So sayeth Clyde tongue in cheek.
It was all worth it for that fourth quarter, admittedly our puppy scrubs against theirs, but wonderful cohesion and spirit.
* Thibs not feeding Dennis Smith to the hyenas. Mike Breen has been saying for two years that DS has the tools to be an excellent defensive player. Well, in 16 minutes he had 5 steals and 2 blocks, to go with 4 assists and 2-4 from trey, so Thibs sitcking by him, and Dennis responding. He also paired well with Immanuel in their time together. From the little acorn...
* I didn't get a taste of Bradeikis [the 6'1" guard we picked late in the second round and traded for Iggy, Kyle Guy, was LIGHTS out for the Kings and he can really fucking shoot], but a cameo of Spellman was inconclusive when Mitchell got in foul trouble. Looks a little, if not paunchy, relatively zaftig, and missed both his jumpers, but had a nice assist as the ball rounded the horn ina a five minute cameo.
* Well, KAM called it, in defending our puppies in general, and Kevin Knox in particular, pointing out how it is not completely fair to judge his progress based on playing WITHOUT A POINT GUARD. Frank joing Austin on the pine, opened up time for Dennis and Immanuel, and Quickley was a revelation. First of all, the joy he projects is infectious, and he was utterly fearless...a nice floater and finish at the hoop, as well as one trey, but as great a shooter and FT shooter, it was his defense and the cohesion he engendered as a facilitator, triggering a number of Kevin Knox treys, who was also aggressive as a defender, passer and shooter, as well as some great Gotham Slams by, as I recall, Mitchell, Kevin and multiples by Obi [That last Biblical Propecy by Obidiah, in which he flushed a flying baseline tomahawk off of a Quickley feed with incredible aggression like an enraged Teradactyl...my GOD, but the Garden had it been filled, motherfuckers would've levitated].
* The fourth quarter, Obi was at what, 22, the oldest Knicks on the floor in our ALL PUPPY LINEUP: Robinson, Toppin, Knox, Barrett, Quickley. Don't want to get too giddy, but I have been waiting most of my adult life to see the Knicks follow this path out of the wilderness. Mitchell, after a rought start, settled down, and played well; Obi picked his spots with 4-6, 7 boards and a steal, Kevin played with fire and focus [16-4-2, with 3-5 from trey] and I was really proud of his effort and intensity; RJ was 16-6-2 and 3-3 from the FT line, with some good looks for his teammates. And Quickley? Is he a PG. Well, SEVEN ASSISTS, getting all of his team mates involved, and leading a fourth quarter comeback is a nice start. Again, as much as his skill set, the sheery joy and enthusiasm Immanuel and Obi bring to the table, and how they bonded with Mitchell, Kevin and RJ was encouraging.