From a basic eye test, he's been passing more in the last few games from drives, compared to early season and last year. It remains to be seen if it'll stick or not, and whether if he can find the right balance. If he's hot, he gotta feed himself. If he's cold, he gotta use his gravity somehow and pass.
The significant thing about this, to me, is that last year, teams successfully countered lineups featuring Kat and Josh, and Thibs was never really able to counter it enough to turn those lineups into offensive pluses. It's already a good sign that Brown seems to have done that.
There's no doubt teams will counter the counter, but with the offensive talent we have, we should be able to counter the counters until it's pick-your-poison territory. Early returns are encouraging. I also thought the key was to get Kat distributing while in motion. I wasn't sure he could do it, but they seem to be easing him into it with drive-and-stops, and I think he's working up to passing before giving up his dribble.
Defense is what I'm worried about... But I think Brown has put Kat in a better situation to succeed, and I also like that he's trusting Jalen to defend instead of automatically trying to hide him someplace.
I for one would like to throw Mo Diawara into the mix. He is long, lean, agile and can shoot. I see his upside as kind of a poor man's Siakam (which would be fantastic). Let him cut his teeth against the vicious, dirty, brutal, shoulder-chipped Heat in a game we probably won't win anyway if history is any guide.
This was KAT at his best. It’s all above the neck with him. If he can stay calm, collected and patient there’s simply no stopping him. If teams get physical with him and/or he gets hung up on not getting calls…he is far less dangerous.
I think Brown will start Deuce. Probably Deuce/Landry, but maybe he mixes it up and goes with Deuce / Clarkson. I think this is going to be Yabu's time to show what he can do. If the defense suffers and he isn't making opposing defenses pay, I think we're going to see Diawara... or possibly Brown goes with Huk and plays Towns exclusively at the 4 until OG comes back.
Having Bridges is such a luxury when OG is out. They have to find a way to thrive when any of their major contributors are down. These next couple of weeks will be illuminating. I bet OG misses a month. Hamstrings are not to be toyed with.
not really mentioned, but a low key important part of the Mikal trade was getting a guy who never misses games to balance out your investment in a wing who always misses games.
Great post, Jon. My only complaint is not showing some of the highlights of KAT passing out of drives and double teams in the second half. His improvement at that aspect of his game has been shocking to me. To me the KAT of last year would keep forcing the issue and driving the ball on offense in the second half, and probably pick up several TOVs and offensive fouls in the process. The revelation and proof of KAT buying in to me is the way he's trusting the pass (not to mention actually setting slightly better picks). I guess that's a mailbag Q for a future newsletter - a focus on how KAT is passing more out of drives this season. I'm not sure if there are stats for that, but to my eye it's a massive seachange for him. I'm not a full believer in KAT yet, but if he keeps playing the way he did in both the first and second half against the Heat, I will start to believe more. As you pointed out, another big hurdle for him is responding to super physical play.
I know...I wanted to but Substack only lets you upload so many clips and graphics before it starts to get bogged down. Will definitely try to highlight such passing moments from KAT as I see them moving forward.
*I* think it's a major change. It's not that his game has changed that much, but when it comes to passing on the move, a little goes a long way for Kat, because that hole in his game makes him way more guardable.
Jon, I appreciate your breakdown of KAT's phenomenal first half, but again, what about his second half? I know that you noted him in your previous post of him being double teamed as the Heat's answer to shutting down his first half, but he only shot 2-10 from the field in the second half with no FGs in the 4th quarter. A superstar? doesn't let that deter him! The problem with him is that we never know which KAT we are going to get from game to game or even half to half! And tonight, we will probably see the Heat getting physical with him(as you noted), especially if Bam is back! And, when teams get physical with him, he tries to do the same & usually we'll get the out of control drives & the dumb fouls. I guess we'll see tonight!
If ever there was a time for Yabusele to see extended minutes, it'll be this road trip. Brown, for whatever his reason(s), hasn't allowed him to get into any sort of flow so that he can start to feel comfortable in the offense. Certainly, over the course of an 82 game regular season, Yabusele needs to become an integral part of the rotation & there doesn't seem to be a better time for it to begin than tonight! #LGK
Agree to disagree Bill. He missed all 4 of his 3's in the second half, which I don't mind a single bit. The more important thing is that he kept taking them, which continued to open up the offense for everyone else. Far more important to me were the 0 turnovers, and the fact that he fully allowed the other hot hands (Shamet, but also Clarkson) to do their thing. It was a masterpiece all the way around.
Jon, the difference in the "masterpiece" was KAT was 11-16 in the first half & 2-10 in the second half (And only 3 guys took double digit shots in the second half-Shamet 10-14, Bridges, A disastrous 2-12 & Kat 2-10). You can rationalize that going 0-4 from 3 was a positive as was his zero TOs (perhaps it was because he wasn't handling the ball with the frequency he did in the first half?), but this isn't a bench player, but the considered #2 star of this team. And with the #1 star out, he becomes, by default, the #1 guy. First Half-He responded exceptionally. Second Half-He disappeared!
OK, Kat was 2-10 in the second half, but if a guy stops shooting after a few misses, it bogs down the entire offense. I think, if a player's on the floor, they need to shoot it when they've got a good shot, unless there's a clear quick pass to a better shot. There's nothing Kat or any coach is ever going to do that could make Kat or Mikal or any player shoot 11-16 in every half.
If there's anything that disturbs me about this game, it's that they gave up 132 points.
Maybe, just maybe, when he saw his shots weren't falling like in the first half, he starting looking for better, closer shots. He had NO FGs in the 4th quarter, only taking 3 shots, 2 that were 3 pointers. He disappeared in the 4th quarter, only hitting 4 FTs late in the game. When will people stop making excuses for him & see him for what he is & always has been? Now you see him, now you don't!
Jon, while I also thoroughly enjoyed KAT thriving as The Man on Friday night, I would’ve liked to see at least some acknowledgment that this exceptional performance took place against a defense missing any semblance of a big that could man up to KAT. While analyzing what this game means for him and for the Knicks, I’d take a deep breath and wonder what he can do when Bam or any other competent big man is defending. Too often when that’s the case we get the passive version of KAT and/or the overly aggressive version that forces things on offense and silly fouls himself into spending too much time on the bench.
So the thing is, the Heat have Wiggins, who is the sort of wing teams have thrown on KAT in the past and been successful with. The thing I loved about his game - and I should have pointed this out in the newsletter - is that the defensive matchup really didn't play a role because everything stemmed from his willingness to shoot it. Frankly I don't think Bam has the footspeed to keep up with KAT if he plays up on him, which you have to do if he's firing away at this rate.
I rewatched it and still decided to give him credit. I think he was going for the pass and it just got dislodged, but I'd be curious what KAT would say
From a basic eye test, he's been passing more in the last few games from drives, compared to early season and last year. It remains to be seen if it'll stick or not, and whether if he can find the right balance. If he's hot, he gotta feed himself. If he's cold, he gotta use his gravity somehow and pass.
The significant thing about this, to me, is that last year, teams successfully countered lineups featuring Kat and Josh, and Thibs was never really able to counter it enough to turn those lineups into offensive pluses. It's already a good sign that Brown seems to have done that.
There's no doubt teams will counter the counter, but with the offensive talent we have, we should be able to counter the counters until it's pick-your-poison territory. Early returns are encouraging. I also thought the key was to get Kat distributing while in motion. I wasn't sure he could do it, but they seem to be easing him into it with drive-and-stops, and I think he's working up to passing before giving up his dribble.
Defense is what I'm worried about... But I think Brown has put Kat in a better situation to succeed, and I also like that he's trusting Jalen to defend instead of automatically trying to hide him someplace.
He seemed passable on zone defense. For switch heavy and POA/rim protection defense - I'm wary like you are
I for one would like to throw Mo Diawara into the mix. He is long, lean, agile and can shoot. I see his upside as kind of a poor man's Siakam (which would be fantastic). Let him cut his teeth against the vicious, dirty, brutal, shoulder-chipped Heat in a game we probably won't win anyway if history is any guide.
This was KAT at his best. It’s all above the neck with him. If he can stay calm, collected and patient there’s simply no stopping him. If teams get physical with him and/or he gets hung up on not getting calls…he is far less dangerous.
I think Brown will start Deuce. Probably Deuce/Landry, but maybe he mixes it up and goes with Deuce / Clarkson. I think this is going to be Yabu's time to show what he can do. If the defense suffers and he isn't making opposing defenses pay, I think we're going to see Diawara... or possibly Brown goes with Huk and plays Towns exclusively at the 4 until OG comes back.
Having Bridges is such a luxury when OG is out. They have to find a way to thrive when any of their major contributors are down. These next couple of weeks will be illuminating. I bet OG misses a month. Hamstrings are not to be toyed with.
not really mentioned, but a low key important part of the Mikal trade was getting a guy who never misses games to balance out your investment in a wing who always misses games.
Great post, Jon. My only complaint is not showing some of the highlights of KAT passing out of drives and double teams in the second half. His improvement at that aspect of his game has been shocking to me. To me the KAT of last year would keep forcing the issue and driving the ball on offense in the second half, and probably pick up several TOVs and offensive fouls in the process. The revelation and proof of KAT buying in to me is the way he's trusting the pass (not to mention actually setting slightly better picks). I guess that's a mailbag Q for a future newsletter - a focus on how KAT is passing more out of drives this season. I'm not sure if there are stats for that, but to my eye it's a massive seachange for him. I'm not a full believer in KAT yet, but if he keeps playing the way he did in both the first and second half against the Heat, I will start to believe more. As you pointed out, another big hurdle for him is responding to super physical play.
I know...I wanted to but Substack only lets you upload so many clips and graphics before it starts to get bogged down. Will definitely try to highlight such passing moments from KAT as I see them moving forward.
Would you agree it's been a major change for him this year? I can't tell if I'm just overreacting.
Ummm...major? I need to see more before I go that far.
*I* think it's a major change. It's not that his game has changed that much, but when it comes to passing on the move, a little goes a long way for Kat, because that hole in his game makes him way more guardable.
I agree. But have to see if it continues. And if he can do it against teams that play him physically (the second part is the biggest piece to me)
Well, I guess it’s time for a bonus newsletter!
HAVE YOU NOT ENOUGH CONTENT, SIR
I could read a bit more…
I wish more were like you
All I want to say, is, we won in the most unlikely scenarios. No, JB, no OG and we still scored 140 points. Who would have thought?
Not me!
Two things:
1) The off ball movement is truly a game changer. Mike Brown is earning his money.
2) For working dad everywhere, please keep the background noise on the clips JMac. It makes me smile every time.
I've been trying to keep the noise out, but this might just get me to leave it in :)
Mitch getting 1-2 apg off Oboard kick outs is fun. The note about he KAT & Mitch rating made me think of that.
Mitch getting *a little* better with his passing can pay big dividends.
Need to use OG’s absence to see whether diawara or Pacome can do anything
If they can’t, cut bait and make a move for some size
In the words of Isaiah Thomas … the Knicks ain’t charity
Give me Diawara all day
Jon, I appreciate your breakdown of KAT's phenomenal first half, but again, what about his second half? I know that you noted him in your previous post of him being double teamed as the Heat's answer to shutting down his first half, but he only shot 2-10 from the field in the second half with no FGs in the 4th quarter. A superstar? doesn't let that deter him! The problem with him is that we never know which KAT we are going to get from game to game or even half to half! And tonight, we will probably see the Heat getting physical with him(as you noted), especially if Bam is back! And, when teams get physical with him, he tries to do the same & usually we'll get the out of control drives & the dumb fouls. I guess we'll see tonight!
If ever there was a time for Yabusele to see extended minutes, it'll be this road trip. Brown, for whatever his reason(s), hasn't allowed him to get into any sort of flow so that he can start to feel comfortable in the offense. Certainly, over the course of an 82 game regular season, Yabusele needs to become an integral part of the rotation & there doesn't seem to be a better time for it to begin than tonight! #LGK
Agree to disagree Bill. He missed all 4 of his 3's in the second half, which I don't mind a single bit. The more important thing is that he kept taking them, which continued to open up the offense for everyone else. Far more important to me were the 0 turnovers, and the fact that he fully allowed the other hot hands (Shamet, but also Clarkson) to do their thing. It was a masterpiece all the way around.
Jon, the difference in the "masterpiece" was KAT was 11-16 in the first half & 2-10 in the second half (And only 3 guys took double digit shots in the second half-Shamet 10-14, Bridges, A disastrous 2-12 & Kat 2-10). You can rationalize that going 0-4 from 3 was a positive as was his zero TOs (perhaps it was because he wasn't handling the ball with the frequency he did in the first half?), but this isn't a bench player, but the considered #2 star of this team. And with the #1 star out, he becomes, by default, the #1 guy. First Half-He responded exceptionally. Second Half-He disappeared!
OK, Kat was 2-10 in the second half, but if a guy stops shooting after a few misses, it bogs down the entire offense. I think, if a player's on the floor, they need to shoot it when they've got a good shot, unless there's a clear quick pass to a better shot. There's nothing Kat or any coach is ever going to do that could make Kat or Mikal or any player shoot 11-16 in every half.
If there's anything that disturbs me about this game, it's that they gave up 132 points.
Maybe, just maybe, when he saw his shots weren't falling like in the first half, he starting looking for better, closer shots. He had NO FGs in the 4th quarter, only taking 3 shots, 2 that were 3 pointers. He disappeared in the 4th quarter, only hitting 4 FTs late in the game. When will people stop making excuses for him & see him for what he is & always has been? Now you see him, now you don't!
Jon, while I also thoroughly enjoyed KAT thriving as The Man on Friday night, I would’ve liked to see at least some acknowledgment that this exceptional performance took place against a defense missing any semblance of a big that could man up to KAT. While analyzing what this game means for him and for the Knicks, I’d take a deep breath and wonder what he can do when Bam or any other competent big man is defending. Too often when that’s the case we get the passive version of KAT and/or the overly aggressive version that forces things on offense and silly fouls himself into spending too much time on the bench.
So the thing is, the Heat have Wiggins, who is the sort of wing teams have thrown on KAT in the past and been successful with. The thing I loved about his game - and I should have pointed this out in the newsletter - is that the defensive matchup really didn't play a role because everything stemmed from his willingness to shoot it. Frankly I don't think Bam has the footspeed to keep up with KAT if he plays up on him, which you have to do if he's firing away at this rate.
Great piece Jon.
You’re being generous crediting Kat with finding Deuce on that one basket- I’m pretty sure he just lost the ball.
If this coach can get Kat to shoot ten threes a game, it will be among his most important accomplishments.
I rewatched it and still decided to give him credit. I think he was going for the pass and it just got dislodged, but I'd be curious what KAT would say
Kat would smile and say "Oh, it was a pass, 100%"