Julius is an alpha guy. He's not going to spend time on the bench. If he's here, you got to play him.
Now if the Knicks are playing well, I could see him playing a little less with the idea of keeping him healthy for playoffs, etc. Whatever. But punishing him with bench time? Come on.
I look forward to Fournier with Brunson. He will be getting better looks than he did last year, and the dude has a beautiful stoke. If Grimes can beat him out of a starting spot. Excellent. But he's going to have to ball.
BTW, RJ's 3-point shooting was around 34% last year, NOT 40%.
I believe that RJ was converting at something like 40%
after the all-star break/trading deadline, which coincidentally, was also when IQ and Obi got religion. RJ's start to the regular season was fraught with struggles.
RJ raised his game in all areas post-break. What got me excited, well, mildly exicted, was how in the final stanza of the season, RJ began making baskets in the midrange, 15 foot pullups off off the bounce, which would make his transition/NorthSouth game a million times more effective. If this becomes a consistent reliable part of his overall game, he further raises the bar as a team leader and tone setter.
My sense of Julius is that, yes, he can be moody, and he acted out his struggles in a way that was not well received, to put it mildly. Again, NO POINT GAURD, and the league following the Hawks Playoffs Template for how to guard him.
Julius is a proud man, and I see him being on a mission come training camp. He needs to maker quicker more decisive decisions, and to prove that his 2020-21 three point shooting was not a one and done anomaly.
RJ & Julius both possess significant facilitating skills, but tasking them with ruddering our offense in 2021-2022, took away from their offensive strengths.
At the risk of disturbing the DoucheNozzle Known As KiidFarterCarter as per his CancelCulture Woke Wabbit WeAction To AintItaSHAMAN's referencing our point guard situation, well, my apologies, but having Jalen Brunson/Derrick Rose instead of Kemba Walker/Alec Burks will significantly impact JR & RJ by playing to their strengths. MORE IMPORTANTLY, besides an appreciable skill set, both Jalen & Derrick bring...LEADERSHIP. And THIS IS WHERE Julius and RJ will most benefit. ALSO, as per finding minutes for OBI, Toppin went into the summer saying how he and Julius had spoken about playing as a C-PF tandem, and they have been working out together. Obviously, Thibs is going to be gun shy about small ball given what we would sacrifice on defense, but I do not view this as being insurmountable in certain situations.
As for playing time, to keep Julius from being gassed at the end of games, I think a 30-18 split with Obi is prudent at PF, and that Thibs surely knows from how the season ended, that he needs to find another 7-10 minutes a night for Obi.
Worth remembering that as a rookie, Obi had a really good dynamic with Rose, who often found him on back cuts along the base line.
With Brunson & Rose, an uptick in point guard skills will obviously make things easier for those previously tasked with being point forwards, but also with catch and shoot types such as Fournier and Grimes, whose shooting is optimized by cleaner looks and a chance to shoot in rhythm with PGs drawing coverage, much as Julius and RJ drawing coverage can also benefit Evan and Quentin if our PF/SF combo makes quick, decisive reads and decisions. Not to mention the potential Hartenstein has for drawing coverage out on the perimiter as a
Stretch5/4 type presence, and his gifts as a passer.
Grimes has been working out with Penny Hardaway, and during summer league, he showed a predilection for creating off of the dribble, driving to the hoop and finding open men. Hopeful signs. Needs to become much more consistent on his trey.
Might Quentin beat out Evan for the starting 2-guard role? Evan as a sixth man is an outcome not to be sniffed down on.
We have a long ways to go in an UberCompetitive Eastern Conference, but we have a lot of depth, a pair of significant PG Bell Cows to set the tone, and a year of
shared failures and triumphs and learned lessons behind us. We have all learned from our struggles.
THIBS, too.
Onwards.
Poll
