 3rd quarter, Thibs may rest his starters for the 4th quarter. Knicks need to send Cleveland a message with a full-strength squad.
I’m pretty sure every single one of Hart’s 9 assists was a flashy highlight-type assist. For a non shooter, he really does get every ounce of of himself on offense.
Spot on stuff here. Per usual. I was preparing my Thibs rant on being too loyal to Hart after the 1H when we couldn't muster great offense (due to lack of spacing and a big put on Josh). Boy was I happy to be proven wrong in the 2H. The wings have found their groove. Off ball D from the trio has been stupendous (shout out Clyde HBD!). Not much to comment on here. A great late season win. As always, Thibs defense is trending up as we move to the playoffs. Curious - where do we rank in Def Rtg since Mitch came back? I know 7th best last 12, but mixing in some Brunson games also could be useful to see. This has been an impressive run without JB, Deuce and now Payne also... OG is on a different level and Bridges may have found his place?
I’m confident OG will stay aggressive when Brunson comes back. I’m worried that maybe Mikal gets worn down on defense playing point of attack, also he’s just so much better off the ball and this will effect his offense efficiency
I was pleased Bridges was rewarded for his buzzer beater attempt - he’s had quite a few this year and hasn’t shied away like many others over fg% concerns. Also I wonder how JB is processing the Wingstop Revival - I bet as a leader and uber smart player he will come back and try to alter his role a bit.
Really nice weekend for the Knicks and maybe this team is starting to click and with Jalen back hopefully sometime later this week/next the vision Leon and Co had for thjs roster is starting to form. Also not the biggest Bill Simmons fan, but thank you Bill for hiring our second lord and savior(Behind Jalen of course) the best NBA guy there is Zach Lowe!!!
I’m not sure how much of this can realistically carry over when Brunson returns. Obviously, minutes / rotation will change, and it stands to reason that the defense will get worse with two liabilities playing heavy minutes as opposed to only one.
And while we can be happy with some stuff they seem to have found offensively, the offense over the last 12 games falls way short of their 5th-ranked season-long offensive rating.
So, what are we looking for? For OG to keep scoring like this when Jalen’s back? For Mikal to do the same? For the team to keep up the passing (9th in passes per game over the last 12)?
Brunson averages almost 19 FGA per game and, according to a Chris Herring article when he went down, controls the ball for “an NBA high 8.7 minutes per game.” Unless Jalen makes a significant change to the way he plays basketball (or Thibs makes a significant change to the way he coaches it), all of this reverts back to something close to the norm.
The question is whether “CLOSE to the norm” (as opposed to “the norm”) is enough to make a meaningful difference in the playoffs.
"So, what are we looking for? For OG to keep scoring like this when Jalen’s back? For Mikal to do the same? For the team to keep up the passing (9th in passes per game over the last 12)?"
I'd say all of the above, with a mix of Brunson going iso when he sees fit. Easier said than done of course, and I expect thibs to revert back to settling to pre-injury 2025 offense. There's no reason JB couldn't adapt, he's a proven catch and shoot guy off ball when necessary. The problem is they can easily beat the breaks off milwaukee with a more heliocentric offense, which is fool's gold imo.
And you did not even bother to note that Deuce is also out and back sooner than Jalen. Oh, and our back up PG, though that young fella and the Wright stuff have been fine. One thing I liked and had not noticed during the game was on that Lon you showed of hart to OG, the hockey assist came from Wright who was directing Hart to throw the lob (though Hart probably did not need the direction).
Jalen’s absence seems to have unlocked OG and Bridges. I am wondering if it is also partially responsible for Shamet’s improved play. He has also been noticeably more aggressive.
I just hope they don’t revert when JB returns.
That is going to be a really difficult balancing act. I am sure Jalen is wondering how to still be Captain Clutch and to make sure those guys don’t take a step back. He is also, hopefully, wondering how to not have the defense take too big a step back when he returns. I don’t know how likely it is that you can have four 20 plus point scorers.
This team has embodied the saying that “You’ll never know how much you can get done until you have to get it done”. I love the way the team has pulled together and appear to be having fun while doing it.
Been the story of my life since KFS, so I really appreciate this motto.
We were told by some that the coach always grinds his players into the dust, and yet, 74 games in, OG and Mikal are playing their best ball of the season. Now a respectable 7-5 without their MVP candidate (and also without two backup point guards), maybe the two-time COTY knows what he’s doing a little.
8-5 if you count the Jazz win on 1/1!
Brunson reminds me of Clyde...smart and unselfish...Clyde figured a way to include Monroe...Brunson sees whats happening and will figure a way to get this machine running even smoother!!!
will be the greatest challenge of his career
Thibs has done a great job holding the team together and winning through this injury stretch and deserves a lot of kudos. Being able to do this is one of his great strengths. He is a great floor raiser and if we are happy with regular season winning and second round playoff exits let's continue with this by all means. I think he would have the Suns in the playoffs.
But, figuring out how the whole team can be greater than the sum of the parts is a ceiling raiser job. I continue to be skeptical about whether the starting lineup with JB and Hart in it can work against the better teams. The decision to start Wright over Kolek was dysfunctional Elfrid Payton over IQ type we can't give the rookies a chance nonsense. Wright had a good first quarter against the Bucks but didn't do much thereafter and was -9 in a game we won by 9 whereas Kolek was +18. We got off to terrible starts in the 1Q and 3Q against the Blazers because Wright wasn't initiating the offense. I get pulling Kolek out of the game if it's Brunson and you want to put the starters back in at their regular time. But, this was Wright's second game as a starter after being the 4th string guy. Why pull Kolek out of the game when he built the lead both times so you could put the 4th string guy back in at a preplanned time ... Makes zero sense.
Playoffs require adjustments not stubbornness. On the plus side for Thibs, Barrons reported that if you want to live to 100, being stubborn helps ... so he's got that going for him.
These last two wins have been two of my favorites of the season. Hope Wing Stop can keep rolling like this when JB gets back and the playoffs start
Hope JB and Deuce can be back for the Cleveland game--a back-to-back following the Philadelphia game. Knicks could then be at full strength. If they can blow out Philly by the end of the 3rd quarter, Thibs may rest his starters for the 4th quarter. Knicks need to send Cleveland a message with a full-strength squad.
I’m pretty sure every single one of Hart’s 9 assists was a flashy highlight-type assist. For a non shooter, he really does get every ounce of of himself on offense.
Agreed (and also, he kinda needs to)
Spot on stuff here. Per usual. I was preparing my Thibs rant on being too loyal to Hart after the 1H when we couldn't muster great offense (due to lack of spacing and a big put on Josh). Boy was I happy to be proven wrong in the 2H. The wings have found their groove. Off ball D from the trio has been stupendous (shout out Clyde HBD!). Not much to comment on here. A great late season win. As always, Thibs defense is trending up as we move to the playoffs. Curious - where do we rank in Def Rtg since Mitch came back? I know 7th best last 12, but mixing in some Brunson games also could be useful to see. This has been an impressive run without JB, Deuce and now Payne also... OG is on a different level and Bridges may have found his place?
Glad he proved you wrong! 6th since Mitch came back
I’m confident OG will stay aggressive when Brunson comes back. I’m worried that maybe Mikal gets worn down on defense playing point of attack, also he’s just so much better off the ball and this will effect his offense efficiency
I was pleased Bridges was rewarded for his buzzer beater attempt - he’s had quite a few this year and hasn’t shied away like many others over fg% concerns. Also I wonder how JB is processing the Wingstop Revival - I bet as a leader and uber smart player he will come back and try to alter his role a bit.
Really nice weekend for the Knicks and maybe this team is starting to click and with Jalen back hopefully sometime later this week/next the vision Leon and Co had for thjs roster is starting to form. Also not the biggest Bill Simmons fan, but thank you Bill for hiring our second lord and savior(Behind Jalen of course) the best NBA guy there is Zach Lowe!!!
I’m not sure how much of this can realistically carry over when Brunson returns. Obviously, minutes / rotation will change, and it stands to reason that the defense will get worse with two liabilities playing heavy minutes as opposed to only one.
And while we can be happy with some stuff they seem to have found offensively, the offense over the last 12 games falls way short of their 5th-ranked season-long offensive rating.
So, what are we looking for? For OG to keep scoring like this when Jalen’s back? For Mikal to do the same? For the team to keep up the passing (9th in passes per game over the last 12)?
Brunson averages almost 19 FGA per game and, according to a Chris Herring article when he went down, controls the ball for “an NBA high 8.7 minutes per game.” Unless Jalen makes a significant change to the way he plays basketball (or Thibs makes a significant change to the way he coaches it), all of this reverts back to something close to the norm.
The question is whether “CLOSE to the norm” (as opposed to “the norm”) is enough to make a meaningful difference in the playoffs.
YES. We are SWEEPING the Bucks in round 1!!!
"So, what are we looking for? For OG to keep scoring like this when Jalen’s back? For Mikal to do the same? For the team to keep up the passing (9th in passes per game over the last 12)?"
I'd say all of the above, with a mix of Brunson going iso when he sees fit. Easier said than done of course, and I expect thibs to revert back to settling to pre-injury 2025 offense. There's no reason JB couldn't adapt, he's a proven catch and shoot guy off ball when necessary. The problem is they can easily beat the breaks off milwaukee with a more heliocentric offense, which is fool's gold imo.