The 2021 New York Knicks: Leon's Friends & Co.

[DieHardYankee26]

So one game in it is clear that Elfrid Payton is the worst player in the history of basketball. Dude doesn’t even look at RJ coming off a perfect first half. Randle played much better with him off the floor as well. Hopefully IQ isn’t down for too long.

Did they use our pick to draft a 22 year old PF with a questionable shot and try to turn him into Ryan Anderson? This dude was just camped in the corner. Side note, does he look like he has a hunchback when he’s playing is or that just me?

[jb12780]

IQs injury was rather unfortunate. Elf needs to go. I believe Frank is gone after this season.

That’s all I got for now.


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[ehh]

Quote: Originally Posted by DieHardYankee26

So one game in it is clear that Elfrid Payton is the worst player in the history of basketball. Dude doesn’t even look at RJ coming off a perfect first half. Randle played much better with him off the floor as well. Hopefully IQ isn’t down for too long. Did they use our pick to draft a 22 year old PF with a questionable shot and try to turn him into Ryan Anderson? This dude was just camped in the corner. Side note, does he look like he has a hunchback when he’s playing is or that just me?

This is why I've been so incensed that they brought back Payton. I don't care if he's a stop-gap vet on a cheap deal, he is horrendous for this team. Thibs has to see this and pull him from the rotation. He can't shoot, he doesn't put pressure on the defense, he's an average defender, as you said he doesn't understand the flow of the game and feed the hot hand. We hear all the coach-speak that "we're going to play the guys who give us the best chance to win"...wake up, man. Payton is not that guy.

Re: Toppin, I called this before we drafted him and I've been saying it ever since: the way this year's team is constructed you can't expect much from Obi. We don't have the pieces to get the most out of him. On the other hand, it's good that he's given the green light from deep. He has to become a reliable 3PT shooter. Let the kid fire away. That is the player he has to become to be worth his salt in today's NBA: a big who can shoot threes, attack closeouts, and make some nice passes. We don't want him taking more than half of his FGA from beyond the arc but I think Thibs will take care of that. He can pass the ball for a big man so hopefully we get him more playmaking opportunities. The Randle/Toppin frontcourt wasn't as awful as I expected, though it was bad defensively.

What a night for Barrett. His best as a pro. Dude has to be so frustrated playing on this dumpy team. 20 points on 8/8 shooting in the first half and he doesn't get his first shot in the 3rd until 8:24.

Sucks that IQ got hurt. It was telling that Thibs brought in Burks to run the point over Frank and DSJ right after the injury. It's safe to say that unless either guy really steps up that their time here is nearing an end.

Randle is going to Randle but Thibs gets some credit already for reeling him in a bit. He's going to make some stupid plays every game, and we better not think of re-signing him, but he should be far less infuriating to watch this year. It's amazing what happens when you have a coach who holds players accountable.

I really dislike Sabonis. Dude pushes off with his forearm all the time and then Randle does the same thing one time on the other end and the refs call an offensive foul.

[bigeastbumrush]

Man. I’m so disappointed in Mitch. For all of his off-season videos and talk..he doesn’t even look at the basket unless he’s right underneath it.

We won’t be able to do anything if we’re just a bunch of wings with no threat down low besides Randle barreling to the basket.

Mitch has to develop a 12-15 foot jumper/move. Every screen he’s rolling to the basket and with our inept starting PG who can’t shoot, all the defense has to do is clog the lane and Mitch becomes irrelevant.

Frank is a goner. Hopefully he latches onto a bench role somewhere they can make him a defensive specialist only.

[Jeffx]

Elfrid Payton.....smdh

[bigeastbumrush]

Quote: Originally Posted by Jeffx

Elfrid Payton.....smdh

The most inefficient PG in the league.

[ehh]

No Obi and no Quickley make this team even more difficult to watch.

Tough night for RJ, Simmons is probably the worst matchup in the league for him. Bigger, stronger, and quicker.

Sitting here with Burks as our game-closing PG is a special place in basketball hell that no NBA team should have to be in.

It's not much, but you can tell the staff is getting through to Knox a bit as a floor spacer. When he puts the ball on the floor he isn't recklessly and blindly driving to the hoop, he's actually reading the floor and looking to make skip passes and smarter plays. While our drafting hasn't been good the last 5-6 years I think it highlights just how terrible our player development has been. That isn't rocket science.

Again, Randle is a fraction of how frustrating to watch as he was last year. Payton is by far the more infuriating player this year.

Just like with Frank and Knox, you doubt or wonder if Mitch will ever make the jump.

[DieHardYankee26]

I feel like I’ve seen a lot of positive plays out of inbound plays.