Knicks forward Kristaps Porzingis is bubbling with frustration over the team’s collapse, Fred Kerber of the New York Post reports. Porzingis felt the roster moves made during the offseason would improve the team’s fortunes. Instead, the franchise is in turmoil and the club is no better than it was a year ago. He also hinted that the team shouldn’t have dismissed head coach Derek Fisher last February. “It’s different this year, definitely,” Porzingis told Kerber and other media members. “It was a big shock last year when Fisher got fired. I felt like we were working towards something and even though we were losing, we were moving forward and we had the structure, so it was a shock for me. This year, [it’s] a similar situation with our record and where we stand right now but we can’t be worrying about what’s going to happen.”
In other news around the Eastern Conference:
- The latest knee injury to Bucks forward Jabari Parker probably cost him a lucrative rookie contract extension, Ben Golliver of Sports Illustrated points out. Parker, who suffered the second ACL tear of his young NBA career on Wednesday, is eligible to receive an extension this offseason and was in line to get a deal worth $110MM over four years prior to the injury, Golliver continues. Instead, he’ll probably enter the 2018 offseason as a restricted free agent and the nine-figure offers may not materialize for a player who’s had multiple knee surgeries and only three or four months of game action to prove that he’s recovered, Golliver adds.
- Heat point guard Goran Dragic finds it much easier to ignore trade rumors at this stage of his career, as he told Michael Scotto of Basketball Insiders. Dragic’s name has circulated on the rumor mill this winter, though that chatter has died down during the Heat’s current winning streak. “I was really nervous all the time. I was reading articles,” Dragic told Scotto about previous trade deadlines. “When I got traded the first time it kind of changed me because then I realized this is normal, this is part of the business. Now I’m not even paying attention about that, I’m only focused on basketball, because it can mess your head up if you’re not mentally strong. I don’t want to read those or even hear those rumors.”
- Sixers big man Nerlens Noel is trying to adopt Dragic’s approach to the trade deadline, as Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer notes. Noel’s name has been tossed around, though the club seems more intent on moving power forward Jahlil Okafor, including a report this week that the Pelicans were in advanced talks to acquire Okafor. Noel is trying his best to block out the rumors. “I don’t even approach it,” he told Pompey. “I just play my game. If that’s what they decide, that’s what they decide.”
Phil needs to go
Dolan needs to go
MSG needs to go
Phil Jackson not allowing them to play Melo at the 4 and Porzingis at the 5 hurts Rose, Melo, and most importantly Porzingis b/c of the other bigs that are always clogging the lanes. Just not enough spacing offensively. Also, they would probably be a little more disruptive defensively, allowing them to get more easy baskets in transition
The team is crap… it’s not Phil’s fault. If he hadn’t been stuck resigning Melo for $30MM per year, he might have been able to improve the roster.
Then why did he resign melo. Oh and Melo’s $30MM looks like a bargain compared to the Courtney lee and Noah signings. Phil Jackson is a joke and an embarrassment of an executive. Phil needs to GTFO and shut his mouth.
You’re a delusional fan… Phil put the team together yet you’re saying it’s not his fault cause the team is crap
So who put the gun to Phil’s head and forced him to build this team against his will?
He’s the GM he chose this roster. He chose to give Melo that contract.
Media and fans were all over the resigning of Carmelo. Phil didn’t want to give him the full max deal but because the rumors were that Melo was considering going to Chicago, everyone panicked. It is true that his recent signings have not been great but he’s better than Thomas.
Everyone’s better than Thomas, but if Melo was even remotely serious about his wanting to stay in NY and build a contender, he would’ve been more willing to sign a slightly cheaper deal.
I love how $22 million, $22 million, $24 million, $26 million, and $27 million became $30+ million per lol….there isn’t anything wrong with that contract. The dead money they gave Noah and Brandon Jennings made zero sense. That’s not Carmelo Anthony’s fault. Neither is the style Phil wants to play, when it’s not 20 years in the past. You can’t play that slow pace style, and afford to have multiple bigs on the floor, when you don’t have an elite defense. And it’s a lot harder to do anything offensively when there isn’t enough space on the floor b/c Noah or O’Quinn are clogging the lanes
….also, how come Miami has Chris Bosh’s blood clot issues and still puts together a better team multiple years in a row? How come they’re able to continue to add young talent, even without using draft picks, b/c their scouting does a good enough job to identify players, get them in their system, and then eventually call them up from the D-league? Where are th Knicks on guys like that? They’re nowhere to be found b/c Phil doesn’t even attend the combine, and he is too busy trying to make Melo into a scapegoat, and stroking his ego to actually do his job properly
Jennings made sense on a one year deal. And if they’re truly trying to build a triangle offense roster, he fits. He’d essentially be what Derek Fisher was to Kobe Bryant…a point guard who can shoot threes and hit them at a respectable rate.
That’s the thing. The roster fits more of a pace style, which makes phil still not relenting on that stuff even more confusing
Randle can do what Jennings can . He plays better D shoots the 3 , dribbles less and runs the triangle better.And would pass the ball to KP witch Jennings stoped doing.
It’s all on Dolan
The Knicks 100% control all there current and future first round picks, why not tank a couple of seasons instead of trying to get swept by LeBron in the first round
Knicks need to trade Rose.He is a bigger problem then Carmelo.Rose for Rubio would make KP and the team better.
Knicks need a real defensive coach.They are the worst team in the NBA defending the pick and roll.They have no clue how to rotate when a man gets beat off a dribble.
Another reason Porzingis should play the 5. He’s a really good pick and roll defender, and Noah off the bench helps that unit as well. You can go a couple of different ways with the rotation. The Knicks do need another guard/wing off the bench that can defend/shoot. Langston Galloway would have looked pretty nice for that small money
They have a guard that is a good defender Baker but coach doesn’t play him
So would you go Rose, Lee, Thomas, Melo, Porzingis
Holiday, Noah, Kuzminaskas, Jennings and Baker off the bench, with O’Quinn or Hernangomez seeing minutes in certain matchups, possibly instead of Noah at times. Or
Another option could deepen the bench rotation by starting Baker at the 2 for some minutes, though I’m not as in favor of it…Rose, Baker, Lee, Melo, Porzingis
Holiday, Thomas, Noah, Kuzminaskas primarily off the bench, Jennings, O’Quinn, and Hernangomez at the end of the rotation/same idea as the former
Porzingis is a good pick and roll defender, and can protect the rim. Also makes them quicker on the defensive end, and more disruptive to try and get some transition opportunities. Offensively, opens up space for Rose, Melo, and Porzingis. It also allows Noah to be the leader of that 2nd unit, and give them more balance defensively
KP is not strong enough to play the 5!He should play like Dirk or KD .Maybe a little 5 against a non physical 5.
Dirk’s playing the 5 right now
He is a really good pick and roll defender that can cover ground and get back and protect the rim. In today’s NBA, he is a 5. Having multiple bigs on the floor at the same time has clearly given them spacing issues as well. Noah or O’Quinn clog the lane, and there is no space for Rose, Melo, or Porzingis to operate. They clearly play better in 1 big lineups. Also, they have issues defensively, especially off the bench, and moving Noah there helps in that regard, and he can be a leader on that 2nd unit. Moving Porzingis to the 5 and playing “small” allows them to be more disruptive on the defensive end, and should allow them to get out in transition more often to score easier baskets at times. It’s obvious how this team shpuld be playing, with the way it’s built, and it’s obvious how Hornacek wants to play, but Phil Jackson is such a clown stuck 20 years in the past, that he doesn’t understand how to maximize this roster. Noah deal was terroble, but it’s still semi salvageable if you use him in the right role. Brandon jennings deal made zero sense. They need another guard or wing off the bench that can defend, and preferably knock down shots.
Against Denver KP played the 5 against a strong 5 and got killed.Coach started the wrong players.Rose and Jennings should never play together.He has no clue about his roster.
Baker can do that if he gets quality minutes so he can get in a shooting rhythm.He is a better defender than Rose or Jennings and he is a very good passer.
Brandon Jennings is a steal for 5 mm/1 year in the current environment. The only thing about that contract that doesn’t make sense is it doesn’t contain a team option for a 2nd year. The worst contract is Thomas, followed by Noah, mostly because of length of term relative to their recent history. Those are the only 2 that can’t be moved.
Jackson’s signed more good FA deals than bad. He hasn’t however been able to attract the elite guys (which is probably the only reason you pay an entry level GM like a HOF’er). He’s had little to work with in the draft, but gets high grades there too on limited sample size. Trades are where he’s been subpar (although most of the worst of it was early on). That, and not understanding the difference between a coach and a GM, or, alternatively, not understanding what job he has.
Knicks should try to get Wilson Chandler and trade Rose for Rubio.That would shore up there D and get a pass first guard instead of one that’s playing for a next year salary instead of the team.
Someone tell me how in the game today KP gets to take 1 shot in the 4th quarter and the game before this he took 0 shots in the 3rd quarter.This team has no clue how to play.Its the coaches fault that this happens.He is also clueless.Randle should play point for the rest of the games to see if he is the real deal,which I think he is.
If carmelo is supposed to be mentoring KP why doesn’t he pass him the ball?Rose is playing for next years contract and hardly ever throws the ball to KP who is open on a pick and roll more then 50percnt of the time?Lee never throws him the ball and either does Thomas.How come I’m the only one that notices this?