Does Mikal Bridges Push The Knicks To The Top Of The East? + How To Replace IHart W/ XJ
āļāļąāļ
- āđāļāļĒāđāļāļĢāđāđāļĄāļ·āđāļ 21 āļŠ.āļ. 2024
- Gavin Schall is joined by XJ the co-host of the Hot Hand Theory Podcast to tell you why the Mikal Bridges trade might not be enough to push the Knicks to the top of the East, whether the trade was good value, and which lineup would maximize Bridges talent and allow the Knicks to actually matchup with the Celtics and replace Isaiah Hartenstein in the process.
Check out XJ's podcast the Hot Hand Theory here: podcasts.apple...
Want to talk hoops with us? Join us on Subtext!
ðē joinsubtext.co...
Follow & Subscribe on all Podcast platformsâĶ
ð§ link.chtbl.com...
Locked On NBA League-Wide: Every Team, Fantasy, Draft, WNBA & More
ð§ linktr.ee/Lock...
Support Us By Supporting Our Sponsors!
eBay MotorsFrom brakes to exhaust kits and beyond, eBay Motors has over 122 million parts to keep your ride-or-die alive. With all the parts you need at the prices you want, itâs easy to bring home that big win. Keep your ride-or-die alive at EbayMotors.com. Eligible items only. Exclusions apply. eBay Guaranteed Fit only available to US customers.
GametimeDownload the Gametime app, create an account, and use code LOCKEDON for $20 off your first purchase. Terms apply.
FanDuelFanDuel, Americaâs Number One Sportsbook. As playoffs wind down, the sports stop sporting like we want them to. But this summer, FanDuel is hooking up ALL CUSTOMERS with a boost or a bonus, DAILY! Thatâs right, thereâs something for everyone, every day, all summer long! Visit FANDUEL.COM/LOCKEDON and add a big win to your summer bucket list!
FANDUEL DISCLAIMER: 21+ in select states. First online real money wager only. Bonus issued as nonwithdrawable free bets that expires in 14 days. Restrictions apply. See terms at sportsbook.fanduel.com. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER or visit FanDuel.com/RG (CO, IA, MD, MI, NJ, PA, IL, VA, WV), 1-800-NEXT-STEP or text NEXTSTEP to 53342 (AZ), 1-888-789-7777 or visit ccpg.org/chat (CT), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN), 1-800-522-4700 (WY, KS) or visit ksgamblinghelp.com (KS), 1-877-770-STOP (LA), 1-877-8-HOPENY or text HOPENY (467369) (NY), TN REDLINE 1-800-889-9789 (TN)
#Knicks #NewYorkKnicks #NBA
Iâll take a 27 year old Mikal Bridges for 23 mil per year over a 34 PG13 for 50 million per year every single time.
Letâs go Gogu Bataze super underrated!! Will be a stud in our system . Advance metrics are out of this world for this man and is a top 15 starter at the center . Top 10 defensive/offensive rebounder and screener in our system, and thatâs behind Mitch . We must stop talking about trading Julius. Let his contract run. If anything trade it on itâs expiring year if the right opportunity comes along. We need a quality back up bruiser.
Bro said he'd like the trade better if randle was traded for caruso ð
Losing harteinstein is a big blow
Itâs a blow but not as big as you think. In January the Knicks were the top 2 teams in the NBA after the OG trade with Hardenstein, Randall, Donte and Brunson starting. We havenât seen the same lineup with Mitch replacing Hardenstein yet, plus now we have Bridges starting over Donte. Yes, itâs a hit and I truly will miss Hartenstine, but we will find a decent replacement. And give Mitch a chance. I think he will surprise many people. Mitch was included for defensive player and best offensive rebounder last tear before he went down to injury. If Mitch can try to stay healthy and we find a decent back up, we should be OK
I believe that his decline on defense, which was still pretty special in New Jersey was due to the fact that his role changed be the number one scorer which he does not have to do as much with Brunson and Randall on the floor with him and it is now to be a defensive specialist and to be there when needed to score points as the number 3 score
Love some of the takes but why are knicks fans obssessed with this idea of small ball? Its not 2015 anymore, all the teams that compete for the chip every year gets longer and taller. Denver, Milwaukee, Boston, Minnesota, the warriors a couple years ago caught lightning in a bottle once more, but small ball is now a tool you use. I dont think we should make it our main offensive strategy
We know thereâs an assumption that Mikal is a better player than Donte. But is he really better?
2 or 3 years ago, Mikal no doubt was better than Donte, but now itâs a tossup.Donte has ascended while Mikal has descended.
Villanova Voltron gonna kill it this season. Just need to lockup some more depth at centre.
Not saying the PG13 trade doesnât scare me. But it has nothing to do with PG13 being a better choice than bridges. Itâs us losing I Hart and dealing with Phillyâs size.
Knicks gotta get someone else to replace ihart but we still got Mitch and we got sims and precious
I don't follow your logic - You don't like the value exchange but he's a perfect fit?? It always 'depends' on how they deploy him as it 'depends' what the Nets do with the picks. As you mentioned, Bridges brings a ton of value and flexibility and durability to this lineup. A trade for say, Booker or PG, would have been astronomical (just an example) and put them in an even worse financial situation
Not to speak for Justin, but my logic and I think his was a perfect fit means Bridges can be the best version of himself on the Knicks and the returning Knicks can be the best versions of themselves with Bridges, is that worth the tradeoff of a far superior player who may force other guys to alter their games, but that player is so good that the team is better off anyways. We'll get into more next episode but the point is we have no idea if or when that move was on the table so totally fair to make this trade now.
@@LockedOnKnicks I assume you mean compared to PG? Let's say it was on the table, for the sake of the argument - PG is 7 years older, way more expensive, way less durable and frankly faired well with the Clippers because he had the spacing. How would he look on the Knicks? How will he look on the 76ers? Bridges checks all the boxes except as an elite scorer who can carry a team
Yep I did. I hear you. I just think he's clearly a better offensive player and it's a pretty significant gap but we'll see how it plays out.
@@LockedOnKnicks not to suggest Mikal is better overall than PG, but I was looking forward several years as part of the deal i.e. appreciation vs depreciation of the player's skillset
Hey, this is XJ - fair question! Taking it out of the Bridges conversation specifically, I think a player can pretty easily theoretically be a perfect fit, and acquiring said player still be a subpar value exchange if you pay much more in acquisition and opportunity costs than you'll get back in impact on the team's performance (unless the impact results in a championship, in which case effectively any cost is acceptable). For example, I think Caruso is a perfect fit for OKC, but if they traded 4 or 5 1sts for him, you'd probably agree that's an overpay unless it resulted in a title.
Now back to the Bridges situation, like you said I think it depends on how they deploy him, which is what I said in the episode. I'm concerned that he won't be deployed in such a way to maximize his impact because it would require IMO a large dose of small ball lineups and heavy staggering of the starters, which are things we haven't previously seen with this coaching staff. Perhaps we see those things - in that case, I'd revamp my opinion!
Concerning someone like PG or Booker, the point there is that I think getting one of those players increases the Knicks' title odds - even if it costs more from an acquisition perspective, partially because the opportunity cost is lower - so I'd accept the trade-off of a narrower window (and a larger risk factor for injury in the case of PG). That said, you could make reasonable arguments either way. But this is the reasoning process I'm going through to get to my opinion.
Thanks for the comment and appreciate you tuning into the episode!!
-XJ
Jalen smith just got signed by the bulls
iHart :(
people are making way too big of a deal about what the knicks gave up for bridges.
they gave up their own 2025 frp + the bucks protected frp. both will probably end up being low first rounders.
then they gave up their own 2027 pick, which is kind of a coin flip. with the new cba, its hard to tell what the knicks will look like in 2027, but brusons signing an extension, OG just signed a 5 year deal, bridges/dvo/hart will still be under contract by then (i think). randles also going into a contract year. the team should still be decent in 2027.
the pick swap, probably wont even get exercised because bk is going balls deep into a rebuild and will almost certainly be worse than the knicks. the SRP is whatever too. and bogdonovics contract is expiring (?) or does he have a player option? either way its a contract coming off the books.
all the knicks really gave up, are 2 potentially decent FRPs in 2029 and 2031.
thats really not that terrible.
and considering that bk made a deal with houston after the bridges trade, to get back their own FRPs, you know theyre going to be awful for years to come.
Hartenstein imsined with OKC
Paul George is 35 and gets hurt all the time, how can you make the comparison without someone who is never hurt....
OMG so apparently anybody can have a podcast every draft pick they traded is a late first-round pick how many times have we used those? Besides this year? So you don't think Leon Rose is going to flip some stuff and have a bunch of second round picks like he did this year coming up? I mean the most ridiculous statement in the world is giving up late first round draft picks until 2030 that we probably wouldn't even use 4 Mikhail Bridges just stop
What is wrong with you two? Justin takes are so far off. Running back with the January team and adding bridges makes us elite. Talking about trading Randall. What the fuck is wrong with these people?
Hey, this is XJ! I'd agree with you that running it back with the January team and adding Bridges would make the Knicks elite. But they aren't doing that, they lost a key component of the January team. I think the Knicks are still in the top 5 of title contenders. I just don't think they are in the top 3 or 1 as I would've had them with Hartenstein. I think this is a totally reasonable perspective to have and I hope that people can be open to perspectives they don't necessarily agree with or even disagree with strongly. Thanks for listening and engagin, really appreciate it!
-XJ
The Randle hate has to stop
We definitely don't hate Randle, just wondering about the fit on this team. Dan Devine's on tomorrow and brings some Randle optimism haha
@@LockedOnKnicks ItÂīs impossible to talk about the downsides of something/someone on social media and not be called a hater smfh.
God what awful takes. We would have had to trade multiple players and picks for a 1 year window with an aging PG that misses tons of games and hasnât been stellar in the playoffs.
What has PG won with Leonardi? Nothing at all.
This has to be the worst vid youâve put out.
IHart loss is big as Mitch canât stay healthy and doesnât do any of the little things that hartenstein can do on offense. We need a center that can read offense, shoot outside of 3 feet and pass out of the paint to cutters etc which Mitch is terrible at.
I think our only point was in a vacuum the team has a higher ceiling with PG instead of Bridges. You prob lose Randle but then you also have a chance to use all those picks for a star piece that's a better piece than he is. Bridges is definitely the cleaner route but maybe not enough of an upside swing to win a title, we'll see.
@@LockedOnKnicks I get it. Overall I love your channel and been a follower here and on twitter/X for a long time. Usually agree with you on a lot. Just not about Mikal (his cost was negligible as it didnât require a plethora of players & 4/5 picks like a DM deal wouldâve a year or 2 ago) plus in a vacuum it wouldâve required a sign and trade that necessitated the moved of both picks and players to make the money remotely work or make LAC even care to help (ie Randle, Bojan & Picks for a long term 50 mill plus a year 35 year old with injury issues who hasnât excelled in the playoffs.)
Mikal can create his own shot as well (he was on a trash nets team last season where teams could load up on him), heâs younger, has a longer window with JB etc and can either be a 2nd or 3rd option on any night, slot at the 2 or 3, defends 1-4 and cover up any deficiencies that a Randle or Brunson might have on D next to OG & Mitch, he also fits culture wise and personality wise with Brunson Hart and Donte so they arenât likely to butt heads with an aging star who might demand more instead of accepting on nights when a shot isnât falling that Donte or Hart might close out a game if theyâre hot etc.
Overall the picks are likely late 1st round garbage that might net a role player or two if anything and far less likely to find a OG Brunson or Joker there.
DM would cost players and picks, in a better year Mikal would have required a IQ or something to send with picks. We should b feel lucky we didnât have to send out Hart and Deuce plus picks for the Nets to even take the Knicks call.âïļ
Keep up the great work though, LGKð·ðķ
As far as moving Randle for a better fit with this team, the only 4 I think might do that can shoot from outside at a better rate, defends at a higher level, has size and length of a prototypical 4 and has a contract that drops us below the caps/aprons would be Lauri in Utah.
Trading Randle and some of our various protected 1sts and some 2nds and maybe rights to Rokas for Lauri saves 12 million this year, opens up cash for signing a better replacement for IHart, has another key piece that is 26/27 lengthening our window to win another year or 3, and ensures that we donât have any major defensive deficiencies on Defense outside of the ok D of Brunson (he has his limits but 2-5 having great defenders easily makes up for whatever he lacks)
Outside that I donât think thereâs another player (that wouldnât cost ridiculous assets to get to put at PF)
Though itâs a lateral move to a degree, there are more pros than cons for me. But thatâs only if thereâs a center that NY valued that could be got no other way.
More of a what if than a desire. I wouldâve loved to keep IHart and Randle and call the offseason complete (outside signing the rookies to their deals and adding 2 more 2 way guys and a vet minimum to complete the roster of 15+3)
Disagree completely pg is not gonna be healthy and imo has been a no show in the playoffs look back to the suns playoffs runs mikal has been a great playoff performer who is healthy. Sure could pg in a perfect situation with health and confidence be better but not at this point in his career 34 gonna be 35 is not the same defender anymore and mikal is just entering his prime. â@@LockedOnKnicks