KAT is now shooting 57% at the rim, which is 17th percentile in the league. He's shooting 37% from midrange, which is 21st percentile. And 34.5% from 3, which is 45th percentile.
It's all around just straight up the most inefficient scoring season of his entire career, and his true shooting is at 70th percentile, whereas it hasn't even been below 80th before.
Fortunately, his gravity at center is seriously impactful, and he's a good offensive rebounder, but there's clearly a lot left on the table here.
What are we chalking it up to?
29 comments
im not sure. i wouldnt feel bad about moving him at this point.
New offensive system? He is his best when he is driving to the rim but he also gets alot of offensive fouls.
Would much rather have Randle at this point.
He’s a $53,000,000 anchor. Players paid this much are supposed to elevate others around them, not require others to operate themselves.
Throw him to the wolves.
Have faith gang
Can you all leave KAT alone and address the problem Brunson destroying this beautiful team with his selfishness?
Terrible contract. Should trade him. Not a max player. Rather have 2 good players than just Kat for his value. His contract is up in 2 years at 33 yrs old. He either leaves or he signs for significantly less imo.
He’s not in all star form, but I also think the dip isn’t that extreme. He’s down like 3% true shooting – he’s also playing less than last year and being used less.
I think Mike Brown doesn’t really know what to do with KAT – I actually think Brown is currently struggling to figure out several key players on the team. But KAT definitely seems like the most important player that is not being given a clear cut gameplan.
Never liked the trade.
Is what it is.
Has nothing run for him
It might just be decline. He’s 30 years old and has had a few major injuries, including a meniscus tear surgery a couple years ago. Is it really so crazy to expect a 30 year old big whose had knee surgery to decline? Blake Griffin was out of the league by the same age
This sub was literally full of people saying Thibs was holding him back (despite him statistically having one of his best seasons last year) and that Brown would maximize his talents with “5 out.” Those people want to comment? I didn’t think so.
he’s a 7 footer with a lot of miles logged in the league. it won’t get better.
So he only get better?
He’s not 24 any longer. He’s 30 with a lot of mileage and an injury history behind him. He’s not exactly cut up nor an explosive live body either. He’s no longer blowing by bigs off the dribble either left or right. He’s flopping more than ever which is a sure fire sign of him losing his skills.
Like the old saying in sports goes, “Better to trade him 1 year too soon than 1 year too late!”
KAT is an all-star/all-nba level player, but he’s ultimately best as a 1st or 3rd option and is kind of hard to fit in as the 2nd. He’s not a reliable enough creator to be the #2–his post game only works against scrawny bigs, he can only drive when he’s attacking a closeout, and he’s a much better stationary playmaker than he is at manipulating defenses. The thing that makes him special is that he makes just about every open shot, but it’s hard to get open shots when he’s with a scoring pg and a bunch of 3-and-D guys who aren’t playmakers.
If KATs the 3rd option, there’s less attention on him and he can be a 7 ft Klay Thompson. If KATs the 1st option, you can build the whole lineup around his unique strengths and take advantage of the way that his shooting and passing turbocharges your entire offenses. If he’s the 2nd option, he has to be a creator (which is a relative weakness), but isn’t necessarily catered to, since Brunson ultimately runs the show.
Also, Brunson just isn’t a very good PnR partner for his bigs. He drives in unpredictable herky jerky ways, makes it hard for the big to find a window where he can make the pass. When he comes off a pnr, I feel like his first goal is to score and, failing that, he’ll work his way into the middle of the paint, pivot around and find a shooter on the perimeter
We want thibs!
No dude he’s just soft and lazy
Just a case of regression at the moment. Also think he has a giant mental block.
He also has the most offensive fouls in the league by a significant amount. (8 I think?)
He is not getting traded mid season too. Giannis is not happening, AD is not happening. Are the Knicks gonna trade him for a similarly flawed player in like, Domas? Just gonna have to figure it out.
KAT is playing terribly this year. In most of our major matchups against better competition he has been a turnover/foul machine and a traffic cone on defense. That performance against Detroit was inexcusable. He is an NBA player making 53 million a year. The fact that other players need to remind him to run back on a defense vs yelling at the refs says it all. If he’s dealing with an injury he needs to sit and heal. Trying to put the blame for his inadequacies on his teammates and Mike Brown is patently ridiculous. I was very bullish on the trade for him when it happened but his play this year has me wondering for sure if we weren’t better off standing pat last summer.
Dude has been in his feels since learning he was offered in a Giannis trade. He’s always been a player who let his emotions affect his game. It’s between his ears.
Maybe it’s a coach. The scheme. The plays.
Man I was telling people last year. KAT is not going to age well he had limited athleticism at 27 as he gets over 30 he’s going be a glorified spot up shooter.
If we moved KAT I wouldn’t be upset.
I really think it’s system and maybe this very recent stretch is lingering illness. And maybe all the fan chatter about trade him he sucks etc. Nothing else makes sense.
I’ve said it several times on this sub. KAT is not a mentally tough guy, but we have seen him undoubtably at his best when he was playing with Edward’s in Minnesota. And the way Edward’s would always build him up, go out of his way to shout him out, compliment him etc I think made a huge difference. If KAT feels good, KAT plays good. If KAT feels bad, it looks ugly on the court. Whatever you want to say “he shouldn’t need that etc” but that’s the reality. He’s playing with low confidence right now bc he knows any time he messes up, the fans certainly don’t have his back and his teammates…who knows what Brunson is thinking
I feel bad because KAT seems like a great guy with a big heart.
The way I read it for the past 3-4 years the league / teams have simply adjusted to what KAT does. Conversely KAT hasn’t countered or adapted in anyway. He’s easy to neutralize with an athletic wing, easy to strip the ball from because of the high dribble and if you are physical with him he will reflexively use the off arm to hook or push off. The refs are trained to call that offensive foul every time. Defensively he’s always been a very bad rim protector and terrible on switches. When he’s not scoring he’s too busy falling down or complaining about fouls to get back in transition.
The other element is Brunson is decent as a pick and pop point guard but he’s simply never been a natural PNR point guard because he’s too small to see over defenders to make the right pass and that hurts KAT.
The poor shooting from three is harder to explain other than he’s simply regressed since the first half of last year and it’s mental at this point.
I always felt like we traded Randle for another version of Randle. Both can be at times extremely productive players that can bully bad teams but in high stakes matchups they are too predictable, often flagrantly clumsy in their movements , streaky shooters, and just not smart effective defenders otherwise, when they aren’t scoring.
They both are actually underrated passers for what it is worth.
This isn’t new either. KAT is playing similarly to his two last seasons in Minnesota where in fairness he was riddled with injuries.
He started this year with a grade 2 quad strain and toughed it out but I don’t think this KAT being hurt I think he’s just frustrated because he’s lost his shooting touch, likely lost a step too after 11 seasons, and the result is him either being disengaged or instead forcing the issue driving to the hoop and it’s mostly resulting in really poor attempts where people are able to guess right on where he’s going to go 80 percent of the time. He’s always complained about fouls every play so that’s just KAT being KAT.
I hope he gets the shot back because that can solve a lot of the other problems and open up the rest of his game.
Him and Brunson dont work. His best game of the season was a game Brunson didnt play. Horrible roster construction
It’s time to transfer him.
Well, honestly, it was time to transfer him since the first second that he was a Knick.