French native Frank Ntilikina has been a project for the Knicks ever since being drafted eighth overall in 2017. Going into that draft, the 6’4” guard drew a lot of interest from scouts as a top overseas prospect, mostly due to his above-average wingspan (7’0”) and great ball-handling skills. The Knicks jumped at the opportunity to…
Tagged julius randle
How New York Knicks Can Maximize Julius Randle
Rewind to last summer for a moment. This was supposed to be the era of Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant for New York Knicks fans. But when the time came for superstar free agents to bite at the opportunity of playing in Madison Square Garden, no one budged, leaving team brass to scramble after next-tier players. …
Have New York Knicks Finally Found Something?
After yet another lackluster start to the season, the New York Knicks seem to have hit something resembling a stride during their recent 5-5 stretch of games. The team is looking more cohesive, trusting each other better on the defensive end, has gotten some key stops down the stretch and even closed out games with…
Recently Signed NBA Stars Still Figuring Out Their New Homes
The summer of 2019 will forever be remembered for the changes it made to the NBA landscape. The league watched as an unprecedented number of players hit the open market. However, it wasn’t just the quantity of players changing teams but also the quality that moved the needle. All-Stars swapped conferences and teamed up with…
NBA Film Study: The Sabonis Black Hole, Darius Garland Fun, Where Knicks’ Offense Works
Another week of NBA action, another set of tidbits in the film room. As we think about what we’re thankful for this holiday season, I’m very thankful for Synergy, the video and statistical service that allows us to quickly and neatly dive into these tidbits. While this week has a heavy emphasis on offensive sets…
Yeah, Let’s Just Blame David Fizdale for NY Knicks’ Endless Dysfunction
To absolutely no one’s surprise—outside of Madison Square Garden, anyway—the New York Knicks are a complete and total tire fire only 10 games into the 2019-20 season. After ruining Kristaps Porzingis’ #RevengeGame on Friday with a 106-102 win over the Dallas Mavericks, the Knicks returned home two days later only to get blown out by…
50 Important Predictions for the 2019-20 NBA Season: Part 2
If you didn’t read Part 1, do it now. We hit big trades for the Denver Nuggets, the optimal usage for the Los Angeles Lakers and some thoughts on the race for eighth in the Eastern Conference. So let’s keep this thing rolling and get bolder than before. 18. The Brooklyn Nets do not trade…
2019-20 NBA Season Preview: Atlantic Division
The 2019-20 NBA season is just around the corner. After an offseason chock-full of player movement, the title race appears as wide-open as it has been in years. Over the coming weeks, we will examine one big question hanging over each team heading into the season. We’ll start today with the Atlantic Division, where the…
How NY Knicks’ ‘Offseason of Plan B’ Could Work (or Backfire)
Give the New York Knicks credit: They appear to have learned from their “money-to-burn” debacle in 2016. However, that doesn’t mean their plan B this offseason is guaranteed to pay off. When the salary cap jumped an unprecedented $24 million in 2016, the Knicks quickly came to terms with Joakim Noah on a four-year, $72…
NBA Frontcourts of the Future: Julius Randle & Mitchell Robinson
“The NBA is a guard-oriented league.” Modernized spacing concepts lead to wider driving lanes, making it easier to be a guard than ever. Crunch time sets still revolve around isolations and ball screens where handlers that can make the reliable play are paramount. Teams are even beginning to downsize their rosters, playing more guards than…