GT#8 Utah Jazz (4-3) @ the Mecca w/ Most Divine Knicks (4-3): Can you see the light?

[beagleboss]

I really hope we can keep this up cause this is a lot of fun!! Never in a million years thought we'd be 5-3 and playing like this! I'm trying not to get too high cause we've seen this before (D'Antoni was 6-3 in 2009 and Fisher was 8-6 in 2015) but it's getting kind of difficult to be real. This doesn't look like a bad team that everyone was projecting it to be! We have a true go-to All-Star in Randle, we play defense and we can shoot the 3! And we're getting Barrett, Rivers, Burks or even Payton playing like Stars in some games too!

Let's see if we can keep it up!

[D-Leethal]

I really hope we can keep this up cause this is a lot of fun!! Never in a million years thought we'd be 5-3 and playing like this! I'm trying not to get too high cause we've seen this before (D'Antoni was 6-3 in 2009 and Fisher was 8-6 in 2015) but it's getting kind of difficult to be real. This doesn't look like a bad team that everyone was projecting it to be! We have a true go-to All-Star in Randle, we play defense and we can shoot the 3! And we're getting Barrett, Rivers, Burks or even Payton playing like Stars in some games too!

Let's see if we can keep it up!

To be fair, we traded ZBo and Crawford the first minute we could in 2009 because we were clearing the books for LeBron. That’s why they fall off hard and fast. It would be like if we traded Randle right now since he played his value up.

Melo got injured in ‘15 which led to a 9 game losing streak.

Obviously injuries can happen but there were legit reasons we fell off those years beyond just “cooling off” after a hot start.

[Garrett2010]

I am really looking forward to the return of Obi and seeing how he can contribute to this. Unbelievable what the Knicks are doing now.

[beagleboss]

I am really looking forward to the return of Obi and seeing how he can contribute to this. Unbelievable what the Knicks are doing now.

And Burks too! I really hope there is a way somehow Randle and Toppin can play together and survive defensively. Offensively I no longer think it cannot work if Randle keeps dishing the ball and shooting 40% from three.

[TakeAnotherL]

IQ was disappointing but man Thibs has to give him more of a leash.

I dunno, thibs has been super consistent, if your playing well you'll get more minutes. If your not, next man up.

We haven't seen a coach actually do this at the nba level, which is why it's so weird.

But for now it's working. Honestly I dont think we win any of these games if thibs didnt do things this way.

Every game different guys are stepping up, a guy gets benched one game and come back hungry the next.

It's weird, but its working.

[TakeAnotherL]

Maybe this the effect of empty stadium and long break remember when Knicks played well in shortened season kind of like that. I still believe this is bad mix of players Payton RJ Randle Mitch none of this guys can shoot and they play major mins

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it's def fair to wonder if the long off season, new coach, players playing for contracts, and everything else that goes along with this season has a big part to do with our success.

Imo without a doubt it does.

I'm every game, it def feels and looks like our team is working harder than the other team.

That extra push to get boards, to get turnovers, to play defense, that little stuff is making a big difference in winning for us.

No, were still not a good roster. But its damn sure the hungriest our roster has looked in years.

[Rocco Hardball]

I dunno, thibs has been super consistent, if your playing well you'll get more minutes. If your not, next man up.

We haven't seen a coach actually do this at the nba level, which is why it's so weird.

But for now it's working. Honestly I dont think we win any of these games if thibs didnt do things this way.

Every game different guys are stepping up, a guy gets benched one game and come back hungry the next.

It's weird, but its working.

This. I love watching Quickley play, but last night Thibs played the perfect combo's which kept IQ on the bench. And it worked. That's a real coach. I know Woodson is a huge asset as well.

[kyubi256]

I love how Thibs coaches. You play well, you play hard... you will play. If you are having a bad game, you can always win minutes the next game. I don't think IQ or RJ are mad that they didn't play in the 4th last night... They were so hype the Knicks were playing well together.

The way the Knicks are playing and Thibs is coaching, I bet the guys could not wait to get back to practice and work their tail off

[Bubba313]

Obi still out for next game. Incredibly frustrating.

It doesn't help that Hali is killing it for Sacramento right now.

[LeTsGoNyKnIcKs]

I’m soo torn.
I love the way we are playing and how it’s translated to winning.
However, my concern here is that Thibs is loading majority of the mins to Payton at PG (don’t think he is in our long term plan).
I would love to see him let the rook and young guys get the mins, yes I know RJ is.
But all this winning takes us out the deepest draft in a while. We could Be looking at fools gold.

[east fb knicks]

Obi still out for next game. Incredibly frustrating.

It doesn't help that Hali is killing it for Sacramento right now.

If we keep winning we don't need him right now no biggie

[east fb knicks]

I’m soo torn.
I love the way we are playing and how it’s translated to winning.
However, my concern here is that Thibs is loading majority of the mins to Payton at PG (don’t think he is in our long term plan).
I would love to see him let the rook and young guys get the mins, yes I know RJ is.
But all this winning takes us out the deepest draft in a while. We could Be looking at fools gold.

Not at all you tank for a player like Randle who we got locked up for 20 mill next year also

If we can keep this up we will be serious players in free agency ther is more than 1 way to build a team

[Bubba313]

If we keep winning we don't need him right now no biggie

Randle is playing almost 40 minutes a night and looked completely gassed last game. We definitely need him right now.

[kyubi256]

I’m soo torn.
I love the way we are playing and how it’s translated to winning.
However, my concern here is that Thibs is loading majority of the mins to Payton at PG (don’t think he is in our long term plan).
I would love to see him let the rook and young guys get the mins, yes I know RJ is.
But all this winning takes us out the deepest draft in a while. We could Be looking at fools gold.

Because the NBA Draft is a lottery, I personally don't mind this and actually am against tanking. Since it seems karma always costs you when you try to tank.

[KnicksorBust]

And Burks too! I really hope there is a way somehow Randle and Toppin can play together and survive defensively. Offensively I no longer think it cannot work if Randle keeps dishing the ball and shooting 40% from three.

I agree. I hope people realize the Burks is still better than Rivers. Rivers is on a heater but has career splits of 42/35/64. He's not the model of efficiency. Don't get me wrong I love his attitude and how hard he plays plus his contract makes me thrilled that we should have him for multiple seasons but he is not this good of a shooter and some cold shooting games are coming. Burks and Quickley are the best shooters on this team by far. Bullock and Rivers a notch below.