NFT: LOL, SI gives Knicks offseason a D

but bottom line is that if you think they were the wrong gamble for the Knicks, as I do, then you're going to give a C or a D grade to the offseason. In particular, if you think Noah is worn out and cant handle minutes & games anymore, isnt that a very bad move? Knicks could be saddled with a bad Noah contract (if it breaks that way) into KP's early prime.

not a fan of what the Knicks did but they're undeniably a better team this year than last year + they didn't give up any major future pieces except Grant...? (at best he's a backup PG I think and I liked him a lot!) No draftpicks were given up.

I would have gone about the offseason in a different way but I think a D is too harsh

deal was meh for me and it's kind of grown on me over time but I really think the Noah deal will be horrendous

You can find these type of guys much cheaper and develop them. Find the next Lance Thomas. Don't sign the one you have for 30 million. Ditto for Lee, who is a career spare part.

Phil is gambling that this team is the real deal and those spare parts will be needed this year. That seems like a risky proposition to me.

If Phil is right, the contracts will be somewhat justified. If he is wrong and the Knicks are still a mediocre team, then Thomas and Lee will just become the next generation of bad contracts and Phil will have accomplished nothing.

Noah is obviously a risky contract. It is not even debatable.

So, while Im hopeful that it will all come together and the Knicks will be a good team, I wouldn't bet on it.

If Rose and Noah stay healthy, KP progresses, the team could be really really good. But there seems to be the same path in the opposite direction. Suppose we will end up in the middle but maybe just once we catch a little lightning in a bottle

Meanwhile, I can virtually guarantee that they have ways to keep Noah's minutes down to levels that won't wear him out:

1) Porzingis is going to play some center.

2) They have several ways to go at the 4 when he does, including giving Melo some minutes there along side Thomas.

3) There is a pretty decent chance that some time into the season, Hernangomez will be sufficient as a back-up 5.

4) I even envision that, also some time into the season, N'Dour plays some effective minutes at the 4. He's a special athlete who is extremely green. I am looking forward to seeing him in camp.

As far as Rose is concerned, he really seems to have a fire in his belly. He, too, needs to have his minutes limited, but that is in part what Jennings is for.

We shall see, but yeah, if you hate both of these major signings, I guess you get a D.

are going to love Noah's game.

If he can stay healthy, admittedly a big IF, Noah can be a dominant force all over the court.

Wait until you witness his passing game. There is not another big in the league who can pass it like Jo

Also something to behold is Noah in the middle of a fast break.

The dude can handle the ball like a guard. It is something to behold. Apparently he grew up as a point guard until he had a late growth spurt late in his teenage years. He already was adept at ball handling before he became a big.

The one downside to his overall game is his lack of shooting.

But his hustle and competitive fire will win over NYC quickly...as long as he can stay healthy

Bulls will miss Noah

In comment 13086568 ChicagoMarty said:

Quote:

are going to love Noah's game. If he can stay healthy, admittedly a big IF, Noah can be a dominant force all over the court. Wait until you witness his passing game. There is not another big in the league who can pass it like Jo Also something to behold is Noah in the middle of a fast break. The dude can handle the ball like a guard. It is something to behold. Apparently he grew up as a point guard until he had a late growth spurt late in his teenage years. He already was adept at ball handling before he became a big. The one downside to his overall game is his lack of shooting. But his hustle and competitive fire will win over NYC quickly...as long as he can stay healthy Bulls will miss Noah

good to hear, thanks. I think it was worth the risk.

Noah is my favorite Gators player ever. As long as he stays healthy I can't see how it's a bad deal. Age shouldn't really be a factor with him. Normally guys who get older lose their athleticism. He's not a great athlete so that shouldn't effect him. He's just a very smart player that understands passing lanes, angles, movement. Very high basketball IQ & an even higher motor.

As Marty said, his passing is second to none from the C position and he doesn't need the ball.

I'm pretty high on the Knicks' offseason. My biggest concern is whether Rose can pass and kick out once he penetrates. But if you compare what he brings to the (ahem) contributions of Calderon and Grant, the team is way ahead at the PG position even without considering Jennings, who should also make a nice contribution (and protect against a Rose injury).

In comment 13086643 Big Rick in FL said:

Quote:

Noah is my favorite Gators player ever. As long as he stays healthy I can't see how it's a bad deal. Age shouldn't really be a factor with him. Normally guys who get older lose their athleticism. He's not a great athlete so that shouldn't effect him. He's just a very smart player that understands passing lanes, angles, movement. Very high basketball IQ & an even higher motor.

His defense didn't really go down last year. Big issue was that his inability to score at all made him an enormous offensive liability. But I'd be damned if he shoots below 40% for a whole season.

It's all about getting the team to gel together. We have solid players at every position now and no glaring holes. Of course injuries can change things, but (knock on wood) it may not haunt us this year.

I take all pre-season garble from sports writers with a huge grain of salt. From their ivory tower, they can pull things out of their asses (and they have to in order to keep getting a paycheck) and their opinions are no better or no worse than a stoned teenager on the couch who loves to watch the NBA. Sure...who wouldn't like to stock every position on the team with never-injured NBA All-Stars under the age of 27, but give me a fuckin break - that ain't never gonna happen for any team and anything short of doing that impossible feat will get sportswriters to tear decisions apart...after all, they are not held accountable for results, only for getting people to read their silly opinions so their bosses keep their jobs as well as their own.

I personally think it's going to be an exciting season because Porzingas will learn from the best and he is the future of the Knicks. An unselfish team chemistry and individual enthusiasm of each player means more than words from a keyboard from fan-turned-beat writer trying to keep his job

between Melo, Rose, Zinger and even Courtney Lee. All we need out of Noah is what he should be able to give: good D in transitions and the paint, good rebounding, and good passing.

I think this team can win 50.

is how rose and melo gel...

what i like to see is when they are on the floor together is rose become a distributor more when he breaks down a defnse finding kp and melo or lee..

when melo is off the floor thats when i want to see rose become a scoring point guard...

if he can balance that out i think they can gel pretty well...

this first time melo can say he doesnt have to go out and score 30 for the team to win, he has other guys to help carry the load...

if melo is at around 22, rose at around 18 and kp around 15 the knicks should be fine offensively...

.

These are often unintentionally hilarious. He talks about not getting Crowder in the Chandler deal. The part about talking to Boston isn't quite clear - anyone recall particulars?
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was healthy, his game has looked largely diminished the past few seasons. Young Noah was a beast but he's looked increasingly broken down in the Bulls' games I've watched. His offensive game has really regressed too and it allowed defenses to use his inability to put the ball into the hoop to cheat heavily off of him.