How far can the Knicks take this winning streak and what more can the team do to improve the roster?

How far can the Knicks take this winning streak and what more can the team do to improve the roster?

The RedHot New York Knicks are going to put their niname winning streak on the line Saturday night as they battle the Lakers at the Garden time to talk some nicker Bacher basketball with the one and only dean of Nicks Film School my guy Jonathan Macker joins me now jmck

What’s going on uh I mean it’s it’s all sunshine and rainbows right now Dex I don’t have to tell you this is good times for Nick fans this is good times for Nicks fans Feels Good Vibes in the city around New York basketball let’s get right into it JM Thursday night

Nick’s comeback victory over the Pacers I was actually watching watching your postgame show opening monologue you referenced multiple times that you felt something special was going on with this team who as I mentioned has won nine straight games what has impressed you with this team lately and why do you

Believe that we are witnessing something special I think the easier question to answer is probably what what hasn’t impressed you about the team because you look at every facet of the game of of the game of basketball and they are kind of knocking it out of the Park really

Every facet of sports you know you talk uh in football a lot about next man up well has there been any team in the NBA this season that is Define the next ManUp philosophy more than the Knicks you know you could look at their what they’re doing on the defensive end of

The Court where they’ve been they’ve been the best team in the league for uh since they made the ogan anobi trade um if there’s one number that I’m kind of looking at and gives me uh particularly High Hopes moving forward it’s the fourth quarter numbers because if you’re

Going to do anything in this league um you have to be able to close games the Knicks are the best fourth quarter team in the league by a significant margin they’re outscoring teams by 11.2 points per 100 possessions in the fourth next best team is Boston who everybody kind

Of has still as the favorite they’re only at plus 7.1 this team could start games they could close games um and it doesn’t seem to matter who’s in the lineup for them to do it yeah it’s a good stat they are closing games very well right now want to talk to you about

The past three games because during the past three games I think fans they were concerned obviously once Julius Randle went out the line lineup with a separated shoulder that the Knicks would struggle offensively and there were legit questions as to who is going to pick up the scoring Dante Devan chenzo

And prece tuua they actually have been able to provide offense the past few games do you think these two role players can keep up their offensive output I I do think that they could keep up their offensive output in in particular Dante Devan chenzo dvan chenzo is he’s really interesting to me

Because his career was headed on a certain trajectory with the Bucks who drafted him um and then he got injured and missed a large portion of his his uh third year when the Bucks went on to win the championship and then his career kind of went sideways for a bit he ended

Up in Golden state for that one year and now he’s here with the Knicks getting I would argue the biggest role of his career I don’t see anything about what he’s doing that is unsustainable and I’m really excited not even about the three-point shooting but when he put the

Puts the ball on the floor he shows that he’s more than just a guy who stands behind the point three-point line the one area that I would exercise a little bit of caution on the three teams the last three games that they have played are three of the six worst defenses in

The league I which is why I am still looking towards the trade deadline I do think they still need to get another piece to maybe juice the offense but so far uh so good so far so good with nicob backers now they are creeping up on the

Two spot in the Eastern Conference since their run going back to New Year’s Day is it time to start cons seriously considering head coach Tom Tibido as a coach of the year candidate man listen this question is like catnip for me I I’m a big I’m as big a tibs fan

As you’ll find uh I think the most impressive thing you could say that he’s done is you go and look at any successful tibs defense and there have been a lot of successful tips defenses over the years it all starts in the middle he he needs that Center to really

Do a lot of different things um and check a lot of boxes well this year we’ve seen Mitchell Robinson start games in Center is it hardenstein start games at Center um Jericho Sims start games at Center and it doesn’t matter who’s doing it I mean obviously prua has played some

Center Taj has played some Center you put anyone in there and yet you know their defense again as I said has been the best in basketball for some time now I just I would push back on my own you know support for tibs and saying Leon Rose for executive of the Year obviously

We’re talking about Jaylen Brunson in the run for MVP there’s a lot of Praise that deserves to to go around here yeah no doubt about that with the next a lot of people you can give credit to for this turnaround and this remarkable season that they’re having thus far JM

You mentioned this about the trade deadline we are less than a week away from the trade deadline on the 8th what would you like to see the Nicks do in order to improve their roster by 3M on February 8th uh I listen is it a need I

Think whether you say it’s a need or not depends on your your expectations at this point for the season but especially with the uncertainty surrounding Julius Randall I think they need to get someone else who could put pressure on the defense I I thought um you know Chris Herring who you know I

Know you know as well went on Zack L’s podcast yesterday and talked about how one of the the dangers is are you putting too much on Jaylen Brunson and look Brunson has been incredible but the whole point of this is to to do it in the playoffs and you need to keep him

Fresh until you get there so so for as much as we could talk about oh you know whoever they trade for are they even going to get significant minutes once it gets to the playoffs they have a long way to go before that and not to say

That they’re not going to get there not to say they’re not going to get there with a high seed but they have to be fresh or as fresh as possible when they get there so I just think to to get through these next 30 some odd games you

Got to get someone else who could who could make a defense think twice about uh you know when they’re on the floor what they could do yeah no I agree and I heard Chris’s point on Zack podcast I think it’s a good one you worry about Jaylen Brunson as great as he’s been

Will he start to get worn down as we go further through the season and the Knicks have to rely on him even more so that’s a concern especially with Julius Randall out last thing for me Jonathan Knicks they battle the Lakers on Saturday night the lak show they’re

Coming off a win in Boston which they had without LeBron James and Anthony Davis what are the keys to the Knicks make it 10 wins in a row in defeating the Los Angeles Lakers yeah the the Lakers shot the heck out of the ball in that game which helped them over come

The loss of of those guys um that said the Lakers offense especially you know their half court offense has not exactly been very good this year I think as long as the Knicks come out and play with the same you know fight and spirit and attention to detail that they have been

Playing with uh they should be fine one area that I always look at with the Lakers because they really are not very good at many things one thing they are good at is the free throw line and that’s on both ends of the Court they prevent you from getting to the line

Which the Knicks are typically very good at they they get the line a lot they they got the line a lot against Indiana helped them out and um the Lakers get to the line so as long as you can you know keep the Lakers off the free throw line

Too much um they you know again their half court offense just is not has not been built to be very successful this year so those are the the the couple of keys that I have in mind all right we will see if the Knicks can make it 10

Wins in a row I will be watching I know Jonathan Mack will be watching actually we’ll see you at the game cuz you guys are having a watch party I will be pulling up to watch some of the game with you guys we’ll see if the Knicks

Can keep the city buzzing with 10 wins in a row always good talk to some Nick Hoops with youj Ma I’ll see you soon yeah see you a littleit later tonight be well thank you

The Dean of Knicks Film School Jonathan Macri breaks down the Knicks’ 9 game winning streak.

#newyorkknicks #knicks #jalenbrunson #juliusrandle #oganunoby #nba

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