Ryan Miller

Blog 91 New York Knickerbockers State of The Union We are about 25% through the regular season and it is time for a New York Knickerbockers State of The Union. The Knicks entered this season with reasons to be optimistic, but cautiously optimistic. After last year’s playoffs, my two biggest concerns were Julius Randle and the lack of return in the Obi Toppin trade. Randle is an enigma, constantly see-sawing from a strong leader to a mentally fragile player. When he is at his best, like the first half last night vs the Bucks, Jules is a sight to behold who can dominate any given game. His kryptonite is slow starts which is a part of the game, even for the stars. I’ve seen time and again the first 6-8 minutes of a game dictate Jules effort and attitude for the next 40. It is fine to have a bad shooting night, but a true leader can never have a bad effort night. His other big hurdle to overcome is NBA playoff defense. His sometimes reckless drives, cross court passes, and wild ball handling (that he can get away with in the regular season) become killers in the playoffs. I think Jules has the game and I think he has the heart but to realize his full potential he needs to master the mental part of elite competition. On to the next play, always. Be in the moment. No wallowing. At this point, I fear he’ll never change in this regard. This leads to the Toppin trade which in theory was executed because he and Jules play the same position. I understand the argument, but to get nothing in return but 2nd round draft picks for a talent like Obi was a mistake. I am not at all surprised he’s doing well in Indiana. The only spin I can swallow is if this was literally the only way to get Donte DiVincenzo who has fit like a glove with his college buddies. Those were the concerns heading into the season, but there was much more to be optimistic about … most of which is being validated to this point in the season. Jalen Brunson proved last season that he is a special player and leader. The Knicks haven’t had a point guard like this since Walt Frazier. New York City loves point guard play more than any other city because of our history of playing on double-rims across the city, making our handle and ability to finish with contact critical in pickup. Brunson is equally calm, cool, and collected down the stretch of playoff games as Randle is frazzled. He is 27 and just entering his prime. He is an elite playoff point guard, which is one of the most valuable assets in basketball. I believe in my heart he will be part of the Knicks next championship within the next 5 years. I think I believe it in my brain too. Mitchell Robinson is finally getting some recognition but remains grossly under-appreciated by the national media. Mitch has become a dominant presence in the paint on both ends with 0 ego to his game. He has some Charles Oakley in him, just a bit cleaner and larger. He is the epitome of a leader by example, who lets his play do his talking. When the Knicks make the playoffs, his ability to alter opposing offenses (not just block shots but deter paint play altogether) and rebound on both ends will be critical. His offensive rebounding can wear teams down and demoralize momentum by giving the Knicks 2nd and 3rd scoring opportunities. And I think his backup Isaiah Hartenstein is solid with some Rony Seikaly to his game. RJ Barrett and Immanuel Quickley continue to steadily get better every year. I am incredibly happy the Knicks didn’t do something stupid last year like trade them both for Donovan Mitchell which ignorant clowns on ESPN were clamoring for, before we went ahead & kicked Mitchell's ass in the playoffs with OUR guys. At this point, I think Quentin Grimes should be replaced by Quickley in the starting lineup. Grimes has struggled shooting, but I think the argument should be based more on what Quickley brings to the table and his ceiling as a player. He has a versatile game on both ends of the floor and boundless passion. I think his smiley persona has some people sleeping on him just a little bit as a spark guy off the bench, when the truth is Quickley is developing into an all-star level talent and is just 24, about 4 years from his prime. His shooting would space out the opposing defense early in games for Randle and Brunson too. I don’t think Grimes defense is so superior as to warrant keeping him in at this point. He might also feel less pressure getting some shots up off the bench. With Brunson / Robinson anchoring the point and paint and Jules as a bit of a wildcard, the X factor becomes our depth. The Knicks have 11 legitimate NBA rotation players for Thibs to choose from. Our bench is deep, with guys like Quickley, Donte DiVincenzo, Josh Hart and others consistently contributing night over night. And they aren’t streak shooters, but actual grinders on defense and hustle players. Their spirit reminds me of John Starks in 1997 when he moved to the bench after Allan Houston was signed. Injuries are inevitable and our depth will shine when they happen. If our wings continue improving, particularly Barrett, Quickley, and Grimes, the spacing will open up the lane even more for Brunson and Randle + pull defenders out of the paint so Mitch can continue to dominate the offensive boards. I would be remiss not to mention I am tired of Evan Fournier complaining to the media. If you don’t play defense, Thibs benches your ass. If you didn’t read the memo, don’t go crying to the cameras. Earn your minutes in practice. His victim mentality is pathetic. The Knicks are currently 12-8 (7-3 last 10) and 3 games behind first place in the Eastern Conference, a quarter of the way through the season. Anyone trying to paint this is as a negative or pointless season either works for ESPN, isn’t watching the games, or it’s a personal thing … oh, did I just describe Stephen A Smith? I vehemently disagree with the sentiment of Barkley/Shaq last night too, which is rare. They basically said the Knicks MUST make a trade because they are mediocre and it’s pointless if you can’t win it all with your current roster. This logic is how the disastrous Carmelo Anthony trade happened. The Knicks had built a strong foundation and then tore it down to get a superstar on the backend of his prime (who was probably coming that summer anyways). The Knicks have built a young core that play hard and have improved as individuals and collectively year over year. Continuity matters in basketball and the superteam era is officially dead thanks to a Serbian hero. The way the Nuggets play as one interconnected organism is how basketball is meant to be played, like jazz music. To reach that level of play, it took them years of playing and growing TOGETHER. If the Knicks continue to improve and get more playoff experience together, the season is a success to me. I am not Kobe Bryant as a Knicks fan, I can’t consider everything less than a title an absolute failure. I’ve seen us absolutely fail, right now we are ascending. I also don’t think there is any available superstar the Knicks could acquire without completing gutting our roster. We need to trust Leon & Wes, which they’ve earned, enjoy this ride, and the missing piece will come to us. Anyone who helps brings a NBA championship back to NYC will be immortalized in sports history. I think free agents see our strong core, stability in the front office, and the opportunity for immortality. We can and should be patient. Going forward, I am not interested in focusing on hypothetical trades or mistakes of the past. I love this team and the way it has been built with patience, thoughtfulness, and around old school basketball principles thanks to Thibs. I love having a coach who actually plays his players big minutes. It’s a great strategy to win games, especially with so much of the league going soft. I love having management that doesn’t placate to media narratives. Before the season started, I predicted the Knicks would end up 3rd in the East with a legitimate chance of surpassing the Celtics for 2nd (time stamped in earlier blog). I stand by it. Come playoffs, if Randle can figure it out, this Knicks team could make a serious run. If he doesn’t, I still think we’ll win a series. I haven’t felt this good since 2000. Ignore the pundits my fellow diehards and take a moment to realize we are in the good old days with a young ascending team for the first time in decades. The future is bright and I am excited for the rest of the season and decade. The State of Our Union is strong.