Charles Barkley in Game 2 halftime: “Wemby is in shock right now. It’s probably been a long time since he got his ass kicked like this.”
“KAT is taking his ass back to the woodshed”😭😭
Generational country phrase
Good ol’ fashioned woodshed
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Shout out to the NBAPA for letting the salary cap apron system start immediately and not negotiating in any runway time right after we traded for Rudy
Fuck CJ
I mean they had to financially, they couldn’t afford to keep him
right - it was move off KAT or move off Rudy + two of Jaden/Naz/NAW
I love lvoe love KAT but the haul he’s getting you is way greater than the haul the option would bring back
TC got fucked by the new CBA more than anyone else. It’s bad luck but somebody’s gotta be the most affected. Very grateful that we were able to find a trade that sent him somewhere that matters to him and is competitive. I’m sure we just took highest bidder, but it makes me feel better about it all
Yes. Yes we did. Been easy to pick my side this series though
It’s funny how the regret over this trade has waxed and waned between both teams the last couple years.
Opinion on Randle swings weekly
Remember last year Randle had a good 1st round series so the whole narrative became, it was a Wolves win but after the CF it was clear KAT won
KAT doesn’t become this player if he stays on the Wolves, and for the Wolves to keep KAT they’d have to give up any depth to keep the team together, which itself would fail. The Knicks work because they have all their guys outside KAT on very friendly deals relative to the value they provide (same for the Thunder and Spurs with many of their guys on cheaper rookie contracts).
If they kept KAT, they don’t have Randle, Donte, and Ayo and most likely have one of Rudy, Naz, or NAW.
People also forget the KAT was terrible in the Mavs series.
Honestly would be an unreal quote if you showed it to someone a few years ago
Hes actually been balling in the playoffs the last few years.
he carried the wolves to the WCF while gobert was getting put on skates and ant was struggling. then the team decided julius randle gave them a better chance to win and torpedo’ed their cheap ant window. Then he came to NY and helped get to the ECF last year and now 2 games away from world champs this year.
so so so so happy for KAT man. dude is just such a great dude and bled for the wolves and the city. gave it his all and wanted to stay his whole career. he learning the same thing KG learned: you can love minnesota but you aint winning shit there til you leave cause the team is run like garbage
Kat winning before Jimmy Butler lol
It was entirely a money situation, 2nd apron killed us.
minny traded kat because of a salary crunch, not because they “decided julius randle gave them a better chance”
Can’t even say if Wolves got a bad or good Randle in the trade. They just got Randle
Good 2025 playoffs bad 2026 playoffs
That’s the Randle experience. He runs hot and cold. Honestly Wolves should look to move him this off-season for someone more consistent even if he’s a lesser player.
There’s about a 2% chance he’s on the roster next season.
Unironically, KAT is doing to Wemby what Wemby did to Chet
The people who doubted the Knicks didn’t notice how good KAT specifically has been all postseason. Completely different dude this postseason than what he’s been I’d say any time in his entire career.
Not that it can’t swing back the other way obviously but this is way more of a series than people gave credit to.
All the chatter leading up to this series proved to me nobody actually watched the east games
Or watched them and assumed the teams were just historically bad instead of the Knicks being on a historically good run.
Like these are still playoff caliber NBA basketball teams. Not many teams ever could go on the run they went on to get to the Finals in regards to winning margin.
Easier to scream “East is bad hurr durr” then to actually watch the games
The funniest thing is that people were saying that after OKC went through Devin Booker’s Suns and the Lakers with first option 41 year old Bron while the Spurs went through an artificial star and Ant with no knees
Julius catching strays
It was the best run ever by points for 11 games. That doesn’t just happen. They could’ve won a handful of those by 70 if they wanted to
That’s why narrative in sport annoys me so much cause 90% it’s just so simple and often not even true
Banged up 76ers and the analytical champions. Not the same as Wolves and OKC
The wolves with a half health Edwards and OKC missing 2 of their best players
No one is saying its the same but no matter who is in front of you if you are beating teams that badly it matters.
Ant with no knees and Randle
The East may not be very good but the Knicks haven’t lost since April.
actually insane when u say it like that
i don’t think that’s it at all. plenty of people here watched the east games. they just were writing NY off because they thought there competition was so much worse
Also, just, the Knicks the last 50 years
Bro the playoffs bring out all the casual fans who don’t know shit about basketball and get all their opinions on the game from whatever Stephan A Smith said that morning on First Take.
Anyone with a brain saw how on fire the Knicks have been and you can’t just automatically discount that especially given the fact that the Spurs haven’t even been dominant. They looked vulnerable against a Minnesota team with a semi-injured Ant and then it took them 7 games to beat an OKC team that had 2 of their top 4 scorers injured the whole series plus a bad series from their best player in SGA.
I called the WCF the NBa finals until I watched the Knicks walk all over us.
It’s not even about the games they’ve played recently although actually watching them would help people.
The Knicks roster construction is just set up perfectly to take advantage of San Antonio, bunch of long defensive players to swarm the guards, KAT stretching the floor on offense weakening Wembys biggest strength his defense. I think OKC would’ve been a more difficult matchup for them.
Everyone in Atlanta noticed how good KAT has been. He is one of the reasons we went from 2-1 lead to losing by 60 lol.
Literally the instant they started running offense through KAT they started whooping our ass
More like THE reason. Point KAT demolished us. If not for him, The Dyson on Brunson and hunting Brunson on offense would have carried us to winning the series. Fuck the Timberwolves.
To be fair the knicks have been doubted in general because people dont know if its the knicks that are good, or the competition thats bad. I think we all know very well now that its just that the knicks are good
Even against bad comparative competition going on the type of absolute tear they did was telling.
People just wanted to run with the east bad narrative so hard it turned into a meme and people ignored what was going on right in front of their face, which is that this is a team on a literal historic run of basketball.
Conference discrepancy be damned. There have been times teams haven’t looked as good in worse Eastern conferences and haven’t been looked down on from that narrative as hard as this team was.
Knicks fans knew they were good. Weve been saying it but im glad everyone else refused to admit it and that makes this that much sweeter
Turns out that having one of the most dominant playoff runs ever isn’t a fluke lol. Yet the narrative will continue being how shit the spurs have been instead of how great the Knicks are.
It’s not just this playoffs. KAT has always been a bad matchup for Wemby due to his shooting and strength. The knicks swept the Spurs in the regular season (including the NBA Cup) for a reason.
People were on here saying wemby had no bad matchups, even Jokic who hangs an average of like 40⁄15 on his head when they play. They went from underrating went to overrating him really fast
He matured and knuckled down. I remember watching some of the playoffs like two years ago on the Wolves and he was rightly criticized for being too nonchalant with his team being in the hole.
New KAT is locked in.
Knicks have started their current playoff win streak when they used KAT as a facilitating hub and more focal point of their offense.
People said jokic choked when he played excellently vs a twin towers of him and Rudy lol
And what chet did to Ayton.
Damn. Our centers are tier 4 😭
Maybe we should call him KAT Holmgren. Maybe that’ll wake Wemby up
Well not really
Karl-Anthony Towns is Chet Holmgren grandfather
retroactively revise chet’s all-nba to KAT
But actually.
Guy’s on track to maybe have the most dominant playoff run of all time by cumulative +- and he lost out on all nba to fucking Jalen Duren 😂
They gotta make up an award and give to to him post series
Yeah, it’s called FMVP.
He was in Chet’s shoes not long ago, I remember everyone bashing how soft and low IQ KAT was, “soft candy” was his Chinese nickname. Nowadays he is everything but, especially impressive is his improvements in his Bball IQ.
The Spurs fans are getting their ass WHOOPED btw. My ears perked up when I first heard those DEUCEEE chants in G1 lol. There’s no home court advantage for them
I’m not surprised fans feed off the team’s energy, Spurs don’t feel like they’re finding consistent offense and feel relief off a bucket. The Knicks feel like they have all the momentum so the fans get extra loud
I think the Spurs found some solutions offensively, but it was too late. I expect them to play faster next game. The question is, can they physically keep up that level of defensive pressure going forward with everyone already looking a little tired at times. The Knicks still haven’t hit their offensive ceiling yet as well.
Spurs did just come out of a 7game series with OKC, while Knicks got to sit pretty.
Spurs needed to take game 1 with the Knicks rust
Yeah I mean most Knicks fans can’t afford to go a game in NY, Spurs fan selling the tickets really hurts just hope it’s people who need the cash
A lot of it is scalpers not even fans
He’s pulling a Chet. Brother is rattled and terrified of the ball on offense. Some of those turnovers to end the half was absolutely pathetic
The Knicks have sooo much speed & energy. Feels like they’re taking a note from last year’s Pacers
Definitely helps that he’s not even looking to score the ball. He’s going up into his shot motion with the intent to pass every time and they’re just jumping the passing lanes.
He had Brunson on him and passed it up
That’s the thing. Feels like there’s 6 people on the floor. Wemby steps into the paint, swarm him. Wemby stops at the arc? Harass him until he gives it up.
Combine that with Wemby missing his shots, this is the result. Killing his confidence, and using his own tenacity against him.
he doesn’t have any space to do anything like I keep saying being that big is a gift and a curse, Knicks are crowding him every time he touches the ball, he doesn’t have space to operate
Chet pulls an Ayton. Wemby pulls a chet. KAT the last man standing. Every other center got eaten by the next 😔
Kat is just getting whatever he wants on Wemby
Chet won’t take a shot at all lol. At least Wemby is putting up 20
Bro Shaq about to beat Chuck’s ass
Chuck bringing up Shaq getting swept in the finals his first time when he was the only one that showed up pissed him off lol
I get what he was going for but with Shaq’s ego no wonder he took it personally
Kenny made the point that brought it together bringing up Nick Anderson, who was ACTUALLY shook in that series lol
Shaq gives Chuck so much shit for not having a ring that he need to be humbled now and then
Shaq is such a thin skinned bitch for as great as he was.
Being a great basketball player makes no difference to whether or not you’re a thin skinned bitch.
See also: Kevin Durant.
Though at least Shaq actually brought teams up to Championship level, rather than just riding the coattails of an existing championship team.
He was fuming when he said that lmfao
I legit thought the were gonna fight.
Shaq averaged 28, 12.5, 6.3 with 2.5 blocks on 60% true shooting in that finals. He should be pissed.
I think you need to post this more in this thread
For the uninitiated, Nick Anderson was a 70% FT shooter until the finals, missed crucial 2 FTs. Rest of his career, 40% FT.
2 wouldn’t have been that bad, he missed 4!!!
They’re both right. Wemby is getting his ass kicked AND his energy is too low. He looks like he’s out of gas not used to playing so many high minute physical games
He spent the whole season being load managed for good reason, and now in the playoffs he’s being asked to carry the team like any superstar would and he’s 22 years old and not ready for it. the big question is can his body hold up to longer minutes all season.. if he can’t then this is going to be an ongoing issue.
He has an incredibly high floor when it comes to defense, but his floor in offense is probably the lowest of any of the top 25 players in the league currently
It’s a good learning experience for him. I’m sure he’ll get into even better shape for next season. Will probably build up some more muscle and work on his offense. He’s going up against a well rest knicks team; also a Knicks team that was trained last season to physically handle a ton of minutes. That muscle memory is useful.
a Knicks team that was trained last season to physically handle a ton of minutes
Tom Thibodeau died so Mike Brown could live
Yeah he’s not the same guy he was on game 1 and 6 of last series
It’s honestly a brutal watch. I forgot how much the just shout at each other.
The Knicks have scored at least 6 baskets at the rim in all 3 halves in the series when Wemby is on the floor. OKC only did that in 1 out of the 14 halves they played vs the Spurs.
The Knicks are still finding ways to attack the rim with Wemby on the floor and the Spurs are searching for an answer.
Knicks have much better spacing than the Thunderless Ajay and Jdub.
And KAT has gone around Wemby and scored at the rim at least 3-4 times so far.
Chet didn’t even want to think about it
Chet not skilled enough to do that
yeah if you look at the rosters it’s not exactly shocking
Like I love Jared McCain but we were literally asking him to start Game 6 and Game 7 against a team that put a bounty on him. Knicks get to pull Shamet off the bench.
We said this in the Sixers series. Landry Shamet would be 6ers fourth best player.
The depth we have and speciality in each position. It’s perfect and they’re so locked in.
Knicks are doing an excellent job of pulling him out of the paint
KAT feels like the perfect type of center to play around Wemby - his playmaking and shooting threats are too high for Wemby to just sit in the paint. Very interesting matchup
Plus he is actually fast enough to go past him with the space he gets.
This is why basketball is such an interesting sport. It’s all matchups. There’s probably someone in the league (it’s early — give me a chance to let my coffee kick in) who can neutralize KAT but is totally owned by Wemby.
KAT is a much more complete scorer and player than any big the Thunder have, and he is playing the best he has ever had.
Chet played about as terribly as he ever played that series.
That is a wild stat
Honestly great matchup with KAT and Wemby having to come out to guard him, leaving lots of room for cutters to score easy paint layups
OG dunked on his ass lol
The broadcast called it a few times but very often Knicks players when driving to the basket and Wemby is around is to use the basket itself as protection and a layer of separation. Hart does that less often which is why he was blocked twice tonight.
OG does it as well but he also likes bulldoze to the basket with such force and without much consideration for human life.
Shaq is so annoying at this point I hate listening to him talk about basketball
When Chuck brought up Shaq’s first finals, his ass was so mad lmao
“I got swept but Kenny did I not play with aggression”
Like bro what are you talking about 🤣
He is right. Shaq was never passive
Nick Anderson choke is historic. Even Starks game 7 at least his shots were contested
wym, Shaq 100% played his ass off that finals and Kenny had a first row seat while he kept The Dream hydrated
bro was asking uncle Kenny for a participation trophy lmao
He’s obsessed with aggression. It’s his answer to everything.
ie: They gotta be more aggressive. When he’s aggressive, he makes shots.
Well to be fair it worked for him so he kind of tries to mirror that onto other people
tbf that was his entire playstyle and it worked supremely well for him
Well, he ain’t wrong, especially for big men
He wasn’t wrong tho. As soon as Wemby started attacking the Spurs came back quick
vro im deaddddd that was so funnyg
Shaq averaged 28, 12.5, 6.3 with 2.5 blocks on 60% true shooting in that finals btw to all you ignorant fools that think Shaq was bad lmfao
Chuck said that Wemby was gonna own the league but even all time greats like Shaq often don’t win their first Finals. He was just trying to moderate his criticism of Wemby by using Shaq as a positive example of young players taking their lumps in the finals and coming back. It sure triggered Shaq though.
So insecure. He got mad at the idea a young player can be rattled in their first finals??
He’s still pissed at Nick Anderson probably
“I’m mad at Nick Anderson because now Kenny walk around like he a legend” is one of my favourite quotes lmao
“You just had to hit one nick anderson”
He’s right though. So is Chuck.
Wemby is shook. He’s also taking it way, way too easy. You push through adversity, you don’t wait for it to go away
Shaq is making no points he’s just being defensive
He never makes any point. Guy needs to just grow up it’s pathetic
I thought his point was pretty clear. They were saying it’s okay for Wemby to get swept because he’s young and will learn, and Shaq was saying you can lose but losing without aggression is something else. They said Shaq got swept too but he countered with “Did I play with aggression or not?”. He’s just saying its inexcusable because you can control your own effort.
when that one player you hated finally gives you a legitimate reason to be open with your slander
He deserves the heat. He’s played terrible the entire series thus far. 2-4 with 5 rebounds at half while down 0-1 in the Finals isn’t going to cut it.
KD comparisons was so nasty lmao
Wemby’s self creation is legitimately mediocre considering his “MVP” status.
The downside of arriving too early is that when you show your inexperience you’ve already become too famous to go unnoticed.
Nobody would notice a bad Wemby game as a 22 year old if the Spurs still sucked. But they arrived early and made the Finals and are playing very poorly in them.
Reminds me of the Super Bowl
The Patriots only got there because the Broncos starting qb Bo Nix got hurt to end the divisional round. Otherwise it would have been the broncos in the super bowl against the Seahawks and they would have made it a better fight
As opposed to the super healthy thunder including jdub and Ajai mitchell
Has the post up moves of a middle schooler
You can see the thought process rn. “Oh should I just shoot a 3 in the defenders face? Nah nah, I’ll try to back him down. Oh fuck, he’s actually staying with me, better pass it out and get back to the 3 point line”
Wemby is afraid of the paint unless it’s an easy dunk. The worst move of them all is the eurostep that leads to either an awkward shot or pass.
Needs more time with Hakeem. Or better yet, KG. He needs to be “meaner”. He moves like he’s unsure, and seems post-averse
To develop into a better post scorer I’d agree. The problem is that Wemby doesn’t post up. I can’t remember the last time he did any kind of dropstep.
Those are Chet numbers.
Scoobydoomaskreveal.jpg - it was Chet all along
This entire subreddit when Shai had his first bad playoff series
I mean even Ernie and Kenny are saying he’s shook
Hating is fun, man. Fuck praising and shit, it don’t give me the same amount of happiness.
Girth always beats length
Yeah KAT’s got the girth to penetrate deep and pound the hole.
Such a good ball handler.
“When you keep banging the guy…”
Always gets to the rim
KG was right.
Bro wait until this game is over please
exactly. what are we doing right now!? Like Charlie Brown and the football…
Jinxing the Knicks might be the whole point.
This sub was shitting on KG for it too. It was a bit too much emotion when there was still work left.
He still has time to show up tho, game 2 not even over yet.
People were acting like KG was shitting on him for being emotional, no, he was shitting on him for being too emotional too quick lol. That shit can mentally disengage you. It’s like throwing a party when your ace your exams but there’s still 1 exam left to pass
Literally just had to stop myself from doing this (thank fucking god I did) because of traumatic flashbacks to the past. Hit the nail on the head
Man, if i beat the thunder in game 7 to go to the finals for the first time, id be cryin like a mf 🤣🤣
I really get it, and he’s literally just still 21, it’s normal that he’s not an ice cold killer or something
It’s just that KG was also right, Wemby still has this series left to go and sometimes that type of emotional discharge takes you out of the mode he was on during the entire playoffs
What did he say?
that he got too happy for just making the finals and the job’s not finished
Im a spurs fan, Charles and Kenny are right. Wemby has been timid this series, he needs to turn it around.
He has been on off after that game 1 monster game in okc. His game is now scouted properly. He has no go to move.
Shaq does not understand that playing with energy or passion is not the same as winning.
Dont care how much energy or passion Wemby shows. He is shocked. And Kat is calm and collected.
Charles makes a valid point and he just keeps asking him “did i not play with energy???”
He just looks lost, like he’s not sure what to do. While Kat knows exactly what he’s going to do.
Kat’s post game interview tonight was peak
The lights might be too bright.
And unfortunately, they will only get brighter in G3 and G4
Playoff experience doesn’t matter, until it matters. I had a feeling it was going to catch up w them at some point.
This is fucking depressing. Mini MSG at our arena and we’re getting fucking wrecked
First game he was trying to do too much and generally failing. This game he’s not even trying.
He doesn’t need to take over the game but it’s hard to see the spurs winning this series if hes a non-factor
Oh it’s very easy to see. If he keeps this up it’s GGs and 0-4.
Wembanyama wasted all his physical and emotional energy in the western conference finals. Congratulations Knicks on your first championship
He took the OKC game personally, he was fighting, this one the edge isn’t there.
He was fighting Chet, not KAT
Ummmm Knicks have 2 championships
If wemby was 5’11” he’d be the most annoying weebo incel you ever met. Dude thinks hes some sage wise person when his success revolves around being a physical freak of nature
Your wrong for typing this but what your typing sure ain’t wrong 😂
You ain’t a crook son, you just a SHOOK ONE
Yeah.
We’re getting swept.
KAT is playing at such high level of basketball that I cannot really blame Wemby. Right now I’d put him over JB for FVMP.
Can’t be talking about chasing the GOAT when KAT is putting your ass in a cage. Wemby gotta lock TF in and become THE guy the rest of the way tonight and in the series.
This is quickly turning into his Lebron 2007 ass whooping and 2011 shrinking moment combined into one.
I’ve never heard what I was feeling summarized better than this. Wemby looks lost.