Excellent article. What I will say is that everyone tries to learn from the last champ (and they should) but it also seems that every year there are somewhat different strokes for different folks. So I don’t think we have to become the thunder or the pacers to beat the thunder or the pacers. But it is also apparent that we need to fill holes to get to the next level. Two bad defenders in the top five is an issue. No secondary creator is another and tied directly to the overall poor passing. And bench is another.
For years we have tried and mostly succeeded at masking these deficiencies by limiting turnovers and getting offensive rebounds so that we could out shot attempt our way to victory. It worked in Cleveland a few years ago. It did not work against Pacers this year (though we did not stick well to the cut down turn over side of things). Anyway, I see a roster that is currently ill equipped to patch the holes we all know exist.
Jonathan, your latest newsletter was excellent as always. I'm consistently impressed by how you manage to write such insightful, Knicks-focused columns, even on mornings when it seems there's little new to discuss about the team.
You perfectly articulated my concerns about the Knicks' path to the finals. Your points on league trends particularly highlighted areas where the Knicks must improve to contend. In no particular order, my main takeaways were:
* **Depth:** The team currently lacks depth, going only seven deep. When considering Robinson's health issues and the fact that both OG and Towns typically miss 15-20 games per season (with this past season being an anomaly), because of the potential for injuries, the actual depth is even less than seven.
* **Passing:** It's surprising how the Knicks' passing and ball movement seem to diminish in the crucial final minutes of games. OG, Bridges, Brunson, Deuce, and Robinson are all average passers, with Towns and perhaps Hart being only slightly better.
* **League-wide strength on at least one side of the ball:** You mentioned that a championship team needs to be top 10 on either offense or defense. As currently constructed, the Knicks are likely top 15 in both. To break into the top 10, they'll need new acquisitions or a coach who can truly elevate the offense (I'm hopeful about the latter).
To genuinely contend for a title and reach the finals, the Knicks need at least two more high-quality, seasoned rotation players. They also need to acquire a starter who can significantly improve the team's passing and hire a coach who can maximize the offense, as this team will likely remain a middling defensive unit as is.
The front office certainly has a lot on their plate, and not an abundance of assets. However, like many of us, I'm sure they see the Eastern Conference as wide open as it's ever been. With the Knicks already positioned in the top three or four if they stay healthy, the right moves could definitely propel them to the finals.
It always was a team game where everyone contributes. It was true for the two championship Knick teams and it was true this year. Ball movement, aggressive defense and not iso ball has always won. The idea of 7 seconds or less is extreme but essentially right. I would hope the new coach comes in with some kind of offensive scheme that has the players moving versus having JB dribble and wait for the double to pass or kick out on a drive. The AAU mentality of a ball dominant talent(s) needs to end.
OKC's aggressive D forcing TOs definitely won the game. (I love TJ, but he changes their spacing, and OKC could overplay drivers and camp in passing lanes.)
But on offense, Daiginault Ball is the iso-balliest iso balling that ever iso balled. Putting SGA in the middle and asking him go to work, with no weakside movement, was enough to get a single tear from Thibs on a beach somewhere. 🤣
Insightful article. I have a question about team speed, pace of play, and whether a half court offense is required. Both of the finalists are not only extremely fast , but play at an incredible pace. Speed, pace of play, the urgency of their play on both sides of the ball, mixed with some three point proficiency seemed to have ruled the day. To play at that level you really need ten deep,don’t you. That includes everyone buying in. The day of slog half court, slog basketball appears over.
It also requires a coach who supports players 7-12 on the roster to play. Someone who won’t yank them on the first defensive miscue. Someone that encourages everyone to dribble, pass, shoot. (We don’t have the roster for that last part)
Great list of takeaways from this Finals and this playoffs, Jon. My only quibble is that I think both the Thunder and Pacers do have great players as focal points of their team - SGA and Haliburton. They are both similarly big gangly guards who act as engines for their team’s offense in very different ways. I think Haliburton doesn’t get enough credit for the way his style of play raises his teammates’ games. As much as I hate Haliburton and want to beat him - the league will suffer due to his absence. And tbh, if the Knicks do make the Finals next year it won’t be as sweet if they can’t beat Haliburton along the way. What can I say, I’ve grown to hate-respect the guy.
Last thought - there were eight (8!) Achilles tears this season in the NBA. And three to prominent East stars in the playoffs alone. Is that a testament to how fast the game is played now? Guys playing too much? Or something else? I feel that devastating injury used to be more rare. It almost feels like the rise of Tommy John surgery for pitchers in baseball. Like analytics is calling for pitchers to up their spin rates, but upping their spin rates leads to torn arm ligaments. I wonder if there’s something similar going on in basketball? My take is it’s mainly the increased speed of the game - even within the halfcourt. Players have to make more plays where they explode with their lower body - to rush a switch, jump a passing lane, or close out to the three point line. And the defense is faster, so on offense, players have to explode or change directions faster as well.
Benjy brought this up when we spoke last night. He thinks it has to do with the increased demands on the players’ bodies combined with so many damn games.
I have a theory that as much a success as the play-in tournament has been, it’s also put more stress on teams in the regular season. You not only have teams near the bottom of the standings fighting to get in, but you often have teams in the 4-6 range fighting to stay out of the play-in bracket.
It's also the focus on the three point line which requires so much outside / in motion on both ends of the floor. I don't get the three at this point. I think they should get rid of it or move it further out and for sure get rid of the corner three. I just don't think that it makes sense to have a short shot be worth more points than the same shot from a different part of the court. it's like the electoral college. It makes no sense.
Carlisle has this right. There's no good reason not to play nine or ten guys regular minutes on an 82 game schedule and seven games in every round. None. The owners will *never* give back reg season games. The gate matters to LOTS of teams. Expand coaching staffs to develop more guys, and move to a baseball-type schedule of 2-or-3-game series against one team to reduce travel wear and tear. There's no good reason to keep scheduling games like the dang Globetrotters.
Only problem with that theory is that 3 of the 8 guys who had Achilles tears played for the Pacers. (Previous season high for the LEAGUE was 5, and 3 were on Carlisle’s team).
Maybe Thibs had it right. Slow the pace down to a crawl
Obv, that didn't keep Hali from blowing a tire. 8 Achilles injuries is unfortunate but probably random. If teams won't reduce games, they could still make improvements on the margins.
I'd say it's something to do with modern training regimens. Could be modern shoes, or even the way guys are taped. Who knows? There are definitely a lot more bigger players on the perimeter these days.
And, is it slightly annoying or insanely maddening that we could have drafted either SGA or Haliburton in their respective drafts? And some folks were in fact screaming for them to do so. Sigh.
Especially Haliburton Sean. Heading into that draft, if was commonly known that for years, the Knicks desperately needed a PG. And the Knicks had the eighth pick with Haliburton mocked somewhere in the top 10-12. However, for some odd reason they pass on the PG to take an older rookie who played the same position as our best player. I am STILL scratching my head about this decision.
Haliburton was not considered a future star at the time. I wanted the Knicks to take him too, which is one of the only times one of my hot draft takes was ever right! The Knicks FO was super high on Toppin though. It should be mentioned that Julius in the season before was nothing like the player he would eventually become. This article compares Haliburton to Lonzo Ball or Killian Hayes! https://www.nbadraft.net/situational-analysis-tyrese-haliburton/
Funnily enough, my takeaway from watching this was that an optimized Knicks team / roster (not necessarily a criticism of Thibs) could have won the title.
While the Thunder were excellent, their youth showed at times in extended stretches of bad offense and/or average defense. What’s disappointing is that THIS was a prime opportunity with everything breaking right; for the Knicks to have the same sort of chance next year, they’re gonna need to be much better. OKC with more maturity will be even more of a monster; Rockets are legit; the rest of the West is still strong; and even tho Boston and Indy look like they’ll be taking gap years, other teams look ready to rise up.
The coaching hire is crucial, but for me, this summer is about Leon Rose. Depending on who you talk to, he’s either done an incredible job, or his mistakes have outweighed his successes, but this is his moment. Though he doesn’t have many resources to work with, he needs to address what you mentioned here: improving the depth with two-way players, to the point where you never feel like there’s a liability on the floor.
Great job with this piece, and a great NBA season overall in the books. The work for next year starts now!
I think one of your thoughts in the thread above deserved its own comment and some follow up. What would a lessons learned as to drafting look like. It is absolutely true that there have been tons of misses in the draft by the NBA generally.
Just in the Obi draft we all moan about, Halliburton was one of nine players I would rather have. My favorite point guard in retrospect would have been Maxey at 21. We did not do too bad with aid at 25 and Payton Pritchard went at 26 (speaking of lessons learned, between Brunson, Pritchard and Ty Jerome maybe the seemingly unathletic but skilled point guard is undervalued. Nembhard fits that mold too). Others who went after Obi are Avidja, Beef Stew, Jaden McDaniel and Desmond Bane, who went 30th.
There were also busts drafted ahead of Obi. Wiseman, Pat Williams and Killian Hayes to name a few.
Is there some consistent theme behind all of these late hits and early misses?
I reckon Jon will figure it out and then The question is will he be able to continue to run KFS and also fulfill his duties as a general manager.
I have to proofread better. Somehow IQ became aid. Reminds me of a Mickey Rivers quote to Reggie Jackson when Reggie was boasting about his high IQ. “Reggie, you couldn’t even spell IQ”
Nice! I think you’re absolutely right about the need to focus on both Fit and Depth - interestingly, both of which the Knicks did incredibly well with in 23-24, but bolluxed the fuck out of this season. Now that we’ve made those moves, it seems clearer than ever that the FO choices last off-season had a ton to do with the team underperforming, and there’s probably a lot more to learn about how all of that went down. More importantly for going forward… it seems clear to me, at least, that the current CBA and culture of star players commanding outsized salaries is more consistent with the old mode of team building. If you want or need to actually have 9-10 viable players, you have to PAY 9-10 viable players. And you don’t do that easily with more than 1 Max/Supermax deal. OKC will be forced to shed talent, picks and/or salary this summer, after winning it all. Like Denver did before them. Kind of annoyed that we were ahead of this curve until the CBA forced our hands on the IHart deal, and now we’re kind of locked into a top-heavy, great-on-paper team that couldn’t find a way to come together despite a strong and effective leader in Brunson and a record of success to lean into. Guess I’m talking myself into breaking up the core… or getting the team to drop some serious ‘shrooms together and find a way forward.
I think you’re absolutely right about the need to focus on both Fit and Depth - interestingly, both of which the Knicks did incredibly well with in 23-24, but bolluxed the fuck out of this season. Now that we’ve made those moves, it seems clearer than ever that the FO choices last off-season had a ton to do with the team underperforming, and there’s probably a lot more to learn about how all of that went down. More importantly for going forward… it seems clear to me, at least, that the current CBA and culture of star players commanding outsized salaries is more consistent with the old mode of team building. If you want or need to actually have 9-10 viable players, you have to PAY 9-10 viable players. And you don’t do that easily with more than 1 Max/Supermax deal. OKC will be forced to shed talent, picks and/or salary this summer, after winning it all. Like Denver did before them. Kind of annoyed that we were ahead of this curve until the CBA forced our hands on the IHart deal, and now we’re kind of locked into a top-heavy, great-on-paper team that couldn’t find a way to come together despite a strong and effective leader in Brunson and a record of success to lean into. Guess I’m talking myself into breaking up the core… or getting the team to drop some serious ‘shrooms together and find a way forward.
I think you’re absolutely right about the need to focus on both Fit and Depth - interestingly, both of which the Knicks did incredibly well with in 23-24, but bolluxed the fuck out of this season. Now that we’ve made those moves, it seems clearer than ever that the FO choices last off-season had a ton to do with the team underperforming, and there’s probably a lot more to learn about how all of that went down. More importantly for going forward… it seems clear to me, at least, that the current CBA and culture of star players commanding outsized salaries is more consistent with the old mode of team building. If you want or need to actually have 9-10 viable players, you have to PAY 9-10 viable players. And you don’t do that easily with more than 1 Max/Supermax deal. OKC will be forced to shed talent, picks and/or salary this summer, after winning it all. Like Denver did before them. Kind of annoyed that we were ahead of this curve until the CBA forced our hands on the IHart deal, and now we’re kind of locked into a top-heavy, great-on-paper team that couldn’t find a way to come together despite a strong and effective leader in Brunson and a record of success to lean into. Guess I’m talking myself into breaking up the core… or getting the team to drop some serious ‘shrooms together and find a way forward
Good analysis. To me, nothing has really changed all the much. Even when "collecting stars" has worked to bring championships, it's still the teams that fill all the holes on defense and have great complementary players alongside those "stars" that rise to greatness. The NBA landscape is littered with multi-"star" teams that fizzled
I think that the whole "need a superstar" thing started with Michael Jordan. But for all of Jordan's offensive exploits, he was also a great defender and a good passer and leader of his team. In the years after his decline, at least half of the "Next Jordan" guys didn't have his defensive ability or leadership. And though MJ liked to make other teams believed that he alone could control the outcome of a game, that was never actually true. Without Pippen and Horace Grant or Rodman, Jordan probably doesn't win much.
I've always been a firm believer that you shouldn't give max contracts to players who aren't good on defense... although if they're really good on offense and at least care on defense, I think it can work with great defenders around them.
One thing I think doesn't work is a frontcourt where both players aren't good defenders. Another thing I think doesn't work is a backcourt where both guards aren't good defenders. A lot of players might not be great defenders, but they can be decent when a team defense slots them into things they can actually do.
Thinking that way, to me it's possible that KAT and Brunson can work. But to work, all the other players on the floor with them have to be plus defenders. And you HAVE to be able to weaponize KAT's offense, or it will never be worth it to have him out there. I do think KAT is overrated and overpaid, but that doesn't mean I don't think he can be successful. You can't give him too much responsibility on defense, and you have to get his offense rolling. It will be interesting to see if the next coach can make this work.
Thank you, Jonathan 💖 for a great read, very valuable newsletter with important perspectives. Overall, my thoughts: TEAM is the key concept and the beautiful game of basketball is priority as players with the full set of basketball core skills are highly valued. Hallelujah! as I find boring the NBA propaganda feeding us stories about aging superstars who are paid ultra crazy salaries. So I look forward to the joyous freedom of cheering on a TEAM of heart-driven NBA professionals, ideally guided by the highest virtues. May the NYKnicks be on their way to being such a team with their new head coach and new coaching staff. JOY was what Pascal Siakam shared about playing with the Indiana Pacers, his restored JOY of playing team basketball 🙏🏻 And Yes, I too am very happy for our IHart, a NBA champion! 💐
All the players on the Knicks roster are, by definition, NBA players. They each have varying levels and possibly different types of skills. It felt like OKC and the Pacers had an identity which the whole team could embrace. So, the coaches could play more players. For next year, I hope the new coach and the front office create a new identity to maximize the team.
Jon, We actually have 3 players with an Achilles tear-Tatum, Haliburton & Lillard. Three eastern teams that will be without their vital component next season. Last night's game truly showed that in today's NBA, you can't win unless you have a second unit to bring in. We know the Knicks didn't do that under Thibs & I'm sure the next coach Leon brings in will have to be committed to doing so. That means Leon needs to put together an actual bench for next season. And not like his trade deadline moves where he traded for Wright (who actually proved he could be a contributor when Thibs hit the panic button & played him!) & then brought in his mental help coach Tucker. His first move, starting today, should be bringing back Shamet & possibly Wright. He needs to start building the bench ASAP & these 2 would be a start!
I disagree about making the offense better being the band aid to cover up the lack of defense. We all were ecstatic about scoring 120+ points in so many regular season games last year, only to realize that come playoff time, those stats became moot! i know I'm beating a dead horse (this really is a terrible expression, isn't it?), but it seems to me the only way to get to the next level is moving KAT. If we stay status quo with the starting lineup & only go about repairing the bench, we'll have another season similar to this past one. And while there were many high points in 2024-25, we're still on the outside looking in, when it comes to an NBA Championship! The next 2 weeks should give a clearer picture as to what the 2025-26 Knicks will look like! LGK!
I wouldn't read too much into this particular finals. If Aaron Gordon hadn't pulled a hammy and Haliburton's shot hadn't bounced in it might have been a Jokic v. Brunson final. I thought this finals in general was full of hustle but generally not very interesting basketball. There is no way that Shai is the best player in the league. The guy has to push off to get half his shots away. It's kind of like saying Trae Young was the best player in the league before they put in a rule that took away some of his whistles. I don't know. I found the whole thing rather boring. Not much came down to the wire. I feel like the only player I really liked watching consistently was TJ McConnell. And as for us, I'd say this makes our team only look better. With a year playing together this team should only improve next year and win it all!
Excellent article. What I will say is that everyone tries to learn from the last champ (and they should) but it also seems that every year there are somewhat different strokes for different folks. So I don’t think we have to become the thunder or the pacers to beat the thunder or the pacers. But it is also apparent that we need to fill holes to get to the next level. Two bad defenders in the top five is an issue. No secondary creator is another and tied directly to the overall poor passing. And bench is another.
For years we have tried and mostly succeeded at masking these deficiencies by limiting turnovers and getting offensive rebounds so that we could out shot attempt our way to victory. It worked in Cleveland a few years ago. It did not work against Pacers this year (though we did not stick well to the cut down turn over side of things). Anyway, I see a roster that is currently ill equipped to patch the holes we all know exist.
Well said.
Jonathan, your latest newsletter was excellent as always. I'm consistently impressed by how you manage to write such insightful, Knicks-focused columns, even on mornings when it seems there's little new to discuss about the team.
You perfectly articulated my concerns about the Knicks' path to the finals. Your points on league trends particularly highlighted areas where the Knicks must improve to contend. In no particular order, my main takeaways were:
* **Depth:** The team currently lacks depth, going only seven deep. When considering Robinson's health issues and the fact that both OG and Towns typically miss 15-20 games per season (with this past season being an anomaly), because of the potential for injuries, the actual depth is even less than seven.
* **Passing:** It's surprising how the Knicks' passing and ball movement seem to diminish in the crucial final minutes of games. OG, Bridges, Brunson, Deuce, and Robinson are all average passers, with Towns and perhaps Hart being only slightly better.
* **League-wide strength on at least one side of the ball:** You mentioned that a championship team needs to be top 10 on either offense or defense. As currently constructed, the Knicks are likely top 15 in both. To break into the top 10, they'll need new acquisitions or a coach who can truly elevate the offense (I'm hopeful about the latter).
To genuinely contend for a title and reach the finals, the Knicks need at least two more high-quality, seasoned rotation players. They also need to acquire a starter who can significantly improve the team's passing and hire a coach who can maximize the offense, as this team will likely remain a middling defensive unit as is.
The front office certainly has a lot on their plate, and not an abundance of assets. However, like many of us, I'm sure they see the Eastern Conference as wide open as it's ever been. With the Knicks already positioned in the top three or four if they stay healthy, the right moves could definitely propel them to the finals.
It always was a team game where everyone contributes. It was true for the two championship Knick teams and it was true this year. Ball movement, aggressive defense and not iso ball has always won. The idea of 7 seconds or less is extreme but essentially right. I would hope the new coach comes in with some kind of offensive scheme that has the players moving versus having JB dribble and wait for the double to pass or kick out on a drive. The AAU mentality of a ball dominant talent(s) needs to end.
Agreed Eben. What has always won is ball movement, aggressive defense AND rebounding. Can't forget that important ingredient.
OKC's aggressive D forcing TOs definitely won the game. (I love TJ, but he changes their spacing, and OKC could overplay drivers and camp in passing lanes.)
But on offense, Daiginault Ball is the iso-balliest iso balling that ever iso balled. Putting SGA in the middle and asking him go to work, with no weakside movement, was enough to get a single tear from Thibs on a beach somewhere. 🤣
Insightful article. I have a question about team speed, pace of play, and whether a half court offense is required. Both of the finalists are not only extremely fast , but play at an incredible pace. Speed, pace of play, the urgency of their play on both sides of the ball, mixed with some three point proficiency seemed to have ruled the day. To play at that level you really need ten deep,don’t you. That includes everyone buying in. The day of slog half court, slog basketball appears over.
It also requires a coach who supports players 7-12 on the roster to play. Someone who won’t yank them on the first defensive miscue. Someone that encourages everyone to dribble, pass, shoot. (We don’t have the roster for that last part)
Great list of takeaways from this Finals and this playoffs, Jon. My only quibble is that I think both the Thunder and Pacers do have great players as focal points of their team - SGA and Haliburton. They are both similarly big gangly guards who act as engines for their team’s offense in very different ways. I think Haliburton doesn’t get enough credit for the way his style of play raises his teammates’ games. As much as I hate Haliburton and want to beat him - the league will suffer due to his absence. And tbh, if the Knicks do make the Finals next year it won’t be as sweet if they can’t beat Haliburton along the way. What can I say, I’ve grown to hate-respect the guy.
Last thought - there were eight (8!) Achilles tears this season in the NBA. And three to prominent East stars in the playoffs alone. Is that a testament to how fast the game is played now? Guys playing too much? Or something else? I feel that devastating injury used to be more rare. It almost feels like the rise of Tommy John surgery for pitchers in baseball. Like analytics is calling for pitchers to up their spin rates, but upping their spin rates leads to torn arm ligaments. I wonder if there’s something similar going on in basketball? My take is it’s mainly the increased speed of the game - even within the halfcourt. Players have to make more plays where they explode with their lower body - to rush a switch, jump a passing lane, or close out to the three point line. And the defense is faster, so on offense, players have to explode or change directions faster as well.
Benjy brought this up when we spoke last night. He thinks it has to do with the increased demands on the players’ bodies combined with so many damn games.
I have a theory that as much a success as the play-in tournament has been, it’s also put more stress on teams in the regular season. You not only have teams near the bottom of the standings fighting to get in, but you often have teams in the 4-6 range fighting to stay out of the play-in bracket.
It's also the focus on the three point line which requires so much outside / in motion on both ends of the floor. I don't get the three at this point. I think they should get rid of it or move it further out and for sure get rid of the corner three. I just don't think that it makes sense to have a short shot be worth more points than the same shot from a different part of the court. it's like the electoral college. It makes no sense.
Carlisle has this right. There's no good reason not to play nine or ten guys regular minutes on an 82 game schedule and seven games in every round. None. The owners will *never* give back reg season games. The gate matters to LOTS of teams. Expand coaching staffs to develop more guys, and move to a baseball-type schedule of 2-or-3-game series against one team to reduce travel wear and tear. There's no good reason to keep scheduling games like the dang Globetrotters.
Only problem with that theory is that 3 of the 8 guys who had Achilles tears played for the Pacers. (Previous season high for the LEAGUE was 5, and 3 were on Carlisle’s team).
Maybe Thibs had it right. Slow the pace down to a crawl
Obv, that didn't keep Hali from blowing a tire. 8 Achilles injuries is unfortunate but probably random. If teams won't reduce games, they could still make improvements on the margins.
I'd say it's something to do with modern training regimens. Could be modern shoes, or even the way guys are taped. Who knows? There are definitely a lot more bigger players on the perimeter these days.
And, is it slightly annoying or insanely maddening that we could have drafted either SGA or Haliburton in their respective drafts? And some folks were in fact screaming for them to do so. Sigh.
Especially Haliburton Sean. Heading into that draft, if was commonly known that for years, the Knicks desperately needed a PG. And the Knicks had the eighth pick with Haliburton mocked somewhere in the top 10-12. However, for some odd reason they pass on the PG to take an older rookie who played the same position as our best player. I am STILL scratching my head about this decision.
Haliburton was not considered a future star at the time. I wanted the Knicks to take him too, which is one of the only times one of my hot draft takes was ever right! The Knicks FO was super high on Toppin though. It should be mentioned that Julius in the season before was nothing like the player he would eventually become. This article compares Haliburton to Lonzo Ball or Killian Hayes! https://www.nbadraft.net/situational-analysis-tyrese-haliburton/
Our draft history is full of amazing misses especially 2017 and 2018. Those two are nightmares.
Funnily enough, my takeaway from watching this was that an optimized Knicks team / roster (not necessarily a criticism of Thibs) could have won the title.
While the Thunder were excellent, their youth showed at times in extended stretches of bad offense and/or average defense. What’s disappointing is that THIS was a prime opportunity with everything breaking right; for the Knicks to have the same sort of chance next year, they’re gonna need to be much better. OKC with more maturity will be even more of a monster; Rockets are legit; the rest of the West is still strong; and even tho Boston and Indy look like they’ll be taking gap years, other teams look ready to rise up.
The coaching hire is crucial, but for me, this summer is about Leon Rose. Depending on who you talk to, he’s either done an incredible job, or his mistakes have outweighed his successes, but this is his moment. Though he doesn’t have many resources to work with, he needs to address what you mentioned here: improving the depth with two-way players, to the point where you never feel like there’s a liability on the floor.
Great job with this piece, and a great NBA season overall in the books. The work for next year starts now!
Wow! World class postmortem. Probably the best think-piece anyone has written about how a champion is built.
I think one of your thoughts in the thread above deserved its own comment and some follow up. What would a lessons learned as to drafting look like. It is absolutely true that there have been tons of misses in the draft by the NBA generally.
Just in the Obi draft we all moan about, Halliburton was one of nine players I would rather have. My favorite point guard in retrospect would have been Maxey at 21. We did not do too bad with aid at 25 and Payton Pritchard went at 26 (speaking of lessons learned, between Brunson, Pritchard and Ty Jerome maybe the seemingly unathletic but skilled point guard is undervalued. Nembhard fits that mold too). Others who went after Obi are Avidja, Beef Stew, Jaden McDaniel and Desmond Bane, who went 30th.
There were also busts drafted ahead of Obi. Wiseman, Pat Williams and Killian Hayes to name a few.
Is there some consistent theme behind all of these late hits and early misses?
I reckon Jon will figure it out and then The question is will he be able to continue to run KFS and also fulfill his duties as a general manager.
I have to proofread better. Somehow IQ became aid. Reminds me of a Mickey Rivers quote to Reggie Jackson when Reggie was boasting about his high IQ. “Reggie, you couldn’t even spell IQ”
Nice! I think you’re absolutely right about the need to focus on both Fit and Depth - interestingly, both of which the Knicks did incredibly well with in 23-24, but bolluxed the fuck out of this season. Now that we’ve made those moves, it seems clearer than ever that the FO choices last off-season had a ton to do with the team underperforming, and there’s probably a lot more to learn about how all of that went down. More importantly for going forward… it seems clear to me, at least, that the current CBA and culture of star players commanding outsized salaries is more consistent with the old mode of team building. If you want or need to actually have 9-10 viable players, you have to PAY 9-10 viable players. And you don’t do that easily with more than 1 Max/Supermax deal. OKC will be forced to shed talent, picks and/or salary this summer, after winning it all. Like Denver did before them. Kind of annoyed that we were ahead of this curve until the CBA forced our hands on the IHart deal, and now we’re kind of locked into a top-heavy, great-on-paper team that couldn’t find a way to come together despite a strong and effective leader in Brunson and a record of success to lean into. Guess I’m talking myself into breaking up the core… or getting the team to drop some serious ‘shrooms together and find a way forward.
I think you’re absolutely right about the need to focus on both Fit and Depth - interestingly, both of which the Knicks did incredibly well with in 23-24, but bolluxed the fuck out of this season. Now that we’ve made those moves, it seems clearer than ever that the FO choices last off-season had a ton to do with the team underperforming, and there’s probably a lot more to learn about how all of that went down. More importantly for going forward… it seems clear to me, at least, that the current CBA and culture of star players commanding outsized salaries is more consistent with the old mode of team building. If you want or need to actually have 9-10 viable players, you have to PAY 9-10 viable players. And you don’t do that easily with more than 1 Max/Supermax deal. OKC will be forced to shed talent, picks and/or salary this summer, after winning it all. Like Denver did before them. Kind of annoyed that we were ahead of this curve until the CBA forced our hands on the IHart deal, and now we’re kind of locked into a top-heavy, great-on-paper team that couldn’t find a way to come together despite a strong and effective leader in Brunson and a record of success to lean into. Guess I’m talking myself into breaking up the core… or getting the team to drop some serious ‘shrooms together and find a way forward.
I think you’re absolutely right about the need to focus on both Fit and Depth - interestingly, both of which the Knicks did incredibly well with in 23-24, but bolluxed the fuck out of this season. Now that we’ve made those moves, it seems clearer than ever that the FO choices last off-season had a ton to do with the team underperforming, and there’s probably a lot more to learn about how all of that went down. More importantly for going forward… it seems clear to me, at least, that the current CBA and culture of star players commanding outsized salaries is more consistent with the old mode of team building. If you want or need to actually have 9-10 viable players, you have to PAY 9-10 viable players. And you don’t do that easily with more than 1 Max/Supermax deal. OKC will be forced to shed talent, picks and/or salary this summer, after winning it all. Like Denver did before them. Kind of annoyed that we were ahead of this curve until the CBA forced our hands on the IHart deal, and now we’re kind of locked into a top-heavy, great-on-paper team that couldn’t find a way to come together despite a strong and effective leader in Brunson and a record of success to lean into. Guess I’m talking myself into breaking up the core… or getting the team to drop some serious ‘shrooms together and find a way forward
Good analysis. To me, nothing has really changed all the much. Even when "collecting stars" has worked to bring championships, it's still the teams that fill all the holes on defense and have great complementary players alongside those "stars" that rise to greatness. The NBA landscape is littered with multi-"star" teams that fizzled
I think that the whole "need a superstar" thing started with Michael Jordan. But for all of Jordan's offensive exploits, he was also a great defender and a good passer and leader of his team. In the years after his decline, at least half of the "Next Jordan" guys didn't have his defensive ability or leadership. And though MJ liked to make other teams believed that he alone could control the outcome of a game, that was never actually true. Without Pippen and Horace Grant or Rodman, Jordan probably doesn't win much.
I've always been a firm believer that you shouldn't give max contracts to players who aren't good on defense... although if they're really good on offense and at least care on defense, I think it can work with great defenders around them.
One thing I think doesn't work is a frontcourt where both players aren't good defenders. Another thing I think doesn't work is a backcourt where both guards aren't good defenders. A lot of players might not be great defenders, but they can be decent when a team defense slots them into things they can actually do.
Thinking that way, to me it's possible that KAT and Brunson can work. But to work, all the other players on the floor with them have to be plus defenders. And you HAVE to be able to weaponize KAT's offense, or it will never be worth it to have him out there. I do think KAT is overrated and overpaid, but that doesn't mean I don't think he can be successful. You can't give him too much responsibility on defense, and you have to get his offense rolling. It will be interesting to see if the next coach can make this work.
Thank you, Jonathan 💖 for a great read, very valuable newsletter with important perspectives. Overall, my thoughts: TEAM is the key concept and the beautiful game of basketball is priority as players with the full set of basketball core skills are highly valued. Hallelujah! as I find boring the NBA propaganda feeding us stories about aging superstars who are paid ultra crazy salaries. So I look forward to the joyous freedom of cheering on a TEAM of heart-driven NBA professionals, ideally guided by the highest virtues. May the NYKnicks be on their way to being such a team with their new head coach and new coaching staff. JOY was what Pascal Siakam shared about playing with the Indiana Pacers, his restored JOY of playing team basketball 🙏🏻 And Yes, I too am very happy for our IHart, a NBA champion! 💐
All the players on the Knicks roster are, by definition, NBA players. They each have varying levels and possibly different types of skills. It felt like OKC and the Pacers had an identity which the whole team could embrace. So, the coaches could play more players. For next year, I hope the new coach and the front office create a new identity to maximize the team.
Jon, We actually have 3 players with an Achilles tear-Tatum, Haliburton & Lillard. Three eastern teams that will be without their vital component next season. Last night's game truly showed that in today's NBA, you can't win unless you have a second unit to bring in. We know the Knicks didn't do that under Thibs & I'm sure the next coach Leon brings in will have to be committed to doing so. That means Leon needs to put together an actual bench for next season. And not like his trade deadline moves where he traded for Wright (who actually proved he could be a contributor when Thibs hit the panic button & played him!) & then brought in his mental help coach Tucker. His first move, starting today, should be bringing back Shamet & possibly Wright. He needs to start building the bench ASAP & these 2 would be a start!
I disagree about making the offense better being the band aid to cover up the lack of defense. We all were ecstatic about scoring 120+ points in so many regular season games last year, only to realize that come playoff time, those stats became moot! i know I'm beating a dead horse (this really is a terrible expression, isn't it?), but it seems to me the only way to get to the next level is moving KAT. If we stay status quo with the starting lineup & only go about repairing the bench, we'll have another season similar to this past one. And while there were many high points in 2024-25, we're still on the outside looking in, when it comes to an NBA Championship! The next 2 weeks should give a clearer picture as to what the 2025-26 Knicks will look like! LGK!
I wouldn't read too much into this particular finals. If Aaron Gordon hadn't pulled a hammy and Haliburton's shot hadn't bounced in it might have been a Jokic v. Brunson final. I thought this finals in general was full of hustle but generally not very interesting basketball. There is no way that Shai is the best player in the league. The guy has to push off to get half his shots away. It's kind of like saying Trae Young was the best player in the league before they put in a rule that took away some of his whistles. I don't know. I found the whole thing rather boring. Not much came down to the wire. I feel like the only player I really liked watching consistently was TJ McConnell. And as for us, I'd say this makes our team only look better. With a year playing together this team should only improve next year and win it all!