2023-24 NBA (Playoffs!) Thread: end of bench player on Knicks roster feeling self-conscious about not having crippling, season-ending injury (37 Viewers)

[identikit]

What a (mostly) horrid history

 

[NewbieJr]

Unless your team is still alive, it's really hard not to root for this Knicks team. A bunch of scrappy, never-quit dogs. And doing all this without their second-best player.

 

[the moops]

Unless your team is still alive, it's really hard not to root for this Knicks team. A bunch of scrappy, never-quit dogs. And doing all this without their second-best player.

If Brunson would stop his Trae-like flopping I would agree

 

[STEADYMOBBIN 22]

The Knicks lost me forever when they traded Ewing.

 

[the moops]

Unless your team is still alive, it's really hard not to root for this Knicks team. A bunch of scrappy, never-quit dogs. And doing all this without their second-best player.

If Brunson would stop his Trae-like flopping I would agree

Context

https://x.com/andrewperloff/status/1788380833113379136

 

[Capella]

Is it ok to say these playoffs have kind of sucked? Knicks-Philly was amazing and the Wolves story is super cool but not a lot of drama. Our only game 7 so far was between two teams with no chance in the next round. Everybody talked about the depth in the west and Nawlins, Phoenix and the Lakers won one game combined.

The East is HORRIBLE. Celtics have a cakewalk through the first two rounds and probably the East final too as the Knicks have nobody left. Just not the playoffs I envisioned. Hopefully it turns around.

 

[Jayrod]

I like both Knicks and Pacers effort and even their contrasting styles.

But if the Knicks win the series and Boston let's them get offensive rebounds like the Pacers do, I'm driving to Boston to punch them all in the face. It baffles me how professionals can't put in the effort and focus to box out and crash the boards. That's all it takes, effort and focus. Ball players used to learn it in grade school and high school. Moses Malone and Bill Russell are rolling over in their graves right now.

 

[Capella]

I like both Knicks and Pacers effort and even their contrasting styles.

But if the Knicks win the series and Boston let's them get offensive rebounds like the Pacers do, I'm driving to Boston to punch them all in the face. It baffles me how professionals can't put in the effort and focus to box out and crash the boards. That's all it takes, effort and focus. Ball players used to learn it in grade school and high school. Moses Malone and Bill Russell are rolling over in their graves right now.

You really don’t think the Pacers are trying? lol. They are just getting boxed out by players who are better at that skill.

 

[msudaisy26]

Unless your team is still alive, it's really hard not to root for this Knicks team. A bunch of scrappy, never-quit dogs. And doing all this without their second-best player.

Thibs is still their coach. He is an average coach and the minutes he is playing these guys is going to get them killed against a very good team. I think they win the Pacers series, but I would be shocked if they pushed the Celtics past 5 games.

 

[thecatch]

Shaq having a meltdown because Joker won the MVP over SGA

More than a bit awkward

Shaq is a jackass. The only reason he is good on that show is because of how he can goad Charles into humorous moments. Shaq's consistently has takes that make you think he is just not very bright.

Didn't see the segment today about the MVP, but I don't actually think they are Shaq's takes a lot of the time. I think he is playing the hot take/antagonizer to Charles role.

I don't think it's that orchestrated

Ernie was pretty shocked that Shaq would keep hammering/repeating his opinion

I don't think it is all scripted. I think Shaq is told to be different then the rest of the crew and then he decides how much or little he decides to be different. Sometimes he goes overboard.

Shaq has always been petty - I always felt like the part of the animosity of the Kobe-Shaq stuff was Kobe's popularity. I like him on the show though.

Him telling Jokic he shouldn't have been MVP was unprofessional but I don't think Jokic cares and Jokic moved past it with humor and it was all good. Shaq railing for SGA as hard as he was tonight was weird though, it's not like it was a close vote.

Agreed. And it's a bit strange how Shaq had not much good to say about Kobe for the longest time, but since Kobe's untimely death, Shaq talks about him with so much affection that you'd think they were blood brothers. Maybe it took Kobe dying for Shaq to have the balls to say good things about him publicly, but it comes off as hollow to me.

To be fair to Shaq, I think that part of the reason the relationship went south was also Kobe being an egomaniac who expected everybody to care about basketball as much as he did, and basketball was rarely the only thing that Shaq was concerned about. It was probably like a bad breakup or divorce where time ultimately healed most of the petty ******** on both sides that soured the relationship - there was a lot of good times before things went bad. Even prior to Kobe's death, it seemed like they had made amends.

Also because when Kobe was being arrested on rape charges he dropped little accusations like this.

That certainly did not help but it was not the genesis of the feud. Their problems went all the way back to 1996, which was 7 years before this allegation.

Shaq–Kobe feud - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Sure, but the point was that Shaq had way more reason to dislike Kobe beyond Shaq being petty about Kobe’s popularity.

 

[NewbieJr]

Unless your team is still alive, it's really hard not to root for this Knicks team. A bunch of scrappy, never-quit dogs. And doing all this without their second-best player.

Thibs is still their coach. He is an average coach and the minutes he is playing these guys is going to get them killed against a very good team. I think they win the Pacers series, but I would be shocked if they pushed the Celtics past 5 games.

Yeah, I'd be shocked if they beat Boston. I think everyone would. Even if they had Randall. That's what makes them fun to root for.

 

[msudaisy26]

Unless your team is still alive, it's really hard not to root for this Knicks team. A bunch of scrappy, never-quit dogs. And doing all this without their second-best player.

Thibs is still their coach. He is an average coach and the minutes he is playing these guys is going to get them killed against a very good team. I think they win the Pacers series, but I would be shocked if they pushed the Celtics past 5 games.

Yeah, I'd be shocked if they beat Boston. I think everyone would. Even if they had Randall. That's what makes them fun to root for.

They are up there, but T Wolves are the best story so far and I think the Pacers are second for me. Knicks would be 3rd or 4th.

 

[TLEF316]

The Knicks are a great story...but they're just running out of bodies now (not sure what OG's status is).

Eventually they will face a team with enough talent and hustle to beat them. It's been fun though

 

[GroveDiesel]

The Pacers have sent in 78 calls they are questioning for the first 2 games, lol. How about don’t let Brunson score a gagillion points and play some defense?

 

[Chemical X]

The Knicks are a great story...but they're just running out of bodies now (not sure what OG's status is).

Eventually they will face a team with enough talent and hustle to beat them. It's been fun though

I don't remember the last time the NYK didn't have like 2-4 awful contracts. Not really a bad contract in the bunch, maybe Robinson because of his perpetu-death. Hartenstein will be an interesting UFA. Knicks have early bird i think i saw, but are limited with their offer. But their max offer might be similar to his open market worth, since a non stretch 5 won't get big money. I think he is important because Robinson is never alive. NYK are 25-4 since they acquired Anunoby, including playoffs?

 

[Desert_Power]

Unless your team is still alive, it's really hard not to root for this Knicks team. A bunch of scrappy, never-quit dogs. And doing all this without their second-best player.

Pretty much all of the teams left are fairly likable. Probably supposed to hate Boston, but Jrue is one of my favorite NBA players and I think Tatum gets way too much hate. Derrick White is awesome too.

 

[Desert_Power]

Hornets choose Celtics assistant Charles Lee as their next coach to fire in two years

 

[NewbieJr]

The Pacers have sent in 78 calls they are questioning for the first 2 games, lol. How about don’t let Brunson score a gagillion points and play some defense?

Nothing worse than a coach who wants to deflect blame from himself for poor showings

 

[Leeroy Jenkins]

Hornets choose Celtics assistant Charles Lee as their next coach to fire in two years

Weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee

 

[Frostillicus]

Is it ok to say these playoffs have kind of sucked? Knicks-Philly was amazing and the Wolves story is super cool but not a lot of drama. Our only game 7 so far was between two teams with no chance in the next round. Everybody talked about the depth in the west and Nawlins, Phoenix and the Lakers won one game combined.

The East is HORRIBLE. Celtics have a cakewalk through the first two rounds and probably the East final too as the Knicks have nobody left. Just not the playoffs I envisioned. Hopefully it turns around.

I think this is the most enjoyable playoffs of my lifetime.

 

[Capella]

Is it ok to say these playoffs have kind of sucked? Knicks-Philly was amazing and the Wolves story is super cool but not a lot of drama. Our only game 7 so far was between two teams with no chance in the next round. Everybody talked about the depth in the west and Nawlins, Phoenix and the Lakers won one game combined.

The East is HORRIBLE. Celtics have a cakewalk through the first two rounds and probably the East final too as the Knicks have nobody left. Just not the playoffs I envisioned. Hopefully it turns around.

I think this is the most enjoyable playoffs of my lifetime.

Lol I mentioned the Wolves exception but yes.

 

[SWC]

the knicks look pretty good and i am pretty sad that the bucks could never figure out how to use dante divencenzo he looks awesome take that to the bank brochachos

 

[mr. furley]

Shaq having a meltdown because Joker won the MVP over SGA

More than a bit awkward

Shaq is a jackass. The only reason he is good on that show is because of how he can goad Charles into humorous moments. Shaq's consistently has takes that make you think he is just not very bright.

Didn't see the segment today about the MVP, but I don't actually think they are Shaq's takes a lot of the time. I think he is playing the hot take/antagonizer to Charles role.

I don't think it's that orchestrated

Ernie was pretty shocked that Shaq would keep hammering/repeating his opinion

I don't think it is all scripted. I think Shaq is told to be different then the rest of the crew and then he decides how much or little he decides to be different. Sometimes he goes overboard.

Shaq has always been petty - I always felt like the part of the animosity of the Kobe-Shaq stuff was Kobe's popularity. I like him on the show though.

Him telling Jokic he shouldn't have been MVP was unprofessional but I don't think Jokic cares and Jokic moved past it with humor and it was all good. Shaq railing for SGA as hard as he was tonight was weird though, it's not like it was a close vote.

Agreed. And it's a bit strange how Shaq had not much good to say about Kobe for the longest time, but since Kobe's untimely death, Shaq talks about him with so much affection that you'd think they were blood brothers. Maybe it took Kobe dying for Shaq to have the balls to say good things about him publicly, but it comes off as hollow to me.

To be fair to Shaq, I think that part of the reason the relationship went south was also Kobe being an egomaniac who expected everybody to care about basketball as much as he did, and basketball was rarely the only thing that Shaq was concerned about. It was probably like a bad breakup or divorce where time ultimately healed most of the petty ******** on both sides that soured the relationship - there was a lot of good times before things went bad. Even prior to Kobe's death, it seemed like they had made amends.

Shaq covered this recently on some podcast.

the reason he and Kobe didn't get along is because Shaq was raised by a stern, tough, father who didn't dole out praise at all. From that environment he went to college and then the NBA where the players he admired and wanted to be like (Wilt, Bill Russell,etc.) stoned him and told him "don't talk to me until you have rings". those guys gave him nothing. not respect. not teaching. nothing.

that, combined with Shaq thinking he was the best player in the NBA, led him to treating Kobe like the junior not worthy of respect. that's how Shaq was raised in life & the NBA so he passed it on.

Kobe of course thought he was the best and that Shaq didn't take basketball seriously enough so they didn't get along until maturing as men.

that's my high level recollection of it anyways.

 

[Redwes25]

The Pacers have sent in 78 calls they are questioning for the first 2 games, lol. How about don’t let Brunson score a gagillion points and play some defense?

78?

 

[trader jake]

The Pacers have sent in 78 calls they are questioning for the first 2 games, lol. How about don’t let Brunson score a gagillion points and play some defense?

78?

Seems low. Unless were just talking Brunson flops.

 

[trader jake]

Is it ok to say these playoffs have kind of sucked? Knicks-Philly was amazing and the Wolves story is super cool but not a lot of drama. Our only game 7 so far was between two teams with no chance in the next round. Everybody talked about the depth in the west and Nawlins, Phoenix and the Lakers won one game combined.

The East is HORRIBLE. Celtics have a cakewalk through the first two rounds and probably the East final too as the Knicks have nobody left. Just not the playoffs I envisioned. Hopefully it turns around.

I think this is the most enjoyable playoffs of my lifetime.

This Timberwolves postseason has been unbelievable. Add the team's recent "gone but not forgotten" tweet on X: https://x.com/Timberwolves/status/1788389671895957541

Reddit had the background that made it another item for Frosty to catalog. Explanation...
"T Wolves Brazil was a Twitter account that was basically a combination of softcore furry porn and Timberwolves memes among other bizarre things. The account was deleted a while ago after the person who ran the account used it to cheat on his wife with a racist Celtics fan."

Ant is changing the world one softcore furry porn fan or racist Celtics fan at a time. Bravo.

 

[Desert_Power]

That really whittles down the Celtic fanbase.

 

[mr. furley]

The Pacers have sent in 78 calls they are questioning for the first 2 games, lol. How about don’t let Brunson score a gagillion points and play some defense?

all these cameras and hyper slo-mo replays have ruined sports

3 guys can't possibly monitor the micro-action of 10 NBA players moving at full speed in real time but 156 cameras and 3 million people rewinding, zooming and hyper-analyzing with their own bias sure can pick apart 48 minutes of action and find millions of fouls that harmed their team every game.

 

[jvdesigns2002]

I dont really want to comment on unlikeable moments from world class alpha professional athletes. I think that there is going to be a certain level of “crazy” for a huge majority of athletes that experience the kind of success that Shaq and Kobe have. I’m one of the few that didn’t find Shaq’s discontent with the MVP voting odds to be cringey or weird. I am in the camp that feels that SGA should have won—but I have zero issue with Jokic winning it. With that said—I don’t think that there is a world where Jokic should have won the vote by like 300 more than SGA this year. The MVP winner between SGA/Jokic this season should have been by a very narrow margin—and the fact that Jokic won by a wide gap is hard to justify. I understand that the voting method is the voting method—but I don’t disagree with Shaq that this result could be evidence that the voting method is flawed.

 

[Anarchy99]

Just a note. Celtics have been missing an important guy too.

To keep beating the drum, Boston will be considered chokers and vastly overrated until they win, and any other outcome will be a total disaster. Full stop.

That being said, their overall profile is really strong. They had the best home record, road record, record against winning teams, fewest turnovers, most blocks, and net rating (Top 5 of all time) this season. They were also second in 3P% and rebounds. I posted earlier, IIRC, they were percentage points from having the best record for all teams only including games against the Western conference. They have the best net margin in the playoffs so far (admittedly against mediocre and banged up opponents), allowing fewer than 100 points in 5 of their 6 games (20-0 this year when they keep teams under 100).

I keep hearing that they take too many threes and won't keep making them or will go cold. Yet they made 15 threes in a game 66 times this season (with a 57-9 record). I also keep hearing they fold in the clutch in close games . . . but they won 47 games by 10 or more points (68% of their wins) and the majority of the time don't end up in close games. Sure, they only went 6-7 in 3 point games in the regular season. Denver went 6-6. Minnesota went 7-6. Other than the last week of the season when they had long ago wrapped up the top overall seed, their worst stretch of any 10 games in a row was 7-3.

One of the narratives I have seen that doesn't make a lot of sense to me was people pointing out that Boston had a stretch with close losses against the Nuggets twice, Lakers, Clippers, and Cavs. The offense went cold at the end of those games, and they couldn't close them out. Yep, that was a good summary of those games. Left out of the analysis was they went 28-5 in that stretch.

Another story line is that the West is so much better. Certainly, a case could be made that the top 5 teams are Boston and the four remaining Western Conference teams. But those 4 teams will likely have two tough rounds before one of them makes the Finals. Boston may be able to play fewer games and rest up to potentially make it to the Finals. The Knicks have had an impassioned, incredible run, but they play like 6 guys and a couple of them have been playing 46-47 minutes a game (and OG may miss some time). How many games in a row can they play their guys until they drop in 48-minute (or OT) battles?

But we all know, if Boston doesn't get to and win the Finals, they will have absolutely choked.

 

[Chemical X]

The Pacers have sent in 78 calls they are questioning for the first 2 games, lol. How about don’t let Brunson score a gagillion points and play some defense?

Nothing worse than a coach who wants to deflect blame from himself for poor showings

carlisle also sent in a picture of his dinner check, the size of the overhead bin on his flight to NY and the box score from his last game coaching the mavs, game 7 in the playoffs, where he played brunson 10 mins.

 

[Frostillicus]

Is it ok to say these playoffs have kind of sucked? Knicks-Philly was amazing and the Wolves story is super cool but not a lot of drama. Our only game 7 so far was between two teams with no chance in the next round. Everybody talked about the depth in the west and Nawlins, Phoenix and the Lakers won one game combined.

The East is HORRIBLE. Celtics have a cakewalk through the first two rounds and probably the East final too as the Knicks have nobody left. Just not the playoffs I envisioned. Hopefully it turns around.

I think this is the most enjoyable playoffs of my lifetime.

This Timberwolves postseason has been unbelievable. Add the team's recent "gone but not forgotten" tweet on X: https://x.com/Timberwolves/status/1788389671895957541

Reddit had the background that made it another item for Frosty to catalog. Explanation...
"T Wolves Brazil was a Twitter account that was basically a combination of softcore furry porn and Timberwolves memes among other bizarre things. The account was deleted a while ago after the person who ran the account used it to cheat on his wife with a racist Celtics fan."

Ant is changing the world one softcore furry porn fan or racist Celtics fan at a time. Bravo.

That was a heck of a twitter follow at the time.

 

[Slumpbusters]

Hornets choose Celtics assistant Charles Lee as their next coach to fire in two years

Weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee

This was a horribly underrated comment and couldn't be overlooked - I laughed out loud. #Hamilton

 

[identikit]

I dont really want to comment on unlikeable moments from world class alpha professional athletes. I think that there is going to be a certain level of “crazy” for a huge majority of athletes that experience the kind of success that Shaq and Kobe have. I’m one of the few that didn’t find Shaq’s discontent with the MVP voting odds to be cringey or weird. I am in the camp that feels that SGA should have won—but I have zero issue with Jokic winning it. With that said—I don’t think that there is a world where Jokic should have won the vote by like 300 more than SGA this year. The MVP winner between SGA/Jokic this season should have been by a very narrow margin—and the fact that Jokic won by a wide gap is hard to justify. I understand that the voting method is the voting method—but I don’t disagree with Shaq that this result could be evidence that the voting method is flawed.

Still, his timing for his oft-repeated rant about it was horrid

 

[Major]

Is it ok to say these playoffs have kind of sucked? Knicks-Philly was amazing and the Wolves story is super cool but not a lot of drama. Our only game 7 so far was between two teams with no chance in the next round. Everybody talked about the depth in the west and Nawlins, Phoenix and the Lakers won one game combined.

The East is HORRIBLE. Celtics have a cakewalk through the first two rounds and probably the East final too as the Knicks have nobody left. Just not the playoffs I envisioned. Hopefully it turns around.

An OKC v. Minn WCF will be fun and the winner facing BOS could be a great finale. Still holding out hope but man, the bottom half of the West really underperformed. My Rockets would have put up a better fight.

 

[identikit]

Shaq having a meltdown because Joker won the MVP over SGA

More than a bit awkward

Shaq is a jackass. The only reason he is good on that show is because of how he can goad Charles into humorous moments. Shaq's consistently has takes that make you think he is just not very bright.

Didn't see the segment today about the MVP, but I don't actually think they are Shaq's takes a lot of the time. I think he is playing the hot take/antagonizer to Charles role.

I don't think it's that orchestrated

Ernie was pretty shocked that Shaq would keep hammering/repeating his opinion

I don't think it is all scripted. I think Shaq is told to be different then the rest of the crew and then he decides how much or little he decides to be different. Sometimes he goes overboard.

Shaq has always been petty - I always felt like the part of the animosity of the Kobe-Shaq stuff was Kobe's popularity. I like him on the show though.

Him telling Jokic he shouldn't have been MVP was unprofessional but I don't think Jokic cares and Jokic moved past it with humor and it was all good. Shaq railing for SGA as hard as he was tonight was weird though, it's not like it was a close vote.

Agreed. And it's a bit strange how Shaq had not much good to say about Kobe for the longest time, but since Kobe's untimely death, Shaq talks about him with so much affection that you'd think they were blood brothers. Maybe it took Kobe dying for Shaq to have the balls to say good things about him publicly, but it comes off as hollow to me.

To be fair to Shaq, I think that part of the reason the relationship went south was also Kobe being an egomaniac who expected everybody to care about basketball as much as he did, and basketball was rarely the only thing that Shaq was concerned about. It was probably like a bad breakup or divorce where time ultimately healed most of the petty ******** on both sides that soured the relationship - there was a lot of good times before things went bad. Even prior to Kobe's death, it seemed like they had made amends.

Shaq covered this recently on some podcast.

the reason he and Kobe didn't get along is because Shaq was raised by a stern, tough, father who didn't dole out praise at all. From that environment he went to college and then the NBA where the players he admired and wanted to be like (Wilt, Bill Russell,etc.) stoned him and told him "don't talk to me until you have rings". those guys gave him nothing. not respect. not teaching. nothing.

that, combined with Shaq thinking he was the best player in the NBA, led him to treating Kobe like the junior not worthy of respect. that's how Shaq was raised in life & the NBA so he passed it on.

Kobe of course thought he was the best and that Shaq didn't take basketball seriously enough so they didn't get along until maturing as men.

that's my high level recollection of it anyways.

Makes sense as to the origins of it....

 

[ShamrockPride]

Is it ok to say these playoffs have kind of sucked? Knicks-Philly was amazing and the Wolves story is super cool but not a lot of drama. Our only game 7 so far was between two teams with no chance in the next round. Everybody talked about the depth in the west and Nawlins, Phoenix and the Lakers won one game combined.

The East is HORRIBLE. Celtics have a cakewalk through the first two rounds and probably the East final too as the Knicks have nobody left. Just not the playoffs I envisioned. Hopefully it turns around.

The East is a tough watch for sure.

I'm loving the West though:

- Getting to watch all this young blood explode onto the national scene.

- Nuggets in the position they're in, as defending champs, I can't see them not responding tomorrow night. Unless/until they go down 0-3, it's must watch TV for me.

- Just wish Luka was 100%, cause that series would be off the charts. Speaking of, injuries have badly hampered the playoffs overall this postseason. Some years that injury bug just drags everything down.

 

[McBokonon]

Vogel fired.

 

[thecatch]

Vogel fired.

Looking forward to seeing who the next captain of the Titanic will be.

 

[Jayrod]

Vogel fired.

Seems legit.

 

[the moops]

They are gonna hire Bud, no doubt.

Round and round we go

 

[Leeroy Jenkins]

Will we be rid of Windhorst when Lebron retires?

 

[Kev4029]

Will we be rid of Windhorst when Lebron retires?

A boy can hope.

 

[General Malaise]

Vogel fired.

Looking forward to seeing who the next captain of the Titanic will be.

Scuttlebutt is Billups....

 

[Zow]

So Little Woz had his talent show today at school. He was supposed to dance to a “Gummy Bear” song.

Instead, without telling anybody, he snuck in his Edwards jersey and Wolves hat and just dribbled around the whole song (with one sampling of the worm dance mixed in) yelling “Timberwolves!”

I don’t think the school was happy, but I loved it. Kid is obsessed.

 

[identikit]

Beverley gets a 4 game suspension for his latest antics

 

[Capella]

Beverley gets a 4 game suspension for his latest antics

Translates to 28 games in the Chinese league where he should be playing.

 

[msudaisy26]

I can see why the Celtics drive their fans nuts.

 

[identikit]

Boston bleeds...

 

[mr. furley]

wow, if the Celtics don't fire Mazola tonight their season is over