Cavs shut down Knicks + Cason Wallace

Summary

The Athletic NBA Daily — Episode Summary

Date: February 25, 2026
Hosts: Esfandiar Baraheni (“Espo”), Andrew Schlecht
Guest: James Edwards (The Athletic NBA Reporter)
Main Theme: An in-depth recap and analysis of recent key NBA games, with a special focus on the Cleveland Cavaliers dismantling the New York Knicks, a career night for Cason Wallace in OKC-Raptors, as well as player debuts following the trade deadline.

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Episode Overview

This episode covers:

• Cleveland Cavaliers’ dominant win over the New York Knicks and what it signals about both teams
• Cason Wallace’s breakout performance for a depleted Oklahoma City Thunder against the Toronto Raptors
• Notable trade deadline-acquisition debuts: Jonathan Kuminga (Hawks), Kobe White (Hornets), and Dejounte Murray (Pelicans)
• Quick analysis of the Orlando Magic’s surprising win over the Lakers
• Deeper discussion with James Edwards about the Knicks’ identity and the new-look Cavaliers post-trade deadline

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. OKC Thunder Outlast the Raptors — Cason Wallace Steps Up

Segment Begins: 02:49

• Context: Oklahoma City Thunder missing key players SGA, AJ Mitchell, and Jalen Williams in Toronto on Canada Basketball Night; crowd energetic.
• Cason Wallace’s Impact:
  • Career-high tying 27 points, 8 rebounds, 7 assists, 2 turnovers, 1 steal.
  • "He absolutely dominated... injuries have opened the door for Cason Wallace to truly blossom." (Espo, 03:48)
• Clutch Moments:
  • Thunder offense stalls for 7 minutes in the 4th; Raptors tie game.
  • Wallace responds with 4 quick points, a steal and an assist to Isaiah Joe for a momentum-altering 7-0 run. (05:40)
  • "They were drowning, they were dying... and Cason Wallace was able to deliver." (Andrew Schlecht, 05:12)
• Developmental Notes:
  • Injuries supplying extra developmental opportunities for OKC’s young core.
  • "The Thunder are unfair, man, in terms of developmental stories..." (Espo, 06:25)
• Thunder’s Depth: Discussed as a blessing if the roster can return to full health; key concern is maintaining options when stars return.

---

2. Toronto Raptors Performance

Segment Begins: 08:24

• Shooting: Raptors hit 18 threes, but struggled in clutch; missing Yaka Poeltl’s size hurt.
• Scottie Barnes Injury: Quad contusion, questionable for next game.
• Summary: "They can be really interesting when they're locking up... but they just don't have the same half court punch." (Espo, 08:30)

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3. Orlando Magic Edge Out the Lakers in a Sloppy Finish

Segment Begins: 09:58

• Both teams delivered a "horrendous" ending.
• Defensive lapses on both sides; Wendell Carter sealed it with an offensive rebound put-back.
• Lakers’ last possession described as “weird synchronized swimming”; “they ran nothing.” (Andrew Schlecht, 10:55)
• Lakers drop two straight, significant in the West playoff picture.

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4. Trade Deadline Debuts & Rotation Changes

Segment Begins: 11:23

a. Jonathan Kuminga (Atlanta Hawks)

• 27 points in 24 minutes vs. Wizards.
• "He looked like Jonathan Kuminga to me." (Andrew Schlecht, 12:00)
• Hosts agree sample size is mitigated by weak opponent, but role in Atlanta will allow him to grow.

b. Kobe White (Charlotte Hornets)

• 10 points, 4 assists in 15 minutes off bench vs. his former team, Chicago.
• Guard-to-guard screens fit Charlotte system well.
• "You get how to be a Hornet." (Andrew Schlecht, 14:33)

c. Dejounte Murray (New Orleans Pelicans)

• Returns from Achilles injury, 13 points, 2 rebounds, 3 assists, 5 turnovers.

• Commended for returning to a non-contending team.

• Hosts praise his instant-impact defensive play (notably, a "mega steal").

• Fun moment: Discussion of NBA promotional giveaways, including Pierre the Pelican hats and Raptors Subway T-shirts (15:44).

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5. Cavs Dominate Knicks — In-depth Breakdown with James Edwards

Segment Begins: 20:33

Knicks’ Offensive Troubles

• Knicks shot 40% FG, 27% 3PT, 66% FT.
• "It felt like they couldn't hit a single shot, James." (Espo, 20:55)
• When jumpers don’t fall, Knicks struggle to find alternative offense.

Identity Crisis & Consistency

• "Would you believe me if I told you they’re 12–4 over the last 16 or that they have the best net rating in basketball?" (James Edwards, 21:24)
• Knicks "don’t feel as dominant as they are"; perception tainted by ugly losses.
• "I just want to get to the… like, let's find out who they are. And I don't know if we're going to find that out until we get to the playoffs." (James Edwards, 22:19)

Coaching, Scheme, and Fit

• Mike Brown in first year as head coach, aiming for an unpredictable, movement-heavy offense.
• "At times it feels like this team... isn’t able... that's not the best style of basketball they can play." (James Edwards, 24:02)
• Roster is veteran-heavy, not ideally suited for fast-paced or motion-heavy systems.

Karl-Anthony Towns’ Role & Offensive Flow

• Concern over Towns’ limited touches (5 FGA vs. Cavs).
• No set plays for Towns in this system might limit his offensive impact.
• "Cat is a guy that… should do best is exploit matchups... because they don't call a lot of plays... you can see how a player ends up with just five shots." (James Edwards, 26:43–27:53)

Knicks Bench Dependence

• Team reliant on bench energy (Mitchell Robinson, Jose Alvarado, Landry Shamet).
• "Does what does that say about the state of this Knicks team that it's like these two rotation guys that... they rely on so heavily?" (Espo, 27:53)

Offensive Inconsistency from Key Wings

• OG Anunoby’s shooting struggles since injury (4-39 from 3).
• Mikal Bridges’ up and down scoring.
• "It's still hard to put a finger on who they are." (James Edwards, 30:32)

---

6. Cavs’ New Look & Playoff Outlook

Segment Begins: 31:00

• Post-deadline addition of James Harden, Jalen Tyson, Keon Ellis, and Dennis Schroeder.
• Harden enabling better pick-and-roll offense, more effective weak-side attacks.
• Defensive toughness on the rise with additions: "They have the ability to play physical defense... really popped for me in that game." (James Edwards, 32:36)
• Expectation that new defensive edge will pay dividends come playoff time.

---

Notable Quotes

• On OKC’s resilience:
  "They were drowning, they were dying... and Cason Wallace was able to deliver."
  — Andrew Schlecht (05:12)

• On the Knicks’ identity crisis:
  "They don't feel as dominant as they are... I just want to get to the... like, let's find out who they are. And I don't know if we're going to find that out until we get to the playoffs."
  — James Edwards (21:24, 22:19)

• On Mike Brown’s system in New York:
  "At times it feels like this team, because of just how their personnel is, isn't able... that's not the best style of basketball they can play."
  — James Edwards (24:02)

• On Cavs’ new defensive edge:
  "Man, the aggressiveness that they now might be able to play with on defense, that caught my eye. That really caught my eye."
  — James Edwards (32:36)

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Timestamps of Important Segments

• Thunder-Raptors Recap, Cason Wallace’s career night: 02:49–08:24
• Raptors’ perspective, Scottie Barnes update: 08:24–09:21
• Magic-Lakers late-game chaos: 09:58–11:23
• Trade Debuts (Kuminga, White, Murray): 11:23–16:32
• Knicks-Cavs, Knicks issues with James Edwards: 20:33–32:55
• Cavs’ new look, playoff analysis: 31:00–32:55

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Overall Tone & Style

The episode maintains an energetic, conversational tone, with hosts joking about promotional giveaways and relying on candid, firsthand impressions. Analysis is accessible but sharp, mixing detailed play breakdowns with narrative themes of identity, opportunity, and system fit. James Edwards’ segment deepens the episode’s critical lens, spotlighting the Knicks’ frustrations and the Cavs’ emerging strengths.

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For Listeners Who Missed the Episode

This episode offers a fast-paced but substantial look at where several NBA contenders and hopefuls stand after big games and key trades. You’ll get a sense of why certain teams are surging (OKC, Cleveland), why others are struggling for answers (Knicks, Lakers), and what new faces may soon reshape playoff races. The show’s expert guests and sharp banter make for a must-listen for anyone following the late-season NBA landscape.

Transcript

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[Host - Esperahini]

Good morning and welcome to the NBA Daily presented by Amazon Prime. It is Wednesday, February 25th. I'm Esperahini, joined alongside Andrew Schlecht. Coming up, the Knicks. Knicks got smacked by the New Look Cavs. James Edwards is here to break it down. Two trade deadline acquisitions made their debut and an undermanned OKC team beat the Raptors. Let's get into it.

[GNC Advertiser]

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[Host - Esperahini]

Good morning Everybody. Good morning, Andrew. How's it going, man?

[Andrew Schlecht]

It's going great. It's great to be here with you.

[Host - Esperahini]

Oh, man, it is a blast to be here with you. And it's. How ironic that it would be on a day where, you know, obviously the Oklahoma City Thunder head to Toronto to play the Toronto Raptors. Felt like it would be poetic for us to be on this show together. What a game. Also, very, very cool game because I thought obviously, no sga, no AJ Mitchell, no Jalen Williams for the Oklahoma City Thunder. It was Canada basketball night, by the way, and SGA was not in the building. So it was kind of like they were throwing a party for someone who wasn't there, you know. But that's, that's besides the point.

[Andrew Schlecht]

A party for Lou Dort. Come on.

[Host - Esperahini]

Yeah, yeah, that's true. And for RJ Barrett, who was in the building as well. It was, it was a festive, festive thing with some Subway T shirts. As you, you so eloquently.

[Andrew Schlecht]

Those are cool. Those are cool shirts.

[Host - Esperahini]

They broke. Yeah, they were nice shirts. I actually know the designer. Shout out to the designer of the Subway shirts. Anyways, look, this was a game that I think we have to talk about Casen Wallace. Yeah, he was incredible. He tied his career high. 27 points, 8 rebounds, 7 assists. He absolutely dominated. And I know you've talked about it before, but all of these injuries for the Thunder have opened the door for Case and Wallace to truly blossom. What did you see from Kayson tonight?

[Andrew Schlecht]

Yeah, there were. There was a lot there for Queso. A lot of times he's a guy that's more of a spot up shooter for them. He's a guy who scores in transition. He hit this step back three where he was like going full speed, stopped on a dime, step back, swish. And it was just like, who is that? Who just did that? The other like big moment of the game was the Thunder had this giant lead because of this crazy run that Isaiah Joe went on where he had. The Thunder had a six point possession during this run where there was a

[Host - Esperahini]

back and one threes. I think in the span of night, Joe Joe had.

[Andrew Schlecht]

He had eight points and two possessions as well. It was, it was wild. The Thunder were up. It felt like, okay, this game might be over. It was not over. The Thunder offense died in the fourth quarter. They had three points for over seven minutes in the fourth quarter. Yeah, and the rap sided at 101 and. And who was it but Kayson Wallace has saved the day for the Thunder. He had two, he penetrated the paint, got four quick points for the Thunder, then got a steal in transition, dishes Isaiah Joe for a 3. That like this quick like 7o run for the Thunder. That was like a lifesaver for them. They were drowning, they were dying. And the Raptors were dominating them. Part of that was Scotty got hurt and had to go out. The Thunder ended up going on a 90 run there in the fourth, but a lot of it was that case and Wallace was able to deliver. And it was just really interesting. You get to see him kind of in these like fun first half moments where he's playing really well, but then you get to see him in this pressure packed moment where Scotiabank's on fire. Like it is. Like.

[Host - Esperahini]

Yeah, the crowd was very loud tonight.

[Andrew Schlecht]

Yes, the crowd was. It was great on television. You were there. And that's a big moment for a young player like that to kind of come through for this team. So, yeah, he had 27 points, ties a career high, eight rebounds, seven assists to only two turnovers and a steal. He was spectacular.

[Host - Esperahini]

This is, this is a guy who has started finals games, you know what I mean? Like, I think he is. Obviously he understands his role on this team and what he is when they're fully healthy. And I think I actually asked Mark Dagna about this pre game where I asked him about Chet Holmgren and how this might be like an extra opportunity to experiment with different things knowing the guys are injured. And he says, we don't want guys to play out of what they are. You know, you play to who you are, but it's kind of hard not to see how Kayson Wallace has run away with this opportunity. And I think to a lesser degree, like you, you see A.J. mitchell being able to do that this season. It's just the Thunder are unfair, man, in terms of the amount of developmental stories we've seen from this team, especially this season. It's sort of a blessing in disguise that the injuries have happened because you know how you have opportunities for other guys, you know.

[Andrew Schlecht]

Yeah, it will only be a blessing in disguise if they can actually get healthy.

[Host - Esperahini]

Yeah, that's true.

[Andrew Schlecht]

Yes, that is absolutely. Otherwise then it's just like kind of a losses. I do think that they'll get healthy. It's like, can they stay healthy? Yeah. I think Shay is pretty close to coming back. AJ as well, is pretty close. And then J Dub not too far behind those guys, so. But it will be interesting to see people's roles as these guys come back because a lot of the things that the Thunder struggled with through the last few years is just the minutes without Shea.

[Guest or Co-host]

Yeah.

[Andrew Schlecht]

And like what do they do whenever he's on the court? And if they can have multiple options now with Case and Wallace and AJ and J Dub and Jared McCain, McCain coming off the bench for them, I mean, I, I think that they can, you know, put together some runs, but we still saw like, where the bottom can drop out for the Thunder 2. Yeah. Yeah. I feel like we got to see like every stage of the Thunder without Shea.

[Host - Esperahini]

And you also honestly got to see every stage of what the Raptors are.

[Andrew Schlecht]

True.

[Host - Esperahini]

You know, which is like, they can be really interesting when they're locking up and defending and forcing turnovers and getting out and running, which is like very similar to. To what the Thunder can do, but like, they just don't have the same half court punch. And even without the main guys for okc, it's. It just felt like you guys had more options, more solutions. What did you think about the Raptors? This was your chance to watch them, what, twice in the last month or so?

[Andrew Schlecht]

Yeah. Yeah. I mean, it a. A lot of it for the Raps is like, are they knocking down shots? And tonight they did to a pretty large. I mean, they had 18 threes. Like, I don't know that you can ask a whole lot more.

[Host - Esperahini]

No, they had a good shooting night.

[Andrew Schlecht]

Yeah. You know, from there. But I think it also just came down, just making shots in the clutch and they weren't able to do that. Some of that was like, Scotty, what. What was the word on. On what happened to him?

[Host - Esperahini]

Yeah, so he. He had like. It looked like a Charlie Horse on the replay, but it might. It says that there. It's going to be a quad contusion for him. So he's questionable for tonight's game versus the San Antonio Spurs. And Victor, we made Yama. We'll see if he's available. Obviously no Yaka portal for the Raptors in this game too, which I think really hurt them because the size of Chet Holmgren and Isaiah Hartenstein was just. Was crazy in this game. Anyways, a quick addendum before we get into the rest of the show. We were thinking the Lakers would handle business against the Orlando Magic, but they lost and they lost in ugly fashion. Andrew. It was bad.

[Andrew Schlecht]

So it was horrendous. This was a horrendous. And for both teams, honestly, whoever was going to lose, it was going to be a horrendous loss because of just the. The comedy of Eris, specifically The defensive end. Yeah, like, I just. I can't believe it. Like, there. LeBron got a late dunk from a pass underneath the bucket, wide open. Should have never happened. It was like, do the Magic know that it's time to play defense right now? And then you go to the other end and Wendell Carter ends up getting an offensive rebound and put back. And it's like, do the Lakers know it's time to rebound right now? As he. It should have been an and one, by the way. Yeah, he got Luka as Luca falls him. And then the Lakers, who have a timeout, run this, like, weird synchronized swimming, like, play where they're all, like, moving together. I don't know what was happening. It got them nothing. They ran nothing. Yeah, it was just like Luca and LeBron standing completely still and getting nothing. That. What a horrendous loss for the.

[Host - Esperahini]

It was one of those plays where, like, the coaching staff got too cute. That's what it was. The coaching staff got too cute with the idea and. And they just. It was a bad play. It was a bad.

[Andrew Schlecht]

There was nothing. There was nothing.

[Host - Esperahini]

The Lakers have now lost two in a row, by the way, which is important in the Western Conference landscape of things. It's.

[Adam Grant]

Yeah.

[Host - Esperahini]

Tough time for the Los Angeles Lakers and for Luka and Austin and LeBron. Anyways, back to the rest of the show. I want to talk about some debuts here. Trade deadline, acquisition debuts. Number one on the list is Jonathan Kaminga, who got traded to the Atlanta Hawks. Just made his Hawks debut against The Washington Wizards. 27 points in 24 minutes. Now, Andrew, it was like the G League Wizards here at this point. But what did. What did you think about Jonathan Kaminga in his Hawks debut?

[Andrew Schlecht]

It's so nice to get a debut against the Wizards. I wonder if they planned that. They were like, hey, we. We gotta wait until this date and that's the day you're coming back. Now, I. I thought he looked like Jonathan Kaminga to me. I mean, he was. He was able to get his athleticism into the game. He had some corner threes. He took some outrageously difficult shots that he missed. But I think, like, the key here is that he's going to get a chance to kind of figure out who he is a little bit more in Atlanta, where they're trying to figure out who they are. And they. I think that they have a lot of big athletic forwards that kind of run the court and can shoot it a little bit and playing transition, and he kind of fits into that mold. And so to Me, if he can come off the bench, play 25 minutes a game, get some shots up, I think that that's what he needs to do. He also had some nice passing. His defense was okay, but I. I would like to see him against a quality opponent and see what that looks like. Because this wizard squad, there's. There's a lot of, like, who he play for All Stars on this one. Hey, Sharif Cooper out there.

[Guest or Co-host]

Yeah.

[Host - Esperahini]

Yeah.

[Andrew Schlecht]

I mean, that was cool.

[Host - Esperahini]

Yeah.

[Andrew Schlecht]

But, yeah, I. I thought it was. It was a fine debut for him, even a great debut for Jonathan Kaminga. But I'm interested to see how his role kind of, you know, cements as he keeps going.

[Host - Esperahini]

I can't. I can't give the great tag to a game against the Wizards. But that being said, like, he did play free, and I think 27 points on 12 shots. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Andrew Schlecht]

That's pretty great.

[Host - Esperahini]

That's pretty great. I agree. You know what? Fine. I'll. I'll give it to Will. Concede the great for you. Okay. Kobe White against his former team, the Chicago Bulls. He made his debut for the Charlotte Hornets. He came off the bench for this one. 10 points, four assists. He only played 15 minutes, but he knocked down a couple of threes as well. I was watching this game on the side as I was watching Raps okc and his screening ability for Lamelo and for Brandon Miller is instantly going to pop. Like, they already have their guards screening like crazy for their ball handlers, but he's just. He fits in so perfectly well for that because he can shoot off of the catch, he can shoot off of the bounce. I can see him almost instantly working alongside Con caniple. It just. It's very seamless. The one thing I'm curious about, similar to what you said about Jonathan Kaminga, it's like the Hornets already have a lot of guards. Where does Kobe White fit rotationally in that kind of group? But I don't know. I liked what he looked like in his debut.

[Andrew Schlecht]

Yeah, he looked like a Hornet. Like, the guard to guard screening stuff. He. He's screened for Lamello, rolled to the basket, got the ball, Kick out, pass. Yeah, yeah, kick out to Josh Green. He missed the shot, but it was like, oh, okay, yeah, there it is.

[Host - Esperahini]

Like, you.

[Andrew Schlecht]

You get it. You get how to be a Hornet. So it was cool. It was funny that his debut was in Chicago because it was just like the, you know, Bulls fans, like, there's the floppy hair. He's back. You know, I mean, but he's.

[Guest or Co-host]

He.

[Andrew Schlecht]

He Looks like he's going to fit in well with them and he fits the vibe. He fits pretty much everything for the Hornets, so. Good pickup for them and we'll. We'll kind of see how everything takes shape for them.

[Host - Esperahini]

Yeah, maybe time for that six seed, you know, race for the six seed if you move. Okay. Dejounte Murray also, he's not a trade deadline acquisition, but he might as well have been for the New Orleans Pelicans. He's been out with an Achilles tear for the entire season. He makes his debut tonight against the Golden State Warriors. He drops 13 points, two rebounds, three assists. He helped the Pelicans to a win over the Warriors. What'd you think about Dejante?

[Andrew Schlecht]

Yeah, I thought. I thought it was just good to see him back on the court. You know, anytime a player has an injury like that, it's. It's really difficult just to.

[Host - Esperahini]

Gone through a lot over the last year or so as well.

[Andrew Schlecht]

Yeah, without a doubt. And the fact that he even wanted to come back to the 17 and 42 Hornets now, it's just like, you know, it's commendable in some ways because a lot of guys could just say, you know what, I'll collect my check and work out and get, you know, even. Even more right for next year and we'll see how it goes. But the fact that he wants to come back and try it, you know, there was some trial and error there. He had five turnovers in this one. But he also had like a mega steal after a made bucket for the Pelicans. That really lit the crowd on fire as they're all wearing their pier the Pelican hats. There was like a lot of good giveaways tonight around the NBA. The Raptor shirts. We had these Pierre, the Pelican hats of, hey, if anybody has one of those hats you want.

[Host - Esperahini]

And the T shirt.

[Andrew Schlecht]

Yes. Those were very good giveaways. Very good giveaways tonight. I would love to have that one of those hats.

[Host - Esperahini]

Greedy stuff for man.

[Andrew Schlecht]

Dude, I get. I get jealous sometimes whenever I see the fans out there getting some cool stuff.

[Host - Esperahini]

I'm still a Norman Powell Clippers bobblehead. Oh, someone got that for me and I'm still waiting for it. Still haven't acquired it.

[Guest or Co-host]

Yeah.

[Host - Esperahini]

Anyways, the. The Knicks haven't acquired a win against a good team in the last couple of weeks. We've got James Edwards coming on to talk about it. We'll be back in a second.

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[Andrew Schlecht]

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[Host - Esperahini]

All right, joining us from Cleveland, where the New York Knicks got smacked by the Cleveland Cavaliers. The new look Cleveland Cavaliers 94 to 1, oh, nine, is James Edwards of the Athletic. James, we talked to you like, a week ago when the Pistons beat the Knicks, and it was a beat down. And this one was, was not as bad as that, that Pistons loss. But some of the same issues kind of reared their heads. The poor shooting was one thing. The Knicks shot 40% from the field, 27% from three, 66% from the free throw line. It felt like they couldn't hit a single shot. James. So I mean, is, is it a case of, like, when this team isn't able to get easy looks and make their shots, they really can't find any other source of offense?

[James Edwards]

I think that's part of it. I was talking with somebody earlier and there, there is some, like, last year Celtic vibes to them in the sense that part of the reason the Knicks were able to take down the Celtics in the playoffs is Boston shot themselves out of games, right? And it feels like this Knicks team, when the jump shot's not falling, they're either down big enough to claw back or they get, they get blown out. But that's what's so fascinating about this team. Like, if you've watched them and you haven't had any data in front of you, would you believe me if I told you that they're 12 and 4 over the last 16 or that they have the best net rating in basketball? Like, would you. That's the, that's part of the issue with the Knicks is, like, they don't feel as dominant as they are.

[Host - Esperahini]

And, and look, the, the perception because of the bad losses, it kind of makes things bigger than they are, right? Because this, this is still a team that's top three in their conference. You know what I mean?

[James Edwards]

No, 100%. They're a good team, but they're frustrating and everything else in between. And that's kind of what I'm writing on the Athletic for today. It's this team that can, like, they find ways to win, but they squeak past the Bulls. They find themselves dealt down 18 at home to the Rockets and have to claw back. They lose by a combined 84 to the pistons. They handily beat the Celtics. They take Denver to the brink and beat them in ot and Then they turn around and get clobbered by Cleveland. It's just a team that 59 games in. I almost was like, I'm tired of dissecting them. Like, I just want to get to the. Like, let's find out who they are. And I don't know if we're going to find that out until we get to the playoffs. Like, are they. Are they really good and they're bored? And this is just what happens when, during the course of the regular season. Are they as inconsistent as they've shown? Like, I think there's. There needs to be conversation around that. Right? Like, they just. Nobody. I don't know who they are. I think they're figuring out who they are still, and that's part of the problem.

[Host - Esperahini]

Well, look, I think a lot of people assume that they would develop their identity throughout the year because they're incorporating a new head coach. Right. And Obviously we're now 75% into Mike Brown's first year as the New York next head coach. How do you assess how he. He's tried to develop the identity of this team and, and how successful or maybe unsuccessful he's been in doing so?

[James Edwards]

I think his goal was to create a system specifically offensively that runs on unpredictability.

[Intuit QuickBooks Advertiser]

Right.

[James Edwards]

Similar to how, like, we all knew Steph was getting the ball. But those warriors teams were very unpredictable. There was mo. There was movement, there was motion, there was passing, quick decisions. At times it feels like this team, because of just how their personnel is, isn't able. That's not the best style of basketball that they can play. Like, I don't know if that's the style that fits this square peg round hole. At times it feels like it. Right, Right. And he wants to play fast. Well, these guys are all veterans. They all have a lot of miles on them. Even if, like, what is Mikhail 28? He hasn't missed. He's played 800 games or whatever it is. Like, that's, that's, that's a lot of miles. Cat's been at it, had injuries. Jalen's a methodical player. Josh has been around now for a long time. That's just not necessarily the best way for them to play now. With that said, I agree with him. To have an unpredictable movement offense is probably the best way to win in this league, but is it the best way for this team? And those are questions I've tussled with all this time. But I think he does. Like, defensively, they were really bad at times up the first, up until like the first few weeks of January, they were giving up the most shots at the rim and the most threes. They tweaked it icing take giving, not taking away the middle forcing to the sideline and baseline. And I think that has helped. So I think he has collaborated and. And added parts that have helped. I just wonder if when the dust settles and it's like it's a lot of people's jobs are on the line and all this stuff, does this Knicks team offensively end up looking somewhat similar to what they look like under tips because of personnel?

[Host - Esperahini]

Yeah, look. And he's also going to get marked on how they do in the postseason. Right. Like regular season basketball. Winning games in the regular season is something they've already kind of established. It's can he get this team over the hump? And so maybe like the grading doesn' start until May when this team is in a second round series and they're trying to beat the Pistons or the Cavs or whoever it is. The, the, the other thing that I think Mike Brown was brought in to do was to empower Carl Anthony Towns and tonight Cat took five shots. Where. Where is that coming from? Like how is that not something that is a point of emphasis or a point of focus for this Knicks team, Especially when you're playing a Cavs team that has Evan Mobley, that has Jared Allen bigs that are going to get involved in actions offensively on the other side of the ball.

[James Edwards]

I think as an observer and I've somebody around the team every day, Mike talks about they don't call a lot of plays and I'm. And I wonder if like with somebody like Towns that's not the best plan of action I think for him.

[Host - Esperahini]

So it's very similar to the motion offense versus let's set up. Let's create something specifically for our.

[GNC Advertiser]

Right.

[Andrew Schlecht]

Right.

[James Edwards]

Like I not to say that Cat's a great player. He's not Draymond right in his decision making all the time or the movement. He doesn't. You know what I mean? It's just, it's different. Cat is a guy that what Cat does best is exploit or should do best is exploit matchups.

[Host - Esperahini]

Right.

[James Edwards]

Like if he has a center, if he has a traditional center on them, you should be able to get to get past them. You space him out. If he has a smaller guard on him, you want him to be able to post up does it hasn't been as successful this year, but that's usually what you want to happen. And I think because they don't call a lot of plays that you end up in situations where you can see how in theory, even though it probably shouldn't happen, how a player ends up

[Host - Esperahini]

with just five shots, right, get nice out a little bit offensively, like and that's not necessarily a result of like maybe they're not looking for him. It's just if you are trying to run this motion heavy offense where there's a lot of ball movement and a lot of moving parts, it requires that player to, to kind of insert themselves or assert themselves in the game. Right. I, I also wonder like the overall shot making for this team is. It feels reliant on that wing trio to knock down their threes in an OG and a Mikhail and a Josh Hart. But also this team feels wildly reliant on Mitchell Robinson and now Jose Alvarado to give them some juice off of the bench. And those are guys who like for the most part are only playing 15 to 20 minutes a night. Does that, does what does that say about the state of this Knicks team that it's like these two rotation guys that, that they rely on so heavily?

[James Edwards]

Yeah, no, that's a, that's a great question. I think it's a little bit of what a team that's top heavy looks like, right. Like you need to be able to hit on a vet minimum guy like Landry Shammit. You need to be able to have a, like a tool in the, in the toolbox like Mitchell Robinson that other teams don't have. Right. So is it concerning like. Yeah, I think in a way, right, that you, you want, you want the three Jalen Cat and then one of Mikhail OG Josh to be playing well every night. Right. Like you would think that would be more common than it maybe has been or can be. But that's when like you said you mentioned, you rely on Alandra Shamma to be able to make shots. You rely on Alvarado to be able to, to muck things up and him even like he's shooting the third most threes since on the Knicks since he's joined the team. Like is that what you want Jose to do? Like obviously they want the team to play fast, but is that the best use of his minutes? Shamet's been really good for them this year. His three point percentage is much better at home than on the road. And that's usually what happens with role players. Right? So yeah, it's, it's an interesting dynamic. OG has obviously had a good, a really good year. But I mean since he's come back from his toe. I think he's 4 for 39 from 3. Mikhail has just been up and down in terms of his offense. Obviously takes a lot of mid range jumpers struggled at the rim tonight. It's, it's, it's an interesting team that I think at the end of the

[Andrew Schlecht]

day

[James Edwards]

it's still hard to put a finger on like who they are, what they are and that's, I just, we're just they're going to be judged what they do in the playoffs and we'll find out then if, if they're as good as they can look like when they're coming back in that fourth quarter against Houston or are they the team that lets the Bulls come back and take a lead? Like it's, it's just too much of this up and down to, to really put your pulse on who this team is.

[Host - Esperahini]

Yeah, this is why the, the east specifically feels really matchup dependent, especially as the playoffs get started. It's like who you do you match up best against. And yeah, I'm, I'm kind of curious about your thoughts on the Cavs just because you got, you got your first look at like the new look version of them with James Harden and, and Jalen Tyson had an awesome game tonight, but they also have added, you know, Keon Ellis and Dennis Schroeder the fold. What do you think about this Cavs team and their chances this season?

[James Edwards]

Obviously you can point to James Harden's shot making, how he makes the bigs in the pick and roll like him getting them more involved. The way that they whip it to the weak side shooters is just they were impeccable with that tonight. But you know what really caught my eye that I think that this Cavs team has that it necessarily didn't have in the past. And I know the numbers don't really back this up. Like they've been about 12th defensively all season. I think 13th or 14th since the trade deadline. But I still think like adding Schroeder, Keon Ellis and Tyson playing the way he is, like they have some guys that can like play physical defense. Like yeah, I think as the season goes on and in the playoffs like they are going to be a much better defensive team than they shown even with Harden out there. But like those guys, like they have the ability to play physical defensively and that really popped with to me in that game and I think the additions of Ellis and Schroeder are going to pay like they're going to pay dividends for this team. If they can just like if Shooter can shoot the ball like he did when he was with the Pistons last year and that series. Ellis struggled with three ball this season in Sacramento, but has been relatively good. Tyson's just a really good player. He kind of just reminds me like one the Josh Hart mold, right, can do a little bit of everything. But man, the aggressiveness that they now might be able to play with on defense, that caught my eye. That really caught my eye.

[Host - Esperahini]

Yeah, I'm very curious to see if this Cavs team can put it all together for a playoff run. Because when you insert like three different players into your rotation like that, there's like a workaround period, right, where you have to iron out the kinks of everything you want to do. But you know, honeymoon, James Harden is, is great. And these other guys, like, they, they know how to buy in and buy into their role. James, appreciate you as always for joining us. Thank you very much. Appreciate you guys. Reed, James Edwards at the Athletic, one of the best in the biz to do it. Thank you very much to everybody who's listened to the Athletic NBA daily. For myself, for James, for Andrew Schlecht. Thanks for waking up.

[Adam Grant]

Hey, it's Adam Grant from Ted's podcast Work Life, and this episode is brought to you by. ServiceNow AI is only as powerful as the platform it's built into. That's why it's no surprise that more than 85% of the Fortune 500 companies use the ServiceNow AI platform, while other platforms duct tape tools together. ServiceNow seamlessly unifies people, data workflows, and AI connecting every corner of your business. And with AI agents working together autonomously, anyone in any department can focus on the work that matters Most. Learn how ServiceNow puts AI to work for [e-mail] Parle tu Francais?

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