Among the many surprising aspects of the Knicks‘ season is that their defense has been able to survive the loss of center Mitchell Robinson, who is recovering from surgery on a fracture in his right foot. Mitchell’s shot blocking has been replaced by Nerlens Noel, who swatted five shots in Saturday’s win over the Hornets and now ranks second in the league with 2.1 per game, writes Stefan Bondy of The New York Daily News.
“His gift is obviously the rim protection,” coach Tom Thibodeau said. “… He alters a lot of shots because everyone is looking for him. He has great value, he’s the anchor of the defense.”
Noel was a lottery pick in 2013, but wasn’t able to find a stable situation as he bounced from the Sixers to the Mavericks to the Thunder. He signed with New York during the offseason and has been a valuable addition in the wake of Robinson’s injuries, starting 40 of the 63 games he has played.
“I just feel like I’ve got something in me that comes alive, especially moments like (crunch time),” Noel said. “I live for moments, the big moments, and anything for my team.”
There’s more from New York:
- Thibodeau offered a medical update on Robinson, who has started on-court activities but remains a long way from playing, Bondy adds. “He’s still in the rehab phase,” Thibodeau said. “… As I’ve said before, we’re not going to rush him along. We’re going to be cautious and make sure he goes through every phase of it properly. We just don’t want to take any chances with him.”
- The Knicks can wrap up the fourth seed by beating the Celtics this afternoon, but their point guard situation remains muddled, according to Marc Berman of The New York Post. Elfrid Payton played less than 13 minutes on Saturday and Berman suspects Thibodeau is losing confidence in him. Alec Burks ran the point with the second unit, and Frank Ntilikina was inserted late in the game for his defense.
- The dramatic turnaround in New York has made the draft an afterthought this year, writes Steve Popper of Newsday. Before the season began, the Knicks started scouting with the expectation that they might have a high lottery pick, along with the Mavericks’ first-rounder from the Kristaps Porzingis trade. New York’s selection is currently at No. 18, while Dallas’ is at No. 23.
Knicks could have been a real contender in the East, have they traded for CP3
Yeah OK ……… Obviously not a real fan
CP3 lifted OKC and PHX into top teams out West. East would’ve been a cake walk for him. Plus, it wouldve taken a mavs pick at most to get him.
OKC was hardly a top team last year. Typical one and done playoffs for them. And CP3 only got past the 2nd round once in his career.
We don’t need a 35yr old PG to lift anything here. You are classic after the facts man. Knicks aren’t as ready as Suns. Rose is a much better fit. We are two yrs from real contention. So you think we should forfeit that for 80 mill plus assets. Please go back to hating us.
Let’s see how many rounds Phoenix wins before we start talking about CP3 turning teams into contenders
Also I think he wanted to be close to LA, so I’m not sure we could have got him even if we offered.
Wow, Knicks make playoffs once in almost a decade, and they already are so full of themselves))
Alright, good luck beating Hawks with that offense.
Side note – if Knicks dont get a star player in the next year, your “we are two years away from contention” BS goes out the window. Go ask Boston what its like to plan years ahead and be gun shy about getting guys.
I can’t agree because I want to see Alec Burks be the PG! Thibs should have shifted to him earlier but that is hindsight b/c I did not say that earlier… indeed like Burks, I’ve been gunning for Payton for two years… I wonder what went wrong with him. He did wind down early last year too.
Some fans are getting down on Toppin too early. He did not do that much at Dayton either, his first year there. He is much more natural than clever, and is still getting a feel. His ROY mentions were b/c all the 2020 top dogs looked like they would need an adjustment period, and the Knicks could offer it. But they started winning and Toppin got directed to the corners.
Side note: Obviously NY needs to add talent to become a contender. And, yes, if they don’t add the talent they won’t contend.
Also, if LeBron ages precipitously next year, the Lakers will no longer contend. If Kawhi doesn’t resign the Clippers won’t be good, etc etc.
And Boston had the pieces to contend—they just got injured or disgruntled and left.
Boston was gun shy, they could’ve gotten a guy like Jimmy Butler, but didn’t wanna give up multiple draft picks and where did it get them? They used all those extra picks on guys like Naismith and Ojeley and Edwards, who can barely play in a playoff series.
Granted, they drafted and developed Tatum and Brown, but that was in 2016 and 2017, since then they didn’t draft well.
Funny that a team that “never pulls the trigger” somehow acquires three All Stars in their prime in Kyrie, Hayward, and Horford? And they had them when they had Brown and Tatum (and Smart) as well.
If Hayward’s foot didn’t practically fall off it’s pretty safe to say that team was a contender.
A real PG and shooter-scorer is what we need. Easiest way is just sign them. This way we don’t give up picks. I would start Burkes at PG and play Frank. Frank is a better defender than Payton. What do we have to lose. Nttilikina has a lot to prove. So this could be his moment. It’s not like we are expected to get past 1st rd. We can win today and get Hawks in1st rd. We can beat Hawks. And it would be nice to go deep with Sixers. For us it’s all about a good showing. For team, for FAs to be, for Organization. Its been a great and promising year. So let’s ended it well by competing. Next year is a UUUUUuuuuuuggggggee year for us.
For all the haters and geniuses ……..
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FOURTH SEED ……..
If we get home court I think we’ll be expected to win (unless Miami gets 5).
I would be pretty hesitant to throw Frank into the fire at this point, but at the same time Payton’s been ho-hum all year. If they could get away with playing Burks/Rose/Quick at 1 defensively I’d be for that. But doubt TT will go that route.
The Hawks may very well sweep the knicks. Way too much firepower with everybody (except Cam) back healthy. The days of Dre Hunter being slept on are about to come to end, he’s gonna have a big series
Knicks swept the Hawks this yr. They do have big offense potential. But still a young and new team. We can win this series. I’m just going to enjoy one gm at a time. All I want is to win the first gm. Well go from there. Go NY Go NY Go ….. NYK
Knicks beat the Hawks when we had multiple starters out with injury. Everybody (except Cam) is back now & the talent/depth disparity is gonna be too much for Rose & Juju too overcome
Knicks should be hunting for free agents
Conley
Lowry
Schroeder
Fournier
Harrell
Tim Hardaway
Overpay, kill it, killer instinct
Knicks don’t need a Veteran like Lowry or Conley PG if Rose is willing to stay in NY unless they can’t get a young PG. If they can’t get a young PG then someone like Lowry and Rose to split the time would be good. I wouldn’t mind seeing DeRozan in NY. The Knicks depth has been great but definitely difficult decisions coming. They can’t keep everyone.
please explain why they should go hunting for your free agent class?? Hardaway for a 3rd time… No, Harrell Nope, Fournier soft how’s his stay in Boston so far, im sure Rose is coming back so No on Conley and Lowry. Only Schroeder is a big maybe. anyway… Sillyman being Sillyman.
Fournier is the only guy on that list who makes sense. Not much sense but a little.
As much as I love me some Thibs, enjoying Rose looking like a 6th man of the year candidate, and enjoying watching Mr. Hard Hat and Lunch Pail Taj Gibson doing work, (I am a Bulls fan, obviously lol) the Knicks ceiling is a tough loss and a hard fought battle in the 2nd Round..
Now, next season, if they can get a floor general, that’s also capable of hitting some threes, and round out their depth a little more, then they could easily be right up there with the East’s best, except Brooklyn..
Next season if they can resign some of their core, role players, and then sign either Dragic or Lowry, I think the K icks could really make a run.
Resign Burks, Rose, Noel, etc.
Sign Dragic/Lowry
Package their two first rounders to either add another #2/3 scorer or to draft and develop one, and I think they’d be able to contend certainly with the Bucks and 76ers. That’s the case especially with Robinson back, Toppin further developing, and knowing they’re going to play top notch defense..
I hope all those that were doubting Thibs are eating crow now. Minnesota is just a mess and a real clusterf… And he even made then look decent, much less also with his run in Chicago..The man can coach, and he gets his players to buy in and play defense!!
Knicks have players and assets to swing a good deal. We have three top 32 picks in draft, a supposedly deep draft. There are good FA PGs available. Dinwiddie everyone knows is who I want. Our picks not high enough to get one who can start next yr. It’s a smart move to sign a solid young vet. I’d be ecstatic to sign Dinwiddie and Fournier. Both young vets and fit chemistry wise to me. Bullock, Burkes, Rose, Quickly all can fill the bench. Noel can be moved in a sign n trade. We got Nttilikina, Knox, Toppin who can also be moved. There will be nice bigs when we pick. Knicks are fourth seed. And we have plenty options to upgrade team significantly next yr. In Year TWO of Rebuilding….. New York Knickerbockers . NYK
FOURTH SEED Haters ….. this is for all the band wagon geniuses here. Who only know to hate. Only gets better from here. Hawks haven’t beat us this yr.
I love and appreciate the way you’re feeling after rooting for a perennially disappointing team that is having an unexpectedly good season. Im having similar feelings as a Hawks fan. Please don’t be surprised if your team gets bounced in 4/5 gms tho… Knicks swept the reg season series but Atl is healthy now & just a much stronger team top to bottom than NYK rn.
4 or 5 games… let me guess… Hawks fan?? lolol… Atl gonna sweep NY… You really think that?
see how I used valid points to make my argument… try that
Valid points? “They’re top to bottom stronger” “They’re healthy now” – wow, really detailed analysis there.
IDK, Randle will be the best player in the series, NY has the far superior defense, and Atlanta has next to no playoff experience, save for Lou Will, who’s one of the worst playoff performers of all time.
I wouldn’t guarantee a Knicks victory, but saying Atlanta will sweep is being very generous to your home team.
and Sillyman… lets go back couple weeks… do u still think this Knick season is not successful??
I agree Hawks are deeper. And we don’t have Mitch. Right now we are playing good ball. Our D alone can win two gms for us. Home court with 5000 NYers will be loudest in NBA. Only one who is getting bounced is who ever guards Julius. I hope it goes seven. It’ll be more fun that way. Hawks may be deeper but our bench has been great. We’re ready for this.
Bring your bullet proof vests bc Atl got shooters EVERYWHERE… Kev, Bogi, LouWill, Trae, TSnell, JC, Dre, Gallo… & ask KAT or DMitchell about how Capela shuts down the paint during the postseason… NYK had a great reg season but the ending could be ugly. Daylight to any of those snipers is deadly & they’re all good to great at driving & finishing as well
cool bro, ill stop right there. No need to talk more. Was fun watching the Knicks, sucks its gonna end so fast.
damn i forgot 1 thing. you should steamroll through the East right to the finals.
“cool bro, ill stop there. No need to talk more” – jimmyduz0523… dam I miss those days
I’m guessing (hoping) the Knicks’ offseason will be a disappointment to many. Assuming they can secure Randle’s services beyond next year, I think their priority should be re-signing their own FAs (Rose, Bullock, Burks and Noel), at contracts that make sense for the team. This is (or should be) in Rose’s wheelhouse. It would, though, leave them with 5 perimeter guys currently in the 10 man rotation, and, in that event, I don’t see them adding veteran starters at both PG and on the wing. Maybe, in addition to a PG or wing, they can add a combo F (but those are in short supply, and presumes they’ve moved Toppin).
The UFA market is quite pedestrian (if you eliminate the guys unlikely to be truly available), so it might be trade. RFA market tend to be an oxymoron, but like last year (with BB), there may a couple ripe to be moved. Even there, though, PG is bare (unless one likes Lonzo Ball, I don’t). There is one RFA PG I do like, but no idea if the home team is determined to keep him.
If they can retain Burks and Bullock in particular at fair rates then I think they’ll be better off running it back with this wing group than overpaying for a Powell or Fournier. Same at PG. Rose and Quick over Dinwiddie or Schroeder.
Maybe some people see an upside in Lonzo but I also don’t see him as a piece to chase. Right now he’s closer to a 3 and D player than a franchise PG.
Unless Kawhi puts himself the market, or a KAT or Beal or Lillard demand a trade I think NY is better staying the course, saving ammo and remaining a team “that’s a player away” for when that next franchise player does become available.
I agree. We’re still a rebuilding team, so we need a path to cap space (if not actual cap space) every year. Particularly without high draft picks. Cap space might be our best trade asset.
Bullock is not as flexible as Burks and has fewer weapons, and just has not worked out. Pay Burks more, PER15. Bullock’s PER is 11 this year and career; he is not young anymore at 30; he won’t get better. He should be let go. Plus I’m tired of that ugly hairstyle. Not that anything would help that mug.
Yeah Bullock is an interesting case – I definitely agree on the hair. But he’s been a surprising plus on defensive and shot 41% on 3’s on 6 attempts per this year, which is valuable.
Question is: Is this his peak season (given his age, probably it is)? And then—does another team see what he did this year and offer him a bloated contract?
But then I guess those both probably apply to Burks as well.
Curios on the 1 RFA DXC ….Graham Tht Duncan Rob??
I’m intrigued by the idea of Derozan for NYK if they could get something like a 3/75 … I know Barrett profiles better at the 2 but I think with the state of the game and TT’s defensive scheme they can play side by side in almost a position less manner but agree less is probably more for next year unless they hit an unforeseen jackpot
Graham. I was mostly looking at the PGs.
I think pursuing RFAs is usually just a headache, and I’m generally adverse to guys who’s existing team (particularly the one that drafted them) is willing to the let them walk as an RFA. But here, I like the player and can see Hornets being amenable to a S&T without prejudice due to LeMelo’s emergence, not to mention Rozier being around. Who knows, but the Knicks could use a PG.
Barrett can play with any other wing, 2/3. DeRozen’s a star, and playing mostly the 3 (even the 4), so that fit isn’t an issue. It’s age and his lack of a 3 pt shot; which is still not a Barrett strength. But, as a star, it’s about his salary demands mostly.
Derozen/ Powell/ RJ/ Randle/ Mitch
Rose/ IQ/ Burks/ Obi/ Noel
Vildoza/____ /____ / _____/ Taj