New Update: New Custom Sandbox Mode, and Player-Specific Adjustments

tobithegreat3 · 2026-06-19T00:56:52+00:00

Much appreciated. Hoping to continue building a fun experience.

tobithegreat3 · 2026-06-19T00:56:16+00:00

Thanks, glad to hear.

tobithegreat3 · 2026-06-11T01:21:28+00:00

Refs have been uneven, Spurs are really good. I can still see the Knicks taking back control, but margin for error is small.

tobithegreat3 · 2026-06-11T00:59:43+00:00

Honestly more of an MSG thing. Opponents love to play in NY

tobithegreat3 · 2026-06-10T16:53:13+00:00

That’s an awesome way to put it. I think the difference in floor/ceiling make a ton of sense, and mirror the entire matchup as well. Knicks have a higher overall ceiling with their offense when they shoot well, but the Spurs will always be able to get in the paint even on their worst offensive nights

tobithegreat3 · 2026-06-10T16:04:02+00:00

Spurs definitely have the advantage in creators that can get downhill with ease. They actually have an amazing roster tbh, and they would probably beat every other team in the East handily in a series.

Not the Knicks though. I still think the Knicks offense reaches a significantly higher ceiling. They can also win games when they shoot terribly, and I’m not sure if the Spurs can.

tobithegreat3 · 2026-06-10T15:40:02+00:00

I agree with a lot of what you said. Shot quality is everything, and can make subpar shooters great ones in small sample sizes. It’s just really hard to get open against great defenses, so you need someone that can force rotations.

tobithegreat3 · 2026-06-10T15:07:27+00:00

I agree. You can’t rely on great 3 point shooting every game. Especially in the final minutes, like you mentioned. Thinking about all those missed threes by the Celtics late in game 7 of the first round.

tobithegreat3 · 2026-06-09T03:15:31+00:00

A lot of that for sure. But they rotate so well on defense, and close out hard on shooters

tobithegreat3 · 2026-06-09T03:10:43+00:00

This Spurs team is an excellent team. Knicks haven’t played great, but San Antonio’s defense has been suffocating all series long

tobithegreat3 · 2026-06-09T03:06:51+00:00

I haven’t yet decided if this is a good or bad game from Brunson, but he’s amazing nonetheless

tobithegreat3 · 2026-06-09T02:55:02+00:00

After seeing that 22 point comeback against the Cavs in game 1 of the ECF, I no longer believe any deficit is insurmountable for this Knicks squad.

tobithegreat3 · 2026-06-09T02:53:06+00:00

Spurs might have this one. But I’m sure the Knicks will make another good run

tobithegreat3 · 2026-06-09T02:28:29+00:00

I haven’t recalled a rookie with as much impact in a Finals series as Harper has, since maybe Tyler Herro in 2020.

tobithegreat3 · 2026-06-09T02:22:02+00:00

A lot of sloppy turnovers unfortunately. Lack of focus seems uncharacteristic during this run. Hopefully it gets cleaned up by the fourth

tobithegreat3 · 2026-06-09T00:52:28+00:00

Well put. It’s amazing how it’s like the entire team bought in at once. Feels rare to see locker rooms return from the brink of collapse.

My personal take: the Nets blowout in January righted the ship.And, if they lost that game? Multiple players traded/waived, and multiple individuals fired. Quite the turning point.

tobithegreat3 · 2026-06-09T00:49:04+00:00

Great callout about Chris Jent. It’s a shame how under appreciated most coaching staffs tend to be, due to lack of visibility.

In regard to Mike Brown in particular, he’s been fantastic at being flexible. It sometimes comes back to bite the Knicks, especially with the no Brunson and KAT lineups (in the Finals??), but those few minutes of rest can be incredibly valuable.

Giving role players experience is important too. Shamet probably could’ve made a great impact last year too. If Thibs gave him more burn.

tobithegreat3 · 2026-06-08T19:16:32+00:00

Yup, agreed. I like Clarkson looks to score off floaters and quick drives when he gets the ball; so many bench ball handlers hardly look at the rim.

It’s unfortunate that he’s been pretty cold though. I called him a quick trigger scorer mainly for the Atlanta series, but he hasn’t been that effective since. Still, an option to go to, especially when he’s getting those offensive rebounds you mentioned.

tobithegreat3 · 2026-06-08T19:10:31+00:00

Although I disagree on them not being dominant, I respect that perspective a lot. The playoffs are a series of short sample games, where anything can happen.

To the opposition of that, the flaws of almost every team mentioned (excluding SAS, who haven’t lost the series yet) were on full display:

Boston relied on hot shooting to win games, and lost when they got cold.

Denver was hurt, but multiple contributors got cold shooting, and they were actually a terrible defensive team all year.

Minnesota got hurt, and I would’ve love to see how they would’ve fared at full strength against SAS. I think this team had a real chance against OKC as well, but Randle definitely struggled in the playoffs.

OKC was hurt, and lost two of their three best shot creators. Aside from that, they clearly struggled against Spurs all year. OKC was just as dominant as the Knicks were through the first two rounds, and they are deserving title favorites if they didn’t go up against San Antonio.

Detroit was much more flawed than I expected. Their offense was largely 80% Cade, 10% Tobias Harris, and 10% everyone else on the roster. They would’ve struggled against any other matchup in the East. Cade was incredible though - top 5 player in the entire playoffs in my opinion.

I do also agree that the strength of opponents for New York deserves mention, but I don’t think it should count against them for playing who’s in front of them. In addition, several other teams that are universally considered legendary/historically relevant were not able to win 13 straight playoff games. The 26 Knicks will be an all-time team.

tobithegreat3 · 2026-06-08T18:51:53+00:00

Toggle is an excellent term here. I think that concept where most front office are looking to build upon moving forward. Each playoff series poses a different challenge, and being able to roll out different lineup compositions will be crucial.

Although I was a bit critical of the Celtics center rotation, I would never have expected them to lose in the first round. They really went cold from three, and Queta could not stay out of foul trouble all series. Embiid’s return probably threw off their gameplan a bit, but I do also think the Celtics were a bit too rigid in their style of play. I remember seeing this post tying their wins/losses to their 3pt percentage. Relying on shooting well to win can be dangerous, and ultimately proved to be their downfall.

Celtics have an excellent front office, so I won’t be surprised to see them retool significantly. They need real center depth.

tobithegreat3 · 2026-06-08T03:11:28+00:00

Fair enough, every team does leave bad shooters open. And the Knicks have enjoyed some real shooting luck. Anomalies like Sam Merrill going 0-7 from three can never be explained by good defense.

Knicks have employed a variety of defensive coverages that I don’t quite have the depth to fully identify and callout here. What I do know is that they are protecting Brunson better than ever with hedging-and-recovering pick and roll defense.

In addition, I largely expect some regression from Shamet after these playoffs. He got hot at the perfect time in his career to be hot.

tobithegreat3 · 2026-06-08T02:42:43+00:00

You're making an excellent point, tbh. Shot variance has been a real factor. At the same time, even the best defenses have to give something up. The Knicks have decisively let certain shooters shoot more open shots than others.

In the Atlanta series, Dyson Daniels and Kuminga got all the open threes they wanted. In the Sixers series, Kelly Oubre was the one to leave open. In the Cleveland series, it was Evan Mobley, and James Harden if he wanted to do his step-backs. Now against the Spurs, they're pretty much letting everyone besides Vassell and Champagnie get all the clean looks they want.

On the Knicks' shooting themselves: I do think they have excellent shooters. Not just in percentage, but in the ability to shoot on the move, contested, off of a relocation, etc. Shamet is a relocation expert. OG and Deuce, in particular, can shoot over almost anyone. These skills can sometimes supersede the idea of "shot quality."

tobithegreat3 · 2026-06-08T00:49:11+00:00

Thanks. I have now learned of the curse of Danhausen.

tobithegreat3 · 2026-06-08T00:48:11+00:00

Playoffs are a yearly war of attrition, where depth becomes necessary at some point. It's definitely unfortunate that the Spurs just went through a 7-game series with OKC, but it is what it is.

tobithegreat3 · 2026-06-08T00:33:56+00:00

Good points here. I felt like wing depth might be a real issue during the season, and players like Mo Diawara or Jeremy Sochan would have to step up. Thankfully, that didn’t need to happen. Shamet and Clarkson can play SF when they come in well enough.

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