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New York Knicks
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Celtics 131, Knicks 104: “Hey, Delon’s first minutes!”
Source: https://www.postingandtoasting.com/2025/2/9/24362111/celtics-131-knicks-104-hey-delons-first-minutes
Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images
The best-laid plans of mice & men often go awry
Near the midpoint of the third quarter last night, his team down six, Mikal Bridges was guarding Jaylen Brown when the Celtic turned the ball over. Josh Hart fired it ahead to Jalen Brunson at midcourt, with Jayson Tatum to his left, Derrick White closing on his right and the high-flying Brown a few feet back, in perfect chasedown-block position. Using the defenders’ aggression against them, the brilliant Brunson pushed his dribble about halfway down the lane, drawing and ultimately collapsing the coverage, turning to find Bridges wide-open trailing the break. The ironman drilled an open trey to make it a three-point game. At that moment I had a vision of a stirring Knicks comeback, a win that’d tie them with the C’s in the loss column and be their best of the season. Beyond that, I imagined writing a recap I’ve had in mind for nearly 10 years.
Then the Celtics win on a 19-3 run en route to a rout. If you’re here for an autopsy, the simplest explanation for cause of death is the Knicks only attempting five more 3s (24) than the Celtics made (19). Three Bostonians made four or more beyond the arc; no Knick had more than three. New York’s starting five attempted 16 longballs. Tatum alone took 14. If you’re throwing 30 jabs a round and your opponent’s throwing 30 uppercuts, you meeting the mat is a question of when, not if.
The recap I hoped to write started with someone I can’t remember anymore — could’ve been Arron Afflalo. Maybe Courtney Lee, maybe Frank Ntilikina. What I do remember was watching a game where the Knicks were behind big early but started making a comeback. The points were piling up to where the pinwheel ceiling sounded like it could come crashing down, so raucous were the home crowd. And then, just when the comeback was about to crest, and the Knicks got out on the break, and were one more make from MSG climaxing in full, uproarious rapture . . . the ball found Ntilikina in the corner. Or Lee. Or Afflalo. Whatever. Whoever it found missed.
And I thought, “That’s a sign. You’ll know the Knicks are back — not Amar’e-quote back, but fully, actually, 1990s or 1970s back — the day that pass finds the right guy in that spot.”
Then, like Linus in the pumpkin patch, I waited, eyes peeled and razor-sharp, for a sign my faith had been rewarded. Could Marcus Morris be the prince who was promised? What about Reggie Bullock? Alec Burks didn’t scream “Messiah,” but if the holy grail were the cup of a carpenter it’d only make sense for New York’s savior to give a similarly humble vibe. Evan Fournier raised some eyebrows his first year here, what with setting a Knick record for 3s in a season and in particular those fading-away corner jobs where he’d drift both away from the basket and behind it. Alas, none of them were “Him.”
I imagine recaps are like rosters: you can have a vision, but unless the right content comes along to fill it the form remains just another dream. The dream of the Knicks surpassing the Celtics is a long-standing one. The bad news isn’t really news at all: as of right now, today, they’re not close. Boston had the edge in size, shooting, continuity and defense, and if you try any “But OG Anunoby was out!” they’ll see you and raise you two absent starters in Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Richdingus.
Somehow, despite the Knicks replacing OG in the starting five with the bigger Precious Achiuwa, every switch and rotation seemed to end up in a size mismatch favoring the visitors: Josh Hart guarded by Luke Kornet; Brown shooting one fadeaway after another over Brunson and Deuce McBride; Karl-Anthony Towns facing Tacko Fall triplet triple-teams. That last bit’s made up. But that’s basically what it felt like watching: like the Knicks thought they were playing the Celtics but instead all the C’s big brothers showed up instead.
Last night didn’t change any my hopes for the Knicks. I think they have the right starting five to win a championship. I don’t think they have the bench to, nor do I expect a team to build both a title-worthy starting lineup and reserve unit all in one offseason. I think with continuity they can be a 60-win team — consider, if you will, how little of that Brunson’s actually had since becoming a Knick. He had about a year and a half straight with RJ Barrett and Julius Randle. In the last 13-ish months, RJ was traded for OG, who missed most of his first half-year with New York. Randle missed the last 3+ months, which is about how long KAT and Bridges have been Knicks. And yet the offense is elite and the defense — most nights — is coming along.
Brunson to Bridges was the right play midway through the third, and feels like a glimpse of greater glories to come. Last night it was but one twinkling light amidst the dark. Quoth Jaybugkit: “Hey, Delon’s first minutes!” I don’t imagine Delon Wright makes a big impact this year for this team, but while he’s no Mikal or Brunson or Towns he’s also not Afflalo. He’s not Ntilikina. He’s not being asked to be what he isn’t. The Knicks close the first “half” with a back-to-back Tuesday and Wednesday, visiting the 4th-seeded before hosting the Hawks. So if there’s still hate in your heart you didn’t properly exorcise last night, two good chances to take care of business this week.
Source: https://www.postingandtoasting.com/2025/2/9/24362111/celtics-131-knicks-104-hey-delons-first-minutes
New York Knicks
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Knicks Bulletin: ‘There’s no sugarcoating it. There’s no moral wins’
Source: https://www.postingandtoasting.com/...heres-no-sugarcoating-it-theres-no-moral-wins
Photo by Elsa/Getty Images
New York realized a tough reality on Saturday.
Dreams, shattered.
The New York Knicks hosted the Boston Celtics on Saturday, and all they could do was cut a mammoth deficit down to three-points before absolutely cratering for the second time against Boston. Final score: 131-104.
Here’s what Coach Thibs and a few defeated Knicks had to say after yesterday’s forgettable affair.
Tom Thibodeau
On the Celtics' strengths:
“They’re a tough matchup. They’re the defending champion. They’re strong on both sides of the ball. They can spread you out. They can attack you off the dribble. They share the ball.
“You have to be very disciplined. You have to be able to make a second and third effort and be tied together, and sometimes they have the ability to make tough shots, and you’ve got to do it time and time again.
“Obviously, the Celtics have a rich history. The battles have been tough over the years. We know what it means to a lot of people.”
On the rebounding issues against Boston:
“The rebounding was problematic to start, it was problematic throughout. I thought sometimes there were some good initial sequences, then they hurt us with the second shot.”
On what’s next after the nth loss against a contender:
“You learn from every game. The disappointment of a loss, but make sure we learn from it. Obviously we have to take a hard look and get better.”
On Ariel Hukporti’s improvement in filling the paint on a backup role:
“He’s done a good job. He’s young. He’s learning. So he’s getting better. The way Precious has played has been a big plus for us. We also have OG who can slide over to the five. So we think we have good depth there.”
On former Knicks coach Hubie Brown:
“Great coach. Teacher. Great analyst on TV. Just a great human being.
“Incredible career. He’s been a great ambassador for the game. He’s a special person.”
Jalen Brunson
On the Knicks’ loss to Boston:
“Today as a whole was unacceptable. We’re not where we want to be.”
On the Knicks’ silent trade deadline and the possible Mitch-KAT pairing:
“They have the potential to be very good. I just want Mitch to come back fully healthy and ready to go. That’s my main focus—just making sure he’s 100 percent.”
On the team’s confidence in its current roster:
“On trade deadline day, whoever wears New York across their chest is who we’re going with and who we’re trusting. Regardless of what happens, this is the team we’re going with, and I have the utmost respect and confidence in them. We’re ready to go.”
Karl-Anthony Towns
On the Knicks needing to improve after the loss to Boston:
“We’ve got a lot of work to do. Simple as that. There’s no sugarcoating it. There’s no moral wins.
“If we’ve got aspirations, which I know we do, then we’ve got to find ways to win games like tonight.
“That’s a team (Boston) that’s in the race. Great teams, championship teams, they test your discipline. And we’ve got to work on keeping our discipline for all 48 [minutes].”
On Ariel Hukporti’s growth:
“The rook has been fantastic. He’s coming in every day with the right mindset. He’s hungry to be the best version of himself and is super coachable. It allows him to be on a fast track to success.
“He’s done himself just nothing but wonders by being who he is and being the player he is and just wanting to be a superstar in his role.”
Josh Hart
On the loss to Boston:
“We didn’t come out great, we were stagnant. We didn’t execute.”
Shams Charania (Woj Lite)
On Mitchell Robinson’s status:
“He is expected to start 5-on-5 play here very soon.
“I’m told he and the Knicks have a goal of (a return) before March 1 for, potentially, his season debut.”
On OG Anunoby’s injury:
“I’m told specifically it’s a toe issue—more of an irritating injury, not something structurally wrong or serious.
“Targeting a return at some point after the All-Star break.”
Joe Mazzulla (Boston Celtics Head Coach)
On the Celtics’ defense against the Knicks:
“You tally up all the ways that they’re able to score and you take a few of those away. We didn’t do a great job at (keeping Brunson from going to) the free-throw line. We got to do a better job defending without fouling, but we were able to just take away a lot of the stuff that they get through some of the details and the positioning and the details were on point and it took some of that stuff away.”
On Boston’s lineup adjustments with Kristaps Porzingis and Jrue Holiday out:
“It’s more about just having different ways that you could play and so the season presents opportunities for that and we need to be able to be flexible to win the matchup at that particular time. And I thought tonight that just won the matchup for us.
“New York’s one of the most physical teams in the league and they do a great job on both ends of the glass and so we were able to counteract that a little bit with our physicality. So credit to the guys though for playing as hard as they did, especially defensively, they were really well-connected.
“I thought Al Horford—I don’t know if he took two, three shots—but his defensive positioning and physicality was tremendous.”
On Jayson Tatum’s 40-point performance:
“He was ready to play, and that was special. So I just thought he did a great job just kind of taking what the defense gave him, whether it was for him, whether it was for his teammates.
“His ability to just play versus different coverages throughout the game, get the shot that he wanted, and play with his sense of poise... that was a special performance.”
Jayson Tatum (Boston Celtics Player)
On the Celtics’ performance against the Knicks:
“I think from the start to the finish, even when they went on a run, we did a really good job of responding. We weren’t flustered or anything like that.
“On both ends of the floor, when we needed a stop, we did (it), when we (needed) a rebound, when we needed to hit some shots, when we needed to make the right reads, we did all those things.”
On Luke Kornet’s performance starting in place of KP:
“Big Luke played his ass off today. He kind of really set the tone to start.”
On finding inspiration playing in front of Denzel Washington:
“I saw Denzel Washington sitting courtside, so I was excited about that.”
Derrick White (Boston Celtics Player)
On dealing with wannabe contenders:
“We’ve had a target on our back the whole year, and we understood that going into the season.
“I think every game [against us] is probably a measuring stick. It’s just on us to have the right mindset.”
Source: https://www.postingandtoasting.com/...heres-no-sugarcoating-it-theres-no-moral-wins
New York Knicks
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Knicks Bulletin: ‘They got an edge about them. They know basketball’
Source: https://www.postingandtoasting.com/...y-got-an-edge-about-them-they-know-basketball
Photo by James Devaney/GC Images
No hoops Monday as New York gears up for another back-to-back.
No practice for the Knicks on Super Bowl Sunday means tough exercise on Monday ahead of Tuesday’s first leg of the upcoming back-to-back slate.
New York flies to Indianapolis to face the Pacers first before welcoming the Atlanta Hawks in the final Knicks games before the All-Star break.
Here’s the latest from Coach Thibs and a few Knicks for those without a Super Bowl hangover.
Tom Thibodeau
On inserting Miles McBride in the second half against the Celtics:
“That was part of the reason why we put Deuce in the second half just to get the shooting, because of the help that was coming from the back side, just to try and open it up for [Karl-Anthony Towns] a little bit more.”
On having rebounding issues and struggling defensively against Boston:
“It’s a compilation on both sides of the ball. The rebounding was problematic to start. It was problematic throughout.
“And then the [defensive] shell, keeping the ball in front [of the defender]. Sometimes there were some good initial sequences.
“They hurt us with the second shot. They hurt us with some threes.”
On learning from losses:
“Yeah, well, you learn from every game. The disappointment of a loss, but make sure that we learn from it. Obviously, we have to take a hard look and get better.”
On T.J. Warren’s play in the G League:
“I have a lot of respect for what he’s doing. He’s had a terrific year, and he’s been great down there. For our young guys to watch somebody like that, who loves the game, great teammate and obviously he’s been terrific on the floor; I have a lot of respect for what he’s doing.”
Jalen Brunson
On Karl-Anthony Towns’ struggles against Boston:
“They did certain things, but I think at the same time, it’s on us, too. We’re not gonna win individually, and we need him. And I think as teammates, including myself, know we just need to put him in a better position to be successful.”
On the loss to Boston:
“The measuring stick failing as a whole was just unacceptable. Just not playing our style of basketball.”
Karl-Anthony Towns
On how the Celtics limited his production:
“I’m gonna watch the tape to find out. I got a good idea, though.”
On playing through injury on Saturday:
“Yeah, I wanted to play. I wanted to. Great game and I wanted to go out there and compete.
“No (I’m not at 100%), but I know I can do anything in my mind if I put the work in, so I just wanted to play.”
On the new All-Star tournament-like format:
“It’s something new so I hope the fans enjoy it. It’s going to be cool to be part of something that’s for the first time happening at All-Star [weekend]. I’m excited to be a part of it. … Just show up with a jersey on and play.”
Josh Hart
On playing on Saturday despite having knee soreness:
“If I’m out there, I’m good enough to play.”
On the Knicks’ struggles against Boston:
“We didn’t come out great. We were stagnant. They had Kornet and Horford clogging up the paint. We just didn’t execute.”
On the Knicks’ second-half collapse after getting as close as three points behind:
“We did a good job getting the game close. We were down three at one point. And then they were running a stack action, and we couldn’t stop it.”
On the team failing to stop Jayson Tatum:
“He made some tough shots, but in the first half, we made it extremely tough on him. And then in the second half, we couldn’t get stops, and he hit some tough shots at the end of the shot clock.
“He’s an All-Star for a reason. He’s gonna knock down shots.”
Jayson Tatum tells @tvabby he tried to put on a show for Denzel Washington
"I saw Denzel Washington sitting courtside, so I was excited about that."
Full Interview: https://t.co/MT2gQEaQth
️by @PrizePicks & @GameTime pic.twitter.com/aSLijJdOhU
— Celtics on CLNS (@CelticsCLNS) February 9, 2025Jayson Tatum (Boston Celtics Player)
On playing at Madison Square Garden:
“I saw Denzel Washington sitting courtside, so I was excited about that. Tried to [put on a show].
“Besides Boston, it’s probably the best place to play. They got all the celebrities, but they also have that edge. They got an edge about them. They know basketball, they’re passionate, they’re chanting and cheering the whole time. So, it is a special place to play.”
On whether playing at MSG gives visiting players an advantage:
“I don’t know, you gotta ask the Knicks players that.”
Brian Scalabrine (Former NBA Player)
On the Knicks’ struggles against elite teams:
“If you’re the Knicks, it all comes crashing down. Like, now you are reminded once again that you are just not at the same level and you have a long way to go.”
Source: https://www.postingandtoasting.com/...y-got-an-edge-about-them-they-know-basketball
New York Knicks
Just Drafted
The mental aspect of watching someone win somewhere else
Source: https://www.postingandtoasting.com/...aspect-of-watching-someone-win-somewhere-else
Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images
What are we supposed to feel?
Last night sucked.
The Knicks don’t play today, and with the trade deadline in the rearview mirror, there isn’t much to talk about during off days. Yesterday, the sports world stopped (as it always does) to watch the Super Bowl. It was quite an unenjoyable one for yours truly, but we’ll get to that later.
I’ll start off with a basketball example. How did you feel when Kristaps Porzingis posed with the Larry O’Brien trophy last June?
Porzingis’ exit from the Knicks was as ugly as any Knick in a generation.
As we know, Porzingis demanded a trade in a late January meeting with management that led to a swift trade to the Dallas Mavericks. A simple trade demand is one thing, but the little details are why he was so hated afterward.
In May 2019, former general manager Steve Mills revealed that Porzingis told them to trade him before the deadline, or he was going back to Europe. There was the whole Janis Porzingis thing. The way all of it played out was that a frustrated star wanted significantly more say in matters, and when the team pushed back, he took drastic measures to get out.
To say that Knicks fans didn’t like Porzingis after he left was an understatement:
I was there on that fateful night in November 2019. It was a toxic environment I haven’t seen replicated since, with a small exception to a 30% full Yankee Stadium being hostile to the Astros in 2021 after the sign-stealing scandal went public. If it was full, it would’ve taken the cake.
A capacity crowd booed Porzingis all night, only relenting when Marcus Morris played hero at the end in Maxi Kleber’s face:
The vibe on the stairway down was immaculate. I still have the video in my phone of fans chanting “F*** KP.”
Porzingis wasn’t spared next time he came to the Garden, as he was still booed during the 2020-21 season in a sparse crowd due to COVID-19 restrictions. Fans still never let him get away from them, with boos lasting into 2023:
When Porzingis didn’t work in Dallas and was wasting away with a bad Wizards team, it felt like victory. We might not be hanging banners, but he wasn’t winning either. It felt like we won.
Until, he was saved by Brad Stevens and the Boston Celtics. Porzingis would be a perfect fit to a death star Celtics team that won their 18th championship in June. A former New York star won a championship on a bitter rival. Have I heard this before?
Now, there is a flip side to these. Although there will forever be examples of players who leave on bad terms, we must also acknowledge the times we feel good for our guys who find success somewhere else.
In basketball, what about J.R. Smith?
J.R. was beloved in New York when he was here. The electric sixth man was not only a great Knick on the court, but he was a tremendous vibes guy for that Knickstape squad.
When he and Iman Shumpert (who also fits here) were traded to Cleveland in 2015, it was necessary but stung our hearts. Regardless of whether you liked LeBron or not, everyone felt happy for J.R. and Shump when they hoisted the Larry O’Brien in 2016. When players don’t leave with animosity (or left for a rival), you seem to root more for their success.
Another football example, for me, would be Odell Beckham Jr. Aside from should-be-Hall-of-Famer Eli Manning, OBJ was a key part of my formative years as a Giants fan. He was the most exciting player I had ever watched play for my team. As a Giant, OBJ had several terrific seasons, but played only one, cold playoff game where he and the team wilted in Lambeau in January 2017.
Odell was traded in March 2019, leaving a great but empty legacy behind in New York. It wasn’t his choice to leave and he’s always been complimentary of the team since, even floating a return multiple times. His knees began to fail him, leading to a sharp decline, but OBJ got his ring in 2021 on the Los Angeles Rams, catching a touchdown in the Super Bowl.
Seeing an emotional OBJ after the game was the happiest I had ever felt for a former player winning a ring. Since the Giants last hoisted the Lombardi Trophy in February 2012, some of my best memories watching the Giants had come watching him play. It never worked here, but I was happy for him because he deserved it.
Remember when I said OBJ was the most exciting player I ever watched play for a team of mine? That changed when a kid from Whitehall Township, PA donned the blue and white in Happy Valley.
In case you glossed over the short author bio at the start of this article, I go to Penn State. My decision to eventually attend the university did not come out of nowhere, it was the team I had rooted for my entire life. I have multiple family members as alumni. When Saquon Barkley played for the Nittany Lions, a younger me couldn’t fathom that an athlete could be that explosive.
So, imagine the joy that was felt that when Barkley, after concluding his incredible collegiate career with Penn State, was drafted second overall to my favorite team:
Eventually, you realize that, yeah, drafting a running back in a good QB draft isn’t a good idea when your franchise quarterback was barely hanging on. Dave Gettleman, for ya!
His rookie year was unbelievable. The reliance the offense had on him (91 catches for a rookie RB is outrageous) was like no other. He quickly rose into stardom and after that season, a terrible decision was made. My family got a dog in January 2019 and couldn’t decide on a name. My unknowing self floated the name “Barkley”. All told, pretty solid dog name. I just should’ve known better.
When he was here, only Aaron Judge matched him in being a representative star of the city. He was cheered at sports games, plastered throughout Times Square, and took the mantle from OBJ as the star of the Giants. A younger me thought he was ours forever, or at least long enough that it wouldn’t matter.
Unfortunately, he left. He left for the one place that gave me nightmares.
The contract negotiations are twisted by many after the infamous offseason Hard Knocks. Barkley was reportedly offered $13 million AAV with incentives for $14 million in 2023 by the Giants, albeit with less guaranteed. He was offered as much as $23 million guaranteed. He then responded to that with the worst season of his career. Entering his age 27 season, I still can’t blame Giants management for not matching (if they even got a chance to) a $13.5 million a year deal with $26 million guaranteed. What happened to your $16 million AAV ask, Saquon? Hell, even his trainer said we offered a better deal.
Regardless, the horror of the past season played out. I grew up in South Jersey, surrounded by Eagles fans. 2018 sucked. I go to the place where he’s the most iconic alumni. I was rooting against the Eagles no matter what, but the guy who left for a division rival got his own smidgen of hate.
Unfortunately, the Eagles dominated last night, even with Barkley’s worst game of the season. Opening my Twitter timeline to see a guy that I named by dog after lifting the Lombardi Trophy with a rival’s shirt on stung.
It didn’t quite feel like Kristaps. The sting of what he did to us had faded. We hated him at that point because he was a Celtic. In a way, that’s how last night was supposed to feel.
The wound was just too fresh.
Source: https://www.postingandtoasting.com/...aspect-of-watching-someone-win-somewhere-else
New York Knicks
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The State of the East, Post-Deadline
Source: https://www.postingandtoasting.com/2025/2/11/24363455/the-state-of-the-east-post-deadline
Photo by Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images
Checking in on the rest of the conference.
Trade deadline season is always one of the most fun times of the year to be an NBA fan. Case in point: the last ten days.
THE NBA TRADE DEADLINE HAS NOT DISAPPOINTED
Craziest trade deadline everpic.twitter.com/RSgpAi3wXt
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) February 6, 2025
From Luka teaming up with LeBron in Los Angeles, to Jimmy Butler forcing his way next to Steph in Golden State, to DeAaron Fox throwing lobs to Wemby, this deadline provided one of the most dramatic weeks in recent NBA memory. In total, eight All Stars were traded, and 63(!!!) total players found new homes, most in NBA history.
Knicks fans, however, watched the deadline come and go without much skin in the game.
Jericho Sims was shipped to Milwaukee in exchange for veteran Delon Wright, who may or may not be sticking with the team.
Otherwise? Nothing.
With so many moves happening around the league, it’s understandable if you missed a couple of transactions. With that said, let’s check in on how things are shaping up around the Eastern Conference from the bottom up.
See you next year
The Wizards, Hornets, Raptors, and Nets are all officially looking towards next year. The play-in tournament feels far fetched.
Khris Middleton joined the Wizards, and Brandon Ingram joined Toronto, but otherwise, not much noteworthy here. Some interesting moves, but certainly nothing that will change New York’s postseason hopes.
The play-in hopefuls
I’m going to chunk a bunch of teams into this section. Bare with me.
The Bulls finally embraced their youth movement, shipping Zach Lavine out west for a haul. Matas Buzelis ROTY push loading.
The Magic stood pat for the second year in a row, and after a strong start to the year, now sit three games under .500.
Atlanta made a surprising move we’ll talk about later, but their bench unit looks dramatically different now, headlined by Caris LeVert and Terrance Mann.
Pat Riley and the Miami Heat finally broke up with Jimmy Butler, sending him to the Warriors for Andrew Wiggins amongst other assets.
Dennis Schroder bounced around four teams this season, but finally landed in Detroit, who is finally on the right side of .500 thanks to Cade Cunningham’s all-star level of play. When’s the last time they were buyers at the deadline?
Finally, let’s throw the Sixers in here as well. Sure, they have Embiid, Maxey and Paul George, but right now they’re sitting at 20-32. They acquired former Knick Quentin Grimes as well as Jared Butler, signifying a youth movement and probably indicating they have their sights set on the future rather than the present.
The contenders
Alright, alright. This is what we’re here for. Let’s take a good look at what’s going on here.
Milwaukee Bucks
Beyond acquiring former Knick Jericho Sims, the Bucks moved on from Khris Middleton. In his place now is Kyle Kuzma.
Kuzma won a ring with the Lakers in 2019-20, but has not played much meaningful basketball since, appearing in only six playoff games since.
This season, Kuzma is good for about 15 points and 6 rebounds per game. Solid numbers, but his efficiency is poor, and his style of play tends to require the ball in his hands. I’d love to be impressed, but not the spookiest of moves from the Milwaukee front office.
One more acquisition worth mentioning? Kevin Porter Jr., fresh off the plane from Los Angeles. KPJ is still only 24, and averaging 9.2 points per game this season in less than 20 minutes per game. He could provide a real spark to the Milwaukee bench unit.
Indiana Pacers
The Pacers have gone more under the radar than last year, but quietly are in control of the four seed in the East.
Also quiet was their trade deadline activity. Besides parting ways with James Wiseman, the roster remained intact. Indiana likes what they have. They’re rolling with their guys.
Boston Celtics.
Aha. The real contenders.
We all saw Boston’s thrashing of our beloved Knicks on Saturday night. Jayson Tatum has a special place in his heart for New York. Lucky us.
Bench staple Jaden Springer got shipped to Houston. Torrey Craig was added from the buyout market.
Sure.
That’s it out of Boston. It’s the same team as last year.
Be scared.
Cleveland Cavaliers
The Cavaliers are tops in the East with a 43-10 record. And yet they still refuse to be satisfied. They’re all in.
Caris LeVert and Georges Niang hurt to lose, but man. DeAndre Hunter is a stud. This is the kind of win-now move that decides championships.
Hunter is averaging 18.8 points per game, shooting 46% from the floor and 40% from three. It gives the Cavs’ bench unit a bonafide wing scorer, a direct upgrade from Caris LeVert in the same role.
If you haven’t paid attention to Hunter’s play this year, start.
Straight buckets.
Cleveland’s playoff rotation now looks like this:
Garland/Mitchell/Strus/Mobley/Allen
Jerome/Merrill/Okoro/Hunter
This is scary. I’m scared. You should be scared.
In conclusion
Despite the array of moves at the deadline, not too many headlining deals shook up the state of the Eastern Conference. The Knicks still comfortably feel like the number three team in the East, a step behind Boston and Cleveland but out ahead of teams like Indiana and Milwaukee.
There’s a lot of ball left this season. And with the All-Star break approaching, we know who our guys are.
This is who New York is running with. This is who New York is up against.
Let’s win a ring.
Source: https://www.postingandtoasting.com/2025/2/11/24363455/the-state-of-the-east-post-deadline
New York Knicks
Just Drafted
Knicks’ All-Star break report card
Source: https://www.postingandtoasting.com/2025/2/13/24365042/knicks-all-star-break-report-card
John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images
A few great seasons, a lot of solid ones, and one really bad one
Fresh off the heels of a thrilling, and nearly disastrous, win against the Hawks, the Knicks head into the All-Star break with a record of 36-18. Despite dropping a few games they should’ve won and being 0-5 against the Thunder, Cavaliers, and Celtics, that’s still a damn good record. Specifics aside, if you told fans before the season that the Knicks would have two wins for every loss at this point, most would have probably taken that. But what about the individual players? How have they fared when compared to expectations?
Jalen Brunson: A-
The fact that Brunson can average 26.1 PPG, and 7.5 APG, and be named an All-Star starter and still get just an A- speaks volumes about just how much fans expect from him. And despite having a very good first half of the season, Brunson himself would likely be the first one to tell you that he could be better. Whether it’s the few uncharacteristically bad games he’s had, the improving but still not perfect balancing on when to score and when to defer, or the worst free-throw shooting season he’s had since 2021, Brunson still has room to improve. But as a whole, he’s still had an incredible season, hence the grade.
He’s improved as a playmaker and, as a team defender and has become one of the best, if not the best, clutch players in the league this season. This team goes as he goes, and as evident by the team’s record, Brunson has gone more often than not.
Karl-Anthony Towns: A
Towns came into a very difficult situation. Many fans had fallen in love with last season’s team, and the Towns trade meant losing two pivotal players from said team. As for Towns goes, he seemed pretty emotional about leaving the only team he had ever played for throughout his NBA career. But through 54 games, Towns has been everything we could have asked for and so, so much more.
His defense is still painful to watch, he commits unnecessary fouls pretty much every game, and he has passes and turnovers that make you want to pull your hair out. But he’s been considered a top-five MVP candidate for much of the season and joined Brunson as the first pair of Knicks teammates to be named All-Star starters in 50 years. His shooting and spacing have taken the Knicks’ offense to another level, his rebounding has been crucial, and his ability to be both a good passer and willing connector has made him indispensable.
OG Anunoby: B
Anunoby has had a very interesting season, to say the least. He started the season looking like a potential All-Star, averaging 19.1 PPG, 5.4 RPG, and 1.5 SPG over his first 17 games, which was highlighted by a career-high 40-point game against the Nuggets. In the following 15 games, though, he managed to average just 13.2 PPG, while shooting just 41.5% from the field and 26.7% from three. And even more concerning was the fact that his defense seemed to take a bit of an uncharacteristic hit as well.
But just as fans started to panic, Anunoby turned it around again as he averaged 16.5 PPG, while shooting 49.5% from the field and 39.4% from three in the next 17 games. He’s still a very good player who, outside of that tough 15-game stretch, has had a nice season. But he’s recently found himself on the injury report again with a foot injury, and given he’s the second-highest-paid player on the team, the Knicks likely need a bit more from him a bit more consistently.
Josh Hart: A-
Hart, like some other Knicks, has his share of frustration-inducing moments. He still passes up wide-open threes at times, gets caught up in arguing with refs too often, and is prone to throwing ridiculous passes that lead to transition opportunities for opponents. But Hart has been incredible this season.
He’s been one of the most consistent players on this team this year and is having the best season of his career, averaging 14.7PPG, 9.6RPG, and 5.7APG while shooting a career-high 55.6% from the field. Hart isn’t the best player on this team, but he’s among the most important, and relative to expectations, he may be having the best season on the team.
Mikal Bridges: B
Bridges’ season has been similar to Anunoby’s but even more extreme. At his worst, which happened to come right at the beginning of the season, Bridges looked lost. In the 19 games before December, Bridges averaged 15.5 PPG, while shooting just 30.6% from three and was defending at a surprisingly subpar level as well. Then December came around, and Bridges looked like a totally different player. In the 32 games between December 1 and February 4, Bridges averaged 19.8PPG while shooting 51.6% from the field and 39.1% from three. He’s second on the team in plus/minus, leads the league in minutes, and the defense, outside of a few games recently, has looked better as well.
Some of this grading is due to recency bias, as he is averaging just 9.3 PPG over his last three games, but his incredibly slow start makes it hard to give him a higher grade, even if his good stretch was very good. We’ve now seen a big enough sample size to believe that Bridges can, and should, continue to be a good player for the Knicks, but with how much the Knicks gave up to get him, you wish he would just do a tiny bit more of everything.
Deuce McBride: B
McBride’s offensive numbers have not taken the leap that fans expected. In fact, they’ve regressed quite a bit. His field goal percentage is down from 45.2% to 41.7%, his three-point percentage is down from 41% to 37.6%, and his lack of improvement as a finisher around the rim and as a ball handler has left a lot to be desired. But somehow, many of the metrics still show that McBride has been a winning player who brings a tremendous amount of value when he is out there.
He’s still an incredible defender, especially at the point of attack, and even in his down year, he remains a good enough shooter to help space the floor. McBride may not have become the Sixth Man of the Year candidate that fans had hoped he would evolve into, but he’s nonetheless been a good player, whose name appears in a lot of the Knicks’ best statistical lineups and is second on the team in net rating. Add on the fact that he’s on one of the most team-friendly contracts in the league, and it’s hard to be too down on McBride, regardless of the down shooting numbers.
Cam Payne: B+
Payne is what he is. He’s a streaky, shoot-first ball of energy who isn’t a great defender but gives it his all and is pesky enough to earn playing time. On most nights, he’s nothing more and nothing less. But in that specific role, he’s been very good. When the Knicks signed Payne, most fans were against the signing as they thought it would cut into McBride’s minutes. But the pair have played together quite a bit, and truth be told, the Knicks have benefitted greatly from the signing. Dare I say, they might’ve needed him more than any fan or even they knew.
Through his first 48 games, Payne has averaged 7.4 PPG, and 2.6 APG, which seems rather mediocre. But he’s had 16 double-digit scoring games, and on multiple occasions, he’s completely changed the trajectory and momentum of the game with his energy. And while numbers aren’t everything, it’s also important to note that Payne leads the team in net rating.
Precious Achiuwa: B-
Achiuwa started the season with a hamstring, which was a bummer, given how good he looked during the preseason. And even when he did come back, the big man looked a bit slow and hesitant. But over his last 10 games, five of which he has started, Achiuwa is averaging 11.4 PPG, 7.1 RPG, 1.2 SPG, and 1.5 BPG. Unfortunately, much of the conversation surrounding Achiuwa has unfairly been around why he shouldn’t be starting—something he cannot control. Now, a lot of that argument are fair, as his added size doesn’t statistically improve their rebounding much, while his inclusion in the starting lineup clogs up the paint and gives the Knicks much less spacing.
But for the most part, Achiuwa has done everything in his control to be a solid defender, rebounder, and finisher, which is exactly what he was brought in to be. Unfortunately for Achiuwa, he just remains an awkward fit against most teams, and with Mitchell Robinson returning, there is a chance he becomes less important for this team.
Landry Shamet: C
Shamet’s counting stats (3.3 PPG, 0.8 RPG, 0.6 APG), look bad, and the eye test is no better. He is an undersized guard who tries on defense but isn’t always big or athletic enough to be a consistent wing-stopper, and offensively, his shot has looked completely off for the overwhelming majority of the 22 games he’s played. He has had a few nice games as of late, averaging 7 PPG over his last three games, but as a whole, he’s been pretty disappointing, and whenever he comes in, it feels like minutes the team has to survive—something you’d rather not have to think about in a rotation player for a team looking to contend. Fans likely didn’t expect much from Shamet coming into the season, but whatever those expectations were, he’s managed to underperform them.
Everybody else (Ariel Hukporti, Tyler Kolek, Jacob Toppin, Pacome Dadiet, Matt Ryan): Incomplete
Hukporti and Kolek have both played over 145 minutes each, but as a whole, the non-top nine in the rotation have been more or less irrelevant this season. That obviously comes as no surprise, as Tom Thibodeau has historically been very hesitant to play his young players. Both of the aforementioned rookies have shown some really nice things, with Hukporti showcasing a high level of activity on the defensive end, while Kolek, in the limited minutes he’s gotten, has displayed the ability to be a good passer and reader of defenses. But with how few minutes they’ve had and how little impact, good or bad, they’ve had on the season as a whole, it’s hard to give any of these guys a real and fair grade.
Source: https://www.postingandtoasting.com/2025/2/13/24365042/knicks-all-star-break-report-card
New York Knicks
Just Drafted
Mikal Bridges is still finding his place with the New York Knicks
Source: https://www.postingandtoasting.com/...dges-is-still-finding-his-place-with-new-york
Photo by Brian Babineau/NBAE via Getty Images
New York is looking for more out of its squad. It starts with Bridges.
When Mikal Bridges was dealt to New York this past summer, the deal seemed too good to be true.
The Villanova kid had made the jump to a bonafide scoring option with the Brooklyn Nets. The Knicks, who had been accumulating draft picks for several years, finally went all in, cashing in their accumulated draft capital for an all-NBA defensive talent capable of scoring twenty points a game.
Of course, Bridges was college teammates at Nova with Brunson, Hart, and DiVincenzo, who was still part of the Knicks at the time of the deal.
When it was all said and done, the price for Bridges totaled five first round picks, a sum usually reserved for superstars.
Now, this isn’t a Mikal Bridge hate piece. Bridges has been a very good addition to this Knicks squad. He’s played good on-ball defense. His shooting splits are solid. Most importantly, he’s a hard worker and a winner. He’ll figure it out.
But the Knicks simply need more right now out of a player they mortgaged their future for.
Here’s Bridges’ game log across his last seven appearances.
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With Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns dominating the ball, Bridges has returned to the same off-ball third option scoring role that he assumed on the Phoenix Suns, rather than the ball-dominating efficient scorer that he flashed in Brooklyn. He’s prone to disappearing for long stretches on offense, seemingly camping in the corner for quarters at a time without impacting the game. Without the ball in his hands, he can struggle to impact the game.
No statistic illustrates this more than his free throw rate.
- Across his 109 games as a Net, Bridges averaged 4.6 attempts per game.
- Through 57 games as a Knick, Bridges has averaged 1.1 attempts per game.
(And yes, his minutes have gone up.)
Bridges needs to put his head down and get to the rim and foul line. He hasn’t shot a free throw in six games. This is a guy leading the league in minutes. He’s playing well in a catch and shoot role. But the Knicks need to unleash him as something more.
Similarly, on the other end of the floor, the Knicks have a defense in the back half of the league. Pairing Bridges with OG was supposed to make it impossible for opposing forwards to score on us. While the two are still outstanding individual defenders, the Knicks have lost their identity on which they made a run last year. There’s no toughness. There’s no grit. There’s no camaraderie.
The hustle and heart of last year’s squad? Gone.
Bridges will find his way. He’s on a great deal, and the dear first round picks that departed were bound for the back half of the first round anyways. I don’t mind the price that we paid for him. The deal is already flashing dividends.
In the meantime, though, the integration period on a team-wide level has been frustrating to watch at times. The front office is depleted of assets. And time is running out for the Knicks to put all the pieces together before the playoffs this season. Back to back blowouts against the Cavs and Celtics has only emphasized that point.
Tellingly, Bridges has had silent nights each of those games.
This is the most talented Knicks roster on paper that New York has seen this century. It’s understandable that fans are clamoring for a championship. That being said, the roster and rotation will take some tweaking before we start talking about any trophies. It might not be this year. The Knicks have some figuring out to do before they truly reach perennial contender status.
The good news? They have some time to figure it out. Maybe not this year, but over the next few years. I know better than to try and preach patience to Knicks fans. Patience might be necessary here, though, whether you like it or not.
The road to unlocking their potential goes through Mikal Bridges. He’s the X-factor. He’s the puzzle that needs to be solved. Once Tom Thibodeau does that, we’ll be having very different conversations around this team.
Source: https://www.postingandtoasting.com/...dges-is-still-finding-his-place-with-new-york