Just my opinion:
RJ Barrett - great mentality/approach that should help to maximize his talents and minimize his shortcomings. I think a Demar Derozon projection is reasonable, even if a little optimistic. Thibs is perfect for Barrett.
Mitch Robinson - massively underrated BIG (because of the team he's been on). There are very few young BIGs in the NBA I'd take over him. Upside is limitless and now he's got a coach that should allow for major growth.
Frank Ntlikina - Again, Thibs is the perfect guy to capitalize on the type of player Ntilikina should be, like a Thabo Sefolosha or Garrett Temple type (smart, responsible, defensive oriented bench wing). Not a sexy projection, but useful.
I like vets Gibson and Bullock for their bench roles.
Young players with modest upside and the kind of reputations in terms of their intangibles to allow some optimism: Wooten, Brazdeikas, Harper.
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Hard to imagine Kevin Knox (soft, confidence too easily broken) or DSJ (low IQ, lazy as the day is long, poor shooter, selfish) doing anything to get their careers on track.
Goners: I expect Portis, Ellington, Payton will see NYK team options declined. Harkless is a 3 and D guy without the 3. That's $40mm coming off.
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The elephant in the room is Julius Randle. he was awful this past year but that's what happens when you have NO legit/primary ball handlers on the team and you ask a guy who has no business leading the offense to do so. If he isn't traded e.g. part of a CP3 trade, Thibs has had success with a somewhat similar player albeit in a different era (Carlos Boozer).
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Plan if I were in charge:
Draft:
Lottery: Deni Avdija - 6'9" 215, shooting has improved, playmaking wing who can defend. Best thing about him is his personality/approach (see everything I said about RJ Barrett).
LAC pick: Guard Grant Riller - poor man's (maybe not that poor) CJ McCollum_. Love this kid's grit and offensive game.
2nd rounder: Xavier Tillman. A 22 year old Taj Gibson who is likely to be underrated in this draft.
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Free agency:
Fred Vanvleet 4 x $25mm
Frank Jackson 3 x $8mm
Rondae Hollis-Jefferson 1 x $5mm
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Roster (minutes):
PG: FVV (32), Jackson (16), Riller, Harper
SG: RJB (32), Ntilikina (16)
SF: Avdija (24), Bullock (14), RHJ (10)
PF: Randle if not traded (30), Tillman (18), Brazdeikas
C: Mitch (30), Gibson (18), Wooten
My point is don’t waste money on FA this year. Develop the young players
Don’t give out bad contracts just for kicks. Wait for the big fish and try to reel him in. If not then continue to draft and develop well
Contracts like Randle. Noah. Etc are wasting money
Oh I guess you are running the organization or better you are Giannis agent
You just never fucking know
So I’m not quitting.
Not surprised about Lewis - with a full season, I bet he would’ve leapfrogged Cole Anthony and Haliburton, and still might. He has a lot of tools.
Oh because that always happens.
If the knicks want to keep options open for a star im ok with it, but the star should never BE the plan. Keeping salary flexibility where you have max cap space every couple years is what id be doing. Dont lock into only getting guys on one year deals or trading for guys who expire so you can have max space every year. To get a good player or get assets for taking on bad deals you might have to take on a guy with 2 years left.
There are gonna be some guys available who I don't think he'll ever come close to.
Draft
Oneyaku Ogora. PF. USC
Saddiq Bey. SF. Villanova
Isiah Green. PF
Julius Randle will be traded
Knox will almost certainly be on team
Laying low on FA to conserve space for Giannis in 2021
I like Frank more then most, but he is not an NBA point guard.
It's the perfect situation for him to succeed and win.
Read the post, I said he was not coming here.
As for the Knicks, for some odd reason he had us on his shortlist of trade destinations, so he has some mild interest at least. We have a lot of work to do before we get a serious conversation with someone like him.
The Knicks need to get a good shooter at PG to be able to play Frank at the 2 and RJ at the 3. It is why I don't think Lamelo is a good fit. I prefer Kira Lewis.
@SBondyNYDN
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7m
As i reported, Kenny Payne is being considered as a Knicks assistant. Keep in mind that Payne is making 900k at Kentucky. A raise would make him one of the NBA’s highest-paid assistant coaches.
LaMelo is likely the BPA. He should be the guy if he's there.
There are gonna be some guys available who I don't think he'll ever come close to.
Like who?
No need to joke about it - we know that's exactly why the Knicks do stuff like this. Royal Ivey, anyone?
Now, these are tea leaves and assumptions and it's the Knicks so I can confidently say it won't happen but that's the rationale as to why people think it's possible.
Build a good team and people will come..
KAT and Booker are best friends as well. Oh boy.
What a squad
B) 6.7 points, 6.6 rebounds, 1.1 blocks (22.5 minutes per)
Noah
C) 6.2 points, 7.3 rebounds, 1.8 blocks (20.4 per)
Gobert
D) 8.5 points, 6.7 rebounds, 2.2 blocks (21.8 minutes per)
Mitch
I basically agree. But he's also an intelligent, honest day's work type of player that, in the right role, can contribute to winning. I'd rather that than lazy "me" players like DSJ.
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he is a situational player, he is the guard verson of jared jeffries, i am not making anymoves based on frank..
I basically agree. But he's also an intelligent, honest day's work type of player that, in the right role, can contribute to winning. I'd rather that than lazy "me" players like DSJ.
i agree, frank can belp in the right role
ha ha. These "connections" get more tenuous every year.
"I hear the rage from New York Knicks fans, at least those with the will left to rage about anything other than James Dolan. RJ Barrett finished fourth among rookies in scoring -- 0.9 points ahead of Hachimura. I feel for Barrett. He's a decent playmaker who can't shoot, and the Knicks (of course) plopped him in the middle of a bunch of non-shooters -- leaving Barrett to drive into forests of bodies.
But his case ends at points per game. He ranks among the half-dozen worst rookies in most advanced stats. He shot 43% on 2s, and 61% at the line. Hachimura was semi-reliable -- 52% -- from 2-point range. He brings more positional and role versatility on both ends."
Really dumb comments making it about race. 3/4 of the last Knicks head coaches were black. And saying it wasn’t on the players in Minny? They had 2 max guys who didn’t try a lick on defense. How about some accountability from those players making a fortune who didn’t win? Thibs was bad in Minn but he did get them to the playoffs and had major success everywhere else he’s been. Maybe David West can you scream on the bench and act like he contributed to the Warriors success.
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Quit it with this sh**. We're not doing this again. He's not coming here. Get over it.
Oh I guess you are running the organization or better you are Giannis agent
You just never fucking know
So I’m not quitting.
I am Giannis. I developed a love for the Giants at an early age staying up in Greece watching American football. I do not want to play for your sad franchise.
There, now your life will be a lot easier and happier.
This seems pretty self-evident to me.... But then again I'm Giannis so I know this.
@ShamsCharania
Sources: Zero NBA players have tested positive for coronavirus out of 344 tested at Orlando campus since last results were announced July 20.
Consecutive testing rounds where no new player has tested positive.
Greg's hatred aside "most" people like Van Gundy as a person so it may not be any deeper than that.
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Greg's hatred aside "most" people like Van Gundy as a person so it may not be any deeper than that.
He ripped them for not interviewing him and called the knicks a clown show becaise of it
Popper said to expect a Thibs introduction tomorrow or Friday at the latest - no word yet from what I can tell.
Popper said to expect a Thibs introduction tomorrow or Friday at the latest - no word yet from what I can tell.
Also said doesnt expect another bubble, just group workouts for the 8 teams, like OTAS