Did the Knicks Make the Better Trade? I Off Guard With Austin Rivers I The Ringer

Did the Knicks Make the Better Trade? I Off Guard With Austin Rivers I The Ringer

OG in the Knicks I you know they look good they won their game last night big game too for him to have his debut and go be beat the number one team in the west beat the number one team in the west team that’s been playing the best basketball right now the Minnesota

Timberwolves that’s an impressive debut um people talk about what his impact would be with like Jaylen Brunson but it looked like it really impacted Julius Randle at 39 points yeah uh so OG’s maybe could spr the floor it’s provided Clarity for them right uh there’s like

Less balls now you know what I mean there’s less ball takers ball Shooters you know like we have you know RJ who’s a good player but he’s a scorer every time he gets it that ball he’s looking to put in the basket Emanuel quickley is

Not coming to the game to get an assist not that he can’t because he he actually has a really good read on lobs and weak side passing but he’s he’s a scorer you know what I mean so sometimes there can be too many chefs in the kitchen and

What we’ve seen right now is Jaylen Brunson has definitely reached the status of like their go-to guy along with Julius Randall they’re like they tandem yeah um I think they double down on that you know everybody’s been saying how can the Knicks win or how good are

The Knicks if their two best players are Brunson and Randle brunson’s really good now the narrative’s changable is Brunson on onea is Brunson that conversation around the Nick star core cons you know continues to be a question amongst the media and fans but the Knicks have clearly said no we actually believe this

We’re doubling down on this you know we’re going to take Jaylen we’re GNA take Randall we’re going to clear out some of our youth they they got rid of uh quickly they got rid of Barett less less Shooters less ball handlers get some like OG who doesn’t need the

Ball he kind of affects the game defensively offensively gets offensive rebounds they got a lot of those guys you know tip’s gonna love that you already have Josh Hart and D chinzo out there flying around getting rebounds defending it seems like this team is being Taylor Made fit for Tibido to

Coach to his best of his abilities you know you see a lot of teams in today’s day build teams around or I’m sorry a lot of organizations build teams around their star player it seems like in this case we’re getting a mix between them building a team

Around Bruns and or Rano and also more more so this is being built around Tibido how bet you other coaches wish they had that luxury around like Tio’s Tibido is being he’s getting a team put together to best fit his talents as a coach guys that he likes defensive first

Hard nose no complain don’t need the ball in their hands can hit an open shot but they’re going to scrap that’s kind of like what we’re seeing here I mean there’s going to be lineups where like as like Grimes and uh OG and and divon chinzo and Hart and Randall and Brunson

I mean Mitchell all every single one of these Taj Gibson for crying out loud still out there like every single guy that they have is is is like T you know these are hard you know working hardn guys and then you have your two scores it kind of simplifies things when

Quickly came in we didn’t know who show it was quickly wanted that ball well you knew when they paid heart that they weren’t going to have the money for quickly yeah exactly that was that was already a clear indicator you know we’re going this direction um so we’ll see you

Know what I mean the Knicks are going to be a team that you know you play in a playoff series it’s going to be tough and physical yeah you know scoring does this affect them a little bit yeah because you know yeah sure were there a

Lot of chefs in the kitchen yeah maybe but sometimes that’s nice to have especially in the playoffs if brunson’s having an off game or if randle’s being guarded well or having an off game like you got a guy like Barrett or quickly who can go for 20 not that OG can’t but

Those other guys were more traditional conventional scores OG’s been on the trade talk it seems like every year he’s been there yeah he’s like the main guy first was like Portland wanted him remember that whole thing like he was going to go to Portland he’s part of this trade apparently the Grizzlies last

Year offered like five first round picks for his value was really high I’ll say this about OG yeah his value is very high I’m interested to see how high like I want to see why I know he’s a solid player I’m not questioning it I just

Like the players that he RJ Barett and Manuel quickley and something wouldn’t it like a second round second round pick like you know for OG and and precious who’s talented as well actually in his own right but um you know o OG’s value in stock has been like Skyrocket High

Yeah since he’s you know got in the league people saw him and thought maybe he could he had like quesque type stuff that that’s just ridiculous he does that’s not ever going to happen no offense he just doesn’t have that that turn he don’t have a scoring game in

Terms of like his turnaround game like Ka is a different Menace man people are so quick to throw out comparisons like anybody who’s skinny in 610 they throw out and Durant and then like we’re like what are we doing here you know what I mean like the comparison to Kawai is a

Little premature especially since OG’s not like 21 anymore he’s been in the league for like four or five years now who he is now not saying he can’t get better cuz he can but you know well we’re going to see him in a cool new role where he’s the third best player on

A really good team that’s what I’m saying we’re going to see like really how good he is you know what I mean not that we haven’t seen him be a good player in Toronto we have but this is a different stage yeah he’s on Front Street Broadway madis Square guard man

You know what I mean like this is as big as a stage gets in basketball Lakers knicks right yeah yeah you know now he’s there they’ve pieced this team together for tibs Brunson Randall he’s a big part of it OG they won their first game versus Minnesota so you know all looks

Well right now we’ll see how it pans out do you think that they are now for you in your eyes are they the third best team in the East behind Celtics and Bucks because so they’re competing with the heat the Sixers I me if you want to

Throw Celtics bucks are unanimous one to right we know that I guess the the comp competition for New York I think New York is ahead of everybody else in terms of if we’re talking about the third spot it’s just between them and Philly not Miami gosh I can’t leave Miami out right

Then Miami would be in there too yeah you know it’s tough because I I’m not the biggest fan of Miami’s roster in terms of you know competition in the playoffs but every time we say this they like they do that thing that Miami does they get the most out of every player

And like if the heat and nicks got into a playoff series tomorrow I don’t know if the Heat Knicks got into a playoff series tomorrow barring no no injuries everybody’s super healthy and I had to put all my money in my savings on one team I’d probably go to Miami right see

Which you know but it’s hard for you to put them to third right right on the standings in your mind regular season no not Miami playoff Miami I’m I’m putting Miami is probably the third best team in the East and they might even give Milwaukee trouble just because there’s a

Mental historically have yeah there’s a mental thing there they they’ve had success versus Milwaukee Damen changes that because he’s a new player I think that’s when damen’s stock will really show why this trade was worth it I think a lot of people are you see what Milwaukee’s missing because they are

They’re Drew hurt them missing Drew hurts I mean you watch it every night their perimeter defense is is it’s rough man yeah you know what I’m saying but I do think Damien’s value will show and glow come playoff time he’ll be able to really like you’ll see like this is why

We got him when they’re going in that series versus Heat and Jimm’s in giannis’s head and maybe Giannis is having a game where he looks human and you know the ser now you got you got another Captain bro you got another guy next to you that can kind of take over

And do some big things so and you have a guy that you know can close out a game pretty much better than everyone just yeah he’s one of the best closes in NBA history so that’s where Damian’s value will you know come you know so we’ll see

But Boston’s clearly the best after that Philly New York Miami all three of those teams are kind of fighting I’ll give Philly The Edge because they’ve historically been three more consistently than any other team and they had the MVP on their team out of all all three teams between New York

Miami and Philly the most dominant best player clearly hands down is on Philly uh and potentially the most improved with Tyrese Maxi and and you got tyres Maxi in there so like I’m going Philly 3 I’m GNA stamp that 4 five is you know I’ll go New York then Miami but playoffs

Scoot Miami ahead of yeah just about everybody but Boston so we’ll see are you surprised because the Knicks were linked to a lot of different free agents you know they were wondering who they were going to pair with Brunson and Randle it could have been Zack LaVine or

Donovan Mitchell was the name that talked about for a little bit I heard you know Carl Anthony taler Joel embiid do you are you a little surprised that they went with OG well I don’t think Zack leavine fits Theo of like the whole Nicks yeah like tibs let’s just call for

What it is I don’t know how Zack did did Zack play in her tibs in Minnesota already I’m not sure be interesting to look that into that if he was the coach that kind of yeah got him I don’t want to say got he did so yeah that that

Experiment’s already been there and Zack wed out tibs wanted remember yeah Jimmy Butler and all those because I think that was a trade right yeah so like that that we know that fit’s not going to work remember he didn’t want cam reddish remember that like he doesn’t like those

Type of guys you know like you know Zach’s a little bit more mild manner you know not known historically as the best defensive player but a guy who could put the ball in the basket and gets paid Max money to do so they just got off of RJ

Barrett’s contract to take on Zach who has a whole bunch of years still left I didn’t see that really making sense for them unless it was like with this guy we’re winning right now and I don’t think the Knicks can confidently say that like with you know if you add Zach

To that team do they win right now I I don’t know fitwise it’s not bad just because you have Brunson LaVine uh Randall it kind of plugs in nice I just don’t know makeup and like game style and play if he fits what like tibs likes to do and what tibs wants and

Likes and sees in players some of those things are things that Zach doesn’t have you know Zack’s great at other things much greater than I mean he’s one of the better scores in the NBA but I don’t know if that’s the best fit for someone like tip so I didn’t see that happening

I think OG’s you want talk about fit and scenario that’s about his best case scenario for tips like we said a lot of teams don’t a lot of franchises organizations don’t build around a coach yeah it just from in the eye test and again I can’t confirm that I’m not in

The locker room but from the eye test looking and watching it looks like that that it’s being tailored around tibs so we’ll see where this goes

Austin and Pausha discuss OG Anunoby’s debut with the Knicks and share their thoughts on the Knicks-Raptors trade. Austin also ranks the top five NBA teams in the East right now.

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