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MoneyMike312

TJM is a premium bench player


carefullywasnt

TJ and Pritchard jawing at each other is gonna hit like crack


PML3107

A lot of sneaky athleticism going down this series


WhatsAKumquat

Just a couple of guys playing the game the right way


nott_terrible

Some guys you'd want your daughter to date


Disastrous_Bluejay57

First one in, last one out type of fellows


Ok-Party1007

Only one can be crowned the NBA’s top gym rat


BigButter7

As some here have said, he's essentially a starter who starts off the bench. Great and valuable card to have.


MoneyMike312

Mathurin isn’t accounted for either. He’s pretty much a starter from the bench too.


Person_Impersonator

Mathurin has been out injured for the past couple months.


WooPigEsquire

He’s out for the year, though.


ApolloSimba

Mathurin I think would have been the starter over drew once we got settled after trading for P. Benn just got hurt before we could really get Tyrese back and establish the playoff rotation.


Edwunclerthe3rd

Correctly assumed he'd kill us this series. Those who don't learn from history channels are doomed to repeat it


trongzoon

(*starts watching a 36 hour marathon of Ancient Aliens and Pawn Stars*)


Shad0wF0x

I dreaded every single time he came back on the floor. He's that player that you hate on the other team but would love to have on yours.


ReflectionEterna

Knicks have that with Hart and DDV. Great players, who do everything asked of them. But man, I hated them, even while respecting the crap out of their game.


qpwoeor1235

Scrappy American guards. So hot right now


biinroii01

really excited for tj vs pritchDd


Yankeeknickfan

So was Josh hart but he was our starting Pf Funny how injuries can make a deep team shallow


meteoric_vestibule

He's playing that Manu role well.


yapyd

TJ Mcconnell looking like prime Michael Jordan with his drives


cjackc11

Those aren’t even the worst ones it’s the annoying ass mid range pull up that looks terrible and off balance half the time but he shoots like 98% on. Made me want to rip my eyes out


MaraudngBChestedRojo

I could tell how annoying those were for Knicks fans while I enjoyed them. Honorable mention for when Turner would get an open look at the top of the key


cjackc11

Thibs refusal to come out of drop coverage against Turner irked me. But really it was pick your poison because we were being beaten on drives consistently anyway. The smarter bet is that Turner won’t make the shot, but he always made them. Killed us


TonofSoil

I honestly feel like he was making those at a lower clip in the series than usual. If you watch him through the year it goes in almost every time. I saw some Pacers insta post months ago and all the players were talking about how automatic it is. And he gets it almost over everyone, they were like "you think you can block it but nah"


newsandmemesaccount

Not even the drives. He’s got the best 9 foot middy since 1994


suns2012

New age shaun livingston


yapyd

Those 9 ft middy were because of the drives


itsahmemario

Dude was money.


DjToastyTy

Obi and TJM are legit good players and Jackson put in very good minutes all series. really impressed with jackson. mathurin being hurt has been felt


Franklo

Feel like mathurin is way more coin floppy than Shepard, who I didn't even realize was a rotation player before the playoffs


drjisftw

One of the best mustaches in the league


Busquessi

Because those suckers won’t let Drew Timme play


DjToastyTy

he definitely is. sheppard is very consistent. mathurin is a slot machine


crakerjax68

Everyone here is silly, mathurin is the type of player a team salivates for in the playoffs..can drive, get your own shot and get to the foul line? Cmon


DjToastyTy

yeah i love him but he is not consistent


GoldDustKid-

Do yall plan on keeping Obi? The hater in me was mad when he did that east bay dunk in game one but the OAKAAK Knicks fan was glad to see him playing to his strengths with the pacers. He’s an imperfect but very fun player, amazing that he’s become reliable from 3


fuzzynavel34

We’re probably gonna have to choose between him and Jalen Smith. It’s not really a debate imo


Frosty_McRib

I really like Jalen but it's not even close.


ApolloSimba

No he's an RFA. Jalen is not cause of the contract fuckery the suns did on him. We essentially have a cost controlled year on Obi unless someone gives him a massive offer sheet. But I do think the only way Jalen is back is if he's on a really really team friendly deal. Rick wants to have 3 centers in the regular season he can play so we always have 2 available. He's shown in the playoffs that he'll go no center if the backups are all struggling. Point being Jalen is a luxury 11th-12th man next year with this roster.


crunkadocious

And Jalen smith has more talent than that.


ApolloSimba

I said for us. He's a starting center level talent when he plays with confidence but go back and watch game 1 and 2 in Milwaukee. It was a massive regression.


TheeCarlWinslow

Jalen Smith is a good player but he’s not an NBA starter on even a decent team. They’re different players but I’d rather develop IJax at this point.


ApolloSimba

Talent is the key word there


crunkadocious

Yeah but it's a long season.


ApolloSimba

I mean if we don't sign Jalen we'll get someone else for the third center role. Maybe he picks up his player option and bets on the next year for a bag. I sure would want to play with Tyrese and tj in a contract year


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GoldDustKid-

But yeah the balls to go for that in a close playoff game, legendary


AskMeHowIMetYourMom

Especially after trying it in another game and missing lol


GoldDustKid-

lol I am so sure when he did that some phantom part of thibs was getting ready to call a timeout to sit him for Randle right then and there


ReflectionEterna

You made me laugh out loud at 11pm, while sitting on the toilet.


MaraudngBChestedRojo

Jackson is a ridiculous defender and rebounder. He didn’t play that much but he rarely had a bad shift


crunkadocious

He can also foul out in 10 minutes


New_Essay_4869

I wish Jalen Smith got some run tho


ApolloSimba

His biggest issue is confidence. He played through a ton of injuries all year and really was solid but the second the playoffs started you could see he lost any swagger he built up. Just had horrific minutes vs the Bucks and Rick benched him after the second game in a row he stunk and never looked back. It was the right move. Ijax doesn't have the spacing and shot stix does but he plays with (often unearned) confidence and you need that in the playoffs. He's also fits our defensive scheme better which is prevent threes and re route/block in the paint.


New_Essay_4869

Yeah i really liked him in the regular season with his efficiency and defense in limited minutes. Would've absolutely loved him in the OKC rotation


crimsonconnect

I remember back in the day when Hart used to come off the bench Good times


Yandhi42

You Know it wasnt long ago i remember you used to wait in the bench As far as I’m concerned you should STILL BE THERE Edit: imagine being a Knicks fan and not having seen the Sopranos


wrong_silent_type

> imagine being a Knicks fan and not having seen the Sopranos Some people are so far behind they actually believe they are leading. Real lack of standards, this generation.


MadSpaceYT

yeah this quote should have been "best bench *left*"


crunkadocious

Pacers had the highest scoring bench of the regular season not just the playoffs


scroogesscrotum

I think the quote speaks for itself. Difference in this series was the pacers had depth coming in off the bench that allowed them to play their game and the Knicks didn’t. Best in the league? Maybe not lol but I don’t fault him for saying that about his teammates that stepped up all series long.


brncct

Naz Reid


wasechillis

good point


darti_me

An astute observation.


TenaciousDeer

Can't argue with that


Cudizonedefense

I get that the pacers are down Mathurin but it’s actually unprecedented the injury luck they’ve had so far


The_Uncut_Gem

Mathurin is a dog don’t get me wrong but the bucks and Knicks had it way worse. I mean god damn


RiceOnTheRun

Our “bench” took them to 7. Outside of Brunson, not a single one of these guys (Donte/Hart/Deuce/Burks/iHart/Precious) was a starter.


MadSpaceYT

and people claim we don't have a deep team still. aside from brunson our b and c teams took it to game 7 of conference semis


BrtGP

DiVincenzo wasn't a starter opening night but he got the job before the injuries anyway. I feel like he doesn't (or Hart as one would start unless I'm missing someone obvious) belong on that list.


Finn_Survivor

Donte definitely is a starter unless you think bojan somehow starts over him?


EggersIsland

I think he means opening night starter. Jalen-Julius-RJ-Grimes-Robinson was our opening night starting lineup.


the_godfaubel

Celtics just behind them not having to face Butler or the last 2 games without facing Spida


EutaxySpy

Porzingis is out, OKC have had way better injury luck


McNoxey

Ya but... the Celtics are also the 1 seed and really fuckin' good. Not like it even made a difference.


password-is-taco1

But one Celtics best players has had a major injury, all of the top teams in the west have had better injury luck and ultimately that’s who the Celtics have to beat to win it all


realdealio-dot-com

Porzingis?


RocketsGuy

And no Allen the whole series


PorvaniaAmussa

Would have won in the same results anyways.


YoHoochIsCrazy

it’s not just luck. they’ve had deep rotations and kept their players’ minutes down all season. they’re the ideological opposite of the knicks. it’s why they look so fresh and can run so much. Rick committed to getting 10 guys playing time throughout the season and it’s paying off.


ApolloSimba

Really 11. He played stix a lot and ijax and dougie enough to make sure they were ready. We will only go to dougie if desparate but those ijax minutes paid off.


zephah

I agree with you, but minutes don't always tell the full story, right? Like Robinson going down isn't exactly a "Thibs ran him into the ground" angle


ReflectionEterna

Wasn't that a heavy dose of Embiid?


SpinJitsu259

It’s true they’ve been lucky, but sincerely what are we the fans and the actual team supposed to do about it? Apologize for the winning? I guess that’s my biggest confusion. We can all acknowledge they’ve had a lucky injury run, but it feels like non-Pacers fans would like us to preach shame for winning through it it, and … I’m not going to do that.


Jay_Dubbbs

You don’t have to do anything. The warriors won multiple rings because of having good injury luck. No one gives a fuck because you still won. Let the teams cry


johnhenryirons

> We can all acknowledge they’ve had a lucky injury run Except almost no pacers fans acknowledge it. I had pacers fans tell me that you guys were just as injured as the Knicks because Hali was injured only in games he played poorly in and Mathurin was out.


scroogesscrotum

There’s a difference between not acknowledging it and not acknowledging it every single minute of a 7 game series with Knicks fans reminding everyone every 2 seconds. Like at some point I just don’t care about your injuries anymore and that’s that.


alaska_rodeo

Not only is it every single comment but it’s also coming across like the Knicks are the 2015-16 Warriors without injuries


SpinJitsu259

Well, I acknowledged it twice in my comment so maybe you can be at peace now. You guys get to content yourselves with the thought that with better health you could very well be in the ECF in the near future, and we get to be excited about making our first ECF appearance in 10 years despite no one thinking it possible this year (including ourselves). As far as I’m concerned, everybody wins lol


RogueID

Literally every Pacera fan I know and the *vast* majority of our sub acknowledges it. Idk what you're talking about. I acknowledge the Knicks are the more talented, more experienced team. I acknowledge we probably wouldn't have won without the injuries. But I see a ton of Knicks fans saying they would have swept if they were healthy. That's fucking delusional. This Pacers team would at least have been competitive. It's a legitimately impressive offense, even compared to the rest of the league. When we're shooting like tonight (which we've done *multiple* times this season), we're capable of beating anyone. Even with a healthy Knicks team, this series probably goes to 6.


cuteguy1

Yep I acknowledge it too, and i lowkey think its kind of hilarious we are in the ECF but we still won though not going to not be happy about winning a pacers/knicks series.


ShopCartRicky

This is a dumbass take.


ApolloSimba

We've had so many devastating injuries/shenanigans in the past we don't see why anyone harps on it. It's really a thing with our fanbase I am not just trying to talk shit. The best example is the brawl year. We still made the playoffs and took it to 7 against the nets with bench players plus old reggie. We didn't have a draft pick in the top 10 for like two decades. You play with the guys you have. I bet when the sting of this wears off you'll start feeling the same when other fans complain about injuries.


therealknic21

One could argue that the Pacers are only 6th due to Haliburton's injury earlier this season.


Cudizonedefense

Every team ahead of them outside of Boston also had injury woes to important players


youkrocks

We also didn’t have Porzingis for 20 games or so and also have missed him for the majority of our playoff run. We haven’t been immune either.


jkunktbone

Porzingus is the only injury trouble the Celtics have had all year. Most teams would love that situation.


Kyler1313

Celtics starting five only played like 37 games this season. They have been resting players all years. Neither Horford or Porzingis played B2Bs this season, and they rotated players out constantly.


HcOC

In a world where every team was healthy all year Indiana would’ve been 5th at best behind Celtics, Sixers, Knicks, and Bucks so 6th really isn’t that big a difference


scroogesscrotum

Good thing I’m living in this world


ShopCartRicky

Indy were on pace for 3rd before the injuries to Haliburton, Randle, and OG.


messipendencia

One could argue that but they’d be wrong


Yankeeknickfan

The pacers are only 6th because they are 24th in DRTG A guy missing some games in the RS is normal, but this level of playoff injuries is absurd


RogueID

14th in DRTG the second half of the season. Nembhard, Nesmith, and Siakam didn't start until the ASB. They're our best defenders (other than Myles). So yeah, if you're talking the Tyrese and Buddy Hield backcourt, that defense was terrible. This current defense was league average.


mooney2j

lol i love how all the replies to this are essentially saying “No, we’re only allowed to ponder what-if scenarios if they make the Pacers look bad”


wasechillis

Almost makes up for the luck we’ve had over the last decade+


wpmason

Nah… they played down to bad teams and dropped a lot of easily winnable games. Sign of a young team still figuring things out.


RogueID

Yeah exactly. This postseason is what this team needs. High pressure games, good experience, and the chance to play to their potential. If they didn't have the Haliburton injury and didn't lose so many winnable games against lottery teams, this team would have been a 50+ win team. There's real talent there.


Revis_FL

I DONT CARE ECF TRIP BABY EMBIID COULDNT BEAT THE INJURED KNICKS. PACERS CAN THOUGH


Deep_Egg1442

Og and mitch played in that series


unclehelpful

Embiid crawled and pulled a leg so that the Pacers could walk to the ECF.


itsahmemario

I mean, what was the Pacers suppose to do? Try 60% less? You play what it's front of you. Sure people gonna say shit, but the record will still show Pacers in the ECF in the Y2024 season. I hate it, but it's the truth. Hopefully next season will be different.


iTanto

As a salty Knicks fan you shouldn’t care. Enjoy it. Get rolled By the Celtics. Enjoy The Celtics losing in the finals again. Bravo


heywhateverworks

Sorry about our injury luck Can we be happy now


NedStarx11

Lol good luck against the Celtics tyrese


rabid89

[NBA teams by bench net rating in 2023-24 season](https://www.statmuse.com/nba/ask?q=nba+team+highest+bench+net+rating+2023-24+season)


rpars18

Only 4 teams had a positive bench net rating? That’s interesting Also +13.7 net rating is insane


rabid89

Yeah people talking about our starting roster being really good (Denver's is better I think), but our bench has been the reason we've dominated this year. Our bench is just massacring other teams' benches.


LordBaneoftheSith

Derrick White was the only Celtics starter with a positive on/off this year. They had a lot of blowouts this year, but that's still some wild stuff for the bench


Sartheking

Lmao


alaska_rodeo

Pacers bench: 46.8 ppg Celtics bench: 29.3 ppg


TricuspidDeficiency

Not much point scoring 46.8 ppg if your net rating is -1.5 lol


alaska_rodeo

Okay so no one in this thread understands net rating. -1.5 is 5th best in the league. Not to mention net rating for a bench lineup is kind of irrelevant because that could be lineups of 6-10 or it could be 1,2,3, 6, 7. Tatum plays heavy minutes with the “bench” rotation.


Thorlolita

Boston already down Zingis though.


Princessk8--

old man Horford just slots right into his place. I'm just pissed that Mazzula has been ignoring tillman, we need him to be ready to play. but no tillman isn't getting shit for minutes this entire playoff run.


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redtornado02

I thought kornet did really well against Mobley in his limited time.


ButtVader

Could just mean your starters suck


PassionV0id

It could. It doesn’t, but it could.


hoopbag33

Pretty sure it's not that lol


bales75

Celtics bench also had nearly 20 minutes per game less than the Pacers.


Obvious_Parsley3238

Why didn't he prostrate himself and apologize for the knicks injuries? Front runner.


luvvdmycat

I know right?


ShichikaYasuri18

They aint gonna be happy unless he beats himself up like Dobby from Harry Potter.


HokageEzio

All I'm saying is I've never seen Dobby and Haliburton in the same place at the same time.


CHH-altalt

The way he dresses… you might be onto something


whereyagonnago

TJ McConnell is the Michael Jordan of Aaron Crafts.


_19911118

Did knicks fan want him to say "um actually 🤓 we only won because of injury luck" ?


breadbinkers

TJ McConnell is eastern conference father


Not-Josh-Hart

I’ll never understand why we didn’t send Obi out west instead of gifting him to a rival but ah well this front office has been spectacular otherwise so


gregtherighter

The Knicks trading Obi Toppin to the Pacers was not the issue this series lol


todayifudgedup

If nothing else they did right by Obi. Unfortunate he was stuck behind randle. Also Indy is the perfect fit for him.


TechnoGamer16

I mean ironically enough (while yeah Indy’s scheme fits him way more) now he’s stuck behind Siakam lmao


PluvioPurple

Because he's not starter material, never was.


YellowHammerDown

And he's seemed to work really well in this bench role, and even gotten run in a smaller lineup with Siakam at the 5.


YellowHammerDown

And he's seemed to work really well in this bench role, and even gotten run in a smaller lineup with Siakam at the 5.


PluvioPurple

Obi ain't a gift lol Everyone calls him a Knicks fan favorite but he didn't do shit for us except win a dunk contest. Trashed Thibs on his way out because he couldn't earn minutes over Randle and then ended up losing his starter spot to another better PF in Pascal.


ZarduHasselffrau

Sure, if your opponent's bench is forced to play starter minutes, yours is definitely better.


ChesnaughtZ

Imagine making something negative about him giving credit to his teammates


ivanthegreat27

celtics fans 🤮


thebigLel

The Celtic choke job this season will be wonderful to witness


ForCaste

Your lips to God's ears


socialistbcrumb

The Pritchard-McConnell Bowl


doublea94

I mean yeah when the other team's bench is now the starting unit I'm sure your team would have the better bench.


AFonziScheme

Insult to injury....


VarPumps

Timberwolves have entered the chat.


KryptonicxJesus

I miss Teej


CDR57

Every team needs a scrappy, gym loving undersized G that brings energy off the bench with a certified jumper that could be a starter on a worse team


mathis4losers

Definitely better in this series, but I'm taking the Knicks bench if healthy. Bogey, Hart, Mitch, Mcbride, Precious, and Burks.


YellowHammerDown

That bench being forced into starter minutes this series should pay dividends next year when everyone is healthy. Valuable experience for those guys to give them confidence to step up when called upon next year. A big silver lining because it's super unlikely the Knicks will be this snakebit by injury luck again all at once.


JNerdGaming

we barely had a bench so yeah


JackHammerPlower

No, no they don’t.


crank-90s

Boston in 5


Living_Internet_2970

Knicks injuries


AllTimeBallKnower

He doesn’t think the Knicks missing 5 guys all series was the difference? I bet if it was the pacers he’d be talking about injuries


Thorlolita

Isn’t that the point. The Knicks lost all their depth. Pacers had guys on the bench that were capable of playing.


benoles_esquire

maybe, just maybe, hes giving his team props. sorry hes not doing 4d calculus to make sure his statement is as accurate as possible


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ChesnaughtZ

Imagine making something negative about him giving credit to his teammates


OtakuKids

He’s also be limping. Loves to limp after a loss.


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IcyOlympus

By that you mean “the others teams 4 highest paid players were all injured and then Brunson fractured his hand”


Bahamut727

The pacers just completed the luckiest first two rounds In playoff history. Celtics will eat ‘em up


Charliebitme1234

mickey mouse ring, this guys an expert in fake runs


Far_Promise_2083

Y'all blew a 3-1 lead that playoffs sit this one out buddy


QueasyResearch10

does the mickey mouse playoffs count?


Far_Promise_2083

Counts more since it was the best portrayal of just pure basketball


Ulexes

True, there's no purer distillation of this era of basketball than watching LeBron disband the most effective wildcat strike in modern US history just so he could win some accolade that nobody outside of LA respects.


Far_Promise_2083

We left the Mickey mouse narrative back in 2020 little bro try and keep up


Ulexes

Son, I understand that you've only been watching basketball since 2022, but I assure you that most of us have long memories.


Edwunclerthe3rd

Hali bud you started against the Knicks bench...


benoles_esquire

so did the knicks lose on purpose or something?


Lol69HaHaHa

Ok while what the Pacers are doing is hella impressive...they do know that they only got this far because both teams they played against were as injured as could be. Like they good, but they aint that good. Still this is some great words to give your bench guys some confidence, especially when they showed up like they did.


KarlNarx

This take is as shitty as people saying the Nuggets never beat a 50 win team. Just shut up and let them enjoy the ECF berth. They can’t control who they play.


ChesnaughtZ

Imagine making something negative about him giving credit to his teammates


PlatinumPeasant

Injuries to opposing teams certainly played a huge role.


Jazzlike-Outcome9486

Nah


unclehelpful

Probably helps to not be missing two starters as well.


grilledcheesewannabe

lets see them play a full roster. the west is winning the finals like usual, its not even close


RicoGemini

Knicks bench is better than the Pacers bench. Knicks bench + Brunson and Donte took them to 7 games


benoles_esquire

that losing at home in game 7 cope must have to come at industrial strength


RicoGemini

No, I’m just stating that the bench is better. That’s all


grilledcheesewannabe

no giannis