David Blatt’s connections to the Knicks front office could land the former Cavaliers head coach in New York during the upcoming season, according to Frank Isola of the New York Daily News. Blatt would like another NBA job and he’s close friends with team president Steve Mills and recently-hired front office executive Craig Robinson, both of whom were college teammates of Blatt’s, Isola points out. The Knicks’ schedule could also put current coach Jeff Hornacek on the hot seat before the All-Star break as they play 16 of 20 games on the road right after Christmas, including the Warriors and Spurs, Isola notes.
In other items regarding the Knicks:
- The club should not give up Kristaps Porzingis in order to acquire disgruntled Cavaliers guard Kyrie Irving, Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News argues. Porzingis is a unique player who should be considered an untouchable, a 7’3” big man who protects the rim and stretches the floor, Bondy notes. Porzingis is not even eligible to become a restricted free agent for another two seasons, and even shedding the contract of Carmelo Anthony or Joakim Noah isn’t worth giving him up, Bondy continues. If Irving wants to play in New York, he can sign with the franchise as a free agent in two years, Bondy adds. Currently, the Knicks regard any attempt by the Cavs to acquire Porzingis as a non-starter in trade talks involving Irving.
- Frank Ntilikina has picked the brains of former NBA players in Europe and believes he’ll have to play more on instinct than he did overseas, he explained to Mike Vorkunov of the New York Times in an in-depth feature. Former Knick Mardy Collins and former Maverick Rodrigue Beaubois instructed him that talent and athleticism rule in the NBA, while the European game is more focused on basketball I.Q. and a cerebral approach. “They told me like when you go here, you don’t have to think too much, because I used to think a lot,” the Knicks lottery pick told Vorkunov. “I used to play the game as a chess game. So they told me when you go there, you just have to play your game and not think too much.” Ntilikina has been studying tapes of top NBA point guards in an effort to refine his game, Vorkunov adds.
Blatt won 2 games with just Bron against the Warriors, had Lebron let Blatt coach him he would probably 2-1 right now in Cleveland.
Your reasoning is absurd.
a) You say that had Blatt stayed they would be 2-1 meaning they would’ve won the last two chips.
b) The Cavs team wasn’t performing as well as they should’ve and the locker room wasn’t feeling him nor the way he used players including Kevin Love. Griff fires Blatt, the team responds by playing a better pace and better defense and they beat the NBA record setting GSW to win their first title ever.
c) The same GSW that won 73 games but were defeated by the Cavs go out and sign a top 5 player in Kevin Durant and the Cavs end up losing.
What about Blatt, beyond a 1 year win/loss record, gives confidence that his coaching genius alone, would have resulted in the Cavs defeating the GSW this past year?
Knicks gotta keep Porzingis!
Thank God the Knicks finally have a sane Front Office LOL! KP6, LBJ & KLOVE upfront the Cavs would win the next 4 NBA titles! Sign Kyrie as a FA! KP6 has played 138 of a possible 164 games made 193 3pt shots and blocked 263 no other player in NBA history has done that! 14ppg7rbs as a 20yr old 18ppg 7rbs 2blk at 21yrs will be elite 23ppg 10rpg 3apg 3bpg top 15 all NBA performer at 22yrs old!
Porzingis is going nowhere
Let’s not push it too hard RAH. Zinger will improve again, but 23,10,3 and 3 may be pushing it. I’m concerned about his effort on the boards, and whether he’ll find a way to break 20 PPG. He’ll be a multi time All-Star, but true Superstar, I’m not 100% sold yet. I am a Knicks fan, and I hope you’re right, but there are offers that I would be willing to consider for him.
The caviat I will extend to the Knicks is that we have no idea what Porzingis has or hasn’t said behind closed doors. Same way we didn’t know that Irving voiced a desire to be traded back in 2016 and again a couple of months ago same could be possible with Porzingis.
The same way the Cavs front office tried to keep Irving’s request quiet, thinking his value might be hurt if it became public knowledge, might be the same concerns with the Knicks IF Porzingis were to demand a trade.
If, and I’m speculating, the Knicks know KP doesn’t want to be in NY, is unhappy and is likely going to decline to resign with the team then getting Irving and building a team around him would make sense for the Knicks, especially since they were on Irving’s short list of teams he wanted to be traded to.
The bottomline story on Blatt’s tenure in Cleveland has not been told IMO. There may not really be one in the hot-gossip sense. Love got off to rocky start but I dont think he could or would try to get him ousted; his restrictor is Irving anyway. Blatt should be better for the experience.
An Irving for PorzingisNkitilinaLee ttrade would help NY if irving recruited other stars and help Cleve if Zinger could play some center. Irving re-signing should not be a problem and the spotlight should improve his morale & defensive effort. Cle could also try to get Oquinn for the center depth. NY should try Melo with Irving before giving up om him.