Knickstape Podcast Episode 9 - The boys are back in town! Jimmy to NY? Knicks bright future

Listen to "Knickstape Episode 9 - We're Back! Knicks future; Jimmy Butler to NY?; NFL Picks" on Spreaker.

The summers over, Knicks training camp is upon us, the NBA is officially back and so is the Knickstape Podcast! Mike and Luke talk Jimmy Butler rumors, the Knicks promising future, the over / under for the 2018-2019 season, give their NFL picks and of course, we end with the Knicks Shitty Player of the Week.

Knicks get Maliced at the Palace

The Knicks commemorated the 9th anniversary of the Malice at the Palace by putting on their own embarrassing show. Luckily no fans were physically hurt, only heart broken. The frustrations continued in Detroit as the Knicks fell to a shaky Piston squad, 92-86, dropping their season record to 3-7.

Following the themes of this year so far, the Knicks offense was stagnant as their point guard play remains suspect to the 10th degree. Beno Udrih, who started in place of the injured Raymond Felton, scored 0 points and was having  hard time getting everyone involved. Andrea Bargnani, one of the Knicks most consistent scorers, took only 2 shots in the entire second half, ending the game with 12. Melo scored 25 points but his struggles from the field continued shooting only 8-20. 

Amare, at times actually looked like his old self on offense. Powering through for several big dunks. But his defense, much like the whole team's, was an absolute different story. Look at this picture, it sums up the Knicks night pretty well:

via @NBASportsLegion

STAT really earning the "Standing" part of his nickname. Literally in the middle of the floor starring up at the stands like he got hypnotized by the empty Palace . Just straight confused. 

The play of the Knicks tonight will definitely heat up the trade rumors to an even higher level. A capable point guard who can be trusted with controlling the floor is desperately needed. As well as another big man who can pull down rebounds and become a presence in the paint. It would not surprise me if Dolan urges GM Steve Mills to pull the trigger as soon as possible. But in Dolan-esque fashion it will most likely be a trade for a shooting-guard, because, ya know, we don't have enough of those. 

Time To Freak Out: Knicks Weekly Panic Meter

via NBC Sports

At 3-6 and sitting at 12^th place in the Eastern Conference and third place in the Atlantic Division the Knicks are experiencing serious early season struggles. This can be attributed to the loss of their defensive anchor Tyson Chandler or the minutes limit on both Amar’e Stoudemire and Kenyon Martin. On Sunday the Knicks were thrashed by 20 by the same Atlanta Hawks team they beat a couple nights ago. Tempers are starting to run high. Fans are starting to panic. Let’s break it down.

Orange Is the New Black

For the fourth time this season the Knicks sported their orange alternate jerseys and for the fourth time they lost. The Knicks are 0-4 wearing their alternates and have been competitive in only one of those four (at Chicago). It may be time to hang the orange unis up and go back to the traditional home whites and road blues. Unfortunately that is some wishful thinking as they plan to wear the alternates at least 6 more times this season. Honestly they should be winning no matter what jerseys they wear, even if it's those ugly Christmas pajamas. 

Woodson’s Hot Seat

The fire under Coach Woodson’s behind might be bigger than MSG at this point. The team has looked like they don't care at times. Opposing teams have been getting to the basket like they have E-ZPass. While it is far from Woodson’s fault that his team has given as much effort as Andrew Bynum did in Philadelphia someone has to answer. With no viable back-up for Chandler signed in the offseason Woodson has been left to scramble for anybody willing to defend the basket. Andrea Bargnani has surprised a lot of people this past week as he finally seems to be fitting in on offense and turned in a superb effort against Dwight Howard on Thursday. As great as Bargs has been playing the Knicks need a legitimate center that can guard the post and grab rebounds. Frank Isola reported earlier today that Woodson is thinking about inserting Kenyon Martin into the starting lineup to help fill this void.

So Long Shump?

Iman Shumpert for whatever reason seems to be the Fall Guy of the Knicks early season struggles. The team tried to deal Shumpert away to the Denver Nuggets in exchange for high-energy guy Kenneth Faried but was denied. ESPN New York’s Ian Begley reported that the Knicks have now reached out to the Boston Celtics in hopes of forming a deal centered around Shumpert and Rajon Rondo. While this is the only deal that makes sense short and long term for the team the thought of the rivals doing business is hard to imagine. Hell if the Nets could heist the Celtics why not the Knicks? Anything outside of a Rondo deal, or for a big that can provide some size and rebounding in Chandler's absence, would not be a wise move by GM Steve Mills.

Courting Melo

Melo is not a happy camper. He was quoted by Marc Berman of the New York Daily Post saying “We got to play harder. We're not playing worth a [expletive] right now.” The team’s effort or lack of is starting to irritate Anthony as he continues to be a one man show on offense and watching opponents come into his house and wipe the floor with his team. Raymond Felton has been getting shredded by any point guard with a good first step, J.R. is regressing to the old J.R. and Tyson Chandler is out for at least five more weeks. The front office isn’t doing much better shopping Shumpert who Anthony thinks can be a great player in a couple years. If Shumpert is dealt for anyone not named Rajon Rondo or Gasol be afraid Knicks fans, be very afraid.

Panic Meter: 6

The lack of effort is getting to the point where you wonder if the team actually cares anymore. They have not defended their home court at all starting 1-5 at The Garden this year. They lost 10 games at The Garden all year last year. The Knicks have a difficult upcoming week with matchups against a big Detroit team, the Indiana Pacers, the best team in the conference not named Miami, and Washington on Saturday. This stretch will put the team’s heart to the test and by Saturday night we will see how much pride this unit has.

Women's Knickstape T-shirt Preorder

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PETITION TO SAVE SHUMP

https://www.change.org/petitions/mr-dolan-do-not-trade-guard-iman-shumpert

Since the Knicks were eliminated by the Pacers in the second round of last year’s playoffs the team has been looking to make moves to please soon to be free agent Carmelo Anthony. Every move the Knicks have made or plan to make in the near future revolves around re-signing their franchise player. Trading the Knicks only real asset and player that Melo thinks highly of is not the smartest move. It is also unwise to trade away your only line of defense when James Harden, Kobe, Westbrook and Rose come to town.

Iman Shumpert has fallen out of favor with both Owner James Dolan and Head Coach Mike Woodson making him most likely to leave. The team already tried to get Kenneth Faried in exchange for Shump and it is reported more teams have inquired about the talented shooting guard. Trading Shumpert would be a panic move that the Knicks will regret just as much and maybe even more than not matching Jeremy Lin’s offer sheet. 

Please help talk some sense into James Dolan and sign our below petition to keep Iman Shumpert in the Orange and Blue!! 

PETITION: MR. DOLAN DO NOT TRADE SHUMP

Shump Trade Rumors: Denver, Pacers in the Mix

via Getty Images

It seems like déjà vu all over again. Another Knick might be heading to Denver. Or will it be Indy? News broke yesterday that the Knicks are in trade talks with Denver to acquire Kenneth ‘The Manimal’ Faried in exchange for Iman Shumpert. There have also been several other reports that numerous teams have inquired about Shump. One source points to the Pacers as a landing spot for the energetic guard, which for many would be heart breaking. Indy without Shump looks dangerous, but with him they could be the league's elite. 

However, the move that seems most likely and is being talked about around the blogesphere is the swap with the Nuggets. Frank Isola of the Daily News reported that Shumpert who was taken ahead of Faried in the 2011 Draft has fallen out of favor with both Coach Mike Woodson and owner James Dolan. If indeed this trade happens, is this a good move for the Knicks?

Case for Faried

The team gets a much needed front court presence that’s good for 10 rebounds a night and someone who goes 100 miles per hour every minute he’s in the game. With Tyson Chandler out he immediately becomes Knicks best rebounder and fills that huge void as defensive interim captain. When Chandler returns he and Faried have the potential to be one of the top frontcourts in the league. Most importantly it saves Melo from the punishment of having to fight with the likes of Z-Bo and Kevin Love night in and night out. Financially the Knicks get a cheaper contract in Faried helping lower that salary cap for room to re-sign Melo and clear more room for Jim Dolan’s grand spending spree in 2015.

Case for Shumpert

Shumpert is more than just a starting shooting guard for the Knicks. He is one of the leaders on this team. He is a huge fan favorite as one of the founder of the #Knickstape moniker to being out in the community. On the court Shumpert is no doubt the best perimeter defender on the team. He is virtually the only line of defense when players like Derrick Rose, James Harden and Kobe come to town. He has shown improvement on offense, developing a three-point and mid-range shot. If it is true that Shump has fallen out of favor with James Dolan and Coach Woodson it will be interesting to see how Melo takes this. When rumors swirled about Shumpert being traded to the Suns Melo was not happy. The Knicks have to keep in mind they have to please Anthony with his impending free agency and dealing a player he is high on is not the best way to woo someone.

There is no doubt that someone like Faried is needed right now; but what about a year from now? Or two years? The Knicks supposed grand plan is to go after Kevin Love in 2015 so where would Faried go? Why not wait out Tyson’s injury and sign a cheap free agent?  These are interesting questions that General Manager Steve Mills has to answer before he makes his first big move since taking over for Glen Grunwald. 

JR to start as Knicks look to bounce back from embarrassment

via SportingNews.com

On Wednesday the Knicks head to A-Town to fulfill their owner’s guarantee and get a much needed win. We all know what happened on Sunday (we’ll forget it happened). We all know James Dolan is very upset. We know Mike Woodson is on a scalding hot seat. Word leaked out Tuesday that the Knicks we also be without Amar’e Stoudemire per Ian Begley of ESPN New York. 

The Hawks are coming off an impressive win against Charlotte in which they had 26 assists as a team and scored 100 points for the seventh straight game to start the season. This is not the type of team you want to face when you’re as thin up front as the Knicks. Andrea Bargnani, Kenyon Martin and Carmelo Anthony are definitely going to have their hands full keeping Al Horford, Paul Millsap and Elton Brand off the glass. Look for a lot of Metta World Peace in this tonight as he was one of the few Knicks that showed up to play against the Spurs on Sunday and his energy will be relied on. It’s going to be a very long game if Bargnani puts on an encore performance on how to get put on waivers. Against the Spurs he had one more rebound than Spike Lee and looked like a man with no country on the defensive end. Both Al Horford and Paul Millsap are all-star level forwards and have the ability to grab 20+ rebounds if Bargnani and company don’t show up again.

In what seems to be the theme of Carmelo Anthony’s career the main storyline on offense is who is going to help Anthony score.  J.R. Smith will make his first start of the year tonight, coming in at SG to replace Prigioni. The move may surprise some, as the starting line-up will be extremely scoring heavy and not very defensive. However, with Tyson out and the team struggling to put up buckets, Woodson is forced to get creative. Putting your 5 best players on the floor together is his best choice right now.

Rookie Tim Hardaway Jr. remains one of the only constants on Coach Woodson’s bench as he was one of the four players to crack double digits in points against the Spurs. On defense Felton and J.R. will have their hands full with speedy guards Jeff Teague and rookie Dennis Schroder as well as a red hot sniper Kyle Korver who is currently shooting a scorching 54 percent from downtown per Basketball-Reference.com.

All of this means nothing without effort; something that was absent Sunday and has changed on a game by game basis. This is either going to be a grind out win that the Knicks need now more than ever. If they come out flat and get blown out of the gym again expect the beginning of wholesale changes to follow.

Iman Shumpert: Risking his Image for the Team

To the dismay of most Knick fans, myself included, Iman Shumpert removed his trademark flat top prior to the first game of the 2013-2014 season. I was stunned, shocked, in disbelief, and confused as I've grown to love that flat-top like it was my own. Many of us asked why. Well, in a telling new video that premiered last week Shump has the answer, and it may surprise you.  Take a look...

Although the flat top is gone, I love where Shump's head is at. Although it's just hair, these days an athlete's image is almost as important as their stats. For him to get rid of an essential part of his branding for what in his mind is the good of the team, says a lot about the type of player and person he is. This guy has the heart of champion and is hungry to bring the Knicks back to greatness. Although the year has started off rocky, Shump is one of the brightest spots on the roster and is shaping into one of this team's leaders. Let's hope he accomplishes his goals and helps bring that ship back to the greatest city in the world.

Knicks Take on the Hot T-Wolves Tonight at MSG

via thehoopdoctors.com

On Sunday the Knicks welcome the red hot Minnesota Timberwolves to The Garden, led by star power forward Kevin Love and their flashy Spanish point guard Ricky Rubio. The T-Wolves come into the game a perfect 2-0, coming off an impressive blowout of Kevin Durant and the OKC Thunder on Friday. If the Knicks plan on staying in this game they will have to give Tyson Chandler help on the boards especially with Love and center Nikola Pekovic averaging a combined 23 boards a game per NBA.com. The Bulls were able to take advantage of the ‘Bockers on the boards outrebounding them 48-42 on Thursday. Look for Coach  Mike Woodson to use a lot of Kenyon Martin especially with Amar’e Stoudemire out against the T-Wolves big front line that is going to keep Chandler and company busy all night. It will also be interesting to see if Woodson opts with going small and playing Carmelo Anthony at power forward against Love or will he go big with Bargnani at power forward and Melo at small forward. The Knicks have had more success going small, but Love might be a lot for Anthony to handle over the course of the game.

The guards will also have their hands full with the crafty Ricky Rubio creating for Minnesota coming in averaging 10 assists. Look for Pablo Prigioni and Raymond Felton and maybe even Iman Shumpert late in the game to switch off trying to corral the red hot point guard and limit his opportunities. On the offensive end, the Knicks are still looking for that second scorer after Melo with reigning Sixth Man of the Year J.R. Smith still serving his five game suspension. Bargnani started to find the range in the second half of the Bulls game would be the most viable candidate if he can use his length to his advantage. Both Shumpert and rookie Tim Hardaway Jr. are other candidates who both hit their shots on Thursday and will be needed down the stretch to help Melo close. The most interesting storyline of this game will be what happens when the game is close late and the Knicks are forced to score in the half court, will Coach Woodson have an offensive set aside from give Melo the ball and stare at him. If the Knicks hope to compete in the postseason their late game offense actually has to improve drastically. After Rose hit the floater on last game everyone in the building knew Melo was getting the ball and his teammates would just watch. For Woodson to run a half court set someone will have to prove they can knock down shots down the stretch, look for Shumpert to fill this void if given the opportunity.

Expect this game to be very competitive throughout the game, with the winning team being the one that can control the glass and keep the opposing team star under control. The T-Wolves held Kevin Durant to 13 points on Friday so for the Knicks to pull this one out Shumpert, Felton and Hardaway Jr. all must hit shots help free up Melo when it counts.

Tip-Off is at 7:30pm on MSG Network.

Chandler Shines but Knicks Fall to Bulls on a D-Rose Circus Shot

AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh

In their first road game of the year the Knicks turned in a trick or treat type of performance, showing flashes of a team that can make noise in the East and looking like a team with no identity in others. Sporting their new orange alternate jerseys they took on the Bulls in Derrick Rose’s first game in Chicago since he tore his ACL against the Sixers in the 2012 playoffs. The story of the first half was the same for the Knicks; turnovers, turnovers and more turnovers. Andrea Bargnani continues to look lost on both ends of the floor racking up a remarkable three offensive fouls something he probably couldn’t replicate if he tried. Amar’e Stoudemire got his first action of the season and looked rusty to say the least scoring one basket on two attempts in limited minutes. Rookie Tim Hardaway Jr. was one of the few bright spots for the Knicks in the first half scoring seven points including one from downtown and a nice lay-in. Tyson Chandler continues to be the only constant for Coach Mike Woodson on the defensive end pulling down eight boards and scoring four points at the half. The Bulls continued to bully the Knicks in the paint with Chandler on the bench and took advantage of sloppy passing in transition buckets. Woodson has yet to get a viable back up for Chandler as Kenyon Martin is still getting his legs underneath him after not playing the whole preseason.

Both Carmelo Anthony and Bargnani started to find the range combining for 16 in third period helping the Knicks stay in striking distance heading into the fourth. The Knicks got fire at the five minute mark going on a 12-0 run sparked by Anthony and Hardaway Jr. to take a 78-76 lead. Chandler was a beast on the boards for the second consecutive night pulling down a monster 19 rebounds not including a number of his patented tip outs giving the Knicks second and third chances. A key review with 26 seconds left gave the Knicks the ball which resulted in a Noah foul on Chandler that gave the Knicks a 81-80 lead, then D-Rose acted like D-Rose sinking the game winner with five seconds left after a last minute Anthony heave was off the mark as the ‘Bockers fall 82-81 in Chi Town.