🎞🧵Knicks Film Thread🧵🎞

Featuring analysis by @BenRitholtzNBA.

Today’s Lesson: HARTENSTEIN

1/21) 4 NYK Cs last year:
3,911 minutes; 114 Assists

iHart last year:
1,216 minutes; 160 assists

You can clear the baseline and run the offense through Hart at the elbow extended: 2/21) Something LAC didn’t do much was utilize iHart for post entries. I’d LOVE to see the Knicks run some high-low action for RJ, Brunson vs smalls, [and Obi/Randle] all of whom could use some deep post looks in their diets.

Hartenstein can deliver the dimes on target.

🎞🧵Knicks Film Thread 🧵🎞

Featuring analysis by @BenRitholtzNBA.

Today’s Lesson: 🚨BRUNSON🚨

1/14) Brunson is ELITE at accessing and finishing in the paint. Not so much the RIM, but the paint. It stems from great acceleration, handle, + touch. Cannot stop his left drive. 2/14) Once he uses those handles + burst to get a step, his brute strength keeps you there. And if you dare actually cut him off, he has absolutely no issue finishing right THROUGH you.

Jalen Brunson is a bully in the paint - watch how these dudes bounce right off him.

🎞🏀Mega Knicks Film Thread🏀 🎞

Featuring analysis by @BenRitholtzNBA.

Today’s Lesson: The Randlessance

Despite lots of losing, we just experienced Julius Randle’s best 5-game stretch of the season. What’s changed?

1/16) Overall Theme: He’s attacking DECISIVELY and QUICKLY. 2/16) Though he only took 9 shots vs MIL, I thought the process improvement really started there. You see the immediate attack in a spot-up context in the clip above.

Here it comes off high pick+roll with Kemba. We’ve seen him pause and jab here so many times. Love this instead.

HOMEROOM - Utah Jazz

Overall Outlook:

🏀 32-21; 4th in West

🏀 L10: 3-7 (shocking); Crushed Nets on Fri

🏀 1st in O; 13th in D

🏀 Weakness: Transition D

🏀 Strengths:

- 1 in FT rate on both O and D
- Force midrange shots
- Shoot the most 3s in the league, at 5th best %. Lineup + Matchups:

Conley (Burks)
Mitchell (RJ)
Bogdanovic (Fournier)
Royce O’Neale (Randle)
Udoka Azubuike (Mitch)

Those numbers above have a lot to do with Rudy Gobert, who is OUT. Sans Gobert, they get to the line less, foul more, + D really suffers. You can get to the rim.

🎞🏀Knicks Film Thread🏀🎞

Featuring analysis from @BenRitholtzNBA.

Today’s Lesson: Randle in CrunchTime

Roll the Tape!

7:26 left, ATL cuts it to 2. Panic! NYK then scored on 9 of its next 11 possessions. Game over.

1/11) Improv from Julius in semi-transition opens this up. 2/11) Burks had been struggling to initiate the offense during ATL’s run. He now concedes that job to Julius.

Randle knows Fournier has it going now. See him point in that direction? He’s telling Burks to go screen for him. Hits him and let’s him make a play. Order restored.

Knicks-Hawks 1:30pm Injury Report:

Knicks show Kemba Walker as Out tonight along with Cam Reddish.

Hawks show Clint Capela as Doubtful. Kevin Knox not listed on the report. Bogdan Bogdanovic (right knee soreness) also now questionable vs. the Knicks

🎞🏀 Knicks Film Thread 🏀🎞

Featuring analysis from @BenRitholtzNBA.

Today’s Lesson: Defending Doncic

1/15) 1st possession made it very clear how NYK would guard Luka. Switch everything on or off ball 1 through 3. Drop the 4 (Julius).

So, RJ, Evan, Burks all on him here👇 2/15) You certainly cannot take away everything from a guy as good as Luka. By starting RJ on him, you at least negate the strength advantage he has over most NBA guards.

RJs strength forces Luka to catch far from the paint, and he can’t back him down to create a quality look.