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00:00Welcome back to another edition of New York got game the next day are red hot right now nine wins in their last 10 games that includes a dominant blowout victory over the Celtics in Boston but after a tough January stretch we all saw that
00:29one two and nine a trade deadline move the big question is simple right now have the Knicks finally found their identity well on this episode we're going to answer that question and we're going to do it joining me now the person to help break it all down is Ron Hunter he's the host and co-founder of still Knicks fans and he joins me now Ron what's good my guy how you doing man happy to wake up another day open my eyes and be a part of the earth so I'm going if that's the
00:59the metric I'm okay that is good hey you know what helps with that metric you got to wake up you got to see another day the Knicks have won nine out of ten the vibes are pretty good around the team I'm not sure everybody feels that way but you know the vibes are pretty good so Ron this team has won nine out of last ten we just saw them on Sunday dominate Boston when you look at this and we saw this team play really well during December in that run to the NBA Cup does this feel different than previous hot streaks
01:29we've seen from the Knicks we've seen from the Knicks either this season or in previous seasons what do you say about this streak that we're seeing the Knicks on right now yeah I definitely think it feels different I as someone who's been watching the Knicks and noticing their you know evolution of turning into a really good contending basketball team you just watch the differences in how they approach games and the streaks they've had before and I can say specifically
01:57this streak I don't think I can really point to a time where I saw the Knicks play a mix of under 500 teams as well as over 500 teams and win comfortably so there would be times where they might you know have a couple good comfortable win throughout the course of the streak but in this particular streak they're either winning comfortably over the good teams like the above 500 teams
02:27teams which is something I'm not used to seeing so they're really putting their foot on the next of their opponent which I'm surprised and that's what I'm really excited about it shows me a different level of urgency with regards to the wins yeah it I would say Ron right like a different level of urgency and then listen and sometime we're going to get into this next you're going to have these stretches but it shows a level of connectedness and commitment to at least what needed to be done after that stretch
02:57the Knicks we saw them have that terrible to a nice stretch in January and some of the fan base they were about to be out on the Knicks but when you watch this version of the Knicks right now what you just talked about and what we're seeing and this is a big question I have right here is what do you think their identity is right now because you've heard this all season where people said hey the Knicks don't have an identity so just in this stretch what do you think their identity is right now
03:27over this 10 game stretch they are actually number one in the NBA in defense so it's easy to say that this is who we are now but I like to say that I think Mike Brown and the rest of the players have kind of gone back to basics realizing that defense is important and they've been lacking there but I also want to say that they have done a really good job offensively over this stretch so I think it's the combination of both I think their identity right now
03:57is being balanced I mean they their first and three point shooting over the last 10 games their third overall all season in offensive rating so I think the combination of that and how they play defensively over the last 10 I think the identity right now is balanced so I like that I like that for an identity balance because I do think while the defense has been better so much of the focus has been on that you're right they still have been very solid offensively even when they have many droughts you saw that in Boston they had the stretch in the beginning of the third where they were not hitting three pointers but
04:27they still got back to what works for them offensively so let's go to this with the Knicks winning nine out of their last 10 Ron the one blemish and some some people are going to focus on the one blemish was the loss in Detroit last Friday where let's keep it real they were blown out again by the Pistons are you concerned by the team's latest performance against Detroit or do you think that this is a game where you can't take much from it because the Knicks they didn't have cat they didn't have OG and they didn't have Deuce McBride who's going to be out for a while
04:57which we will get to but what do you take from that Pistons loss are you concerned about what you've seen from the Knicks against the Pistons this season
05:04um I mean over this over the season I would say yeah I'm a little concerned that just things haven't really worked out I think it's it has to do with timing in the NBA it's an 82 game season a lot of things will happen and take and you know it'll take time to to really work everything out
05:25and unfortunately for whatever reason when they play the Detroit Pistons there's been certain things that just haven't been ideal uh the first time well the last time the when the Pistons blew them out by 31 the Knicks were a different basketball team and I don't think they were good enough to really face the Pistons and win against them let alone you know make the game a lot closer this time around however the Knicks are playing really good basketball and it's unfortunate that they go into a Pistons game without
05:55and then we're talking about other really you know important pieces of the eight the eight player core that they have with Deuce beating uh and then losing Josh throughout the game yeah I think that that and a combination of Jalen Brunson not being able to hit anything from the jump it's just too much to overcome so I I don't I always just say you know I hate to make excuses but for this particular game there's excuses all over the place
06:25I think it's fair and listen the Pistons they didn't have Jalen Durant as well too and he's the second best player I understand all that I think there's some things coming out the game where you can say I didn't like maybe how Brunson handled the length that was thrown at him but what I would say to that is you've seen the captain always figure this stuff out I think he figures that out over a seven game series I don't take too much from that last game against Detroit
06:55anyway fifth game against Detroit Knicks were a different team they had some stuff going on too we'll see I'd like to see both those teams play healthy we'll see we'll we come back to the Pistons again a little bit later and Dex another thing I just want to add is is the fact that uh I you know you have to be honest with yourself as a fan and honest with what you see in your team and honestly I think the Knicks are a team that really needs their core pieces as many of them as they can have to be successful other teams may be able to win games without their core pieces
07:25um and it's interchangeable uh because of how they play but the Knicks need their guys so if there's excuses to be made for the Knicks I think it's a little bit more warranted than maybe another another team yeah I don't you know it's funny now you bring up that point you made me think about something that I had brought up in a previous episode I don't remember who the guest was I want to say it was Jeff Johnson but I I posed a question much earlier in the season it might have been late December early January was can this Knicks team win if they don't have two of their top seven eight players and to that
07:55point that point that you said it really hurts the Knicks because you can get into bench depth and all this stuff but they are a little bit top heavy now I don't think most contending teams can handle losses to two of their top seven or eight rotation players I don't think this is a Knicks problem most teams will struggle with that and this happens sometimes in the NBA season to your point 82 games a couple guys are going to be out yeah especially we should also know they had three of their top eight players not in the game
08:25on Friday and two of their starters two fifths of the starters were not in the game that's going to affect most teams I just think it's you know you got to put things in context sometimes a little bit but let's talk let's go back to the trade deadline here Rob because the Knicks they made a move at the deadline they got point guard and I know you and I will like this because we are Brooklyn natives they got Brooklyn native Jose Alvarado from the Pelicans what did you make of the move and also what did you make of his performance in his first game as a Knick in Boston
08:55what do you think he brings to this team that they were missing earlier in the season well first off shout out to Jose Alvarado Boricua Williamsburg we in the house baby there you go yep so I was actually very pleasantly surprised because my whole thing about Jose Alvarado is he's so he's so special in what he does and he's he's he's pesky but I'm just surprised that he's still able to do what he does
09:25he still was able to get two steals in the game and and and you know turn that on and affect the game I definitely love the way he played I like the fact that you can see he's learning I mean they showed uh when the game was starting there was a little conversation I guess he was mic'd up there was a conversation between him and Brunson and he was asking Brunson hey if I get the ball where do you like me to pass it to you and Brunson said you know just let you figure it out you'll get it you'll see because it's all about read and react and I think he he did a good job of kind of just letting the game flow and come to him
09:54he stood back he wasn't too aggressive he passed up shots and just tried to get everybody else involved I think he was being a really good student of learning their offense and and understanding where he fits in it and I think as time goes on he's going to get even better but I was definitely very happy with the uh the addition of Jose Alvarado um and and how he looks I was a little skeptical at first because another short guard okay but I said you know what once we found out about um unfortunately deuce I see the need for him okay
10:24so I was wondering if that was part of your skepticism there Ron with the with his size so and I think that's I want to be clear I think that was fair because when you look at the next backcourt Brunson not a big guy deuce also not a big guy but deuce one of the smaller guys one of the best point of attack defenders you get another good point of attack defender here one of my takeaways from the Boston game when you watch Alvarado on the floor Ron you can tell me if you if you rock with this as well too
10:52because he was so good like on the ball and off the ball in his defense it just helps even though he lacks size it helps that the Knicks then have another defender a plus defender just another plus defender right not another guy you could just easily target on the floor granted he can't he's going to struggle against some bigger players but the fact he's so good I still don't know how he does his GTA stuff where he's coming behind guys and getting steals
11:22for the Knicks in terms of the Knicks in terms of just feeling like they're a little bit more solid defensively to your point especially with do sell I just I like what he brings on the defense defensive and despite the size limitations is is that enough for you that you know you like what he brings on that end as well too well yeah I mean I think so I think I think I was a little maybe it's tough when you don't see a player play every day because he's not on your team so you get you're acquiring
11:52recent highlights of him I just know his game and I know what he's done against us and and seeing his style of play but you know when you start to kind of deep dive into him I was just a little concerned about you know over the last two years there's been a dip in his defensive you know style he hasn't really done as much defensively as he did in the past and I just I just you know chalk that up to a player being in the league for a number of years things start to change a little bit the more you're you're around
12:22and the other thing that I look at is the New Orleans Pelicans are a younger team a little bit more athletic than the New York Knicks a little faster moving and so I feel like maybe you know he might have lost a step in the mix of their group but on the Knicks with a slower team I think he's a breath of fresh air and so you know I think here he will be allowed to really be in his element and I think we'll see the difference and I think we started to see the difference already today automatically yeah I think we did against Boston I think that's a good thing
12:52point his energy that energy infusion that he can bring to the bench okay so we saw GTA deliver we just talked about it right 12 points two assists two steals against Boston in the team's latest win on Sunday but for me another standout off the bench was rookie Muhammad Diawara he scored 10 points he did not miss a shot in this game where are you Ron on his development because I think even when I've been on your shot I don't think we've talked too much about Muhammad Diawara but where are you in his development and do you think that he's a player that can really help this Knicks team
13:22going forward what do you say I love Mo I love Mo I like I like what he does out there I like the fact that the thing about Diawara that is intriguing is out of all the young guys I think he has really done the most consistent consistently with his opportunities even in minimal minutes like you know we used to comment about him all the time two three minutes and you're like he has one assist one block you know one rebound like it's small but you're saying
13:52hey even a little bit of minutes he does something and I think that's a really good thing but I think most importantly his versatility with his size you know his ability to run up and down the floor his great passing acumen there's a lot of things to like about Mo Diawara and I still think the interesting thing about him is like when we were getting him and drafting him everybody kept telling me about you know his defense and don't get me wrong I don't I think he plays good defense but I haven't seen him be able to lock in on defense
14:22but I think that's a lot of time in the NBA you're facing a lot of different competition and guys you know are at star levels setting you know they have their set moves and it takes a lot of time for a defensive player specifically to understand these patterns and know how to play these guys and I think over time he's just going to get better.
14:52which to me is huge for a rookie right he's reading the assignments well he's making his rotations is he always locked in no is he always going to lock up another guy a tough assignment like a Jalen Brown on Sunday no but the efforts there he doesn't he just doesn't look lost I've seen we've seen other young players even on this team that sometimes they come in and it's like what's going on where should I be what am I doing right you you've seen this and he doesn't look like that and then you're also seeing the confidence with the
15:22shot start to come and listen confidence comes through opportunity you're talking about the limited minutes he's look good Mike Brown clearly trust him out there he's been shown that 27 minutes on Sunday against the Celtics so you're starting to see that I think Mo Diawara could be a piece it's going to be interesting to see how development goes and the Knicks are going to probably try to lock him up to a team friendly deal this this summer I like him as a player and I think Knicks fans should be excited with what they're seeing off the bench the last thing I'll say about that is look
15:52we talk sometimes about first round picks high second round picks this is a guy who's taken with the 51st pick in the draft good scouting finds talent everywhere and the Knicks have done some of that in the last six to seven years of finding some good talent particularly in the second round so he might be another guy that kind of adds to this now you mentioned this before because we learned on the day of the trade deadline we learned about Deuce McBride we learned that he's going to be out until likely the end of the season with a sports hernia that he already has had surgery for what's
16:22your concern level about the Knicks being able to survive without their best three point shooter and their best point of attack defender for an extended period of time where are you on your level of concern about this with Deuce being out honestly you know I'm a big Deuce fan he's one of my favorite players on the team and so I've been yearning and you know asking for it and begging for Deuce to be you know a better offensive player and locked in and because
16:52I think his consistency on the offensive side was lacking a little bit over the last two seasons and you know and then whenever he would get it going he would get these little nagging injuries that would derail him and he would lose his rhythm he'd have to get it all back and so I just feel bad for Deuce because things just keep happening to him and especially you know this season he's been the best I've seen him you know since he's been a Knick I think consistently on the offense and defense he's always had the defensive side but offensively he's been fantastic this year
17:22to lose him to lose him to lose him to lose him to lose him to lose him to lose him and to lose him is not going to be easy for the Knicks to you know deal with that long term hopefully it'll get him back you know before the playoff run but I do think the good thing is that we did pick up Alvarado and he will be able to add something another ball handler and somebody who's pesky on defense point of attack defense as you mentioned that can help
17:52what we've been able to appreciate but it's here now is Landry Shamit is back and he's been back and more intertwined in the the rotation and I think with the addition of Alvarado and Landry Shamit being here that's going to be what really makes up for Deuce not being here I know I know it's weird because Shamit is like I always say he's the best worst defender ever because he's right there but sometimes he just doesn't stop people but his act like this his energy his act of this and his energy is what's really
18:22helping the team helping the team and I think it pushes everybody I think I think they work together that way it's a good thing yeah Shamit's energy is infectious and now he'll be asking he's not going to give you he should shot the ball well I know what you're saying he's not going to give you everything to do sad and you're right it's been tough for Deuce because even this has been his best season to me his most complete season and then he gets you know another little knock here and you're like ah man this is tough but Shamit's been good since coming back his energy is infectious
18:52we'll see how they can hold it down without Deuce McBride out of the rotation but when you look at this rotation now right even with Deuce McBride out so when you look at it now with Deuce McBride out does it feel more defined than it did a month ago knowing that you've got Jose Alvarado in here we'll see what happens with Tyler Kolek and Jordan Clarkson we'll see what happens to those guys but trade deadline's over you know Deuce is not going to be here probably to the end of the season do you look at this rotation
19:22is okay this is more defined and I know how this team is pretty much going to look from now to the end of the season yeah I think I think it's definitely in a better place you know having Shamit back healthy helps the team tremendously I think because like I said the energy and all that stuff that he does bring and it's it's it's infectious and I think the addition of Alvarado is something they they are going to really benefit from the only thing I would say
19:52they're still probably missing is one more it's still to be determined but either another big that will help them with a little bit more length because the matchups will change throughout the season and you just want to be in the best possible position to defend or another I guess consistent scorer coming off the bench because there's you know right now throughout this this 10 game win streak the Knicks I mean 10 game streak I mean sorry
20:22over the last 10 games 8 game win streak the Knicks played incredible offense but you can't always count on that some nights you're not going to have it some nights the starters may not have it and the bench might have to bail them out and I think the Knicks still need a little bit more scoring off the bench I think Jordan Clarkson as much as I've liked his game over the years he's he's terribly inconsistent has been much more inconsistent with the Knicks so if they can find somebody else I don't know maybe a Cam Thomas or somebody off the off the buyout market
20:51you know I think that might benefit them but I would definitely think that it's either one of the two if we get one of the two then I would say that we're in a much better place we've gotten rid of Yabusele who just wasn't a good fit here and hopefully he's blossoming and doing better in Chicago where he gets more playing time and more opportunities so you just mentioned Cam Thomas and right before we started recording this Ron he just signed with the Milwaukee Bucks
21:21he's gonna get plenty plenty of shots there um not sure you'd fit in with this team I don't know either right I it sounds to me I think the two options you mentioned because and I will get to this in more in the coming weeks but the buyout market that you just mentioned could they get another big that can be interesting do they get another I don't know how many good scores are going to be on the buyout market that can you know come in off the bench and give you buckets do they get another wing with size that could defend like a Mathis Stiebel
21:50Mathis Stiebel is that an option there's some ways they can go I do agree the road you can feel better about the rotation but it does feel like there's just like one more thing right that they could add that yeah maybe they can get a tweener Dex maybe they can get a tweener like a Chris Boucher so one of my one of my friends hit me up and mentioned Boucher today he mentioned Boucher to me so that I could see that I could see that as a guy that he's a tweener he could play a little bit three play a little bit of the four
22:20yeah I could see that he can he can hit he can hit corner threes something the Knicks are best in the league at I could see that that's not a bad name we'll get more into the buyout market into another couple of weeks but I wanted to ask you this when you look at the contenders in the East Ron because I had a friend I was talking to today and she said to me I thought it was interesting statement she said hey I think the Celtics are actually the team to beat in the East that made me think
22:50about what I'm going to ask you here it's a statement I saw your face it's it's a statement it's an interesting statement so which team are you more concerned about right now in a potential playoff series would it be the Pistons or would it be the Celtics and why which of those two teams would you be more concerned about or you think Knicks fans should be more concerned about well I think the whole league should be concerned about the Boston Celtics because they're you know they're already they were mentioning today Jason Tatum's getting closer he's playing five on fives
23:20and I do think that what Missoula coach Missoula has done with Boston this year has put them in a position to be a much more well-rounded offensive team I think they were too one-dimensional last year especially when the Knicks were able to really put the spotlight on them and figure them out and and you know beat them so I think they're a little bit more well-rounded now as a basketball team however I do think that there is going to be a transition period
23:50playing without him Jalen Brown has got into a new level of comfortability and I do think that Tatum is going to upset that a little bit how long it takes for them to gel and mesh again don't know but I do think there's going to be a little time where they have to get that back and so I don't fear them as much as I fear a team who is already clicking on all cylinders and is number one in the east so I think Detroit is a team that I would say
24:16uh you know is you know they beat us twice by blowouts 31 and 38 you can't not take them for granted I think you definitely should be wary of them and as fans I think we all need to look at Detroit and respect them I think uh I learned from my show yesterday uh there was a lot of Detroit people in my chat and I and even if someone joined the show and I was like wow this is incredible I don't know where this is coming from but uh they would that what I learned is Detroit
24:46is like uh you know they got something to say they feel like they've been overlooked uh they feel like they don't get the respect that they deserve and I think they have an issue with New York not only just the team but the fans in general overlooking them uh so there's a rivalry they're brewing on their end not really on the Knicks end but they are using the Knicks as a motivation so I definitely think we we need to be worried about Detroit I saw it too the other night we did a live watch party and Detroit fans they were up in the chat man they were up in the
25:16chat and they were listen they were talking their talk and they were puffing their chest out and they should to the Knicks fans that they have uh blown them out twice and I do I agree with you I think there's this sense of you're overlooking us uh to the Knicks fans the Knicks beat them last year obviously they're salty because you know Brunson hit the shot in game six and I would be salty about that too but yeah I agree with you there needs to be a healthy respect
25:46man if you because I I feel this way and I think the Knicks are still the most talented team in the easy however talent does not get you to the finals talent does not always win you championships we do know that you still have to respect your opponent and go out there so a lot of respect for Detroit they have one of the best defenses in the league um so you got to respect what they do now Ron we know this some fans and I know you saw this on your show had major concerns during that two and nine stretch last month
26:16they've been into this squad despite the fact that they've won nine out of their last ten games so what do you think is the biggest thing that this team still needs to prove before fans fully buy in I know you're not gonna get every fan to always buy in at the same time but what do you think is the thing that the Knicks still have to prove to this fan base
26:46but most importantly they need to show that they can win or at least be in the games to the point where they have a chance to win down the stretch against top level competition the Knicks schedule has not been I thought it was gonna be looked at as brutal when I first saw it before the season started but when you kind of go back and look at it it hasn't been that crazy for the Knicks and I think they've kind of avoided so far playing some of the top competition around the league but that those days are
27:16coming and I think you know today was a really good example playing a Boston team who has been playing well so you can't there's no excuses to say Tatum's not there they've been playing great without Tatum and learn how to play a better brand of basketball and the Knicks won today handily they did actually what we have seen Boston do to us in the past in the regular season multiple times so it was really good to see that even if we lost a tough not a tough game but a game against Detroit where we were shorthanded but I say this is
27:46the beginning right there's going to be games against OKC there's going to be another game against Detroit on Thursday and there's going to be you know games against Houston so I think those type of games if the Knicks show that they can either win the games or be right there at the end of the fourth quarter with a chance to win that will open up a lot of Knicks fans eyes and say hey last year those same teams blew you out this year you're right there or you're beating them now we look at you differently yeah it'll be interesting you mentioned
28:14I think it's after after the All-Star break they've got Detroit and at home and then they have the Rockets at home first two games to start right after the All-Star break so that's going to be very interesting now this week the Knicks are going to play their final two games before the All-Star break so home to the Pacers on Tuesday then they battle the Sixers down I-95 in the City of Brotherly Love on Wednesday night what are you keeping your eye on with the Bockers this week when you look at those two games before the All-Star break
28:42honestly I just don't want to let down I just want them to go out there and you know take the games just like they would any other game the Pacers are not really a team that they should be worried about they should go out there and and and play their brand of basketball but lock in defensively and continue to do what they've been doing offensively and get the victory and as far as the 76ers go I would say the same exact thing I think you know the 76ers are a team that I think is starting to rise up again
29:12they've got a lot of talent over there and people are starting to get excited again for what they have but it doesn't change the fact that I think they match the Knicks match up very well with them there's a couple teams in the league that no matter how good they are the Knicks match up very well and have a chance to beat them any given night that's the 76ers the Milwaukee Bucks and the Denver Nuggets for whatever reason they match up really well against those teams so I would expect them to go out there and take care of business and put their best foot forward and get another another set of victories for both all right
29:42they can get another set of victories that would be very interesting that would make it 11 wins in the last 12 games heading into the all-star break Knicks 1-2 against the Sixers this season last got a win last month in January against Sixers down in Philadelphia one of the better road wins of the season for the Knicks all right last thing for me Ron bottom line here we have seen the Knicks play much better defense in recent weeks you just talked about the fact how they have the number one defense in their last 10 games in the league but Ron
30:11have the Knicks have the Knicks finally found their identity because we talked about what their identity looks like now during the stretch or do you view this as there's still a work in progress what do you say
30:22no I think I think they have found their identity I think that identity is the fact that they're a balanced team I think they have to make a concerted effort and an attention to detail on defense they have to give maximum effort they have to communicate and continue to buy in and talk to each other because I think they were lacking that a little bit they they have kind of maybe they rested on their defensive laurels from years past and it just hasn't it wasn't that easy it didn't come out of the
30:52naturally that you actually have to work at it and I think they had to be a lot more vocal as to what's going out there on the court there was a lot of lapses backdoor openings that they were you know letting take place once we saw that not only were the Knicks struggling to stop you know opponents on the perimeter but also in the paint that's when we knew there was a problem and I think they've solved that for the most part there's still you know going to be issues where you know you can't stop everybody but I think they've put in a lot more attention to detail there and I think they're continuing
31:22continuing to go back to go back to the principles that Mike Brown was trying to institute to start the season moving the ball moving your body trusting your teammates and I think they're getting back to that so with the combination of the defensive side the offensive side and Mike Brown's more condensed rotations not experimenting so much and letting guys go out there with their core and play I think that's the key and I think he realized that over the eight game win streak
31:52the rotation and kind of focusing on the rotation and kind of focusing on a strong eight maybe a nine I think that that was smart and I think as long along the road if they continue to do that I think we'll be fine all right I think they'll be fine Knicks looks like they may finally found their identity it's always a long season Ron it's 82 games it is a marathon not a sprint this is why you can't go so crazy and you know right now Knicks are playing good basketball it'll be interesting to see if they can continue
32:20that good play into the all-star break that is my guy Ron Hunter check him out still Knicks fans they do a fantastic job with the Knicks content over there Ron I know you've been enjoying this team through the all-star break we will see how they do as always I appreciate you joining me in another edition of New York Got Game thank you my friend
32:38thank you Dex appreciate you having me no appreciate you man and we'll catch everybody later this week a lot more content coming up we'll have another watch party for the Sixers game so a lot of good stuff going on this week and enjoy this edition of New York Got Game enjoy the week and we will talk to you later on another edition of New York Got Game
32:57and thanks for watching New York Got Game boom shakalaka
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