Foot Soldiers Finally Take Charge
As I've said in previous blogs, the Knicks aren't an awful team 1-through-12. What Isiah Thomas built is a team of very good role players, foot soldier-types such as Quentin Richardson, Zach Randolph, David Lee and Renaldo Balkman. Guys who make up a solid supporting cast.
Fixers, you're all smart enough to recognize that Stephon Marbury's absence in the fourth quarter (he went to the locker room with a muscle spasm in his right shoulder) isn't why the Knicks won, or that Fred Jones, whom Isiah opted to go with, is the answer at the point.
But you should recognize from this come-from-behind win over the Bucks is that this team has a foundation of quality role players, but is lacking a centerpiece. They're a kick-ass band without a lead singer.
It's not just me saying it. This is what Magic Johnson says about the Knicks during an appearance on the YES Network.
"Who is going to be the leader, who is going to say: ‘okay, we need you to do this'? Not Isiah, I am talking about the guy on the court. Who is the extension of the coach?"
If you answered Marbury....you're were wrong! If you thought maybe Eddy Curry...strike two!
"For the Knicks, how do you take all of these talented guys and make them come out as one, blend them together, and make them come out as one . . . Then the other guys have to take that leadership and respond to it. It’s all the little things and someone has to step up into that role; and if they don’t they are going to have a bad season.”
The prosecution rests, your honor.
* *
After last night's win over the Bucks, I'd add Jones to the list of foot soldiers. For the first time this season, Jones showed what Isiah was telling us about him: he can defend. Great work on Michael Redd, who clearly settled for jumpers when he should have tried to drive and draw a foul. Not his game.
Jones also ran the point, not that there was much to direct out there. The plays down the stretch were pretty simple: get it to Jamal and let him do his thing. For this night, Jamal got hot at the right time and it all worked out.
"Jamal's a streaky-kind of player," Isiah said after the game. "Some nights when he's not making shots, you have to live with those nights because of nights like this when he's able to shoot you back in the game."
Since I've been critical of Jamal's defense, I should be fair and point out that he did a terrific job hounding Mo Williams on Milwaukee's second-to-last possession. Crawford's pressure forced Williams to rush his pass to Redd, who then rushed his long-range three-pointer against an in-your-face defense by Jones.
* *
Thomas once again passed over Nate Robinson to try someone else at the point. N8 didn't get a single minute of burn against the Bucks. Thomas said it was nothing the player was doing, it was just the coach making decisions on instinct.
So much for that lightning quick guard who in the preseason was picking his man up three-quarter court and looking forward to building a reputation of hounding opposing guards. So much for the young player who learned the offense and was considered by the coach as the best player in every practice during training camp.
* *
* - The Knicks are 3-0 without James Dolan at the Garden. Now you have another reason to boo him if he's there on Sunday: superstition.
* - A cool scene before the game involved Bucks forward Charlie Villanueva talking and talking photos with a group of kids who, like him, live with the autoimmune skin disease, Alopecia areata. Some of you may have noticed Villanueva has no hair on his head, nor even eyebrows. Those who deal with the disease are often mistaken for cancer patients. It's not a life-threatening disease, but it's certainly not easy for kids to deal with growing up looking different. Villanueva has been a spokesman for the NAAF (National Alopecia Areata Foundation) and often meets kids and hosts them at games.
* - What, no "Dancin' Dan" from Dix Hills last night at the Garden? Where were you Dan? Your public needs you man.
* - Zach Randolph and Jake Voskuhl were barking at each other late in the first half after one whistle. Voskuhl then hit a jumper with four seconds left and then Z-Bo answers with a three at the buzzer to walk off the court with the last word.
* - Observation of Chinese rookie Yi Jianlian: has great quickness for his size and is also good on the pull-up jumper, on which he elevates. This guy is no project, he's got the skill set and the body to be a tremendous player. The thing about watching Yi play basketball is after about an hour later you want to watch him again (Yes, OK, I sort of stole that from Charles Barkely).
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Comments (44)
Knicks played best with Stephon on the bench. Did he get hurt or just give up?
I think after he missed those 3 free throws, he decided to get out while the getting was good.....I think and it's only my opinion that he quit on the team again!!!
Face it, Stephon is really isolating himself. He looks miserable! He really needs a change of scenary. Problem is no one seems to want him....
All I know is I'd revisit moving him after December 15th....I get the feeling even if the team sucks, but played hard and Marbury was not around, the fans would be ok with that! Steph has wore out his welcome yet again....This time at home!
Did you see Lou Holtz's pep talk about the Knicks? Classic
http://sports.espn.go.com/broadband/video/videopage?&brand=null&videoId=3135825&n8pe6c=2
One other thing, look at it this way...we are only 2 games out of the 8th spot for the playoffs....I feel bad for N8 since he didn't get any burn last night....The Flying Circus, er, I mean Phoenix Suns come to town on Sunday...it should be a good one.
HEY ALAN,
WHERE's NATE. DID HE DO SOMETHING WRONG? IS ISIAH PISSED AT HIM? Or is he just too short to play certain guards?
Anonymous and Vic you're both right. Stephonie is on her PERIOD again, and like most girls had cramp and bleeding. But this time it wasn't blood it was heart. Trade that nightmare of a person now and NEVER LET ANY FUTURE KNICK WEAR THAT LOW NUMBER AGAIN. Out of all the people from NYC who have gone pro. He disgraced all of what New York ballers represent. I can't wait till SHE'S gone.
Vic, Kwame and Anonymous,
Marbury is the reason the Knicks aren't 10-5 instead of 5-10.
He needs to go! Wave him, trade him for anyone, but lets hope
he's played his last start for the Knicks! He makes the players Worse! He quit last night, when we were down by 15! After our win, he tells MSG post game interviewers he's fine????
I can't take him another game! He wants to start the Suns game?
F#ck him! If Thomas starts him then Thomas needs to go too!
Someone tell dolan not ot bother showing up anymore and Marbury to the bench.
I agree with you Alan, (and Magic) as well. Can Jamal lead this team from the point position? He did it last night. The players like him and he has game to back it up. He is smart, passionate and charismatic.
Otherwise, they need to continue and try to move Steph and find a strong point guard to lead this team. I still don't think Isiah is a good coach. He certainly has his back against the wall and needs to light a fire under this team, or he will not survive!
Collecting the foot soldiers is how you begin a rebuild and you complete it by bringing in a superstar.
Given how few there are, how hard they are to get, how they probably don't want to deal with the NY press if they have the option and how long it has taken other teams to get one in their rebuilds (if they ever get one at all) I just fail to understand why people think rebuilding should have happened so much faster here than it happens anywhere else.
No one takes on a team with no players and 100% over the cap and then rebuilds it in 2 or 3 years. New Yorkers are showing why our teams never just blow things up and rebuild. It's because we don't understand and tolerate the process. We're a bunch of spoiled babies that deserve the Marbury's of the world on our team.
Alan, as always, good blog and right on target. The Knicks do not have any stars, although they have several players who believe they are stars. They also have a nice compliment of supporting players who would be very valuable if they had a Nash, a Garnett, a Wade, etc.
Was at the game last night and a few things jumped out at me:
--The fans have had it with Marbury, Curry and Isiah. From what I can tell, they were the guys who heard the most negative feedback consistently.
--Curry plays slow, and really has very inconsistent effort. The team is tougher, and plays harder when he is OFF the floor.
--Marbury is selfish, and seems to be unpopular with his teammates. They just play harder when he's off the floor. The team played much better when he went to the locker room. They defended, they shared the ball, they showed more emotion.
--Lee, as much as I like the guy, is not the same player he was last year. I don't know if its injury, or he's just having problems with the inconsistent minutes. But he doesn't have the lift he had his first two years in the league. However, the team is still more proficient when he is on the floor.
Suns are up next. Again, they need to compete. They likely won't win, but they can't get blown out on their home floor.
lee def hasnt been playing the same and last night in the first quarter his stats made me wonder if he was trying to send a message to isaiah i wonderr if these guys want zeke and marbury gone tooo....but one thing i did notice was if u watch carefully lee was actually directing the other players, that and1 drive from jones if u watch closely lee motioned for it...just an observation....
N8 was being punished for hitting that last second 3 pointer against the Cs. N8 prevented the worst loss in the franchise's history which would probably meant the beheading of IsiahThomas.
IsiahThomas is mad that N8 averted his firing which would've rewarded "mucho dinero" for Zeke's family that he has to feed. With that shot, he has to endure more booing and criticism from the media, the fans, and more face-time with JamesDolan. Moreover, he has to put up with more jokes and questions about his mental state.
Isiah was quoted as follows: "They can take away my dignity but not my money."
BTW: Nice bounce-back win last night.
ECurry had 2 boards in 26 minutes.
DLee grabbed 5 rebounds in 12 minutes.
"Jazz-Kyrylo Fesenko added six points and seven rebounds in his NBA debut just hours after being called up from Utah's D-League affiliate in Orem."
7 boards in 17 minutes from someone fresh from the D-League.
MSG fans are just eager and anxious to cheer and support this team. It's high time to have a winning NYK team.
DANCIN DAN IS THE MAN!!
I agree with pretty much everything david said.
I also disagree with you Alan. The reason the Knicks played cohesive ball at the end is because Marbury wasn't out on the floor with the ball in his hands and the freedom to make decisions. I honestly think that for us, Fred Jones is a better point guard than Steph, even though Jones isn't a point. The reason is because, as he showed last night, he'll bring the ball up the floor, and run the offense - getting the ball to where it needs to be. We don't need flashy/fancy passing.
Another reason we played well down the stretch is because Isiah sat that fat lazy bum Curry. He has no heart, no consistency, no basketball intelligence. Fortunately, since hes big and has moves down low, he's probably worth something on the trade market.
I remember when Steph was on Phoenix, he had a comment about Charlie Ward, ragging on the Knicks point guard situation in those days. Is there anyone out there right now who wouldn't rather have Charlie Ward at point than Steph? All Ward did was run the offense, play d, and hit open shots. If we can't have a guy like Nash, Kidd, Williams, or Paul, I'd rather just have a role playing point guard.
Hey I know there is pleanty of reason to be pissed at Marbury, I am still pissed at him for leaving in Pheonix too.
But I wouldnt call him not playing yesterday quiting. The play where he injured himself came before he missed those foul shots.
Ever had back spasms? Its debilitating. Most of you critisizing Marbury for not playing would probably be crying.....
Gotta love Nate. Guy leads the team in scoring and then doesnt play the next game. Most guys would be sulking on the bench (see Steph). He was leading the cheers. Thomas obviously doesnt think he is ready to lead a team yet. His attitude last night shows me maybe one day he will.
The Crawford address after the game was telling. It showed me the team has the right attitude. Not blaming the media or the booing for thier poor play. They know they have to win the fans back by playing well and not pay attention to the petty crybabies who call themselves journalists.
Its idiotic to blame the journalists for the Knicks troubles. The journalists didn't lose to Boston by 45. They saw it like the rest of us, except their job is to write about it. If you were a journalist, what would you have written after that game? If you had anything positive to say you'd have just about zero credibility. The journalists aren't crybabies. They're telling it like it is.
As for Jamal, I'd say his post-game address speaks volumes about his attitude, not the rest of the team's.
for the record,
Steph was playing well last night before he got hurt. He kept the knicks in it early by going strong to the hoop and setting people up.
Most likely Steph will play out his contract in New York. Knicks will probably draft the best PG available this year and than let Steph walk after next season. Im really just sick of the inconsistancy from him. He is too good a player. The team just seems to take on his fragile psyche sometimes. Maybe they were motivated to win with him out of the game. Its difficult to determine because I dont know what the feeling in the locker room is.I cant be sure because the ones I trust to report objectively have an axe to grind so they loose all cradibility in my eyes.
Nate4prez, Marbury was NOT playing well last night before he got hurt. He was scoring, he was driving, but the rest of the team was watching. In fact, the team was down by double digits while he was playing. It is clear, this team plays poorly with Steph, but has more energy, desire, and heart when he is not on the floor.
If it were possible, I'd buy out Marbury and try and trade Curry for draft picks. I think the team would achieve more and ultimately, the cap situation would be better
Don,
Its not about the reporting for one game. Its the reporting over the last couple of years under Isiah. Maybe im being idealistic. I expect reporters to leave thier personal feelings about people out of thier reporting.......dont you?
You dont feel that many reporters have been pulling for the Knicks to crumble for a long time?
The writers are NOT TO BLAME FOR LOSING!!!!!!!
But they have the power to sway public opinion. Which they do to serve thier selfish needs. Like getting served first class meals at the Garden, for one.
Ok David,
Marbury was playing well, but the team wasnt. I cant say it was his fault. Maybe there is something to the notion that the team wants to win without Marbury. Thats for Thomas to figure out.
I agree with your Curry thought. Trade him soon while he still has value, but dont take on a bad contract. This will only happen if the Knicks are bad enough over the next couple of weeks to get Thomas fired.
Marbury buyout? That is a tough one because you only buy him out if he is REALLY bringing down the team. Im not ready to say that just yet bacause, again, the ones who tell you everyone on the team hates him are the ones who are Bias against the Knicks.
AGAIN, this doesnt mean the reporters are to BLAME!!!!!! You just have to take everything you read with a grain (or two) of salt.
You know what, forget everything.
Cut Marbury, Thomas will play the point and Lou Holtz will coach.
That video was great. They need to play the entire thing before every home game. It got me pumped and ready to play.
Nate4prez, good post and I totally agree. The reporters are irrelevant in this situation. Some will be positive, some negative, some have axes to grind, others don't. The bottom line is that the team has not performed for years, and I think all of the fans are just tired of the losing, excuses, and poor play.
I am a long time season ticket holder, and just want to have a good product to root for with hope that the future will be better.
That can't be too much to ask for from a sports franchise, can it?
i truly believed the knicks rallied last night because starjerk and curry were out of the game. curry's absence was helpful for physical reasons, starjerks for emotional.
curry's ponderous presence on the floor just slows this team down, clogs up the middle at the offensive end, eats up minutes a real athlete could be using to do the things a team needs, like block shots, rotate on defense, set picks, hit foul shots, and finish plays. when he is out of the game, zbo can operate in the docks, the guards can penetrate, jeffries and balkman play help D, and the ball rotates better. it is incomprhensible, perhaps even legally negligent, that knick management allows curry to play in such dreadful condition. the man has a congenital heart condition for crying out loud, yet he is allowed to be on the court carrying at least 35 lbs of extra weight.
when starjerk went to the locker room last night, the whole mood on the court picked up. everyone had more touches, and the team defense really picked up. though starjerk is the most talented player on the team, the team suffers when he is on the floor, because he is selfish with the ball and selfish in his personna. he personifies whatever the opposite of leadership is, and that is just not an option for an nba guard.
jamal is liked and respected on this team, he should become the point. yes, his handle is not very good, but for the most part, he can get the ball up the floor. yes, he will have 4-5 turnovers a game, but the ball will move around much better than under starjerks command. plus, given the leadership role,
i believe jamal will rise to the occasion, rather than shrink like starjerk. clearly jamal's emotional make-up is built to withstand pressure.
if starjerk can't be traded by the deadline, then he should be released. i actually think he could help a team like miami, where he would be in a supportive role, rather than expected to provide leadership. curry should also be moved if he refuses to get into good physical condition. despite his obvious shortcomings, i suspect, given the paucity of skilled bigs in the league, that an expiring contract and a number one pick can still be had for him. yes, this would then qualify the trade for him as a failure (and make zeke-bitch look bad), but it is best to rid us of his onerous contract and secure some value back.
while i find it difficult to form a sentence that includes anything nice about isiah, i was heartened to see that he kept curry on a very short leash last night. cotton-curry gave them no rebounds, no defense, no hustle, no dunks, and more stupid flip shots rolling off the rim. until this changes his minutes need to be severely curtailed. let's hope that the quick hook continues to be part of the coaching repertoire in this case.
finally, while it was nice to get the win last night, let's not lose sight of the fact that the first 3 quarters of the game were virtually unwatchable. had starjerk not gone out, the cry for zekebitch's head would be reaching an even higher crescendo today. it is clear that zekebitch is way over his head as a coach. it is time to bring in a professional coach who's reputation is not tied to the individual achievements of the players.
david,
I know you are a good fan. Maybe im not as angry because I got my first ticket plan this season. I just want to see REAL progress this season and im not ready to pack it in. For me, Progress must include a playoff birth AND a building of an identity. Both!
I really like everyone on this team as people (except Steph at this point). I find them really easy to pull for.
As for Dolan being a spoiled rich kid. How many owners arent? HOw many owners are nuevo riche? Mark Cuban. any other?
I like that money is no object. It got them into salary cap hell under Layden, granted. But he gave Isiah the green light to aquire short term high salary guys to get draft picks that turned into good players. I dont think any owner would do that. Is it stupid economically? Yes. Is he forgetting the bottom line to try and get better? Yes. And that is commendable. The experiment isnt failed yet.
Just look at the Twins. They have the richest owner in sports. And they wont spend money to keep one of the best pitchers in baseball. At least Dolan has one good quality.
Who am I today? Mak or Mark? Mark or Mak?
Drossman help me!!!!!!!!
Mark ain't on the site no more. Alan threw him out after Alan's stuff riff on Jessica Simpson got Mrs. Hahn to toss him out of the house.
MARBURY DOES PISS ME OFF CUZ HE IS A GOOD PLAYER WITH A F-UCKED UP MIND.CURRY YESS NEEDZ TO GOO NOW WHILE HE STILL HAS SOME VALUE=GOING DOWN.CRAWFORD IS TO INCONSISTANT.LEE NEEDZ MORE MINUTES OR START HIM.Q NEEDZ TO HIT THE BENCH ALSO GIVE BALKMAN OR CHANDLER SOME BURN.HOW ARE U GOING TO KNOW WHAT A PLAYER CAN DO IF U DON'T PLAY HIM.ITZ EARLY PLAY WITH THE LINEUP THEN SEE WHICH LINEUP IS THE BEST...WE NEED A CENTER THATZ NOT SOFT AN LETZ OPPONENTZ KNOW THE DEAL WHEN THEY HIT THE POST...THEN THE KNICKS WILL BE A GOOD TEAM NEEDZ SOME TOUGH PLAYERS PHYSICAL PLAYERS...
Buy out Starbury and we we can win 10 more games. I'll play Nate and Fred Jones at the point. Jamal should play shooting guard or guard.
I like the energy the Jones, Crawford, Balkman, Randolph, Richardson line up has.
STEPH IS A CANCER ON THIS TEAM!
his personality is so toxic it contaminates the spirit of the team.if we only had a capable backup point guard it would cut the need to keep him on the team.
if i was isiah i would trade him to miami for jason williams(whose contract expires at the end of this season) and daquean cook...
I BET MIAMI WOULD MAKE THIS TRADE
ALSO CURRY HAS GOT TO GO...WE DON'T NEED HIM NOW THAT WE HAVE ZACH RANDOLPH...
its seems like he has taken 8 steps back.1st he was just a offensive center with no rebounding and defensive skills...now he is not even scoring...so what is his worth to the team?
I WONDER IF THEIR IS A MARKET FOR CURRY...
GOOD WIN LAST NIGHT...I AM GLAD WE SHOWED SOME PRIDE.
IF YOU TAKE CURRY AND STEPH OFF THE TEAM I COULD LIKE THEM A LOT BETTER!
If I were the Knicks. I would try to acquire a finisher with a good work ethic. Knicks should try to do what ever it takes to get Kobe Bryant. I would even give a first round potential lottery pick for him with players included. Lakers would bite if there is a guard worth getting in the draft. They would dump either Odom or Bynum in the deal.
Wow! A first round pick AND players???
NO way!
Question...
How many Knicks fans does it take to come up with an idea for improving the team that doesn't include firing someone?
chicago is looking for an offensive center, they already have Big Ben to play PF, so they wouldn't worry about Curry's lack of defensive skills. I don't know what the player's on Chicago are making so i'll get back to you.
Hey emac2 ,
Your comment, "No one takes on a team with no players and 100% over the cap and then rebuilds it in 2 or 3 years. New Yorkers are showing why our teams never just blow things up and rebuild. It's because we don't understand and tolerate the process. We're a bunch of spoiled babies that deserve the Marbury's of the world on our team."
Thank you for this great statement.......you truly understand the problem with the Knicks, New york fans, and the Media.
Isiah is not our biggest problem......The biggest problem is NY.
Our lack of patience as fans in allowing our team to be rebuilt is the reason why GMs fail here. If the Knicks try to rebuild like the other teams that use the draft, then we would never go to the garden to watch the team. We need to have players with a known name so fans have a reason to go to the game....This kind of thinking is the problem, not Isiah.
The next GM that comes in will acquire a team with talent and will be in a better situation than when Isiah took over the Knicks. Considering what the team was with Layden as GM and the talent level we have now, is night and day. I believe, finally, we have players that can be combined in a trade to get better players....Thanks to Isiah.
I agree he is not doing a good job coaching this group of players he acquired, but I think that it would be difficult for Gregg Popovich, Jerry Sloan, Phil Jackson or any other coach on the planet to win with this team as presenlty constituted.
He initially made some bad trades which he turn into more talented players than the original player we had. Example Steve Francis who enable us to get Zack Randolph. Isiah has done one thing right and that is to bring in talented players who are not winning players on this team, but can be on the right team. Take Eddy Curry and put him on a team with Duncan, Garnett, D. Howard, Camby, or any other shot blocker/rebounding Power Forward type and that team would be unbeatable.....we would then say Curry is a winner. But on this team you see all his deficiency.
Any Gm that took over a team with the talent level that was here before Isiah took over, would need minimum 4-5 years to have a chance to be a real championship contender. We need more trades to have a complete team.
Knick's fan for life.......GO NY, GO NY, GO!!!!
To Trane and Pete since both of you are high fiving each other posts: Trane, I can’t recall ever encountering you blogger to blogger…not that I personally wanted to. But this time I do. You see I’ve been reading your thoughts criticizing those who hate the media of those who hate the Knicks, and I assume I’m one of those guys who hates on the media who hate the Knicks. Am I not, Anti-NYSportsNews? First, I must thank you, because you have given me a spark to finally have ameaningful, intelligent, discussion about the Knicks team that we call ourselves wanting to root for. A bringing of the minds, you can say. On November 29th you ask some, what I found to be interesting and thought provoking questions. And I’m whole in agreement of responding to your non-rhetorical questions in a “civil” manner. As long you don’t start none, it won’t be none.
Of course, I can only speak for myself, and the other Knicks Defenders would have no problem each speaking for themselves in expressing why they feel what they feel regarding the media, I am sure. But if you ever took a look at my BlogSpot webpage, Introducing Anti-NYSportsNews, you would have read why I became and chose the Moniker I did. I find that what I wrote then is, in light of what I know now, is quite apparent that I wasn’t far off base—-which the Knicks were indeed being hated on by the media. Indeed, in light of the Observers’ article—-it’s quite telling—-why it is some writers like Frank Isola, Vaccaro, Vecsey, and Lupica do write the way they do against the Knicks and their management. The expression “proof is in the pudding” whatever that expression really means, I think applies to what I am about to insert. The Observer’s article: Frank Isola said, “You can get stale on the beat,” he continued, “I shouldn’t be doing this anymore after 12 years. If everything was status quo and if everything was great, I probably would be the wrong guy to have on it. But now I’m the right guy to have on it because they’re trying to screw me over, and by trying to screw me over, it kind of lights a fire in you a little bit. It makes you more motivated to find STUFF out and EXPOSE what’s going on here.” Can you speak up Frank, to make sure the readers here reads you correctly, and knowing what you are really trying to say: Frank Isola: “I said, it makes you more motivated to find STUFF out and EXPOSE what’s going on here.” Ok, that’s what I thought, and many here reading, thought that is what we thought we were reading. (If that makes sense? lol) Anyway, what Frank Isola admitted is very telling. Very telling indeed. Speaking only for myself here, and in light of the Observer’s article, I’m sure, we all understand what Frank Isola and his other in Anti’s Doghouse residents admitted, I found to be very revealing and striking at the same time. Although giving me personally a better understanding of why they write what they write when covering the Knicks. And it may be half of the reason, and more to it at that. But I will stick with what was presented in the Observer’s article. “Why don’t you guys get on Dolan?” Trane asked us Defenders. Okay, basically, I see where you’re going with these questions thingy. You asking and saying that James Dolan and his Knicks should and is deserving of the bad press they receive because of Dolan’s so-called media hating policy and in how they (Knicks’ beat writers) are treated. That essentially James Dolan’s Ill treatment of the writers, is James making his bed (treating the writers bad…) and now sleeping in it (…resulting in the bad press they receive). “Why don’t you guys get on Dolan?” Well, speaking for myself, I won’t go to hating James Dolan or go all Anti-Dolan anytime soon, because Dolan doesn’t write the bad press that his Knicks’ team receives. That’s why. I mean If James Dolan did write bad press about his team, the Knicks, wouldn’t that be counter productive? Of, course, and did I really need to had had asked that question? Well, for some readers here, maybe. I mean didn’t you, Trane, ask that question above. So I gave you an answer. Another thing is, I don’t know James Dolan personally, probably I would one day because I’m writing a movie, and I’d like to showcase the Garden in it…but anyway, only James Dolan and perhaps some members of his staff knows fully why he treats and continues to treat the Knicks beat writers “supposedly” bad the way he does. Mike Lupica continual spewing out hatred and garbageness with anything Knicks is not helping these slighted writers’ cause. (Read the “Toothless dogs Has Lost Their Bite” on my BlogSpot.) “Isn’t it also possible Frank just happens to think the Knicks sucks?” (In that, he certainly wouldn’t be alone.) Of course I can realize that Franks believes at times the Knicks do, so called “suck” (recent Boston game REALLY “sucked”). But sometimes they don’t “suck” (like the game against Utah). (In that understanding, I certainly wouldn’t be alone). My reading of the Knicks management defender is that they can tolerate absolutely no criticism of I Lord Thomas, what-so-ever. Now, see, Trane, this is where you are wrong. I’m going to go all cut and paste right about now on ya, dropping a quote from my friend and fellow Knicks’ Defender, Lives in New Jersey, Loves New York. Where as I couldn’t had wrote it any better—-but with this paragraph—-what it does is captures for me personally how I felt when I first became Anti-NYSportsNews, even now: “Man, we are here because we are FANATICAL about our PASSION for our TEAM. We are JOINED HERE now because WE BELIEVE in the potential of this team under this management, AT THIS TIME. That does not mean that we will not be critical. It is precisely because we believe that we may be more critical of the failure of OUR PLAYERS and COACH to do better. But make no mistake about it, MOST OF US EXPECT BETTER. We want these people to do well. We are not here because we EXPECT FAILURE or because we WISH FOR FAILURE. WE ARE CRITICALLY FAITHFUL. And if they don’t COMPLY, then WE WILL LET THEM KNOW, game by game, possession by possession.” With those words I conclude this now.
Trane and Pete, one more thing, I’m here to encourage your guys to check yourself before you wreck yourselves. A number of times I came across statements from you guys that are seems plain asinine in its reasoning. Trane you keep on harboring statements with perceived notions that some people feel, using your quote: ““every win is a good win” is simply ludicrous.”
Well how ludicrous is losing a game when you played hard to win, but losing anyway?
Winning is all that matters—-and losing is never good.
WriteOn!!!
Anti-Out
ZDIDDY:
"Isiah is not our biggest problem......The biggest problem is NY."
JDolan is part of the problem. However, Isiah is our BIGGEST problem. He's been at this for more than 4 years now and he is still employing "trial & error" approach. Yes, you are right, NY fans & media are responsible for the 40 point loss against the Cs. Moreover, NY fans & media sexually harrassed AB Sanders. We are also to be blamed for overweight ECurry's lack of desire to play D and rebounding skills (grabbing 2 rebounds in 26 minutes of PT against the Bucks)
"I agree he is not doing a good job coaching this group of players he acquired, but I think that it would be difficult for Gregg Popovich, Jerry Sloan, Phil Jackson or any other coach on the planet to win with this team as presenlty constituted."
And who assembled these clowns? The NY media?
As we all saw in the Bucks win, fans are dying to cheer and support this team, myself included. Only if they can play the game the right way, put forth the effort, move the ball around, screen/picks, find the open man, play D, etc.....
ANTI:
I applaud KnicksDefenders' passion and commitment to this team. However, you know me, I have BIG problems with Isiah's Children treating him as if he is a "can walk on water" religious icon. You are more objective than the others plus you venture out of the 'protective cocoon" to read various viewpoints. KD.com is a 'pat in the back' love-fest clubhouse. It's a homogeneous society. It's ironic, that site is emulating JDolan's media policy if you know what I mean. Everyone hates JDolan media policy yet the Defenders are guided by it in their insulated cocoon. Go figure.
It is quite apparent at this point that Isiah can save his job. Dolan doesn't want to fire him, but will if the team continues to win only 5 out of every 15 games. Here is how he can save his job:
--buy out or trade Marbury, soon. The team plays with more heart, shares the ball more effectively, and rallies around each other much more when Marbury is off the court.
--trade Curry for draft picks, better contracts. Randolph is better than Curry and plays better when Curry is off the court. Curry also can't defend, rebound or pass.
These two moves would improve the Knicks and save Isiah's job (for better or worse). Then in the off-season, the Knicks could draft or sign a pass first, good defending point guard and get the team on the right track.
However, if Isiah persists on playing/defending Marbury and Curry, then it is only a matter of time before he is fired.
The Last Media Manifesto
Is there really any point in going back over all this? Has it not reached a point of intransigence? On both sides? Are any minds going to be changed if I respond to Anti’s post to Pete and me? The answer to all those questions is almost certainly “no.” But I’ll respond respectfully and then hope it can be relegated to the “agree to disagree” pile.
The more I think about this, the more I realize how much it has to do with how you see the press in general. Alan was not off base when he implied that many “conspiracy” bloggers want their sports beat writers to be cheerleaders. I think it’s time to come clean. I’d rather have a press who are attack dogs than lap dogs. At least watch dogs.
In my experience, in my lifetime, media-bashing is a right-wing agenda. In my experience, media-bashing comes from places like the Bush White House – in other words, very paranoid places where there are plenty of lies to hide. To whatever degree I’m sure there are NY beat writers with it in for Isiah on any number of levels . . . when I continue to read these blanket renouncements of the “hating” beat writers . . . somewhere I see Karl Rove smiling. He’s done his work well.
Every time I read about the beat writers who are “haters” I can’t help feeling that the aids in the Nixon White House must have felt the same way about Dan Rather and Woodward and Bernstein that many of the Knicks defenders feel about Lupica and Alan, not to mention Isola. Not a very honorable intellectual tradition.
Too extreme an example? Maybe. But it clarifies where I’m coming from. I want my press to ask questions. To be suspicious and skeptical, and not to jot down obligingly the party line. And yes, when there is dirt, I want them to dig and dig and dig until they uncover it. And I resent people like Dolan who block a journalist’s access to the story. If he doesn’t have something to hide, what’s he afraid of? A negative story? If he can’t handle negative press, he shouldn’t live in the public spotlight. Nobody asked him to buy the team. And run it into the ground.
Anti seems to think it’s very telling when Isola says the bad blood between MSG and the media motivates them to FIND stuff out and EXPOSE them (his caps). Anti treats this as a smoking gun for the hate-charging conspiracy theorists. I see this as A JOURNALIST’S MANIFESTO. My caps. That’s what a free independent press SHOULD be doing ALL the time. That’s as good a definition of their job as I’ve ever read. Finding and exposing the story. If the story they find and expose is accurate then it’s an absolutely legitimate enterprise. That’s a reporter’s job.
Defenders also treat the Observer story as a smoking gun on another level focusing on Isola. See, they say – we told ya so. He has an AGENDA. Yes, Isola is clearly made out to be an extreme example in the Observer article. But that’s exactly what proves how ludicrous it is to talk about ALL the beat writers as though they’re the same. It just proves how different he is from someone like Hahn or Beck. Totally different agendas, although that’s not what you’re led to believe when you read that all beat writers are “haters” with the same agenda.
The very fact that the Isola case is extreme and unique undercuts the very notion of a monolithic NY sports Mass Media.
I’ve read “Lives” a lot. I do believe he has the capacity to be critical. But he certainly isn’t describing the majority of conspiracy theorists. But I would no sooner think of the conspiracy theorists as monolithic as I would think of the media that way. Which brings me to . . .
Two final points:
First, the smoking gun for me was the suggestion that all wins should be treated as good wins. And I stand by my statement. That’s ludicrous. You talk about asinine reasoning, but your logic is all over the place, and nowhere at the same time. In fact, SOME games, “when you played hard to win” actually CAN be optimistic. Absolutely. That doesn’t address the comment I made. It has nothing to do with what I said. Thus, proves nothing. So what was your point? I stated only that all wins are NOT good wins. Some are badly played and ugly. Some are lucky. It’s complicated. There are gray areas. Who played well and who didn’t? Was the team well prepared? Was the game well officiated? A terrible foul call against the other team, that puts your team on the line to get the win, for example, can’t be as good a win as a well-played game. That’s exactly a reporter’s job – to go beneath the surface, superficial level (who won and who lost) and find the story within the story within the story.
That’s the second point. It’s ain’t that simple, guys. Too many conspiracy theorists write as if the world is divided up into good guys and bad guys (the “media” being the bad guys). I don’t buy good guys and bad guys. It’s more complicated than that. You treat it as black and white. You have no doubt in your righteousness about this so-called monolithic “media.”
I think you don’t like the news you’re getting, so you’re blaming the messenger. When the real source of the bad news is the management team at MSG. They’re the ones that created the mess we’re in.
A coda: And then I read Lupica’s terrific piece about George Mitchell today and I’m reminded that we all take ourselves a little too seriously. Maybe a lot too seriously. “Garbageness”? I read Lupica because he’s one of the best sports writers and he’s smart and has passion and cares about the sports he writes about Whether I agree with him or not. Garbageness is probably what Barry Bonds is thinking right about now.
In many ways, this whole argument comes down to the fact that those shouting HATE want to find hate. In the exact same way they claim the press wants to find fault with the team or Isiah. They revel in that “AHA” moment. It’s clear in post after post.
Sorry this got so long. It’s just too easy to blame the press for bad news. And those that do, traditionally, are people with something to hide. I’d certainly prefer a press that errs on the side of aggressive reporting, instead of passive (cf, the Reagan years). You don’t like the New York sports writers, that’s your privilege. Don’t read them, or try to get them fired. That’s your privilege. But ask yourself how so many different writers, who are overtly in competition, from so many media outlets – also in competition- are, indeed, finding many of the same flaws in the system. Or just open your eyes. How can you not see a mess every time the Knicks take the court?
@david.
you hit the nail on the head, with the exception that isiah can not remain as coach. the man has no idea how to coach. if it helps dolan to save face, then leave him as gm. the knicks need to cut their loses with starjerk and cottoncurry. the team needs to be built around zbo, lee, jamal and balkman. all other parts are superfluous.
how's this trade marbury,rose,jones,robinson for tinsley,daniels,dunleavy,murphy it gives indiana cap room and gives the knicks a true point guard and small forward
MOST OF U GUYS IN HERE ARE SO IGNORANT AND BIAS. COS JAMAL HAD A GOOD NIGHT AND THE KNICKS WON A GAME, ALL OF A SUDDEN STEPH NEEDS TO BE BOUGHT OUT OR TRADED. ARE U GUYS INSANE. WE ALL KNOW JAMAL, AKA MR. INCONSISTENT. HE PLAYS WELL ONE GAME AND EVERYBODY IS ON THE BANDWAGEON. I GIVE CRAWFORD CREDIT BUT TO INSIST THE KNICKS ARE BETTER OF WITH CRAWFORD IS JUST SICK. CRAWFORD STARTED TO GET HOT IN THE GAME WHEN STEPH FOUND HIM IN THE CORNER FOR A 3 POINTER BEFORE STEPH WENT DOWN. U GUYS SAID JAMAL SHOULD BE THE POINT, WHERE HE WILL CHUNK UP SHOTS AFTER SHOTS EVEN WHEN THEY ARE NOT FALLING OVER A GUY WHO WILL GET U TO THE LINE WITH HIS PENETRATION AND DRIVE TO THE BASKETBALL. THAT SHOWS HOW SLOW MINDED NY FANS ARE. TO TAKE JAMAL A GUY WHO DOES NOT PLAY A LICK OF DEFENSE AND SHOOTS A POOR PERCENTAGE IS VERY LUNATIC AND INSANITY. TO ME JAMAL IS A GUY WHO CAN SPARK THE ENERGY AND CHANGE THE MOMENTUM OF A GAME BY COMING OFF THE BENCH, LIKE MANU GINOBLI TYPE BUT WITHOUT THE DEFENSE AND SHOOT SELECTION.
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