Bleav in Knicks

Recapping the Knicks epic Game 4 win How good is Brunson historically Miscellaneous thoughts

The magical end to Game 2 and the Sixers' complaints Embiid's antics that may have contributed to Mitchell Robinson's injuries and could have warranted an ejection The Sixers catching fire in the third quarter and how the Knicks can adapt What not knowing the difference between "physical play" and "dirty play" says about the Sixers (and the national media) What to expect from Game 4

Recapping the Knicks' roller coaster 50-win season Thoughts on Game 1: Brunson's struggles, McBride's two-way excellence, Josh Hart's timely buckets and Mitchell Robinson's dominance on the glass Looking ahead: Nick Nurse adjustments to pick and roll and the chess match with Thibodeay, what we might expect to continue (Knicks' offensive rebounding) and not continue (Brunson struggling to hit shots) Brunson's first-team All NBA case, Thibodeau's Coach of the Year case

In our final episode of the Bleav Knicks pod, we wonder aloud about everything: how this Knicks season will go, who's likely to win the East and West, who we'd least like to see win, which Knicks are the most beloved, if you could only have Mitch or Hartenstein healthy for the playoffs who would you choose, etc. We've had fun with all of you these past few years. Hope you did too!

A perfect 5-0 since trading for OG Anunoby, have the Knicks done enough to force a re-evaluation of their ceiling? Should they look to add Malcolm Brogdon, or players who aren't Brogdon, or stand pat? How many teams should Knick fans be scared of come playoff time? How far they've come since the Atlanta series! How many players in the NBA would Stacy trade Brunson for straight-up? (spoiler: not many!)

Lots to consider as the Knicks trade RJ Barrett & Immanuel Quickley to Toronto for OG Anunoby, Precious Achiuwa and Malachi Flynn. What does this change for New York this season? And next summer? Plenty to speculate about, plus saying good-bye to two players who meant something to us.

Tom Thibodeau lives to win. Immanuel Quickley makes winning happen. So how are we in a place where the former is short-changing the latter? We explore possible reasons for this seeming absurdity, and how the whole thing is like a murder mystery: Thibs & IQ are getting all the heat, but the real person of interest is another Knick entirely -- RJ Barrett.

What is Julius Randle doing differently this year that raises hopes his playoff performances will be different? Plus the win over the Lakers, Matthew's top-10 sports-hated NBA players, should the Knicks move for Lauri Markkanen and more! (*basketball-reasons only)

The Knicks lost two roads games against two of the best three teams in the league and people be bugging. We go around the roster and the league to remember why the Knicks are doing just fine, along with hints of where improvement may be found.

With Miles Bridges' return to the Hornets, the NBA shows its values lie in other places than the health and safety of domestic violence victims. Then we turn to the Knicks and their recent run of rampant success, and explore how and why this team has already raised expectations.

We're joined by Joe Flynn, newest Strickland bon vivant, to talk about the opening night loss to Boston and our feelings moving forward: on why Matthew doesn't think the Knicks can win a title with Mitchell Robinson, why Stacy thinks Matthew is missing the bigger scapegoat from Wednesday's L, why Joe was pleasantly surprised by Immanuel Quickley's minutes, and thoughts on the new ESPN announcing trio. Plus loads more Knicks stuff.

Who is the Knicks' most indispensable player, and why has the answer changed since the end of last season? Which young guard may be a bigger player for New York down the road than Miles McBride or Immanuel Quickley (hint: it's not Quentin Grimes)? Plus Matthew & Stacy each offer one hot take they believe are not only hot, but will become tomorrow's truths.

Is it a problem that IQ is still without a new contract? Is the wait part of a larger, conscious design? Also, the Knicks are currently the best men's sports team in NYC -- when's the last time that was the case? Finally, Gigi Speer (The Strickland) joins to discuss the best team in NYC period, the NY Liberty. Why is the Liberty/Mystics playoff series not your typical 2-vs.-7? Who faces the most pressure in the organization heading into this series? What about the other three series? We've got you covered!

Should the Knicks put their eggs in the Joel Embiid basket? If so, which eggs, and how many? How many teams in the East are clearly better than New York (spoiler: not many)? Is Jalen Brunson rated as highly as he should be, and if not why not? What kind of contract should Immanuel Quickley get? Plus Stacy completely stumps Matthew with a Knick trivia question, and much more!

Jalen Brunson is a 5-year NBA player who's never made All-NBA, never been an All-Star and never been to a Finals. Yet many Knick fans trust him as their #1 going forward. How many cases like that have there been? We discuss a few, plus: Where does Brunson rank, exactly, among the league's best heading into next season? The final word on why the Obi trade is really, actually, fine What explains the love Immanuel Quickley gets that Julius Randle doesn't? Stacy & Matthew disagree on whether the Knicks are title contenders

After Stacy drops stunning news regarding pizza, we reflect on Obi Toppin's days in & departure from MSG, then consider the Knicks adding the Delaware Mamba, Donte DiVencenzo.

Drew Steele (The Strickland) hops on to talk many things Knicks as the NBA draft unfolded. Which former non-All Star does Zach LaVine remind him of? How can Drew claim Immanuel Quickley is better than Nikola Jokic? Why does he believe a shorty like Jalen Brunson can be the best player on a contender? And is there anything on Earth he'd get into a submersible to go way down underwater to see? Tune in. Find out.

When is a star player in potential hot water good news for the NBA? When it distracts from things the league's doing that are worse. Plus: what makes Jalen Brunson a better bet to build around than most players his size? What would the ideal future featuring Julius Randle as a Knick look like? Is there any coach who could be available that'd be worth cutting ties with Tom Thibodeau (spoiler: there's one)? And more!

Game 6 in Miami wasn't just where the '23 Knicks went to die -- it's where next year's Knicks were born. From what we just witnessed, what do we take moving forward? Part 1 of a multi-part conversation begins here

Jalen Brunson is the greatest Knick in 25 years. That and more as New York looks like themselves in keeping the series & season alive against Miami

Heroes! Zeroes! Questions! Concerns! Thrills! Chills! The Knicks' comeback win in Game 2 had it all, and we are here to hand out flowers and figurative Xanax where appropriate

After we celebrate the series win over the Cavaliers, Heat expert Julio Romero joins to give us the lowdown on what to expect from a likely tougher foe. What threats does Miami pose that Cleveland didn't? What keyed their turnaround from a disappointing regular-season team to one that upset the title favorites in just 5 games? And what embarrassing secret from the mid-1980s NBA does Matthew reveal about himself? All this and more!

Celebrating the many reasons the Knicks won twice at home to take command of their series vs. Cleveland, we sample from the (Madison Square) Garden of Hardwood Delights: RJ Barrett & cometh the hour, cometh the man; the best bigs in the series have been Mitchenstein; songs of praise for Deuce McBride, Obi Toppin and Tom Thibodeau; and more. Come bring in the love.

Stacy vents after a disappointing Game 2, while Matthew is optimistic about where the series is headed -- literally and figuratively.

NBA wise head & Cleveland Cavaliers fan Brayden Todd joins Stacy & Matthew to discuss all the storylines, matchups, trends & tchotchkes to look forward to as the Knicks & Cavs kick-off their first-round series this weekend. There's also a fun trivia question in the middle of the episode.

Robert Silverman (Daily Beast) hops on to cover the entire Knicks spacetime continuum. Is Julius Randle underrated by his own fans? If Randle isn't fully healthy or available at all for the playoffs, can the Knicks still beat the Cavs? Was Carmelo Anthony too selfish? Was Patrick Ewing? All this and more!

Tommy Beer of the eponymous newsletter hops on to talk late-stage Knicks. Obi Toppin will play a lead role in the season's final games, like he did last year -- what are we looking for from Toppin, and could it factor into a likely playoff meeting with Cleveland? If Randle is back for the playoffs, who might get cut from a shorter postseason rotation? Plus flowers for Immanuel Quickley, Isaiah Hartenstein, Quentin Grimes and more.

Edgar Miranda saw Willis Reed's entire career with the Knicks. What stands out in his memories from those years? Given the respect the Captain held with his teammates, what shocking thing did they do to him in 1974, an act that riled up fans and media alike? After our Reed retrospective we talk about Julius Randle and his demonstrativeness. Is it an issue, short- on long-term? What does it mean to prioritize  the human over the jersey? It's not always as simple as it sounds.

Are the Knicks winning more close games now than before? If so, why? If not, why does it sometimes seem that way? Is RJ Barrett abnormally frustrating for a 22-year-old #3 overall pick or are some fans fixated on picking at him, like a scab? Should the Knicks stay the course with the cast behind their ascent, or still be hunting for their white whale/Messiah X?

Denver and Minnesota visit MSG for the next two games; bet you can guess which one has more reasons for excitement. What do you know about the Knicks' likely first-round playoff opponent, the Cleveland Cavaliers? Here you'll learn about their foundation, their flaws and the flashpoints of particular intrigue between them and the Knicks. Lastly, Mitchell Robinson complaining about his role isn't just not bad -- it's good.

Saturday's loss to the Clippers adds an unexpected fragility to what's been a rock solid Knick season so far. Questions regarding Jalen Brunson and Julius Randle may go a long way in defining how the rest of the year goes.

Matthew & Stacy reunite a half a world apart to discuss: how is the Knicks' successful team-building the past 5ish years antithetical to the caricature of what a big-city team does to turn things around? Why is Jalen Brunson's career year in 2023 different than Julius Randle's in 2021? Plus the underrated foundation of this season's success, whether it's time to declare Hartsanity and more.

We welcome Ben Ritholtz (Knicks Film School) to consider questions big and small regarding the Knicks and their season so far. Recorded after the Cleveland win but as timely now as then, we delve into all Knicks great and small with one of Knicks Twitter's great minds. Does it mean anything that two years a Mitchell Robinson injury was when thiings took off, and this year it's where we fear a drop-off? Why is Matthew's fantasy about adding a superstar while retaining Julius Randle possibly unwise? What goes into Ben's famous nightly grading rubric? And why is the BleavKnicks pod forever anti-Montclair State?

BleavinWizards host Matt Modderno joins us to discuss all things Washington hoops. How is old friend Kristaps Porzingis faring? Kyle Kuzma is playing well, so naturally trade rumors are swirling; what might the Wiz want back in a Kuz swap? What does the Washington fanbase make of Bradley Beal at this point in his career -- is he more Ernie Banks or the pebble in their shoe? Who has been Washington's biggest rival, historically? All this and much more.

With Matthew still recovering from Covid and Stacy still recovering from Michigan's loss to TCU, there's no time for an intro: we get right into the heroes of the win in Toronto, why Zach LaVine is not an ideal trade target & who is, where Julius Randle & Jalen Brunson stand in the East as far as All-Star consideration, and which Knicks match our astrological signs.

Is Zach LaVine returning to form a matter of "when" or "if"? What about Lonzo Ball? Where does the career of Patrick Williams stand, and where might it be headed? We talk with Vijay Vemu about the Knicks and Bulls, find common ground as fans of rival teams and, in the end, all think of something nice to say about the other franchise.

Flowers for Julius Randle. The defense never rests. Has Tom Thibodeau found love? Repeating what had been a mistake from the Kristaps Porzingis years is good for RJ Barrett. Where do the Knicks stand in the Eastern hierarchy a third of the way into this season of surprises? We get into all that and more.

We welcome Knick aficionado Seth Rosenthal to the show. Topics du jour: the Knicks coming from behind to win in Philadelphia; the enduring mystery that is Tom Thibodeau; the appeals of Obi Toppin; the uniqueness of Jalen Brunson; Cardiac Cam Reddish; how this Knick roster compares to past rosters; and who was the team's last true on-the-court leader. Tune in, turn on, drop out.

After a nearly perfect first three games, the Knicks have their fans feeling good. What's potentially different about what we're seeing now versus last year's early fool's gold? We discuss new wrinkles to the offense and highlight the early play of Cam Reddish, Isaiah Hartenstein, Jalen Brunson are more.

Can James Harden power the 76ers to a title? What might Cleveland stans be overlooking heading into this season? What to make of the Hawks? How good are the fully loaded Nuggets? What NBA superstar does Stacy consider only the 3rd-most important player on his team? And Lakers talk, natch. We cover most of the league in this episode. Bonus content: there's a brief silence right around the 11:30 mark. Use it to meditate and take stock of your life. We love you for you, not just your fandom.

The Jalen Brunson era is begun! What to make of New York's new floor general after his Knicks (preseason) debut? We explore lineups/combinations we'd like to see more of (or some of, in some cases) and zoom in with observations on Immanuel Quickley, Obi Toppin, Isaiah Hartenstein, Deuce McBride and yes, Virginia -- even Julius Randle. Get 'em while they're hot!

Be honest with yourselves, Knicks fans: would you be happy if Julius Randle returned to his 2021 level, if that meant fewer minutes for Obi Toppin? Is Randle accepting and flourishing in a lesser role what the organization wants, if that results in him being harder to move? Or is Randle capable of being someone's Andrew Wiggins as a well-paid third/fourth star? What is each of the Knick Kids' ultimate upside? Locked On Knicks host Alex Wolfe joins to discuss.