In case you missed it, Cleveland played Dallas the other night and Lebron made comments about how Smith should be a Knick. Odd that he singled out the Knicks and not the other 7 teams that passed on him, but he clearly wanted to make a point. Several Knicks responded in defense of our rookie:
Kanter:
“This is my rookie. This is my team. This is my organization. I cannot just let him disrespect him like that,” Enes Kanter said Sunday afternoon after practice in Westchester. “I think Frank’s doing an unbelievable job. Every day, he’s just working really hard to become a really good one. I just think it’s going to be a process. He’s doing an unbelievable job on the court, off the court, taking care of his body.”
“But I don’t care who (it is), I just cannot let anyone disrespect my family like that,” Kanter continued. “Because when I play for an organization, I see my teammates and that organization like a family. And I don’t care. It doesn’t matter if it’s LeBron or whoever it is, I cannot just let him disrespect him like that because the coaches, the GMs, the president, this organization knows what they’re doing. So that’s why I was kind of pissed that he said that, because, I mean, come on, man. That’s a rookie. You cannot just say anything like that about him.”
Porzingis:
“I don’t know why he made those comments,” said Porzingis, who is third in the NBA in scoring at 30.4 points per game. “But all I can say is we love Frank. We’re happy with him. He’s doing a great job. He’s playing great and he’s doing what he’s supposed to. I would not change Frank for anybody. Simple.”
Ntilikina's response:
“In life, people can think whatever they want,” Ntilikina said. “However, it’s not gonna affect us and me. So whatever is said, whatever people think, me and the team are just being focused on what we're doing every day to improve and just to make us better.” “I don’t have to prove them, I have to prove to myself,” he said. “I have to prove to the team. It's all about me and it's all about the team. I don't care what people say.”
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I have to pinch myself when it comes to the Knicks lately. I seriously feel like I'm dreaming.
ummm have they even so much as watched a minute or two of the past 2 weeks Knicks games? I admit we are a joke of an organization, but the needle definitely appears to be pointed in a different direction at this point. And yes Lebron is a douche. Maybe one of the more skilled players of all time, but still an absolute douche. He should be more worried about his train wreck in Cleveland at this point as opposed to the Knicks...
Let's see if they spank Cleveland.
Donovan mitchell has caught on
dsJR shows his immense upside each night
and frank is giving good reason to believe he can be a top tier defender and handle running an offense.
this is notjing new for kanter, he absolutelt hates durant
He plays passable D. He's no shut down guy/shot blocker, but he puts effort in and is not just a push-over. If a big is killing us we have guys like O'Quinn and now Noah to bang with them in big spots if need be.
I would have been fine with Smith, but there is something to say about Frank avg more assists per game then Smith in almost 10 minutes less of playing time. Smith will no doubt be a better scorer then frank, but that might be it.
I would have been fine with Smith, but there is something to say about Frank avg more assists per game then Smith in almost 10 minutes less of playing time. Smith will no doubt be a better scorer then frank, but that might be it.
maybbe lebron is mad at the knocks because he has every crappy ex knick on his roster?
That said, how awesome to see a Knicks squad with team leaders quick to defend their guy?
Can anyone imagine Derrick Rose or Melo doing that so vehemently? They’d be too concerned with making sure they were still “cool” with their buddy LeBron
And he's an absolute beast on the boards.
Guys from the recent past like Shaq, Duncan in his prime, Mourning, Olajuwon, Ewing, etc would eat him alive - but the Knicks just don’t face guys like that night in and night out anymore. Towns looks like a monster, but not a lot of guys in the traditional center mold right now.
If he can keep bringing effort and energy on defense, he’s athletic enough not to kill us out there...especially when KP is lurking and disrupting plays alongside him
Frenchy plays with KP, Dennis Smith plays with a 39 year old Dirk and a collection of stiffs. Bit of a difference there.
Guys from the recent past like Shaq, Duncan in his prime, Mourning, Olajuwon, Ewing, etc would eat him alive - but the Knicks just don’t face guys like that night in and night out anymore. Towns looks like a monster, but not a lot of guys in the traditional center mold right now.
If he can keep bringing effort and energy on defense, he’s athletic enough not to kill us out there...especially when KP is lurking and disrupting plays alongside him
what's ironic is that he would probably do ok against some of those guys from the previous generation. Modern big men are expected to do so much more in terms of help defense, jumping screens, etc. I think those are the areas in which he struggles, as opposed to standing his ground against someone trying to execute a post move.
That's how I saw it too. I think Lebron will apologize or make a comment about it before or after tonights game.
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While he’s not great and never will be, there are very few dominant inside big men left in the NBA
Guys from the recent past like Shaq, Duncan in his prime, Mourning, Olajuwon, Ewing, etc would eat him alive - but the Knicks just don’t face guys like that night in and night out anymore. Towns looks like a monster, but not a lot of guys in the traditional center mold right now.
If he can keep bringing effort and energy on defense, he’s athletic enough not to kill us out there...especially when KP is lurking and disrupting plays alongside him
what's ironic is that he would probably do ok against some of those guys from the previous generation. Modern big men are expected to do so much more in terms of help defense, jumping screens, etc. I think those are the areas in which he struggles, as opposed to standing his ground against someone trying to execute a post move.
Good points - they’re forced to defend out on the perimeter so much more
The problem is against teams like Houston an Golden State where he gets destoyed by the PnR. OKC played those teams a lot more often than the Knicks will, so he won't be as much of an issue during the regular season.
The problem is against teams like Houston an Golden State where he gets destoyed by the PnR. OKC played those teams a lot more often than the Knicks will, so he won't be as much of an issue during the regular season.
very true. Not being able to defend GS or Houston or any other elite team is a "rich man's problem". We're not even close to being in that ballpark yet.
LeBron James, asked if his Dennis Smith Jr. comments were a shot at Phil Jackson: “Oh yeah it’s definitely a shot at him.” Said he didn’t mean it as a shot at Frank Ntilikina.
The Knicks and Jackson were so reckless with the cap. I really hope Perry manages the cap much better.
Really pumped for tonights game.
The Knicks and Jackson were so reckless with the cap. I really hope Perry manages the cap much better.
Really pumped for tonights game.
And that includes next years cap too.
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Ian Begley @IanBegley
LeBron James, asked if his Dennis Smith Jr. comments were a shot at Phil Jackson: “Oh yeah it’s definitely a shot at him.” Said he didn’t mean it as a shot at Frank Ntilikina.
lebron is onr bitter little bitch...
for the first time im his career he is going to feel the hate of knicks fans in the garden, no more cheering for him in the mecca..
of course Windhorst is too stupid to realize that whether or not LeBron is right is not the issue. DSJ could make 10 all star teams, it doesn't make his remarks any less inappropriate.
he just tweeted it
Why would you bring up shooting? Frenchy is shooting 34%.
It has always made me sick to see him getting cheered at MSG anyway, like the way the crowd was cheering for Jordan when he dropped 55 on the Knicks after coming out of retirement.
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he is shooting 40 percent and is averaging almost 4 turnovers a game and terrible defense...
Why would you bring up shooting? Frenchy is shooting 34%.
Not to speak for 16, but when the only strength to your game is scoring, it makes that number a bit more noteworthy, no? Frank is not a scorer, his strengths are playing D and distributing the ball. Which is what this team needs
That's the team trait clearly made the wrong draft pick.
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he is shooting 40 percent and is averaging almost 4 turnovers a game and terrible defense...
Why would you bring up shooting? Frenchy is shooting 34%.
brcause. smiths best trait is scoring...
franks best trait is defense not scoring
begely has most of it...
lebron was speaking at shoot around this morning..
so lebron claims it was aimed at phil? what was the point? phil is no longer runnkng the knicks? what is the point?
Raking Smith over the coals because he doesn't have more assists playing with a bunch of guys who suck ass is rather silly. You want to criticize his defense, then fine - he's not a great defender and may never be more than average there.
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Where can I see this stuff? Should make for a fun night at the Garden.
begely has most of it...
lebron was speaking at shoot around this morning..
so lebron claims it was aimed at phil? what was the point? phil is no longer runnkng the knicks? what is the point?
Phil called out his posse and LeBron is still pissed off about it. It's dumb shit all around.
"For clarification of people who just live in a box & for Enes Kanter, who always’s got something to say. [shakes head] I don’t know what’s wrong with him."
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LeBron confirms of course he was taking a shot at Phil Jackson when he said the Knicks missed by not drafting Dennis Smith:
"For clarification of people who just live in a box & for Enes Kanter, who always’s got something to say. [shakes head] I don’t know what’s wrong with him."
Bwahaaaaa! KANTER always has something to say? Freaking LeBron is ALWAYS running his mouth about something. Pot, meet kettle.
And comparisons at this stage in bother players' careers are nonsense. I will continue to point out that Frank is not physically toned the way a star American talent would be at this age. He also played very little against the level of talent Smith saw in the US. And, the kind of knowledgeable, high-vision point guard he will be takes longer to mature than a drive-and-pass athletic pg like Smith.
His shooting is not a strength at this point, but he has hands as soft as butter--the kinds that ultimately allow world class outside shooting, as he gets stronger.
And I say all of this without taking a potshot at the other kid, unlike LeBron.
The kind of defense Frank is already playing is uncanny. He is a real potential future DPOY. How many under-20 guard IN HISTORY have shown those kinds of defensive skills?
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No. He was clearly trying to take a shot at Phil and the Knicks. Dennis Smith Jr is one of his buddies that he's known and mentored for a while. He told everything during the draft that he thinks the Knicks are taking him at 8. FF to now and he decideds to take a shot, without even being asked, and say that the Knicks messed up. So the 8th team in teh draft messed up, not the 8 teams that passed on SMith. Just the 8th team??
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is he serious?
No worries Keith. I need something to compliment the litter in my Bunny's litter box so printing out that "article" should do the trick...
now love will be a tough guard for kanter but how do the cavs stop the knicks from killing them on the offensive glass?