34 Comments
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Vinny's avatar

I think the play where Mitch covered every Celtics player from one side of the court to the other ending in engulfing Jaylen Brown like an amoeba and stealing the ball is the greatest defensive possession I’ve ever seen in 55 years of watching basketball. He covered each Celtic player exactly long enough for his teammate to take over and then moved on to the next. He single-handedly blew up their whole offensive possession. I’ve watched that play over and over and I still can’t fathom it.

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Lee's avatar

I’m putting this out there not because I’m counting chickens but I’ve been laughing to myself thinking about it for a few days. Your newsletter today solidifies it as a possibility.

Would Mitchell Robinson be the most hilariously unexpected finals MVP in NBA history? Would it even be close?

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Peterobin Sunshine-fuhry's avatar

For years, I have had a fantasy that in a playoff game, Mitch finds himself with the ball beyond the arc and, with no time to pass, launches his first career 3 point attempt... and hits it for the win!

But he still wouldn't win any award, and that's fine by me.

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Jonathan Macri's avatar

Oh, without QUESTION.

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Jon Heller's avatar

I cannot believe I am saying this but I think Thomas Thibodeau may be the most deserving of all the stars. Adjusted on the fly, worked through rotations, rode Deuce / Mitch at the perfect times. And the 2 20 point game comebacks are a result of his mindset in every game. It was only fitting that the non-Diehards + media were dying about leaving the starters in so long in the 4th. All the while, myself and I assume the rest of us in the Substack, were just counting down to the 4 minute mark when he typically pulls them in blowouts while laughing about how psychotic he is. What a series. What a team. 8 more wins.

P.s. Just want to shout out Jalen Brunson - he has saved us all. We are so lucky to have him as Captain of the Knicks.

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Jonathan Macri's avatar

Thibs absolutely coached a good series. He may need to be even better to win this one.

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Ganesh Kumar's avatar

#FireThibs!!!

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Chester Nason(Chetknick)'s avatar

😂

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Charles Dodgson's avatar

As an admitted Thibs critic (critic, not hater) I can agree that he did a good job -- but two comments. First, he did a good job by clearing a low bar: his job. Heaping praise on Thibs for making adjustments is kind of like rewarding your kid for using a fire extinguisher.... on the fire they started. These are decisions he should have been making all along.

And Second, we can laugh about his psychotic decision to leave the starters in only because nobody appears to have been injured in the process. As we know injuries increase exponentially as bodies get more tired. If OG hurt his hamstring, JB exacerbated his ankle, or KAT broke his thumb we would be having a different discussion. It's a numbers game. He gambled with the team's health beyond what just about every human thought necessary. This time he was successful. As we know from last year (no, not likely due to Thibs' decisions) injuries can tip a series fairly easily.

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Phil's avatar

Totally agree on the starters being out there way too long as I have put it out there previously. Very lucky.

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Ken's avatar

While I agree with the choice of Mikal over OG, I wanted to call out the two OG blocked shots in the first quarter of game 6 that were super tone setters.

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Jonathan Macri's avatar

Thank you Ken. Those plays felt really big in the moment.

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JG's avatar

I also thought the 5 early points he scored at the start of the second half were important. Yes, we had a big lead already, but that run established that there would be no third quarter of doom.

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Nikolaj Thorenfeldt's avatar

The Knicks are basicly a 7 man team by now. They need all 7 to deliver at least to their max if not beyond. But good to see guy number 6 and 7 help out deep in the season

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Chester Nason(Chetknick)'s avatar

Love Mitch. When people were saying the Knicks can’t beat the Top teams, sure because Mitch was absent or rounding into shape. Now the top teams are going to have trouble with the Knicks.. No comments on Thibs? Many were dancing on his grave , with the assumed, Early playoff exit. Maybe because there are so many Knicks fans, it’s easy for many to be wrong in their biases. Let’s try to keep an even Keel, like The Captain does.

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Jonathan Macri's avatar

I promise you, there will be ample praise for Thibodeau if what I think/hope is going to happen happens.

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MBW 🏀🏀🏀's avatar

100% - our Defense (and team) is completely different with a healthy Mitch.

Knick’s could not get a big stop or hold the top teams under 120 points during the regular season without Mitch. You can only erase 20 point deficits with D and multiple stops.

This (no defensive center) was known issue and a major gamble by Leon Rose and the FO at both the start of season and at the trade deadline. It created a lot of anxiety but worked.

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Ganesh Kumar's avatar

I had a similar star rating but with JB and Mitch swapped. I can't wait for a Knicks players, current or former, to get to the finals and represent the decent drafting and signings that Rose, Aller, and co have done in the past five years

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Josh's avatar

I’m thinking about a variation on stars of the game where you give Thibs a star, black hole or nothing(?) on a per game basis depending on whether his coaching had a meaningful effect on a game. Kind of a parallel scoring system to track the perceived impact of coaching. For this series, Thibs’ out of the blue switch everything D has to earn a star. For future consideration, how likely do you think it is that he was saving this approach for this series and when do you think he first started preparing the players to do it? It seemed like a drastic change. Lastly, how likely do you think it is that he’ll use more of this approach going forward?

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Jonathan Macri's avatar

Judging by the players comments, this was not some ace in the hole they were ready for all year. This was a specific adjustment they made for this series, it seems. Either way, great job by Thibs

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Josh's avatar

I heard Matthew (shout out Mitch Rob) and you talk about this on the pod today. Such great content KFS is putting out!!

It is so easy for me to believe Thibs planned this from his lair during the offseason while cackling to himself.

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Jonathan Macri's avatar

Oh I definitely think THIBS always had it in his back pocket.

Anyway, thanks for the kind words! I think Fred and I have crossed the acceptable threshold for ridiculousness and need to be reined in.

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Andrew Horne's avatar

Mikal went through a lot this year. So, it's nice to see him get a star. Deuce also struggled during the regular season and first round. It may turn out that a large part of the struggles of both players was due to playing with Cam Payne, who is supposed to be the backup PG but played horribly other than in Pistons game 1. Replacing Payne with Delon Wright who is bigger may be the way to go for the first half backup PG minutes moving forward.

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Chris Smith - Dem Blades's avatar

great great selection of words there Jon.

No further comment needed.

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Jonathan Macri's avatar

Thank you Chris!

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Joseph G.'s avatar

In Re Hart: There are way to many situations when he receives the ball in and around the paint and keeps his head fully turned away from the basket, insuring that the opponent 100% knows that he will not shoot and will pass out to the perimeter. Can he at least turn his head sideways or quickly glance up at the hoop to give the illusion that he may actually shoot the ball? Is that asking too much?

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Jonathan Macri's avatar

It is NOT too much to ask. And I should have made that clearer. I think the sorts of plays you reference are why he didn’t get my last star. Also, he’s ALWAYS open so his efficiency is less impressive.

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Ganesh Kumar's avatar

I noticed in the last few months, Hart no longer drives to the rim with a head of steam and tries to score. He instead does a JB, slows the pace, and looks around for assists and cutters. How does he balance both? When he tried the steam approach, he was met with Kornet, contributing to his high of six or seven blocks. Surely there has to be a way to amplify his strengths as a driver/three point shooter while he facilitates

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Joseph G.'s avatar

Too many, sorry for the typo.

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Ken's avatar

I am not one who yells at the TV or throws the remote, but I had one play that caused me to curse out loud and shout during game 6. As a hint, it had nothing to do with the Thibs taking the starters out late— if anything I was more terrified than Macri apparently was of taking them out. Folks in my office are five for five in identifying the play that caused me to shout at the TV. Let’s see how KFS does at identifying the play.

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JG's avatar

Josh ignoring Mitch on fast break under the basket and instead throwing the ball out of bounds while trying to pass to Mikal?

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Ken's avatar

Nope.

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fargoness's avatar

Did it involve Cam Payne?

Mine was KAT getting called for an offensive foul on the 3 pointer.

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Ken's avatar

Nope

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