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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

[bodiddley]

Kyrie's the starting matador.
Don't need two.

[chipstern]

cbsports picked an X-factor player for every team

They lazily went with RJB for NYK.
I think he's key for the franchise future, but not for next season.

I'd tab Jr. Smith as my Knick x-factor.
If he can put together a solid season, scoring, setting up and not stinking too much on D, this group of new Knicks could cohere.
Without good PG play, there's going to be a lot of players trying to assert themselves and not enough teamwork.

My 2nd pick would probably be Mitch.  Because he can anchor a defense and disrupt other teams, if he can stay out of foul trouble and keep his focus.

After that I might go with Knox and Barrett.
But Portis is another good candidate.  A guy who could solidify the bench if he's locked in.

I believe Portis is going to be totally psyched...when KP went packing, there went our stretch 4/5-long range shooter. 

"Will a Mister Portis please pick up the hospitality phone." 

X-Factor?

Julius Randle.  Man has a varied skill set, his game is still maturing, and is built like a Soviet T-34 tank.  Potential is there to be a 20-10-5 man, night in and night out. 

Like Portis, if Randle can continue to improve his 3-point shooting, and [AND, you listening Coach Fizdale] if Bobby and Julius amp up their defense, we could have a pretty formidable rotation at the 4/5 with Mitchell Robinson and Taj Gibson. 

Knox and Barrett and Smith will all get their minutes, but will have to duke it out with Morris and Payton for floor time.  GOOD. 

[facilitatorn]

I think one of Dennis or Elfrid breaks out. SG is the x-factor position, as it has the least established players. Potential and talent are there, but it’s wide open between RJ, Dot, Trier, and Frank. I hope there is a tandem that emerges that provides 48 minutes of positive SG play.

On a side note, I half agree with this read

http://www.theringer.com/nba/2019/8/30/20839663/are-we-sure-new-york-knicks-plan

[chipstern]

I think one of Dennis or Elfrid breaks out. SG is the x-factor position, as it has the least established players. Potential and talent are there, but it’s wide open between RJ, Dot, Trier, and Frank. I hope there is a tandem that emerges that provides 48 minutes of positive SG play.

On a side note, I half agree with this read

http://www.theringer.com/nba/2019/8/30/20839663/are-we-sure-new-york-knicks-plan

Wayne Ellington? 

Given our surfeit of wings, would expect to see a fair amount of small ball/3-guard alignments. 

And as for our "plan" it would seem that bringing on vets such as Ellington, Bullock, Morris and Gibson is kind of like how Giants are determined to bring along Daniel Jones in a slow, purposeful manner behind Eli, even though the kid had an Un-GOLDY preseason. 

Very different kind of rotations and line-ups and developmental structures from pro football to hoops, but Knicks are trying to reinvent themselves, it would seem, from the bottom up. 

Last year's youth development? 

Youth GONE: Kornet, Vonleh, Herzonja, Mudiay.

YOUTH Remaining: Robinson, Knox, Brazdeikis, Barrett, Dotson, Trier, Ntilikina, Smith

VETS: Portis, Randle, Gibson, Morris, Bullock, Ellington, Payton

If not before Opening Night, or the December date when Free Agents can be traded, or sometime before the February Trade Deadline, you've got to figure some sort of transactions will be in plan, depending on our record, and the shopping lists of other teams. 

How Fizdale arrives at rotations, and showcases everyone, either for the present or the future, will certainly be a curious juggling trick. 



Brings the ED SULLIVAN SHOW to mind. 

[bodiddley]

Lin signs with Beijing, Marbury's old team.
Apparently didn't get an NBA offer.
Has had a lot of trouble staying healthy getting a chance to play, given so many "athletes" in the league.
China fans will enjoy watching him if he can stay on the court.

Fixed.

a series of hamstring issues limited Lin to 36 games in his first year with the Nets, and on opening night of the 2017-18 season, he ruptured his left patellar tendon, knocking him out for the rest of the season. Lin wouldn’t play in Brooklyn again, and spent last season working to recover the step he’d lost—the one he needed to blow by defenders to get into the paint and hold up on defense.

https://www.theringer.com/nba/2019/8/27/20835588/jeremy-lin-beijing-ducks

I still recall when some we're going to turn in their Jr,. Knick badges because the Knix didn't match HOU's big offer for Lin.
He bounced around a lot, was a solid enough backup PG, and has had injury issues.

I always thought Lin & DRose cut crouched too low in the lane which puts a huge strain on knees.

Some almost quit the Knix when Mozguy was traded too.  Don't think he's in the league anymore.

yet everyone was fine when the Knix ditched KZ . . .

[bodiddley]

Be interesting to see if any of the free agents we are interested in are actually on the move. 

Kawhi, Kevin, Kemba. 

I think they all stay put. 

[facilitatorn]

We ditched Mozzy and others. We allowed KZ to be liberated. Had we not traded Mozzy he would have played for us. It’s not clear that this was what was going to happen with KZ. 

[carlos123]

Be interesting to see if any of the free agents we are interested in are actually on the move. 

Kawhi, Kevin, Kemba. 

I think they all stay put. 

Proving? 

Proving that BoZ knows it all.

Who was the one proclaiming that Kemba would never leave Charlotte?

[carlos123]

I thought BoZ was the one proclaiming the Kemba/Charlotte connection.
Guess it was you.
Oops 🙊 😬

[bodiddley]

Pretty certain I never said Kemba wouldn't leave CHA.
A crappy team going nowhere.  Ready to suck in his prime.
I did doubt CHA would give Kemba the full max and wondered if they'd pony up enough for him to stay.  CHA has been poorly run for quite some time.  Hell, they were lucky that Kemba developed into an all-star level player.

I doubted any big names would come to NYK.  Though there was a lot of Durant chatter, and he seemed to be a NY option.  OR NY seemed to be a Durant option.  Maybe if we still had KZ . . .

I didn't want KD at all since he is an expensive aging gimp.  Still surprised he could command a max deal while missing Y1.  But the general word was that some teams would offer the max.  Fortunately Dolan wasn't up for that.

I just accidentally ran across Chip's prediction while searching for something else.  Chip is always Mr. Status Quo.  Hold on to your players.  Trades won't/shouldn't happen.  We like our 20 win roster, etc.

[bodiddley]

CHA Lotto drafting:

2011    9 Kemba Walker
2011    7 Biyombo (traded #19 pick Tobias Harris+ to move up)
2012    2 Kidd-Gilchrist
2013    4 Cody Zeller
2014    9 Noah Vonleh
2015    9 Tank Kaminsky
2017   11 Malik Monk
2018   11 Shai Gorgeous-Alexander-Ocasio
(traded him for +#12 Miles Bridges and 2nd rounders)
2019   12 PJ Washington


Kemba worked out well.  Jimmer was taken right after him.
Klay and Kawhi were still on board.

Biyombo never developed.

A #2 & #4 in weak drafts resulted in MKG and Zeller.  Ouch.
That's what killed them.

MKG <sigh>.  Looked like he had the tools.  Terrific body and hard-working,  And before the Everyone-Shoots-3's revolution got fully underway.  A ridiculously weak draft.  Beal went #3; Lillard #6; Barnes #7.  After that the 2nd round produced Dray Green, Middleton, and was better than 10-30 of the first round.

Zeller in 2014.  Maybe the worst Top 10 ever in a draft.
Redraft: #15 Giannis ; #27 Gobert; #10 McCollum; #2 Oladipo; #12 Steven Adams; #3 Otto Porter

Later when they are picking #9 -12 their misses, or mere role players, are more understandable.

But Frank was a #9 pick with Winslow, Myles Turner, Devin Booker, K Oubre all picked in the next 6.
Donovan Mitchell went two picks after Monk, with OG, Kuz and John Collins still out there.

Interestingly, two of their draft day trades failed.
They traded up for #7 Biyombo, giving up #19 Tobias Harris who turned out to be the better player.  (Stephen Jaz and Maggette were int he trade as well).

And they traded down one slot moving Shai G-A for Miles Bridges, pocketing 2nd rounders.  They sure could use a cheap studly PG like SGA now.  Wouldn't have had to overpay Rozier.  Bridges looks solid, but maybe a starter/bench player.

Trading up and down in drafts doesn't always pan out.
CHA blew it twice.

[facilitatorn]

http://dailyknicks.com/2019/09/03/new-york-knicks-frank-ntilikina-delivers-solid-performance-france-win/

[kiidcarter8]

Whats a starter/bench player?

[kiidcarter8]

"I did doubt CHA would max Kemba...."

"I think CHA has been poorly run..."

So in your opinion CHA should have maxed him?

[bodiddley]

Whats a starter/bench player?

A marginal starter.  A guy who might start on a weak team or come off the bench.  Not a definite starter.  Maybe toggle back and forth depending on roster.
For Bridges, I said maybe as I haven't seen him too much and he has room for growth.

But that's the problem.  CHA hasn't been able to draft any legit starters since Kemba.  MKG almost.  Biyombo, no.  Zeller, sorta.  Monk, trying.
No idea who PJ Washington is ...