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00:00 A moment to look back filled with appreciation or maybe not quite getting to the point where people
00:07 wanted it to be. We do that with our coach James Young, JY, live right here on this Tuesday on the
00:13 Early Line and we start with JY's New York Knicks. They reached the Eastern Conference Semifinals,
00:20 the second round of the NBA playoffs for a second consecutive season, but unable to reach
00:25 the Eastern Conference Finals, which has eluded New York since the year 2000. JY, of course,
00:32 the story for the New York Knicks in this postseason, the injury bug and how short-handed
00:37 they were. No Julius Randle for the entirety of this playoff run. No Mitchell Robinson at the end
00:43 of the first round. OG Enenobe gets injured in game number two. Josh Hart did not look right in
00:48 either game six or game seven and the final blow, not sure it really would have mattered for the
00:53 outcome, but the final blow part of the story. Jalen Brunson fracturing his left hand late in
00:59 the third quarter of game number seven. When you look back on this playoff run in the entirety of
01:05 the New York Knicks season, how do you describe what you felt along the way? Euphoria and then
01:13 pain and then appreciation. Euphoria for a team that this is probably the best Knicks team and
01:20 I would say the most loved Knicks team, let's be honest guys, since the mid-90s into the late 90s.
01:27 Pain for what happened in game number seven and watching the team basically become a G-League
01:33 team by the end of it with guys that you never heard of playing big minutes. Guys like Alec
01:39 Burch who was terrible, but then had to step up and play for the team. But that appreciation for
01:45 how much they fought for the fact that let's be honest guys, OG Anovi had no business trying to
01:50 play game seven. Josh Hart had no business trying to play game seven. Mitchell Robinson came back
01:56 way too early and rolled his ankle on that, I would say probably cheap shot by Embiid. Julius
02:02 Randle should have been out way earlier and stuck it out, Ben, because of the fact of him trying to
02:08 play through pain. So to me, it's appreciation for this Knicks team, but it's an interesting spot
02:15 for a team that overachieved again. Now comes the tough part. What do you do to take the next step?
02:23 Because I firmly believe if you just think you're going to run it back, I do not think they're
02:30 better than Boston with the same team. If Milwaukee can figure it out, what happens with Philadelphia,
02:35 they're bringing another star. New York's has got to continue to make moves, including bringing in,
02:40 bringing back some of their free agents that were keys to the success this year.
02:44 We'll keep it right here with the Knicks. I think it's intriguing off season for them by no means
02:49 like they should be improving. But if we take a look at Jalen Brunson, he comes over to the Knicks.
02:54 A lot of people say they love to play Madison Square Garden, can't wait to get to New York City.
02:58 And then time comes for free agency. They shy away from it. Takes a strong player to dominate in that
03:03 place. Brunson has done that, but you need to get him with a B. If you need an A and a B, a Batman
03:08 and a Robin, who could that be? Because it's apparent you have your superstar right now in
03:12 Brunson. You got a parent with another one. Who could that be coach? Well, here's the thing, folks.
03:18 I think they're going to keep Devin Chenzo and Brunson in the back court. So to me, you're
03:22 looking at the forward position and or the center position. Now it comes down to this. Isaiah
03:27 Hartenstein, two years, $16 million, can only get $16 million next year. What do they do? Here's the
03:33 tough part, folks. The tradable asset is the first guy that was willing to come to New York,
03:39 and that's Julius Randle. What can you get for Randle if you re-sign OG and Inouye? You can move
03:45 OG to the four, bring in the three, or keep OG at a three, go get a four. Paul George, intriguing,
03:52 maybe old. Mikael Bridges wants to be a Knick more than probably any other Knick. But Brooklyn would
03:57 be crazy to trade him. Brandon Ingram, I don't know if he can handle it. So it'll be interesting
04:02 to say, I know people want Spider Mitchell, including my good friend Ben Stevens. I can't go
04:08 there yet. I mean, well, Donnie wants to just implode the locker room. That's all he cares
04:14 about. He don't care about the Knicks. Yeah, yeah, page six. Yeah, well, how about page one?
04:20 Not gonna happen. Devin Booker, Kevin Durant. But here's the thing, guys. Brunson and Leon Rose
04:28 has changed the game with New York. Why? Because they got James Dolan out of it. Stay out of it,
04:34 Dolan, because this is where you come in and mess things up. Let Leon Worldwide West handle it. You
04:39 got to start. Go get a B. Mikael Bridges, the Villanova Knicks. Jay Wright might come out of
04:46 retirement and stop working on TV to be a part of Tibbs staff. If Tom Thibodeau would even have
04:53 him there. We were going to ask you about the Oklahoma City Thunder, but we'll save that,
04:57 I guess, for another day. There's optimism in OKC. That's all that is important at this moment.