00:00Joshua Aaron Hart was back in the lineup and show once again that this dude is the most valuable player on the Knicks roster, not named Jalen Brunson, in the win over the Trail Blazers Sunday night.
00:12So let's talk some Knicks basketball and, of course, all heart with Jonathan Macri of Knicks Film School.
00:18J-Mac, appreciate you throwing on the Blazers so we can talk about that win against the Trail Blazers.
00:23See what I did there? All five starters scored at least 18 points.
00:27Jalen Brunson, of course, led the way with 26. They're 5-5 in their last 10 games.
00:33Would you say that that was the Knicks' most complete game in weeks?
00:39Yeah, I would for a couple reasons. One, I think the Blazers have been playing very well and they're a team that, and they also got Drew Holiday back, who obviously we know Drew Holiday's a good defender.
00:50They're a really good defense and they're a physical defense too. I think we've seen the Knicks struggle with physical defenses this year.
00:56So for them to put up 123 points last night, an encouraging sign.
01:01But the reason why I think you have to consider this the most complete, if that's the term we're going to use, win in a while, is how they defended down the stretch and specifically in the fourth quarter.
01:12Jalen Brunson has been a guy who's gotten a lot of attention this year for his defense and not for good reasons.
01:17So to see him get switched on to Denny Avdia, who's the Blazers' best player, on consecutive possessions in the fourth quarter, hold his ground both times, again, it's a small sample size there.
01:30But that's a better sample than we've gotten from him, again, on the defensive end.
01:35And if the Knicks are going to do anything this year, all of their players, including Jalen Brunson, has to defend.
01:40So add it all up, and yeah, I think it's the best win they've had in a while.
01:43One guy who has been the heart and soul of this team and this defense, Josh Hart, been out since Christmas Day when he sprained the ankle.
01:51While he was out, it looked like the Knicks completely lost their identity, especially on the defensive side of the basketball.
01:56He comes back, logged 31 minutes, 18.6 assists.
02:02Defense was there, and he hit a clutch bucket with 90 seconds left in the game.
02:06In terms of value, hear me out here, because a lot of people are going to be running their mouths in the comments.
02:11In terms of overall value, is he the second most valuable player on this team behind Jalen Brunson?
02:20I'm going to try to not make this a cop-out, although I have a feeling you may accuse me of copping out here.
02:29I think he's the second most valuable person on the Knicks, because to me, that takes into account not only what he does on the floor,
02:38which is obviously very notable and very important, but it also takes into account what he means to their culture,
02:44what he means in that locker room, as a guy who is always willing to be accountable, is always willing to sacrifice,
02:52and I don't think is bashful when it comes to maybe saying the tough thing or any of those sorts of things.
03:02Josh Hart, I think, probably more than anybody on the team raises their floor.
03:08So, again, you know, is that how much of value is encompassed in that?
03:13Because you saw when he was out, this team, there were just certain nights that they didn't have it,
03:17and there was no one to step up and make sure, hey, we're not going to go down like this tonight.
03:22Josh Hart kind of ensures that, and, you know, it's not that they're going to win every game that he's in.
03:27It's not that he doesn't have negative qualities as a player, but when you have him there,
03:32you kind of know what you're going to get, and most of the time, far more often than not, it's going to be good.
03:36Okay, so as a player or person, where would your confidence be in Cat right now
03:43in terms of reliability and consistency as a number two option?
03:47You know, I've been hard on Cat not only this year but in the playoffs last season,
03:52so I'm going to try to be overly fair here.
03:55My confidence is actually pretty high, and the reason I say that is because he, you know,
03:59last night, obviously, Mike Brown benches him for the last game.
04:02I thought he played well, you know,
04:05and I thought it was more that the lineup had it going.
04:07Mitchell Robinson had maybe his best game of the season or one of them,
04:10and against that Blazer team, you just didn't want to have two minus defenders on the floor at the same time
04:15when they kind of were picking at those scabs every opportunity they got.
04:20So, but I, look, it has not been a great Cat season.
04:23Obviously, he's been frustrated at times,
04:25but I think when you look at the overall picture,
04:27there are enough positive signs for me to be hopeful moving forward with the caveat that,
04:34no, we have not seen his best,
04:35and he needs to play better than he has for them to reach their ceiling.
04:40Trade deadline right around the corner.
04:42Actually, in a couple weeks now,
04:44there was a report over the weekend that said that league sources say that Gershon,
04:48Yabaselli, and Pac-Holm, Dottie A are available before the February 5th trade deadline
04:54to potentially set the Knicks up for some minor tweaking.
04:58Mike Brown has shown that he can get the most out of his bench so far this season.
05:02So, with the deadline creeping up,
05:05do you think that the Knicks are going to make any moves,
05:08and do you feel as though Cat can be on that trading block?
05:11No for Cat, just because his salary is massive,
05:16and if anything, that would be an off-season thing.
05:19I do think that they will make a move for two reasons.
05:22Number one, I think you saw last night,
05:24for as much as we have gotten some nice production from some younger players,
05:28Tyler Kolek, you know, Muhammad Dior, Kevin McCuller,
05:31over the course of the last few weeks,
05:34Mike Brown only played really, played eight guys.
05:37You know, I know Dior got a few minutes,
05:39but really it was an eight-man rotation,
05:41and I would define his true circle of trust as like seven and a half,
05:46and the half is Jordan Clarkson, who played 13 minutes last night.
05:50You know, obviously when he's feeling it, he could be a great asset,
05:53but I'm not even sure I'm willing to say that he is a no-doubt-about-it,
05:57you know, 15 to 20-minute-a-game guy in the playoffs.
06:02Leaves you again, seven, seven and a half.
06:04You know, they're going to want to get another guy
06:06that Mike Brown could definitively rely upon,
06:09and when you are a team like the Knicks,
06:11who I think needs to get every ounce out of your roster
06:17and, you know, the money that you have allocated,
06:19when you have over $5 million dedicated to Gershon Yabaselli,
06:23he hasn't produced, and then obviously Pacom Dottier,
06:26another couple of million bucks there.
06:28If you could flip that into something that can, again,
06:33give you a reliable, even if it's 15 minutes a night in the playoffs,
06:37I think they do it.
06:40You know, the one wild card, I'll just say before I go,
06:42Landry Schammett still working his way back,
06:44so I wonder if he comes back and looks good
06:47and picks up where he left off,
06:48does that change the equation a little bit?
06:50Maybe I would still bet on them making a trade before the deadline.
06:54All right, J-Mac, appreciate you, man, and happy New Year.
06:57First time seeing you in the New Year, my guy.
06:59Yes, a belated happy New Year.
07:01We are brothers in blazers over here.
07:03There we go.
07:04There we go.
