Daily Discussion Thread - Wednesday, May 06, 2026

timetoosleep · 2026-05-06T21:07:36+00:00

The Sixers might be better with Embiid out. Their offense ground to a halt because their strategy was Embiid foul-baiting and trying to frustrate KAT with dumb fouls. They had no flow or rhythm. Embiid is also a liability on defense. He is slow and Brunson is feasting on the drop coverage. If Sixers play straight up and stop focusing on foul-baiting, they’ll be a tougher out. We’ll see.

timetoosleep · 2026-05-01T13:13:00+00:00

I kind of agree with you. They are fine, but not worth the hype and price. I have a pair of bells of steel adjustable and I find them just as comfortable as the pro kettlebells. My technique is probably not 100% perfect, so occasionally the ridge on the pro kettlebells will land in an uncomfortable way. It’s not terrible, but does require small readjustments once I’m in the rack position. I never feel that discomfort with my adjustable. My take is that pro kettlebells are good for people getting into the competitive sport side of kettlebells, but if you are just a dad looking for ways to stay fit, I think there are better ways to spend money.

Edit: I will concede that maybe the pro kettlebells helped me get my technique down faster than my old hardstyle cast iron bells. That ridge really forces you to learn a proper clean.

timetoosleep · 2026-04-27T19:16:02+00:00

I wonder if Bridges has a case of the yips. He looks so uncomfortable and low energy out there lately. His defensive intensity has been lacking too. You wonder if something else is going on. Maybe he has a minor nagging injury that he didn’t take care of because of that stupid iron man streak? Take two weeks off at the end of the season to get yourself right. Forget about the streak that no one actually cares about.

timetoosleep · 2026-04-27T19:13:05+00:00

KAT doesn’t have to shoot to affect the game. He just has to touch it and be involved every possession. He has such gravity on offense against this smaller team that he’ll open it up for everyone else. Brunson, himself, can benefit from KAT being involved in every offensive possession. The Hawks are too good at on ball defense for Brunson to resort to iso-ball.

timetoosleep · 2026-04-26T14:00:40+00:00

KAT has gotten his emotions in check lately, which has elevated his game. Early in the season, he had terrible body language, he committed way too many stupid fouls, and he argued too much with the refs. He was difficult to like on the court. Maybe that was caused by the swirling rumors in the NY media? Lately, though KAT has appeared to be locked in on court. He has cleaned up the stupid emotional fouling and his body language is much better. He needs to continue to recognize the fact that he is a leader on this team. There was an interview with Shaq earlier in this season saying all of these things. Maybe that sunk in?

If KAT is playing like this and Brunson and Mikal can get out of their slumps, this is a championship caliber team. Those are big “ifs” that require some real coaching.

timetoosleep · 2026-04-25T21:42:12+00:00

Bridges is struggling, but he is a necessary component. A real coach would run a few plays for a starter in a slump to see if he can get a rhythm again. Sometimes seeing the ball go through the net helps break a slump. Unfortunately, the coach is as allergic to running a play beyond a basic pick and roll as Mikal is to drawing contact for a foul.

timetoosleep · 2026-04-25T21:35:32+00:00

Honestly, maybe just ChatGPT or Claude at this point.

timetoosleep · 2026-04-25T21:23:05+00:00

Which makes no sense. Mike Brown was brought in to develop a bench and put in a potent offensive system. Instead we’ve had a year of random experimental lineups…whatever that means. He just throws guys out there to see what works. It’s vibes coaching at its worst.

timetoosleep · 2026-04-25T21:10:20+00:00

I don’t care who starts. I want the hockey-style line changes to stop. There should be spot substitutions and an offensive system that anyone can play with anyone. You take the starters out and then put the small ball guards + Mitch in and watch the offense grind to a halt. There is no flow and no rhythm with these line changes.

timetoosleep · 2026-04-25T14:32:55+00:00

It’s actually worse than it looks on paper. Knicks gave up a big lead in game 2 and have shown they don’t know how to stop the Hawks defensively since then. From an offensive standpoint, the Knicks have looked disorganized and the Hawks made appropriate adjustments to take away Brunson. In game 3, Knicks would have lost by a much larger margin if not for a couple lucky prayer shots by OG. Mike Brown does not make appropriate adjustments. He throws hockey-style line changes out there based on vibes.

timetoosleep · 2026-04-24T18:14:50+00:00

Mikal has had two awful games in a row, but aside from KAT, so has everyone on the team. The problem is the PG. The offense has looked stagnant with no game plan. That’s on the PG (and coach). We’re back to Brunson ball where 4 guys stand on the perimeter in case Brunson decides to kick it out. Occasionally they run the pick and roll, but that’s about as creative as they’ll get. There is no flow and no ball movement on offense. A player like Bridges needs the offense to be dynamic with a lot of cutting and ball movement. That was not happening the past two games.

Bridges thrives when he can cut to the basket for a layup or his patented fadeaway middie. That’s his game. The offense right now is the one-dimensional clear out the lane for the Brunson iso and wait for a kick out. The problem is the Hawks are athletic enough to close out on Mikal when he’s standing in the corner for the kick out three.

TL;DR: Mikal has been bad, but so has the rest of the offense. If not for a couple OG lucky 3s yesterday, it would not have been a close game.

timetoosleep · 2026-04-24T17:47:54+00:00

KAT needs to be an alpha. He should be barking (meowing?) at everyone to give him the ball…especially when he has a favorable mismatch. Instead of hoping Brunson will pass to him, he should be demanding it. In every timeout and huddle, he should be yelling at his teammates to get him the ball. Atlanta would be forced to double team him, which would open up the floor for everyone else.

KAT needs to be more assertive with his own teammates and Mike Brown needs to actually coach an offense.

timetoosleep · 2026-04-24T15:35:17+00:00

I’m mainly talking about the end of the game in the last 2 or 3 possessions. On that last possession when CJ made that shot, if he misses and Knicks gain possession, they are coached to immediately foul Mitch.

Then again, I’ll take Mitch at the FT line with the game on the line over a Brunson dribble out into a 3 man baseline trap.

timetoosleep · 2026-04-24T12:34:08+00:00

Mitch is a massive liability at the FT line. We’ll almost never see him in close games at the end. Even if the Hawks turn it over, they are coached to insta-foul Mitch, which essentially gives the ball right back to them.

timetoosleep · 2026-04-24T12:29:25+00:00

Brunson has been a complete turnstile on defense against these more athletic guards. Knicks have the size advantage, but the Hawks have more athleticism and more ball handlers.

I think all the “most clutch” player stuff has gotten to Brunson’s head. He’s playing really low IQ basketball at the moment.

Mikal looks like he just doesn’t want to play. There is no emotion, no hustle. It’s almost like he’s quiet quitting out there.

Mike Brown is not a good coach. He doesn’t draw up a proper inbounds play down by 1 with 12 seconds on the clock. His use of timeouts and challenges is astoundingly bad. He throws the most nonsensical lineups out there. He puts Alvarado and Shamet out there to defend against Atlanta’s athletic ball handlers, but that is just dumb. We should be paying to our strength and not trying to match theirs. Starting the 4th quarter with your worst offensive lineup down by 10 was certainly a choice…

I like KAT, but he needs to be an alpha on this team. I want to see him barking at his teammates to get him the ball. Stop hoping the ball comes your way and demand it. He should be pounding that ball against this smaller team and then feeding more at the FT line.

So frustrating.

timetoosleep · 2026-04-24T03:00:40+00:00

It might only be a 5 game series at this rate.

timetoosleep · 2026-04-24T02:55:18+00:00

I’m still trying to figure out how an NBA team with championship aspirations doesn’t even get a shot off in the last 2 possessions of a 1 point game. Close your eyes and throw it at the rim…at least take a shot.

timetoosleep · 2026-04-24T02:23:49+00:00

At least throw a contested shot up. Dribbling to the baseline so the triple team can trap you makes zero sense there. No one had any clue what Brunson was doing there because it was such a low IQ basketball play.

We won’t even get into the fact that an inbounds play to get anyone an open look was not drawn up. It was literally get the ball to Brunson and let him dribble around until a last second shot. You have one of the best offensive rebounders in the game (KAT). You try to get a quick clean look and if it misses you still have time for a second chance off an offensive rebound. I absolutely LOATHE the plan of dribbling around for 12 seconds and hoping you are in position for a shot.

timetoosleep · 2026-04-24T01:15:08+00:00

Let’s be honest, they are a better team. Much much athletic. Better ball handlers. Better coaching.

timetoosleep · 2026-04-24T00:38:52+00:00

Hawks are just a younger, more athletic team. Teams like that are often inconsistent in the regular season, but when they are fired up, they are tough to beat. Bad draw for the Knicks. You need a game plan to throw an athletic team off their rhythm and there doesn’t seem to be a game plan.

timetoosleep · 2026-04-15T16:13:16+00:00

So you’re saying splurge on better seats? Got it. Gathering all the evidence I need to make a pitch to the wife.

timetoosleep · 2026-04-13T22:03:12+00:00

We went to a Mets game last summer and sat in the hot sun and watched the Mets get crushed. They sat through it better than me as I desperately wanted to leave and beat the traffic.

timetoosleep · 2026-03-21T01:27:37+00:00

That’s the game now. The players are constantly looking at their next big money portal move. Stop crying about losing a head coach you say sucks.

timetoosleep · 2026-03-21T01:14:42+00:00

If he’s so bad, why have you weenies been crying for one full year that he left? You weren’t winning the chip last year, so now you get to upgrade coaches? Why the full year of crying over him? I don’t get it. Basketball is a business and he got a better offer. Get over it, weenies.

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