Big Blue Huddle

Quote from: Jolly Blue Giant on January 17, 2024, 09:57:59 AMI've read three articles this morning and they all say the same thing..."Knicks are actively dangling Grimes" and looking for a "backup guard"

My hunch is that Grimes will be gone and there will be a trade soon...hopefully we don't give up a bunch of our draft assets to pull it off. Grimes is good enough to be a starter on some teams IMO

edited for more info:

https://twitter.com/KnicksMuse/status/1747295732099367131

Katz writes for the Athletic...a summary of what he wrote:

 Its clear that along with Fournier - Grimes is the biggest player piece the Knicks could move and Fournier is also a valuable piece with his expiring contract. According to him (Katz), here are the players the Knicks have interest in: "Some players who fit that description include (in no particular order): the Portland Trail Blazers' Malcolm Brogdon, the Utah Jazz's Jordan Clarkson and Collin Sexton, the Charlotte Hornets' Terry Rozier, the Indiana Pacers' Bruce Brown and T.J. McConnell, the Atlanta Hawks' Bogdan Bogdanović, the Cleveland Cavaliers' Caris LeVert and the Dallas Mavericks' Tim Hardaway Jr."

Personally, I hope they get Brogdon

Grimes plus a non-painful, smidge of draft capital for Brogdon seems like a great move. As discussed, it would get the Knicks to a place where they could confidently compete with all but maybe three or four NBA teams in a seven game series. That's not a bad place to be considering the past decades in their totality. Then, you bide your time and wait for someone elite to be available, and then you make the big move.

Dominant win tonight against the defending champs. 11-2 since the trade. OG was tremendous tonight.

The Knicks are dominating defensively since the trade for OG. Here's some stats posted before last night's floor-mopping of the defending NBA Champion Nuggets

"Pre-Anunoby, the Knicks carried a defensive rating of 115.5, which was 20th in the league. They allowed 113.9 points per game, and opponents had an effective field-goal percentage of 55.4, tied for the NBA's 10th-worst.

Post-Anunoby, the Knicks are allowing an average of 101.1 points (1st in the NBA) on an effective field-goal percentage of 49.8 (2nd). Their defensive rating post-Anunoby is 104.2 (2nd) with improvements across the board (in opponents' two-point field-goal percentage, opponents' 3-point field-goal percentage and second-chance points allowed).

Anunoby, meanwhile, has matched up with, among many others, Anthony Edwards, Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey, Kyrie Irving, Paolo Banchero, Scottie Barnes and Mikal Bridges...."

The Knicks lost some offensive firepower with the loss of RJ and Quick, but they have become a dominate defensive force, as evidenced last night by holding the NBA Champions to 84 points; thus, improving the numbers from the aforementioned stats

Brunson is the Rodney Dangerfield of the NBA - again. Brunson got an All Star nod, but PGs Lillard and Haliburton will be starting, even though the media vote had Brunson beating Lillard. The fans let Brunson down by not voting

Quote from: Jolly Blue Giant on January 26, 2024, 07:54:39 AMThe Knicks are dominating defensively since the trade for OG. Here's some stats posted before last night's floor-mopping of the defending NBA Champion Nuggets

"Pre-Anunoby, the Knicks carried a defensive rating of 115.5, which was 20th in the league. They allowed 113.9 points per game, and opponents had an effective field-goal percentage of 55.4, tied for the NBA's 10th-worst.

Post-Anunoby, the Knicks are allowing an average of 101.1 points (1st in the NBA) on an effective field-goal percentage of 49.8 (2nd). Their defensive rating post-Anunoby is 104.2 (2nd) with improvements across the board (in opponents' two-point field-goal percentage, opponents' 3-point field-goal percentage and second-chance points allowed).

Anunoby, meanwhile, has matched up with, among many others, Anthony Edwards, Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey, Kyrie Irving, Paolo Banchero, Scottie Barnes and Mikal Bridges...."

The Knicks lost some offensive firepower with the loss of RJ and Quick, but they have become a dominate defensive force, as evidenced last night by holding the NBA Champions to 84 points; thus, improving the numbers from the aforementioned stats

Brunson is the Rodney Dangerfield of the NBA - again. Brunson got an All Star nod, but PGs Lillard and Haliburton will be starting, even though the media vote had Brunson beating Lillard. The fans let Brunson down by not voting

Lillard plays zero defense, and it's been a real problem for the Bucks. Not that Brunson is exactly Gary Payton, but Lillard is a bigger liability in that sense. I'd take Brunson over him right now, personally. I agree the fans let him down somewhat. I would say he is significantly underpaid as well at $26mm per. That's lower than what the Knicks were paying RJ Barrett. Look at the rest of the salary landscape for NBA point guards (see below). Amazes me that some thought the Knicks were overpaying to get Brunson. This acquisition was literally a Jesse James level steal.

https://www.spotrac.com/nba/rankings/point-guard/

Quote from: DaveBrown74 on January 26, 2024, 08:03:55 AMLillard plays zero defense, and it's been a real problem for the Bucks. Not that Brunson is exactly Gary Payton, but Lillard is a bigger liability in that sense. I'd take Brunson over him right now, personally. I agree the fans let him down somewhat. I would say he is significantly underpaid as well at $26mm per. That's lower than what the Knicks were paying RJ Barrett. Look at the rest of the salary landscape for NBA point guards (see below). Amazes me that some thought the Knicks were overpaying to get Brunson. This acquisition was literally a Jesse James level steal.

https://www.spotrac.com/nba/rankings/point-guard/

Great article this morning in the subscriber section of the NY Post on Brunson. It recalls the draft of 2022 when the Knicks seemed to empty their draft assets instead of using them - an excerpt: "...June 2022. The Knicks went into draft night with the No. 11 overall pick — their reward for wheezing to a 37-45 finish the season prior — and came away with ... nothing. No Jaden Ivey. No Shaedon Sharpe. No A.J. Griffin. They traded back in the first round then attached the pick to Kemba Walker to get off his contract..."


It was all to free up money so they could pursue Brunson. At the time...didn't seem a popular move...in hindsight, it was friggin brilliant!

An incredible stat since OG Anunoby's arrival on the team (excerpts from the NY Post)

"Since he arrived on the roster at the start of 2024, the Knicks have outscored teams by 239 points in Anunoby's 467 minutes, according to NBA.com. His plus-239 represents the best plus-minus for a player through his first 13 games with a new team since tracking started...

Who ranks No. 2 on that list? Rasheed Wallace in 2004, when he was plus-172 with the Pistons after being traded in February from the Blazers. That turned into a championship for Detroit and one of the best historical in-season moves...

...his defensive versatility and ability to switch onto all five positions has unlocked a Knicks shell difficult to penetrate...

'It's pretty wild,' said Jalen Brunson, aware of the numbers. 'I can't really say anything besides he's always doing the right things out there, doing the right things on both sides of the ball...he makes life a lot easier,' Brunson said. 'It looks effortless when he plays out there defensively. So what he's been able to do has been special.'...added Julius Randle: 'He just always seems to be in the right place.'"

Heading into Friday's games, Anunoby's plus-minus of 239 was No. 1 in the NBA since the New Year. But Nos. 2, 3 and 5 belong to Brunson (plus-193), Isaiah Hartenstein (plus-159) and Randle (plus-148), respectively, which indicates his presence makes those around him that much better

Quote from: Jolly Blue Giant on January 27, 2024, 08:36:53 AMAn incredible stat since OG Anunoby's arrival on the team (excerpts from the NY Post)

"Since he arrived on the roster at the start of 2024, the Knicks have outscored teams by 239 points in Anunoby's 467 minutes, according to NBA.com. His plus-239 represents the best plus-minus for a player through his first 13 games with a new team since tracking started...

Who ranks No. 2 on that list? Rasheed Wallace in 2004, when he was plus-172 with the Pistons after being traded in February from the Blazers. That turned into a championship for Detroit and one of the best historical in-season moves...

...his defensive versatility and ability to switch onto all five positions has unlocked a Knicks shell difficult to penetrate...

'It's pretty wild,' said Jalen Brunson, aware of the numbers. 'I can't really say anything besides he's always doing the right things out there, doing the right things on both sides of the ball...he makes life a lot easier,' Brunson said. 'It looks effortless when he plays out there defensively. So what he's been able to do has been special.'...added Julius Randle: 'He just always seems to be in the right place.'"

Heading into Friday's games, Anunoby's plus-minus of 239 was No. 1 in the NBA since the New Year. But Nos. 2, 3 and 5 belong to Brunson (plus-193), Isaiah Hartenstein (plus-159) and Randle (plus-148), respectively, which indicates his presence makes those around him that much better

I've never seen this data although I do look at plus/minus in each game when I look through the box score and his is usually the best on the team or among the best. He's been great. If you watch the games, he does so many things that don't necessarily appear on the stat sheet. He's amazing at fighting through screens, not getting faked out, etc. He can stay defensively on pretty much any position. He chokes up passing lanes. And offensively he's lethal from three and he has a very strong move to the basket. He's basically RJ Barrett EXCEPT he's actually a very good three point man and instead of being bad on defense he's elite.

It's no coincidence that they're 11-2 since trading for him.

I'm looking forward to seeing how they hold up against the Heat today.

When the combination of Brunson, OG, and Randle click as they are...I'd be hesitant to rock the boat with a trade except for maybe improving the 2nd team...hence Malcom Brogdon is probably their best bet. A lot of chatter about Bruce Brown who might end up challenging Divincenzo for the starting two...although Divincenzo is a little better 3 pt shooter, but maybe not as good defensively. Would seem like a wash to me, and might even mess with the chemistry 

Second team with Hart, Grimes, Deuce, Achiuwa, and Hartenstein (once Mitch is back) is not bad at all. Hart and IHart are both starters on other teams, and maybe Grimes. I don't see how Bruce Brown would replace Hart at the three, but giving up Grimes and replacing him with Brown could actually be a downgrade IMO. One of my worries is losing Hartenstein at the end of the season due to financial matters. I want to keep him

Achiuwa has had a couple of pretty impressive games...nice pickup for the Knicks that flies far under the media radar. Gotta give Thibs and the front office kudos for the way they are piecing together a quality team that the Knicks can finally be proud of

Quote from: Jolly Blue Giant on January 27, 2024, 09:34:10 AMWhen the combination of Brunson, OG, and Randle click as they are...I'd be hesitant to rock the boat with a trade except for maybe improving the 2nd team...hence Malcom Brogdon is probably their best bet. A lot of chatter about Bruce Brown who might end up challenging Divincenzo for the starting two...although Divincenzo is a little better 3 pt shooter, but maybe not as good defensively. Would seem like a wash to me, and might even mess with the chemistry 

Second team with Hart, Grimes, Deuce, Achiuwa, and Hartenstein (once Mitch is back) is not bad at all. Hart and IHart are both starters on other teams, and maybe Grimes. I don't see how Bruce Brown would replace Hart at the three, but giving up Grimes and replacing him with Brown could actually be a downgrade IMO. One of my worries is losing Hartenstein at the end of the season due to financial matters. I want to keep him

Achiuwa has had a couple of pretty impressive games...nice pickup for the Knicks that flies far under the media radar. Gotta give Thibs and the front office kudos for the way they are piecing together a quality team that the Knicks can finally be proud of

I didn't know much about Achiuwa before he got here but he definitely seems additive. Grimes has also stepped his game up a bit of late and even McBride at times. While I don't think this is a championship team, I do think it's getting closer.

Quote from: DaveBrown74 on January 27, 2024, 12:11:45 PMI didn't know much about Achiuwa before he got here but he definitely seems additive. Grimes has also stepped his game up a bit of late and even McBride at times. While I don't think this is a championship team, I do think it's getting closer.

Achiuwa is a legit power forward and backup center. He's onlyl 24 and at 6'9", he's playing his natural position that he's played growing up. We haven't had a legit four since we lost Obi and Hart backing up Randle was not all that great. Hart belongs on the small side of the court. Achiuwa grew up on the streets of NY and was a die-hard Knicks' fan. He was drafted in the first round (20) two years ago at Miami before being flipped to Toronto, where he hasn't gotten a ton of opportunity. Now he's playing on the court that he's dreamed about his whole life and is highly motivated. He's trending upward and will improve even more as he learns the system and working with the other guys. On top of that, he can play center as shown against the Nuggets the other day when he pulled down 10 rebounds, had 3 assists, etc., in limited floor time

Well, they wiped the floor with Miami back to back ass kicking of two of the top teams in the country. Not just wins, but domination

Then we lose Randle to injury - could be serious enough to be season ending

Quote from: Jolly Blue Giant on January 27, 2024, 06:37:45 PMWell, they wiped the floor with Miami back to back ass kicking of two of the top teams in the country. Not just wins, but domination

Then we lose Randle to injury - could be serious enough to be season ending

Another great win but very worried about Randle. If he's done for the year that's a major negative game changer for this team. Hopefully that's not the case, but you never know with shoulders. Wide range of possibilities.

Down by 15 with a little over 4 minutes to play and a rookie tries to steal a charge as if he's still back in UCLA. 

Good news on Randle. Looks like his injury is on the lower end of the range of outcomes from a severity standpoint.

His prognosis is "weeks, not months."

While there is nothing good about any injury, his absence may have a couple of silver linings to it:

(1) Randle is a very physical, hard-nosed player. In the past, he has tended to be nursing minor ailments and general pain come the postseason. Maybe 3-5 weeks off in the middle of the season isn't the worst thing in the world for him. Obviously he needs his shoulder to heal, but this might give the rest of his body a bit of a breather, and he'll be healthier (beyond the shoulder) when he comes back and perhaps healthier for the playoffs than in past years.

(2) Randle's absence will give some other players a chance to step up. I'm thinking chiefly of Achiuwa and Hart, but there may be others as well.

Bottom line this is very good news compared to concerns I had all day yesterday. I was worried he might be out for the season or at least for multiple months. Randle is a guy we absolutely need if we're to have a shot of pulling an upset against a top team in a playoff series.

Quote from: DaveBrown74 on January 29, 2024, 04:59:22 PMGood news on Randle. Looks like his injury is on the lower end of the range of outcomes from a severity standpoint.

His prognosis is "weeks, not months."

While there is nothing good about any injury, his absence may have a couple of silver linings to it:

(1) Randle is a very physical, hard-nosed player. In the past, he has tended to be nursing minor ailments and general pain come the postseason. Maybe 3-5 weeks off in the middle of the season isn't the worst thing in the world for him. Obviously he needs his shoulder to heal, but this might give the rest of his body a bit of a breather, and he'll be healthier (beyond the shoulder) when he comes back and perhaps healthier for the playoffs than in past years.

(2) Randle's absence will give some other players a chance to step up. I'm thinking chiefly of Achiuwa and Hart, but there may be others as well.

Bottom line this is very good news compared to concerns I had all day yesterday. I was worried he might be out for the season or at least for multiple months. Randle is a guy we absolutely need if we're to have a shot of pulling an upset against a top team in a playoff series.

I've got the game on right now and will watch Achiuwa carefully. Seen as a "throw in" in the OG trade, he might be much more than that. He's young, drafted two years ago by Miami, then shipped to Toronto's bench. He hasn't been in a place where opportunity for him exists. Tonight he gets to start on the court of his dreams. I hope he shines