PG: iHart in Monster Mode as Knicks Clinch Playoff Intensity Road Game

[Im Coming Home]

https://www.tiktok.com/@nba_newyork/video/7347275138963934507?_r=1&_t=8kkqn6KkwGI

[Deeeez Knicks]

Dude. Thibs will play 7 guys 98% of minutes. And 2 more bench players will scrap for the remaining 2%.

1. Brunson
2. Randle
3. OG
4. DDV
5. iHart
6. Mitch or Precious (not both)
7. Hart
—
8. Bojan nominal ~10 mpg
9. Burks or Deuce (not both) nominal ~5 mpg

Yea, that’s how I see it. I could even see Bojan or Deuce just getting cut out and giving those minutes to Hart….probably something like this

IHart / Mitch or Prescious
Randle (40) / Bojan (8)
OG (40) / Hart (8)
Donte (28) / Hart (20)
Brunson (43) / Deuce (5)

Yeah, OG and Hart will split all available minutes at SF, backup PF, and backup SG.

It’s Bogey’s ball to fumble and he’s still fumbling. But the best case scenario for him is 12 mpg for playoffs where he gets unlimited green lights. My theory is he’s sh*tting the bed because psychologically it’s paralyzing to know what Thibs just did to Fournier. Bogey is playing for one more shot at an nba deal before he probably finishes his career overseas. Would be catastrophic for him to sit all next season in Thibs doghouse.

I think there’s a good chance Bojan gets moved in the offseason or at some point. He has struggled on both ends so far. There might be some quick hooks if his struggles continue in the playoffs.

But it does seem like we could really use his shooting and scoring off the bench in the playoffs so maybe he comes around.

[Clyde_Style]

Read on Twitter

That's amazing

Hoops Photo of the Year for sure

[KnixinSix]

https://www.tiktok.com/@nba_newyork/video/7347275138963934507?_r=1&_t=8kkqn6KkwGI

That was absolutely classic.

[Clyde_Style]

Read on Twitter

Other than that, Mrs. Lincoln, how was the play?

I’d say he’s right. We only scored 98 points, it was mostly a frustrating night on offense for us once again. Thankfully defense got locked in

Defense wins rings even when your offense hits some speed bumps

With a healthy roster our defense is going to be more than playoff ready

[Clyde_Style]

Everyone will talk about Brunsons 42 pts and rightfully so but I want to point out his defense. He was all over the place. 4 steals and a block and his effort on that end was awesome all night.

I thought that was pretty noticable to get that level of commitment from your best player.

When you have a dominant defender on the floor with you it can close some or all of the open lanes players can use to get around Brunson, therefore it makes it easier for Brunson to stay in front of his assignment.

The domino effect of that is when lanes close up and you keep guys in front of you then assisting further with help defense and defensive stunting or gambling on intercepts becomes easier.

The OG Effect ripples throughout the roster and makes everyones' defense better.

OG switches on and off his man with such accuracy that he often disrupts 2 or 3 players in each play. That benefits our defense in ways we couldn't have imagined until we saw the results that OG's presence brings.

This may have been the best I've seen Brunson play on defense. I think he is more than OK when your team defense becomes this solid.

[thebuzzardman]

Read on Twitter

Read on Twitter

Best Knick guard since Clyde.

Best Knick team since the mid 90s (sorry Alan and Spree)

Absolutely most entertaining team since mid 90s, if you add up identity, tenacity, talent, cohesion and play style, depth. League style of play also a factor

Then you have the great subtext story, where Knicks gamble on Brunson being an emerging player and win huge, where he's a Knick kid grown up returning, to play for a defensive culture establishing coach, also a returning story, being part of the Riley\JVG tree.

TLDR - This team and this era is awesome

You nailed it my friend

Brunson was born to bring the Knicks a championship...And don't forget Precious being from Queens and Brunson playing with Hart and Donte on a 2 time National championship team. We need to enjoy ever minute of this that we can Buzz..

Word. After we all wandered in the basketball darkness collectively for so many years, there are so many aspects of this team and how it evolved over the past 4 years that are so satisfying

And the team can still make a move, has the assets to take another step.

I think I like best how the team has a player type they want and how well they've done in identifying and then acquiring those players

[Capn'O]

Thibs loves his vets

As long as Burks and bojan help the team like tonight into the end of the season, this won’t abandon them in the playoffs. That’s not how he works.

I bet you precious is the guy that gets cut from the rotation unless Mitch can’t come back.


Thibs was already lineup testing. Brunson w bojan and ddv/burks at each corner.

Thibs will probably go with a 9 or even 8 man rotation in the playoffs. I don’t think Burks is making the cut if everyone is healthy unless he really turns it around

Thibs only seems to put Burks in to see if he's hot. If he's not he doesn't play again. He's instant offense and I think he's actually instructed to chuck.

[Clyde_Style]

Let's chill with that stuff. Particularly the gif.

I asked them to lose those GIFs but I won't say it either at this point.

The Walton Family is coming over for brunch today so I'm stashing the skin mags before they show up.

[Clyde_Style]

It hasnt looked good so far but if they can get it together and help in the playoffs is how it’ll be more judged. I do wonder if Burks will even make the playoff rotation if everyone is healthy.

I know they don’t play the same positions but I would give all of Burks minutes to Precious in the playoffs. Precious hustles, plays great defense and even passes pretty well. He’s a great role player to have and he can defend multiple positions. He’s earned the right to play.

Prescious does deserve minutes and we will need his athleticism, length and versatility. He gives us an element we don’t really have….and one we may need against teams like Milw, Boston, Miami, etc.

Burks right now is probably our 11th guy so is an easy sit. But it’s tough to see who may also sit if we go with a 9 man rotation and everyone is back…might be situational

Precious would lose some minutes, but I don't see how he will be DNP during the playoffs. He is precisely what we need to keep other guys on our frontline fresh throughout the playoffs.

[Deeeez Knicks]

Thibs loves his vets

As long as Burks and bojan help the team like tonight into the end of the season, this won’t abandon them in the playoffs. That’s not how he works.

I bet you precious is the guy that gets cut from the rotation unless Mitch can’t come back.


Thibs was already lineup testing. Brunson w bojan and ddv/burks at each corner.

Thibs will probably go with a 9 or even 8 man rotation in the playoffs. I don’t think Burks is making the cut if everyone is healthy unless he really turns it around

Thibs only seems to put Burks in to see if he's hot. If he's not he doesn't play again. He's instant offense and I think he's actually instructed to chuck.

He’s only had 1 game shooting 50% so it hasn’t been working well. In the regular season while we are short handed I guess it’s what we have to live with. In the playoffs we can’t afford to play Burks with a green light like this

[WaltFrazier]

I'm rewatching the last few minutes

With one minute left Sabonis slammed into OG six feet from the basket.

OG bounced back two feet, but the impact was worse for Sabonis who lost his composure and turned over the ball

OG is built like a brick house

Yup and he's got an extremely strong base in particular. Legs like tree trunks. Very strong dude.

I always said he was low key the Raptors enforcer. Not in the manner of a fighter, though he once flipped Schroder like a ragdoll. But he was in confrontations with one of the Morris brothers, Gobert, Embiid in a playoff game, Brook Lopez. He's very strong.

One game last year vs Dallas, OG slipped and turned the ball over. Luka picked up the ball, passed it ahead, then bent down to help OG up. Asked after the game why he did that instead of joining the fast break, Luka said, he's a nice guy.

[WaltFrazier]

I know they don’t play the same positions but I would give all of Burks minutes to Precious in the playoffs. Precious hustles, plays great defense and even passes pretty well. He’s a great role player to have and he can defend multiple positions. He’s earned the right to play.

Prescious does deserve minutes and we will need his athleticism, length and versatility. He gives us an element we don’t really have….and one we may need against teams like Milw, Boston, Miami, etc.

Burks right now is probably our 11th guy so is an easy sit. But it’s tough to see who may also sit if we go with a 9 man rotation and everyone is back…might be situational

Precious would lose some minutes, but I don't see how he will be DNP during the playoffs. He is precisely what we need to keep other guys on our frontline fresh throughout the playoffs.

Even if Mitch is back, I'd like to see Precious come in for OG, because he can do a good job of guarding the same guys as OG does.

[Clyde_Style]

Everyone will talk about Brunsons 42 pts and rightfully so but I want to point out his defense. He was all over the place. 4 steals and a block and his effort on that end was awesome all night.

I thought that was pretty noticable to get that level of commitment from your best player.

What his assist (low) and turnover (high) numbers tell me is that.. and people will hate this… a lot of the credit goes to Thibs for creating a system for Brunson to thrive as an iso scorer. Donte is slumping and the other 3 players think of themselves primarily as defenders/hustle players.

That kind of role simplicity is Thibs’ trademark, and I’m telling anyone who’ll listen that this team will be unstoppable for regular season games when Randle comes back because we’ll have 2 primary iso scorers and 3 primary hustle/defenders on the court for 40 mpg.

With Randle back, Brunson will score a little less but his assists will go way up and his turnovers way down. The only real questions are 1) health for playoffs and 2) will Randle show up for playoffs or will be retreat into his mental midget head that whithers under bright lights?

With the Herculean effort this team is showing right now, it’s hard to imagine Randle loafing it when he returns. I expect full effort for once.

In OG's first game back vs. the Sixers our offense was fluid, guys were moving and rotating the ball and JB facilitated more and had 9 assists. Interestingly, Hart had 10 assists which shows we're not wholly dependent on one facilitator, but it also speaks to their dynamic. The Nova guys familiarity with each other helps with knowing where to go on the floor when the other guy goes (spacing) and finding them for a pass as a result of that awareness.

I said right after the Sixers game that we'll be a more dangerous team when Brunson adjusts and facilitates more. With Randle back, it will be harder to double him. Brunson is a legit hero baller, but we'll be better the less hero ball is required to win. Brunson at 22 points and 10 assists is probably going to bring more wins than Brunson at 27 points and 5 assists.

[Jalen Bluntson]

Best Knick guard since Clyde.

Best Knick team since the mid 90s (sorry Alan and Spree)

Absolutely most entertaining team since mid 90s, if you add up identity, tenacity, talent, cohesion and play style, depth. League style of play also a factor

Then you have the great subtext story, where Knicks gamble on Brunson being an emerging player and win huge, where he's a Knick kid grown up returning, to play for a defensive culture establishing coach, also a returning story, being part of the Riley\JVG tree.

TLDR - This team and this era is awesome

You nailed it my friend

Brunson was born to bring the Knicks a championship...And don't forget Precious being from Queens and Brunson playing with Hart and Donte on a 2 time National championship team. We need to enjoy ever minute of this that we can Buzz..

Word. After we all wandered in the basketball darkness collectively for so many years, there are so many aspects of this team and how it evolved over the past 4 years that are so satisfying

And the team can still make a move, has the assets to take another step.

I think I like best how the team has a player type they want and how well they've done in identifying and then acquiring those players

It's pretty cool to take the ride with this build. As much as things didn't make sense at times. The few mistakes and how they pivot out of them. The woulda woulda shouldas from everyone about everything. Wild ride so far. In an upward trajectory from the start as well.

They took a 21 win team to the playoffs 3 of the next four years. Basically a top of the league team after DECADES of failure minus one season! The team they built to date is damn impressive. The likes we haven't seen around here in a VERY long time! Get us to the promised land!!

[Clyde_Style]

I'm rewatching the last few minutes

With one minute left Sabonis slammed into OG six feet from the basket.

OG bounced back two feet, but the impact was worse for Sabonis who lost his composure and turned over the ball

OG is built like a brick house

Yup and he's got an extremely strong base in particular. Legs like tree trunks. Very strong dude.

I always said he was low key the Raptors enforcer. Not in the manner of a fighter, though he once flipped Schroder like a ragdoll. But he was in confrontations with one of the Morris brothers, Gobert, Embiid in a playoff game, Brook Lopez. He's very strong.

One game last year vs Dallas, OG slipped and turned the ball over. Luka picked up the ball, passed it ahead, then bent down to help OG up. Asked after the game why he did that instead of joining the fast break, Luka said, he's a nice guy.

I think OG is a cool dude and is probably well liked around the league, but when he's on the court his demeanor is all-business and for some guys that can be intimidating.

[KnixinSix]

Best Knick guard since Clyde.

Best Knick team since the mid 90s (sorry Alan and Spree)

Absolutely most entertaining team since mid 90s, if you add up identity, tenacity, talent, cohesion and play style, depth. League style of play also a factor

Then you have the great subtext story, where Knicks gamble on Brunson being an emerging player and win huge, where he's a Knick kid grown up returning, to play for a defensive culture establishing coach, also a returning story, being part of the Riley\JVG tree.

TLDR - This team and this era is awesome

You nailed it my friend

Brunson was born to bring the Knicks a championship...And don't forget Precious being from Queens and Brunson playing with Hart and Donte on a 2 time National championship team. We need to enjoy ever minute of this that we can Buzz..

Word. After we all wandered in the basketball darkness collectively for so many years, there are so many aspects of this team and how it evolved over the past 4 years that are so satisfying

And the team can still make a move, has the assets to take another step.

I think I like best how the team has a player type they want and how well they've done in identifying and then acquiring those players

If we fizzle out in the playoffs and/or Randle bombs after returning you can see easily NBA stars looking over here and saying DANG I want to play with THAT dude.

[Context]

Best Knick guard since Clyde.

Best Knick team since the mid 90s (sorry Alan and Spree)

Absolutely most entertaining team since mid 90s, if you add up identity, tenacity, talent, cohesion and play style, depth. League style of play also a factor

Then you have the great subtext story, where Knicks gamble on Brunson being an emerging player and win huge, where he's a Knick kid grown up returning, to play for a defensive culture establishing coach, also a returning story, being part of the Riley\JVG tree.

TLDR - This team and this era is awesome

You nailed it my friend

Brunson was born to bring the Knicks a championship...And don't forget Precious being from Queens and Brunson playing with Hart and Donte on a 2 time National championship team. We need to enjoy ever minute of this that we can Buzz..

Word. After we all wandered in the basketball darkness collectively for so many years, there are so many aspects of this team and how it evolved over the past 4 years that are so satisfying

And the team can still make a move, has the assets to take another step.

I think I like best how the team has a player type they want and how well they've done in identifying and then acquiring those players

100%...
what do I love the most...I think that we finally have a complete all star who looks like he could end up being the best Knick player of all time. I love that hes smaller than most players - I love that he has the opportunity to consistenly remain as a top 10-15 player or more and I love that he's a point guard because thats all we've heard for DECADES Buzz
when will we get an all star point guard...

[Context]

You nailed it my friend

Brunson was born to bring the Knicks a championship...And don't forget Precious being from Queens and Brunson playing with Hart and Donte on a 2 time National championship team. We need to enjoy ever minute of this that we can Buzz..

Word. After we all wandered in the basketball darkness collectively for so many years, there are so many aspects of this team and how it evolved over the past 4 years that are so satisfying

And the team can still make a move, has the assets to take another step.

I think I like best how the team has a player type they want and how well they've done in identifying and then acquiring those players

If we fizzle out in the playoffs and/or Randle bombs after returning you can see easily NBA stars looking over here and saying DANG I want to play with THAT dude.

this position that we are in- is so satisfying...

[Clyde_Style]

You nailed it my friend

Brunson was born to bring the Knicks a championship...And don't forget Precious being from Queens and Brunson playing with Hart and Donte on a 2 time National championship team. We need to enjoy ever minute of this that we can Buzz..

Word. After we all wandered in the basketball darkness collectively for so many years, there are so many aspects of this team and how it evolved over the past 4 years that are so satisfying

And the team can still make a move, has the assets to take another step.

I think I like best how the team has a player type they want and how well they've done in identifying and then acquiring those players

100%...
what do I love the most...I think that we finally have a complete all star who looks like he could end up being the best Knick player of all time. I love that hes smaller than most players - I love that he has the opportunity to consistenly remain as a top 10-15 player or more and I love that he's a point guard because thats all we've heard for DECADES Buzz
when will we get an all star point guard...

The biggest PITA for me as a Knicks fan was how relentlessly stupid this FO was for decades due to their complete disregard for the importance of the PG position. I won't even vomit out the list of names we've had at the position. We all know how bad it has been.

The only time they made it a priority in this century was when they got Marbury, but he was not what he was cracked up to be, just a talented guy with little ability to lead or impact a roster.

As a long-time Knicks fan and Clyde acolyte, this has been a grind.

Brunson makes all of that suffering go away.

His father Rick was put on this earth to produce a Knicks savior so bless his bald head.