Alvarado three for 10 it's unacceptable. I don't care if BROWN has to please win because he acquired him he's more of a detriment at this point than a positive. The refs were atrocious but that's not the answer. BRIDGES played his best defensive game of the year. Hart's long range shooting was eye-opening and kept us in the game along with Brunson. Jat was trying not to foul out which of these refs could've happened in a minute.
For me, it’s not Alvarado’s shooting so much as his constant pounding the ball. There is very little ball movement when he is in. Everyone else just stands around while he dribbles all over the court. I’d rather see Kolek or even Mo D out there for a different look.
Completely agree, Jose is not a creator, kills the clock, is not a good shooter from anywhere on the court and I’m not seeing the supposed grand theft auto part of his game. Kolek would be a better option and as a bonus he’s always looking to find KAT in a good position to score.
1000%. I'm not looking for Jose to score or even shoot that often, I want him moving the ball and feeding KAT as much as possible. on that end he has been flat out bad.
Bad job by me not calling out Jose in the newsletter. I did so on the postgame and forgot to make a point to do so here. One might say he's been a bit too forgettable.
I think what people don’t get about the KAT criticism is that it’s not that we’re mad that he has gaps in his game. He’s a good dude who is genuinely trying. We’re mad that because of the salary cap, and how much money he makes, we cannot be successful without him. We just don’t have the roster dynamism to overcome games where the opponent (or KAT) takes KAT out of the game.
in other words, when Myles turner disappeared during the ECF and the Finals, it didn't kill Indy's chances. And when it was time to give him a raise? Sayonara.
Yes! And more because Siakam was a legitimate, conventional #2 option. You’re never gonna be like “we lost this series because Pascal Siakam played like crap for 5 of the games.”
I feel like there are so many games where we’re mulling why KAT wasn’t more involved and where does the fault lie. Meanwhile, I can’t think of another star offensive player where we see that discourse. It kind of leads me to believe that the fault lies primarily with KAT.
So, I understand the frustration with KAT not taking the game into his own hands. But on this one, I'd have to side more with the vibe I was getting from the KFTV postgame show (oddly enough, with Jeff J on it).
Shaq or Patrick or Hakeem could take over a game, but somebody had to get one of them the ball, whether it is actually running plays that involve them or getting offensive rebounds. And I get it, KAT could do a better job of setting hard screens (though I think he has been doing that recently), but if you're going to be doing a batch of mad scientist experimenting throughout a season, why in Sam Hill don't you constantly practice running pick-and-roll with a massive human being with a deft shooting touch? Why don't you spam it at every possible opportunity until the opposition figures out a counter for it? I'm not sure there is a counter for it; it has worked for Kolek, it has worked for Alvarado, and it has worked for Brunson, when he can be troubled to try it.
18 rebounds does not suggest to me a player who is dogging it or who isn't trying. And in a game where he was yet again frozen out by the offense, he took matters into his own hands a little bit in the fourth quarter. So, of course you take a player making a one-man 7-0 run and sub him out for a guy who doesn't have an offensive game. And you put the Captain back in, who proceeds to spam two-man games with Mikal and Josh. And I'm sure that two-man game worked wonders at Villanova. I'm also sure that OKC has over a decade of tape of those two man games and knows how to counter them (as they demonstrated; those plays were very good at eating time off the clock, not so great at creating advantages). And KAT gets put in (too late), and parked in the corner (how many corner threes has KAT shot?).
I get it, he is a defensive liability (though less of a defensive liability than he has been, and 11 defensive rebounds is 11 ended Thunder possessions). I get it, he should assert himself more. But I don't get why you take this weapon of a player and try to turn him into Domantas Sabonis or Andre Drummond. And the record-scratch passes into the stands for live ball turnovers did not happen because KAT wasn't giving it what he could. (Addendum: Yes, KAT had four turnovers, though I feel like at least one or two of them was a result of getting mugged in the lane while the refs swallowed their whistles; he actually adapted by keeping the ball above his head in the fourth.)
Unlocking the potential in Deuce, in Shamet, in Mo Diawara, heck, in Kevin McCullar is admirable. Failing to unlock KAT is a big, big, big problem, and I realize generations of coaches have struggled to unlock him, but I think he is genuinely trying to adapt his game, and I do not think he is getting an equal effort from his teammates or his coach.
So here's the thing: every "why don't you XYZ" question with KAT assumes he will embrace the game plan laid out, both before and during the game, and I would strongly argue against that assumption. Second thing: if players and coaches aren't bending more, why is that? Are they all assholes? Do they not care about winning? Or is there something more going on?
The book on KAT is that he likes things only a certain way, is stuck in his ways, and won't change.
Remember when everybody thought Melo would be better playing at the 4 than the 3, only he didn't want to do it? And then wound up stomping on the league when he finally did?
Nobody likes being pulled out of their comfort zone, and I'm sure KAT is no different from that than any of the rest of us. And yet, we have seen signs of growth at a time in his career when the rulebook says you can't learn how to do something new. Kicking and screaming, he started playing the 4 when the Timberwolves traded for Gobert, and that combo worked well enough to be able to make it to a conference finals. He has passive-aggressively said that he hasn't liked his role in this current team scheme, and yet he has figured out how to stop chicken-winging for offensive fouls, he's rebounding like a monster, he's demonstrating verticality when playing defense. And yes, he was targeted by OKC. Who has the best +/- among the starters last night?
He has not been nuts about it, but he has made changes. I do not feel like I have seen the same commitment from his coach or his teammates. Brown got a tech. Was it for yet another case where KAT was getting hacked mercilessly? This is the coach who hugged Draymond after he tried to pull an Embiid on KAT, then threw KAT under the bus. This is the coach who tried to turn KAT into something that he has seen before (Sabonis with Sacramento, Andre Drummond - or maybe more pointedly - he's trying to turn KAT into Mitchell Robinson). Would it really kill him to figure out how to build a workable pick and roll with this guy?
And Brunson's offensive choices in the fourth quarter drove me up the wall. KAT is the guy they had no answer for. And he is every bit as guilty, if not more so, for reverting to comfort zones under pressure, where KAT figured out a way to be dominant.
Do I wish KAT started that way? Sure. Do I wish he put as much commitment consistently into defense as into offense? Sure. I don't feel like that is any less valid as a criticism against Josh Hart, against Mikal, against Brunson, and against OG. (And for the love of everything holy, would it be possible to have ONE GAME where Mikal and OG are both killing it on both offense and defense at the same time? And not have Brunson or KAT disappear at the same time?)
I was certainly one of those people when we traded for KAT who thought, ye gods, he's soft, he will collapse under pressure, he will not meet the moment, how can we build a contender around him? Maybe I'm drinking the Kool-Aid, but I feel like maybe this isn't impossible, that KAT has tried to grow into a more complete player, and now we need to make this our daily chore:
I'll give you this: you make a compelling argument. It might just be a me thing. We had a passive aggressive, snotty, egotistical person here at KFS once. They are no longer here, despite the fact that they were very talented. Did it make us better? Not on paper. But fuck if I don't count my lucky stars every day I no longer have to deal with this person.
I believe it must be a *chore* - for Brown and the rest of the roster - to have to deal with KAT when he gets in one of his moods. It *pained* me to read Stef Bondy's article from last night, painting a very clear picture that KAT puts himself before the team, when doing the opposite might make the Knicks the clear favorites in the East.
I wish I could like this 100 times. This is so spot on. Yes, we know KAT's faults, they are legion. BUT we have to find a way to get him the ball and get him going. We have 10 years worth of evidence on this. The more he's engaged, especially early, the better he plays and lock in on defense. Do I wish that wasn't the case? Of course, but that's not reality and right now we have to deal with reality.
There should never be a situation where KAT gets two shots in a half - that is on his teammates plain and simple.
And speaking of teammates, I don't care about last night, I'm out on Jose. He can't shoot, his defense is overrated and he absolutely does not activate KAT - which to me, with that second unit, is the #1 job of the point guard.
For all his faults Kolek has proven to be very effective at featuring KAT and for the success of this team I want him out there, even for a few minutes.
Trying to make sense of the whistle last night felt like arguing with the TV. Holmgren moves Jalen on a board, foul goes the other way. McLain grabs Deuce’s foot, nothing. You stack a few of those and yeah… it feels like you’re playing uphill all night.
But I had to check myself, too. The second you go to “stacked deck,” you start acting like it’s hopeless. And once that creeps in, the game speeds up, the decisions get worse, and now you’re beating yourself.
The refs didn’t cause 19 turnovers. But they definitely helped create the kind of game where you start forcing it, trying to make something happen instead of just making the next right play.
And that’s the thing—this isn’t about needing four perfect games. It’s simpler (and harder):
– Take care of the ball;
– Finish possessions;
– Involve all five guys in the possession and if one is sitting it out, sub him out. Clarkson continues to move up the charts.
And then there’s Deuce. That’s the one that actually matters. His defense, his calm, the way he keeps things organized—if he’s not right, that changes a lot in a hurry.
So yeah, the whistle was brutal at times. But this can’t turn into a “we got robbed” game. There’s still a path here if they can stay composed and clean things up.
And still… eyes to heaven for Deuce. That one would hurt.
Like isn’t strong enough. I love your comment. I’ve practiced law for close to 50 years. I’ve met lawyers that never lost a case. Oh, their client lost but that was because the judge,the jury, the witness, even his own client screwed him. My partner and I lost our share of cases. We both abided by one policy. After a loss you sat back and asked “ what could I have done better”.
Go ahead blame the refs. That way the Knicks never really lose.
Play a little D down the stretch against SGA. Hit a few more baskets especially from 3 feet out. Don’t pound the bball to death every possession. Hey Brown, what’s the plan to stop SGA in the closing minutes. Everyone, what can I do better.
Leslie, you’re right on. The wrong ref made the wrong call. The right ref had her head… Boo Hoo. We lost. We learn, we think it through, we work harder or we can kick off the,” Let’s get The Greek Guy season”
The problem with playing D against SGA is that the refs will call a foul every time. That being said, the guy is an incredible shooter - especially in clutch time. He hit nothing but net on those last two shots to clinch the game.
Defend with your feet and keep him in front of you. Don’t get handsy and don’t bite at every twitch. They must provide help( a defensive plan). Stay away from the “and ones”. You’ll never stop him, he’s too good, but make him work for it. You can tire him by making it uncomfortable. Try to make it that someone 3rds has to beat you. All easier said than done. He had it way too easy last night. You must be on him from the start.
The refs were so one sided it was laughable. Brunson gets bodied and fouled up and down the court with little to no whistle. You breathe on SGA and he gets 17 FTA. Towns gets fouled three times by Chet then he gets a flagrant. Yes he elbowed him but it was after the fact. Hart just stands there and Dort runs as hard as he can into him. The lady official calls nothing and the other ref makes the call. With all that we still had chances. SGA made those 5 quick points and we were not able to get it done. Be ready to battle again Tuesday. Hope Miles is ok!
They never seem to show a replay of these phantom SGA fouls. He glides between defenders with no impediment, the whistle blows and he throws the ball up. 2 free throws. Did OG get one foul call on all his drives to the basket? Somehow he was blocked perfectly with no foul 3 feet from the basket every time
Also, tactically, I think a huge problem for KAT is that it just takes him too long to get down the court - on both ends. On offense, he never gets early position, but instead it’s 3 different actions geared toward getting him a late shot clock post up 20 feet from the basket. On defense, he’s still moving into guarding position as the action is beginning, and he’s out of position and completely off balance
been a problem for 10+ years. Being well-conditioned would help. But that requires offseason commitment. Ask yourself, when have you ever read comments from a coach or team staffer about how dedicated KAT is to his craft off the court? This is what I mean when I point out the entitlement factor (No. 1 pick, 2 max contracts, insulating himself in a bubble of people who only sing his praises, etc).
Yup. He’s not for me, at least not in this role. And it’s a fucking shame that if things go as I expect them to go, we’re going to have to unwind this roster.
Was thinking about what you said on your postgame last night about how KAT and JB are never great in the same game. I think it would be revealing for you to go back through your newsletters and see how many times out of the 150+ games they’ve played together our two “best” players got your 2 and 3 stars in the same game.
All im going to say is this wqs a 2 pt game with 4 mins left and the thunder had at that time 20 more fts then us, i dont blame refs, shit happens. But i saw a knick team compete, play defense, shoot and each player had moments OG being in foul trouble was a bummer, and i hppe Deuce is ok. But what i saw was a team try and if they play like that this playoffs, we should be playing into late May and June. Seeeding is meaningless 2-4, JUST STAY HEALTHY!
The problem with the foul calls was that it impacts the player’s minutes: OG and Bridges had 4 fouls and Brunson had 3 in the 3rd. Brown even had to play Brunson/Deuce/Alvarado together at one point and I doubt that was what he wanted.
I will give OKC credit for having a roster of guys that can make shots. Caruso/Mitchell/Joe/Williams all hit open 3s that felt huge.
Idk what to make of KAT. That’s all I’ve got for that
2) Thunder are defending champs, have best record in league this year and are 31-6 at home this year. It was always going to be a tough game. We competed. If we are so fortunate to be in the finals facing OKC, I think we can compete which is all you can ask for.
3) On the KAT dialogue, I think there are two layers to this. When the starting lineup was in, they were leaving Hart open and he was shooting the 3 last night (which is great), Mikal was aggressive and effective, Jalen was shooting and OG was shooting. It's an equal opportunity read and react offense. There are only so many shots to go around. KAT not getting shots is going to happen sometimes. The issue to me is when Jalen sits and KAT is supposed to be leading the bench unit as the second all star. Jose took 10 shots and had 4 turnovers in 16 minutes. He's supposed to be running the offense and teams are daring him to shoot. He's not doing a very good job of it as you admitted on the postgame. And Brown continues to play Clarkson, who's a chucker as well at heart and took 6 shots. If you imagine MB had played Kolek and Mo instead of Jose and Clarkson and told the young players to feed KAT the ball, I think you get a different result with more KAT shots. As you said on the postgame last night, last year Cam Payne understood his job was to feed KAT the ball. I think Kolek and Mo can understand the mission.
4) In terms of the whistle, MB has a proclivity to play small lineups. It's just harder for smaller players to defend bigger players without fouling. In a playoff series, I think we have to be open to playing bigger lineups and especially more minutes for Mo. It's crazy to me that he is shooting 40% from 3 for the season, seems to have good passing instincts and gets two minutes against a big physical team so we can have more Clarkson, Jose, Deuce minutes. Makes no sense.
Kat has issues but its clear he is not being optimized. We only targeted the KAT-Caruso matchup once in the first half. Should KAT be more assertive in finding that opportunity? Yes. But it is Mike Brown’s responsibility to make sure that the team finds it for him if he can’t or won’t create the matchup himself. When they finally started looking for it in the 2nd half it worked almost every time. Right until Brown pulled him in the middle of a 7 point scoring run for Mitch, who was mostly ineffective all game (4 rebounds to Kat’s 18). Now Kat literally cannot play in the paint, because you decide to use the double big for the first time late in the fourth quarter. As noted in the newsletter the team execution following the 4th quarter sub was horrible. Kat has issues, but its feels like Mike Brown is on a personal mission to magnify them rather than minimize them.
I think there's blame to go around, on Mike for sure, but also on KAT for not putting himself in better positions. How much of the playcalling issues (not just with Mike Brown but every coach KAT has had) is because there's an acknowledgement that he doesn't want to do the dirty work against a physical team?
i don't recall any playcalling issues with Kat last season. He was consistent offensively. It was his defensive people complained about under Thibs. I don't recall Kat having this many issues offensively with any coach over his 9 year career. do you?
there were a lot of complaints in Minny. And don't forget the response during segments of the Pistons series and several regular season games (including, certainly, vs Boston). The difference is that KAT ALWAYS got the rock when Brunson sat (thanks to Cam Payne), and now Cam Payne is gone.
What I remember about the Piston's series is Kat averaged 20 & 10 and winning game 4 for us with the insanely difficult fallaway baseline shot and the multiple stepback threes. You attributing his success last year to Cam Payne, who's only personal agenda was to bomb threes whenever possible, is actually laughable, Jon.
I understand where Andrew was coming from on the pod - the statistical profile of this team is very good - but they just don't have it. At this point, I would be more shocked by the Knicks making it to the Finals than I would if they lost in the first round. Not ideal!
I'm a little disappointed in the lack of actions to get KAT involved, yet recognize how uncomfortable he looks down low against good defensive teams. There's definitely more possibilities of getting him inolved than just post ups on the left block, however you notice how poor his post game is when you see an opening for him that he doesn't notice or feel. Outside of post ups, they kind of treated him like Kelly Olynyk while Brunson was on the floor.
what kills me is that I think on either the first or second possession of the game we ran an action that got KAT the ball going downhill to the basket and he drew a foul. And then we simply stopped doing that. Make it make sense.
Also, everyone's mad that he's not getting his own buckets or taking initiative. But, we know by now that he ISNT a creator, so if nothings ran for him or they don't look, then I don't understand why anyone is surprised at low scoring numbers. His post up PPP is .77 or something...
Yeah, I think since running actions for him like that weren't such a focal point early on, they fall on the old habit of excluding him. I know switching defenses make it kind of hard but damn, there's gotta be something to counter it...
After watching one of the biggest choke jobs in March Madness history, I flipped on the end of NBC's pre-game & caught TMac & Vince Carter discussing their pregame chat/advice given to KAT. I saw some of the video(w/o sound), watching KAT listen & respond to them & he looked like a kid who was forced to listen to his parents, but it was going in one ear & out the other. And really, the last thing he needs is someone else getting in his head telling him what he needs to do! And it obviously worked, as he didn't take a shot in the 1st Q & only 1 in the 2nd Q, for 4 points in the first half. Jon talked about KAT on the postgame, basically saying he is what he is & we have to accept it. However, he also addressed that the KAT trade was supposed to be the one that put us over the top, the trade to win the NBA Championship, but now that's obviously not the case!
OKC has mastered how to get foul calls (Jon even suggested it's probably part of their practices) as the 38-17 differential in foul shots would suggest. The Knicks had a good game, not a great game vs the NBA Champs & to beat them, you need a great game! Of more immediate concern is Deuce's health, as the injury seemed to be in the very place he had his surgery. Let's hope it looked more serious than it is! I think they're going to need a run of games to have a chance to catch Boston for the #2 slot & I think it's more likely they're in a dogfight for the 3/4 slot with the Cavs (Knicks have the tiebreaker). #LGK
The problem with that need was the T-Wolves had already shown Leon by their trade for Gobert that KAT was not a center. I really believe arrogance played a part here, as Leon believed he was & would fit in with the Knicks. The problem was, Rose went for the big name & not the player who would fit, as he had done with I-Hart! And now, that window keeps closing!
If Leon ever answered a question I’d love to know, What Was The Plan. Bill and John, they knew KAT better than anyone. Last weeks piece by the Minnesota journalist detailed life with KAT under Thibs. Thibs was here. What Was The Plan.
However, he’s here. Let’s move on, but please post season.
The dialogue is a little stupid frankly. TMac never won a playoff series. Carmelo made one conference finals. VC made one conference finals. KAT has already made two finals.
Stupid? Probably! But since this was a national TV game, it received big time coverage & just allowed the problem that is KAT to be covered & expanded. And, he didn't help things by being interviewed by NBC & saying he's STILL trying to adjust to what the coaching staff wants him to do! You're a freakin' 11 year veteran, you're adjusting to a new playbook, not a new lifestyle! When I find myself agreeing with things Reggie Miller is saying during the game, something is wrong! lol
I don't mind it when Shaq criticizes KAT because he's a big man. But, when you have 3 guys that had the ball in their hands their whole career chucking up shots complaining about KAT not getting shots because Jose is taking more shots than he is and turning the ball over 4 times. Maybe they could focus a little more on why he isn't getting the ball. And Reggie is super annoying for sure.
I’d very much like to be proven wrong but I’m just not feeling it this year. Try to trade Towns for a legit 2nd scoring option, resign and start Mitch, bring in a serviceable backup center.
I have been trying to figure out how high this team ranks on “driving me mad” most nights. I truly do think they can win the title with this roster but also wouldn’t be shocked if they get bounced early. You just never know what you’re getting night in and night out. They’ll barely touch 50 wins. Sky isn’t falling but I’m keeping my expectations modest
The fault dear Brutus is not in the ref’s, but in ourselves. We lost to a better team. We need to play better to beat them. Can we.
there's a reason i couldn't get worked up about the refs in the postgame. play better.
Alvarado three for 10 it's unacceptable. I don't care if BROWN has to please win because he acquired him he's more of a detriment at this point than a positive. The refs were atrocious but that's not the answer. BRIDGES played his best defensive game of the year. Hart's long range shooting was eye-opening and kept us in the game along with Brunson. Jat was trying not to foul out which of these refs could've happened in a minute.
For me, it’s not Alvarado’s shooting so much as his constant pounding the ball. There is very little ball movement when he is in. Everyone else just stands around while he dribbles all over the court. I’d rather see Kolek or even Mo D out there for a different look.
Completely agree, Jose is not a creator, kills the clock, is not a good shooter from anywhere on the court and I’m not seeing the supposed grand theft auto part of his game. Kolek would be a better option and as a bonus he’s always looking to find KAT in a good position to score.
1000%. I'm not looking for Jose to score or even shoot that often, I want him moving the ball and feeding KAT as much as possible. on that end he has been flat out bad.
No need. I just stated the obvious. Between him and kolek you know how I feel. it was a great acquisition that's gone bad so correct that
Leon not win sorry. I have anger issues
Bad job by me not calling out Jose in the newsletter. I did so on the postgame and forgot to make a point to do so here. One might say he's been a bit too forgettable.
I think what people don’t get about the KAT criticism is that it’s not that we’re mad that he has gaps in his game. He’s a good dude who is genuinely trying. We’re mad that because of the salary cap, and how much money he makes, we cannot be successful without him. We just don’t have the roster dynamism to overcome games where the opponent (or KAT) takes KAT out of the game.
in other words, when Myles turner disappeared during the ECF and the Finals, it didn't kill Indy's chances. And when it was time to give him a raise? Sayonara.
Yes! And more because Siakam was a legitimate, conventional #2 option. You’re never gonna be like “we lost this series because Pascal Siakam played like crap for 5 of the games.”
I feel like there are so many games where we’re mulling why KAT wasn’t more involved and where does the fault lie. Meanwhile, I can’t think of another star offensive player where we see that discourse. It kind of leads me to believe that the fault lies primarily with KAT.
AD, but he always brought it on D
So, I understand the frustration with KAT not taking the game into his own hands. But on this one, I'd have to side more with the vibe I was getting from the KFTV postgame show (oddly enough, with Jeff J on it).
Shaq or Patrick or Hakeem could take over a game, but somebody had to get one of them the ball, whether it is actually running plays that involve them or getting offensive rebounds. And I get it, KAT could do a better job of setting hard screens (though I think he has been doing that recently), but if you're going to be doing a batch of mad scientist experimenting throughout a season, why in Sam Hill don't you constantly practice running pick-and-roll with a massive human being with a deft shooting touch? Why don't you spam it at every possible opportunity until the opposition figures out a counter for it? I'm not sure there is a counter for it; it has worked for Kolek, it has worked for Alvarado, and it has worked for Brunson, when he can be troubled to try it.
18 rebounds does not suggest to me a player who is dogging it or who isn't trying. And in a game where he was yet again frozen out by the offense, he took matters into his own hands a little bit in the fourth quarter. So, of course you take a player making a one-man 7-0 run and sub him out for a guy who doesn't have an offensive game. And you put the Captain back in, who proceeds to spam two-man games with Mikal and Josh. And I'm sure that two-man game worked wonders at Villanova. I'm also sure that OKC has over a decade of tape of those two man games and knows how to counter them (as they demonstrated; those plays were very good at eating time off the clock, not so great at creating advantages). And KAT gets put in (too late), and parked in the corner (how many corner threes has KAT shot?).
I get it, he is a defensive liability (though less of a defensive liability than he has been, and 11 defensive rebounds is 11 ended Thunder possessions). I get it, he should assert himself more. But I don't get why you take this weapon of a player and try to turn him into Domantas Sabonis or Andre Drummond. And the record-scratch passes into the stands for live ball turnovers did not happen because KAT wasn't giving it what he could. (Addendum: Yes, KAT had four turnovers, though I feel like at least one or two of them was a result of getting mugged in the lane while the refs swallowed their whistles; he actually adapted by keeping the ball above his head in the fourth.)
Unlocking the potential in Deuce, in Shamet, in Mo Diawara, heck, in Kevin McCullar is admirable. Failing to unlock KAT is a big, big, big problem, and I realize generations of coaches have struggled to unlock him, but I think he is genuinely trying to adapt his game, and I do not think he is getting an equal effort from his teammates or his coach.
So here's the thing: every "why don't you XYZ" question with KAT assumes he will embrace the game plan laid out, both before and during the game, and I would strongly argue against that assumption. Second thing: if players and coaches aren't bending more, why is that? Are they all assholes? Do they not care about winning? Or is there something more going on?
The book on KAT is that he likes things only a certain way, is stuck in his ways, and won't change.
Remember when everybody thought Melo would be better playing at the 4 than the 3, only he didn't want to do it? And then wound up stomping on the league when he finally did?
Nobody likes being pulled out of their comfort zone, and I'm sure KAT is no different from that than any of the rest of us. And yet, we have seen signs of growth at a time in his career when the rulebook says you can't learn how to do something new. Kicking and screaming, he started playing the 4 when the Timberwolves traded for Gobert, and that combo worked well enough to be able to make it to a conference finals. He has passive-aggressively said that he hasn't liked his role in this current team scheme, and yet he has figured out how to stop chicken-winging for offensive fouls, he's rebounding like a monster, he's demonstrating verticality when playing defense. And yes, he was targeted by OKC. Who has the best +/- among the starters last night?
He has not been nuts about it, but he has made changes. I do not feel like I have seen the same commitment from his coach or his teammates. Brown got a tech. Was it for yet another case where KAT was getting hacked mercilessly? This is the coach who hugged Draymond after he tried to pull an Embiid on KAT, then threw KAT under the bus. This is the coach who tried to turn KAT into something that he has seen before (Sabonis with Sacramento, Andre Drummond - or maybe more pointedly - he's trying to turn KAT into Mitchell Robinson). Would it really kill him to figure out how to build a workable pick and roll with this guy?
And Brunson's offensive choices in the fourth quarter drove me up the wall. KAT is the guy they had no answer for. And he is every bit as guilty, if not more so, for reverting to comfort zones under pressure, where KAT figured out a way to be dominant.
Do I wish KAT started that way? Sure. Do I wish he put as much commitment consistently into defense as into offense? Sure. I don't feel like that is any less valid as a criticism against Josh Hart, against Mikal, against Brunson, and against OG. (And for the love of everything holy, would it be possible to have ONE GAME where Mikal and OG are both killing it on both offense and defense at the same time? And not have Brunson or KAT disappear at the same time?)
I was certainly one of those people when we traded for KAT who thought, ye gods, he's soft, he will collapse under pressure, he will not meet the moment, how can we build a contender around him? Maybe I'm drinking the Kool-Aid, but I feel like maybe this isn't impossible, that KAT has tried to grow into a more complete player, and now we need to make this our daily chore:
Feed. Da. KAT.
I'll give you this: you make a compelling argument. It might just be a me thing. We had a passive aggressive, snotty, egotistical person here at KFS once. They are no longer here, despite the fact that they were very talented. Did it make us better? Not on paper. But fuck if I don't count my lucky stars every day I no longer have to deal with this person.
I believe it must be a *chore* - for Brown and the rest of the roster - to have to deal with KAT when he gets in one of his moods. It *pained* me to read Stef Bondy's article from last night, painting a very clear picture that KAT puts himself before the team, when doing the opposite might make the Knicks the clear favorites in the East.
KAT finally got going in the fourth quarter and Brown takes him out. I’m yelling at the TV WTF are you doing! That lost the game right there
I wish I could like this 100 times. This is so spot on. Yes, we know KAT's faults, they are legion. BUT we have to find a way to get him the ball and get him going. We have 10 years worth of evidence on this. The more he's engaged, especially early, the better he plays and lock in on defense. Do I wish that wasn't the case? Of course, but that's not reality and right now we have to deal with reality.
There should never be a situation where KAT gets two shots in a half - that is on his teammates plain and simple.
And speaking of teammates, I don't care about last night, I'm out on Jose. He can't shoot, his defense is overrated and he absolutely does not activate KAT - which to me, with that second unit, is the #1 job of the point guard.
For all his faults Kolek has proven to be very effective at featuring KAT and for the success of this team I want him out there, even for a few minutes.
Trying to make sense of the whistle last night felt like arguing with the TV. Holmgren moves Jalen on a board, foul goes the other way. McLain grabs Deuce’s foot, nothing. You stack a few of those and yeah… it feels like you’re playing uphill all night.
But I had to check myself, too. The second you go to “stacked deck,” you start acting like it’s hopeless. And once that creeps in, the game speeds up, the decisions get worse, and now you’re beating yourself.
The refs didn’t cause 19 turnovers. But they definitely helped create the kind of game where you start forcing it, trying to make something happen instead of just making the next right play.
And that’s the thing—this isn’t about needing four perfect games. It’s simpler (and harder):
– Take care of the ball;
– Finish possessions;
– Involve all five guys in the possession and if one is sitting it out, sub him out. Clarkson continues to move up the charts.
And then there’s Deuce. That’s the one that actually matters. His defense, his calm, the way he keeps things organized—if he’s not right, that changes a lot in a hurry.
So yeah, the whistle was brutal at times. But this can’t turn into a “we got robbed” game. There’s still a path here if they can stay composed and clean things up.
And still… eyes to heaven for Deuce. That one would hurt.
Like isn’t strong enough. I love your comment. I’ve practiced law for close to 50 years. I’ve met lawyers that never lost a case. Oh, their client lost but that was because the judge,the jury, the witness, even his own client screwed him. My partner and I lost our share of cases. We both abided by one policy. After a loss you sat back and asked “ what could I have done better”.
Go ahead blame the refs. That way the Knicks never really lose.
Play a little D down the stretch against SGA. Hit a few more baskets especially from 3 feet out. Don’t pound the bball to death every possession. Hey Brown, what’s the plan to stop SGA in the closing minutes. Everyone, what can I do better.
Leslie, you’re right on. The wrong ref made the wrong call. The right ref had her head… Boo Hoo. We lost. We learn, we think it through, we work harder or we can kick off the,” Let’s get The Greek Guy season”
Thanks. I always try to ask myself (and the people I talk to) "What's my role in this?"
Agree with Martin. Strongly agree Tim.
The problem with playing D against SGA is that the refs will call a foul every time. That being said, the guy is an incredible shooter - especially in clutch time. He hit nothing but net on those last two shots to clinch the game.
Defend with your feet and keep him in front of you. Don’t get handsy and don’t bite at every twitch. They must provide help( a defensive plan). Stay away from the “and ones”. You’ll never stop him, he’s too good, but make him work for it. You can tire him by making it uncomfortable. Try to make it that someone 3rds has to beat you. All easier said than done. He had it way too easy last night. You must be on him from the start.
The refs were so one sided it was laughable. Brunson gets bodied and fouled up and down the court with little to no whistle. You breathe on SGA and he gets 17 FTA. Towns gets fouled three times by Chet then he gets a flagrant. Yes he elbowed him but it was after the fact. Hart just stands there and Dort runs as hard as he can into him. The lady official calls nothing and the other ref makes the call. With all that we still had chances. SGA made those 5 quick points and we were not able to get it done. Be ready to battle again Tuesday. Hope Miles is ok!
Go Knicks 🏀
They never seem to show a replay of these phantom SGA fouls. He glides between defenders with no impediment, the whistle blows and he throws the ball up. 2 free throws. Did OG get one foul call on all his drives to the basket? Somehow he was blocked perfectly with no foul 3 feet from the basket every time
Also, tactically, I think a huge problem for KAT is that it just takes him too long to get down the court - on both ends. On offense, he never gets early position, but instead it’s 3 different actions geared toward getting him a late shot clock post up 20 feet from the basket. On defense, he’s still moving into guarding position as the action is beginning, and he’s out of position and completely off balance
been a problem for 10+ years. Being well-conditioned would help. But that requires offseason commitment. Ask yourself, when have you ever read comments from a coach or team staffer about how dedicated KAT is to his craft off the court? This is what I mean when I point out the entitlement factor (No. 1 pick, 2 max contracts, insulating himself in a bubble of people who only sing his praises, etc).
In the immortal words of Mickey Rivers, “ I never practice bunting, I’m not good at bunting “.
LOL
Yup. He’s not for me, at least not in this role. And it’s a fucking shame that if things go as I expect them to go, we’re going to have to unwind this roster.
Was thinking about what you said on your postgame last night about how KAT and JB are never great in the same game. I think it would be revealing for you to go back through your newsletters and see how many times out of the 150+ games they’ve played together our two “best” players got your 2 and 3 stars in the same game.
All im going to say is this wqs a 2 pt game with 4 mins left and the thunder had at that time 20 more fts then us, i dont blame refs, shit happens. But i saw a knick team compete, play defense, shoot and each player had moments OG being in foul trouble was a bummer, and i hppe Deuce is ok. But what i saw was a team try and if they play like that this playoffs, we should be playing into late May and June. Seeeding is meaningless 2-4, JUST STAY HEALTHY!
I think too late on the healthy. Say a prayer to whatever you believe for Deuce.
The problem with the foul calls was that it impacts the player’s minutes: OG and Bridges had 4 fouls and Brunson had 3 in the 3rd. Brown even had to play Brunson/Deuce/Alvarado together at one point and I doubt that was what he wanted.
I will give OKC credit for having a roster of guys that can make shots. Caruso/Mitchell/Joe/Williams all hit open 3s that felt huge.
Idk what to make of KAT. That’s all I’ve got for that
if you knew what to make of KAT, the Knicks should hire you as a consultant.
1) Sad to see Deuce go down.
2) Thunder are defending champs, have best record in league this year and are 31-6 at home this year. It was always going to be a tough game. We competed. If we are so fortunate to be in the finals facing OKC, I think we can compete which is all you can ask for.
3) On the KAT dialogue, I think there are two layers to this. When the starting lineup was in, they were leaving Hart open and he was shooting the 3 last night (which is great), Mikal was aggressive and effective, Jalen was shooting and OG was shooting. It's an equal opportunity read and react offense. There are only so many shots to go around. KAT not getting shots is going to happen sometimes. The issue to me is when Jalen sits and KAT is supposed to be leading the bench unit as the second all star. Jose took 10 shots and had 4 turnovers in 16 minutes. He's supposed to be running the offense and teams are daring him to shoot. He's not doing a very good job of it as you admitted on the postgame. And Brown continues to play Clarkson, who's a chucker as well at heart and took 6 shots. If you imagine MB had played Kolek and Mo instead of Jose and Clarkson and told the young players to feed KAT the ball, I think you get a different result with more KAT shots. As you said on the postgame last night, last year Cam Payne understood his job was to feed KAT the ball. I think Kolek and Mo can understand the mission.
4) In terms of the whistle, MB has a proclivity to play small lineups. It's just harder for smaller players to defend bigger players without fouling. In a playoff series, I think we have to be open to playing bigger lineups and especially more minutes for Mo. It's crazy to me that he is shooting 40% from 3 for the season, seems to have good passing instincts and gets two minutes against a big physical team so we can have more Clarkson, Jose, Deuce minutes. Makes no sense.
Kat has issues but its clear he is not being optimized. We only targeted the KAT-Caruso matchup once in the first half. Should KAT be more assertive in finding that opportunity? Yes. But it is Mike Brown’s responsibility to make sure that the team finds it for him if he can’t or won’t create the matchup himself. When they finally started looking for it in the 2nd half it worked almost every time. Right until Brown pulled him in the middle of a 7 point scoring run for Mitch, who was mostly ineffective all game (4 rebounds to Kat’s 18). Now Kat literally cannot play in the paint, because you decide to use the double big for the first time late in the fourth quarter. As noted in the newsletter the team execution following the 4th quarter sub was horrible. Kat has issues, but its feels like Mike Brown is on a personal mission to magnify them rather than minimize them.
I think there's blame to go around, on Mike for sure, but also on KAT for not putting himself in better positions. How much of the playcalling issues (not just with Mike Brown but every coach KAT has had) is because there's an acknowledgement that he doesn't want to do the dirty work against a physical team?
i don't recall any playcalling issues with Kat last season. He was consistent offensively. It was his defensive people complained about under Thibs. I don't recall Kat having this many issues offensively with any coach over his 9 year career. do you?
there were a lot of complaints in Minny. And don't forget the response during segments of the Pistons series and several regular season games (including, certainly, vs Boston). The difference is that KAT ALWAYS got the rock when Brunson sat (thanks to Cam Payne), and now Cam Payne is gone.
What I remember about the Piston's series is Kat averaged 20 & 10 and winning game 4 for us with the insanely difficult fallaway baseline shot and the multiple stepback threes. You attributing his success last year to Cam Payne, who's only personal agenda was to bomb threes whenever possible, is actually laughable, Jon.
I understand where Andrew was coming from on the pod - the statistical profile of this team is very good - but they just don't have it. At this point, I would be more shocked by the Knicks making it to the Finals than I would if they lost in the first round. Not ideal!
umm...it's close for me.
Agree with Bobby, 100%
Yet you disagreed with me characterizing them as long shots? Isn’t more shocking to get to the finals than lose in the first a long shot?
Tough crowd, Macri. ;-)
I'm a little disappointed in the lack of actions to get KAT involved, yet recognize how uncomfortable he looks down low against good defensive teams. There's definitely more possibilities of getting him inolved than just post ups on the left block, however you notice how poor his post game is when you see an opening for him that he doesn't notice or feel. Outside of post ups, they kind of treated him like Kelly Olynyk while Brunson was on the floor.
what kills me is that I think on either the first or second possession of the game we ran an action that got KAT the ball going downhill to the basket and he drew a foul. And then we simply stopped doing that. Make it make sense.
Also, everyone's mad that he's not getting his own buckets or taking initiative. But, we know by now that he ISNT a creator, so if nothings ran for him or they don't look, then I don't understand why anyone is surprised at low scoring numbers. His post up PPP is .77 or something...
Yeah, I think since running actions for him like that weren't such a focal point early on, they fall on the old habit of excluding him. I know switching defenses make it kind of hard but damn, there's gotta be something to counter it...
Damn, I wanted this one.
Me too
After watching one of the biggest choke jobs in March Madness history, I flipped on the end of NBC's pre-game & caught TMac & Vince Carter discussing their pregame chat/advice given to KAT. I saw some of the video(w/o sound), watching KAT listen & respond to them & he looked like a kid who was forced to listen to his parents, but it was going in one ear & out the other. And really, the last thing he needs is someone else getting in his head telling him what he needs to do! And it obviously worked, as he didn't take a shot in the 1st Q & only 1 in the 2nd Q, for 4 points in the first half. Jon talked about KAT on the postgame, basically saying he is what he is & we have to accept it. However, he also addressed that the KAT trade was supposed to be the one that put us over the top, the trade to win the NBA Championship, but now that's obviously not the case!
OKC has mastered how to get foul calls (Jon even suggested it's probably part of their practices) as the 38-17 differential in foul shots would suggest. The Knicks had a good game, not a great game vs the NBA Champs & to beat them, you need a great game! Of more immediate concern is Deuce's health, as the injury seemed to be in the very place he had his surgery. Let's hope it looked more serious than it is! I think they're going to need a run of games to have a chance to catch Boston for the #2 slot & I think it's more likely they're in a dogfight for the 3/4 slot with the Cavs (Knicks have the tiebreaker). #LGK
I will just say, IDK that they would have traded for KAT if they didn't need a C. He certainly wouldn't be here if I-Hart re-signed.
The problem with that need was the T-Wolves had already shown Leon by their trade for Gobert that KAT was not a center. I really believe arrogance played a part here, as Leon believed he was & would fit in with the Knicks. The problem was, Rose went for the big name & not the player who would fit, as he had done with I-Hart! And now, that window keeps closing!
If Leon ever answered a question I’d love to know, What Was The Plan. Bill and John, they knew KAT better than anyone. Last weeks piece by the Minnesota journalist detailed life with KAT under Thibs. Thibs was here. What Was The Plan.
However, he’s here. Let’s move on, but please post season.
The dialogue is a little stupid frankly. TMac never won a playoff series. Carmelo made one conference finals. VC made one conference finals. KAT has already made two finals.
Stupid? Probably! But since this was a national TV game, it received big time coverage & just allowed the problem that is KAT to be covered & expanded. And, he didn't help things by being interviewed by NBC & saying he's STILL trying to adjust to what the coaching staff wants him to do! You're a freakin' 11 year veteran, you're adjusting to a new playbook, not a new lifestyle! When I find myself agreeing with things Reggie Miller is saying during the game, something is wrong! lol
I don't mind it when Shaq criticizes KAT because he's a big man. But, when you have 3 guys that had the ball in their hands their whole career chucking up shots complaining about KAT not getting shots because Jose is taking more shots than he is and turning the ball over 4 times. Maybe they could focus a little more on why he isn't getting the ball. And Reggie is super annoying for sure.
I’d very much like to be proven wrong but I’m just not feeling it this year. Try to trade Towns for a legit 2nd scoring option, resign and start Mitch, bring in a serviceable backup center.
I have been trying to figure out how high this team ranks on “driving me mad” most nights. I truly do think they can win the title with this roster but also wouldn’t be shocked if they get bounced early. You just never know what you’re getting night in and night out. They’ll barely touch 50 wins. Sky isn’t falling but I’m keeping my expectations modest