Briefing: April 29
Kevin Durant teases the possibilities. Melo return? Barrett over Zion?
Good Morning,
Kevin Durant continues to tease Knicks fans with his dominance in the playoffs. He put up 50 in knocking off the Clippers on Friday. He then added 35 points in the Warriors Game 1 victory over Houston.
Knicks head scout Harold Ellis was listed in attendance for Game 1 of the Dubs-Rockets series. You know, in case they weren’t sure whether Durant was the real deal or not as they target him in free agency.
Durant to NY unpredictable: Kevin O’Connor reports, “people around the league still expect Durant to join the Knicks if he leaves Golden State this summer, but uncertainty has increased in recent months.”
“As one front office executive put it to [O’Connor] last week: ‘Everything should be viewed as on the table since Durant has proved to be unpredictable, especially when the Clippers can also offer a massive media market and a superior product on the court.’”
Could Melo return to the Knicks? Adam Zagoria approached Carmelo Anthony at a Nike event and asked him if he would re-join the Knicks if Durant signed there, and Melo replied, “I gotta see what’s going on,” with a smile.
Kevin Knox was spotted at the same event with an eye on some Kentucky recruits.
Georgia Tech head coach, Josh Pastner, says some NBA personnel consider RJ Barrett a better prospect than Zion. “If the Knicks are No. 1, even if you like RJ better, you have to draft [Zion] or the fans will overrun you,’’ Pastner told the New York Post. “There are some NBA teams I know who like RJ more. They would rather be the No. 2 pick.” [Read more]
MUST LISTEN: Jon is joined by Dallas Amico of Posting & Toasting to discuss his recent two-part series (Part 1, Part 2) on the Knicks offense. They go over just what were the foundational principles of Fizdale's system, why it often looked so ugly, who was to blame, and what (if anything) it means for the future. They then look forward, using the information gained this year to discuss the best fits for a potentially improved roster moving forward. [iTunes / SoundCloud]
Snap of the Weekend:
Macri’s Thoughts
With a roster full of rookies and misfit toys, it's tough to look at postseason games being played by some of the most talented dudes in the world and thing it can teach the Knicks much of anything about what they already have. At the end of Game 1 in Golden State though, there was a glaring exception.
On the Steph Curry 3-pointer that should have ended the game (we won't talk about Kevin Durant's turnover...he might be reading this, and he can do no wrong in this space), you may have noticed Nene was switched onto him. Fearful of getting blown by, Nene played off him just enough for Curry to get a shot off. Shocking to no one, it went in.
The Rockets are fully capable of putting out more switch-proof lineups in late-game situations, which they previously had late in the fourth quarter...and they got beat out for several key offensive rebounds by the Warriors. Hence, Nene - more of a beast on the boards than Clint Capela - was in the game on that key defensive possession. Houston made a bet, and they lost.
Back to the Knicks. We saw all year that in Mitchell Robinson, they have a seven-footer who not only isn't a liability on the perimeter, but may very well be a weapon. For him to be fully actualized though, he'll need to continue working on the other part of his game that will determine how feasible it'll be to have him out there late: defending his team's glass.
We'll have a piece dropping soon on just how much this matter and some of the key ways his improved, but suffice it to say, he got a lot better over the course of the year. He still has a ways to go though. If he gets there, we could have already witnessed the next evolution in playoff basketball...on a 17-65 team. Go figure.
Remember when…
April 29, 1994: Knicks open up the 1993-94 postseason with a 91-80 win over the Nets at Madison Square Garden. Knicks finish the game on a 27-12 run. Patrick Ewing leads the way with 25 points, 13 rebounds and five assists.
April 29, 1988: Knicks return to the playoffs after a three-year absence, losing Game 1 at Boston 112-92.
April 29, 1973: After squandering a 3-1 series lead against the Boston Celtics, the Knicks win a decisive Game 7 in Boston 94-78, becoming the first team to beat the Celtics in a Game 7.
April 29, 1970: The Knicks somehow recover from one of the most miraculous shots in NBA history to beat the Lakers in Game 3 of the NBA Finals. After a DeBusschere make put the Knicks up two, Jerry West hit a 60-foot desperation shot at the buzzer to force overtime, before the Knicks prevailed. [Vivek Dadhania with more]
NBA Buzz
Horford locks down Giannis, Celtics win Game 1. [Read more]
Warriors take Game 1 as Rockets complain about the refs. [Read more]
Thanks for reading, talk to you tomorrow!