Mastodon
@Charlotte Hornets

Julius Randle Relief And Jalen Brunson Ends The Charlotte Hornets



Julius Randle Relief And Jalen Brunson Ends The Charlotte Hornets

Welcome in to locked on Nicks Alex Wolf and Gavin Shaw here and a good day all around for the Knicks all things considered good news on the Julius Randle front he might be out weeks not months or the season which is great and then the Knicks minus Julius and minus

Ogan anobi destroy the Charlotte Hornets on the road in yet another proxy MSG home game so we’re going to talk about all that and more next on locked on Knicks you are locked on Nicks your daily New York Nicks podcast part of the locked on podcast Network your team every

Day all right welcome in to locked on Nicks today’s episode is brought to you by FanDuel make every moment more right now new customers get $200 in bonus bets if you’re bet of $5 or more wins visit fanduel.com locked on to get started and I want to

Thank you guys for making locked on Nick’s first listen today and every day whether you’re checking us out on your favorite podcast platform or taking in sights and sounds on YouTube we appreciate you making us a part of your daily routine make sure you hit that notification Bell on YouTube or the Auto

Download function on your favorite podcast app after you subscribe so you never miss an episode because we’re here for you guys five days a week if not more this is another one of those if not more weeks because Gavin did an emergency live stream earlier talking about the Julius Randall news and we’re

Going to talk about it a little bit more I’m Alex Wolf I’m enter and chief of Nick’s site the Strickland which you can find strict. land and he is Gavin Shaw favorite play byplay broadcaster’s favorite play-by-play broadcaster and emergency commentator on Nicks news uh but Gavin we got good news so I’m gonna

Present it again because it’s worth it Bears repeating and talking about a second time between the two of us so w comes out first and drops a story says Nicks Julius Randle expect to be out weeks not months with his dislocated shoulder and then Ian Begley comes

Through with some more uh notes on that says there’s nothing inclusive yet regarding Julius Randall’s timetable per League source source said Randle will be out at least a few weeks which was obvious given the shoulder dislocation surgery has been ruled out but testing to date has led to some optimism it can

Be avoided uh and then noted that W reports there’s optimism that Julius randle’s timetable will be weeks not months which also suggests the Randall can avoid surgery so uh Gavin I mentioned this yesterday but I dealt with a shoulder injury I guess sort of similar myself a few

Years ago and this sort of tracks like my best guess even though the Knicks have not given an official statement on what the injury is or really addressed it pretty much at all except for just tips being like I’m worried and then like I’m less worried um that’s

It ice ice ice uh I don’t know just ice it ice it I guess I don’t know but on the cord and off but my best guess is maybe a partially torn lab or something here would have been the what happened to Randall that he avoided a full tear

Which if you get a partial tear that can be rehabbed over the course of a few weeks or you know potentially a month or a little over a month to just sort of strengthen the area back up and perhaps they run into a situation where I

Believe this is what happened uh with I Clyde mentioned on the broadcast say actually it happened with Wade at one point where he rehabbed a you know a partially torn shoulder and then you know got back finished the season out and then got the surgery in the offseason just to fully repair things

Maybe that’s what Julius ends up doing it would be very reminiscent of what ended up ultimately happening with his ankle last year where he sprained it a couple times played through the pain in the playoffs and then almost immediately after the playoffs were done went and

Got the surgery cleaned up his ankle and you know got himself on the road to getting better for the next season so I guess we’ll see but good news at least as good as it could be related to Randall’s injury at this point yeah I

Mean I I I said most of it earlier but I’m EC static obviously because then maybe this is just like the the burn of of 20 years of torture in my life for the most part being a Nicks fan but I I sort of had in my head like all right no

News is no news is bad news and like and then the Hammer’s going to drop at some point today and my stomach’s gonna sink and the season’s going to be over and I’m going to be miserable and I I don’t think this totally changes the Nick

Trajectory like I have him um and this is I have him like like I like I have inside medical knowledge I’m like in in in in my fairy tale in my mind he’s gonna miss 14 games um which would be a month and the Knicks can go like seven

And seven during that stretch I mean I don’t know about you tonight gave me a little bit more confident that confidence like all right maybe there’s a world where they’re a little better than that the schedule’s harder than it’s been but it’s certainly not overwhelming um and if they go seven and

Seven Bruce is like what would they’ve got with r 10 and four 11 and three does that ultimately change their life to me the the biggest thing there is just trying to avoid the Celtic side of the bracket and maybe if things go really bad it works out for the Knicks and that

They stumble to the six seed and do it that way but then you have to play Philly or Milwaukee in the first round versus um getting Cleveland which presumably would be the Knick’s preferred matchup um but to me like the the biggest like Miss window here is

It’s going to be harder to get you to the three seed and avoid a hypothetical second round match up with the Celtics but you know what if that the alternative was the season being over um I’m it’s it’s kind of like it’s it’s champag it’s champagne problems Alex

Yeah pretty much I mean it’s I think that you know if randle’s able to come back and and get back in like it doesn’t really matter what seed the Knicks are I don’t think because they proved last year that they’re so comfortable with like playing as a road Underdog sort of

You know like they did that it’s easy to forget but like they were people generally outside of like Nicks fandom didn’t really have a lot of faith in them going into Cleveland last year I I was I include myself in that yeah I mean

It was like a lot of people were like oh like Cleveland probably in like six games something like that and you know they kind of went in and proved everybody wrong on that and you know really they have the sort of grinded out game that translates well on the road in

The playoffs so seating doesn’t matter a ton as much as I would love for the Knicks be host a playoff series and get that first game at MSG and The Vibes that would come with that and everything else like that doesn’t matter so much to

Me as much as like just get this team healthy and ready to go like if they could ideally get Mitchell Robinson back which then mitigates this whole like Isaiah hartenstein uh situation where it seems like he’s sort of on a bit of a minute’s restriction right now trying to manage that achilles

Tendonitis um you know if you can get Julius Randle back fully healthy if you can get OG like give him rest days here and there because he’s got it I’ve been noticing I mean he was out in this game and I’ve noticed that like weird tape

Job that he’s had on that right elbow since he came to the Knicks and I’ve kind of wondered what was up with that and then all of a sudden in this game it’s like whatever it was like tendonitis or whatever they called it you know it’s like oh finally there was

A flare up I guess for this thing that’s been bothering him so whatever like do whatever you got to do like if it means losing a couple extra regular season games or something I don’t I don’t hate it I know the tibs would hate it but I

Don’t hate it and it seems like he’s at least hartenstein is giving me some hope that he is at least turning over a new Leaf of like if the medical staff tells him something he’s respecting it uh at least and you know trying to preserve these guys for the whole rest of the

Season uh so I guess we’ll see and you know the trade deadline is going to say a lot about what the Nick fake could ultimately be to but the best part of today is that we still get to dream about that stuff because you know there’s a chance he you know maybe we’ll

Get three weeks in and there will be unfortunate reporting you know after the All-Star break or something they’ll be like you know they’ve tried with Julius but seems like there’s more damage than they thought things aren’t progressing in rehab the way that they want and he’s gonna have to ultimately get the surgery

In which case we’ll just be resigned to that but until such a time or until when we get the good news that he’s tracking towards a return we at least get to kind of you know be hopeful for a while again which is nice because it was definitely

Felt like a blow the other day and had the news come out that he was going to need surgery it was going to that that was going to be kind of a bummer uh even with how well the Knicks are playing right now yeah and I I I mentioned it

Earlier but I I just think when you have a player as good as jayen Brunson is now and as we’re we’re about to get into tonight was yet another example of that and a guy who like on the right night in the right playoff series like can make

An argument for being a top 10 guy in the league like every season doesn’t have to be Allin because going all in every every season as the suns are finding out can ultimately be to the detriment of of your long-term future um with a star but every season like you

Have to maximize your Championship odds within reason when you have a guy who’s 27 years old pretty close to the peak of his powers and is like maybe legitimately good enough to be the best player on a on a championship team what does that look like is that is that a

World where CH embiid’s your best player for three quarters on a championship team and Jaylen brunson’s your fourth quarter Championship killer I don’t know that that might be what it takes because he’s there’s still a tier that he is definitively below and probably because of his height will always be below and

Yet he’s Blown Away my wildest expectations for what he could be even even after last season and maybe I should have learned my lesson in that Heat series point being like this you you don’t want to lose years for injuries and for reasons outside of your control and obviously the Stars who’ve

Had the best careers have had the fewest of those seasons where they just got completely screwed by an essential teammate getting hurt and Julius Randall is um about as essential as any second guy in the NBA so really good news for the Knicks um and uh at least on night

One without Julius Rand Ox we saw they could survive pretty well yeah and you know if I may throw in one last thing of just like how annoying it is that this would happen to Julius of all players like which was kind of the same thing with last year this dude keeps himself

Like say whatever you will about his game or whether you like how he plays or whatever but this guy clearly puts in some of the most work I think I’ve ever seen of any player in our generation of Knicks into his body into his conditioning into ensuring that he

Can be as durable as humanly possible and yet he’s just had these two just really bad luck injuries the last couple years and you know last year it was the sprained ankle and then the sprained ankle again in the playoffs that clearly hampered him quite a bit and then this

Year it’s you know he’s playing the best ball that he’s maybe ever played as a Nick you know even though he’s not scoring the most points right up at the point when he gets injured but you and I were saying like he was seeing the floor

As good as he ever has he was playing the best like complimentary style basketball on this team and sort of finding his perfect self and then you know has this happened to his shoulder it’s it’s it’s unfortunate but if he’s able to pull through and and come back

This year and uh you know able to get that shoulder back good enough like as a you know his offhand shoulder which is important to note uh and you know is able to get back to a point where he feels comfortable being on the floor I would be so happy for him

And and honestly so happy for this team because they they really need him and there is a chance you know there’s always there’s always a chance that if your team gets hot just right in the NBA that you can make it to a finals or something and and you know really

Capture some lightning in a bottle and maybe that happens for the Knicks this year who’s to say but Gavin uh I want to let everybody know about our friends over at quiz real quick and then we’re going to get into the Charlotte game and talk about a real Feelgood game uh to

Cap off a Feelgood news day uh the Knicks just went in and short-handed clobbered the Hornets especially in the second half Jaylen Brunson who we were just talking up had just a phenomenal game in this one uh Dante D venzo was great uh Quinton Grimes had some really

Good stuff uh and a really bizarre front Court rotation had a really good game as well uh so there’s a lot to talk about but first i’m going to let everybody know about friends over at quiz this episode of Locked on Nicks is brought to you by quiz today we’re going

To have some fun and test your Nick knowledge so let’s see here I’m gonna find a Nick’s trivia question here to ask you all and see how well you know the Knicks man we need some harder questions in here the Knicks play their home games at which Arena the garden

Arena The Forum the bar Clay Center or the or Madison Square Garden Alex Wally ciac would get this one wrong so you got to apologize for that that’s true well technically it’s Madison Square Garden though this is maybe a trick question because barlay Center games are also

Home games for the Knicks um at any rate if you thought that was easy good news you might be able to win some money on quiz so quiz with three eyes is the next Generation trivia experience it’s also the words world’s first platform where you can earn money playing knowledge

Games and for locked on Nicks fans they’ve Crea an NBA quiz game where you can test your knowledge and win real cash so you can play with friends or other fans and let your knowledge shine all the way to the bank you can play without downloading anything just go to app. quiz

Q i i i sorry qu3 ez.com and start playing today NBA quiz is the ultimate knowledge challenge for fans that live and breathe basketball and I try playing this game it’s pretty fun it’s it’s uh reminds me a little bit of like Who Wants To Be A Millionaire

Sort of but you’re playing head-to-head against other players so basically a question will come up it’ll be multiple choice and then you pick your answer the faster you pick your answer the more points you get if you’re correct and then of course if you’re wrong you don’t

Get any points and then at the end it tallies up your score against other players for a number of rounds and then if you have the highest score at the end you get the pot so you essentially put in a few bucks to potentially triple quadruple quintuple P that money and win

A big prize pool at the end it’s it’s pretty fun so go to app. quiz.com to test your knowledge and win cash today that’s Qi i i z with three eyes just like a three-pointer there you go basketball play now showcase your skills and take-home cash prizes app. quiz.com where fans become

Champions all right Gavin we’re back in to keep talking well to start talking about this Knicks game we’ve talked about the first bit of good news now the second bit of good news the Knicks came to Charlotte first half was a little rough uh mostly just because the Knicks

Couldn’t hit any threes it was just like you just kept waiting for the other shoe to drop I feel like you know like they were getting played way too tight by the Hornets and also clearly outclassing them like the Hornets weren’t scoring particularly effectively either and the

Knicks were kind of like I don’t want to say that they were playing a little too loose you know like they but they was a little bit of looseness to it like some of the passes were a little sloppy and you know whatever it wasn’t quite as bad

As like the the game a few weeks ago was it against Washington I think that was the one where like the whole game they were just super sloppy and whatever like they had they were thrown off by Jeremy Cohen dancing in that game to be fair clearly yeah that’s true that’s true saw

Him on the Jumbotron and didn’t know how to how to react they like I I don’t know if I want to play basketball anymore if this is what it leads to this what happens the humanity I’m just I thought jery danc left better than that would so

Shout out he did dance well he did dance but uh at any rate you know they were playing a not their best first half but somewhat somewhat sloppy but they were generating enough good looks against a really bad defensive team that they should have been up by more and yet go

Into halftime barely up and then third quarter just laid waste to Charlotte and said okay this is over Jaylen Brunson just started carving them up I mean poor I would say poor someone someone you know one individual name but poor everyone they tried different Defenders on him it didn’t matter whoever ended up

On him was gonna get cooked and Brunson like didn’t even have to really go that deep into his bag it was just like one or two little Crossovers and he was just walking right to the rim I thought that the tone was kind of set in the second

Half by Jericho Sims uh cutting free and getting going back to or was that beginning of the second quarter now I’m now I’m forgetting but that was a cool play regardless Jericho Sims cut back door and oh that was that’s the beginning of the second quarter y

Beginning of the second quarter yeah I timed that one wrong I think it’s second half that was second quarter regardless cool play by Jericho Sims I’ll talk about him in a minute but all and all just a really dominant second half for the Knicks where they finally figured

Things out from three and just I don’t know they they looked like the team even without two of their three best players still looked like the way better team here yeah I mean Jaylen Brunson just just changed this game at the start of the third I actually thought by his

Standards like I I was getting ready to come on here and rip him a new one no I wasn’t but I thought I did think like oh this is kind of his first like Again by his standard sort of poor half that he’s had in like in weeks seemingly and then

He comes in the third and scores or assists on seven of the nine of seven of the Knicks first nine buckets um they had a 140 run at one point ultimately outscore Charlotte 44- 24 MSG was kind enough to put up a graphic with the final stats from the quarter and they

Were just insane they were 17 of 21 from the field and six for eight from three after starting this game two for 17 from three so just totally changed the game uh Brunson was absolutely cooking uh Cody Caleb Martin and I know it’s Cody but they’re they’re the same guy um and

And he like I I thought it was a big shift because in the first half it felt like he had no room to oper and I thought Charlotte did a pretty good job just basically having three guys tangentially guard him at once and and the Knicks like based on that two for 17

From three weren’t really taking advantage of it but then Brunson just just got going like he scored in like this beautiful back door from hardenstein it was fun to realize oh yeah Brunson like like if he played with I I don’t want to say better teammates

But let’s just say he had like a star wi or like when he played with someone like Luca he Stills that in his game where he can just cut off the ball um and and then he was forced to come back in the fourth quarter when the Hornets made a

Mini run and he just had this like nasty move on Martin like hesi burst Blow by floater that like he threw up to the the rafters and somehow dropped in then a turnaround jumper Charlotte called timeout Knicks were up 10991 um it was it was over um at that point but the

Other guy Alex who really drove the Knicks to this win and I feel like we we never totally give enough credit to part of it is because Tom Fido um hates playing him down the stretch of games but Dante Devan chenzo um OG idobi out Dante you’re the you’re the new Lu Al

Dang 42 minutes in this one 10 for 22 from the field five for 15 from three 28 points six rebounds assist monster outing game high plus 24 for the dicks what what did you see from him I mean pretty much just the best version of

What he offers I mean you know he he just like everybody kind of had that cold shooting first half and you know whatever it was like the whole team just kind of went cold for a bit but the second half I he just came out like a

Ball fire not just getting his usual quick look threes though but like making cuts inside absorbing contact like kind of filling the role that the Knicks needed him to with OG out because that’s been sort of OG’s thing lately is get inside take that contact finish through

It and you know maybe it’s maybe it’s just due to the fact that like Charlotte is not as talented of a team and you know doesn’t have as many guys that can really throw a body into him because we’ve known you know coming into this year Dante has issues finishing around

The hoop that’s like one of the only real flaws to his game as like a role player um but he did great in this game you know managed to managed to finish some shots like that the three was just as ridiculous as ever you know especially in the second half I just

Something about his release you know I just feel like I I said this I don’t know maybe a week or two ago and it still stands I just think every single game it seems like he tries to take like another fraction of a second off of it

And it’s getting to the point where the ball if he gets a good pass right to his chest he’s barely even catching the ball before he shoots it it’s just like ball gets there and done you know it’s just in and it doesn’t matter where he is

Anymore he’s starting to shoot like the curry range threes too hit one of those in this game from a few feet behind the line we’re seeing this like new Comfort level from him that based off how other teams that he’s played for perceive him he’s definitely never hit before like

He’s finding a level of consistency and maybe it’s just with the role maybe it’s just the fact that he’s he has a good starting role for like like a good steady starting role for like the first time in his NBA career really where he’s able to like just be trusted for 35

Minutes a game but we’re starting to see like a new version of Divan chenzo that is just ridiculously lethal from three and consistent from three because that’s always been the biggest complaint from other team fans that he’s played for and then also starting to figure out some of

The other aspects too like the cutting and finishing and things like that so it was very good very complete game for him and and he really played like the the number two guy in this game when the Knicks desperately needed someone to like step up and do that without Randall

And anobi there yeah I mean 42% from three this year he’s never shot better than 40% taking more threes per game than he’s ever taken just over six per game I mean what what a what a freaking signing right four years 47 million I think there’s some incentives in there

That can boost it up to something like 53 but I mean with the new TV deal kick in like he is going to be paid what most eighth men are played and he I mean for the foreseeable future unless the Knicks get a major upgrade there and like trade

For some like Donovan Mitchell like he’s your starting two guard and he he’s a very solid one and and again at that deal like it is it is crazy like I Lov like just some of the tangential stuff he did in this game like had a crazy

Helps side block on Miles Bridges like some self-created threes um that back cut he had where Jaylen Brunson hit him and he had like a tough like double pump finish like hanging in the air scored nine straight at one point in the third quarter it was interrupted by one

Brunson Miss but had a pullup then a three and then just like a two-step like pette through two Defenders for a layup then another pullup um he’s just it feels like whenever the Knicks need him like even even they go back to that Pacers game that we’ve all wiped from

Our memories the night of the trade where everyone was gone and he just casually scored like what like 40 38 in that game like whenever the Knicks have needed more from him he’s figured out a way to do it he’s been better on the road than at home um which is is either

Clutch or weird depending on your perspective but just just an awesome season like I I can’t say enough good things about how well that’s signing has worked out it’s been beyond my wildest expectations Alex um and if you want your life to be Beyond Your Wildest expectations well if you’re anything

Like me and you better go to therapy so we’re going to take a break tell you about our buddies over at better help and come back and finish up wrapping up conversation of this game including a fun performance from the next two bigs this episode is brought to you by

Better help so if you’re anything like me around New Year’s you you get obsessed with to change yourself and you make some extreme resolution U maybe you finally organize one part of your space and you want to tackle another maybe you’re taking supplements every morning now you want to finally eat breakfast

Therapy helps you find your strength so you can ditch the extreme resolutions and make changes that really stick because ultimately isn’t isn’t that kind of the goal of the resolution to do something that works instead of to just say something insane do it for three

Weeks and then give it up for the rest of the year therapy um helps you in the area of self-awareness self-recognition helps you figure out your limits and then helps you figure out how to overcome them on a realistic timeline if you’re thinking about starting therapy

You should give better help a try it’s entirely online designed to be convenient flexible and suited to your schedule all you have to do is fill out a brief questionnaire to get match with a licensed therapist you can switch therapist at any time for no additional charge so celebrate the progress you’ve

Already made visit betterhelp.com loock on NBA today to get 10% off your first month that’s betterhelp.com lockon NBA and Today’s Show is also brought to you by FanDuel Sportsbook and happy Super Bowl to all who celebrate from FanDuel America’s number one sports book and if you’re

Like me Super Bowl Sunday is all about scoring the best seat on the couch grabbing your favorite football snacks and placing some super bets let me tell you those football snacks I make some mean ones and make a cheeseburger dip take it to a Super Bowl party somewhere

And I love Super Bowl Sunday man it’s everything’s so fun about it I don’t know it’s like my favorite get together with friends holiday uh you know everybody makes a couple dishes you just pig out on junk food all night watch some funny commercials explain football

To your one friend for like the 15th straight year that doesn’t watch football but just comes to the Super Bowl party it’s awesome man and this year I’m gonna be placing some Bets with FanDuel Sportsbook and you know if you’re an NFL conspiracy theorist then this should this should be easy money in

Your eyes but Travis Kelce is currently at plus 2,000 to win Super Bowl MVP he’s coming off a huge AFC Championship Game obviously there’s the Taylor Swift effect where you know if you’re the conspiracy theorist type you’re going to be like well the NFL is going to want

Him to win MVP so they can get Taylor Swift up on that Podium you know whatever maybe that happens but plus 2,000 that’s that’s some pretty good money to make for so that’s that’s a bet I’m certainly going to be placing and FanDuel has so many ways for you to end

The season with a W or two or three not only can you bet on who will win Super Bowl 58 but FanDuel also has bets for which players will score a touchdown how many points will be scored and so much more so new customers join today and

You’ll get $200 in bonus bets if your first bet of $5 do or more wins just visit fanduel.com lockon to sign up that’s fanduel.com lockon make every moment more with FanDuel an official Sportsbook partner of the NFL all right Gavin we’re back in to finish talking about this game and I wna

I want to talk about the the big man rotation in this game it was it was interesting I don’t know what I was expecting for the starting lineup for this game uh given had anobi been playing I think we could have pretty safely said well Josh

Hart’s going to start uh and you know whichever one of those two you want to say is the nominal four in that scenario fine but I think that’s the plan with Randall out just because Hart at least gives you like some of that rebounding that Randall gives you like the the

Crash in you know out of nowhere rebounding which both of them are really great at uh Hart’s also really good at getting transition started which is a big Randall thing being able to just like turn around whip a pass down the floor if you need him to also just get

Running himself and you know do that he could do some light setup on the on the offensive end stuff like that and anunobi should be able to cover defensively For You Know cover fours or threes or whoever you really need him to cover but with anunobi out then we get

Pre saua starting which was an interesting choice and yet one that worked out okay like he hit his lone three-point attempt in the second half in this game and that was sort of one of those things that started getting the Knicks going weirdly enough it was like

He hit that and then all a sudden it was like oh precious is hitting him tonight we’re all hitting him we’re all gonna eat from three right now uh but he had a really solid game Isaiah hartenstein puts in 16 and a half minutes I think

About as efficient and solid of a 16 and a half minutes as you could have hoped for 10 points four boards three steals in that amount of time shot four or four uh and then Jericho Sims comes in for almost 24 minutes again he shoots three extremely efficient for this big man

Rotation in this game shoots three of three for six points seven boards two assists had that uh that backdoor cut dunk where he just slipped every Hornets player on his side of the court to get back there and and get a dunk from Duce McBride uh to start the second quarter

That was awesome I’ve loved his play of late but a really interesting big man rotation that actually worked out pretty well and Gavin I think the one of my big takeaways from this game and last is I think I think there is for sure a directive from the training staff that

Hartenstein has to be on a minutes limit now so I don’t know how severe that’s going to be going forward but this is the second straight game that he’s been back from that achilles tendonitis where it’s just like okay you’re gonna you’re gonna start and we’re gonna give you

That and maybe a couple extra minutes but like you’re basically just gonna start each half and unless we like desperately need you to close the game like you’re probably not going to and luckily I mean it’s been huge blowouts the last couple games so we haven’t had

To test that theory but I think it’s pretty clear he’s on a minutus restriction which makes it all the better that precious and and Jericho I think have really stepped up to the task lately with the minutes that they’ve needed to play yeah it’s gonna be fascinating to see if it carries over

Against better teams or or in closer games and if tibs can maintain that restraint assuming that is a medical recommendation for him but for the time being I’m I’m in love with it and I’m impressed Tom thid is is sticking through it um I I’ll just wrap up with

Some quick hitters and everyone another really good Josh har game to your point nine rebounds in the first half which was ridiculous finishes with eight 12 and seven assists like that is an all-time Josh Hardy box score if there ever was one like really good work just

Running the floor um in transition even in brilliant crosscourt dime after Grimes like Grimes fumbled the ball into the corner just barely saved it Hart caught it and just the the basketball IQ of you could tell he’s like all right this is a scramble situation where’s everyone on

The court and the ability to just map the entire floor in seconds and catch it and immediately whip it 30 feet across the court to Divan chenzo wide open for three like on a dime um that was just a killer pass pass I’m I’m with you I thought iHeart was great hadit a

Turnaround fade away to beat the shot clock I love I love him when he gets the ball and the shot clock’s winding down and you can tell he he takes such joy in the fact of like all right I get to I get to take a shot that Jaylen would

Take and no one can uh you know what me out because because the time’s dwindling on the shot clocks I that was fun he had an n one transition finish precious my only comment is when he when he hit the three it just sounded like Breen let out

The the loudest sneeze of all time so that was awesome um I was with you on Sims that that second quarter play is is a tib special whenever Jericho Sims plays and I’m almost shocked that every opposing coach in the league doesn’t have it mapped out and like screaming at

At their at his team hey they’re gonna run this um and what what happened there was um screens or sorry Sims sets a screen for divon chenzo and then just kind of lollygags around like he’s out of the play and then Grimes comes and sets a back screen for him and then Sims

Just loops around for an alleyoop perfect pass from D from Deuce it’s almost like um a Spain pick and roll but without the on the ball portion it’s it’s a cool little set and then Duce um he just had the the sequence of the game um where he fought over three screens to

Stick with uh Cody Martin stripped him ran the floor and then added insult to injury draining a three and that was the point where I was like all right this this game’s a joke but that was awesome that he he can just really shoot the basketball Alex that’s my that’s my

Biggest take around the year and then Grimes uh great stuff attack in the basket once again almost had a poster I’m disappointed in his shot down below 37% on the season on mostly open shots so that’s that’s my one gripe with Grimes but he’s been playing great yeah

I I wanted to highlight Deuce a bit because I think we’re reaching conundrum status with him at this point where it’s like he’s playing so well that it’s getting really difficult like they I still the Knicks still obviously need someone that can initiate a little better with that second unit but like

Duce is going to need to get some playing time I think still because defensively he’s still such a menace and then offensively in the month of January and I understand you know it’s it’s only a portion of the season but 14 games he’s played in January you know this is

The whole we’re judging a lot of things right now based off the ogan noi I mean to be fair that’s that’s his whole season right like he he didn’t really play before that yeah he got he had a little bit of playing time here and

There prior to that but this is like the most you know consistent playing time he’s gotten since OG came to the Knicks shooting 48.2% from three right now Jes in the new year and he’s shot 56 attempts in the new year so he’s shooting 27 of 56 I

Mean it’s it’s getting harder and harder to imagine a world where like even if the Knicks acquire Brogden or something that you don’t find just a few minutes a game to get de in there Alex can I throw this out there I think the beauty of brogon is like you can play them

Together and it’s gonna obviously it’s gonna impact Grimes but brogon 65 like he can guard twos oh 100% I think it would harm Grimes the most I mean I think that if you’re still finding minutes for it’s coming at the expense of Grimes if this team is at full strength and if

They add someone into that forier salary slot without without giving up Grimes in the process like then you’re probably you have to you basically have to move out to a 10-man rotation then if fully healthy and essentially just the role that Grimes was solely occupying before

Prior to the trade you just kind of split those minutes between him and Deuce and ride the hot hand I guess because Deuce you can’t say has been streaky because he’s been very consistent uh since the OG trade but Grimes has still had his you know his struggles with consistency so I guess

That’s kind of what that comes down to but yo reaching reaching interesting territory with Deuce where you gotta kind of sit and be like like can you really afford to just sit this guy again like if you pick up another player for the bench like I don’t really think so

Anymore he’s he’s playing too well for that to happen I think at this point but Gavin let’s you had anything else to add I think that’s pretty much it for me I a good good little feel-good Beatdown of a tanking team always hits uh especially

On a day when you know we’re coming down off that emotional low of the weekend even though Knicks beat the heat you know the Randall news and then good Randall news and then a nice little win to cap the day off I I think today was for all intents and purposes a pretty

Nice little uh surprise a nice little success for the Knicks today oh yeah absolutely it just feels like you know what I had a tough day at work I’m G to have an extra brownie I’m GNA have an extra cookie I’m going to watch uh Forgetting Sarah Marshall for the 15

Times I need I need to feel good all time alltime favorite comedy by the way um anyways that’s it for this episode of lockdown Nicks the Knicks play again tomorrow the Utah Jazz at home our buddy David lock on the radio call and our our buddies they just don’t know it yet Mike

Breen Walt Clyde Fraser I assume I assume I haven’t looked actually on the call on MSG maybe we’ll talk to you after the game until then he’s Alex I’m Gavin peace out oops that’s the wrong thing 3 two one oh

Whew. That was the sound of Knicks nation collectively exhaling with the news that Julius Randle is most likely not out for the season and they joy ride that is the 2024 Knicks can carry on.

Alex Wolfe and Gavin Schall share their relief and why it’s a franchise shifting bit of news before breaking down a dominant win over the Hornets led by the Nova Boys.

Want to talk hoops with us? Join us on Subtext!
📲 https://joinsubtext.com/lockedonknicks

Follow & Subscribe on all Podcast platforms…
🎧 https://link.chtbl.com/LOKnicks?sid=YouTube

Locked On NBA League-Wide: Every Team, Fantasy, Draft, WNBA & More
🎧 https://linktr.ee/LockedOnNBA

Support Us By Supporting Our Sponsors!
LinkedIn

LinkedIn Jobs helps you find the qualified candidates you want to talk to, faster. Post your job for free at LinkedIn.com/LOCKEDONNBA. Terms and conditions apply.

Quiiiz

NBA Quiiiz is the ultimate knowledge challenge for fans that live & breath basketball. Go to App.quiiiz.com to test your knowledge and win cash today. WHERE FANS BECOME CHAMPIONS!

eBay Motors

For parts that fit, head to eBay Motors and look for the green check. Stay in the game with eBay Guaranteed Fit at eBayMotos.com. Let’s ride. eBay Guaranteed Fit only available to US customers. Eligible items only. Exclusions apply.

BetterHelp

This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. Make your brain your friend, with BetterHelp. Visit BetterHelp.com/LOCKEDONNBA today to get 10% off your first month.

PrizePicks

Go to PrizePicks.com/lockedonnba and use code lockedonnba for a first deposit match up to $100!

Gametime

Download the Gametime app, create an account, and use code LOCKEDON for $20 off your first purchase.

FanDuel

Make Every Moment More. Right now, NEW customers get TWO HUNDRED DOLLARS in BONUS BETS if your best bet of FIVE DOLLARS or more wins. Visit FanDuel.com/LOCKEDON to get started.

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

8 Comments

  1. I agree with Alex. Seeding is less important than just getting to the playoffs fully healthy.

  2. @Gavin, I don´t use Twitter but your pronunciation yesterday was 99% accurate, my man. I hope both of you are in good spirits. KNICKS4LIFE.

  3. I dislocated my shoulder with partial tear playing 3rd base. With physical therapy, icing,rest, massaging I returned in 2 months & of course I'm not a professional athlete with the best medical attention,etc. in the land. The swelling has to go down first. My man Julius will be back in no time.

  4. Thoughts on grimes? Should he be someone we include instead of a first or so in a Brogden Trade. Or should we hold on because of his tools and hope he figures it out.

Write A Comment