Game thread: New York Knicks vs Washington Wizards 7:00p 3/19/2020 [Game #65]

[tiger0330]

EP is a stat-padder, ala Kanter. He doesn’t impact winning in any way. There are probably 45 guys in NBA right now who are better at Pg.

Nothing against the man.... but I would prefer letting Frank and DSJ prove they don’t belong here in 2021 than give a single minute to EP next season.

EP and winning are antonyms.

He’s on a decent contract so I’d expect his option to be picked up. He’ll be starting as well unless Nits duplicates his game tonight a few more times. I think 30 teams in the NBA would be starting Payton over anybody we have but this season is done, Miller should start Nits the rest of the way to see what he can do as the starter and DSJ should be coming off the bench for more than token minutes to evaluate if there’s any hope for him.

I doubt it happens, Miller is intent on getting as many W’s as he can get, I did like how he pulled all his starters in the first qtr. Hard to see Fizdale doing that, opening in Brooklyn for a new coach, anyone think Fizdale has a chance to get that job.

[tiger0330]

Again, not a Payton fan but you have wonder why the offense isn't clicking on all cylinder with his numbers.

Who told Frank that he can be more aggressive on offense and defense? He never seem to take bad shots but it looks like someone has given him to green light to shoot. Doesn't look worried about missing.

It’s all Frank. Always had the freedom to shoot, heard multiple times from Breen that the coaching staff encouraged him to shoot it but he didn’t. He’s a heady kid so he probably said I’m not a good enough shooter yet so someone else should be taking the shot. He now thinks he’s good enough so I’d expect him to be more active on the offensive end. There was a drive where he went end to end, along with his 20 point double double I think that was a first as well.

[tiger0330]

RJ needs to step it up. Second inefficient game in a row taking 15 shots to get his 16 pts on 5-15 shooting. I was hoping post all star break he'd shoot up in the rookie rankings but he's fallen another spot to 24th behind Poole, Dort and Culver. If you're worse than Culver, there's a problem. What's the problem, is it the coaching staff? He's getting plenty of opportunity with playing time and the green light and he should be putting up numbers on a bad team. If Atkinson interviews for the job, I'd ask him about how best to develop RJ and the other young guys and if I like his answers, I'd hire him on yhe spot.

[htr10]

If Ntilikina had a 20 and 10 game his rookie season, we all would have been blown away. Now, you have to bring a level of skepticism. Miller should roll with Ntilikina and see if he can string together a series of strong games.

[mafra]

Frank turns 22 this July. Despite what we’ve seen his first 3 seasons... He’s still a prospect with potential.... he’s too young to write-off or assume he can’t become something more.

If he becomes a decent shooter, a 12 ppg dude who can dish and run an offense.... with his defense, this makes him a viable option for us moving forward.

Bottom Line: MRob, RJ, Knox and Knits are the core. All are flawed and developing slowly... but all 4 are young enough, talented enough, that a good coach should be able to mold something here.

Toss in upcoming picks, DSJ, Trier, Iggy, Dotson... again, I believe we have the foundation set...

Randle a solid third option... we just need our 2 stars... then we would be set. We’ll
Most likely need to trade/sign/draft these, bc I think at best our young lottery picks are complimentary guys. Maybe, in 3 years, that’ll change.

As for RJ, no use comparing him from game to game, or even year to year. We just need to wait and see what a 22 yr-old RJ looks like by end of 2021-2022 season

[Dark Raider]

RJ needs to step it up. Second inefficient game in a row taking 15 shots to get his 16 pts on 5-15 shooting. I was hoping post all star break he'd shoot up in the rookie rankings but he's fallen another spot to 24th behind Poole, Dort and Culver. If you're worse than Culver, there's a problem. What's the problem, is it the coaching staff? He's getting plenty of opportunity with playing time and the green light and he should be putting up numbers on a bad team. If Atkinson interviews for the job, I'd ask him about how best to develop RJ and the other young guys and if I like his answers, I'd hire him on yhe spot.

"What the problem".... you answer it in your above observations and statements. You just don't want to say IT. Just like you would ask Atkinson "how best to develop RJ"? The answer is 'There isn't a best way to develop RJ' because he is on of the odd/square pieces. HE IS PART OF THE PROBLEM!! What you have done is strip away the HYPE and start looking at him as a #3 pick and what you see you don't like. It the harsh reality of being fool by other that said how good he is as a player and now you see otherwise. There are questions to ask from day one of last year lottery draft.

1. What is the Knicks greatest need?
2. Does the player projected at the #3 solve problem #1?
3. Is that player a TRANSFORMAIVE player?? (Like KP and my favorite Wes Unseld)
4. Can you build a team around him? That mean he is a player that can be the #1 option and win you a championship. If anybody see that in RJ they need their head examine.

The above questions believe me was not asked or talk about in the FO before or during the draft. If they were(and the weren't) you would not have drafted RJ. It as simple as that. Whoever is a fan of RJ just answer those question...Truly. They CAN'T!!

[tiger0330]

"What the problem".... you answer it in your above observations and statements. You just don't want to say IT. Just like you would ask Atkinson "how best to develop RJ"? The answer is 'There isn't a best way to develop RJ' because he is on of the odd/square pieces. HE IS PART OF THE PROBLEM!! What you have done is strip away the HYPE and start looking at him as a #3 pick and what you see you don't like. It the harsh reality of being fool by other that said how good he is as a player and now you see otherwise. There are questions to ask from day one of last year lottery draft.

1. What is the Knicks greatest need?
2. Does the player projected at the #3 solve problem #1?
3. Is that player a TRANSFORMAIVE player?? (Like KP and my favorite Wes Unseld)
4. Can you build a team around him? That mean he is a player that can be the #1 option and win you a championship. If anybody see that in RJ they need their head examine.

The above questions believe me was not asked or talk about in the FO before or during the draft. If they were(and the weren't) you would not have drafted RJ. It as simple as that. Whoever is a fan of RJ just answer those question...Truly. They CAN'T!!

Agree about KP being a transformative player. I used him as my sig in posts and the Latvian flag as my avatar for years around here before he got traded. I’d love to do the same with RJ, blocking Lebron at the rim would make a nice sig, come to think of it I might make that step back 3 he made against the Bulls my sig.

[tiger0330]

Agree about KP being a transformative player. I used him as my sig in posts and the Latvian flag as my avatar for years around here before he got traded. I’d love to do the same with RJ, blocking Lebron at the rim would make a nice sig, come to think of it I might make that step back 3 he made against the Bulls my sig.

Test new sig. Said it was Zach that was defending RJ in my original post on the play but it was Sato that gave RJ that big cushion.