Knicks Preseason Presser

[drkavarga]

It's time once again for another Knicks Preseason Presser. It's good to be back and it's good to have this team set looking good for the future. We've got not just a big three but a big five going on with Bulter, Evan, Bye, Jordan, and McIntyre all locked in as starters again this season. Our bench rotation is going to be fire as well. The rotation will be Hodges, Haun, Leonardo, Simpson, Lujan, Radd, Pitcher, Minter, Butts, and our rookie Volker Kapp. All of them have improved this season or can put up scoring or rebounding numbers if they haven't but this is an improved team. I think we can make a run for the playoffs with this roster. We're solid in all positions with at least 2 players in each position who can put in decent playing time for us. So we're in good shape if there's an injury. Our rotation is team based so everyone will get playing time and will contribute to this team's success. I've set this up over the last few seasons and it's make or break for this group this season. We're set going forward but this might be our last season with Bulter so I'm hoping that we win it for him. That's my ultimate goal. Adding in the personnel that I have to the bench the last two seasons has made a consistent rotation and consistency is key to winning. I'm hoping that my gambles pay off and we make a run at it. We beat the Thunder who made the finals both times we played them last season with virtually the same roster so if we can do that to a Conference Championship team we can do this over the whole season and make a playoff run. It's all a matter of being consistent and winning on the road. We do that and we're in business definitely.

[garbageman]

Sham Smith, Bulls.com: The Knicks currently are on the second longest playoff drought in the league behind the Hawks, who barely count as a team anymore and have a GM who should probably just be deposed. When you look back over the last few seasons, what strategies haven't worked and what new strategies do you plan to try?

[MexicanMamba]

You mentioned a bench rotation of 10 guys, however it is incredibly rare for that many players to consistently get minutes and be productive. So, if you had to tighten your rotation for maximum efficiency, who would you say are the core reserves?

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[AngryBanana]

Chet Youbetcha, Dimmadome News: With preseason not being kind to you, having a 2-4 record even with a positive =/-. Do you see this as a long term problem, or something that will be an easy fix once you set you GP?

[false9]

We beat the Thunder who made the finals both times we played them last season with virtually the same roster so if we can do that to a Conference Championship team we can do this over the whole season and make a playoff run.

You cited your two wins over the Thunder as positive sign, but a pessimist could point to a .400 winning percentage against the other 24 teams or .280 winning percentage in division as a warning signs. What do you see in the Knicks/Thunder matchup that extrapolates out to the other games?

[greepleairport]

Wait a minute - you might not resign Bulter?? After all these years in New York?

[drkavarga]

Sham Smith, Bulls.com: The Knicks currently are on the second longest playoff drought in the league behind the Hawks, who barely count as a team anymore and have a GM who should probably just be deposed. When you look back over the last few seasons, what strategies haven't worked and what new strategies do you plan to try?

The first one that didn't work was tanking on purpose. We ended up getting jobbed in the draft lottery and then had to continue to rebuild. The other one was focusing on the guards instead of the bigs until the last two seasons. It's been continual improvement since then. We're trending in the right direction, just need it to continue that way.

[drkavarga]

You mentioned a bench rotation of 10 guys, however it is incredibly rare for that many players to consistently get minutes and be productive. So, if you had to tighten your rotation for maximum efficiency, who would you say are the core reserves?

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The core reserves are Haun, Hodges, Leonardo, Simpson, and Lujan. Pitcher, Radd, and Butts will also be getting minutes in our initial depth chart.

[IamQuailman]

You have accumulated quite possibly the stupidest named players in the league on one team. Quite accomplishment. Will you top 32 wins this season?

[drkavarga]

Chet Youbetcha, Dimmadome News: With preseason not being kind to you, having a 2-4 record even with a positive =/-. Do you see this as a long term problem, or something that will be an easy fix once you set you GP?

It'll be an easy fix because the rotation wasn't fully used. Some players didn't even play so I think it'll be an easy fix once things get started.

[drkavarga]

We beat the Thunder who made the finals both times we played them last season with virtually the same roster so if we can do that to a Conference Championship team we can do this over the whole season and make a playoff run.

You cited your two wins over the Thunder as positive sign, but a pessimist could point to a .400 winning percentage against the other 24 teams or .280 winning percentage in division as a warning signs. What do you see in the Knicks/Thunder matchup that extrapolates out to the other games?

Well I think what's being forgotten is we lost Bye and Jordan to injury which cost us a handful of games each and had one bad losing streak when we had about 10 road games in a row. Those three batches of games are what cost us the playoffs. As long as we have no serious injuries and don't have 10 plus road games in a row we'll be fine.

[drkavarga]

Wait a minute - you might not resign Bulter?? After all these years in New York?

Possibly. Haun will be ready to take over after this season and we'll be in tax hell unless we get a team friendly deal. It's risk vs. reward so this season will determine what direction to take with that after this season.

[K-100]

Got 2 questions

You have been the subject of countless memes over several seasons (many by me) over your unconventional approach to sim league (Big 9, Big 15, this season's apparent Big 5 + 10 reserves, etc.) Genuinely curious, if you had to quantify on a scale of 0-100, how much of your current roster is just meant to troll analytics-driven nerds and how much is actually this is my real team?

Do you think Harold Bye finishes as an all-time Top 5 New York Knick fresh off inking him to a new supermax?

[drkavarga]

You have accumulated quite possibly the stupidest named players in the league on one team. Quite accomplishment. Will you top 32 wins this season?

At least we don't have He Hor, He Hot, or any of the stupid names on the Milwaukee Fryes...I mean the Bucks.

[drkavarga]

You have been the subject of countless memes over several seasons (many by me) over your unconventional approach to sim league (Big 9, Big 15, this season's apparent Big 5 + 10 reserves, etc.) Genuinely curious, if you had to quantify on a scale of 0-100, how much of your current roster is just meant to troll analytics-driven nerds and how much is actually this is my real team?

Half and half. The yellows are mainly the troll players due to production levels on other teams and the the five starters plus Haun, Leonardo, and Kapp are the real team that I put together. The others are just complimentary role players.

Do you think Harold Bye finishes as an all-time Top 5 New York Knick fresh off inking him to a new supermax?

I think so especially if we make a playoff run this season. He's the key to this whole team especially when paired with Evan and a Center who can get rebounds in this case it would be Bulter or Haun if Bulter is out.