What I'll be keeping an eye on tonight: 1. Stay close early. You figure the crowd will be pumped and the Pacers will come out with emotion. Don't get blown off the court in the first 10 minutes. Stay within range and it could bode well for the Knicks. 2. The Pacers were 5-25, 20%, from 3P range in game 3. You have to think they'll shoot a much better 3P% than that in game 4. Can the Knicks keep them somewhat in check to keep the game tight. 3. How does Tibs utilize the bench, he must give the starters some rest, and the bench some minutes. Going with # 2, I'd like to see Wright get 10 minutes +/- again since he is very solid on D. I think the Knicks will need some of his defensive tenacity in this game. You have to give the Pacers a little edge going into the game you'd think, but if the Knicks can keep it tight, especially early, they can win it late. It's a winnable game if the Knicks play the right way, and Tibs coaches the right way, using his bench again. This is the game that very well may decide the series (must win for the Knicks).
Yeah, Knicks D was non-existent tonight. The real killer were the turnovers though; you cannot have 17 TO's on the road in a must win game. If you go number by number, the only big difference was TO's, 17 for the Knicks to 11 by the Pacers. Despite the Knicks out rebounding the Pacers 44 to 33, the Pacers still attempted 6 more shots than the Knicks, that's the difference right there and why the Knicks lost. There is almost no way to argue the Knicks lost this game due to sloppiness and mistakes (signs of a poorly coached team IMO). When you look back at this series, the difference was the epic all-time collapse in game 1, if that doesn't happen, we are looking at a 2-2 series that either team can win. The way the Knicks lost game 1 was essentially the end of the series, as I unfortunately thought was the case at the time. Looking forward, it's going to take every ounce of foresight and courage for Rose to fire Tibs off an ECF trip, but it really does have to happen. Can anyone say the Knicks as a team play up to their individual talent level, I think that's a huge NO. My best guess is Tibs does not get fired because most Pres/GM's don't fire coaches after Conference Finals trips, but if Rose is brave, and sees big picture, he will absolutely fire Tibs (which I said he should have done after last season). This team has gone as far as it can go with this coach, and his career track record tells you that as well. Please Rose don't be afraid to make the bold move needed at coach. The other issue as I see it is Bridges; it really is the one big mistake Rose has made putting this team together. He traded FIVE first round picks for Bridges, FIVE. Can you imagine if the Knicks had those picks now, you could put Giannis in a Knicks uniform now and not even waste time waiting until July. BUT, dealing all those picks for a good to very good player in Bridges really puts the Knicks in a tough spot. They lack assets to improve, but they need another very good player to be a legit title contender. Not sure how Rose pulls a rabbit out of his hat here, but he needs to otherwise the Knicks are stuck in limbo of being a very good team, but not a championship team, and they have no picks to improve, the worst place to be. A new coach will help the team improve, but not enough to win a title, they need another very good player added to do that. I fear the Bridges trade will go down as the move that torpedoed the chances for this version of the Knicks to win a title. Turned out to be a very poor trade, good to very good Bridges, who is not even a great player let alone a star player, is not worth the star package Rose traded for him. Anyway, it will be a very interesting 6 weeks +/- for the Knicks and Rangers. Rose and Drury are both in a position where big bold moves are needed, the Knicks at coach and adding another very good player, and the Rangers need major core changes. We'll see what these guys can do for either team to improve to legit title contenders next season.
If that rose guy traded five picks for Bridges then he is a fucking moron who should never be trusted again to make a trade. lol If they knicks actually knew how to build through the draft then they would at least build a deeper team.
No wonder MSG teams have 1 championship combined in 50 years. God forbid, they would build the team the right way through the DRAFT.
It's not an if, it's a fact. Rose had been extremely patient building this team from the ground up, but he got antsy and lost his patience last summer, so he pulled the trigger on the Bridges trade, and it has turned out to be a really crushing mistake. If Rose didn't panic and make the Bridges trade, sure the Knicks wouldn't have made the ECF this season, but they would have those picks right now to trade for Giannis, who wants to play in NY, but the Knicks have no assets to trade for him. It really is not an ideal situation unfortunately. I agree, common threads of these NY teams are lack of patience, go after big names, never build their teams the right way. It's a shame really. The Rangers started to do it and then jumped ship a year or two early. And unfortunately, Rose ran out of patience one year too early for the Knicks.
They could take Bridges, but my guess is the Bucks will want a future looking package with a lot of first round picks, that's sort of the way the NBA works now. BUT that's why I say unless Rose can pull a rabbit out of his hat. Maybe Rose can convince the Bucks to take everyone not named Brunson in a package OR maybe Rose can move Bridges or OG or even Towns for a boatload of picks then flip those to Milwaukee for Giannis OR maybe Rose can somehow get Durant or another very good player here while keeping the main core intact, Brunson, Towns, and OG (my guess is Bridges will have to go to add another very good player). Not sure what he can do, but I will say I have WAY WAY WAY more confidence in Rose to get things done than I do Drury, so there's that. From there we'll see.
This is what decided the game (20-9 scoring edge off turnovers): The Pacers had a huge 22-9 advantage in fast break points. They also converted the Knicks’ 17 turnovers into 20 points. Indiana only committed 11 turnovers, and the Knicks had just nine points off them. Meanwhile, Haliburton had 15 assists and 0 turnovers. Overall, in the series Brunson is a -26 and Bridges is a whopping -33, by far the two worst on the team. Just awful.
Here are the details of the picks Rose traded to the Nets for Bridges. Five first round picks AND a pick swap in 2028. Clearly a star package for a good to very good player, not good value: unprotected 1st-round pick in 2025 unprotected 1st-round pick in 2027 unprotected 1st-round pick in 2029 unprotected 1st-round pick in 2031 unprotected pick swap in 2028 top four protected 2025 1st-round pick via Bucks 2nd round pick in 2025 I understand the mindset of eventually you have to shoot your shot; I also understand the clock was ticking on the team, and on the picks (two of the first-round picks are in the upcoming 2025 draft). So, Rose was in a tight spot, and I do get his overall thinking, it was just the wrong player who is not truly worthy of the star package return. Being patient and waiting for a better player was the smarter play rather than forcing a trade for a good to very good player, which is what Bridges is.
Theory is those picks are all going to be at the tail end of the first round...Milwaukee isn't going to want that
If I was Milwaukee, I would want Townes and Bridges plus Kolek. Giannis is going to dictate where he wants to go and he’s not gonna wanna go to Brooklyn. He wants to come to the Garden from what they’re saying. The Bucks are gonna try to put out a competitive team next year and with Bridges and Townes they can do that. I like Kolek a lot but the coach was a moron and didn’t even try to play him this year. They then have the option of trading those players later at the draft this year or next year and know exactly what pick they’re getting.
When teams trade for a boatload of first round picks, they usually are in theory late in the first round, but in theory doesn't always work out that way. Not only could a team struggle when not expected to, see the Sixers this season, it also gives the team acquiring all those first round picks incredible assets to make a trade for a star player when they are ready/one is available. I think history is on my side here as you have seen MANY trades of top players for a boatload of picks the past few years, that's the current path for the worst teams in the league to bottom out and ultimately get better. With that said, Milwaukee may not be in that position, they may want a semi-basketball trade like the Wolves did with Towns. Maybe a package of a boatload of first round picks isn't enticing to Milwaukee. I also agree that Giannis will have a HUGE say in where he goes, if he says he wants the Knicks, there is still a chance he could end up here. Not sure he will force Milwaukee's hand like that though and say Knicks or bust, Giannis doesn't strike me as the kind of guy to hold the organization over a barrel. If Giannis does try and force their hand/the Bucks want a basketball trade, the Knicks do have assets starting with Bridges and Towns, and they could do some pick swaps as well. Where Giannis ends up you would think will be driven by a collaboration between the Bucks and Giannis. It's an interesting watch the next 6-8 weeks. If not Giannis, Rose needs to focus on adding another very good player. I think Durant could be a fit at this stage in his career. He can be had for less than Giannis, and he is someone I can see forcing the Suns to trade him somewhere specific. Not sure if it will be NY, but I think it will be somewhere out of Phoenix. Regardless of who it is, Rose needs to add another very good player (or a star greater than Towns to pair with Brunson if you have to move a Bridges and Towns for a Giannis), and I say fire Tibs. If he can pull off those two things, the Knicks could be a legit title contender next season, especially in what should be a totally wide-open East.
Unless Towns is out OR mentally the Knicks have packed it in and accepted their fate, you'd think they'd win tonight at home. With that said, for those of us who want Tibs fired, it may be better if they lose tonight. Going out in a very weak 5 games to the Pacers might be the push Rose needs to fire Tibs. Plus, they would have gone 0-3 at home in the ECF, and 3-6 overall at home in these playoffs. Maybe the last straw for Rose to make the move. Even if they do win tonight, they'll get rolled and run off the court in game 6 in Indiana, but at least they would salvage some respect. Losing in 5 and getting beaten at home again would be a really bad somewhat embarrassing look for the Knicks. It could be for a bigger greater good moving forward if they lose game 5 though as mentioned. I expect a Knicks win IF they have any battle remaining.
Giannis is 30. He's not a young man. He's had some injuries of late. I think they will try to make the playoffs next year if they trade him. Then rebuild the year after.
Good job by the Knicks showing up with pride tonight to at least force a game 6. You have to figure the pressure will be on Indiana in game 6, they really don't want to be back in NY for a game 7. Pretty strong chance the winner of game 6 wins the series. As for game 6, I don't see the Knicks winning. I think there's a better chance the Pacers win big than the Knicks win. If you look the past couple of seasons, just about every time the Pacers lay an egg they come back really strong the next game. In order for the game to be close the Knicks have to play smarter and value the ball, even tonight they had 15 turnovers, way too many. You also know the Pacers will shoot much better from 3P range and overall, they'll score more than 100 points, and just about all their top guys will play much better in game 6. In order for the Knicks to stay close, let alone win the game, they're going to need a herculean effort, better than anything we have seen in this series, and all playoffs outside of maybe game 6 against Boston. OG (OG needs to play with much more energy and passion in game 6 - we'll need him badly I think), Bridges, and Hart all have to show up with A+ efforts, and of course the two big guys, Towns and Brunson, need to be huge. I thought the Knicks would win tonight as I said this morning, I just don't see them winning game 6, and I don't think it will be particularly close. I will say the first 7-10 minutes will be HUGE for the Knicks, they have to withstand the early barrage and energy from Indiana, cannot get blown out early. Stay in the game early, and then let the chips fall where they may. At least we have a game 6 to watch, the only one of the Conference Finals in the NBA or NHL.
