2024-25 Season Thread

In thinking about this more, I can't lie and say that KAT and Randle are equal players. They're obviously different, but KAT is better in a vacuum and it's very possible that our closing lineup is the same as last year with Randle in place of KAT. By definition, makes that lineup worse assuming there's not a better synergy of Randle's playmaking compared to KAT being a better player. There are other considerations though. I keep going back to what Cory wrote though in another thread as reasons for the trade:

All of these are points that have to be considered when thinking about the potential success of the team this year. Additionally, we don't know if paving the way for Naz fosters another jump to the point that he's closing games in a more effective way than KAT would. Maybe it's Donte in that lineup? As Cory said, is KAT even healthy?

There's also the depth. While our top 5 might have a lesser ceiling, the overall depth is better. If Donte shoots like he did the last 2 years it's going to open up a lot of offense. I don't know the overall impact that will have given that Randle vs. KAT hurts spacing, but I do know that we have more budgeted minutes to proven players now than we did before the trade. This means we can better withstand injuries. A deeper team is better positioned to get a higher seed which can mean a pivitol game at home vs. on the road.

In total there are pros and cons to the deal and the end result is pretty close either way IMO.  The truth is that winning a title or even getting to the finals was an unlikely event even with KAT.   It's really just all about Ant.  If he becomes an MVP discussion player then the Wolves have a chance and that would have been the case either way IMO.  Better to insure against downside and hope for Ant to take that jump than risk it for 1% better title equity in one season against this West and Boston.

Basically one can't just consider ceiling.  One needs to consider the likelihood of hitting that ceiling.

You can argue that only 1 of 30 teams hit their ceiling last year. The Celtics. Every other team was drastically reduced by the end of the year. The next two closest to hitting their ceiling, and maybe they did were the Wolves and Mavericks. It's pretty clear at least 27 through injury or other issues weren't maxing out.

What if it's 3 West teams other than the Wolves this year hitting their ceilings and we have more injuries to the team with less depth? I'm also sure that KAT is a better player than Randle overall also but what is the difference. Is Randle 95% of KAT, 90%? I doubt he's much less than that.

Lot of hypotheticals but I honestly feel better about this team right now. My stack rank of issues was probably more around the Conley/Dillingham area being our biggest red flag with an injury to KAT being 2nd or 3rd on the list. I just don't think you can count on him playing 70 games right now and he hasn't really matured from throwing and flailing his body which adds excess damage. Now, to me, the question is who besides Ant is going to get a bucket when we need it? In a vacuum I'd take KAT over any single player on the team but we have seen that not work out. As a whole, I'll take the odds that Julius, Donte, Naz with more run, Jaden with more run, and even Dillingham being worked into the rotation as a bucket getter is going to give us a mulitude of options that as a whole are far better than relying on KAT to get a bucket if Ant is getting locked up or tired. And since Ant had to create his own and often shots for others due to nobody being able to create, his load should be lessened with Julius doing things, Donte being able to do more, and other guys picking up slack and getting reps throughout the year. 

I don't think he would tank a locker room, but there is tension between his style of play, and how Finch likes to play. Really could not have been more opposite pre-FOM.

There is tension between Randle wanting to earn his last big pay day, as well as Naz trying to show he is a starter, versus the corner spacing four we're trying to turn Randle into.

The best way to protect against it is to play well, but like we saw the D-Lo extension year, if they stumble it can get ugly. If we get to the end of the year and Randle has a good season, but not worth the kind of deal he is seeking, it probably doesn't matter as we are likely trading him. I doubt he signs up for the Prince/Reid back up four corner spacing gig. This is where I could see Ainge taking him back for Mark, plus whatever young guys picks if they are in process mode next two three years. But then again that's why we have to find out what Naz is now. Starter, rotation, SF, PF, or C? It would be nice to have that answered by the end of the year, which again in some tension with Randle's goals.

No one is trying to do that. Finch has repeatedly said we need shot creation.

Here is Mike Conley from yesterday:

“With Julius, he’s a guy I think that really utilizes his ability to get up and down. He can space the floor but also be a playmaker. He’s a secondary playmaker that can bring the ball off the court faster than some point guards and be as physical as anybody in the league and get to the free throw line, create mismatches and all that really is gonna be how we’re trying to use him and implement him into what we do as far as our spacing and stuff like that.”

Combine that with the first true "movement shooter" we've had since Beasley and I think there is a good chance our offense improves over last year. Or at least doesn't tend to bog down as much or rely so much on Hero Ball.

The whole point of him is to base his entire game on 36 FGAs from last season?

Based on that's what Finch is looking for to maximize that spread drive and kick style.

If we start putting Rob in some of those high screens there will be a swell of relief, and also a lot of screaming as that would have been more important to do with fewer ball handlers (see Finch tenure).

Hopefully that's right, but the conflict is going to be more about on court goals than offering him an extension. He is trying to show if not us, other teams he should still get paid, and minutes as a starter/all-star.

The market may decide he's not, but it doesn't change our challenge this season.

Kat makes more sense for them (as well as us), particularly with Robinson tdb on when he's coming back. OG is the four they are going with, they just extended him so that's their four, presumably for wanting to play the five out style like the Celtics did with Porzingis. I question who their second ball handler is, maybe that's Deuce or whoever (like Beantown has with Holiday and White) to relieve some pressure off Brunson having to do all the time.

Randle was the second star to Brunson, the guard big combo is still my preferred method of team building, but the thing the Knicks could not offer him, is the minutes, and touches. They could have extended him, but they did not want pay at starter/all-star salary, which is what he will want to prove here.

I've read that on draft day the Knicks offered Randal & Robinson. Wolves said no. That was the offer all summer long. Then, very recently, the Knicks said Randal & donte and the wolves said no. Finally, they add the first round pick and the wolves agreed.

Finch also confirmed the plan is for Randle to start.