So I am not alone in my estimation of your New York Knicks.
Chip I think it's now pretty clear that you're going to have to turn in your Positive Pussy membership card, as well as the matching coffee mug.
Hopefully you'll again come to your senses, leave behind your realm of dull lamentation, and apply again for membership. At such time however, you may have to suffer a penalty, say a tattoo of Marc Berman on your left buttocks, before readmission.
It has been suggested that Chip AINTITASHAMAN Stern has gone over to the DARK SIDE OF THE FarceThat this Forum's most reliable POSITIVE PUSSY now embraces the despondency of a NEGATIVE NANCY.
Worth remembering how consistently I was oppossed to any and all [well, MOST] iterations of Danny Ainge's Donovan Mitchell shake down. Pointing out how the price would decimate us, how DM's talents notwithstanding, that I didn't see him as a good match for Brunson, least ways, that he was a ball dominant 6'1" player who wanted/needed the ball in his hand, and who did not have the size and defensive acumen/intensity of Quentin Grimes, whom Ainge plainly coveted, and whom I thought a better complimentary piece next to Brunson, even though Mitchell's offensive game is obviously far more proven and advanced.
The package that Ainge wanted? For Donovan Mitchell? Mmmmmm...nah. For Damian Lillard...okay, now you're talking. But surely
not if we give up 3-4 unprotected Knicks picks, RJ, Quentin, Obi and IQ.
Some would suggest, not Elephant and Facil, that I have over-estimated our core of youth, let alone our front line vets, Randle, Fournier and D-Rose.
So there's that.
So, Elephant suggests I have gone over to THE DARK SIDE OF THE FARCE, and embraced Negative Nanciehood.
Mmmmmm...not really.
I don't think it is
defeatist to look at what I deem the TOP TIER and the SECOND TIER and think, damn, the East is a MOTHERFUCKER.
Top Tier
Milwauke
Boston
Philidelphia
Brooklyn
Miami
Atlanta
Cleveland
TorontoSecond Tier
Chicago
New York
Charlotte
WashingtonIndiana
Orlando
Detroit
Teams 6-12 seem to be on roughly the same plane, though an argument could be made that the Hawks, Cavs and Raptors might be more talented on the front end, if not depth wise.
Hell, even those teams on the bottom, the Pacers, Magic and Pistons, have added significant talent.
So,
...
I believe we have the depth and talent to be in the hunt for the 6-through-10 spots PlayIn spots.
HOWEVER?
While I have not fully embraced the world view of
CarlosCast-a-NADA as regards the capabilities of Mike "Mister Interim" Miller and the shortcomings of Tom "Stubborn Kind Of Fellow" Thibodeau, some questions surely remain.
HOW WILL Thibs Evolve?
CLEARLY, Thibs has established a REAL KULTUR, which has given us divergent results in the past two years, though in all fairness, I don't believe we can ascribe too much credit or blame. There is good luck and there is dumb luck, and We/Thibs have had their share of both.
FOR ME, it's an open question how Thibs will respond to the arrival of Jalen Brunson and Isaiah Hartenstein, who offer a significant uptick of talent and possibilities at PG and Center he has not had in the past two seasons.
We know about Tom's defensive focus and acumen, but Jalen and Isaiah, let alone Quentin Grimes, allow Thibs to add some new wrinkles to our offense and to create a more balanced game on both sides of the ball.
WILL THIBS CONTINUE TO PLAY Julius & RJ 35-40 minutes a night so that they are all out of gas in the fourth quarter?
WILL THIBS FULLY EMBRACE the youth and talent of Obi, IQ and Cam, or wll he ride his faves into dust?
WILL THIBS EVOLVE A MORE HEADY APPROACH to the deployment of JR, RJ and EF, maximizing their strengths, and minimizing, or least ways, disguising their shortcoming?
WILL THIBS FULLY EMPOWER Jalen Brunson to make this HIS TEAM?
Thibs is STUBBORN as a motherfucker, but he ain't STOOPID.
Leon Rose has gotten rid of his Vets Crutch, and gifted him a beaucoup of prescient puppies and said MAKE IT WORK. The notion that Thibs does not develop youth? I don't think that is fair. But he does tend to be overly reliant on certain options.
ANYWAY....
You get the point.
The whole trade Julius and Evan feeding frenzy? I think it is crap.
RJ? Has raised his game, and has NOW been anointed as the future face of the Knicks.
Robinson-Randle-Barrett-Grimes-Brunson has the potential to be a tough starting five, BUT IT IS ON THIBS TO DEVELOP THEIR CHEMISTRY AND NOT SIMPLY SHOEHORN THEM INTO A RIGID CONCEPT, but create a more organic, fluid, MODERN approach, and to NOT HAVE THE PUPPIES LOOKING OVER THEIR SHOULDERS WAITING FOR THE HOOK.
We have talent. We have depth. And yet we are all holding our breath, waiting to see how Tom Thibodeau adapts to his primary colors and his new hues on the canvas that is the 2022-23 Knicks.
I'll Be WATCHING.
Poll
