Alright, Knicks fans. We are down 2-1 in the series, that must mean we lost right? No, it does not. Wake your sorry asses up and stop acting like the world has ended. The Knicks can still win this series, and they WILL win this series. My original prediction was Knicks in 5, all that changes now is the number. Knicks in 6. Now I am not going to lie to you, in order for the Knicks to win this series, A LOT, and I mean A LOT of things need to change. Let me break it down to you, because in case you haven’t noticed already, I know ball.
Thomas Joseph Thibodeau Jr.
Everything that Thibs did so right in the Cleveland series, he has forgotten. He took one step forward, and now has taken ten GIGANTIC steps backwards. All the great substitutions and rotations he made are yet to be seen. Use the depth you had Thibs! It’s the only way for us to win. Hart, RJ, Quickley, and Grimes do not all have to split minutes for one position. The four can split two positions and get more minutes, and help our struggling offense. Use your brain Thibs. Show us the Cleveland series was not a fluke! And do you know how you can do that Thibs?
PLAY OUR BEST PLAYERS TOGETHER THIBS! IT IS NOT HARD I PROMISE YOU. You assembled this lineup originally. Why have we not seen it once this series. Grimes is healthy enough to play, even if you do not start him (which you should Thibs, which you should) you can change the rotations so this lineup is on the floor at some point throughout the game. We are over complicating things that can be so simple. Play your best players together Thibs, it will only work out well for us.
Josh Hart
Josh Hart has become a beloved player for this New York Knicks team. You could say NY loves Josh Hart with all their heart (Ha, get it? You shouldn’t, now is no time for jokes.) But it appears our head coach Thomas Thibodeau has grown a little too attached in his heart with Hart (seriously, not the time for jokes right now, don’t even laugh at it.)
In no world, no, in no UNIVERSE should Josh Hart be leading our team in minutes. You’re telling me a role player should be playing more than your third best player? No. Your second-best player? Absolutely not. Your best player? Don’t be foolish. So why is Thibs rocking with him over everyone? Is it because he’s containing Jimmy Butler? Because I haven’t seen that yet. And clearly Jimmy Butler has not seen it yet either.
Let’s be real, since Josh Hart has come over to the Knicks at the trade deadline, we have been a much better team. We are not in the Eastern conference semis without him, but we didn’t get here with him being a starter. We didn’t get here with him leading the team in minutes. We got here by letting him excel in his role. Grimes needs to go back into the starting line up to free up spacing and pressure for Brunson. Let Hart come off the bench (where he is best) and wreak havoc on the boards and fast breaks. It is never too late to get out of a toxic relationship, and that relationship is Josh Hart and the starting lineup. (I imagine Thibs will be in his office like this when he realizes what he needs to do, but don’t worry Thibs it’s not forever, it’s just sending him to the bench.)
Jalen Brunson
It appears our white knight, our captain of clutch, our holy hero, has forgotten how to shoot the three ball. He is 6-22 this series and is shooting a measly 27% from three. TWENTY SEVEN PERCENT. (Do I mention that all six 3 point makes he has in this series came in game two. That means he had 0 three point makes in games 1 or 3. That can’t happen.) That is simply just not going to cut it. Not to mention that three-point percentage is down seven (7) percent from his regular season shooting of 34%.
https://www.basketball-reference.com/teams/NYK/2023.html
Jalen has to shoot the deep ball better plain and simple. I don’t want to hear the excuse of his ankle or hand is bothering him. It’s the playoffs, everyone is banged up, you have to dig deep to the level we know he can be at and lead this team and offense to a victory.
Now, is the spacing of Thibs rotations hurting Brunson as well? Yes absolutely. Brunson is at his best when he is able to create by driving to the paint, hitting tough shots and getting fouled. With the Heat leaving Hart wide open and collapsing on Jalen’s drives, it is most certainly affecting the outcome of the game. But this is where the adjustments need to come in. If Brunson shoots better, it makes the defense commit to him more, and he can now drive to the lane more. If the rotations change, the heat can’t collapse on Jalen as much and frees up the offense. It’s very simple. Now make it happen, because it feels like I haven’t seen the celebration heard round the world since the Cleveland series.
Julius Randle
I have nothing to say about Julius Randle besides the fact he needs to play better. I’m sure the ankle is bothering him but he is our all-star. It’s time for him to start playing like one. Not shooting well? Attack the basket. Make plays on defense to keep us in the game. Dive on the floor. Do something to improve our chances, or we are going to have no chance.
Also, just so we’re clear it is and always will be Fuck Cody Zeller and Caleb Martin. Two fucking bums. One looks like he’s Benjamin Button with a hairline so bad Bosley couldn’t save it. And the other is a bumass twin who couldn’t get burn on the Charlotte Hornets and got his starting role stolen by a fossilized Kevin Love. Get a grip, you bozo fake tough guys. Randle, Hartenstein, and myself would mop the floor with you.
RJ Rarrett
I’m going to need some of you Knicks fans to sit down for this one, because some of you are not going to like this. Are you ready? This team runs on RJ Barrett. When Rj Barrett does not play well, we lose. When Rj plays well, we win. It is that simple. We will only come back in this series if he leads us there. And he will only lead us there if Thibs KEEPS HIM IN THE FUCKING GAME.
I’m bringing this back for you all to see. We will not win games with RJ Barrett only playing 25 minutes. It simply will not happen. We need more from him then what we got in game three, and in order to get that he needs to be playing more minutes than Josh Hart. It is that fucking simple, I promise you.
Like the Big J Journalist that I have become, I’m bringing the stats back up from this series so you see why he needs to be on the floor. Even with the shortage of minutes in game three, RJ Is leading the team this series in three-point field goals made with 8, and three-point percentage with 38%. THIRTY EIGHT PERCENT. The only Knick shooting above 30% from three so far this series, why the fuck would you bench him? He has the second highest field goal percentage at 43%, only second to Brunson at 45%. He’s averaging 21.5 points per game this series, only trailing Brunson who is at 25. (I’d also like to add he is averaging 8 points per game more than Josh Hart who is at 13.)
In a series that we have been struggling mightily in to score the basketball, why would you sit arguably our best offensive player this series. Oh, is he shooting bad at the free throw line at 62%? Well Josh Hart is shooting 58% from the line. It does not make sense, and unless it’s correct by Thibs, we will not win this series. RJ Barrett belongs on the floor, and in all honesty, he needs to be there for us to win.
I HAVE FAITH AND YOU SHOULD TOO
I am one of the fans that was calling for Tom Thibodeau to be fired earlier in the season. He impressed me a lot in the Cavaliers series, which showed me he is capable of changing and making the correct adjustments. I have faith he will correct his wrongs tonight and we will even up this series. Grimes back in the starting lineup, Hart off the bench, RJ more minutes. Our players will show up, because we need them to. If these necessary changes are made, this series is far from over. Come back to the Garden tied and it’s a best of three series with home court advantage in our favor. Knicks in 6 baby!
