We went with big strong guys who can move their feet and what do you know, with sane coaching, they can play good team defense even when combined with our lanky pups.
Don’t think we need to add a guard or a wing, at least not until we see what we have in Bullock.
We definitely don’t need to add a PF since that is the heart and meat of this team.
We need another rim protector. It would be a bonus if that guy had a means to score.
We are not winning a chip this year and are unlikely to reach the playoffs so win totals are mostly irrelevant except as they hurt our draft position. Where they are relevant is league wide respect and attractiveness to free agents.
If we play .500 ball or better the rest of the way and exceed my 32 win prediction by a few games, that might be the ideal outcome heading into next summer. I don’t think this is an outcome that’s beyond our reach.
It means under Miller we’re a playoff trajectory team that has a ton of flexibility and is adding a lotto pick.
Elfrid, Marcus, and Julius play just fine together and the biggest problem with them is keeping Marcus Morris past this year.
We are building. It’s not the same as being fully built. After so many years of crumbs it’s no surprise people won’t recognize half a loaf. Half a loaf is what we have and that’s a good thing.
Good stuff, Facil.
Not sure what we have, but playing competitive with Portland would be a good sign.
But so far, Miller seems to have stabilized things on defense, simplified things for Randle to help him attain a base level of performance efficiency, proven a competent in-game coach, and an up and comer int terms of prepping the team to play. Players spoke of his game plan for the Nyets, and that was a rare FUN WIN, particularly sticking it to Dimwiddie (who is a player I respect and admire, but he has been a little loose with his lips, and was made to account for it).
As per Dawg and our plans or lack thereof, well, the coaching change was much mocked in the media and amongst the coaching fraternity (save for Jeff Van Gundy, for whom Miller had toiled as an assistant on the International Stage), but it seems to have at the very least been a wake up call--A SOURCE OF FOCUS--for our disjointed scrum of free agents to be. Props to Allan Houston for championing his coaching protege.
As per BoD and his withering disdain for all thing Julius Randle, I finally had an opportunity to watch my DVR of the game, and now you have me confused, BoD. The way you spun things I was expecting to see a Randle dominating cats in wheel chairs, like a special Olympics kind of a hang. I don't give a fuck how many second rounders and G League cats the Wiz have, and OBVIOUSLY then are seriously undermanned, but I saw some competitive MFs wearing Wizards jerseys, and this is THE FUCKING NBA. Randle is playing playing under control...he is playing more to his strengths..is playing a balanced game as an inside/outside scorer, rebounder and facilitator. Still commits too many turnovers, but hell, Elfrid Payton of all people was a turnover machine the other night.
I trust if Julius does not rise to such 30-10-5 levels against a more dangerous, fully-functional team such as Portland, we'll get to hear you roll out some more smug dismissals, further proof that I am an incorrigible pussy, with suspect judgement. As well you might.
Have at it.
But in the meantime, what I perceive in Julius Randle, is a cat who wanted the big stage, who wanted to be the bell cow, who withered under the hot lights midst the chaos and confusion of Fizdale's dubious stratagems, as the ex-coach struggled to make sense of his roster, and to impart some semblance of structure. JR is finding his sea legs, and his confidence, and is playing with some sense of purpose and leadership.
BoD thinks he's a bum. Fair enough. JR is reminding me of When Amare was healthy and had that stretch of double double games, albeit, with a more coherent, more talented squad in the pre-Melo Epoch.
But then, during free agency, deluded misfit that I am, and unconvinced that he had any fucking shot at Durant or Irving, I was pulling for Julius Randle...and Bobby Portis. SO BLAME ME. They were Chip's signings.
Anyway, Melo comes home, with a dangerous and talented Portland team. Let's see which Knicks team shows up for their 2020 debut, who wants to remain a Knick, and who might just be trade bait.
PS: It would behoove Bullock, with his rep as a SG/SF who can defend and shoot the lights out, to come out and have a Sprewell type opening game as a Knick. Fingers crossed.
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