Post by irish2u2 on Jul 1, 2022 11:19:19 GMT -5
This morning we learn Mitch Robinson has agreed to a 4 year/60 million dollar contract with the Knicks. With that announcement along with the agreement to terms by Jalen Brunson and Isaiah Hartenstein as fans we can safely assume our summer work is done. I fully expect a star player to be available in trade but no such trade is imminent mainly because the Knicks would have waited on Mitch's signing till the deal was done.
So here's our team:
Centers: Mitchell Robinson, Isaiah Hartenstein and Jericho Sims.
Forwards: Julius Randle, Obi Toppin, Cam Reddish, Taj Gibson, Feron Hunt
Swing: RJ Barrett, Evan Fournier
Guards: Jalen Brunson, Derrick Rose, Immanuel Quickley, Quentin Grimes, Myles McBride, Trevor Keels
That's 16 players.
Four starters are set in stone in Randle, RJ, Brunson and Mitch. I'd love to see Cam Reddish starting at SF but likely Thibodeau will go with a trusted veteran in Evan Fournier. Rotational players are Rose, Cam, IQ, Obi and Hartenstein. I expect McBride, Sims, Keels and Hunt to spend time on the G League roster.
Obviously Brunson is a huge improvement for the Knicks at PG and goes a long ways to turning the team around and making them a playoff team as a MINIMUM expectation. Can this team go more than one and done? The Knicks single biggest issue was a lack of court leadership in the second half of games last season. A 37-45 Knicks team last season could have easily been 47 and 35 with Brunson level leadership in the second half. That's top 6 in the conference. Of course this was last year and a lot of teams will be better this season. But the Knicks should be in the mix especially if RJ, Mitch, IQ and Obi improve and Julius and Rose return to form.
Personally I think the Knicks will be in the trade market before the February trading deadline. Donovan Mitchell is the big name out there but I expect Miles Bridges to be available too. I saw the pictures and read the police report on Bridges domestic assault charges and he's bad news. Stay away.
Nobody is saying this but I feel an extreme amount of confidence in the Knicks management team. Leon Rose took a lot of heat especially since he traded three of last summer's big acquisitions but lost in the complaints is the fact Leon could make those deals. He took a chance on Kemba, Burks and Noel that didn't pan out but most pundits liked those deals a year ago (including me) and almost nobody is following how Leon doesn't give out contracts without escape clauses. This summer's deals are better. I didn't give a thought to Hartenstein but potentially that is a huge move to spread the court with a three point threat big who also led the NBA in rim defense AND is a good passer while being just 24 years old. Great signing. The Brunson signing is more complicated because he is not an explosive athlete nor is he a good defender. The thing about Brunson is he is smart, a great competitor and a player who maximizes his skill set while minimizing his deficits. We will see a completely different team than last year and hopefully our young players will get better and better.
The 800lb gorilla in the room is Randle and his Knicks future. I'm not part of the mob so offended by Randle's fan interaction last season but that and the play of Obi Toppin puts Julius Randle on the block. Especially if he has somewhat of a comeback season. Randle would fit nicely with the Jazz in a Donovan Mitchell deal (along with a bunch of draft picks) and I fully expect the rift between Donovan and the Jazz to widen. We shall see but the team as currently constructed is pretty interesting. Brunson is a master chemist who can make everybody better. He's a pressure player who knows how to play well with others. I believe the young guys will get better and especially IQ and Obi who made huge strides in their development in the last part of the 21-22 campaign. I think Randle will be much better without the ball in his hands so much and a guy like Brunson setting him up. I expect a lot more pick and roll basketball and a lot more easy buckets. The team shooting % goes up especially if Randle and RJ shoot treys better. BTW, I fully expect RJ to be the Knicks leading scorer.
The Nets and thee rest of the league deserve their own thread but that's for tomorrow. I'm still recovering from cataract surgery yesterday and the computer screen is still a little fuzzy.
So here's our team:
Centers: Mitchell Robinson, Isaiah Hartenstein and Jericho Sims.
Forwards: Julius Randle, Obi Toppin, Cam Reddish, Taj Gibson, Feron Hunt
Swing: RJ Barrett, Evan Fournier
Guards: Jalen Brunson, Derrick Rose, Immanuel Quickley, Quentin Grimes, Myles McBride, Trevor Keels
That's 16 players.
Four starters are set in stone in Randle, RJ, Brunson and Mitch. I'd love to see Cam Reddish starting at SF but likely Thibodeau will go with a trusted veteran in Evan Fournier. Rotational players are Rose, Cam, IQ, Obi and Hartenstein. I expect McBride, Sims, Keels and Hunt to spend time on the G League roster.
Obviously Brunson is a huge improvement for the Knicks at PG and goes a long ways to turning the team around and making them a playoff team as a MINIMUM expectation. Can this team go more than one and done? The Knicks single biggest issue was a lack of court leadership in the second half of games last season. A 37-45 Knicks team last season could have easily been 47 and 35 with Brunson level leadership in the second half. That's top 6 in the conference. Of course this was last year and a lot of teams will be better this season. But the Knicks should be in the mix especially if RJ, Mitch, IQ and Obi improve and Julius and Rose return to form.
Personally I think the Knicks will be in the trade market before the February trading deadline. Donovan Mitchell is the big name out there but I expect Miles Bridges to be available too. I saw the pictures and read the police report on Bridges domestic assault charges and he's bad news. Stay away.
Nobody is saying this but I feel an extreme amount of confidence in the Knicks management team. Leon Rose took a lot of heat especially since he traded three of last summer's big acquisitions but lost in the complaints is the fact Leon could make those deals. He took a chance on Kemba, Burks and Noel that didn't pan out but most pundits liked those deals a year ago (including me) and almost nobody is following how Leon doesn't give out contracts without escape clauses. This summer's deals are better. I didn't give a thought to Hartenstein but potentially that is a huge move to spread the court with a three point threat big who also led the NBA in rim defense AND is a good passer while being just 24 years old. Great signing. The Brunson signing is more complicated because he is not an explosive athlete nor is he a good defender. The thing about Brunson is he is smart, a great competitor and a player who maximizes his skill set while minimizing his deficits. We will see a completely different team than last year and hopefully our young players will get better and better.
The 800lb gorilla in the room is Randle and his Knicks future. I'm not part of the mob so offended by Randle's fan interaction last season but that and the play of Obi Toppin puts Julius Randle on the block. Especially if he has somewhat of a comeback season. Randle would fit nicely with the Jazz in a Donovan Mitchell deal (along with a bunch of draft picks) and I fully expect the rift between Donovan and the Jazz to widen. We shall see but the team as currently constructed is pretty interesting. Brunson is a master chemist who can make everybody better. He's a pressure player who knows how to play well with others. I believe the young guys will get better and especially IQ and Obi who made huge strides in their development in the last part of the 21-22 campaign. I think Randle will be much better without the ball in his hands so much and a guy like Brunson setting him up. I expect a lot more pick and roll basketball and a lot more easy buckets. The team shooting % goes up especially if Randle and RJ shoot treys better. BTW, I fully expect RJ to be the Knicks leading scorer.
The Nets and thee rest of the league deserve their own thread but that's for tomorrow. I'm still recovering from cataract surgery yesterday and the computer screen is still a little fuzzy.
