GT: Game 5, Indiana Pacers @ New York Knicks, Tuesday 8 PM

[sol537]

Thibs definitely flies close to the sun… sometimes, you get burned.

[thebuzzardman]

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Raptors sold us damaged goods.

When OG plays he makes us very good. Maybe championship good.

BUT...

he's never played more than 11 Playoff games in a season.

And the year they won he played just 11 of the 18 their run took.

So this off season our FO has to face two decisions –

Mitch is ALWAYS injured and usually during Playoff time. And OG is unreliable as well.

Of course the ENTIRE league has similar issues, but we have it with 2 key players instead of just one. Add one freak accident to a usually reliable player – Randle – and we’re running out of luck.

I suspect Leon & co. figures at least OG gets them into the playoffs with his 50-60 games a year (unlike Mitch) so he’s worth keeping.

But they NEED a backup plan as “sure as shootin’” next year it will happen again with Mitch and OG.

USE THOSE DRAFT PICKS ON YOUNG HEALTHY PLAYERS. Not shaky vets.

Knicks will pick one young player at 24 or 25. That player will be at whatever position the Knicks see themselves trading in the near future. I'm going to guess it's a C/PF type.

They'll deal the other FRP for a future FRP to have for some theoretical "star" trade in the future.

Then they'll draft some developmental guy at 38 and put him in the G-League.

[spree8]

Derp, meant to post in the Trade Thread


Bout to run a 2k season with these moves for 2025 (finished up the 24’ playoffs n got to the finals after forcing wins for all teams up until today, took over and finished off Indy, beat Boston … but swept by Denver)


NYK: Mikal
OKC: Mitch
BKN: Deuce, #24, #25, WAS+DET+MIL 1st, NYK+DEN (via OKC) 25’ 1st


NYK: Caruso
CHI: Boj, 27’ 1st (lotto protected), #38, 28’ + 29’ 2nd

Extend: OG (4y/130m)
Extend: iHart (4y/70m)

Sign: Jonas (full MLE)
Sign: Torrey Craig (full BAE)
Sign: Bamba (min)
Sign: Bullock (min)
Sign: Delon Wright (min)
Sign: Mook (min)
Sign: Markieff (min)

Waive: Achiuwa
Waive: Sims



Jalen Brunson | Alex Caruso | Delon Wright
Mikal Bridges | Donte DiVincenzo | Reggie Bullock
OG Anunoby | Josh Hart | Marcus Morris
Julius Randle | Torrey Craig | Markieff Morris
Isaiah Hartenstein | Jonas Valančiūnas | Mo Bamba

[sol537]

Derp, meant to post in the Trade Thread


Bout to run a 2k season with these moves for 2025 (finished up the 24’ playoffs n got to the finals after forcing wins for all teams up until today, took over and finished off Indy, beat Boston … but swept by Denver)


NYK: Mikal
OKC: Mitch
BKN: Deuce, #24, #25, WAS+DET+MIL 1st, NYK+DEN (via OKC) 25’ 1st


NYK: Caruso
CHI: Boj, 27’ 1st (lotto protected), #38, 28’ + 29’ 2nd

Extend: OG (4y/130m)
Extend: iHart (4y/70m)

Sign: Jonas (full MLE)
Sign: Torrey Craig (full BAE)
Sign: Bamba (min)
Sign: Bullock (min)
Sign: Delon Wright (min)
Sign: Mook (min)
Sign: Markieff (min)

Waive: Achiuwa
Waive: Sims



Jalen Brunson | Alex Caruso | Delon Wright
Mikal Bridges | Donte DiVincenzo | Reggie Bullock
OG Anunoby | Josh Hart | Marcus Morris
Julius Randle | Torrey Craig | Markieff Morris
Isaiah Hartenstein | Jonas Valančiūnas | Mo Bamba

I like the thinking but there's just not enough minutes for Alex, DDV, and Hart... they'd go from playing 40+ minutes to ~16 mins each? The depth is nice as insurance, but you'd get chemistry issues in a hurry...

[cgmw]

Sorry to derail this thread about Thibs, but on the topic of the actual series — I wouldn’t be surprised to see the Cardiac Knicks drop game 5 only to come back to win in 7. Maximum drama.

[spree8]

Derp, meant to post in the Trade Thread


Bout to run a 2k season with these moves for 2025 (finished up the 24’ playoffs n got to the finals after forcing wins for all teams up until today, took over and finished off Indy, beat Boston … but swept by Denver)


NYK: Mikal
OKC: Mitch
BKN: Deuce, #24, #25, WAS+DET+MIL 1st, NYK+DEN (via OKC) 25’ 1st


NYK: Caruso
CHI: Boj, 27’ 1st (lotto protected), #38, 28’ + 29’ 2nd

Extend: OG (4y/130m)
Extend: iHart (4y/70m)

Sign: Jonas (full MLE)
Sign: Torrey Craig (full BAE)
Sign: Bamba (min)
Sign: Bullock (min)
Sign: Delon Wright (min)
Sign: Mook (min)
Sign: Markieff (min)

Waive: Achiuwa
Waive: Sims



Jalen Brunson | Alex Caruso | Delon Wright
Mikal Bridges | Donte DiVincenzo | Reggie Bullock
OG Anunoby | Josh Hart | Marcus Morris
Julius Randle | Torrey Craig | Markieff Morris
Isaiah Hartenstein | Jonas Valančiūnas | Mo Bamba

I like the thinking but there's just not enough minutes for Alex, DDV, and Hart... they'd go from playing 40+ minutes to ~16 mins each? The depth is nice as insurance, but you'd get chemistry issues in a hurry...

If the FO can convince Thibs to reduce minutes during the season, I think it’d work. After injuries to Jalen, Julius, OG, etc, and the crazy minutes to Josh (who prob won’t ever complain again about not playing enough), I think he’d agree to go deeper throughout the season.

Caruso also hasn’t played more than 70 games in his career besides this season, and only plays 20-25 mpg. When you factor in guys being out, his mpg average will boost when he plays longer in certain games.

The vets all seem like they’re at a point in their career where they’re good with the role of stepping in/up when rotation guys are injured or getting a break.

At full health:

Jalen (32) | Alex (16)
Mikal (30) | Donte (14) | Alex (4)
OG (20) | Josh (20) | Donte (8)
Julius (32) | OG (10) | Josh (6)
iHart (26) | Jonas (22)

[nykfan42]

Possible 6pm Friday game? WTF ..Who thinks of this. Even the 330pm Sunday is bad. Make it prime time for game 7.

League scheduling is awful

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These mid day afternoon games are killer. I got three boys under 3. No way am I getting to watch that game live. I have to avoid all human contact outside of my house for hours. It's brutal, especially if its a potential game 7. Why does the league do this? So stupid.

[sol537]

Derp, meant to post in the Trade Thread


Bout to run a 2k season with these moves for 2025 (finished up the 24’ playoffs n got to the finals after forcing wins for all teams up until today, took over and finished off Indy, beat Boston … but swept by Denver)


NYK: Mikal
OKC: Mitch
BKN: Deuce, #24, #25, WAS+DET+MIL 1st, NYK+DEN (via OKC) 25’ 1st


NYK: Caruso
CHI: Boj, 27’ 1st (lotto protected), #38, 28’ + 29’ 2nd

Extend: OG (4y/130m)
Extend: iHart (4y/70m)

Sign: Jonas (full MLE)
Sign: Torrey Craig (full BAE)
Sign: Bamba (min)
Sign: Bullock (min)
Sign: Delon Wright (min)
Sign: Mook (min)
Sign: Markieff (min)

Waive: Achiuwa
Waive: Sims



Jalen Brunson | Alex Caruso | Delon Wright
Mikal Bridges | Donte DiVincenzo | Reggie Bullock
OG Anunoby | Josh Hart | Marcus Morris
Julius Randle | Torrey Craig | Markieff Morris
Isaiah Hartenstein | Jonas Valančiūnas | Mo Bamba

I like the thinking but there's just not enough minutes for Alex, DDV, and Hart... they'd go from playing 40+ minutes to ~16 mins each? The depth is nice as insurance, but you'd get chemistry issues in a hurry...

If the FO can convince Thibs to reduce minutes during the season, I think it’d work. After injuries to Jalen, Julius, OG, etc, and the crazy minutes to Josh (who prob won’t ever complain again about not playing enough), I think he’d agree to go deeper throughout the season.

Caruso also hasn’t played more than 70 games in his career besides this season, and only plays 20-25 mpg. When you factor in guys being out, his mpg average will boost when he plays longer in certain games.

The vets all seem like they’re at a point in their career where they’re good with the role of stepping in/up when rotation guys are injured or getting a break.

At full health:

Jalen (32) | Alex (16)
Mikal (30) | Donte (14) | Alex (4)
OG (20) | Josh (20) | Donte (8)
Julius (32) | OG (10) | Josh (6)
iHart (26) | Jonas (22)

That's pretty reasonable. I think there's a good chance we see a deeper, more balanced team next season based on all the learnings the front office is taking away from this season. We know they probably have their eyes on guys like Mikal and Caruso though prying those guys away from their current teams is easier said than done. Maybe we can find "comparable" guys from other teams.

[FrozenEnvelope]

Sorry to derail this thread about Thibs, but on the topic of the actual series — I wouldn’t be surprised to see the Cardiac Knicks drop game 5 only to come back to win in 7. Maximum drama.

1994 all over again!

[Lord Commander]

The loss of OG might've been that last nail. I'm the eternal optimist but I've made my peace. Once you start praying for 2 or 3 players to go wild and exceed their norms, and hoping for opposition injuries, it's pretty much over. I have faith in this front office. We'll make the leap in '25.

[LFGK]

The loss of OG might've been that last nail. I'm the eternal optimist but I've made my peace. Once you start praying for 2 or 3 players to go wild and exceed their norms, and hoping for opposition injuries, it's pretty much over. I have faith in this front office. We'll make the leap in '25.

not asking for people to exceed the norms, just do what you've done all playoffs. At the same time do you think indi shoots 60% and we shoot 30% from the field again? people are making way to much if that game 4, back in NY it will be a different game, 1-4 they are in the playoffs on the road giving up an avg of 117 points. 115-105

[NoDopeOnSundays]

i don't know that he has a choice right now but to overplay guys. we lost 1 rotation player before round 1. we lost another in the last series and 2 at the beginning of this series. that's 4 of your top 8. it's been a snowball effect. josh is playing 48 minutes and he's not even supposed to be a starter.

i said it a couple days ago that the knicks might need to think about filling the end of their bench with semi-washed vets instead of projects like sims, toppin, jeffries. he's not gonna play them and they shouldn't be playing if a situation like this arises again. sims was awful out there in the last game. good or bad, he'd trust taj gibson to play 4 minutes a half.

His own actions led to this outcome, and there's always a choice between playing a guy the full 48 minutes in consecutive games. Josh is the first player to play 48 mins in consecutive playoff games since 2013, you can't tell me that we're the most banged up team in the last 11 years and are left in a spot no other team was in . Guess who the last guy to do it was, Jimmy Butler coached by Tom


Thousands of playoff games in the last 11 yrs, and Tom is doing something only Tom has done in that time period. He grinds players into the ground during the regular season, then his team falls apart in the playoffs, it happened with the Bulls and it's happening to us, people here are just acting surprised that the guy with 100 DUIs is crashing his car again and arguing that it's not the alcohol.

[Stannis]

Anyone know if Larry Johnson will be sitting courtside?

[Lord Commander]

The loss of OG might've been that last nail. I'm the eternal optimist but I've made my peace. Once you start praying for 2 or 3 players to go wild and exceed their norms, and hoping for opposition injuries, it's pretty much over. I have faith in this front office. We'll make the leap in '25.

not asking for people to exceed the norms, just do what you've done all playoffs. At the same time do you think indi shoots 60% and we shoot 30% from the field again? people are making way to much if that game 4, back in NY it will be a different game, 1-4 they are in the playoffs on the road giving up an avg of 117 points. 115-105

I hope you're right.

[Guano]

We're fcked - he hates jHart.

Read on Twitter

[LFGK]

The loss of OG might've been that last nail. I'm the eternal optimist but I've made my peace. Once you start praying for 2 or 3 players to go wild and exceed their norms, and hoping for opposition injuries, it's pretty much over. I have faith in this front office. We'll make the leap in '25.

not asking for people to exceed the norms, just do what you've done all playoffs. At the same time do you think indi shoots 60% and we shoot 30% from the field again? people are making way to much if that game 4, back in NY it will be a different game, 1-4 they are in the playoffs on the road giving up an avg of 117 points. 115-105

I hope you're right.

[Gravy]

We're fcked - he hates jHart.

Read on Twitter

Scott is a loose cannon and dgaf about either team. This just may help us!

[ScienceOfLosing]

Edwards and Gobert were getting hacked and mauled last night and the zebras kept their whistles in their pockets. It made Gobert do the money gesture again (incoming big fine x2). But ya NBA wants that series to go longer as well I guess. When commentators start saying stuff like "I'm not sure what a foul is anymore" then you know it's not just homer fans with tunnel vision complaining. This has gotten out of hand and it's blatantly obvious. NBA is not even trying to hide it anymore.

Yep. It’s turned into the WWF. Might as well do a pre-show too.
I used to hopexAI might fix it, but they’ll just make it closed source.

Fans need to get a good chant re Money going, but they’ll just edit it out.
Ain’t no winning.

[Guano]

We're fcked - he hates jHart.

Read on Twitter

Scott is a loose cannon and dgaf about either team. This just may help us!

He is notorious for helping the hometeam and having a tight whistle which should help Brunson

Though he does hate jHart.

[dakomish23]

Possible 6pm Friday game? WTF ..Who thinks of this. Even the 330pm Sunday is bad. Make it prime time for game 7.

League scheduling is awful

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I get the 3:30 game on Sunday. We’ve played our fair share of elimination games on an early Sunday afternoon (2 pacers game 7s, 2 heat game 7s, Heat game 5) off the top of my head.

6 PM on a Friday is beyond stupid