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00:00Welcome back to another edition of New York Got Game.
00:18Dexter Henry here.
00:20Things are continuing for the Knicks.
00:22Rolling along, I should say.
00:23Knicks have won four straight games.
00:25All four games on this seven-game homestand.
00:29So right now, things are looking good.
00:31Remember when they were two and three?
00:33Everybody thought it was all coming to an end.
00:36Worried about Mike Brown's offense.
00:37Well, that seems to have gone away.
00:39But it's an interesting time for the Knicks
00:41because they're right at about the mark
00:43where they're about a tenth through the season.
00:45Nine games they played at the time of recording this episode.
00:48So I thought it was a good time to look at some burning questions.
00:51We have a fantastic guest joining us today just to do that.
00:55All right, Knicks fans.
00:57Six wins in.
00:58So it's time to take stock of where this team stands right now.
01:01The offense is starting to click.
01:02The defense is still a work in progress.
01:04And every night, it feels like a different storyline is emerging.
01:08So this week, we're going to bring the heat.
01:10We've got six burning Knicks questions.
01:13We're going to have three from me,
01:15three from my guy, Lee Escobedo,
01:17of the Knick of Time show, who joins me now.
01:20Lee, what is going on, man?
01:22Welcome back to New York Got Game.
01:25Great to be here, Dexter.
01:26Thank you again for having me.
01:27It's always an honor and pleasure to represent my KOT crew,
01:31B, Ebony, Phil, Fritz, Ryan, and my main man, J. Ellis.
01:35Happy birthday, brother.
01:36Happy birthday to J. Ellis.
01:38Shout out to the entire KOT crew.
01:41Lee, I thought you were the perfect person to have on for this
01:44because we always have some good Knicks discussions
01:46and other discussions off camera that you and I always have from time to time.
01:50So I was like, okay, this is the early part of the season.
01:54The Knicks haven't played, you know, that many games.
01:56They've only played nine games.
01:57They're six and three.
01:58They're hot right now.
01:59They've won four games in a row, all at home throughout this homestand.
02:03So I was like, yeah, let's have some burning questions.
02:05There's always things around the team that we're still concerned about,
02:08things that we are curious about, things we want to see how it evolves.
02:12So here's what we're going to do.
02:13So like I said, Lee's got three questions.
02:15I've got three questions.
02:17We're going to discuss and hopefully try to come up with some answers
02:21to these questions.
02:22So, Lee, I'm going to let you tip things off here.
02:25What's your first burning question about the Knicks nine games into the season?
02:30My main man, Durson Yavusele.
02:32Let's talk about him.
02:33My question to you, Dexter, is do you think that he can regain the catch-and-shoot,
02:39specifically catch-and-shoot efficiency and defensive versatility
02:42that we saw last season with Philadelphia,
02:44where he had career highs in usage, minutes, touches,
02:48where he was able to shoot 50% from the field, 38% from three.
02:53After a rough start in New York, he's down to only two minutes game.
02:57I mean, I'm sorry, two points game in 9.9 minutes on 27.8% shooting overall
03:02and 23% from deep.
03:04Now, tonight against the Nets, he hit a couple of threes.
03:07But how and why do you think Yavusele has not been as involved
03:11into the rotation and how, and can, he did himself back in the form
03:16that he was in Philadelphia?
03:18Man.
03:18Now, I just want to say this.
03:20Everything that you pointed out there, Lee,
03:23and you talked about his numbers last year
03:25and you looked at his numbers this year,
03:27I think a huge part of the reason why I thought he was a good free agent
03:30signing for the Knicks, in fact, great, I talked about the Knicks signing him,
03:32I thought it would be a fantastic fit, right?
03:34He brought a little bit of toughness, not the best defender,
03:37but somebody that could hit some above-the-break threes,
03:40can help space what this team needed.
03:43You could play him in lineups with Mitchell Robinson,
03:45you could play him in lineups with Carleton Towns,
03:48thought that was all good.
03:49But you brought up the numbers from this season,
03:51and thus far, it's not been good.
03:52No, he looked a little better against the Nets on Sunday night.
03:56How does he get back to where he is?
03:58Well, we got to talk about the uncomfortable truth
04:00around Gershon Yavusele right now.
04:02He does not look like he's in shape.
04:04He does not look like he's in shape at all to start this season.
04:08He's looked like he's been a bit slow.
04:09He looks a little bit heavier.
04:10His weight was listed as 283, I believe,
04:14to start this season coming out of training camp.
04:16That is heavier than what he played at for France in Eurobasket.
04:20I think he's got to get back into shape.
04:21I think that's the key thing for me.
04:23He's got to get back into shape.
04:25He can work himself back into game shape.
04:27I think you're starting to see a little bit more.
04:29I think once he does that, Lee,
04:31and you can tell me what you think,
04:32I think you'll then see the uptick in minutes from him once again.
04:36This was a guy I think you and I would have said,
04:38okay, he can play 15 minutes or so off the bench.
04:43We're not even seeing that from him right now.
04:45He's clearly the ninth man on his team off the bench.
04:48The Knicks are going to need him, though.
04:49They're going to need his versatility in small ball lineups.
04:52They're going to need to see that.
04:53But for me, it starts with getting in shape.
04:55I think once he gets in shape, he's running the floor better.
04:58He's getting more lift on his shots.
04:59He will play with more confidence and will be the player's Knicks need.
05:03Emma, I don't know about you, Lee.
05:05Let me know if you agree or disagree.
05:08Are you worried about the start you've seen with Gershon?
05:10I'm not as worried about it yet,
05:12but I think it's something to keep an eye on for sure.
05:15I'm not worried, but he has been the only one thus far
05:18that has been worrisome.
05:19And the point that I think we're going to need him the most,
05:23and this is an advantage to him because there's so much time
05:26before this happens, but that's where it's when we're in the finals.
05:29The Western Conference, yes, I'm going that far.
05:32Look at you again, already putting in – you did say this to me in the summer,
05:36to be fair – already putting the Knicks into the finals.
05:39This is when they're going to really need him.
05:40Okay, against two, what's the team?
05:42Can we just put that out there too?
05:44Why not?
05:45Yeah, sure.
05:45I think it's going to be the Denver Nuggets.
05:46A lot of the teams that are playing the most zone
05:51are coming from the Western Conference,
05:53as well as the teams that play the deepest rotations,
05:56where you see teams that are playing 10 or 11 guys.
05:59Not every night, but some nights.
06:00You see that from the OKC Thunder, you see from the Denver Nuggets,
06:04potentially the Houston Rockets.
06:06So I think we don't need Gabuseli when those extensions get –
06:10the rosters get more extended.
06:12And you need another big wing.
06:14We have so much guard depth, so much intermediate depth too.
06:17Guys who are between 6'4 and 6'6.
06:19But the long, rangy wings.
06:22Like Yabu, we really only have OG Ananobi right now.
06:26He's really the only one.
06:26Josh Hart is undersized.
06:28Clarkson's undersized.
06:29Bridges is undersized for a larger wing.
06:32Precious is gone.
06:33We really need someone behind OG Ananobi
06:35when they put deep into the playoffs to help give rest,
06:39but also to break that zone with three-point shooting.
06:41And Gabuseli needs to bring the catch-and-shoot opportunities
06:44that he got in Philly to New York.
06:45Now, if he can't do that, that means Mike Browns have to play
06:48not only a shortened rotation, but a smaller rotation too.
06:52And I want to be able to see opportunities where Cat has another wing on there
06:57that can switch on the perimeter so he doesn't always have to be in drop coverage.
07:01And you can have him at the level and switch on ball screens
07:03and not worry about someone beating him off and not having him in rim protection.
07:07So, to me, Gabuseli is not necessarily crucial now,
07:10but he is going to be crucial later,
07:12which gives him a solid five, six-month period to get the BBL in shape.
07:17Because right now, it's wearing him down.
07:19It's slowing him down.
07:21And as someone who is very mindful of what goes to the body
07:24and trying to get in shape myself, I understand the struggle.
07:27I respect the struggle.
07:28But he's got to amp it up right now because this is game time.
07:31The season has started, and his minutes and his role are decreasing.
07:34See, I think you're being pretty reasonable about it, right?
07:38I think he does have some time.
07:40And how long it takes each player to get in the game shape varies.
07:44So, I'm with you on that.
07:45You're right.
07:46They need him more.
07:47I'm not going to go all the way to the finals.
07:49I'm not going to go that far.
07:50But they do need him more as they progress through the season
07:53and get to the playoffs.
07:54And I think you bring up another great point.
07:56It is important for him against teams that play a lot of zone.
08:00He's a zone buster.
08:01He's a guy that can help with that.
08:02We saw the great catch-and-shoot opportunities in Philly last year.
08:06And you would think the way this team is playing currently right now
08:10in Mike Brown's offense,
08:11and I don't even think they're at the peak of their powers in this offense.
08:15No.
08:15There will be catch-and-shoot opportunities particularly for him
08:19in a variety of situations here.
08:21So, he's another guy that can help.
08:23It's just another weapon.
08:24I just think Mike Brown,
08:26and I look at the way a coach plays players
08:29and how much he's playing players.
08:30And right now, he's not been in the rotation.
08:34Like, if we're going to keep it a buck,
08:35he's not been in the rotation here.
08:37And I think a lot of it has to do with him not being in shape.
08:40I think when he's in shape, he'll be in the rotation.
08:43So, I also like the word that you said here.
08:46I'm not worried about it,
08:49but I do think it's worrisome at this point.
08:53I wouldn't be there.
08:54If we're talking middle of next month, Lee,
08:58and you text me and you're like,
08:59ugh, these Gershon catch-and-shoot numbers still aren't looking good,
09:04then I'm in the worry territory
09:06because we're getting approaching Christmas
09:07and maybe still not looking like he's in shape.
09:10You can play yourself in the game shape.
09:12It is going to take him a little bit of time, but we'll see.
09:14I'm with you.
09:15I think there is some cause for concern,
09:16but this team is absolutely going to need him
09:19because I think he was one of their better signings.
09:21I know it was only two, you know, the signing of Jordan Clarkson
09:25and then him, but I really liked his signing this summer
09:27and the Knicks are absolutely going to need him.
09:29There's no doubt about that.
09:31It's the only position that the Knicks don't have a ton of depth at
09:33if you think about it.
09:34They have tons of guards.
09:35The depth they have is very young
09:36and it's not NBA ready in Pakom Dadie and Mohamed Diawara.
09:40So, if those guys are ready, we wouldn't be so worried about it.
09:43It's really just OG and Yavaselli right now
09:45who are solid options at the four.
09:47So, if he don't play himself in his shape,
09:49it might be a trade coming before a deadline
09:51or one of his rookies or young kids
09:53does not have to expedite their process of maturation.
09:56Yeah, that's asking a lot right there.
09:57That's really, really asking a lot.
09:59But I do think the question around Gershon Yavaselli
10:02is a good one for sure.
10:04All right, let me give you my first question,
10:05my first Vernon question.
10:07It's around the Knicks on the glass.
10:10Are the Knicks improved offensive rebounding numbers
10:13masking deeper half-court issues?
10:16This is a question I have, and the reason why, Lee,
10:17is because they're a lead on the glass, right?
10:20New York, before Sunday's game,
10:21they led the NBA in offensive rebounds per game with 15.3.
10:25And I thought it was important before that game,
10:28Mitch Robinson had only played in three of those contests.
10:30Now he's played in four.
10:32They are near the top of the league in second chance points,
10:3417.6.
10:35That ranks seventh in the league.
10:38But the question for me is, is that hiding stretches of stagnation
10:41or predictability in the half-court offense when the initial set breaks down?
10:46Because it's really dope to see them get all those offensive rebounds,
10:49but is that maybe showing that, hey, they're not as good offensively yet
10:54as where they could be?
10:55Not saying that this is how they always will be.
10:57Do you have any concern?
10:58Do you think the offensive rebounds are great, right?
11:01You want to give yourself second chances,
11:03but does that give you any pause for cause about where their offense is right now?
11:08Man, this is why I love talking ball with you, Dexter.
11:10You always bring the heat.
11:11This is a very good hoops intellectual question, very nuanced.
11:15And I'm happy to say not at all.
11:17I'm not worried.
11:18I don't think it's matching any weaknesses
11:20because the nits are also fifth in passes per game at 310.
11:25They're averaging around 27 assists per game.
11:27Last year, 27 assists in the Tom Thibodeau era was a great passing night.
11:32Now it's every night.
11:33It's the average of what they do game to game.
11:35And this is not the same Tibbs' iso ball or nasty over-dribbling from Jalen Brunson
11:41or Mikael Bridges of yesteryear.
11:43The nits have really moved off of that high pick and roll
11:45that was a cornerstone of Jalen Brunson initiating the offense.
11:49It took too many dribbles and too many seconds to initiate to that.
11:52It's really phased into more DHOs, more horns action, more pistol,
11:57a little bit of that stacked pick and roll,
11:59but did the offense going and find the right mismatch.
12:02And Brown is playing multiple guards at a time
12:03to make sure that the right read is getting made too.
12:06You're seeing lineups of Deuce and Clarkson
12:08or Brunson, Clarkson, and Mikael Bridges.
12:10This is part of the wheel offense,
12:12which is one of the standard sets that Mike Brown has really implemented this season
12:18in a concept that I described in my substat article describing what it is.
12:22And this is an offense predicated upon high percent of shots
12:25based on repetitious cuts, strains, and relocations.
12:29And I would say that's driven.
12:30The stats support the eye test.
12:32The lineup that caused NIT fans ulcers last season,
12:35Brunson, Hart, Bridges, and Anobian Towns,
12:38this season it went from taking 30% of their shots in the mid-range to just 14.
12:43As well, last season they only did 32% of their shots from three.
12:47It's chunked up to 45% of their shots.
12:50Now, that lineup I just mentioned has been the second best lineup this season
12:54at a plus 23.
12:56To me, that's the antidote to the half-court, you know,
12:59breakdowns of what we saw last year.
13:02And Hart is really being used in a really strategic way.
13:05Not only is he hitting his threes,
13:06which absolutely helps our offense capabilities,
13:09but he's being used as a purposeful screener.
13:12Tibbs did this too.
13:12I don't want to give credit away from Tibbs.
13:14Tibbs used Hart as a screener.
13:15We're seeing him now screen and cut.
13:18The cut might not always be a complete cut.
13:21It could be a ghost cut.
13:23But the purpose and the shooting with confidence,
13:25these things make the offense less predictable
13:28and make it more malleable to change based on personnel
13:32and who we're playing against.
13:33And one of the things I've appreciated the most of Mike Brown
13:35is his understanding and use Brunson and Katt,
13:38not just in simple pick-and-roll actions,
13:39but use them in almost every action together on the strong side.
13:43That could be a pick-and-roll that's been flipped between Katt and Brunson
13:47or integrating another play like Jordan Carson,
13:50who's been used a lot in those stacked offensive sets
13:53to be a secondary strainer who then gets a nice bounce pass
13:57as he cuts into the lane for an easy layup.
13:59Flipping those things and being more unpredictable
14:01has been a blueprint on Mike Brown's offense so far,
14:04and I've been absolutely loving it
14:06because, as you said earlier, brother, it's only getting started.
14:09Yeah, and see, that's the thing.
14:10And even though I pose this question as a burning question, right,
14:14because I just think you want to look at stuff,
14:15I think the thing that you mentioned so well to answer that question, Lee,
14:20is shot die.
14:21I love that you brought that up.
14:22We're going to get to that a little bit later
14:24in a question I have with another player,
14:25but I love that you brought that up
14:27because if you're watching this through nine games,
14:29you are seeing the cut down in the mid-range shot.
14:32You're seeing either high-efficiency twos,
14:36a little bit more threes, and we get it.
14:38When you shoot more threes, you're going to have more variance there.
14:40But to me, and I love that you broke it down,
14:43not to nerd out here, right, but the process of it, right,
14:46the actions, what's going on,
14:48having Brunson and Cat in more actions on the side.
14:51The concern we had with the lineup you mentioned
14:53that gave the Knicks fans a lot of agita last year was,
14:57okay, well, how are they going to defend?
14:58Well, one of the things I talked about this offseason
15:01with hiring Mike Brown is Mike Brown's a good defensive coach,
15:04but you brought him here to maximize his offense.
15:09And at least now through nine games, I'm going to pump the brakes.
15:12I understand it's only nine games.
15:13It looks like he's on the road to maximizing this offense
15:18as much as they can.
15:19So when you maximize his offense,
15:20you talked about the unpredictability,
15:22then you're going to get some more of these offensive rebounds they have.
15:25And look, a lot of it is a product of having Mitch,
15:27but I don't think it's solely Mitch
15:28because you also have to look at the guards here.
15:31Lee, the guards have been crashing the glass
15:33and doing a great job on the offensive boards
15:36and getting some of those long rebounds,
15:37particularly because they're shooting more threes
15:39than they ever have before.
15:41So this offense looks completely different
15:43than it did under Tom Thibodeau.
15:44I'm not here to compare or shade Tom Thibodeau.
15:46That's not what we are doing here.
15:48But, yeah, I do think that the half-court offense,
15:52what I'll say is when I talk about the concern there,
15:55I don't even think they are,
15:56as you came to the conclusion at the end of your point,
15:58they're not even where they should be as a half-court offense.
16:01And we've seen them in the last two games
16:03before recording this, 137 and 134 points they've put up.
16:09And we don't even think this is the best
16:11of what we've seen as this half-court offense.
16:13So I like the offensive rebounding numbers,
16:16and I think the half-court offense
16:17is going to get even better.
16:19And look, you can get lost in the basketball nomenclature
16:23talking about horns twist, double drag screen,
16:26and stuff like that.
16:27At the end of the day, all that fails, right?
16:29Let's say we're playing the OKC Thunder,
16:31and they're switching every ball of strain.
16:33They're locked us down.
16:34At the end of the day, you still have that bag of tricks
16:36named Jalen Brunson.
16:37Give him the rock.
16:38Let him get ISO on an island.
16:40Move every space out one-four flat,
16:42and let Jalen Brunson go to work,
16:44and he'll get you two points.
16:45Maybe he'll get you three points.
16:46Maybe he'll get you four points.
16:48Didn't foul on a three-pointer.
16:49To have that bailout option is something
16:51that only four or five teams in NBA have,
16:54and I'm very blessed to say the New York Knicks are one of them.
16:56That's fair.
16:57That's fair about the Knicks' offense.
16:59All right, what do you got for your next burning question for me?
17:02What you got?
17:04All right, brother.
17:05Let's talk about the Knicks defending the three-point line,
17:07which has been something they've struggled with,
17:09really, since Tom Thibodeau came to town in 2020.
17:13How did the Knicks patch that up?
17:14You know, there's been long-standing vulnerability there
17:16guarding the arc that bleeds into this season.
17:19Right now, currently, through nine games,
17:21opponents are averaging 15.9 made threes per game
17:25on 41% shooting.
17:27That's the third-worst perimeter mark in the entire NBA.
17:30How can they get better at that,
17:32and who do you think is key to enhancing their vulnerability,
17:35decreasing their vulnerability on the perimeter?
17:38Yeah, I love the second part of that question.
17:40Who is key for this?
17:42But I'm going to say how I think they get better is
17:44some of it is interesting because when you look at the Knicks defensively,
17:47particularly this year, under Mike Brown,
17:50you've got OGs roaming a little bit more than he has in the past
17:55and there's more flexibility to do that,
17:57which has been really good for him
17:58because he's had an uptick in his deflections per game.
18:01I would also say the same for Mikel,
18:03and those guys have been getting more steals.
18:05So you knew there'd be a little bit more gambling there.
18:07I think that sometimes, while good and leads to positives,
18:11can also lead to some negatives
18:12with some of the weaker defensive players,
18:14particularly in the Knicks starting lineup, having to scramble on rotations.
18:18But who's got to be better when we talk about that?
18:21It's got to be Carl Anthony Towns.
18:23Absolutely has to be Carl Anthony Towns.
18:25And I want to give Cat some grace here
18:26because I still think, Lee, he's trying to figure out.
18:30You've got to remember, he tried to play a lot of drop coverage last year,
18:33and for all of us who watch this team closely and analyze it,
18:36we know that looked terrible.
18:39It was not good at all whatsoever.
18:41He's not doing the same this year,
18:43but I still feel like he just doesn't look as comfortable.
18:46I think Cat can hold his own sometimes in switches
18:49when he has smaller players switched onto him.
18:52He is capable of moving his feet well.
18:54The thing is, I think he doesn't trust himself sometimes
18:57in knowing that he is prone to making some dumb fouls.
19:01And so that sometimes causes him to be in no-man land
19:04where it's like, should I come out and fully close out?
19:06Am I staying back?
19:07Do I not want to get beat off the dribble?
19:09I would love to see him trust his instincts a little bit more.
19:13You like aggression, especially when it comes to guarding the three-point line,
19:17but you don't want to be too aggressive, especially against good teams, right,
19:20because you're scared of getting blown by, you're scared of them pulling up to three.
19:23But I really think when you have the lineups where Cat is on the floor
19:27as the primary big, and there isn't Mitch there to help him on situations,
19:32especially in that back line, I think he's really got to get better.
19:36I also think in certain situations with Cat on the floor, as I said,
19:39we're seeing OG roam a little bit more, play a little bit more free safety,
19:44if you want to say that, right?
19:45We're seeing Mikkel Bridges gamble a bit more.
19:48I think sometimes in those situations guys have to stay home with their guy,
19:52maybe not gamble as much.
19:53I think this is going to be part of a feeling-out process.
19:56The defense is something like the offense I'm really willing to see
20:00and take a look at how it looks 25, 26 games into the season.
20:06But I think it's going to have a lot more of guys trusting the communication,
20:10trusting the calls, and particularly we know Jalen Brunson is limited on size
20:14in terms of his defense, right, and some of the stuff in getting out,
20:18getting over pick-and-roll situations where he's a defender
20:21and getting over on screens, that's going to hurt.
20:23But Cat, I think it's got to be a little bit better.
20:25He's the key to me.
20:27If he's trusting more of his defensive instincts and not over-aggressive,
20:32then I think the Knicks will be able to guard the three a lot better,
20:34especially if he's coming out on guys.
20:36I think he'll be better there.
20:37What do you think?
20:39That's a sound argument.
20:41I don't disagree with any points that you made.
20:44I would go a little bit further and say this is why Mitchell Robinson's health
20:47is so important.
20:48I don't disagree with that at all.
20:49When he got that double bid lineup, which wasn't available at Tom Thibodeau,
20:55and that's not his fault to start last season,
20:58Carl Anthony Towns was forced to be the lone bid man at the five,
21:01and OG Anobi was having issues rebounding at the four.
21:04So a lot of the time, Carl Anthony Towns was forced to get in drop
21:07because whether that was what was being called by Tom Thibodeau or not,
21:11it was his fail-safe.
21:13It's what he just slipped into when he didn't know what the coverage was
21:16or how to guard a screen.
21:17If you have Mitchell Robinson as that back line,
21:19you can keep Towns at the level,
21:21and he's actually a pretty solid defender around the nail.
21:24I like him in those positions.
21:26We've seen him multiple games this year against Vucevic in Chicago,
21:29the second game, where he guarded Vucevic on an island,
21:32and I thought he did a pretty good job mirroring that last time he went
21:35to the West Conference Finals, the Wolves,
21:36where he guarded Durant one series and Joker one series,
21:40especially game seven of that Western Conference semifinals
21:42that was the best defense I've ever seen from him in his entire career.
21:46So I think he is capable,
21:47but it's also, again,
21:49Durant on Yabruselli,
21:51we need him to get back in the game shape so that his closeouts are crisper,
21:55that he can get back and be lateral on ball switches.
22:00Otherwise, it's going to be compromised any minutes that don't involve
22:02Mitchell Robinson on the floor,
22:04because you're either going to have OG having to do way too much
22:07in some type of pre-switch action with Carl Anthony Towns,
22:10or you're going to have Towns paired with another net negative defender,
22:13and Yabruselli, who neither of them are capable of closing out on defenders
22:16getting lost in defensive coverages.
22:18We need both the health of Mitchell Robinson and Yabruselli to be mitigated
22:22so that we can have a sound defensive show.
22:24Oh, I agree, and I love that you referred back to that Western Conference run
22:29that Cat had, and who was next to him?
22:31Rudy Gobert, right?
22:33I agree.
22:33That was the best defense we saw from Cat.
22:35Now, look, I know Cat's polarizing for a lot of Knicks fans,
22:38and sometimes they're frustrated with his effort,
22:41and sometimes the silly fouls.
22:42I get all that.
22:43But there is a blueprint to this that you just mentioned.
22:46We have seen him next to an elite defensive center, right?
22:49We've seen him just look a lot better in terms of a lot of the stress
22:54that's not put on him.
22:55Cat cannot anchor a defensive five.
22:57We know this.
22:58But next to an elite defensive five like a Mitchell Robinson, yeah,
23:02he can look really good.
23:03You're right, that's why Mitch's health is so important.
23:07And lately, since he's come back from the early season load management,
23:12when Mitch has been on the floor,
23:14Knicks' offense and defense has looked a whole lot better.
23:18I don't disagree.
23:19Also, I do think your point about Gershon Yabruselli
23:21and how he can help while him getting back into game shape
23:25is also very important.
23:27We'll see.
23:28Knicks guarding the three, that could be a lot better.
23:31That's something we're going to keep an eye on with their defense
23:33as they move towards the season.
23:35Okay.
23:36My next burning question is going to be something I have a little bit of a
23:42I would say it's a massive concern.
23:44But I think the Knicks' depth, when you look at it,
23:47you talked about the bigs, backup four.
23:50You also could say you might have some concern with their depth at center
23:53because you don't know what the health of Mitchell Robinson is going to look like.
23:56But I also have some concerns about the backup point guard role.
23:59And can Tyler Kolek seize the backup point guard role
24:04or should the Knicks look towards other options?
24:07Because we saw Kolek early on.
24:09He had four appearances, played about 14 minutes a game in the first two games.
24:14He was pulled from the rotation that second half of the Halloween loss against the Bulls.
24:18But look, I thought he was solid in the opener against the Cavs.
24:21Looked pretty good in that game in his 14 minutes.
24:23Then he kind of fell off.
24:25Now, anytime you talk about other options, people are going to say who,
24:29which is the fair question, who.
24:30So my colleague, Stephen Bonney, Knicks beat writer for us here at the Post,
24:35he suggested two names.
24:36One was Jose Alvarado from the Pelicans, who's wasting away on that bench.
24:41And then Dante Exum, who's with the Mavs.
24:44And he looks at them as low-cost options that the Knicks could trade for here this season.
24:49I don't think either are bad options.
24:51But the question being for you, Lee, is can Tyler Kolek seize the backup point guard role?
24:59Should he get another chance?
25:01Should Mike Brown be getting any more minutes to get more looks?
25:03We know he's been playing a little bit in the G League.
25:06Or is time up for Kolek?
25:08What do you say?
25:10Ooh, another fire question.
25:11Great job, Knight Dexter.
25:13Hey, man, I'm just trying to bring the heat.
25:14Burning questions, man.
25:15You got to bring the heat.
25:15That's all I'm saying.
25:16Job well done.
25:17And I don't think any of the three names you mentioned, including Tyler Kolek, are needed.
25:22As my sister on the Nick of Time show, Ebony says, free is me.
25:27Now, why is that?
25:28Let me back up my argument.
25:30Mikael Bridges has shown an innate ability.
25:32Now that Mike Brown has given him more on-ball reps to run the offense with that bench unit.
25:37Tonight, he had five dimes.
25:39He and Cat, believe it or not, have the best pick-and-roll duo on the team and the most points-per-possession in pick-and-roll.
25:47And he's shown himself to be capable of very high reads in Mike Brown's motion offense.
25:53Maybe that has something to do with some of the continuity he has with Hart and Jalen Brunson and even Shamit.
25:58Who knows?
25:59But the dude is balling right now.
26:00He's proven he can start or finish a play within a flow of the offense or within designed actions.
26:06He's right now, he's second on the team in assists with 5.3 a game, which is a career high for him if this continues behind Brunson's six-game.
26:14Last season, he only averaged 3.7.
26:16So having Bridges on ball also allows Deuce and Partson to hunt their mismatches and shots within the wheel of the offense, while Bridges maintains setting up various sets.
26:27Now, I think of all the players this season, Bridges has adapted the quickest to Brown's offensive identity.
26:31And he's been involved in a ton of ball screens, a ton of weak side actions when he's not on ball.
26:36Now, he's been the primary recipient of handoffs and been excellent at all different kinds of cuts getting to the rim.
26:43And I think the options you named, Bridges makes the most sense.
26:46Let Bridges run that second unit.
26:49Let him run in tandem with the other two guards that present Deuce as a great defender.
26:54Partson's a disruptive defender.
26:56I love that three-guard lineup.
26:57You can switch all three of those on ball screens, and they can take turns initiating or finishing based on what the defense is giving them.
27:05And the names that you named, Alvarado is not the best answer.
27:08He's shoot first, he's undersized at six foot, and he's an inconsistent 35% three-point mark for his career.
27:15Adding another guard that needs minutes, usage in a roll, cuts down Deuce's minutes in a roll, Clarkson's minutes in a roll.
27:21To me, that's not the right answer.
27:22And Dante Edson, who gives you size and playoff experience, has yet to play this season with the Mavs.
27:28Why?
27:28Because he's injury-prone.
27:30He played 20 games last season, only 55 a year before, and now he's nursing an injured knee.
27:35So to me, the answer is keep the team intact.
27:38Don't trade away Kohler to Pacolm for that kind of player.
27:41Hold your cards and wait for a bigger piece down the line, and continue to use Mikael Bridges.
27:46Alongside Deuce and Clarkson, that's how OKC won the chip last season.
27:49They didn't have a true table setter off the bench.
27:52They had Cason Wallace, who's a catch-and-shoot three-point shooter, and a point-of-attack defender.
27:56Sounds like Deuce and Brian to me.
27:57I think we can win the same way.
27:59No, that's a good point with OKC.
28:01Let me push back, slash play devil's advocate here.
28:05I'm not saying this is not how I feel.
28:06Let me push back a little bit.
28:08Some people are going to say, OK, Lee, you believe in Mikael Bridges, and I think the numbers you brought up points that.
28:15Mikael has been a good secondary facilitator.
28:18He's been dishing out.
28:19I also agree with you.
28:20He's been the most adaptable to Mike Brown's system, which I am not surprised about.
28:25I thought he would be the most adaptable to Mike Brown's system.
28:29What happens if Mikael Bridges goes down?
28:31Which is the crazy thought because Mikael Bridges never goes down.
28:33He is the NBA's Iron Man.
28:35And I'm going to put another thing.
28:37What happens if he goes down or Brunson goes down?
28:40Then how do you feel about that in terms of them not having a traditional backup point guard there that's ready?
28:47And do you think Tyler Kolek is ready to be thrust into that situation?
28:51He's going to have to.
28:52To me, that's not worth sacrificing.
28:54Sometimes that's how it is, though, right?
28:56It is.
28:57You've got to step up.
28:58And sometimes that's how a star is born.
29:01I'm not going to go that far to say that that's what's awaiting Tyler Kolek's future.
29:04But I will say that neither Alvarado or especially Exum are worth trading valuable assets that could be used down the line in a larger negotiation and deals.
29:13To me, let Tyler Kolek be the guard in waiting, God forbid, knock on wood, that either Brunson or Bridges get hurt this season that needs or calls for a 7, 8, 9, 10 game stretch where Tyler Kolek has to play significant minutes.
29:28But I will say in a truncated segment, I also believe in a combo of Deuce and Cartson to be able to hold down the forward should one of those guys not be available to be the primary ball handler within that.
29:43Stretch, especially Deuce, who I've been very impressed with his ability to make very smart reads in both pick and roll as a ball handler and also knowing when to come off that handoff and either take that mid-range shot, drive to the basket, or give one more pass to find the higher percentage shot in the corner.
30:01To me, Deuce and Bridges has also earned an opportunity to be that lead guard should Jalen Brunson go down.
30:06Again, knock on wood, prayers up, right?
30:08That doesn't happen.
30:09But if we do, I think we have the ammo and the clip to make it through any short or medium stretch of time that any of those two players are gone.
30:18Don't make a trade.
30:19Freeze me.
30:20Yeah, I don't think you need to make.
30:22I like the points you made.
30:23Listen, Jose Alvarado, New York native, would be very popular coming back.
30:27He's a pest.
30:28He is an undersized guard.
30:29That is a little bit of my concern.
30:31Dante Exum, you get a little bit more side for defense.
30:33Do you want to trade a Pocombe Dottier or Tyler Kolek for him?
30:37I don't think you need.
30:38I'm kind of with you.
30:39I don't think you need to give up on that easy.
30:41Here's what I will say, though, about Tyler Kolek.
30:44I think that he needs to make sure that he can take advantage of all his time in the G League.
30:53And I think it'll be nice if Mike Brown can find some minutes for him when the Knicks are playing the bottom of the NBA.
31:00So, yes, against Brooklyn when they play again in a couple weeks.
31:05When you play Utah, is that a game you can play Tyler Kolek 10 minutes, 12 minutes, where he can get some more NBA reps?
31:13I think at some point Nick's going to have to find out what they have in him right now this season.
31:18So, can he take the role?
31:21Maybe.
31:22But you might be bringing up the bigger question is do they need to have a traditional back-of-point guard?
31:28That's what you raised here based on what you're seeing with the roster and how it's playing out right now in the nine-man rotation that we're seeing from Mike Brown.
31:36They might not need one.
31:37It's a good point.
31:38And a great point about OKC.
31:40They did not have a traditional back-of-point guard last year.
31:44They won the title.
31:46Why not?
31:46You said they're going to the finals anyway, so why not?
31:49They are.
31:50And I'll also say this.
31:52They got playmaking from other positions.
31:54We know very well what Isaiah Hardenstein can do, especially with dribble handoff on the perimeter, getting guards downhill.
32:01Chet can have the offense run through him.
32:03J-Dub can have the offense run through him.
32:04Caruso can have the offense run through him.
32:07So, they have options.
32:08But we do, too.
32:09We saw it tonight.
32:10OG making great reads.
32:12Carnarfin Town making great reads.
32:14I think we have – and Josh Hart as well.
32:15We have that offensive flexibility.
32:17I think we can be malleable based on personnel, based on matchup.
32:21We can have the right rotation out there that keeps the offense humming.
32:23I'm not concerned.
32:24No, that's fair.
32:26That's fair.
32:26All right.
32:27Come on.
32:27I know you have one more burning question for me.
32:29I know you're going to bring the heat.
32:30What you got?
32:32All right.
32:33Well, I brought him up.
32:34Let's talk about him a little bit more.
32:35Mikael Bridges.
32:36How sustainable is this?
32:38I think right now he is probably now an all-star level play, maybe even all-NBA play.
32:45Now, the points per game are not second on the team.
32:48He's about fourth.
32:49But he does have a second-best offensive rating in the entire NBA.
32:54By this morning, he was at 142.
32:57And he's the team's best pick-and-roll ball handler, as I mentioned before, averaging 1.1 points per attempts with Carnarfin Towns.
33:05Is this sustainable?
33:07Can he keep this up for the entire season?
33:09And can he be, when we need him in a playoff series, our second option?
33:13Yay, nay, I would love to hear your argument for either.
33:17I'm going to say kind of.
33:21I know that's kind of a cop-out answer.
33:24Okay, so.
33:25Come on, Dexter.
33:26I'm going to, okay, I'm going to say yes.
33:28But it won't look as good as it is right now.
33:31Right?
33:32This is what I'll say.
33:33So, right now, he's shooting amazing from downtown.
33:37Right around 46%.
33:39I don't think he's going to shoot 46%.
33:41We just did something recently about the odds of him shooting even over 42.5%, which would be a career high for him.
33:48I still think he could be somewhere between 40 to 41% three-point shooter for the year, which would be still amazing for him.
33:55He would be his highest in four seasons, I believe.
33:58So, he has not shot that well since much earlier in his career.
34:04And I think the way he's shooting the ball, how comfortable he is with the movement off the ball that we're seeing right now, how he's embraced running to the corners, has been fantastic.
34:13How he's embraced being a secondary playmaker.
34:16You know what you haven't heard in a long time here, Lee?
34:19What's that?
34:20Five first-round picks.
34:21I haven't heard anybody complaining about the five first-round picks from Mikel Bridges.
34:25You haven't heard that in quite some time.
34:27Because he's playing that good.
34:28Mikel Bridges is a damn good two-way player.
34:30We all knew this.
34:32I don't know what the reason he didn't play that great during the regular season last year.
34:34Maybe he just wasn't that comfortable.
34:36Maybe it takes people some time to adjust to their new surroundings.
34:39I have no idea.
34:40But I thought, and I don't know how you felt, I thought he was a perfect fit in Mike Brown and what he was trying to do in this offense.
34:46I think we're seeing that.
34:47When we say sustainable, again, do I think his offensive rating will be the second in the league?
34:55Maybe that drops a little bit.
34:57I think that might.
34:58But when I think he's sustainable, could he still be a top-ten offensive rating player in the league?
35:01Yeah.
35:02Here's the reason, because I think he's picking his spots.
35:05He's become highly efficient, something you're seeing with him and OG Ananobi.
35:09Fewer mid-range shots, more threes, more shots at the rim.
35:13And that's the biggest thing for me with Mikel Bridges this year.
35:15The biggest thing for me is his free-throw rate is up.
35:20He is getting to the line.
35:23We did not see that last year.
35:24Last year, this man would drive into the paint, and then he was fading away.
35:28No, no, no.
35:29That's not the case this year.
35:31Because that's how you get a high offensive rating, right?
35:34People think it's just about the shots you make, whether it's in the mid-range, at the rim, or shooting the three.
35:38He's shooting a great percentage from three, especially on the high volume.
35:42We love all that.
35:43That's good, but the variance to that will come down a little bit to some degree.
35:47The key to getting easy points is getting to the line and finishing your breakfast.
35:51And right now, he's doing that, and I love it.
35:55I think that bodes well, and I don't see that changing for him.
35:58Because now he's getting back to the player that we saw at Phoenix.
36:02I know there's always a lot of talk about, oh, will he ever be Brooklyn, Mikel Bridges?
36:05He doesn't need to be.
36:06What he needs to be is something between what we saw in Phoenix and in Brooklyn, and I think right now we're seeing that.
36:12There's a guy who looks happy in the offense, who's thriving in the offense.
36:14And so if we're talking about sustainability, Lee, and you're asking me, do I still think he can be an all-NBA-level player?
36:25I think he can be an all-NBA-level player, I definitely think so.
36:32I think both him and OG have a chance at that this year, maybe even Mitch, depending on how many games he plays.
36:37But I think he can absolutely do that, and I think he can be efficient third or fourth option, which is what you need.
36:43And I don't think he cares about whether he's the third or the fourth option.
36:46Some days it could be OG, some days it could be him.
36:49I think that's the beauty of this offense right now.
36:52It could be either guy.
36:53It could be Jordan Clarkson off the bench.
36:55We have no idea.
36:57I think Mikel Bridges, I always thought coming into this year, so my answer would be yes.
37:00I always thought coming into this year, Mikel Bridges was going to have a fantastic season.
37:06I felt very good about him in this offense.
37:08I really did.
37:09So if anybody's watching the New York guy game, you know I'm not just pulling this out of nowhere.
37:13I've been saying this through the offseason.
37:14I felt good about him in this offense.
37:16It's looked, to be honest, it looked even better than I thought.
37:20And the other thing I'm going to add, the last thing I'm going to say, and I want to hear you respond to this too,
37:25is what you mentioned in the last question when I asked you about Tyler Colen.
37:28It's the playmaking.
37:30And it's the confidence in the playmaking.
37:32When the ball is in his hands, in pick-and-roll situation, he looks confident.
37:36He's also off of cuts, off of dribble handoff actions.
37:40He's making immediately the right read.
37:42If he gets in the paint, he's looking to spray it out to other guys.
37:45He's embraced being a playmaker.
37:47That's huge in terms of offensive efficiency.
37:50His usage is up a little bit this year.
37:52His shot diet has changed as well, too.
37:55I think it's all good.
37:56He's just comfortable.
37:57He looks like he's – look, no matter what you do for work, if you're enjoying it, it looks a whole lot better.
38:03Now, I'm not saying he wasn't enjoying it under Tibbs.
38:06I'm just saying it looks like he enjoys it a little bit more, just a little bit more.
38:10So I'm going with yes.
38:11I think this is sustainable.
38:13You talked yourself into yes.
38:14I did.
38:14It wasn't even my argument.
38:15I did.
38:15You changed your mind.
38:16It was your own.
38:16I love it.
38:18Again, I don't think he's going to shoot 46% from three.
38:20I don't think that's happening.
38:22But I do think he's going to have a highly efficient offensive season.
38:25I do think so.
38:26Isn't it crazy?
38:27You know who is above him in that rating is Nikola Jokic.
38:30Yeah.
38:30And below him is Giannis.
38:32So that's unbelievable company to be sharing this early.
38:36Why I don't think it's going to dissipate sharply.
38:39Does he stay top three?
38:40Probably not.
38:41Top eight?
38:42I do think he'll stay top eight.
38:43The reason is how much gravity the other four players he shares a court with, even including Mitchell Robinson, who you cannot edge on.
38:52You have to guard him on the offensive board because of how dominant he is there.
38:56Then Carr-Anthine Towns is a hub.
38:58OG Ananobi is a playmaker.
38:59Jalen Brunson.
39:00Being surrounded with those guys makes it very difficult to throw two on the ball or to blitz him and pick and roll.
39:10You really have to pick your poison.
39:12And because of his ability to playmate for others, that's going to keep that offensive rating because it doesn't just matter about points.
39:18It's also about efficiency.
39:19And it's also about getting your teammates involved, too.
39:22And that has been a huge jump for him.
39:24I think he will in the season, either All-NBA or All-Star.
39:28And I love the idea that playoff series to playoff series, we can have a different second option based, again, on matchups, not being predictable, not having these very rigid, formulated roles where people get very frustrated because it limits their ability to impact others.
39:43And winning, this is more, let's read the game.
39:47And actually, for the first time in a couple of seasons, listen to what it tells you.
39:51And Mikael Bridges' ears have been wide open and the message is received.
39:54He's giving the team whatever they need on any given night.
39:57And that continuity with Brunson is unbelievable.
40:00Love the reads he's making.
40:01Love the defensive acuity that he's had and how disruptive he's been.
40:05And finally being taken off that ball hawking role and not having to be the POA defender night after night.
40:12He's also in that free safety role, too, where you can kind of freelance on the defense and decide whether to snake through a passing lane or really double and use the out-of-bounds baseline as a third or second man and force turnovers.
40:26All that has been brilliant.
40:27I don't see that trending anyway but up.
40:30Let's go, baby.
40:31No, I love that point you made, too, about him not having to be the POA defender as much as he was last year.
40:37I think some people, some fans may not have realized how taxing that was and then to also be efficient on the offensive end.
40:45So I'm in agreement with you, too.
40:46I also love the point you made about the company he's in right now because the difference between him being in the top three, right, with a Giannis and a Jokic,
40:54there's just so much more responsibility of those guys.
40:56And as you mentioned, he's getting to feed off all the other dudes here in the starting lineup, and he's been cooking and should continue to cook.
41:04Now, is he going to cook with the same heat?
41:06I don't know that, if it's going to be that good.
41:08But, yeah, I think he's going to cook, and I think it's sustainable, and we'll see.
41:14Look, I think he – look, right now, OG Ananobi and Mikkel Bridges could talk themselves.
41:21You could say they've been the Knicks' second-best player.
41:23I mean, here's the thing, Mikkel Bridges has absolutely, through nine games, been the Knicks' most consistent player.
41:28I don't even think that's arguable right now, through nine games.
41:31He's absolutely been their most consistent player.
41:34So, can he continue to do that over the long stretch?
41:36We'll see.
41:37But I'd like to put some odds on it, and I think that he and OG got an outside shot to make this – make the all-star team this year.
41:46I think a lot of it depends on how Cat plays.
41:48The rest of the way, Cat's had a bit of a slower start, better in his last three to four games.
41:51We will see how that happens.
41:54And listen, if the Knicks are going to get three all-stars, I'm sure that's a conversation weeks down the road.
41:58They're going to have to get off to a really strong start in the East.
42:01I mean, look, six and three right now, not too bad.
42:03All right, that was good.
42:04You can see, you brought the heat, too, my friend.
42:06That was some good questions.
42:07I had to come out here with you.
42:09Hey, burning questions.
42:10You've got to bring the fire.
42:11Okay, you had a player in Mikkel Bridges.
42:15My last burning question is around another player, and it's going to be OG Ananobi.
42:18So, we're going to get the other side of Wingstop here.
42:21So, is OG Ananobi's new, more selective offensive approach the blueprint, I would say, for this team's balance?
42:29And this kind of goes into some stuff that you and I were talking about with shot diet with different players.
42:33Because OG Ananobi, he's taken fewer mid-range shots, right?
42:3910% as opposed to 17% last season.
42:42This is according to cleaning the glass.
42:43But converting at a higher rate, much higher volume from three-point land this season.
42:5050% of his shots, 50%, Lee, are coming from three.
42:54And he's knocking down 41.4% of those shots.
42:58That's fantastic.
43:00You're getting a high volume and really efficient shooting.
43:03There you go.
43:04And 40% of his shots are coming at the rim.
43:06We all know how good of a finisher OG is, how good of a dunker is.
43:10He's thriving off of the quick decisions and spacing.
43:12Effective field goal percentage, a stat that I love, right, to look at when you talk about shooting.
43:17It's the highest of his career right now, 59.5%.
43:20That is really good.
43:23So, what we're seeing from OG, does this version of him where he's being good with the decisions and the spacing and his shot diet is different,
43:35does that unlock the best version of the Knicks offense?
43:37Or are they limiting how much more that he can do with the ball?
43:41Because we saw OG do a little bit of things where he cooked with the ball in his hands, sometimes too many turnovers.
43:47But we have seen that.
43:48So, do you think the way he's playing now unlocks the best version of the Knicks offense?
43:54Do you see that demon mask behind me?
43:55That's an OG Ananobi mask, actually.
43:58OG Ananobi has been a demon on both sides of the ball this season.
44:01So, I had to go to NBA.com and pick me up one of his face masks.
44:06Let me tell you about OG Ananobi, man.
44:07You know, Mike Brown, he's been so smart in how he's steamed and mitigated for the starting five.
44:13And I think as the season goes on, you'll see even more of that emphasis on some of the bench pieces, specifically Deuce.
44:18But for that starting five, you can tell this man went into the lab.
44:22He grinded a ton of tape and he figured out how do I make the best version, the most efficient version of every one of these players so they can work on both an individual level and a group level.
44:32An Omnic at the Time podcast for almost three post games in a row.
44:36So, I've analyzed how Mike Brown has purposefully used Ananobi.
44:40When does he attack on ball?
44:43And I've broken down in two ways.
44:45First, when he's above the nail, he's automatically locked in as a high-volume catch-and-shoot sniper, which you just gave all the stats to back up that eye test.
44:55Below the nail, when he catches it, whether the ball is swinging or maybe he's in the pick-and-roll action, when he catches it below the nail, Brown is trusting him to even decide.
45:04When are you going to pull up and hit that Kawhi Leonard mid-range shot?
45:09Or when are you going to put the ball on the floor and attack the basket as the best dunker on this New York Knicks roster?
45:15This is freedom.
45:15We're seeing freedom, but within a structured shell.
45:18And I think OG Ananobi has been the best off-ball store on our team and one of the most dependable dunkers in the dunking spot.
45:27Those seven three-point attempts is great volume that he's hitting right now.
45:30It's even better when it's at 40% shooting.
45:32Even a higher mark, around 44% on the corners.
45:35Brown has him crashing the glass, especially diving from the corners in a group stream.
45:41And that was really, that rebounding weakness was really one of the spots that Knit fans were the most concerned about.
45:47Last year, we've conceded completely rectified.
45:49It's been a group effort.
45:51And now OG Ananobi's rebounding numbers are some of the best of his career.
45:54And when something's not working, why change it, in my opinion?
45:57Here's some on-and-off stats for OG Ananobi to prove how incredibly important and potent he is.
46:04Defensive rating, plus 13.9.
46:07Offensive rating, plus 10.5.
46:09Net rating, you ready for this?
46:1124.1.
46:13That's my demon right there.
46:15That's my dad's face on my wall.
46:16The couple things you brought up, one, it's funny, and part of offense and defense, finishing possessions, getting extra possessions for your team, the rebounding from him.
46:26That's been the uptick.
46:27And you're right about him crashing, particularly from the corners.
46:29Mikel Bridges has been doing a fantastic job of that, too.
46:32But OG, averaging over six boards a game, I think people wanted to see more boards from him.
46:37You didn't see a lot of that from him last year playing the four.
46:39He is playing more of the three this year in terms of the starting lineup when they have the double big.
46:44So you're liking that, getting six rebounds out of your three, that's really good.
46:48And OG, I think, is an underrated rebounder.
46:50We've seen he had 14 rebounds in the first game of the season against the Cavs.
46:54So you can see him doing a lot better.
46:56He seems to be bought in.
46:58I think, personally, the way he's playing right now, it's perfect.
47:04I agree with you.
47:05He's got the opportunities to, if he wants to do something with the ball on the floor, like you said, when he gets the ball above the nail, it's great.
47:12But he's not doing too much.
47:14We've seen how it looks when he can do too much with the ball, right, where it's like, oh, no, he might turn the ball over here.
47:19The handle's a little shaky, right?
47:22But I think right now he's just seeing the game and reading well.
47:26Almost similar to what we just talked about with Mikel.
47:29He's seeing the game and reading well and understanding his role and how he can be highly efficient and is really bought in.
47:35And if he's going to shoot seven threes a game, he's going to hit over 41% from it.
47:42Well, and as you mentioned, we all know how good of a corner three-point shooter he is, and he's hitting 44% from the easiest three that you can hit from the corner.
47:51I mean, what are you going to do?
47:55And he's strong, and he's giving you problems on the other end as a defender.
48:00Yeah, I think it's not – I asked this question because I was just really curious as to what you thought about it.
48:05I actually don't think they're limiting how much more he can do with the ball.
48:08I think we've seen it.
48:09I think they're allowing him to pick his spots and not having him hurt the team by trying to do too much with the ball.
48:16But you said – I think you – yeah, you just said this.
48:19You said he's the team's best off-ball scorer.
48:23I'd agree with that.
48:24I'd absolutely agree with that.
48:25The numbers back that up, and it also backs with the eye test.
48:28If you've been watching him this season, he has.
48:30And he's shown that willingness to let it fly in terms of the three-pointer.
48:34His confidence only seems to be going up.
48:36Here's the thing, Lee.
48:37We can talk about all this stuff with the Knicks offense.
48:41The team can get better offensively as time goes on.
48:44They're still learning.
48:45They're still adjusting.
48:46This is why when they were two and three, people needed to calm down.
48:49They were doing too much.
48:51Right?
48:51They were doing too much.
48:52Over Twitter spaces.
48:54Yeah.
48:55And look, we all know how that goes.
48:57But the offense seems to be trending the right way.
49:00And sure, we have six burning questions here today.
49:04Six weeks from now, we might have some more burning questions.
49:06We might.
49:07There's always questions.
49:08There's always things we could ask.
49:09But for right now, life's not bad.
49:12Knicks have won six out of nine games to start the season.
49:14It's not bad at all.
49:16Appreciate you, Lee.
49:17These questions were good.
49:18You came with the fire, man.
49:20So it's you, brother.
49:21And I'll leave us with a poet who I thought was able to memorialize joy better than anyone else.
49:28And right now, the Knicks are giving all of us fans joy.
49:31And that is Emily Dickinson, one of our greatest poets in the history of a game.
49:36And she has a very short poem here.
49:38It's one that I learned in college and has stuck with me for the rest of my life.
49:41It's heaven is what I cannot reach.
49:43The apple on the tree, provided due hopeless pain, that heaven is to me.
49:48The color on the cruising cloud, the interdited ground behind the hill, the house behind.
49:55There, paradise is found.
49:57Emily Dickinson.
49:58Well, I'll tell you this, Lee.
50:00Knicks fans have been looking for heaven for quite some time.
50:02They've been looking since 1973.
50:04They've been hoping to get to the mountaintop, you know?
50:06And they're hoping this year, and maybe this year you were a believer.
50:10You said they're going to the finals.
50:11Wait, did you also, did you say they're winning at all?
50:14Did you predict that?
50:14Yes, I did.
50:14I did predict that.
50:15Yes, I did.
50:16So you know what?
50:17I have you back later in the season.
50:18I got to check on you.
50:19You got to make sure you're doing good.
50:20I got to make sure you stick with the prediction.
50:21You don't back off at all.
50:23We got to make sure.
50:24Oh, you know me.
50:25You know me, Dexter.
50:25I know, yeah, that's true.
50:26I do.
50:27I know.
50:28You're not backing off at all.
50:29But this was fun, man.
50:30We had some good questions to discuss about the Knicks.
50:33Hopefully the people enjoyed it.
50:35Let us know in the comments what you think about Lee's burning questions,
50:38my burning questions, and our answers and our discussion to it.
50:41It was really good.
50:42Check out Lee Escobedo, Nick of Time Show.
50:46They do a great job.
50:46Jay Ellis and the crew.
50:48Check them out there.
50:49Their postgames are fun.
50:50I pop on there sometimes to have a great discussion with the KOT crew.
50:54Lee, man, I appreciate you as always.
50:57Also appreciate that.
50:58As a fan of poetry, I appreciate the Emmitt Lee Dickinson poem there.
51:02That was a really good one.
51:03And hopefully at the end of this year, Knicks fans enjoy themselves a little slice of heaven.
51:07That's what we're hoping for.
51:09Amen.
51:10Great to be here.
51:11I appreciate you again.
51:12Happy birthday, Jay Ellis.
51:13I love you, brother.
51:13There you go.
51:14Thank you, Lee.
51:14Appreciate you, man.
51:16All right.
51:17We're going to see what the Knicks can do this week.
51:19Can they keep the good vibes going at home?
51:21Three more games left on this homestand.
51:23They welcome Memphis to town on Tuesday, followed by the Magic on Wednesday.
51:27And then they have the Heat coming to town next weekend.
51:30So it's going to be very interesting to see if the Knicks can go 7-0 on this homestand
51:35before they head out on the road.
51:37Got a lot more good content coming your way this week on New York Got Game.
51:42I will be at both of those home games this week against Memphis and Orlando.
51:47We also will have another live show coming up later in the week where we'll preview that
51:50matchup with the Miami Heat.
51:52Brian Fonseca will join me for that.
51:54That should be an absolutely fun one.
51:56So we'll see if the Knicks can keep the good vibes going.
51:59Right now, it's looking good.
52:01This is why it's a long season.
52:03Sometimes you don't have to panic that much.
52:05Also, it doesn't mean things can't turn the other way.
52:07But this is why we love to watch basketball.
52:09This is why we watch the games.
52:12We're going to get out of here.
52:13Special thanks to the people that make this show look as amazing as it does and the opportunity
52:18to keep going to bring you the best Knicks show in New York every week.
52:21Special thanks to my producer, Erica Block, technical director, Heather Bonsignore, production
52:26assistants, Jessica Thiessen, and Tommy Cohen.
52:30Also, got to give a shout out to our editor, Eduardo Guerrera.
52:35Special thanks again to everybody working here on New York Got Game.
52:38I'm Dexter Henry.
52:39We'll catch you next time on another edition of New York Got Game.
52:43And thanks for watching New York Got Game.
52:48Boom shakalaka.
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