Briefing: May 7
Knicks chants in Houston. Debut of MSG 150. And more!
Good Morning,
A fan was heard chanting “New York Knicks” at Kevin Durant during Game 4 of the Western Conference semifinals in Houston last night.
Who could it be? Well, a Knicks scout was listed as being in attendance…
Knicks nemesis Reggie Miller acknowledged the fan during TNT’s telecast. “The fans behind us screaming out, ‘New York Knicks’ to Kevin Durant while he’s at the free throw line,” Miller said. “Does he know something that we don’t know Kevin?”
Play-by-play announcer Kevin Harlan laughed, and responded, “What, is this breaking news?”
MUST LISTEN: Jon and JB are joined by the Athletic’s Mike Vorkunov. They try to answer the unanswerable question of whether a 17-win team has truly turned the corner, and whether it’s even possible to know that before seeing how July plays out. They then look ahead to the summer, getting into the possible alternate plans if the Knicks don’t land the very best guys, and whether there might be value in mediocrity or if it’s a step in the wrong direction. [iTunes | SoundCloud]
Debut of MSG 150
Watch David Fizdale on the debut of MSG 150 talk about this past season, the offseason, and more.
MSG 150 will air Monday-Thursday 8:00-10:30 PM on MSG Networks. Tune in tonight to see more of Steve Mills and Scott Perry.
Highlights:
Training one-on-one with Knox. “I’ve been in the gym with Kevin Knox for a week already…For some reason, Kevin and I both had the itch…We started texting after one of the playoff games. We were planning for the week after…I told him in the exit meetings I said listen, ‘I’m going to grab you most of the summer one-on-one, just you and I.’ And so he was obviously up for that.”
Learning from the playoffs: “We are going to hit the Western Conference Finals and the Eastern Conference Finals, with different guys, different coaches. But we definitely want these young guys to feel that environment and the intensity that comes with it.”
Positive signs: “I think our guys, the way they stuck with it, no matter what was going on. You never saw them lay down. They kept battling…You never heard them go after each other, you never heard them blame. They just owned it and said, ‘okay, we will be ready for the next one.’ Behind the scenes, I wish the fans could really see the work and the respect that they really have for the game. They get there early, the leave late.”
Fizdale continued his discussion on MSG 150 by touching on coaching while maintaining his popularity among players, the historical significance of being part of an African-American led front office, the growth of Emmanuel Mudiay, and more:
Durant’s decision could come down to decision of others?
The question of where Kevin Durant ends up this summer could come down to which player he is able to partner with, according to Adrian Wojnarowski [starts 4:12 mark of video above].
Woj says, “I don’t think there is any question that the Knicks are going to be a strong consideration [for Durant].” He then notes the importance of Durant being able to partner with a second star. The Knicks enter the summer with the most cap space to sign multiple star players, but the Clippers and Nets are two talked about destinations that can also create two max slots.
Kawhi’s decision: Woj said on the same ESPN Get Up show that while he thinks Kawhi could grant the Knicks a meeting, he will likely sign with either the Raptors or Clippers. Putting the two conversations together, Durant’s decision could come down to playing with Kawhi in LA, Kyrie in New York, or staying in Golden State.
What if Kyrie stays in Boston: If Kawhi signs with the Clippers and Kyrie stays in Boston, it could make things more difficult for the Knicks to offer a second star as enticing as Kawhi in LA or what Durant already has in Golden State. Of course, Durant could be seeking the opportunity to lead his own team, which New York would offer under this scenario. And you never know if an Anthony Davis trade scenario materializes.
Jay Williams offers his opinion on Durant’s fit with the Knicks at the beginning of the video. Of course, Williams hosts “The Boardroom” which features Durant and his agent Rich Kleiman, who also serve as the show’s executive producers.
The roster: Williams notes how the Knicks roster is limited as it stands, but believes they would make some moves to improve it if they signed Durant, adding that he thinks Mitchell Robinson is a legitimate center.
Fan + Media scrutiny: Williams also raises the question of the scrutiny of playing in New York, both from the fans and the media. He says it is something a player like Durant needs to consider in making his decision.
Macri’s Thoughts
For a postseason that New York found itself eliminated from sometime around Christmas (we see you, Yahoo Sports), last night's playoff games sure felt like they had a lot of relevance to the Knicks.
On the evening when MSG premiered its new show "MSG 150," which included insightful interviews from Scott Perry, Steve Mills and David Fizdale, the Knicks had as good a night as possible without, you know...actually winning a playoff game.
It was fitting that the team ended up picking last night to roll out their brass and extoll the virtues of this season - one full of losses, but if they're to be believed, one also full of hope, promise, and several concrete signs that they've already turned a corner, and that draft lottery night and July 1 will be pieces to a puzzle that's already been started, as opposed to the whole damn puzzle.
JB and I spoke about this idea yesterday with the Athletic's Mike Vorkunov, and we all agreed that while this season was an important step forward in many ways, the Knicks will still be thought of as the Knicks until proven otherwise. Talking points are great, but until they're backed up by something more, they remain just that: talk.
To that end, New York's chance to test out these platitudes in actual pitch meetings with actual free agents is fast approaching, and those efforts got a boon by both of Monday's games.
In Boston, the Celtics lost, going down 3-1 to the Bucks as they prepare to head back to Milwaukee. After the game, there was Kyrie Irving, lamenting the fact that he only took 22 shots, saying he should have taken 30 because, as he said "I'm trying to do it all."
The subtext was clear: he needs help, and he doesn't feel like he has it in Boston.
After last night in Houston, Kevin Durant might know the feeling. Yes, Steph had 30, but his shooting struggles continued, as he went 4-for-14 from downtown, and Klay Thompson was just 1-for-6. PJ Tucker out-Dray'd Draymond. The Warriors were good; the Rockets were better. It's a brand new series, a best of three, that will probably decide the chip.
If you're like me, you believe that Durant is out the door regardless of what happens from here on in. That said, last night was a good reminder that no matter how good a team is - and Golden State is arguably the most perfect basketball team ever assembled for the era they play in - winning is freaking hard.
This idea that by leaving in free agency, KD is forfeiting three or four more guaranteed rings, let alone one or two, is preposterous. There's a reason no team has won four in a row since Russell's Celtics. There were nine teams in the league when they last pulled off that feat. There are 30 now. Not only that, but listen to or read the words of anyone on a team that's won two or three in a row, and it's clear that it becomes almost exponentially harder the longer it goes. Maybe KD wouldn't be forfeiting anything by leaving now; maybe he's getting out at the perfect time.
As for where he or Irving go, Knick fans can hope for the best, but the truth is that we still have no idea what's going to happen. Say this though: while all those words spoken on MSG last night are indeed just words until proven otherwise, they've put themselves in a position to say them with a straight face. That's one reason to be hopeful.
Thankfully, there are 74 million other reasons as well.
Lottery Night
ESPN will air programming for 90 minutes across their platforms leading up to the 2019 NBA lottery results on May 14, according to details released by the New York Post.
There will be an NBA Countdown show from 7:00-8:00 PM EST, followed by a 30-minute “pre-lottery” show hosted by Rachel Nichols.
The actual lottery show will begin at 8:30 PM, with the results expected to be revealed beginning around 8:40 PM.
We will be watching the results at Slattery’s Midtown Pub in Manhattan. Money raised during the night will go to local charity.
Remember when…
May 7, 2013: Carmelo Anthony scores 22 of his game-high 32 points in the second half to lead New York to a 105-79 series-tying victory over Indiana in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals at the Garden.
May 7, 1997: Knicks open the Eastern Conference Semifinals in Miami with an 88-79 victory. New York trailed midway through the third quarter, but put together a game-breaking 22-3 run (including 16 straight points) to end the quarter. Allan Houston scores 23 of his game high 27 points in the second quarter.
May 7, 1984: Bernard King scores 43 points to lead the Knicks to a 118-113 victory over Boston in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals to tie the series at 2-2.
May 7, 1972: Knicks championship aspirations fall short, as they drop Game 5 of the NBA Finals 114-100 in Los Angeles. Walt “Clyde” Frazier records 31 points, 10 assists and seven rebounds in the losing effort.
May 7, 1971: Knicks trade former number one pick Cazzie Russell to San Francisco in exchange for Jerry Lucas.
NBA Buzz
Kyrie Irving mired in career-worst 3-game playoff slump. [Read more]
Rockets tie series with Warriors, classic series in the making. [Read more]
Lakers, Tyronn Lue working on coaching agreement. [Read more]
Thanks for reading, talk to you tomorrow!