Projected lineups

Paul1355

All Star
Now that we have filled out 14 of 15 possible slots and most of the cap money. Let?s see what our future lineup might look like based on last year and recent articles as of day 1 in the regular season:

Starting-
PG- Elfrid Payton
SG- Reggie Bullock
SF- Damyean Dotson
PF- Julius Randle
C- Mitchell Robinson

Bench-
PG- Dennis Smith Jr./Kadeem Allen/Frank N
SG- RJ Barrett/Trier/Wayne Ellington
SF- Kevin Knox/Trier/Wayne Ellington/Ignas Brazdekis
PF- Bobby PortisKnox/Ignas Brazdeikis
C- Taj Gibson/Portis and (possibly the final 15th man on the roster will be a true center since this is the only area they might need one more body.

Based on this roster it seems there will be a lot of competition at multiple positions such as PG, SG, and SF.

Randle and Robinson are the only real locks to start. The Knicks could interchange multiple combinations between 1-3 but I believe they will favor vets to start and the 3-D types to get the start in front of the rookie Barrett and inconsistent Knox.

Frank seems out of the picture entirely. I don?t see where he fits anymore.

Ignas Brazdeikis might have to play in the G League with all the wing/forwards we just signed but I see him getting some playing time throughout the season.

I think we should fill out the final spot with a true center that?s not an out of position PF like Gibson/Randle or Portis..we need a true big besides Robinson.

(Randle, Robinson, and Barrett can be all stars in the near future)

Thoughts?



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mafra

Legend
I think RJ starts from day-1, just bc I think his talent will be evident.

This team should be the RJ-Randle show,
And whoever else wants in... Step up!

Peyton and Mitch and Taj when you need defense.
 

Paul1355

All Star
I think RJ starts from day-1, just bc I think his talent will be evident.

This team should be the RJ-Randle show,
And whoever else wants in... Step up!

Peyton and Mitch and Taj when you need defense.

Taj might be the true back up center due to his toughness, history of defense and mentor ship role. He will be what D Jordan was last season. Portis is more of an athletic PF.
We have a lot of young depth with upside. Might take years but they will be entering primes.


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mafra

Legend
Definitely agree with that... Randle and Portis gobble up the PF minutes and Taj and Mitch the C position.
 
Something that I read online that was interesting was how we do not have a great roster, but we do suddenly have a strangely deep roster, maybe one of the deeper rosters in the league now.

The way our roster was created does make it look like the young guys will be forced to earn their minutes, which is generally a good thing.

I have no doubt RJ will earn his minutes. MRob already has earned his minutes. I do wonder about Knox and DSJ (forget Ntilikina, I don?t think Fiz will play him). If we are losing and also not playing all our guys, this may upset the fans more than anything.
 
The more I think about it, the more I think you just swap out Bullock for RJ and that should be our starting lineup.

MRob, Randle, Dotson, RJ, and Payton.

You got your defensive center who will threaten the rim on offense. You got your PF who can play down low, stretch the floor, and also handle the ball. You got your 3 and D guy who can either defend the wing or SG. You got your slasher who should get heavy usage and should grow into your best scorer. You got your PG running the pick and roll and directing the offense.

Then you rotate out there Taj, Portis, Knox, Bullock, Trier, and DSJ, depending on situation.
 

tiger0330

Legend
The more I think about it, the more I think you just swap out Bullock for RJ and that should be our starting lineup.

MRob, Randle, Dotson, RJ, and Payton.

You got your defensive center who will threaten the rim on offense. You got your PF who can play down low, stretch the floor, and also handle the ball. You got your 3 and D guy who can either defend the wing or SG. You got your slasher who should get heavy usage and should grow into your best scorer. You got your PG running the pick and roll and directing the offense.

Then you rotate out there Taj, Portis, Knox, Bullock, Trier, and DSJ, depending on situation.
I suggested a similar lineup but I don't think Dotson is better than Bullock nor an NBA starter yet. I just want to get off to a fast start, give the fans some hope that Mills and Perry spent that money well in FA and make them forget about missing out on KD, Kyrie, Butler, Kemba and even Malcom Brogdon. Funny we never heard Brogdon mentioned as a target and I was surprised that the Bucks let him go in FA.
 

jimkcchief88

All Star
Seeing the projected rosters just made me more depressed about the upcoming season. So the the Craptors have Kyle Lowry, 76ers Ben Simmons, Celtics Kemba Walker, Nets Kyrie Irving, and we are running Elfid Payton????? I'm old enough to remember that kids matching game on "Electric Company" that went "one of these things is not like the other. So in an NBA driven by PG's we are stuck with Elrid Payton???? I've gone from being sad to being pissed off!!! Why are the Knicks always bringing kool-aid to a gin party??? A boycott is in order of massive proportions. We did it in KC when we got sick of the franchise' direction. They all wore black and flew banners over the stadium demanding a change and got it. Same needs to happen here. Dolan can't throw everyone out of the stadium. A well organized blackout with 5-6k in attendance might do the trick. Only thing spoiled, silver spoon owner like Dolan understand is the bottomline. Nothing else. No amount of embarrassment, criticism, shame, insults or anything else will work because he's a billionaire:(
 

tiger0330

Legend
I suggested a similar lineup but I don't think Dotson is better than Bullock nor an NBA starter yet. I just want to get off to a fast start, give the fans some hope that Mills and Perry spent that money well in FA and make them forget about missing out on KD, Kyrie, Butler, Kemba and even Malcom Brogdon. Funny we never heard Brogdon mentioned as a target and I was surprised that the Bucks let him go in FA.
Bucks didn't want to pay the luxury tax it seems, Ind gave up a first and 2 seconds for the Bucks not to match. The Bucks are going to miss him. He could play D also and not just score.

Brogdon became just the eighth player in league history to record a 50-40-90 season when he shot 50.5 percent from the field, 42.6 percent from 3 and 92.8 percent from the free throw line.

 
We should probably have a Summer League thread going soon.

RJ said after the first Summer League practice that it was ?high intensity? and ?a lot of fun?. This kid is going to win over the coaches with his talent and positivity very quickly. If he doesn?t start the season as a starter, he is going to be the first guy off the bench most games I think.
 

tiger0330

Legend
We should probably have a Summer League thread going soon.

RJ said after the first Summer League practice that it was “high intensity” and “a lot of fun”. This kid is going to win over the coaches with his talent and positivity very quickly. If he doesn’t start the season as a starter, he is going to be the first guy off the bench most games I think.
I started the thread.

Caught the first game in Utah Cavs vs Spurs. Utah SL is just a prelude for Vegas, 3 days and many of the drafted rookies aren't playing.

Garland was there but wasn't in uniform.

Cavs new head coach Beilein was the SL coach, odd seeing a coach near 70 coaching in SL.

Cavs had Dylan Windler as the player of the game for them, interesting kid, quick trigger hitting a long distance three, athletic, long arms, going to keep an eye out for him.

The NBA dream never dies with some players with 5th pick of the 2012 draft Thomas Robinson still playing in Summer League.
 

mafra

Legend
I think, in an ideal scenario... DSJ and RJ take control of the back court situation. Sure, there will be defensive issues... but, for now, FIZ needs these kids to work on their offense and gain confidence doing what they do best. Best defense is potent offense. Don?t accept lack of hustle or lack of want2, but with Mitch protecting the rim.... let these 2 loose to score the rock.

Randle starts at PF from day 1...

Ergo, we need defense to compliment this dynamic offensive trio...

So, start Mitch and Bullock. Is RB out best defensive SF? He?s a 3-&-D type, no? We need a shooter to kick out too...


Trier is our 6th man.
Portis and Taj backup frontcourt.

Payton backup PG (for now)... But, the PG is truly an open competition... if he wins job... then switch with DSJ.

Knox spells Bullock and Wayne backup to RJ.

Knits, Dotson are the wild cards. They will have to fight and claw for their minutes, and if they do then team will look to trade Bullock and WE at deadline.

Iggy, Wilks and whomever round our end of bench are d-League types we will be grooming to be ready to play down the road.

This is the blueprint and should be the rotation early on.... unless camp performances dictate otherwise.

I want them to be open but I also want people in set roles. It?s OK to limit minutes so kids don?t pick up bad habits.

1 other thing: I want this group to run.... run, run, and run.

We are young and deep and this we should be pressing and running and subbing often, keeping the foot on the peddle, hand on throttle... go-go-go.

If RJ sets tone and works... vets echo and reflect org philosophy.... everybody else falls in line and we could be really excited about this team in 12 months.

I?m looking forward to Fri SL game.
 

mafra

Legend
Elfrid Payton certainly didn?t sound like he was going to be a backup point guard for the Knicks.

In fact, Payton said he had ?so many options,? but picked the Knicks partly because of playing time.

One of GM Scott Perry?s favorites, Payton agreed to terms on a two-year deal for $16 million, the second year being a team option, and now joins Dennis Smith Jr. and Frank Ntilikina in the point-guard derby.

?Playing time was a factor and it depended on the deal,?? Payton told HoopsHype. ?I obviously don?t mind playing on a one-year deal ? but when you?re in a situation where you?re on a one-year deal, you have to be able to play to showcase what you can do. If you?re on a one-year deal and you don?t play, then your hands are kind of tied, you feel me? I also looked at the coaching and playing style.?

Smith Jr. figured to be the starter next season before the Payton signing. They acquired Smith in the Kristaps Porzingis deal in late January.

?I feel like good players can always figure it out,?? Payton said of playing with Smith. ?As far as I know, he has a good basketball IQ, so I think we can make it work. I?m sure he?ll be picking my brain just as much as I?ll be picking his brain.??

Payton added that his Pelicans teammate Julius Randle was a big factor, too. Randle signed a three-year deal but the final year is not guaranteed. Payton sees the signings as a terrific alternative after missing out on the stars, saying Knicks fans will ?love this group.??

?I?m excited to play with Julius again,?? Payton said. ?I had always liked Julius from afar and really respected his game. But last year, being up close with him and being in the situation we were in last year ? where we were going through all of the injuries and tough stuff and still having to produce ? I got a chance to see what he does when his back is against the wall and he came through in a big way. I gained a lot of respect for him. He?s a dog. I respect anybody who?s a dog in this league.?

The Knicks signed six players in the first 20 hours of free agency after Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving thumbed their noses at the Garden.

Payton, 25, believes Perry signed players with similar attributes, calling all of them ?dogs.? Perry selected Payton 10th in the 2014 draft. Payton indicated Knicks fans next season won?t be missing the injured Durant or Irving when they see this group fight.

?I?ve never been in war with Bobby (Portis), but I can see how he gets down, so to speak,?? Payton said. ?He?s a dog. Taj Gibson? He?s a dog. When I saw those signings, [coming to the Knicks] was almost a no-brainer.

?Just sit back and watch, man. They?ll grow to love this group of guys. It?s totally natural to feel some type of way when you miss out on guys like Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving, but I think they?re going to grow to love this group. I feel we embody what New York basketball was about back in the day ? just being grimy, tough guys who play with a chip on their shoulder and have something to prove.?

The Knicks, as The Post reported, decided against waiting for Wednesday?s tentative meeting with Kawhi Leonard so they can move on to sign other free agents before they went off the market. Knicks brass knew they were extreme long shots and may have looked at it as a courtesy meeting.

Certainly, Payton, who lit it up when he was healthy last season, averaging 10.6 points and 7.6 assists and 5.2 rebounds, would have been gone. He?s an excellent penetrator, passer and an active defender, but a poor outside shooter.

?I had a good number of options this year, so I was really excited. It was a little bit different from last year when I didn?t have as many (teams),?? said Payton, reduced to 44 games because of a knee injury. ?At first, I?m thinking, ?Man, this is great! I have so many possibilities to choose from!? But it definitely made the decision a little bit harder initially because there were so many options and I was trying to pinpoint the best fit and the best situation for me.?
 
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mafra

Legend
Payton
DSJ
RJ
Randle
MRob

This might be our best lineup, if DSJ, RJ, and Randle can hit threes.
 
That?s probably why Ellington/Bullock for now or hopefully Dotson, Knits or Knox in the future will be needed to provide spacing...

I like Dotson?s chances. Knox was smart last year working on his 3 point game, but his defense needs to be much better to be a starter. Ntilikina might as well not even exist for as little a chance as I think Fizdale will give this season.

If you stick Ellington or Bullock out there the next 2 years, might as well roll with it though, unless one of the young guys steps up big time.
 
Read an online report this morning that said that Elfrid Payton will be given every opportunity to win the starting PG job.
 
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