Mar 28, 2022·edited Mar 28, 2022Liked by Jonathan Macri
A continuing thank you to you and the KFS Crew.
While fan ire is directed at Thibs and Randle, I ask this central question: Looking at the Eastern teams sitting ahead of the Knicks in the Conference standings, who the eff are the Knicks (from a personnel/talent perspective) really better than? Boston, Miami, the Champs, the Sixers, the Bulls, the Raptors, the Cavs, the Hornets, the Nets, the Hawks? While the Knicks, on any night, can beat these teams, they aren't vastly superior to any one of them.
So, the true failure of this season ISN'T missing the postseason, it's failing to play up to their own abilities. Injuries played a part, but all teams have that excuse. It was the bad attitude that Julius sometimes displayed. A lack of flexibility by the coaches [are we to believe that all the other coaches would be silent if Thibs wrongly buried guys who should be playing]. Their unwillingness to experiment and improvise.
Thibs, however, is great because he is a plow horse. Straight ahead. Slow and steady. Dependable. And, this franchise has so badly needed stability. So... And, maybe, just maybe the kids weren't ready early in the campaign. Unearned playing time-false sense of entitlement, frustration & embarrassment, epic failure---all can destroy promising professional careers, too. We will never know.
The team has, at least to the public, held together through difficulties and disappointments. That's a start!
Your comment that IQ is the best, most cost-efficient realistic option is spot on. Unless Randle is traded, bringing in a new free agent point guard like Brunson or Brogdon who are not stars to "finally solve the point guard position" has a high risk of not working since Julius and RJ both want to have the ball. While the numbers are relevant (and IQ's per 36 minutes are about the same as Brunson's), perhaps most importantly we already know that he can play with Julius and RJ. IQ is bigger and a better defender than Brunson and knows what Thibs wants. Brogdon would be a good fit but he has an injury history. IQ has earned the opportunity and we would have Burks, Deuce, and Rose to be the second unit PG.
Also, last season the front office set everything up for a 2 year run with this group. We don't have cap space to sign Brunson or Brogdon so will have to give up something to get them. Unless we somehow get rid of Fournier or Randle, bringing in Brunson or Brogdon will clog a 2023 cap space.
So glad you published the whole Thibodeau quote. The man is a coach through and through. Plus he takes the shots that should be shared with the FO. I would say in addition to his 1 good play then 9 bad plays, I would add 1 good game and 2 bad games. This team isn’t talented enough to be anymore than where they are at this point. Thibs takes the hits for what he was dealt. That is why he isn’t going anywhere. The FO knows the deal, they all have a plan in mind and aren’t going to bend to Twitter vagaries.
Bringing back Thibs and Randle would be depressing.
Mr. Bruised Ego took away all the good feelings of the previous two games with his unwatchable play (hard to watch even when he score), lousy defensive effort and negative impact on pace and ball movement.
I still think other coaches would have done better with this roster and this depth, Thibs (who IMO deserved last year COTY) probably had the worst coaching year of his career.
Everyone has idiosyncrasies, but his are really harmful, it is inconceivable to think that you have to deprive a team of veterans to prevent the coach from using them too much.
They had the perfect scenario to fire him at the ASG-Break, didn't do it, they'll probably regret it soon.
The FO needs to cut him out completely from any roster/draft decision...
I find it so difficult to enjoy this “run” because it has several seriously negative impacts:
1. Instead of climbing to the 7th or 8th slot in the draft with a decent lottery shot (decent not good), they will likely draft 12th or 13th. Unless somehow the Knicks get lucky and smart they will be drafting a rotation player.
2. False wins (out of the playoff race, no pressure to win) often allows management to make bad decisions using the last 10 or 15 games as a defense for those bad decisions. In this case, it is likely Randle is back and his surly one-dimensional game with him; Burks and Fournier and Taj will be brought back because their “leadership” helped the Knicks win a few games the last month of the season. Finally, I love Q but he is not a high-quality starting PG in this league and his run at the end of the season will have fans (like the founder and writer of this newsletter — which I love btw), saying, “hey, maybe we have our PG.” (sorry KFS).
3. Thibs will definitely be back. Thibs did a lousy coaching job this year, burying the young players and developing a two-tiered system. That is one for Randle and one for the rest of the team. Also, his style of play and his reliance on average veterans over young players with promise (not including RJ or Robinson) is outmoded and inefficient. He stuck his middle finger up to management all season and now at the end, he is giving the fans the finger. (When he complains about “social media” he is complaining largely about we fans tweeting).
Thibs burying Obi, Grimes (until late in the season), Cam and Deuce hurt the team in the short run as they likely would have won additional games if these guys played more, but also hurt the team’s ability to fully scout their own players. Thibs stubbornness is not a quality to be admired, at least in my book.
4. Management had a horrible off season other than drafting a few nice rotation guys (they blew a ton of cap space) and again did not find a PG. However, the horrible work of the front office will be buried under a few meaningless wins. Brock Aller vs Thibs is the inside story of the season.
So rejoin Knick fans, at the peril of yet another season of frustration and meaningless wins.
A continuing thank you to you and the KFS Crew.
While fan ire is directed at Thibs and Randle, I ask this central question: Looking at the Eastern teams sitting ahead of the Knicks in the Conference standings, who the eff are the Knicks (from a personnel/talent perspective) really better than? Boston, Miami, the Champs, the Sixers, the Bulls, the Raptors, the Cavs, the Hornets, the Nets, the Hawks? While the Knicks, on any night, can beat these teams, they aren't vastly superior to any one of them.
So, the true failure of this season ISN'T missing the postseason, it's failing to play up to their own abilities. Injuries played a part, but all teams have that excuse. It was the bad attitude that Julius sometimes displayed. A lack of flexibility by the coaches [are we to believe that all the other coaches would be silent if Thibs wrongly buried guys who should be playing]. Their unwillingness to experiment and improvise.
Thibs, however, is great because he is a plow horse. Straight ahead. Slow and steady. Dependable. And, this franchise has so badly needed stability. So... And, maybe, just maybe the kids weren't ready early in the campaign. Unearned playing time-false sense of entitlement, frustration & embarrassment, epic failure---all can destroy promising professional careers, too. We will never know.
The team has, at least to the public, held together through difficulties and disappointments. That's a start!
Your comment that IQ is the best, most cost-efficient realistic option is spot on. Unless Randle is traded, bringing in a new free agent point guard like Brunson or Brogdon who are not stars to "finally solve the point guard position" has a high risk of not working since Julius and RJ both want to have the ball. While the numbers are relevant (and IQ's per 36 minutes are about the same as Brunson's), perhaps most importantly we already know that he can play with Julius and RJ. IQ is bigger and a better defender than Brunson and knows what Thibs wants. Brogdon would be a good fit but he has an injury history. IQ has earned the opportunity and we would have Burks, Deuce, and Rose to be the second unit PG.
Also, last season the front office set everything up for a 2 year run with this group. We don't have cap space to sign Brunson or Brogdon so will have to give up something to get them. Unless we somehow get rid of Fournier or Randle, bringing in Brunson or Brogdon will clog a 2023 cap space.
So glad you published the whole Thibodeau quote. The man is a coach through and through. Plus he takes the shots that should be shared with the FO. I would say in addition to his 1 good play then 9 bad plays, I would add 1 good game and 2 bad games. This team isn’t talented enough to be anymore than where they are at this point. Thibs takes the hits for what he was dealt. That is why he isn’t going anywhere. The FO knows the deal, they all have a plan in mind and aren’t going to bend to Twitter vagaries.
Bringing back Thibs and Randle would be depressing.
Mr. Bruised Ego took away all the good feelings of the previous two games with his unwatchable play (hard to watch even when he score), lousy defensive effort and negative impact on pace and ball movement.
I still think other coaches would have done better with this roster and this depth, Thibs (who IMO deserved last year COTY) probably had the worst coaching year of his career.
Everyone has idiosyncrasies, but his are really harmful, it is inconceivable to think that you have to deprive a team of veterans to prevent the coach from using them too much.
They had the perfect scenario to fire him at the ASG-Break, didn't do it, they'll probably regret it soon.
The FO needs to cut him out completely from any roster/draft decision...
I find it so difficult to enjoy this “run” because it has several seriously negative impacts:
1. Instead of climbing to the 7th or 8th slot in the draft with a decent lottery shot (decent not good), they will likely draft 12th or 13th. Unless somehow the Knicks get lucky and smart they will be drafting a rotation player.
2. False wins (out of the playoff race, no pressure to win) often allows management to make bad decisions using the last 10 or 15 games as a defense for those bad decisions. In this case, it is likely Randle is back and his surly one-dimensional game with him; Burks and Fournier and Taj will be brought back because their “leadership” helped the Knicks win a few games the last month of the season. Finally, I love Q but he is not a high-quality starting PG in this league and his run at the end of the season will have fans (like the founder and writer of this newsletter — which I love btw), saying, “hey, maybe we have our PG.” (sorry KFS).
3. Thibs will definitely be back. Thibs did a lousy coaching job this year, burying the young players and developing a two-tiered system. That is one for Randle and one for the rest of the team. Also, his style of play and his reliance on average veterans over young players with promise (not including RJ or Robinson) is outmoded and inefficient. He stuck his middle finger up to management all season and now at the end, he is giving the fans the finger. (When he complains about “social media” he is complaining largely about we fans tweeting).
Thibs burying Obi, Grimes (until late in the season), Cam and Deuce hurt the team in the short run as they likely would have won additional games if these guys played more, but also hurt the team’s ability to fully scout their own players. Thibs stubbornness is not a quality to be admired, at least in my book.
4. Management had a horrible off season other than drafting a few nice rotation guys (they blew a ton of cap space) and again did not find a PG. However, the horrible work of the front office will be buried under a few meaningless wins. Brock Aller vs Thibs is the inside story of the season.
So rejoin Knick fans, at the peril of yet another season of frustration and meaningless wins.