I can't wait to see what this team looks like a month from now.
RE: All the young talent being out the door. I'm wondering if the Knicks are a bit ahead of the curve here. With the new CBA, what's the value of a young guy without all-star upside once they get to their second contract? I'm interested to see how they use the draft going forward. It feels like the value of 3- and 4-year college players is on the upswing since you can lock in a player from ages 22-26 on the cheap.
It has been a long time since we were even in the conversation.
By the way, are you an incredibly early riser or do you stay up all night writing these things. Either way, having lucid and thoughtful articles show up in my mailbox at 5 am is always a treat.
Ha...I always finish before I go to bed, and then set the email to send at 5 am. But yes, I do stay up pretty late...12:30-1am when there's a 7:30 start time and I also do the YouTube postgame, obviously later if there's a particularly eventful game and/or they're starting later than 7:30. Anywho, thank you for the incredibly kind words.
Jon - together with the improvement of the team and front office, it's been a genuine pleasure to watch your personal growth as a media personality and the emergence of the KFS community (along with KFTV and some of the other content creators) as a place for educated fans to converse. Particularly impressed that you have chosen to include so many additional voices on the KFS platform each with their own valuable insights. The quality of the video commentary is miles and away better than the national media. Thank you for what you do. Hoping you will put out a book at the end of our championship season this year.
Hey Andrew, apologies for just getting to this now, but thank you so much for the sentiments. Being able to do this work (to the extent that it is work, because it never feels like it) is a privilege which I remain highly cognizant of. And hoping to put out a book myself in the coming years!
I wasn't as emotionally attached to Grimes as I was RJ and IQ, but it's still sad to see it didn't work out here. Him playing 48 minutes in an elimination game and stealing the ball from Jimmy was awesome. I thought he'd be a "Thibs guy" for life after that. Maybe when he aired grievances about his role that rubbed people the wrong way?
Also want to commend Fournier for being a pro these last two years. Could not have been an easy situation for him and he didn't rock the boat.
I'm excited for Bogy and Burks. You make a great point about positional versatility. That's my favorite aspect of the trades we've made this season. I don't think we necessarily needed a "backup PG." We needed secondary ball-handlers who can run a functional offense the handful of minutes Jalen sits. Spending assets on a guy who can *only* play PG and can't play alongside Jalen would have been a waste. Bogy and Burks can back up Jalen and Julius or play with them. Can't wait to see the lineup combinations! So anxious for this team to get healthy.
And to do this all without having to give up any future firsts is a masterstroke. We still have tons of flexibility. Don't necessarily have to trade all the picks for one dude either! Let Walt Perrin cook and find a college kid who fits into #KnicksCulture.
Jalen's ascension to superstardom completely changed the calculus for team building. The window is open *now*. Jalen and Julius aren't elder statesmen, but they aren't kids anymore either. With the way they've been playing, the front office owed it to them to go for it (responsibly). RJ, IQ, Grimes... they all have potential to achieve greater things. But when you have "that dude" on your roster, you can't really sit around and wait for that potential to pay off. 17-15 before OG. 16-4 after OG.
Prayers up for Julius, OG, and the centers. Heal up and let's win the chip in June
I have been saying since the OG trade that the window is open and shouldn’t be wasted. Adding only a decent backup PG at the deadline would have been okay if there weren’t a chance of improving the team’s chances of contending now. Adding two very good scorer/playmakers to the bench makes us a contender—a long shot contender but a contender. An even bigger move would have been justifiable if (but only if) both the short term and long term chances would have been significantly enhanced. Neither Murray nor Clarkson proved worth the asking price from the front office’s point of view. They wouldn’t have improved the short term prospects enough to be worth draft capital required to obtain them, and there were reasonable worries about fit. The actual trade struck the balance between short term and long term benefits to a degree I didn’t think possible.
I remain skeptical about disgruntled superstars. None of the candidates seems both an obvious improvement and likely to be worth the cost. And disgruntlement with one situation is often a sign of disgruntlement with the next. I like rooting for the team we have: gritty, committed to one another, hardworking, spirited, and, not least of all, surprisingly capable of rising to elite status before our very eyes, as Jalen, Isaiah, and Donte have just done. I am having trouble imagining who will be worth all of those draft picks.
One last thought. It’s still possible to add a decent backup PG by signing a free agent.
Yeah, the "obvious" star trade isn't jumping out to me either. Embiid's injury history is a major red flag. Donovan presents fit issues next to Brunson. Who knows if these guys will even be available?
Maybe we don't have to make a star trade. Build around Jalen and Julius and use the summer to fine-tune the bench. Draft players for cheap depth. Maybe Perrin finds our version of Jaime Jacquez. Lots of directions to take besides flipping all the picks for one dude.
Who knew that the Knicks relentless pursuit of a superstar was achieved in the Summer of 2022? (still would be happy to get another). But Jalen is a superstar and that changes everything. Finding all the pieces and parts that fit around Jalen (like yesterday’s deal) is super important. Even the next superstar we go after should not be a PG (Mitchell) but any of the other four positions.
Jon, legit question: How do you also teach!? I'm a teacher - and, like you, a father of two - and have no idea how you do it. Love the newsletter this morning!
Kudos to you! I 100000% do not have 37 years in me. Figure I'll tap out after 10-12 years and hopefully be able to make up the difference by continuing to grow KFS
IDK how I do it either lol. TBH, it really just comes down to making use of every second of every day. I'm also very lucky in that I've been teaching long enough to be able to streamline my responsibilities in a way that newer teachers don't. And of course, having an incredible wife who picks up a lot of the slack is a must. Even so, it's hard, and tbh I probably will not be teaching for too much longer after next year, which will be my 10th.
The OG injury is especially annoying but I guess things could be worse. How about the way Devo is playing? Wow! Remember when folks were complaining about him during the preseason? lol
Desperately needed to add bench depth with the insane amount of minutes certain guys have been playing, and with a guy on the roster making 19 mil a year whom the coach refused to play despite being down three rotation players. Assuming we can get healthy (Randle's status is still seemingly a question), we'll be a tough out in the playoffs.
How is this newsletter not titled “Everything’s Coming Up (Leon) Roses”? After a looooong run of clowning it’s fun to be a Knicks fan. On top of everything you said, this FO has proven they know how to draft (and as noted develop that talent and turn it into legit contributors or valuable trade assets). There’s no reason to believe Leon & Team can’t replenish the coffers with fresh, young, cheap talent again. LFG Knicks!
Anything is negotiable but… I’m not sure KFS can afford my rate. 😜. Keep up the great work man. The KFS work makes being a Knick fan so much more fun and feel like a connected community experience on a higher ground above it all.
What a time to be a fan of this team! Not only is team on the rise but the quality of content out there is just amazing. So kudos to you and KFS team . Encouraging seeing JR on the bench which tells me he will be back soon and he is engaged . Just one point if there is away to limit the amount of threads that gets created would be great everyone has some great takes just becoming a lot .
Nothing, and I mean nothing, feels as good as this does. Following this team religiously even during the Fiz days, the 17 wins days, this makes it all worth it. And the crazy (amazing) thing is that we all would have kept following and loving them even with more 17 win seasons. Love you all, we deserve this more than anyone.
Ohhhhh Jon. Inject this right into my veins!!! I can't feel my face!!!!! It's going to be orange and blue skies every morning for quite some time. The league is about to find out what the 90s and early 00s were all about year in year out. Maybe even better than that.
GRATITUDE for your great newsletter, Jon ! And Appreciation for our NYK front office that is definitely the opposite of
“casual” and “unserious” lol. Let’s reflect on how disastrous it would feel to have Donovan Mitchell and no OG etc and the size, strength, spacing, versatility, defense, smarts, shooters ... and culture, chemistry 🔥 Amazing NYK team built around Brunson! And also Taj can shout out on the 3 seconds! All now is Perfection 💖
Jon: Your experience and knowledge overcome our doubts. Thanks for putting everything I'd been processing for the last 24 hrs. into clear language. I do believe we can accomplish something special. Still pinching myself though.
I can't wait to see what this team looks like a month from now.
RE: All the young talent being out the door. I'm wondering if the Knicks are a bit ahead of the curve here. With the new CBA, what's the value of a young guy without all-star upside once they get to their second contract? I'm interested to see how they use the draft going forward. It feels like the value of 3- and 4-year college players is on the upswing since you can lock in a player from ages 22-26 on the cheap.
What an interesting thought. You’ve piqued my curiosity. I’ll try to write some more thoughts on this ASAP.
It has been a long time since we were even in the conversation.
By the way, are you an incredibly early riser or do you stay up all night writing these things. Either way, having lucid and thoughtful articles show up in my mailbox at 5 am is always a treat.
Ha...I always finish before I go to bed, and then set the email to send at 5 am. But yes, I do stay up pretty late...12:30-1am when there's a 7:30 start time and I also do the YouTube postgame, obviously later if there's a particularly eventful game and/or they're starting later than 7:30. Anywho, thank you for the incredibly kind words.
Jon - together with the improvement of the team and front office, it's been a genuine pleasure to watch your personal growth as a media personality and the emergence of the KFS community (along with KFTV and some of the other content creators) as a place for educated fans to converse. Particularly impressed that you have chosen to include so many additional voices on the KFS platform each with their own valuable insights. The quality of the video commentary is miles and away better than the national media. Thank you for what you do. Hoping you will put out a book at the end of our championship season this year.
Hey Andrew, apologies for just getting to this now, but thank you so much for the sentiments. Being able to do this work (to the extent that it is work, because it never feels like it) is a privilege which I remain highly cognizant of. And hoping to put out a book myself in the coming years!
I wasn't as emotionally attached to Grimes as I was RJ and IQ, but it's still sad to see it didn't work out here. Him playing 48 minutes in an elimination game and stealing the ball from Jimmy was awesome. I thought he'd be a "Thibs guy" for life after that. Maybe when he aired grievances about his role that rubbed people the wrong way?
Also want to commend Fournier for being a pro these last two years. Could not have been an easy situation for him and he didn't rock the boat.
I'm excited for Bogy and Burks. You make a great point about positional versatility. That's my favorite aspect of the trades we've made this season. I don't think we necessarily needed a "backup PG." We needed secondary ball-handlers who can run a functional offense the handful of minutes Jalen sits. Spending assets on a guy who can *only* play PG and can't play alongside Jalen would have been a waste. Bogy and Burks can back up Jalen and Julius or play with them. Can't wait to see the lineup combinations! So anxious for this team to get healthy.
And to do this all without having to give up any future firsts is a masterstroke. We still have tons of flexibility. Don't necessarily have to trade all the picks for one dude either! Let Walt Perrin cook and find a college kid who fits into #KnicksCulture.
Jalen's ascension to superstardom completely changed the calculus for team building. The window is open *now*. Jalen and Julius aren't elder statesmen, but they aren't kids anymore either. With the way they've been playing, the front office owed it to them to go for it (responsibly). RJ, IQ, Grimes... they all have potential to achieve greater things. But when you have "that dude" on your roster, you can't really sit around and wait for that potential to pay off. 17-15 before OG. 16-4 after OG.
Prayers up for Julius, OG, and the centers. Heal up and let's win the chip in June
I have been saying since the OG trade that the window is open and shouldn’t be wasted. Adding only a decent backup PG at the deadline would have been okay if there weren’t a chance of improving the team’s chances of contending now. Adding two very good scorer/playmakers to the bench makes us a contender—a long shot contender but a contender. An even bigger move would have been justifiable if (but only if) both the short term and long term chances would have been significantly enhanced. Neither Murray nor Clarkson proved worth the asking price from the front office’s point of view. They wouldn’t have improved the short term prospects enough to be worth draft capital required to obtain them, and there were reasonable worries about fit. The actual trade struck the balance between short term and long term benefits to a degree I didn’t think possible.
I remain skeptical about disgruntled superstars. None of the candidates seems both an obvious improvement and likely to be worth the cost. And disgruntlement with one situation is often a sign of disgruntlement with the next. I like rooting for the team we have: gritty, committed to one another, hardworking, spirited, and, not least of all, surprisingly capable of rising to elite status before our very eyes, as Jalen, Isaiah, and Donte have just done. I am having trouble imagining who will be worth all of those draft picks.
One last thought. It’s still possible to add a decent backup PG by signing a free agent.
Yeah, the "obvious" star trade isn't jumping out to me either. Embiid's injury history is a major red flag. Donovan presents fit issues next to Brunson. Who knows if these guys will even be available?
Maybe we don't have to make a star trade. Build around Jalen and Julius and use the summer to fine-tune the bench. Draft players for cheap depth. Maybe Perrin finds our version of Jaime Jacquez. Lots of directions to take besides flipping all the picks for one dude.
This is incredibly well put. Awesome to read. I don’t care one bit what seed we are. Make it to the playoffs in the top 6 and at full health.
Who knew that the Knicks relentless pursuit of a superstar was achieved in the Summer of 2022? (still would be happy to get another). But Jalen is a superstar and that changes everything. Finding all the pieces and parts that fit around Jalen (like yesterday’s deal) is super important. Even the next superstar we go after should not be a PG (Mitchell) but any of the other four positions.
Jon, legit question: How do you also teach!? I'm a teacher - and, like you, a father of two - and have no idea how you do it. Love the newsletter this morning!
Yeah, REALLY! I taught English for 37 years. Some weekends I'd just lie on the floor in a sunny spot and sleep for hours.
Kudos to you! I 100000% do not have 37 years in me. Figure I'll tap out after 10-12 years and hopefully be able to make up the difference by continuing to grow KFS
IDK how I do it either lol. TBH, it really just comes down to making use of every second of every day. I'm also very lucky in that I've been teaching long enough to be able to streamline my responsibilities in a way that newer teachers don't. And of course, having an incredible wife who picks up a lot of the slack is a must. Even so, it's hard, and tbh I probably will not be teaching for too much longer after next year, which will be my 10th.
What did Scrooge say..."im as giddy as a drunken man"
The OG injury is especially annoying but I guess things could be worse. How about the way Devo is playing? Wow! Remember when folks were complaining about him during the preseason? lol
Desperately needed to add bench depth with the insane amount of minutes certain guys have been playing, and with a guy on the roster making 19 mil a year whom the coach refused to play despite being down three rotation players. Assuming we can get healthy (Randle's status is still seemingly a question), we'll be a tough out in the playoffs.
They refused to play him, at least in part, to keep him healthy for the trade. It worked.
How is this newsletter not titled “Everything’s Coming Up (Leon) Roses”? After a looooong run of clowning it’s fun to be a Knicks fan. On top of everything you said, this FO has proven they know how to draft (and as noted develop that talent and turn it into legit contributors or valuable trade assets). There’s no reason to believe Leon & Team can’t replenish the coffers with fresh, young, cheap talent again. LFG Knicks!
One thing I've NEVER been good at is titles for the newsletter. Can I hire you? lol
Anything is negotiable but… I’m not sure KFS can afford my rate. 😜. Keep up the great work man. The KFS work makes being a Knick fan so much more fun and feel like a connected community experience on a higher ground above it all.
That's always been the goal! And if I hit the lottery, you're my first hire :)
What a time to be a fan of this team! Not only is team on the rise but the quality of content out there is just amazing. So kudos to you and KFS team . Encouraging seeing JR on the bench which tells me he will be back soon and he is engaged . Just one point if there is away to limit the amount of threads that gets created would be great everyone has some great takes just becoming a lot .
Thanks so much KW, that means a lot!
New York 'We HERE!!!' Now let's get healthy and wreck some worlds!
Nothing, and I mean nothing, feels as good as this does. Following this team religiously even during the Fiz days, the 17 wins days, this makes it all worth it. And the crazy (amazing) thing is that we all would have kept following and loving them even with more 17 win seasons. Love you all, we deserve this more than anyone.
Ohhhhh Jon. Inject this right into my veins!!! I can't feel my face!!!!! It's going to be orange and blue skies every morning for quite some time. The league is about to find out what the 90s and early 00s were all about year in year out. Maybe even better than that.
GRATITUDE for your great newsletter, Jon ! And Appreciation for our NYK front office that is definitely the opposite of
“casual” and “unserious” lol. Let’s reflect on how disastrous it would feel to have Donovan Mitchell and no OG etc and the size, strength, spacing, versatility, defense, smarts, shooters ... and culture, chemistry 🔥 Amazing NYK team built around Brunson! And also Taj can shout out on the 3 seconds! All now is Perfection 💖
And KnIcks still have all those picks ! And imagine the NBA superstars that would like to play now with this KnIcks team at the Mecca 🔥
Belated thank you MW!
Jon: Your experience and knowledge overcome our doubts. Thanks for putting everything I'd been processing for the last 24 hrs. into clear language. I do believe we can accomplish something special. Still pinching myself though.
Belated thank your for these incredibly kind words Hamish. Let's kick the shit out of the Pistons tonight :)