The Knicks 2012-13 season was a validation of hope for the fans of the orange and blue. After over a decade of agony, the Knicks were able to end their season with several bragging rights. The Knicks won the division, clinching it while on a thirteen game winning streak. Carmelo Anthony won the scoring title averaging 28.7 points per game. J.R. Smith won the NBA's Sixth Man award with a prolific season coming off the bench, simultaneously winning the hearts of fans in the big apple. For the Knicks, winning fifty-four games this past season was their best season in fourteen years, but unfortunately the playoffs were a completely different story. And with New York's, "what have you done for me lately" attitude among the fans, the Knicks are due for a reasonable amount of criticism after an early departure in the Eastern Conference Semi-Finals.
A substantial amount of blame virtually goes to every member of the Knicks roster, players and coaches alike. The Indiana Pacers vastly outplayed and out coached the Knicks in the Eastern Semi-Finals. By sheer will and determination were the Knicks able to force the series to six games, but the Knicks woes truly started following game three against the Boston Celtics. J.R.'s infamous elbow to Jason Terry drastically seemed to turn the tide of the Knicks throughout the rest of the playoffs. After an emphatic 3-0 start against Boston, it took the Knicks six games to defeat the Boston Celtics, and even in the game six victory in Boston the Knicks looked incoherent as a ball club. The Celtics were able to go on a 20 point run, virtually ruining the feel-good vibe of the Knicks first playoff series victory in thirteen years and scaring Knicks fans everywhere. Fortunately for the Knicks Boston had woes of their own and they were able to advance in the playoffs, but a serious amount of flaws were seen in the Knicks that were not cured throughout their demise.
The conversation, as well as the Knicks offensive game plan, begins with Carmelo Anthony. The knock on Melo over the course of his ten year career is that he can't get to the finals. Throughout his time in Denver and New York, Carmelo has never missed the playoffs and yet he has never been on a team able to make it to the big dance. His goal of winning a championship in New York has been clearly noted since the day he arrived, but a simple glance at his stat sheet clearly indicates the problem that's prohibited him from achieving it over the years. This season in the playoffs he was consistent with his scoring numbers, averaging 28.7 points per game, but his numbers were unfortunately similar to recent years in regards to his shooting woes. In twelve playoff games this season, Carmelo took a whopping 310 shots, making 126 of them for a disappointing field goal percentage of about 40 percent. While simultaneously, Carmelo averaged only a dismal 1.6 assists per game. That stat line clearly indicates what any junior varsity player could observe: Carmelo is shooting too much. To be fair, Mike Woodson's game plan encouraged Melo to shoot, but from a clear look at statistics that type of style hasn't worked for Carmelo and is not the proper path to championship folklore.
The new notion at Madison Square Garden among the fans, coaches, players, and most importantly Carmelo himself, has to be a simple realization that Carmelo Anthony is not LeBron James. The majority of Knicks turnovers throughout the playoffs consisted of Melo bringing the ball up as a "Point-Forward" type player just as LeBron does (only LBJ does it well). For the Knicks to have success Carmelo doesn't have to do it all himself. He has to utilize his teammates in a way that he's never done before throughout his career. 1.6 assists per game quite frankly doesn't cut it.
That being said, a fair amount of Carmelo's teammates struggled in the post season. One of the most obvious of them being J.R. Smith. Following his suspension of a foolish elbow to Jason Terry, J.R. entered an atrocious shooting slump. While he endured the flu and some recently apparent swelling in his knee, J.R. continued to shoot brick after brick, following with a more exasperating groan from Knicks fans with every miss. J.R.'s stubbornness to keep shooting and Woodson's refusal to bench J.R. in key situations impacted the Knicks quite negatively throughout the playoffs. It's a tough call, but a certain recollection of John Starks shooting slump in game seven of the NBA finals couldn't help but come across the minds of Knicks fans. Some fans to this day believe that Pat Riley should have benched Starks, but that is a debate that will never have a pure answer. Just as Woodson's faith in J.R. does not either.
Several other forms of criticism are also well deserved for this disappointing conclusion of the 2012-13 season. Tyson Chandler was virtually invisible on the offensive end throughout the playoffs. After overcoming his disgusting shooting funk in the regular season, Jason Kidd went back to old scoreless habits. After establishing himself as a consistent scorer in the playoffs, Raymond Felton was unable to be a factor in a huge game six against the Pacers. And Mike Woodson's rotation decisions deserve criticism as well, where were Steve Novak and Marcus Camby during dire times of Knick need? Marcus Camby had fouls to give on Hibbert and the Knicks shooting woes were so bad that it's an insane thought to not even give Novak a chance. The explanation for Novak's lack of minutes is that he wouldn't be able to keep it up on the defensive end. That's extremely hypocritical if that's the case, Amar'e Stoudemire's fifteen minutes a game were an utter waste of time, and he's never been able to guard anyone throughout his career. Being the 100 million dollar man, there's naturally pressure from upstairs for Woodson to play Amar'e, but it clearly did not benefit the team in any way shape or form given the situation they were in.
Knicks fans can choose to funnel their blame towards individuals, but the entire team deserves criticism for their lack of ball continuity on the offensive end, and their spurts of inconsistent defense. But at this point the Knicks thoughts are now on next season, and fans are in store for an eventful off season. The future of players such as Kenyon Martin, Jason Kidd, Pablo Prigioni, and J.R. Smith is not clear. Smith made his thought process known however to the press, "They tried to rely on me, and I didn't step up. Regardless of what they say about me or my game, that won't happen again," (New York Post). Smith, who will likely enter free agency, has also said he tremendously desires to retire as a Knick. Time will tell about the future of the Knicks roster for the 2013-14 season.
For the Knicks to get to the championship, changes need to be made, or changes will be made. New York is one of the toughest places to play, but players like Carmelo Anthony and J.R. Smith can't put the weight of the entire team on their shoulders. It leads to poor basketball, as explained by the Knicks very own Iman Shumpert following elimination, "We failed. We were supposed to go further and we didn't. I think we need some more continuity as far as running something that everybody knows we're in it...we're just sort of out there and it becomes watching whoever has the ball, and we can't do that," (Newsday).
Players like Carmelo and J.R. have shown their skill sets, their blessed scoring ability, and their heart and toughness. It was recently revealed in an MRI that Carmelo Anthony had been playing with a torn labrum in his shoulder after Kevin Garnett pulled his arm in Boston. That type of mental psyche to do whatever it takes to help the team win is the kind of stuff legends are made of, and it's exactly the type of play that can put players in New York folklore forever. But being conceited to the point where it becomes selfish is what will get players in the dog house, and there's a fine line between those two things. The problem with players like Melo and J.R. that fans witnessed in the playoffs is completely mental...the ability and heart is there, everyone has seen that.
Carmelo Anthony wants to be a star, that much has been clear since day one. But if he wants that number 7 hanging from the rafters at the Garden, he would be wise to take a look at the other names that are there. Not one of the Frazier's, Monroe's, or Ewing's were able to get there without the utter faith and trust in their teammates to assist them in the pursuit of their dreams.
Yes it's tough to win in New York, just ask the great Patrick Ewing. But if Carmelo, and the Knicks as a whole for that matter, don't display trust in their teammates in quick years to come, the window of opportunity will be shut as quickly as it was opened.
"NYK all day"
Thursday, May 23, 2013
Friday, April 19, 2013
Knicks Nation Stand Up
By Anthony Beers
The last time the Knicks won the Atlantic Division
Jason Kidd was a sophomore at California, Iman Shumpert was three and Michael
Jordan was playing minor league baseball. That was all in 1994, an entirely
different era of basketball.
Alas, following one of the roughest decades in
Knicks history, the New York Knickerbockers are back as a legitimate contender
to make a run at the NBA finals. The Atlantic Division champs wrapped up their
season clinching the two seed in the Eastern Conference with an impressive
record of 54-28. Carmelo Anthony won the scoring title averaging 28.7 points
per game, and JR Smith winning sixth man of the year is highly imminent. All of
these encouraging statistics have given Knicks fans a Clyde-esque “pep in their
step.”
Naturally it is fitting that the Knicks will begin
their playoff quest against the Boston Celtics. The very team that has
mortified Knicks fans over recent years. Saying it is a rivalry is almost
foolish, because it can’t be a rivalry if one team consistently beats the other.
For years now, that has been the Celtics, a dominant force to be reckoned with
in the East constantly crushing Knicks hopes time and time again.
But for Knicks fans this year, wheels are in motion
for a change. The Knicks defeated Boston three out of four times in the regular
season. The Celtics are a shell of their former selves with Ray Allen gone and Rajon
Rondo out with a torn ACL. The pressure shifts to the aging veterans Paul
Pierce and Kevin Garnett, who as Knicks and honey nut cheerios fans know, will
do anything to get inside the head of opponents.
This series without question will tell a lot. The
Celtics are on the decline and the Knicks are on the rise. Something’s got to
give. The Knicks have shown this season that they are ready to take the torch.
They’ve clinched home court advantage in the opening round and have the
ultimate advantage: Madison Square Garden. The Mecca of basketball will be
livid throughout this series against Boston. Everyone will be waiting for that
stellar moment that brings the world’s most famous arena to its feet.
Recently the Knicks honored past greats at the
garden in remembrance of their last championship in 1973. Legends Walt “Clyde”
Frazier, Bill Bradley, Earl “the Pearl” Monroe, Phil Jackson, and of course the
captain Willis Reed were among the many in attendance on this very special
night. Forty years ago the meaning of “team” was re-defined by these men and
today their numbers hang from the ceiling to remain in Knicks folklore forever.
Knicks fans have been through many roller coasters since then. These positive
and negative moments all worth remembering, but the ultimate goal never reached…
It’s time for this Knicks team to honor the ghosts
of the past and leave it all on the court. The fans of New York deserve it
after all these years, and the Knicks have worked too hard to get to this point
only to lose to the Celtics. It’s time for a change.
The forgotten empire of
Knicks basketball shall rise again…
Sunday, July 22, 2012
Linsulting to the Fans
The process of events this Knicks offseason have been ludicrous. Obviously the biggest story was the loss of Jeremy Lin to the Houston Rockets. Before the contract disputes, Lin wished to remain a Knick, and the Knicks wished to keep Lin. Head coach Mike Woodson even announced that he anticipated on Lin being the starting point guard. But then came the absurdity of the politics. An original offer that appeared to have Lin as a Knick was altered, and James Dolan became insulted due to the cost of the new contract particularly in the third year. Then as Dolan often does, he reacted emotionally and traded for Raymond Felton. Bye-bye Linsanity.
Knicks fans have mixed opinions about Lins departure. Many are heartbroken, but many also believe Felton is flat out better and Lin was greedy to change the initial contract. The raw talent lost or gained is certainly at this point debatable, but will remain to be seen.
But what isn't debatable, is what Jeremy Lin's revival of the Knicks season last year meant to the fans. Without question it was the most exciting basketball the Knicks have played in a decade. It provided new hope for the Garden faithful and is without a doubt one of the most inspiring stories of an underdog that maximized his potential and refused to quit. Most importantly, it provided a new attitude towards Knicks basketball. Something Knicks fans rightfully deserve. And unfortunately the fans had to see Lin go out the door for a lot of reasons that aren't fair; The very fans that cherished and believed in him. Jeremy Lin obviously isn't the best point guard in the NBA, but the city gave him a chance and he rose to the occasion. What Lin emotionally meant to the fans was too important for him not to return in the orange and blue.
As heartbroken as fans may be, Knicks fans will definently be forgiving if the team can produce a very successful season. Successful meaning more than a one and done playoff appearance, an actual championship contender.
Unfortunately the words championship can't even be in the Knicks vocabulary this year. The additions of Marcus Camby and Jason Kidd are positive in the fact that they are big names, but they are without question way past their prime and signed for way too much. Marcus Camby has a reputation of a serious shot blocker and physical presence. He is a four time defensive player of the year winner. But due to injury he played in 19 games last season, and the season before that only played for half the season. In fact, Camby has never played an entire season in his career, and the Knicks gave up Toney Douglas, Josh Harrison, Jerome Jordan, and two future draft picks to get him at age 38. To sign him for 3 years no less.
Jason Kidd is known for being one of the best rebounding point guards to ever play the game. He is a veteran player and knows how to win. But the Knicks have signed him for 3 years at age 39. He's coming off a mediocre season in Dallas, and to say he'll be an effective contributor for 3 years is not a gurantee.
The Knicks have quickly said their goodbyes to Linsanity, traded for Felton, and acquired veterans in Jason Kidd and Marcus Camby. They've certainly been busy this offseason but to say they've improved from last year is tough to conclude. Unless the dysfunctionality of Carmelo Anthony and Amar'e Stoudemire and the excuse they've constantly provided since coming to New York comes to an abrupt halt, the Knicks may be in store for a season very similar to last years. A year that concluded with an embarassing excuse for a playoff performance where the Miami Heat made a mockery of our very presence. The Knicks did not stand much of a chance to beat Miami, but they certainly didn't give the fans their best effort.
Maybe the Knicks will scratch out a good season. Maybe Felton will have success as he did previously with the Knicks and the veteran additions of Camby and Kidd will come to play and help the players around them. Maybe Melo and Amar'e will put egos aside and learn to do whatever it takes to win and have the Knicks thinking more than just a 7th or 8th seed.
The point of this blog: Those are pretty big maybes.
Knicks fans have mixed opinions about Lins departure. Many are heartbroken, but many also believe Felton is flat out better and Lin was greedy to change the initial contract. The raw talent lost or gained is certainly at this point debatable, but will remain to be seen.
But what isn't debatable, is what Jeremy Lin's revival of the Knicks season last year meant to the fans. Without question it was the most exciting basketball the Knicks have played in a decade. It provided new hope for the Garden faithful and is without a doubt one of the most inspiring stories of an underdog that maximized his potential and refused to quit. Most importantly, it provided a new attitude towards Knicks basketball. Something Knicks fans rightfully deserve. And unfortunately the fans had to see Lin go out the door for a lot of reasons that aren't fair; The very fans that cherished and believed in him. Jeremy Lin obviously isn't the best point guard in the NBA, but the city gave him a chance and he rose to the occasion. What Lin emotionally meant to the fans was too important for him not to return in the orange and blue.
As heartbroken as fans may be, Knicks fans will definently be forgiving if the team can produce a very successful season. Successful meaning more than a one and done playoff appearance, an actual championship contender.
Unfortunately the words championship can't even be in the Knicks vocabulary this year. The additions of Marcus Camby and Jason Kidd are positive in the fact that they are big names, but they are without question way past their prime and signed for way too much. Marcus Camby has a reputation of a serious shot blocker and physical presence. He is a four time defensive player of the year winner. But due to injury he played in 19 games last season, and the season before that only played for half the season. In fact, Camby has never played an entire season in his career, and the Knicks gave up Toney Douglas, Josh Harrison, Jerome Jordan, and two future draft picks to get him at age 38. To sign him for 3 years no less.
Jason Kidd is known for being one of the best rebounding point guards to ever play the game. He is a veteran player and knows how to win. But the Knicks have signed him for 3 years at age 39. He's coming off a mediocre season in Dallas, and to say he'll be an effective contributor for 3 years is not a gurantee.
The Knicks have quickly said their goodbyes to Linsanity, traded for Felton, and acquired veterans in Jason Kidd and Marcus Camby. They've certainly been busy this offseason but to say they've improved from last year is tough to conclude. Unless the dysfunctionality of Carmelo Anthony and Amar'e Stoudemire and the excuse they've constantly provided since coming to New York comes to an abrupt halt, the Knicks may be in store for a season very similar to last years. A year that concluded with an embarassing excuse for a playoff performance where the Miami Heat made a mockery of our very presence. The Knicks did not stand much of a chance to beat Miami, but they certainly didn't give the fans their best effort.
Maybe the Knicks will scratch out a good season. Maybe Felton will have success as he did previously with the Knicks and the veteran additions of Camby and Kidd will come to play and help the players around them. Maybe Melo and Amar'e will put egos aside and learn to do whatever it takes to win and have the Knicks thinking more than just a 7th or 8th seed.
The point of this blog: Those are pretty big maybes.
Monday, May 7, 2012
Game 5: Lin or Lose?
It's time for a decision.
And no, this isn't about an arrogant foward for the Miami Heat with a mouth piece that reads "XVI." This is about the author of Linsanity, Knicks point guard Jeremy Lin.
The Knicks were able to avoid being swept at home yesterday in a win against Miami in Game 4 of the first round of the 2012 NBA playoffs. But the win was not without another casualty. After dislocating his knee, Baron Davis will join Iman Shumpert on the disabled list. In fact, the only legitimate healthy point guard on the Knicks roster now is veteran Mike Bibby.
What of Jeremy Lin? Lin has not played a game since March 21st, and underwent surgery on his knee soon after. However he was not ruled out of playing in this series, and has been practicing with the team. Lin has still complained of soreness, and is without a doubt not healthy or fully ready to play basketball.
But now there are certainly some different circumstances. Bibby has played well for the Knicks, but if Lin didn't play there would be a likelihood of Landry Fields or J.R. Smith taking time at point. Melo would probably do more ball handling as well. All of which, are quite nerve wracking against a formidable Miami Heat defense that craves steals.
It can't be forgotten that Jeremy Lin is going to be a free agent. Lin has a new positive reputation in the NBA, and most likely going into a free agent offseason he would not want to jeopardize it. If Lin were to play when he's not ready, in a playoff game no less, there is a chance his free agency value could decline. This is without a doubt a tough decision.
The Knicks naturally are pushing Lin to play. No one will really know if he's ready or not until the game unfolds. Hypothetically though, what would happen if Lin decided to take the court when it is clear that he's playing through a lot of pain?
Basketball is a team sport, and players need to be motivated for their teammates. That's why the Knicks were able to claw out a win against the Heat yesterday. Seeing Baron get carted off the court with his kneecap completely obliterated simply HAS to put fire in the gut for the Knicks to win it for Baron. Not to mention Amar'e Stoudemire who was listed as doubtful and still played. Amar'e wrapped up his hand to play when just days ago his cut was so severe his bone was visible. Not only that, Amar'e played well.
Alas Knicks fans, need there not to be a mentioning of Willis Reed? Willis could barely walk before a legendary Knicks game 7 victory over the Lakers in the NBA finals in 1970. But he decided to give it a go. The leader, the captain, slowly but surely limped his way out of the Madison Square Garden tunnel to a crowd that was in a frenzy. The rest is history. There was absolutely no team of any sort that could have beat the Knicks that night.
No, this is not Game 7 of the finals, or about Willis Reed, or the 1970s. Things are obviously much different now compared to then. But Willis had to make a decision then, and Lin has to make one now. And the question is simple: Are you going to fight through the pain for your teammates?
Jeremy Lin is not just an athlete but a global phenom. He really has nothing to prove. But if Lin suits up and does whatever he can for his teammates with a bum knee before going into a free agent offseason, Knicks fans will be in for one hell of a basketball game.
Just imagine, Jeremy Lin and the Knicks force a game 6 against the Miami Heat at the Mecca of basketball, the worlds most famous arena, Madison Square Garden. It's enough to give anybody goosebumps.
No matter what Lin decides the Knicks have to get ready to try and do something no one's ever done before:Come back from a 3-0 deficit.
Don't give up Knicks fans. Just believe.
Because Linpossible is nothing. Go Knicks.
And no, this isn't about an arrogant foward for the Miami Heat with a mouth piece that reads "XVI." This is about the author of Linsanity, Knicks point guard Jeremy Lin.
The Knicks were able to avoid being swept at home yesterday in a win against Miami in Game 4 of the first round of the 2012 NBA playoffs. But the win was not without another casualty. After dislocating his knee, Baron Davis will join Iman Shumpert on the disabled list. In fact, the only legitimate healthy point guard on the Knicks roster now is veteran Mike Bibby.
What of Jeremy Lin? Lin has not played a game since March 21st, and underwent surgery on his knee soon after. However he was not ruled out of playing in this series, and has been practicing with the team. Lin has still complained of soreness, and is without a doubt not healthy or fully ready to play basketball.
But now there are certainly some different circumstances. Bibby has played well for the Knicks, but if Lin didn't play there would be a likelihood of Landry Fields or J.R. Smith taking time at point. Melo would probably do more ball handling as well. All of which, are quite nerve wracking against a formidable Miami Heat defense that craves steals.
It can't be forgotten that Jeremy Lin is going to be a free agent. Lin has a new positive reputation in the NBA, and most likely going into a free agent offseason he would not want to jeopardize it. If Lin were to play when he's not ready, in a playoff game no less, there is a chance his free agency value could decline. This is without a doubt a tough decision.
The Knicks naturally are pushing Lin to play. No one will really know if he's ready or not until the game unfolds. Hypothetically though, what would happen if Lin decided to take the court when it is clear that he's playing through a lot of pain?
Basketball is a team sport, and players need to be motivated for their teammates. That's why the Knicks were able to claw out a win against the Heat yesterday. Seeing Baron get carted off the court with his kneecap completely obliterated simply HAS to put fire in the gut for the Knicks to win it for Baron. Not to mention Amar'e Stoudemire who was listed as doubtful and still played. Amar'e wrapped up his hand to play when just days ago his cut was so severe his bone was visible. Not only that, Amar'e played well.
Alas Knicks fans, need there not to be a mentioning of Willis Reed? Willis could barely walk before a legendary Knicks game 7 victory over the Lakers in the NBA finals in 1970. But he decided to give it a go. The leader, the captain, slowly but surely limped his way out of the Madison Square Garden tunnel to a crowd that was in a frenzy. The rest is history. There was absolutely no team of any sort that could have beat the Knicks that night.
No, this is not Game 7 of the finals, or about Willis Reed, or the 1970s. Things are obviously much different now compared to then. But Willis had to make a decision then, and Lin has to make one now. And the question is simple: Are you going to fight through the pain for your teammates?
Jeremy Lin is not just an athlete but a global phenom. He really has nothing to prove. But if Lin suits up and does whatever he can for his teammates with a bum knee before going into a free agent offseason, Knicks fans will be in for one hell of a basketball game.
Just imagine, Jeremy Lin and the Knicks force a game 6 against the Miami Heat at the Mecca of basketball, the worlds most famous arena, Madison Square Garden. It's enough to give anybody goosebumps.
No matter what Lin decides the Knicks have to get ready to try and do something no one's ever done before:Come back from a 3-0 deficit.
Don't give up Knicks fans. Just believe.
Because Linpossible is nothing. Go Knicks.
Thursday, April 26, 2012
Hotter than the Heat
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7wQ5_YKSl8s
Now that the mood has been set it's time to talk about one thing in Knicks basketball and one thing only: Playoffs.
With a 36-30 record the Knicks have finished with the seventh seed in the East. They will matchup against the defending Eastern Conference Champions, the Miami Heat. That is without a doubt a tall task, but in a season that's been so erratic as this one the Knicks are not in the worst position.
Under Mike Woodson the Knicks went 19-6, and dominantly went 11-1 at home. The Knicks are very hot going into the playoffs, and with the exception of Lin, are fairly healthy. But it's Miami, this is a challenge. This series will be tough and come down to a lot of key matchups.
LeBron James and Carmelo Anthony almost cancel each other out. Both of them will get their points and have their moments of NBA stardom. Chris Bosh's perimeter jumpshot has given the Knicks trouble in the past, but Stoudemire's return to the lineup is timely. He will have to play extremely well defensively against Bosh. As for guarding Dwayne Wade it certainly may be a mismatch for Baron Davis. But no mismatch can be too much with our prolific defender and leader in the paint Tyson Chandler. It's hard for anyone to get to the rack with Chandler in the middle, so for Baron Davis guarding Wade it is very important to not let him get the open jump shot. An attempted drive by Wade wont be the end of the world with Chandler playing the physical defense Knicks fans know and love.
The real key for defending Miami is transition defense. After a turnover, the Heat will run the floor. The ridiculous alley oops on the sportscenter top 10 are typically following a steal. Hopefully the Knicks will be smart with the basketball on offense but transition defense is by far a huge key for defending the Heat.
To conclude their regular season the Knicks had great results from their bench. If the Knicks want to win this series that must continue. If players like J.R. Smith and Iman Shumpert play as well as they have lately that makes the Knicks much more dangerous. Players like Smith and Shump have been very up and down this season with their shooting. No one can question their defensive efforts, but their shot selection isn't always the smartest. Shump and Smith have to be very efficient for the Knicks. Quick shots that are forced up are what can lead Miami to go on a run.
Players like Smith and Shumpert are the question marks for the Knicks. The fans don't necessarily know what to expect from them offensively. Everybody knows what to expect from players like Anthony, Chandler, Stoudemire and Novak. Those players have been fairly consistent this year. Playoff basketball is all about who steps up at the right time. The good news for the Knicks is that to end the season they are red hot. Hotter than the Heat as a matter of fact. There is a strong team vibe thanks to Mike Woodson.
It is important that the Knicks do not become too dependent on Carmelo Anthony. Everyone knows he's a scorer and he's going to score, but the Knicks entire game does not revolve around one player. There's been games where Melo has over 40 points and the Knicks still lost. That tells you they played too one dimensionally, and other players didn't step up. Basketball is a team sport.
The Knicks will certainly be tough to beat at home, but they have to show some reseliency on the road. Keeping the series tied before coming home is almost a necessity. Falling behind 2-0 may be a repeat of the Knicks in the playoffs against Boston a year ago. The Knicks cannot let that happen. It has been 12 long years for the Garden faithful, and this has been a season that could not possibly have been scripted. The ups, the downs, the Linsanities, the firings, the buzzer beaters and the heartbreaks. The Garden crowd has seen it all this year.
But one thing the beloved Garden faithful has not seen in far too long is a playoff victory. In fact it's been a long, grueling twelve years since that's happened. The last time the Knicks had playoff success it happened to be the last time there was a lockout shortened season. And quite eerily, it was against a much higher seeded Miami Heat team in the first round. Ah yes the nostalgia of Allan Houston getting the role as the buzzer sounded in Game 5. History in sports can be kind of spooky sometimes.
Lets go Knicks. It's time to come together and believe. As a Knicks fan it's very easy to hate Miami.
Saturday. 3:30. Knicks. Heat. Playoffs....Go.
Now that the mood has been set it's time to talk about one thing in Knicks basketball and one thing only: Playoffs.
With a 36-30 record the Knicks have finished with the seventh seed in the East. They will matchup against the defending Eastern Conference Champions, the Miami Heat. That is without a doubt a tall task, but in a season that's been so erratic as this one the Knicks are not in the worst position.
Under Mike Woodson the Knicks went 19-6, and dominantly went 11-1 at home. The Knicks are very hot going into the playoffs, and with the exception of Lin, are fairly healthy. But it's Miami, this is a challenge. This series will be tough and come down to a lot of key matchups.
LeBron James and Carmelo Anthony almost cancel each other out. Both of them will get their points and have their moments of NBA stardom. Chris Bosh's perimeter jumpshot has given the Knicks trouble in the past, but Stoudemire's return to the lineup is timely. He will have to play extremely well defensively against Bosh. As for guarding Dwayne Wade it certainly may be a mismatch for Baron Davis. But no mismatch can be too much with our prolific defender and leader in the paint Tyson Chandler. It's hard for anyone to get to the rack with Chandler in the middle, so for Baron Davis guarding Wade it is very important to not let him get the open jump shot. An attempted drive by Wade wont be the end of the world with Chandler playing the physical defense Knicks fans know and love.
The real key for defending Miami is transition defense. After a turnover, the Heat will run the floor. The ridiculous alley oops on the sportscenter top 10 are typically following a steal. Hopefully the Knicks will be smart with the basketball on offense but transition defense is by far a huge key for defending the Heat.
To conclude their regular season the Knicks had great results from their bench. If the Knicks want to win this series that must continue. If players like J.R. Smith and Iman Shumpert play as well as they have lately that makes the Knicks much more dangerous. Players like Smith and Shump have been very up and down this season with their shooting. No one can question their defensive efforts, but their shot selection isn't always the smartest. Shump and Smith have to be very efficient for the Knicks. Quick shots that are forced up are what can lead Miami to go on a run.
Players like Smith and Shumpert are the question marks for the Knicks. The fans don't necessarily know what to expect from them offensively. Everybody knows what to expect from players like Anthony, Chandler, Stoudemire and Novak. Those players have been fairly consistent this year. Playoff basketball is all about who steps up at the right time. The good news for the Knicks is that to end the season they are red hot. Hotter than the Heat as a matter of fact. There is a strong team vibe thanks to Mike Woodson.
It is important that the Knicks do not become too dependent on Carmelo Anthony. Everyone knows he's a scorer and he's going to score, but the Knicks entire game does not revolve around one player. There's been games where Melo has over 40 points and the Knicks still lost. That tells you they played too one dimensionally, and other players didn't step up. Basketball is a team sport.
The Knicks will certainly be tough to beat at home, but they have to show some reseliency on the road. Keeping the series tied before coming home is almost a necessity. Falling behind 2-0 may be a repeat of the Knicks in the playoffs against Boston a year ago. The Knicks cannot let that happen. It has been 12 long years for the Garden faithful, and this has been a season that could not possibly have been scripted. The ups, the downs, the Linsanities, the firings, the buzzer beaters and the heartbreaks. The Garden crowd has seen it all this year.
But one thing the beloved Garden faithful has not seen in far too long is a playoff victory. In fact it's been a long, grueling twelve years since that's happened. The last time the Knicks had playoff success it happened to be the last time there was a lockout shortened season. And quite eerily, it was against a much higher seeded Miami Heat team in the first round. Ah yes the nostalgia of Allan Houston getting the role as the buzzer sounded in Game 5. History in sports can be kind of spooky sometimes.
Lets go Knicks. It's time to come together and believe. As a Knicks fan it's very easy to hate Miami.
Saturday. 3:30. Knicks. Heat. Playoffs....Go.
Thursday, March 22, 2012
What is Going on?
Is this real life? Last night the Knicks defeated the Philadelphia Seventy-sixers with a final score of 82-79. It was a hard fought defensive win on the road. It is the Knicks fifth win in a row and they are 5-0 under head coach Mike Woodson. It's really remarkable. Was D'Antoni this much of a problem for the Knicks?
The answer may be a conclusive yes. The Knicks are on a five game winning streak following his departure, that's as black and white as it gets. But there was a lot of drama in the Knicks organization clearly distracting the team that wasn't all D'Antoni's fault. The drama goes back percisely a year ago where the authority of James Dolan surpassed the opinion of Knicks then head coach Mike D'Antoni, and then general manager Donnie Walsh. They did not support the Melo trade, especially because Carmelo was going to be a free agent following the end of the season. Dolan supported the trade for the fact that no one was sure what would happen after the lockout over the summer, and that the Knicks didn't acquire as much as they had hoped for in the summer free agency of 2010. So the Knicks went ahead and pulled the trigger despite D'Antoni and Walsh's opinion, and likely gave up way too much for him. The Knicks gave away Danilo Gallinari, Wilson Chandler, Timofey Mozgov, Raymond Felton, a 2014 draft pick and in return got Carmelo Anthony and Chauncey Billups. The Knicks also got rent-a-players like Shelden Williams, Anthony Carter, and Renaldo Balkman because it was a three way trade including Golden State to balance the cap space.
That was a huge trade. Especially because now it is clear all the other players the Knicks got weren't even important. It was all just to get Carmelo Anthony. What could Mike D'Antoni have thought after that trade? Mike came to New York to run his West coast run 'n gun offense because the Knicks had been weak defensively for a while, and frankly were undersized. The Knicks drafted Gallinari under D'Antoni's tenure not only because he is a brilliant shooter, but because D'Antoni was Gallinari's fathers roommate when they played basketball together in Italy. Then they traded him away. Not to mention Raymond Felton, who's career was revitalized when he came to New York. He ran D'Antoni's system brilliantly with Stoudemire on the high pick and roll. It was a big part of Stoudemire's early reign of terror in the big apple. Basically, the Knicks traded several players that Mike D'Antoni was rather fond of for Carmelo Anthony.
Then the entire world had stopped. The Knicks got a superstar, the Knicks got a superstar! Commercials on MSG had people believing it was Carmelo Anthony's destiny to come to New York. Yes there were some exciting wins but it all resulted in a sweep against the Boston Celtics in the first round of the playoffs. The Knicks playoff drought continued. The following year the Knicks acquired Tyson Chandler, but it wasn't clear who their point guard was going to be. The head coach was still Mike D'Antoni, and the guy didn't even have a legitimate point guard. The nucleus of players was changing to something Mike did not know how to coach. This had to cause tensions to rise.
In Feburuary the Knicks STILL hadn't gotten it going. The Garden crowd was getting restless. Melo was injured and Amar'e couldn't be with the team. It was hopeless. But then came Jeremy Lin, a kid who finally got his chance. So what does a kid do that hasn't had much experience and finally gets a chance? He listens to the coach. Jeremy Lin came in and ran the Mike D'Antoni system that he loves so dearly. And everybody knows the rest. Linsanity took over, the Knicks won seven games in a row. But upon Melo's return to the lineup, the Knicks lost six in a row, and D'Antoni left with what they called a "mutual resignation."
So why are the Knicks good now? There is a very interesting quote from the postgame against the Raptors on Tuesday night from Melo. He was asked about why there is such an improvement in his game under Woodson, "I think in the last three games, my focus was just having energy that I haven't had for this season, especially on the defensive end. Everybody on this team, and everybody in the world, knows I can score the basketball, so it's not that important to me. As far as on the defensive end, I'm just showing my teammates that the effort is there, giving that extra effort, and as a result, everybody's been feeding off of that."
Not only are his choice of words overwhelmingly stupid, he's making some implications that his focus was their defensively now, but not before. Why? A "superstar" just forgets how to play defense? There was some serious drama between Melo and D'Antoni that was effecting the entire team. They didn't like each other at all. Why should they? Melo would deliberately remove himself from team huddles. Neither of them wanted the other to be there. It's conclusive that perhaps Melo wanted D'Antoni to get fired. Melo was unhappy, and he's used to getting everything he wants, when he wants it. It's also interpretted from that one quote that Carmelo's ego is through the roof, and he believes that the team is "feeding off of" his intensity. That quote flat out explains that Melo is self-centered, and his feud with Mike D'Antoni was a problem to the entire team.
This is conclusive from speculation, but it seems somewhat obvious. How else can the Knicks go from good, to bad, to good again. There simply has to be more going on that people weren't entirely aware of. But the ultimate thing here is that the Knicks are winning again. Melo may not be able to see it, but they're doing it as a team. It is not fair the way Mike D'Antoni was treated in New York, but Mike Woodson seems like a better fit for the job so far. Woodson preaches defensive intensity constantly, something Knicks fans take a lot of pride in. The Knicks defense has been much better, and frankly the most important cause of their recent winning streak.
How far can the Knicks go under Woodson? Can they make that playoff push, and maybe even win the division? Can they sweep the recent hostilities under the rug and continue to play ball? Time will tell. Right now you're seeing the Knicks best team basketball of the season. They need to keep it up. Because 23-24 is not good enough for the amount of talent on this team. It's certainly time to put up or shut up for Melo, but more importantly the entire team has been playing well.
Go Knicks. Hopefully this locker room turmoil is over, but time will tell.
The answer may be a conclusive yes. The Knicks are on a five game winning streak following his departure, that's as black and white as it gets. But there was a lot of drama in the Knicks organization clearly distracting the team that wasn't all D'Antoni's fault. The drama goes back percisely a year ago where the authority of James Dolan surpassed the opinion of Knicks then head coach Mike D'Antoni, and then general manager Donnie Walsh. They did not support the Melo trade, especially because Carmelo was going to be a free agent following the end of the season. Dolan supported the trade for the fact that no one was sure what would happen after the lockout over the summer, and that the Knicks didn't acquire as much as they had hoped for in the summer free agency of 2010. So the Knicks went ahead and pulled the trigger despite D'Antoni and Walsh's opinion, and likely gave up way too much for him. The Knicks gave away Danilo Gallinari, Wilson Chandler, Timofey Mozgov, Raymond Felton, a 2014 draft pick and in return got Carmelo Anthony and Chauncey Billups. The Knicks also got rent-a-players like Shelden Williams, Anthony Carter, and Renaldo Balkman because it was a three way trade including Golden State to balance the cap space.
That was a huge trade. Especially because now it is clear all the other players the Knicks got weren't even important. It was all just to get Carmelo Anthony. What could Mike D'Antoni have thought after that trade? Mike came to New York to run his West coast run 'n gun offense because the Knicks had been weak defensively for a while, and frankly were undersized. The Knicks drafted Gallinari under D'Antoni's tenure not only because he is a brilliant shooter, but because D'Antoni was Gallinari's fathers roommate when they played basketball together in Italy. Then they traded him away. Not to mention Raymond Felton, who's career was revitalized when he came to New York. He ran D'Antoni's system brilliantly with Stoudemire on the high pick and roll. It was a big part of Stoudemire's early reign of terror in the big apple. Basically, the Knicks traded several players that Mike D'Antoni was rather fond of for Carmelo Anthony.
Then the entire world had stopped. The Knicks got a superstar, the Knicks got a superstar! Commercials on MSG had people believing it was Carmelo Anthony's destiny to come to New York. Yes there were some exciting wins but it all resulted in a sweep against the Boston Celtics in the first round of the playoffs. The Knicks playoff drought continued. The following year the Knicks acquired Tyson Chandler, but it wasn't clear who their point guard was going to be. The head coach was still Mike D'Antoni, and the guy didn't even have a legitimate point guard. The nucleus of players was changing to something Mike did not know how to coach. This had to cause tensions to rise.
In Feburuary the Knicks STILL hadn't gotten it going. The Garden crowd was getting restless. Melo was injured and Amar'e couldn't be with the team. It was hopeless. But then came Jeremy Lin, a kid who finally got his chance. So what does a kid do that hasn't had much experience and finally gets a chance? He listens to the coach. Jeremy Lin came in and ran the Mike D'Antoni system that he loves so dearly. And everybody knows the rest. Linsanity took over, the Knicks won seven games in a row. But upon Melo's return to the lineup, the Knicks lost six in a row, and D'Antoni left with what they called a "mutual resignation."
So why are the Knicks good now? There is a very interesting quote from the postgame against the Raptors on Tuesday night from Melo. He was asked about why there is such an improvement in his game under Woodson, "I think in the last three games, my focus was just having energy that I haven't had for this season, especially on the defensive end. Everybody on this team, and everybody in the world, knows I can score the basketball, so it's not that important to me. As far as on the defensive end, I'm just showing my teammates that the effort is there, giving that extra effort, and as a result, everybody's been feeding off of that."
Not only are his choice of words overwhelmingly stupid, he's making some implications that his focus was their defensively now, but not before. Why? A "superstar" just forgets how to play defense? There was some serious drama between Melo and D'Antoni that was effecting the entire team. They didn't like each other at all. Why should they? Melo would deliberately remove himself from team huddles. Neither of them wanted the other to be there. It's conclusive that perhaps Melo wanted D'Antoni to get fired. Melo was unhappy, and he's used to getting everything he wants, when he wants it. It's also interpretted from that one quote that Carmelo's ego is through the roof, and he believes that the team is "feeding off of" his intensity. That quote flat out explains that Melo is self-centered, and his feud with Mike D'Antoni was a problem to the entire team.
This is conclusive from speculation, but it seems somewhat obvious. How else can the Knicks go from good, to bad, to good again. There simply has to be more going on that people weren't entirely aware of. But the ultimate thing here is that the Knicks are winning again. Melo may not be able to see it, but they're doing it as a team. It is not fair the way Mike D'Antoni was treated in New York, but Mike Woodson seems like a better fit for the job so far. Woodson preaches defensive intensity constantly, something Knicks fans take a lot of pride in. The Knicks defense has been much better, and frankly the most important cause of their recent winning streak.
How far can the Knicks go under Woodson? Can they make that playoff push, and maybe even win the division? Can they sweep the recent hostilities under the rug and continue to play ball? Time will tell. Right now you're seeing the Knicks best team basketball of the season. They need to keep it up. Because 23-24 is not good enough for the amount of talent on this team. It's certainly time to put up or shut up for Melo, but more importantly the entire team has been playing well.
Go Knicks. Hopefully this locker room turmoil is over, but time will tell.
Monday, March 12, 2012
Melo-drama
What is wrong with the New York Knicks? In Feburuary the Knicks were possibly the most exciting team in the NBA. So far in March, they are a pitiful excuse for a team. The energy and excitement from the fans at Madison Square Garden has become looks of disgust and hollers of boo's. That is quite a transformation in so little time.
Going into the All Star Break the Knicks were 17-18. They had moved up to the seventh seed in the East after an impressive winning streak and the outbreak of Jeremy Lin. Now the Knicks are 18-23, and worse they have lost five games in a row. Yes, they lost to good teams like the Celtics, Spurs, Sixers, and Mavericks, but in every single game the Knicks had opportunities to win and failed to seize any one of them.
The Mavericks game was really unbelievable. The Knicks were losing badly in the fourth quarter when all of a sudden it became very interesting. Bench players like Steve Novak, and Iman Shumpert put in good defense and started to go on a run. Led by Amar'e Stoudemire, the Knicks miraculously managed to take the lead by a point after a terrific run. Dallas followed by calling a timeout. During the course of that timeout, the Mavericks put starters like Dirk Nowitzki back in the game, but also the Knicks put all of their starters back in the game and sat Novak and Shumpert. The very players that sparked the run. Needless to say the Knicks showed pitiful desire to steal a victory. Dallas put away the Knicks and won by ten.
That's one of many recent Knicks games that were truley disgusting. Yesterday though, it gets even more horrendous. The Knicks were playing the Sixers back at the Garden after a pitiful road trip. The Knicks were losing badly in the second half when once again bench players showed a little fire and made the game interesting. Only this time, head coach Mike D'Antoni decided to leave the bench players in to conclude the game while starters like Carmelo Anthony and Amar'e Stoudemire sat on the bench. The Knicks lost yet again, and following the game this sparked controversy.
Carmelo Anthony's response to him not coming back out to finish the fourth quarter was, "I really don't know what the coach's mindset was, maybe he was trying to save us for tomorrow, I'm not sure, that's something to ask him. I was fine, I guess he was saving me for tomorrow's game, that was the mindset out there."
Mike D'Antoni said, "Collectively our spirits not good, our defense is not very good at all, we just didn't do what we were supposed to do, and we've got to solve that somehow." It is clear that people are pouting and unhappy with the teams recent lack of success. Only it seems like people are pointing fingers as opposed to manning up individually to the failure. Tyson Chandler (the man with the ring) said it best, "It's not a team and the current team members are not accepting the assignment given to them."
What's happening here is the Knicks have lots of individual talent but no one understand their roles with the team. That is mostly on the coach. Mike D'Antoni needs to stop thinking about gameplan and different systems and just focus on team chemistry and encouraging the right thing from different players. Also, Carmelo Anthony and Amar'e Stoudemire are both trying to be the leader of this team. Neither of them are it, Tyson Chandler should rightfully be the leader of this team. If that didn't come across their minds while they witnessed Chandler accepting his championship ring in Dallas then it never will.
Plain and simple, the Knicks are not a team. They have more than enough talent to be successful and yet they are far from it. The Knicks were able to have success with Melo and Amar'e out of the lineup because their ego's weren't clashing. They were able to play team basketball and run the floor the way Mike D'Antoni wanted them to.
Carmelo Anthony is more of a problem to this Knicks team than Amar'e Stoudemire is. He simply doesn't get it. The fact that when he is deliberately benched and simply thinks it's because the coach is saving him for tomorrow shows how self-centered and cocky he is. Yes, Melo led the team in points, but in a loss so who cares. His shot selection has been terrible, and that's because Carmelo thinks he has to lead the team in wins. Melo wants to win just as much as anybody on this team but he truley believes that in order for that to happen he has to put the team on his back every single night. That's not winning basketball, that's not team basketball, and that's certainly not even possibly a minor thought of championship basketball.
In order for the Knicks to become relevant again Mike D'Antoni needs to encourage team unity and have every single player understand how they can make the team better as a whole. That is a tall task, but right now all Mike D'Antoni has done was change up rotations in the lineup once in a while.
It's easy for Knicks fans to get angry and blame Melo and maybe even say get rid of him if the team continues to struggle. Fans will claim that the Melo trade last year was a bust and that he's a ball hog and the whole nine yards. But truthfully Knicks fans do not need another Stephon Marbury. What Knicks fans need is a head coach with every intent of taking the Knicks to the promise land. Knicks fans have not had that since Jeff Van Gundy.
Now it is true that in sports sometimes the authority of owners can undermine the power of head coaches. It's possible that can be the case with James Dolan. How many coaches have these guys seen? Larry Brown, Isaiah Thomas, Mike D'Antoni, do none of these guys know basketball? It's truley difficult to even speak of Isaiah Thomas' name but the point is Dolan has seen numerous head coaches. The last truley good head coach the Knicks had was Jeff Van Gundy. During his time as assistant coach in the early nineties, and eventually head coach from March 8th 1996 until his abrupt resignation on December 8th, 2001. During that time the Knicks were a disturbing force of nature, wreaking havoc in the league year after year. His resignation was a sad day for Knicks fans, because since then the Knicks have been a complete joke.
Why would Van Gundy abruptly resign as Knicks head coach after so much success. His resignation remains a mystery, but he claims he could not do all he felt he needed to do to help the team win. What could that possibly mean? Salary cap problems the team was going through, or was someone preventing him from doing his job? It's very possible the interference from the owners or people of higher authority in the Knicks organization was giving him problems. And perhaps that's why the Knick have failed to generate a season in which a playoff series was won since 2000.
This blog has digressed and raised some speculations, but the fact is the Knicks are far from what they should be. The players are serious under achievers do to their inability to coexist with their teammates. This goes particularly for Carmelo Anthony and Amar'e Stoudemire.
Knicks players need to understand that changes need to be made, or changes will be made.
Still plenty of games left. Maybe the Knicks can get hot again. Pray that it does or the Garden will become a serious hostile environment that Knicks fans are all too familiar with.
Going into the All Star Break the Knicks were 17-18. They had moved up to the seventh seed in the East after an impressive winning streak and the outbreak of Jeremy Lin. Now the Knicks are 18-23, and worse they have lost five games in a row. Yes, they lost to good teams like the Celtics, Spurs, Sixers, and Mavericks, but in every single game the Knicks had opportunities to win and failed to seize any one of them.
The Mavericks game was really unbelievable. The Knicks were losing badly in the fourth quarter when all of a sudden it became very interesting. Bench players like Steve Novak, and Iman Shumpert put in good defense and started to go on a run. Led by Amar'e Stoudemire, the Knicks miraculously managed to take the lead by a point after a terrific run. Dallas followed by calling a timeout. During the course of that timeout, the Mavericks put starters like Dirk Nowitzki back in the game, but also the Knicks put all of their starters back in the game and sat Novak and Shumpert. The very players that sparked the run. Needless to say the Knicks showed pitiful desire to steal a victory. Dallas put away the Knicks and won by ten.
That's one of many recent Knicks games that were truley disgusting. Yesterday though, it gets even more horrendous. The Knicks were playing the Sixers back at the Garden after a pitiful road trip. The Knicks were losing badly in the second half when once again bench players showed a little fire and made the game interesting. Only this time, head coach Mike D'Antoni decided to leave the bench players in to conclude the game while starters like Carmelo Anthony and Amar'e Stoudemire sat on the bench. The Knicks lost yet again, and following the game this sparked controversy.
Carmelo Anthony's response to him not coming back out to finish the fourth quarter was, "I really don't know what the coach's mindset was, maybe he was trying to save us for tomorrow, I'm not sure, that's something to ask him. I was fine, I guess he was saving me for tomorrow's game, that was the mindset out there."
Mike D'Antoni said, "Collectively our spirits not good, our defense is not very good at all, we just didn't do what we were supposed to do, and we've got to solve that somehow." It is clear that people are pouting and unhappy with the teams recent lack of success. Only it seems like people are pointing fingers as opposed to manning up individually to the failure. Tyson Chandler (the man with the ring) said it best, "It's not a team and the current team members are not accepting the assignment given to them."
What's happening here is the Knicks have lots of individual talent but no one understand their roles with the team. That is mostly on the coach. Mike D'Antoni needs to stop thinking about gameplan and different systems and just focus on team chemistry and encouraging the right thing from different players. Also, Carmelo Anthony and Amar'e Stoudemire are both trying to be the leader of this team. Neither of them are it, Tyson Chandler should rightfully be the leader of this team. If that didn't come across their minds while they witnessed Chandler accepting his championship ring in Dallas then it never will.
Plain and simple, the Knicks are not a team. They have more than enough talent to be successful and yet they are far from it. The Knicks were able to have success with Melo and Amar'e out of the lineup because their ego's weren't clashing. They were able to play team basketball and run the floor the way Mike D'Antoni wanted them to.
Carmelo Anthony is more of a problem to this Knicks team than Amar'e Stoudemire is. He simply doesn't get it. The fact that when he is deliberately benched and simply thinks it's because the coach is saving him for tomorrow shows how self-centered and cocky he is. Yes, Melo led the team in points, but in a loss so who cares. His shot selection has been terrible, and that's because Carmelo thinks he has to lead the team in wins. Melo wants to win just as much as anybody on this team but he truley believes that in order for that to happen he has to put the team on his back every single night. That's not winning basketball, that's not team basketball, and that's certainly not even possibly a minor thought of championship basketball.
In order for the Knicks to become relevant again Mike D'Antoni needs to encourage team unity and have every single player understand how they can make the team better as a whole. That is a tall task, but right now all Mike D'Antoni has done was change up rotations in the lineup once in a while.
It's easy for Knicks fans to get angry and blame Melo and maybe even say get rid of him if the team continues to struggle. Fans will claim that the Melo trade last year was a bust and that he's a ball hog and the whole nine yards. But truthfully Knicks fans do not need another Stephon Marbury. What Knicks fans need is a head coach with every intent of taking the Knicks to the promise land. Knicks fans have not had that since Jeff Van Gundy.
Now it is true that in sports sometimes the authority of owners can undermine the power of head coaches. It's possible that can be the case with James Dolan. How many coaches have these guys seen? Larry Brown, Isaiah Thomas, Mike D'Antoni, do none of these guys know basketball? It's truley difficult to even speak of Isaiah Thomas' name but the point is Dolan has seen numerous head coaches. The last truley good head coach the Knicks had was Jeff Van Gundy. During his time as assistant coach in the early nineties, and eventually head coach from March 8th 1996 until his abrupt resignation on December 8th, 2001. During that time the Knicks were a disturbing force of nature, wreaking havoc in the league year after year. His resignation was a sad day for Knicks fans, because since then the Knicks have been a complete joke.
Why would Van Gundy abruptly resign as Knicks head coach after so much success. His resignation remains a mystery, but he claims he could not do all he felt he needed to do to help the team win. What could that possibly mean? Salary cap problems the team was going through, or was someone preventing him from doing his job? It's very possible the interference from the owners or people of higher authority in the Knicks organization was giving him problems. And perhaps that's why the Knick have failed to generate a season in which a playoff series was won since 2000.
This blog has digressed and raised some speculations, but the fact is the Knicks are far from what they should be. The players are serious under achievers do to their inability to coexist with their teammates. This goes particularly for Carmelo Anthony and Amar'e Stoudemire.
Knicks players need to understand that changes need to be made, or changes will be made.
Still plenty of games left. Maybe the Knicks can get hot again. Pray that it does or the Garden will become a serious hostile environment that Knicks fans are all too familiar with.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)