Where Knicks Happens
Fixers, you know I'm a fan of the YouTube. I'm also a fan of the NBA's marketing campaign for this season. Here's one from the Knicks perspective.....as created by vladepejajohn:
This video could go on forever...
Where quit in Phoenix, play in LA happens.
Where reminders that Pat Riley once "failed" here, too, happens.
Where (showing Isiah's video deposition) happens.
Where (showing Dolan slouching and scowling at his courtside seat) happens.
Where injuries and Jerome James happen.
Where Charles Oakley on the Jumbotron doesn't happen.
Where dry, overbreaded and ridiculously overpriced chicken fingers happens.
Where "in-house" matters happen.
Where feverishly transcribing reporters' conversations with players on a BlackBerry happens.
Where Red Once Sat Here happens (every time I'm on the court during pregame).
Where all is forgiven happens.
What do some of you have to offer?
* *
Very entertaining game last night.
The Knicks beat the Jazz playing a very aggressive style of offense, predicated off the guard play. Dribble drives, drive-and-dishes, using a pick for jumpers. Ocassionally Zach Randolph would get some bites on a sideline isolation. Eddy Curry? A few post-ups, but certainly not a focal point of the offense as Isiah Thomas had wanted to do over the past two seasons.
Still it all worked wonderfully for one night. It helps that the Knicks shot 53.2 percent from the floor. Hit 7 of 17 from downtown. Scored 52 of their 113 points in the paint. Another 14 off the fast break.
And what from it did we learn?
That it's once again Stephon Marbury's ball.
Against a good Utah team (yes, they were playing the second game of a road back-to-back) they won playing Marbury's way. It was his game, under his control, and he put forth a vintage Marbury performance. There were the strong drives to the basket, when he would wrap the ball under his arms like a running back, power by his man and explode to the rim. He would draw defense and kick to open perimeter shooters (if Quentin Richardson and Jamal Crawford were better from three, Marbury would have easily had double-figure assists). He would flip a few passes to cutting big men. He would use a screen to step back and nail a three.
This was the style Marbury developed in New York and brought back with him when he became a Knick. Not the inside-outside "power" game that Isiah was trying to push on him this season. This is the game Marbury was playing last March, when he was one of the best players in the league for most of the month as the Knicks climbed into the playoff race, albeit tentitavely. Less emphasis on Eddy and more on Marbury.
"I did what I normally do when I am playing my game," Marbury said to the media horde that surrounded his locker after his 28-point performance. "For me, I think it’s important for us to stay in one mindset to continue to go forward. We play a style every night the same way, we give ourselves a chance.”
So meet the new boss. Same as the old boss.
* * *
* - Along with Marbury's newfound happiness in a return to his style of play, a reason for the Knicks recent successes is their return to health. Isiah can go to his second unit -- Nate Robinson, David Lee, Renaldo Balkman and Jared Jeffries -- to get the energy he needs. Remember that group made big impacts in the first two wins of the season, then Balkman and Jeffries both were out with injuries and Robinson played through a nagging hammy.
* - You have to admire Deron Williams' handle. Might be the best in the NBA. Ridiculous crossover moves and he takes it to the rack with heart, much like Marbury at his best. Carlos Boozer is strong, but among the players on the Jazz, I'll take Paul Millsap on my team any day. You can't have enough guys like him, Ryan Gomes and Andres Nocioni.
* - Remember Thursday night's game against the Celtics in Boston is a TNT special. Some rare national exposure, not that the Knicks have lacked national attention this season.
E-mail
Facebook
Digg
Delicious
Comments (81)
Lupica needs a bowl full of crow!!!!
Boston be afraid----Be very afraid!!!!
Loved the blocked shots; I'll take them over dunks for my excitement dollar any day.
Was that Scott Layden on the Jazz bench?
The points in the paint are huge, since the Knicks perimeter game is so erratic. Better to not have to live and die with the J.
Let's hope the Knicks bring it against the C's.
Where wacky is a way of life.
We can win this game in Boston. Basketball is in streaks and we beat then when they threw the farm at us in preseason. This is a HUGE game it can kick start us back to form.
where rebuilding doesn't happen
alan, you would take millsap over boozer any day? which league have you been watching? booze might be the best power foward in the game right now. he is the complete package, inside, out, boards, heart...completely unstopable. in back to back games the last two days, he is 29 for 38 from the field with 23 boards and 66 points. he is averaging 25 pts and 11.5 boards a game FOR THE SEASON. millsap?????....you didn't go to lsu by any chance did you? did you happen to notice that zbo used him like a tool?
oy. i kinda count on you to be astute most of the time, but you hit your nadir with this one.
Alan,
Careful printing anything the least bit negative about the Knicks after a win, or you’ll have Anti-NYmediafanboi, Peaceman and the other grammar impaired whiners from www.knickswhiners.com, over here stalking you under countless fake names.
Great win last night. Stephon and Zbo were huge. Zbo plays with so much pride, and he steps up in key situations, that rebound at the end was huge. He is the real deal.
I have a question, after watching Deron Williams waltz down the lane untouched for countless dunks during the game, in the 4th quarter, at a pivotal time, some huge guy on our team, leapt high over the rim, almost to the top of the backboard, and swatted his layup against the backboard, to start a fast break the other way.
Who was that guy? I’ve never seen him before. He looked a little like Patrick Ewing or Dikembe Mutombo, but I know those guys are no longer on this team.
Anyway, I sure hope he gets more playing time. We need someone like that guarding our paint.
WHERE TRUCKING AND F@#%ING IN THE BACK OF STARBURYS JEEP HAPPENS!!!
THE NBA!!! IT'S FAAAAAANTASTIC!!!!
I LOVE THIS GAME!!!!!
i for one am happy to NOT see the ball pounded inside to curry on every possesssion. for one thing, it is a boring style of play. for another, it didn't work. finally, curry isn't wilt or shaq, he is too soft to have an offense revolve around him, and he is incapable of making consitantly good decisions with the ball once he is double teamed. he actually looks a little better when he catches the ball moving toward the rim, something jamal figured out awhile ago.
for curry to be effective, the ball needs to move around a bit BEFORE he touches it, this will reduce the double teams, and give him more space to operate.
marbury is a remarkably good shooter from the top of the arc. he should hang there a bit more, it would open up the passing lanes.
yes, Q provides a lot of intangibles (like maturity, which this team is short on,) but if he doesn't start shooting better, be will hurt them in the long run. all the good teams in the league shoot well from the perimeter, and the 3 spot needs to be able to fill it up, especially since the 2 is an inconsistent shooter.
if possible, jamal has actually regressed on D. i think i could take him. outragiously soft. still, he makes me smile often enough that i can't help but love him.
Alan,
Great win last night over a quality team. Exciting game and fun to watch.
Good write up on Marbury. Your points (which I agree with) raise some interesting questions. It seems that he won't (or maybe can't, by this point in his career) play the inside-out power game effectively, BUT is still highly effective playing his traditional style. Isiah needs wins to silence the boos, and letting Marbury do his thing may be the best way to get them. What I saw last night is that Zach, more than Eddy, can thrive in Marbury's game - he is more mobile, has a more versatile offensive game and is a much better rebounder. Making Zach and Marbury the focus of the offense might be the best plan. If Eddy doesn't sulk over his touches, and plays with the energy of last night (love the blocks, by the way) it could work. I know Isiah won't come out and renege on the "franchise player" tag he hung on Eddy, but I notice he doesn't refer to it too often - he'd probably be happy to let that sort of fade away.
Pete,
I agree. There is no question who is the most versatile and skilled post player on this team, it's Zbo. He doesn't need the ball in perfect position in the lane, like Eddy does, to score. His sweeping move across the lane, reminds me of Ewing's, only more graceful. He can face up and drain his jumper over just about anyone. Eddy should be learning that he can get some easy put backs off Zach's misses, and I believe he did get at least one of those last night.
@Sec11- I probably didn't word that properly (it was, like 1 a.m. when I was writing this)...wasn't saying I'd take Millsap over Boozer, just saying I like players of the Millsap ilk; hard-working, relentless. There are plenty of players that are more talented than a Millsap or a Gomes or a Nocioni. My point is you win with players like this on your bench. Maybe I need to sleep first and blog in the morning. Just trying to put up a little something for you early birds.
Now that was a game ! I thought we gave 46 good minutes (other than a minute at the end of each half). It was great defensive effort for most of the game. Curry’s 2 blocks were HUGE ! See what happens when you leave your feet big man ?
I’m sure this is what IT envisioned when he imported these guys in the 1st place. The inside out game looked to be working to near perfection all night. I loved that the shots came from everywhere during this game. Thats what we need every night.
So heres to the Knicks on the morning after a hell of game !
My wish now is that they do not get complacent or satisfied w/ this win as they did after big games last season. They really need to go down to beantown w/ the same fire and desire that it took to beat Utah. Its going to take 48 minutes of solid effort to beat the evil leprichauns.
GO NY GO NY GO !!!!!!!!
Now that was a game ! I thought we gave 46 good minutes (other than a minute at the end of each half). It was great defensive effort for most of the game. Curry’s 2 blocks were HUGE ! See what happens when you leave your feet big man ?
I’m sure this is what IT envisioned when he imported these guys in the 1st place. The inside out game looked to be working to near perfection all night. I loved that the shots came from everywhere during this game. Thats what we need every night.
So heres to the Knicks on the morning after a hell of game !
My wish now is that they do not get complacent or satisfied w/ this win as they did after big games last season. They really need to go down to beantown w/ the same fire and desire that it took to beat Utah. Its going to take 48 minutes of solid effort to beat the evil leprichauns.
GO NY GO NY GO !!!!!!!!
The Knicks play better when they have their backs to the wall.
Zach's attitude is one that has been lacking since Ewing left. He is going to make mistakes, but, you are going to get his heart on the court in every game he plays. I love Zbo.
The Knicks need to adjust to all the different teams playing styles of play in th NBA. This will dictate how far they can go in the NBA and playoffs. The Jazz match well against the Knicks because they play the same type of game only execute more often then not. The Suns and Celtics have there own styles. Looking at PHX I would play a line up that likes to run and gun down the court with a full court offense. To beat the suns you have to be the Suns. The Knicks can go that style of play. But, Eddie cant play that style - so he should come off the bench. Balkman, Jefferies, Nate "the great", Marbury, and Randolph would kill PHX in a run and gun shoot out. Celtics are next and I think the Knicks like that there the underdawgs, National TV plus Kenny Smith & Charles Barkley. CMon...
Looks like we've lost Hahny. Probably gave in to the pressure from his buddies and editors to start slanting his stories. This used to be the one place that resembled journalism. Enjoy fitting in Al. Maybe you'll start getting some tv gigs like Isola and Vescey. There's money to be made in attacking the Knicks. Good luck with that.
Where grown man reporters crying happens
"Where "in-house" matters happen.
Where feverishly transcribing reporters' conversations with players on a BlackBerry happens."
awwwwww poor reporters...
waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa
great comments all around fixers, love the HOOPS talk.
I think we are reaching a consensus with how our offense should work.
The offense cannot go through Curry. He should just use his size to get position while the ball is being moved around and he can get 15 a night just by being huge and skilled around the basket. Curry is much better when others create a basket for him rather than being isolated and asked to create on his own. He is not Shaq, but he can still be very valuable. Hopefully with less of a burden on the offense, he can focus a little more on D......
Compare Boozer's post game comments to those of Flip Murry the other night against Detroit. Only a couple of games apart , but it sound like they are talking about different teams. Have the real knicks finally shown up?!?!?!?
Sec11
Q doesnt need to score 1 point to be valuable. his stroke will come back, sooner rather than later I hope.He made a great play down the stretch breaking up a 3 on 1 fast break. Plus his leadership counts for a lot. I really had no idea we were getting this type of player when that trade went down.
Terrific win. Much needed morale booster.
Put forth the effort and you get good results.
Zach wants the ball at crunch time and he delivers,more often than not.
ECurry can play decent D when he puts forth the effort.
Great game by Me-bury. Much better all around game and D since the benching incident. This is scary..... team direction is predicated on Stefanie sulking/pouting or just playing ball.
ECurry has no back-up 5. JJames is useless, RMorris needs PT otherwise he'll be a vegetable. Get the PT now as opposed to later. DLee is relegated to back-up 5 at times.
JVan Gundy's arrogant take on Flip Murray's observation is absurd and so constipated. Does it matter if the comment comes from a starter or a benchwarmer?
So, many many moons ago, if Pat Riley Mr. Lakers' benchwarmer offered an opinion, just dismiss it since he is not a starter. Same with Phil Jackson.
How about Billy The Kid Donovan, struggling to warm the Knick bench. So 20 years ago, if Donovan had an opinion, it wouldn't hold water according the Jeff Van Gundy, the quitter.
Let's not even include Red Auerbach before he made it big with the Cs.
JVG abandoned the Knicks when he realized that team was going downhill. Don't want him back.
http://www.hoopsworld.com/Story.asp?STORY_ID=6138
I loved what I saw last night, but this article is great. It shows how to fix the Knicks without any trades.
Was it me or did I see the Knicks' big men showing on the screens at the top of the key last night? I haven't seen that all year.
Mak,
With the team currently constructed as it is Jeffries is actually a backup at the five. At strange as that may seem he is 6'11" and in some ways is better suited to following a guy like Okur out to the perimeter than Randolph, Curry or Morris would be. Played position in short doses during this game. A think to remember is that most times either Curry or Randolph is on the court so you don't need an offensive minded person at backup 5 all the time.
Good game last night. Curry finally impacted a game on the defensive end.
Nate:
Q DOES need to score to be valuable to this team. We already have two guys at the three, who are good defenders, rebounders and energy guys, who CAN'T knock down a consistent three, we don't need another.
Thankfully Q finally hit some open shots last night, but when the double comes on Zbo or Marbury, we need a three that can either cut to the basket and finish, or hit the open jumper.
Malik Rose is a smart player and a leader...but there's a reason he's not on the floor.
where "get in the truck" happens.
alan, no apology needed, you've got a great blog.
nate4, no disrespect to Q, i agree his intangibles are invaluable, but at some point he needs to start consistently hitting the trey. i know he filled it up at pheonix, but i just havn't seen any shooting consistency from him as a knick. i'll keep an open mind about this for the next month.
nate is looking a bit more confident. i think he appreciates (deservidly) being the first guard off the bench. and he looks comfortable being the general of th 2nd unit.
isn't it nice to feel like we've got a fighting chance tomorrow night?
Alan – I know you’re able to recognize the folly in the media conspiracy attacks (like Jay Bee). I’m fascinated by them. Particularly by how threatened they are by any criticism of the Knicks or their management team. And by this naïve notion of a monolithic mass media. None of this is new, by the way. I’ve been reading these same arguments, by many of the same people, for a long time and spread over many different Knicks blogs. And this is precisely what I had in mind a few months ago when I suggested that the exodus over “wacky” was inevitable. I knew you would never be black and white enough for that crowd. That you’d never be enough of a cheerleader . . . who can call every win a good win . . .when we all know every win is not a good win.
Also, the next time I read that the so-called MSM is out of touch with Knicks fans . . . I’ll think of today’s Newsday pole. However unscientific it may be . . . those are staggering numbers. Apparently 83 percent of THOSE Knicks fans think Isiah should be fired. And only 17 percent think he should keep his job. I guess those 83% have been brainwashed by the big bad MSM.
I’ve always tried to argue that these are complicated matters. I’ve written both praise of Isiah, where warranted, and criticism. But, for many, the minute you criticize, you’re a “hater.” At least for people who see the world divided up into guys with white hats and guys with black hats. Would that life were so simple . . .
pests tend to go away if you ignore them. that is what i am going to do from now on regarding the kool-aid drinking "nagative-media" paranoid crowd that occasionally pops their ugly heads up in here.
Q becomes an above average role player when he is hitting 3's as opposed to an average one. I just love that he plays with a lot of pride and he strikes me as one who is disgusted with losing.
Come on Trane,
Didnt we agree at the start of the season that Isiah should get the year?
The media is not responsible for the slow start but many in the media wanted Thomas gone before the season. So they were pumping out thier chests at 2 and 9. Lets see if this team can respond and shoo away the circling vultures.
Not sure if this has been posted yet. I'm not able to keep up with all the comments every day. But here is an interesting solution to fixing the Knicks through different lineups and rotations. It was written right after the Golden State loss.
Plagerized completely from http://www.hoopsworld.com/Story.asp?story_id=6138.
Here it is cut and pasted. Skip over if you're not interested.
The Knicks can be fixed – without any trades or changes in personnel. We're not wasting any time – we have a game tonight. At our team meeting this afternoon, here is our plan to do it:
OUR NEW STARTING FIVE: Stephon Marbury, Jamal Crawford, Jared Jeffries, David Lee, Eddy Curry
Eddy Curry and Zach Randolph: You cannot be on the floor together. This is a bad offensive scheme – it is not your fault. We need one of you on each unit and can interchange you throughout the game. Whoever has it going the best that night will be the guy on the floor down the stretch in the fourth quarter.
Zach: You are going to be the anchor of the second unit. Your attitude, effort and behavior last night in the Garden was a disgusting display of disrespect to our fans. You have a lot of making up to do to them. In order to learn to handle this assignment of coming off the bench, here is Manu Ginobili's cell number: 1-800-BE-A-PRO.
Eddy: This is your opportunity to be the consistent, dominant post player you have the ability to be. We won't just dump it in and stand around like we have been. We will create more action around you to give you more room to work. We question your commitment to being great. This is your chance to prove us wrong.
You guys are both overweight – this is your fault. Both of you need to lose those five bags of sugar you are carrying around in your uniforms. You will room together on the road with our new assistant coaches: Jared Fogle and Clay Henry from Subway.
David Lee: Last season you shot 60% from the field, setting a Knick single season record. We rewarded you by sitting you behind a guy who is shooting 40% and plays half as hard as you do. That is our fault. No more will we have to see that "what kind of nightmare am I living" look on your face. You are a starter for life.
Stephon Marbury and Jamal Crawford: Our scheme of throwing it into the double black holes and standing around doesn't take advantage of your skills, talents and ability to score. That is our fault. Although we will still run some things through the big guys, we are screening, cutting and creating sets and situations for you.
We are going to get you to open areas, give you driving lanes, and get you shots. The days of catching the ball, staring down your defender and having to make something up against their whole team are over. Your struggles offensively are our fault. You guys can be a dynamic duo of offense and we are going to put you in position to do just that.
Steph: All that garbage and immaturity off the court distracting the team is your fault. You deserved to be booed last night. You have even more to make up to your teammates and the fans. It is your job to see that those days are over. It's time to grow up. Your slate is clean.
Jared Jeffries: You were a starter on a playoff team. We brought you to New York, ruined your confidence and buried you on the bench. That is our fault. You have value as our fifth starter – defender, passer, rebounder – giving us a little of everything.
On behalf of the entire Knick organization, please accept my apology for your head coach publicly bashing you at the Orlando Pre-Draft Camp last June – dropping F-bombs about you and your game – and in front of the head coach's son. Those days are over. We believe in you. Help us win.
OUR BENCH: Maybe The Best In The NBA
Quentin Richardson and Fred Jones: Before you came to New York, both of you could shoot the three.
Q: You shot between 35-37% the last four years from behind the arc. Fred, from 04-06, you made 150 threes and shot 36% from behind the arc.
The fact that you are not contributing is our fault. Reversing the trend of players getting worse when they come to New York, you guys are going back to being bombers. You are going to be working daily with our new shooting coach, and you have the green light on the second unit to fire away.
We will also insert either of you into the starting line-up when we need more shooting, and you will be on the floor at the end of games to help us put teams away. You are not locked into the second unit.
Q: You don't have to room with Zach and Eddy, but you must eat your meals with Clay Henry.
Nate Robinson and Renaldo Balkman: We are going to turn you loose to wreak havoc on the second units of the league. We want you to push, run and pressure – be aggressive and attack at all times. When you guys take the floor, we want to feel the electricity throughout the arena – energize our team!
Zach: You are on this unit that will push, run, shoot threes and attack the rim. You won't be the first option, because you can't get to the offensive end fast enough. We won't wait for you. You are our go-to-guy in the last half of the shot clock, and we will surround you with quickness and shooters making you unstoppable. Again, how you choose to respond to coming off the bench is up to you. Your slate is clean as well. Keep Manu on speed dial.
Steph, Jamal: We will play one of you with the second unit at times, to give us more creativity and scoring punch. It will give you both an opportunity to play that scorer's role with a different group and create matchup nightmares for opponents. You will both be terrific in this role with this unit.
Mardy Collins and Wilson Chandler: You are going to get minutes. Because we are going to play so hard, you will get opportunities to contribute. We need you to run, defend, hustle, rebound and do all those little things that contribute to winning.
OUR TEAM
All 12 Of You: Your poor, pathetic defensive effort and overall lack of hustle on the court is YOUR fault. We will defend, compete and play hard – every play, every night.
We will pledge to give you professional leadership and put you in position to be successful. We demand that from ourselves and you should demand it from us. Anything less than that is unacceptable. We deserve to be booed, publicly criticized and fired if we give you any less than our best professional effort.
What we demand from each of you is professional commitment to our organization, our fans and to our team. Anything less than that is unacceptable. You deserve to be booed, publicly criticized and fired if you give us anything less than your best professional effort.
Practice is at 3:00 pm at the high school down the street. We will leave from there to go right to the game. Be on the first bus. Fogle and Henry - bring the box lunches.
As teams start to understand that Zach is a threat and the best player on the court on the court they will double team him more. Last night the Jazz double teamed him after he was hitting the jumpers galore and dominated the post with double teams. Which left Marbury & company to exploit the Jazz weaknesses and go for the kill. Jazz is a very good team that was confronted by a confident team that shows no mercy anymore with attitude down the stretch. They led the whole game. Eddie Curry had two deflections- wow. I could recall several times last year Isiah wanted attitude and he's got it now with his team.
Adam,
Even though that hoopsworld piece, written by the David Lee fan, has a few good quips, most NBA teams START their best players. On the Knicks, that player is Zach Randolph.
Ginobolli coming off the bench for San Antonio is a rare case. They have plenty of offense in their first unit.
David Lee has nowhere near the offensive game of Zbo. Not even close. David Lee, much like Eddy Curry, shoots a high percentage, because 80 percent of his shots are DUNKS.
He's a role player, and will never be a starter in this league, till he develops a consistent open 15-17 foot jumper...a la Charles Oakley, Kurt Thomas, Udonis Haslem, PJ Brown and lots of other forwards with his kind of game.
Nate:
I agree that Q plays with a lot of pride and heart. And he's a smart player as well, but we need his offense on the wing. He isn't exactly Bruce Bowen or Ron Artest or Tayshawn Prince on the defensive side, so we need him knocking down the open three 38 percent of the time, we also need to see him occasionally taking it to the rack, and running/finishing on the break.
I know the elbow may be still bothering him, but last year, with the bad back he was showing more than he's shown this year on the offensive side. I'm also concerned about his hops, he just doesn't seem to have them, I can't remember him dunking a shot so far this year...
Great post Trane.
Only those who blindly follow can be satisfied with this Knicks team and its management. For four years, the team has averaged 29 wins, and Isiah has fiddled while Rome burned. Yes, every two weeks or so, you'll get an effort like against Utah. However, the overwhelming position has been a team with players who haven't made the playoffs, don't sacrifice their individual games, and who don't show up on a consistent basis.
And this is not the MSM speaking, and the MSM does not impact how most of us view the Knicks.
We just want a winning team that we can be proud of.
Where lost and found happens
@david
i feel your pain, it has been an awful four years. that being said, it is possible that there is some light at the end of the tunnel. objectively, the situation is much brighter than when brown was there. do you remember how they would completely fold in the clutch night after night? they would FIND ways to lose? that began to change last year, and i would say that they are showing pretty good fourth quarter backbone right now. zbo is a huge upgrade at power foward, as is curry at center. balkman, nate, lee and even jeffries, are all tremendous upgrades over the bench that preceeded them.
check out the knick roster on april 1, 2005
1 Penny Hardaway(injured)
2 Maurice Taylor
3 Stephon Marbury
5 Tim Thomas
8 Jermaine Jackson
11 Jamal Crawford
13 Malik Rose
14 Bruno Sundov
20 Allan Houston (injured)
21 Trevor Ariza
31 Jerome Williams
40 Kurt Thomas
45 Jackie Butler
50 Mike Sweetney
most of these guys are out or almost out of the league. let's be really honest with ourselves, would we trade today's roster for that team?
like an old injury, you forget how bad the pain was at the time. it was BAD man. this team is young, and with a few tweaks and breaks (like trading for/signing a sharpshooter and drafting a future point guard), there is real potential for a bright(er) future.
keep your chin up, things could be worse. you could be a redskins fan.
THE KNICKS ARE TRULY AN ENIGMA!
when i see games like last night it makes me want to pull my hair out.
WHY CAN'T WE GET THIS KIND OF EFFORT EVERY NIGHT?
they looked like a playoff team last night.Look at all the deflections and intercepted passes...the hustle.it was extremely refreshing to see.GREAT WIN LAST NIGHT!
AND TO BE HONEST...i like stephon's attack the rim style of play much better than the Curry post offense.
MORE EXCITING...stephon played like an allstar last night.i can't hate...i have to give him credit.if he can play like that every game we might have a shot to turn this thing around.
CAN'T WAIT FOR THE BOSTON GAME ON THUR....
Nate4 . . . Yes – we agreed that Isiah should get the year. But my reasoning at the time was based mostly on what I considered Isiah’s greatest success of last season – namely, getting the team to rally behind him, support him, and play with enthusiasm. My main feeling was that he could build off this and a coaching change last summer would have been a bigger disruption than it was worth. But at the time, I never could have anticipated that things would get so bad, so quickly. At this point, I see so much chaos off the court, and so little unity and enthusiasm on the court . . . I’m not sure that a coaching change could cause any greater disruption. But it’s a close call. I’m not going back 100% on what I said. Isiah did it once with this roster, maybe he can get their attention and support again. And maybe a few wins will make that task easier. But the situation has changed, in ways I never could have imagined.
David – I also think it’s important to look at why we win, when we win. We’re not winning as a team, as a well-oiled machine. When we win (okay, it’s hard to generalize when there are so few instances of it) . . . it’s just like last year. We won on the basis of enthusiasm and individual talent. Lee crashed the boards. Crawford hit all those last-second shots. This is how a young team starts out. But not how a team plays deep into the spring. Another reason why the notion that “every win is a good win” is simply ludicrous. You look at the great teams that played team-basketball . . . like the championship Knicks, or Portland the year they won with Walton. They played team-basketball. Even when we win, it’s almost the opposite.
The hoopsworld article made some good points about Jeffries, balkman and nate but thats about it.
The reality is we need Steph or Craw to play well offensively for us to win. One of them has to be scoring and dishing for the offense to flow and for the big men to get open looks. But Zach is our rock. He gets the ball when we NEED a bucket.
Saying Lee should start over him is crazy.
Hopefully Chandler, Morris or Mardy dont see any significant minutes this year. They are not ready and this should not be a "development" year.
And to suggest that Q's shooting issues can be solved by getting a shooting instructor is just stupid.He hyperextended his SHOOTING ELBOW!!!!!! If he cant knock down the three with any consistancy than he just needs to adjust his game until his elbow stops affecting his shot. If you saw the play where he injured it than you know it wasnt something that was going to go away quickly. What it comes down to is he has to stop shooting errant threes.
Trane,
Good call...what a thrill it must be to be a Detroit or San Antonio fan and be treated to great team basketball played at it's highest level almost every night they step on the floor. Those teams are balanced and incredibly cohesive with very high collective basketball IQs...not something these Knicks have.
While Zbo is a great addition, the key to this teams success will be Marbury playing at a very high level, like last spring, and Curry continuing to mature and evolve as a stronger, smarter, 2 way player.
I keep imagining what Eddy Curry would be like if the Knicks just assigned a personal trainer and chef to work with him the whole off season. And got his body looking more like Dwight Howard, and less like Jerome James. Imagine Eddy Curry at 25 years old, weighing 250 pounds of chiseled muscle, with great wind, that could play 40 minutes a night if needed. He would be swatting 3 blocks like that every game, grabbing 12 boards, and his soft touch in the post would be complimented with new found speed. That's the kind of thing I dream about. Dwight Howard with great hands and low post moves.
He's got to want it, and the Knicks have to incent and support him to do it.
Trane,
I know man. Worst nightmare, those 8 games. Absolute Rock Bottom. Nausiating. Each game worse than the one before.
But I never thought Isiah gave up and I dont think he will.
I said a few games ago that 20 games into the season was a good enough sample to determine if Thomas has this thing heading in the right direction.
I saw some confidence building last night. Boston will be the test.
Things are really going too well for the chowda heads. We need to announce our presence with authority on Thursday night in Beantown!!!
I STILL WISH ISIAH WOULD GIVE WILSON CHANDLER SOME BURN...WHY NOT PLAY HIM WITH THE SECOND UNIT?
sec11row h, very good post and I agree, the talent on the team has been seriously upgraded. And guys like Balkman and Lee are easy to root for because they seem to try so hard, for every minute on the floor. And maybe Randolph will show that he is a winning player (wasn't in Portland) but beyond that you have Crawford, who has the longest non playoff streak of any player; Curry who clearly has the talent but not the desire, and Marbury who insults us all with his "back of the truck" behavior. Finally, Isiah with his sexual harrassment is just someone this glorious franchise should not be entrusted to.
And yes, being a Redskins fan these days is very sad.
And Trane, I totally agree. Right now, the Knicks win when one of the players has an amazing game, or when the team shoots over 50%, or when the other team misses a ton of free throws. It will be interesting to see how they play against the Celtics and the Bucks. If they play hard and lose a close one to the Celts, and then take care of the Bucks, then maybe they have turned the corner.
david,
those are fair expectations for the next two games. Has to be a close game on Thursday.
but the Marbury/intern thing doesnt bother me close to as much as him leaving the team.
Its safe to say a decent percentage of athletes are unfaithful to thier wives.I know im not insulted by it. Thats between them and thier wives.
Oh right, Marbury "seduced her". Might as well call Steph Mr. Robinson.......
Good point on Marbury Nate. Although I don't condone his "intern" behavior, leaving the team and then not showing any remorse, is also a bad sign of Marbury's character. Its also the franchise's fault for giving him the run of the place and making him think he's King. And to be King, you better win a few playoff games and be respected by your teammates.
NYC 2 Infinity
I agree with you that I want to see more Chandler. But if we are winning I am willing to let him watch from the bench a year. If we are not in the playoff hunt come the second half. I would like to see some burn as well. I think he has good potential, priobably the most well rounded player Isiah has drafted for us.
I don't want to sound like a dark cloud or anything, but Marbury is making 20 million dollars a year, and other guys like kobe and kg make 20 million a year and they play as well as marbury did night in and night out, this is the first time marbury played like this all year and we are treating him like hes god. hes getting 42 million dollars in 2 years and its about time he started playing like this.
@ Trane
Word.
Some folks are too black and white about things. Others lack a sense of historical perspective. Anyone that truly loves this team should be outraged at the way the current management's actions have created a situation where the Knicks are the punchline to a joke(not perpetrated by a couple of jaundiced writers, but by the sports world at large.). It's time for people to stop pointing the finger elsewhere and realize there's a legitimate reason everyone is critical of the Knicks.
"If a team's at the bottom, the problem's at the top."
Long time lurker, first time poster, with a couple of points-
a) Marbury's indiscretion was three years ago, although it came to light recently. Yes, it was wrong, but he came clean about it. Can we let it go? It is really not a relevant argument for anything at this point.
b) The mainstream news is the mainstream news. Of course they are going to exaggerate everything, both ups and downs. Let the news be the news, and let's keep this discussion focused on basketball. Negativity and name-calling may or may not be the prerogative of the media, but let's keep it in the mainstream media, and keep it out of this blog, because it is not intelligent discussion. I believe that people keep coming back to this blog because it is possibly the most objective Knicks blog on the net.
c) The Knicks have been through a lot, and they may or may not have turned a corner. At this point, honestly, nobody really knows! The Celts and Suns coming up are both tough games. If they can take one of those, does anyone else agree this team is legit? This is assuming they beat the Bucks...
Point being, let's keep this blog focused on basketball. Alan does resort to some sensationalism from time to time, but less so than 90% of other Knicks reporters out there. For the most part, excellent blog with awesome insights. Love the personal POV into the Knicks locker room. Keep that up, instead of trying to be Sports Guy from ESPN.
Cheers all,
KB!
Kenneth - good point - putting the ball in Marbury's hands worked against Utah and may be the best way to win a few games. Like other posters here, I don't see the pounding it in to Curry strategy getting very far.
There are problems with running the offense through Marbury though. He isn't good enough to carry the team deep into the playoffs, so although this may be an improvement, it has a ceiling that will still have to be addressed in the future. At this point, I think Isiah is desperate enough for wins that long-term development is on the back burner, and he'll do whatever it takes, even ride a 31 year old point guard with a shaky attitude who probably isn't even part of the teams long-term plan.
The wild card is Zach. If the Utah game is more than a one hit wonder, his offensive versatility and rebounding could allow him to thrive alongside Marbury and raise the ceiling for this strategy. The Knicks didn't have a forward like him last season. Best case scenario (for Isiah) - the team is competitive enough to buy time for another round of tweaks and adjustments. If you want the future to be made up of Isiah's continuing wheeling and dealing is another question.
It also raises the question of Eddy - is he willing to give up a lot of touches, and focus more on rebounding and defending? I think he could be valuable as a situational player - quick inside offense in certain match-ups, but he needs to buy in.
The next few games will be interesting to see how this all plays out.
The Knicks have been a very fragile team this year. They have been lacking consistency, lacking confidence, lacking leadership, lacking resiliency, lacking focus on the fundamentals. The Utah game was the first game we really saw them step up in those areas. The preseason Boston game was the other time really played with effort. Still, at their best, those were both VERY close games.
The good teams in this league bring those attributes to the table every night. And when they play their best, the other team loses by 10-20, especially on their home floor. We bring our best game and squeak out a win against a team playing back to back on the road. No one who has watched this team over the last few years has any confidence that the effort we saw in the home Utah game is now going to be repeated in the next game on the road. We’d love to fantasize that would happen, but no one would be surprised by a 20 point blowout tomorrow night.
Allen vs. Crawford and Pierce vs. Q are two very difficult matchups for the Knicks. I hope Isiah can actually coach around those matchups, and perhaps consider Q playing more 2 against Allen, and Jeffries/Balkman at the 3 guarding Pierce, with Crawford playing more with the second unit. But it seems only Marbury is the one who gets pulled on this team for lack of effort.
Eddy Curry better be ready for Rondo, Allen and Pierce coming into his paint, and I would love to see him with 2+ blocks and 4-5 personal fouls, all on the DEFENSIVE end of the floor tomorrow night. Unfortunately, Pierce and Allen will make all their free throws, but it would be nice seeing them sprawled on their ass after getting rejected near the rim by Eddy. That’s the guy of basketball that builds team spirit and confidence.
david said, earlier
"...and Marbury who insults us all with his "back of the truck" behavior. ..."
-----------------------
... how does ANOTHER grown man's behavior, be it honorable or not, insult YOU ? .... do you think he's somewhere typing out his angst on his laptop when YOU transgress against better judgement ? ... what he eats shouldnt make you $hit ...
... i emphatically concur with "Knick ball !'s" comment @ November 28, 2007 01:20 ...
*FREE MARK !!*
I'm not comfortable how the Knicks national game will be called. Reggie Miller and Marv Albert. If I can get two anti-Knick game callers I would pick them two. TNT should put Kenny Smith as a intermediary. He talks NY. Knicks will have to prove more with these two calling the game.
landLORD, as long as I am a paying customer . . and my season tickets are quite expensive, then I am allowed to be insulted by the behavior of the players I play to watch.
It also seems that my note insulted you . . .which was not intended.
The Utah game was the first game we really saw them step up in those areas.
I thought they showed pretty good resiliency late in the Chicago game, when the Bulls tightened up the score. They took Chicago's best shot and were able to get enough of a margin to seal the win.
So that makes it two games. Not enough to qualify as a trend, but enough to indicate they're getting better at defending home court.
Might be wishful thinking on my part, but I'd like to see these guys adopt the 'not in my house' attitude of the Ewing Knicks.
Kenneth, Pete,
You guys are right about Steph.He needs to bring it on a consistant basis for the Knicks to make any serious noise this year. And with his salary we shouldn't be talking about effort.
You know what, we have Marbury for 2 years. And that will probably be it. He is still in his prime and really, when playing well is a GREAT all around player. He just is not a leader in terms of his ability to inspire his teamates. But he can be a leader on the court when he is playing hard on both ends.
But LGM,
I think we will see a lot of Steph on Allen tomorrow. Great matchup. Sill debatable who has had a better career since they were traded for eachother on draft day. Steph has to be very smart with how he helps out on D. Cant let Allen stray too far or he will kill us.
Probably see a lot of Jeffries on Garnett. I would like to see our guards attack the rim early and hopefully get one of thier stars in foul trouble. Catch them being a little overaggresive after thier loss to Cleveland yesterday. Im looking for a hard fought game tomorrow night....
Mark does not want to be freed.
Let Alan have his little fiefdom.
Entering mid-life and facing the birth of yet another child, it's not uncommon for the middle-aged male to attempt to exert, in some bizarre, twisted manner, whatever power he has in some realm in a feeble attempt to recapture his lost youth and his nights spent in hotel rooms.
Alan's just playing to white, middle class, Wally & The Beav form.
AR,
Im sorry but I think Kenny Smith is the worst at doing games. Several times over the past couple of years he has called a shot "good" when it was shot by a knick player. I cant remember a time when a player made a shot when he did that. Remember last year against i think the Jazz when he did that for a marbury foul shot to send the game into overtime that Steph missed. i was throwing things around when he did that. I mean how stupid do you have to be, I mean thats like rule number 1 in broadcasting school,Dont call shots!!!!!!!!
He sould just stay in the TNT studio next to Barkley so they can make fun of him by superimposing his picture with players who are knocked out of the playoffs wearing fishing gear.
Why does he do Knick games? Why not The Pearl?
How did we let Mark Jackson go to the Nets and we get Kenny Smith? Are you kidding me. Jackson does a great job. He is funny without taking away from the game. He is very knowledgable about the game and can articulate his thoughts without alienating the casual fan. When the Knicks play the Nets and Clyde is not doing the game. Its Marv and Mark all the way....
LGK
This article makes it clear that it doesn't matter who is running the Knicks, while Dolan is there.
http://www.observer.com/2007/life-knicks-hell
Wow david,
thank you for that. I hope Trane read that. That just proved the point for anyone who has critisized the Knick beat writers for seeming to hate Knick management. Its not a conspiracy. There is no plot devised collectivly by the beat writers to bash the Knicks. They all individually resent the Knicks management so they end up writing similar critiques and never give credit when credit is due.(admittingly the latter has not been a frequent occurance.)
What a bunch of cry babies!!!!!!
I know I dont feel the least bit bad for these whiners who really do have dream jobs.
All this article proves is that a deep animus towards the Knicks management exists in the minds of the writers many trust to be objective.
check out this video on youtube in response to starbury and zeke
check out this one fixers http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TCnpzeD_K4U its in response to marbury and zeke o and i agree with nate4prez in his last comment...y would writers conspire against the knicks they prob have better things to do with their time
@david, thanks for the observer link, great article that really sheds some light on the small minded fascistic mentality of dolan. what a shame we have to suffer with such as asshole. i think i will begin making a regular practice of heckling him about what a pathetic lightweight he is when i am the garden.
as for the game itself, i look forward to seeing how our team matches up againts the c's. there has been a lot of talk in this blog about good/bad wins, i would settle for a good loss tomorrow. as long as they play hard and stay competitive, i will be reasonably satisfied. the yanks these guys aren't, huh?
they need to get physical with the c's. i don't think curry can stay with kg, i would consider trying jeffries on him for a spell, see how that works. if our second unit doesn't gain a distinct advantage, we are toast.
should make for an interesting blog tomorrow night gents, see you then.
FINALLY.I HOPE ZEKE IS LETTING MARBURY PLAY HIS STYLE THATZ THE ONLY WAY THEY MAKING IT TO THE PLAYOFFZ.CRAWFORD N Q NEED TO HIT THEM 3Z WHEN STARBURY KICKS IT OUT.B-BALL HOPEFULLY HAS RETURNED TO N.Y.DO YA THING MARBURY.WE ARE NOT GOING ANYWHERE WITH CURRY.EITHER HE BLOCKS SHOTS OR TRADE HIM.WE GOT Z-BO WHO IS BETTER THEN CURRY ON THE POST AN HE CAN COMPLIMENT MARBURY CUZ HE GOT A JUMPSHOT.....NYC KILLA QUEENS ALLDAY...LET STARBURY DO HIS THING...FORREAL IVE BEEN WAITING.....
Honestly, i would rather settle for a bad win than a good loss tomorrow. How do you guys feel about that?
Also, what do you think our best defensive matchups will be tomorrow night? Here is my take-
Steph guards Ray Allen
Q on Pierce
Jeffries on Garnett
That leaves Crawford and Zbo/Curry to make some noise on the offensive end. But what happens when Nate comes in...?
Peace,
KB
The Observer article is fascinating. And, yes, it does explain a deeper layer of resentment by the beat writers than I previously understood. But who’s to blame? Dolan, of course. He’s the one who created this Gestapo atmosphere. The article makes that very clear. I don’t think Dolan owes the beat writers anyting. It’s just smart business to have them happy and grateful, rather than pissed off, and resentful. A smart owner would realize it’s a symbiotic relationship. And would be mature enough to be able to weather a few critical words from time to time. But it’s obvious Dolan is so thin-skinned, he’s the one who excalated this war. He’s to blame for – and deserves – everything he gets at this point. I actually have more respect for Isola now, knowing that it’s official Knicks policy to freeze him out. I think I’ll read him more often now.
The situation with the beat reporters is no different than anything else in the Dolan era of Knicks basketball. He’s taken something grand and wonderful . . . Knicks basketball tradition . . . and turned it into a paranoid, dysfunctional family feud.
The Observer article is fascinating. And, yes, it does explain a deeper layer of resentment by the beat writers than I previously understood. But who’s to blame? Dolan, of course. He’s the one who created this Gestapo atmosphere. The article makes that very clear. I don’t think Dolan owes the beat writers anyting. It’s just smart business to have them happy and grateful, rather than pissed off, and resentful. A smart owner would realize it’s a symbiotic relationship. And would be mature enough to be able to weather a few critical words from time to time. But it’s obvious Dolan is so thin-skinned, he’s the one who excalated this war. He’s to blame for – and deserves – everything he gets at this point. I actually have more respect for Isola now, knowing that it’s official Knicks policy to freeze him out. I think I’ll read him more often now.
The situation with the beat reporters is no different than anything else in the Dolan era of Knicks basketball. He’s taken something grand and wonderful . . . Knicks basketball tradition . . . and turned it into a paranoid, dysfunctional family feud.
Trane - yeah, Dolan is ultimately problem number 1. Other posters have said that Isiah's run of sub-40 seasons etc. are just a symptom. I agree. The best way to understand Dolan at the top: S*it floats.
Pete -- I also think that organizations take on the personalities - and problems - of their leaders. Hence, the Knicks are as screwed up as Dolan is.
Life in Knicks Hell
by John Koblin
Published: November 27, 2007
This article was published in the December 3, 2007, edition of The New York Observer.
Victor Juhasz
Knicks Inferno: Courtside Dantes Mike Lupica and Pete Vecsey peruse Isiah Thomas, the Dolans, Stephon Marbury, Edy Curry.
On Nov. 24, a little before noon, 16 bleary-eyed reporters shuffled into a tiny interview room a few feet away from the Madison Square Garden basketball floor. It had ivory cinder-block walls and dim fluorescent lighting that didn’t recall a media workspace so much as it did a detention cell.
They were attempting to interview the Knicks’ religiously evasive head coach Isiah Thomas, who informed them, after a contentious exchange, that they indeed had the right to criticize the team.
Afterward, the reporters complained about what they viewed as a patronizing lecture. One called him a “psycho.” It was, in all respects, a typically bitter start to a day in the life of a New York Knicks beat reporter.
Not that it was always like this. After all, covering the Knicks was once one of the most coveted beats in the country.
“It’s Madison Square Garden, it’s New York City, it should be one of the top beats in New York,” said Newsday beat reporter Alan Hahn.
Instead: “It’s maddening. What it should be and what it is—it’s a shame.”
Frank Isola, the 12-year Knicks-beat veteran for the Daily News, said, “It used to be fun here. Now, there are some nights when you’re trying to talk your boss out of sending you here and maybe lie and tell him you’re sick or something.”
“I’ll admit,” said Howard Beck, the New York Times Knicks reporter, “that the beat makes me miserable.”
>> Time to Raze the Knicks and Start Again By Howard Megdal
The job, under the weight of the regime of Garden chairman James Dolan, has become the most demoralizing reporting gig in the city.
It doesn’t help that the Knicks are such a lousy team: Their 2-9 start, before a recent two-game winning streak, was tied for the worst in franchise history; they haven’t had a winning season in six years; their star player, Stephon Marbury, feuded openly with Mr. Thomas; the team’s off-season was occupied by a sexual harassment lawsuit that led to, among other embarrassing episodes, Mr. Thomas offering his opinion on the difference between a white person and a black person using the word “bitch.”
But that only skims the surface. What really separates the complaints of Knicks writers from those of every other browbeaten city reporter—and reporters are definitely a whiny lot—are their unironic, and apparently accurate, tales of systematic repression.
“It’s the gulag,” said Mike Vaccaro, a columnist for the New York Post.
“We all know what it’s like to cover a normal team,” said Mr. Beck, who previously reported on the Lakers for the L.A. Daily News. “Covering the Knicks is so much worse.”
“Some of the things they practice here are completely against what you’d expect a normal team to do,” said Mr. Hahn, a second-year reporter on the beat who said that he now misses his old job as a hockey reporter covering the provincial New York Islanders. “They come up with things all the time. There’s zero access to players. They would rather you don’t even write.”
The stories from the reporters are endless: layers of institutional paranoia; public relations officials who openly eavesdrop on private conversations with executives and players; the threat—and implementation—of cutting off reporters who are perceived to be critical of the team.
“Everyone is so worried about upsetting Jim Dolan, or getting fired, and as a result people aren’t themselves,” said Mr. Beck. “If you transplanted the same individuals and put them in another city, then they’d be far more interesting. They’d be themselves.”
To their credit, the Knicks’ press officials don’t deny Mr. Dolan’s unusually hands-on role in managing their downtrodden core of reporters.
“I think it’s fair to say that Jim [Dolan] is aware of, and a part of, the shaping of the media policy,” said Barry Watkins, the senior vice president of communications for the Garden.
The policy was instituted in the summer of 2001. (Coincidentally, one supposes, the last year the Knicks had a winning record.)
Two years earlier, Mr. Dolan’s first year as chairman of the Garden, the Knicks made it to the N.B.A. Finals. But partly because of squabbling between head coach Jeff Van Gundy and general manager Ernie Grunfeld that made its way into the press, Mr. Dolan later described that season to reporters as “one of the worst years.”
“I BELIEVE OUR policies work for everybody across the board,” said Mr. Watkins. “If some particular people don’t like or don’t feel good about it, I can’t control what they think.”
Garden policy has meant that before and after every game, there is a media relations official—a minder, really—with a Bla