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Warriors

1 (33.3%)

Celtics

2 (66.7%)

Total Members Voted: 3

Voting closed: June 13, 2022, 11:38:11 PM

[lesterluv]

Nope, not in the least. Jimmy is ridiculous. Spo may be the best coach in the game. Still can't fathom what the Cavs were thinking when they set Love free. Going to be an absolutely delicious series.

[facilitatorn]

I like giving the Jimmy Butler assignment to RJ. I think he will get crushed at first but will grow into it throughout the series.

That is a bit of graduate work not available under any other circumstances.

It also frees Hart to freelance or ice a sniper.

Sims is done. He is getting shoulder surgery.

Attrition is real in these playoffs.

Any Jules updates yet?

[chipstern]

I like giving the Jimmy Butler assignment to RJ. I think he will get crushed at first but will grow into it throughout the series.

That is a bit of graduate work not available under any other circumstances.

It also frees Hart to freelance or ice a sniper.

Sims is done. He is getting shoulder surgery.

Attrition is real in these playoffs.

Any Jules updates yet?

Word is, not as serious a set back as the original injury.  Has Thurs, Fri and Sat to get it together.  I would be shocked is Julius ain't out there on Sunday. Who knows about Grimes? 

I'm sure when Thibs looks at RJ, he sees the second coming of Jimmy Butler. 

Took Jimmy a while to develop a reliable jumper, and THEN, to perfect a reliable trey.  He was a slasher and a defender.  RJ's defense is evolving...seems to toggle between SoSo and MuchBetter in direct relation to his to the rack aggression.  His dishing off of drive and kick is developing nicely. 

So long as RJ remains in attack mode, going to the rack instead of settling for treys [Julius was digging this simple truth like a motherfucker, in staking us to a lead, before hurting his ankle again], he gives Jimmy something to think about.  Now, defending Jimmy?  A defining moment.

[chipstern]

Donovan Mitchell is a great offensive player, and a good facilitator. 

We have just seen a reflection of what a Mitchell-Brunson back court, devoid of our youthful bench might have looked like.  And why I consistently, stubbornly did not mourn Leon Rose not pulling the trigger. 

A denuded bench, and the absence of draft assets to restock. 

Collin Sexton, Lauri Markkanen, Ochai Agbaji. 

Pick your own Knicks going out the door. 

IQ, Obi, RJ?  Mitchell? 

Be that as it may, if we had pulled the trigger, we might not have had the capital to get Josh Hart. 

Much as a Mitchell-Garland back court, as dynamic as it is offensively, is on the small side physically, and thus challenged defensively, and as ball  dominant as DM is, well...would Brunson have emerged as our unquestioned leader, with the larger, less sexy, more effective/complimentary/defense-oriented Josh Hart next to him? 

IQ and Obi both raised their games, RJ's journey continues apace.  Mitchell?  FUCK ME. 

Leon proceeded prudently and patiently, developing our youth, not squandering draft capital, but using it strategically to create cap space for Brunson, and to pounce on Josh "Oh SHIT" Hart. 

Think Lauri Markkanen and Kevin Love might have been useful against the Knicks. 

Again, looking at Cleveland AND Minnesota, we have seen the price of going all in on a Danny Ainge "Deal" 

Leon didn't make the sexy move, took the heat for it, and he gave Thibs the space to work things out...taking the heat for that too. 

Now we have a core of youth who have had two, three, four, five years to ripen on the vine.  AND THEY ARE COMING THROUGH. 

And now we are in the second round, in a Battle Of Staligrad match up with our trad rival, led by two of the absolute best players in this year's playoffs, with an honest chance to advance to the finals. 

SMILE. 

[elephant]

I'm sure when Thibs looks at RJ, he sees the second coming of Jimmy Butler. 

Say what?

Now why do you got to push the envelope here?

I'm staying with the era-of-good-feeling, so I'm going to ignore this kind of absurdity...

....and pull for RJ in these destined and magical playoffs.

[luee]

Knicks have finally arrived 3 scorers with Randle and a great center. Bench depth is nice as well. Team builders no longer are morons. Is this the blind squirrel theory or the one about the broken clock? Been a long 2 decades. I do not understand the ragging on RJ a solid 20 pt scorer who plays decent D. Maybe reached his ceiling not quite the superstar?

[facilitatorn]

New theory of how to kill the heat.

Guard Jimmy with Jules as much as possible early. By Jules fourth foul or half time switch to Hart and Get Obi on the floor.

Also in the early going hunt for Jimmy covering Jules situations and put them in the post on a clear out.

The idea of this is to see if there actually is a point where post season Jimmy actually breaks down if we beat his ass early and run his ass late.

[facilitatorn]

If we had Sims a available I would feel better about this one. We will miss his combo of power mobility and great motor and fundamentals.

The way Thibs used Deuce to monkey wrench the Cleveland backcourt machine can work with a healthy Sims on the Miami frontcourt.

Fortunately for us it is Zeller and not Dedmon backing up Bam this year.

[facilitatorn]

Grimes say he feels good and is practicing with expectation to play

[facilitatorn]

If Randle is unavailable, hunting for opportunities to let Hartenstein take Butler into the post should also serve our purpose of dishing out wear and tear by the bucketful.

Does anyone else available on Miami even start to scare you?

If we can handle Jimmy we got this. If we cannot handle him, oh boy.

The Heat will slow us down and muck us up in ways the Cavs could not even imagine.

[facilitatorn]

On second thought, I am also scared of Nicola Jovic. Love could be a problem, but I suspect that if he gets warm Brunson will quickly hunt him off the court.

[chipstern]

I'm sure when Thibs looks at RJ, he sees the second coming of Jimmy Butler. 

Say what?

Now why do you got to push the envelope here?

I'm staying with the era-of-good-feeling, so I'm going to ignore this kind of absurdity...

....and pull for RJ in these destined and magical playoffs.

Big Wings For Thibs

RJ is 22
Butler is 33

Is RJ the equal of Jimmy as a shooter or defender?

Nope. 

But it took Jimmy four years to reach twenty a game.  RJ three.  Both under Thibs. 

In his fourth season, over 38. 7 minutes in 65 games? 

Butler averaged 20.0-5.8-3.3 with a .378% 3 point clip and an .834 FT% [getting to the line 7.1 times a game].

In RJ's fourth season, coming off a 20-5.8-3.0 third season in 33.9 minutes over 73 games?

Barrett averaged 19.6-5.0-2.8, dipping to a .310% 3 point percentage, with a .740 FT % [getting to the line 5.4 times a game]. 

RJ is still dialing in his shot, to put it mildly.  In the last two games against the Cavs, his defense was much more focused, he prioritized his downhill/attack the rack game, got to the line, and began to get both short and long jumpers to fall. 

Am I saying RJ IS JIMMY.  No.  But Jimmy is the template for what RJ is evolving into.  He has a way to go in terms of consistency and command of his short-midrange stop and pop off the dribble, let alone his long range game, let alone bringing that Butler Defense night in and night out...certainly Grimes and Hart are a good template. 

You think my compairisons are absurd? 

Fair enough. 

But one of the reasons we put a hurting on Cleveland was Barrett's play in Games Four and Five. 

Let's see how it carries over. 

GO KNICKS. 

They will be guarding each other starting Sunday, and clearly Hart will want a piece of that pussy. 

[chipstern]

For what it's worth?

Jae Crowder is a free agent this summer. 

[facilitatorn]

RJ is only an average sized wing. He is strong and slow relative to most in the league his size. Jimmy is taller, longer, quicker and at least as strong.

RJ is a good player and we would not be where we are if he had not put in all the work every game. We will not get any farther without him. That said, unless something really weird happens he is not on his way to being the next Jimmy Butler.

[facilitatorn]

For what it's worth?

Jae Crowder is a free agent this summer.

Trey Lyles is an FA this summer, which is worth more.

I am rooting for GS to keep him vaguely in our price range.