Good morning! Still a day away from Knicks basketball, so let’s take some reader questions.
Happy Hump Day!
With so much time between games, I thought it would be a perfect opportunity for a mailbag, and y’all did not disappoint. I got more than enough questions to fill two newsletters, so today will be the first of a two-parter.
Let’s get started with a good one from David Futernick, who you can see on the current hit Netflix show, Nobody Wants This (which clearly isn’t appropriately named because everyone wants them some Futty):
1. It’s obvious that the biggest obstacles keeping the Knicks from contending for a chip are defense (which is improving), offensive rebounding and bench depth. Would you rather rely on Mitch’s return + a move or two on the margins at the deadline or make a bigger splash with a Mitch trade? (Lotta hypotheticals with both obviously)
2. Favorite Christmas food item(s)?
Great question David. For a few reasons, I’m inclined to favor a Mitch trade, but with a caveat that I’ll get to in a bit.
I’ll start with some logistics. Once Landry Shamet comes back (and I’m fully assuming he’ll take Matt Ryan’s roster spot at some point soon based on his Monday debut at Westchester), that gives them 10 rotation players if they keep Mitch. That’s already one more rotation guy than Thibs likes to play. In other words, it’s hard to see any margin move having a #meaningful impact on the rotation.
That means moving out one of the rotation players if we’re looking to improve the roster. So how do they feasibly get that player? Besides Mitch, the only non-minimum salary they’ll have to trade that won’t disrupt their core is Achiuwa’s $6 million, and the options at that price point are limited, even if you add a minimum salary.
With those logistics in mind, I ultimately have more faith in a premium bench wing impacting a long playoff run than Robinson. For one, I have serious questions about Mitch’s ability to stay healthy and in top form through the rest of the season and four playoff rounds. More than that, if the goal is to win a title, I’m not sure how much Robinson helps against the very best teams, who will totally ignore him when the Knicks have the ball. If he’s not gobbling up offensive rebounds (and we’ve seen sound teams neuter this in the past), he makes life on offense much more difficult. Defensively, Mitch has never been particularly effective against five-out teams, and New York’s playoff path could go through the Celtics, Bucks and Pacers.
In terms of need, right now the Knicks don’t have a single playoff ready bench wing. Shamet, should he return, is probably too undersized to play alongside multiple other guards, which New York is heavy on. Even Cam Payne (whom I adore) may be tougher to give significant minutes too against a team like Boston. They need one more non-big with size.
I’m also bullish on the long term prospects of Precious at center lineups, simply because of the potential to switch one through five. But even those lineups probably require an additional wing unless you want all of Hart, Mikal and OG out there at the same time, which somewhat defeats the purpose of a bench mob.
Ultimately, I’m factoring in a looming matchup with the Celtics heavily in all of this analysis. You beat that team with versatility, shooting and skill. The less of it you have, the more they’ll exploit it.
All this being said…if the right wing isn’t out there, we know a healthy Robinson at his best is an impactful enough player to flip a playoff series against the right team. I’m not about to give that up for nothing. The guy they get has to be someone who can give them 10 minutes a half in any playoff series they’re in.
Lastly, Christmas food. I’m going to cheat here because it’s a food I haven’t had since my mother sold her house in Staten Island about five years ago, but she used to make a baked brie every Christmas with dried cranberries and sliced pears. Nothing said Christmas to me like that baked brie. The only problem is that you couldn’t cut into it too soon after you took it out of the over because the result would be a goopy mess. Patience was rewarded, however, with that perfectly warm and creamy first bite.
I know: you want some.
Runners ups include homemade sausage bread (made by my Uncle Steve, who now lives in Tennessee), lobster tails on Christmas eve, and of course, egg nog.
Next up, a question from Lee:
