Post by irish2u2 on Aug 17, 2021 14:30:49 GMT -5
First the roster and my depth chart.
CENTERS
Mitchell Robinson
Nerlens Noel
Jericho Sims
Taj Gibson
FORWARDS
Julius Randle
Obi Toppin
RJ Barrett
Alec Burks
Kevin Knox
Quentin Grimes
GUARDS
Kemba Walker
Derrick Rose
Evan Fournier
Immanuel Quickley
Luca Vildoza
Miles McBride
Room for one more player.*
Actually the last roster spot right now belongs to G/F Dwayne Bacon who the Knicks signed after he was waived by the Orlando Magic. Bacon is an elite athlete with length at 6'6 and some skills. How he fits in I don't know but the long game might include a big trade and Bacon might be a factor.
PROJECTED DEPTH CHART
Starting 5:
Center: Mitchell Robinson
PF: Julius Randle
SF: RJ Hampton
SG: Evan Fournier
PG: Kemba Walker
Backups:
Center: Nerlens Noel
PF: Obi Toppin
SF: Alec Burks
SG: Immanuel Quickley
PG: Derrick Rose
It's important to note that players like Burks, Fournier, RJ, Grimes, Rose, Vildoza and McBride can swing between guard and forward with ease. In fact Fournier may start at SF with RJ at SG and the only reason I put RJ up front is because he is a bit stronger than Evan.
That leaves Kevin Knox, Taj Gibson, Jericho Sims, Quentin Grimes, Miles McBride and Luca Vildoza outside the rotation.
Let's talk about the starters first. The Knicks were the best defensive team in the NBA last season leading the league in scoring defense, FG% and finishing top 10 in every other defensive statistic including rebounding which I thought was a weakness. Then there was offense where the Knicks were 26th in the league in scoring, 21st in FG%, 23rd in free throws attempted, 29th in assists but a surprising third in 3 point FG% and 5th in turnovers.
If you suffered through the Hawks playoff series you saw Trae Young making us look silly and the Hawks defense totally taking our best player, Julius Randle, out of the series. Randle shot less than 30% for the series. Some think he was tired. Some think he choked. I think the Hawks played his left hand brilliantly and doubled him at every opportunity which made him press. The only Knick who had a decent offensive series was Derrick Rose but even Derrick was at best matching what Trae Young was doing to the Knicks. NOBODY, not even Frank, could slow down Young but here is the twist. Young averaged almost 30 PPG but he shot just 44% from the field and 34% from beyond the line. Bogdanovic's numbers were pedestrian too. Clint Capella, John Collins and to a lesser extent Keven Huerter were the guys who really hurt the Knicks. We certainly could have done a better job on Young but a better job means making him take a few more shots to get his 30 points.
What Atlanta did was a template for how to beat the Knicks. What New York did this summer was to make that task a whole lot harder.
Because we lacked creativity on offense Randle's teammates except for Rose were pretty easy to guard as they were basically two dribble and shoot type players. Which is all right when they are open which is what creative players can do for their teammates. So now enter Kemba Walker and Evan Fournier who can create, who can score and who can shoot from the perimeter. While the impact on the Knicks offense won't be like adding Bradley Beal or Dame Lillard it will be a major difference. I wanted Colin Sexton because he can score, because he is athletic and because he is young BUT getting Walker and Fournier for just money may be a better situation for the Knicks as I am positive Cleveland wanted Obi Toppin for Sexton and Obi could have a major role to play in the Knicks future.
I think the New York Knicks are constructing this team in a manner previously thought impossible by Knicks fans. The team is being built patiently with great emphasis on character and player development. Management didn't do anything flashy this off season but they added talent, kept core players and addressed issues we could all see from last year. I doubt anybody will be criticizing this team's roster like they did with Payton and Ntilikina last season.
Look at the age breakdown. Taj is 36, Rose is 32, Kemba 31 and Burks is 30. Then you have the 28 year old Fournier, Nerlens at 27, Julius and Luca at 26. Then it's the 23 year old Robinson and Toppin, 22 year old Sims, Knox and Quickly followed by 21 year old RJ and Grimes with 20 year old Miles McBride as the youngest Knick. Four Knicks over 30, four Knicks over 25 but under 30 and 8 Knicks under 23. It's a wonderful mix of veterans, players just entering their primes and youngsters with ceilings. More importantly they all LIKE each other. That's hugely important for a team built on quality numbers instead of superstars. This is a team that will play together, never quit and never implode. Meanwhile across the East River...
Two more things to add. This team is constructed to play better than last year's team while maintaining maximum ability for major trades and/or future superstar free agents. As Mark already stated now is the time line up a friend or relative to get a future superstar. Wasn't RJ friends with somebody really good on another team? On every management level I am impressed with Rose, WWW and Perry. They showed acumen in deal making, capology and talent acquisition and evaluation. I'm pretty sure I'm not the only one who is not sad the Knicks didn't draft Davion Mitchell or Chris Duarte.
It's also vital to say there are players who could surprise this year. While Obi, Grimes and McBride had superlative summers IQ did not. He did well enough as an emergency PG but his main value is scoring and while his point totals were impressive his FG%, especially from the 3 point line, were awful. You can see some potential wiggle room for Grimes and especially McBride off the bench. In fact McBride is a guy built to make guys like Trae Young work much harder and get irritated because he is every bit the athlete Trae is and likely stronger. It should be interesting to watch that Christmas Day game in the Garden against the Hawks. By then McBride will be a fan favorite. I expect RJ, IQ and Obi to be better. I'll be happy if Julius comes close to his 2020-21 numbers. We all know what Noel can do but methinks Robinson holds the key to just how good this team can become. After what Capela did to us in the playoffs I think a guy like Robinson, reported to be 20+ lbs. heavier and much stronger, can slow him down.
Obi's summer lends itself to some hopeful optimism that he can come off the bench more to spell Julius and add scoring to an already potent second unit. It was wonderful to see Obi play with so much more confidence and assurance this summer. The pandemic really did affect players especially the young ones.
I am so looking forward to this season. It won't be easy and teams like Brooklyn can easily steamroll teams like the Knicks but we are moving forward. Forward is good.
CENTERS
Mitchell Robinson
Nerlens Noel
Jericho Sims
Taj Gibson
FORWARDS
Julius Randle
Obi Toppin
RJ Barrett
Alec Burks
Kevin Knox
Quentin Grimes
GUARDS
Kemba Walker
Derrick Rose
Evan Fournier
Immanuel Quickley
Luca Vildoza
Miles McBride
Room for one more player.*
Actually the last roster spot right now belongs to G/F Dwayne Bacon who the Knicks signed after he was waived by the Orlando Magic. Bacon is an elite athlete with length at 6'6 and some skills. How he fits in I don't know but the long game might include a big trade and Bacon might be a factor.
PROJECTED DEPTH CHART
Starting 5:
Center: Mitchell Robinson
PF: Julius Randle
SF: RJ Hampton
SG: Evan Fournier
PG: Kemba Walker
Backups:
Center: Nerlens Noel
PF: Obi Toppin
SF: Alec Burks
SG: Immanuel Quickley
PG: Derrick Rose
It's important to note that players like Burks, Fournier, RJ, Grimes, Rose, Vildoza and McBride can swing between guard and forward with ease. In fact Fournier may start at SF with RJ at SG and the only reason I put RJ up front is because he is a bit stronger than Evan.
That leaves Kevin Knox, Taj Gibson, Jericho Sims, Quentin Grimes, Miles McBride and Luca Vildoza outside the rotation.
Let's talk about the starters first. The Knicks were the best defensive team in the NBA last season leading the league in scoring defense, FG% and finishing top 10 in every other defensive statistic including rebounding which I thought was a weakness. Then there was offense where the Knicks were 26th in the league in scoring, 21st in FG%, 23rd in free throws attempted, 29th in assists but a surprising third in 3 point FG% and 5th in turnovers.
If you suffered through the Hawks playoff series you saw Trae Young making us look silly and the Hawks defense totally taking our best player, Julius Randle, out of the series. Randle shot less than 30% for the series. Some think he was tired. Some think he choked. I think the Hawks played his left hand brilliantly and doubled him at every opportunity which made him press. The only Knick who had a decent offensive series was Derrick Rose but even Derrick was at best matching what Trae Young was doing to the Knicks. NOBODY, not even Frank, could slow down Young but here is the twist. Young averaged almost 30 PPG but he shot just 44% from the field and 34% from beyond the line. Bogdanovic's numbers were pedestrian too. Clint Capella, John Collins and to a lesser extent Keven Huerter were the guys who really hurt the Knicks. We certainly could have done a better job on Young but a better job means making him take a few more shots to get his 30 points.
What Atlanta did was a template for how to beat the Knicks. What New York did this summer was to make that task a whole lot harder.
Because we lacked creativity on offense Randle's teammates except for Rose were pretty easy to guard as they were basically two dribble and shoot type players. Which is all right when they are open which is what creative players can do for their teammates. So now enter Kemba Walker and Evan Fournier who can create, who can score and who can shoot from the perimeter. While the impact on the Knicks offense won't be like adding Bradley Beal or Dame Lillard it will be a major difference. I wanted Colin Sexton because he can score, because he is athletic and because he is young BUT getting Walker and Fournier for just money may be a better situation for the Knicks as I am positive Cleveland wanted Obi Toppin for Sexton and Obi could have a major role to play in the Knicks future.
I think the New York Knicks are constructing this team in a manner previously thought impossible by Knicks fans. The team is being built patiently with great emphasis on character and player development. Management didn't do anything flashy this off season but they added talent, kept core players and addressed issues we could all see from last year. I doubt anybody will be criticizing this team's roster like they did with Payton and Ntilikina last season.
Look at the age breakdown. Taj is 36, Rose is 32, Kemba 31 and Burks is 30. Then you have the 28 year old Fournier, Nerlens at 27, Julius and Luca at 26. Then it's the 23 year old Robinson and Toppin, 22 year old Sims, Knox and Quickly followed by 21 year old RJ and Grimes with 20 year old Miles McBride as the youngest Knick. Four Knicks over 30, four Knicks over 25 but under 30 and 8 Knicks under 23. It's a wonderful mix of veterans, players just entering their primes and youngsters with ceilings. More importantly they all LIKE each other. That's hugely important for a team built on quality numbers instead of superstars. This is a team that will play together, never quit and never implode. Meanwhile across the East River...
Two more things to add. This team is constructed to play better than last year's team while maintaining maximum ability for major trades and/or future superstar free agents. As Mark already stated now is the time line up a friend or relative to get a future superstar.
Wasn't RJ friends with somebody really good on another team? On every management level I am impressed with Rose, WWW and Perry. They showed acumen in deal making, capology and talent acquisition and evaluation. I'm pretty sure I'm not the only one who is not sad the Knicks didn't draft Davion Mitchell or Chris Duarte. It's also vital to say there are players who could surprise this year. While Obi, Grimes and McBride had superlative summers IQ did not. He did well enough as an emergency PG but his main value is scoring and while his point totals were impressive his FG%, especially from the 3 point line, were awful. You can see some potential wiggle room for Grimes and especially McBride off the bench. In fact McBride is a guy built to make guys like Trae Young work much harder and get irritated because he is every bit the athlete Trae is and likely stronger. It should be interesting to watch that Christmas Day game in the Garden against the Hawks. By then McBride will be a fan favorite.
I expect RJ, IQ and Obi to be better. I'll be happy if Julius comes close to his 2020-21 numbers. We all know what Noel can do but methinks Robinson holds the key to just how good this team can become. After what Capela did to us in the playoffs I think a guy like Robinson, reported to be 20+ lbs. heavier and much stronger, can slow him down. Obi's summer lends itself to some hopeful optimism that he can come off the bench more to spell Julius and add scoring to an already potent second unit. It was wonderful to see Obi play with so much more confidence and assurance this summer. The pandemic really did affect players especially the young ones.
I am so looking forward to this season. It won't be easy and teams like Brooklyn can easily steamroll teams like the Knicks but we are moving forward. Forward is good.
