Post by irish2u2 on Dec 22, 2009 15:31:24 GMT -5
I like "This and That" because I can cover a lot with one post.
I haven't been around much due to the Holidays and some developing family issues back in NJ but I have been watching the Knicks.
I'm not going to say they have been "impressive" but they have been interesting.
D'Antoni seems to be homing in on a rotation which is good. That rotation does not include Eddy Curry, Darko Milicic or Nate Robinson. That could be bad.
D'Antoni has the team playing better defense which is good. He allowed them to hoist up 47 treys against Chicago and his ego would not allow him to try Nate against Charlotte (in Charlotte) when we could not buy a basket. Bad. Very, very bad.
D'Antoni is winning some games and perhaps looking at the first winning month of regular season basket ball in 3 years. Good. He's winning at the expense of playing younger guys and guys under contract we might be able to trade. Could be bad.
Now here is how I see it.
Winning is good and maybe making the playoffs is good but not at the expense of the future. By this I mean the Knicks are better if they can trade Curry, Jefferies and Nate and better down the road if they play Hill, Douglas and Milicic. What we should be doing now is positioning ourselves to see which players we keep NEXT season, what we can get for players who are not part of NEXT season. That's team building.
On to the particulars....
I want some board cred for Jared Jefferies.
I have been in the guy's corner and he is showing what he can do and it isn't just in the boxscore. Now why didn't he play this way before? Board cred has to go to Iron for calling it right on Tyreke Evans. I take him over Derrick Rose right now.
Jonathon Bender. Wow!!! Four years of not playing and a week of practice and he looks fantastic. Give him some more time to get his legs and wind together and feel more comfortable and he is an asset. Perhaps a huge asset.
I won't be the first to say this but Eddy Curry looks good in limited time on the court. He is hustling at both ends of the court and while rusty and still knocking players over on his way to the basket he is also showing some effort and a glimpse at his impressive skill set. David Lee has been playing great but he is a PF. We need to play Curry and maybe Milicic at center.In fact strike that last statement. Since we haven't played Darko and he is adamant about going to Europe next year play just Curry. If anything we get a player and the best case scenario is we can trade Eddy for an expiring contract and a draft pick.
Chris Duhon and Wilson Chandler are stepping up their games too and David Lee is starting to move to the next level. He is a keeper.
Jefferies play is mystifying (and delightful) but Gallinari? He misses two key free throws but wins the game on a shot block? I could write this but nobody would believe it. Italians playing defense.
Now for the "If I were the coach of the Knicks" segment of this post.
The current roster:
Lee, Milicic, Curry and Hill at center.
Bender, Harrington, and Jefferies at PF.
Gallinari and Landry at SF.
Chandler, Hughes and Nate at SG.
Duhon and Douglas at PG.
You can dress only 12 so Landry and Darko go into suits.
I think the NBADL is fine but players do better when they can practice with the team so while he doesn't play much Jordan Hill stays on the team albeit at the end of the bench. Ditto for Landry though he doesn't dress for games.
I don't care much about the starting lineup but I do think Harrington is better off the bench so Curry, Lee, Gallo, Chandler and Duhon works for me. We use Jefferies, Harrington and Bender up front with Hughes and either Douglas or Nate.
My caveats on Nate. While his agent has been bitchin' I have nothing but praise for the way Nate has acted during this difficult stretch in his career. I think he should play but only if he meets these conditions...
Play PG. Play defense. The ability is there to be a pesky, ballhawking sumagun who doesn't get exploited as much for his lack of height because the guy he is defending either isn't getting the ball or too scared to put it on the floor. Nate can play defense. He can handle the ball and pass. He can score too and as a spark off the bench he could be invaluable but he has to play a role and he has to play smart.
I think Jefferies has done a lot for us but I cut down his minutes. I play Bender more and even in the post because of his shooting ability. He would open up the middle like the Lincoln Tunnel for Lee and Chandler to get to the basket on pick and rolls.
Give Curry a shot. I like what I see physically and I know his game is rusty. If he can give us some low post, high efficiency offense plus improved defense and rebounding the Knicks are a much better team because that allows us to play Lee at PF. Lee is a key player as his range expands and his offense improves.
Harrington is still perfect off the bench. He can play either forward position and he finishes well so the pick and roll works with him too.
Gallinari is key. I see the confidence improving but he needs to drive more as teams tighten up on him when he is behind the three point line. As discussed many times here players are better when they mix up their games more with perimeter shots and drives. Driving gets you to the foul line and puts opponents in foul trouble. Driving also loosens up a defense because they have to respect the ability to get to the basket.
My advice to Gallo is a) take bigger steps to the basket. Choppy steps add time and give defenders time to react. Big, long strides get you and the ball to the basket ahead of defenders. b) Shoot more off the dribble. Gallo has a very good rhythm jumper and the physical ability to stop and pop. Great players have more facets to their game and the ability to shoot from the perimeter, get to the basket and stop and pop is what guys like Kobe, LeBron, Wade, Paul and Melo do. I love Danillo's defense and hustle but he needs to square up on the perimeter shots. Get thos shoulders squared and feet set right and make sure to put some arc on the ball.
Duhon has been playing better of late. When he hits shots he makes himself a guy who has to be guarded instead of the guy first abandoned by opponents when they double up somebody else. Passing the ball his assist to turnover ratio has been good. Duhon is still a better backup but till somebody better comes along he will do.
Major props to Wilson Chandler. His play at both ends of the court has been outstanding.
I think Larry Hughes has played well as has rookie Toney Davis. Till we can remove the logjam up front (hopefully by trade) then Jordan Hill only gets garbage time but you can see he has skills. The addition of Jon Bender retards his progress but I like what Bender brings. He could be a key play now and in the future as the rust slips away and as long as that right knee stays healthy.
The Knicks play well when they play team ball on offense and defense. When we pass a lot, play unselfish and take good shots we are a damn fine offensive team. When we talk and switch and help we are decent defensive team. Right now we should be lining up "components" for the FA Bonanza this summer. We need to keep Lee. That should be first and if Bender works out then that is great for us too.
The "components" for 2010....
David Lee. He adds scoring, rebounding, passing and as he gets better shooting the ball he becomes a high post option. Leaving the basket area uncluttered can only help that certain superstar we might be getting this summer....
Lee's defense has improved too and cost wise he won't break the bank.
Danilo Gallinari is vital because we need a good perimeter shooter and Gallo might be a 4 position type player. He's a lot tougher than most think and a much better defender.
Wilson Chandler might be expendable but I hope not. I think he can play SG but my hope is we add LeBron and Joe Johnson. His ability at both ends of the court is unquestioned.
The "rooks". Hill and Douglas are both important as depth and talent off the bench.
Jon Bender. He likely would come to the Knicks cheap and there is no denying he has major talent and he's still young. He's a team player too who keeps the BBall IQ high.
I'm on the fence about Harrington and Duhon. At the right price they are good assets. Woudl either or both settle for the right price to stay in NY?
My hope is we can trade Curry, Jefferies and Nate. Maybe get a couple of draft picks out of the deal and more cap relief. We will lose Hughes and Darko as their contracts expire leaving us hopefully with a nucleus of Lee, Gallo, Chandler, Hill, Douglas and maybe Harrington, Bender and/or Duhon. Now add LBJ and Joe Johnson and we have playoffs plus a team filled with versatile players.
Happy Holidays to All.
I haven't been around much due to the Holidays and some developing family issues back in NJ but I have been watching the Knicks.
I'm not going to say they have been "impressive" but they have been interesting.
D'Antoni seems to be homing in on a rotation which is good. That rotation does not include Eddy Curry, Darko Milicic or Nate Robinson. That could be bad.
D'Antoni has the team playing better defense which is good. He allowed them to hoist up 47 treys against Chicago and his ego would not allow him to try Nate against Charlotte (in Charlotte) when we could not buy a basket. Bad. Very, very bad.
D'Antoni is winning some games and perhaps looking at the first winning month of regular season basket ball in 3 years. Good. He's winning at the expense of playing younger guys and guys under contract we might be able to trade. Could be bad.
Now here is how I see it.
Winning is good and maybe making the playoffs is good but not at the expense of the future. By this I mean the Knicks are better if they can trade Curry, Jefferies and Nate and better down the road if they play Hill, Douglas and Milicic. What we should be doing now is positioning ourselves to see which players we keep NEXT season, what we can get for players who are not part of NEXT season. That's team building.
On to the particulars....
I want some board cred for Jared Jefferies.
I have been in the guy's corner and he is showing what he can do and it isn't just in the boxscore. Now why didn't he play this way before? Board cred has to go to Iron for calling it right on Tyreke Evans. I take him over Derrick Rose right now. Jonathon Bender. Wow!!! Four years of not playing and a week of practice and he looks fantastic. Give him some more time to get his legs and wind together and feel more comfortable and he is an asset. Perhaps a huge asset.
I won't be the first to say this but Eddy Curry looks good in limited time on the court. He is hustling at both ends of the court and while rusty and still knocking players over on his way to the basket he is also showing some effort and a glimpse at his impressive skill set. David Lee has been playing great but he is a PF. We need to play Curry and maybe Milicic at center.In fact strike that last statement. Since we haven't played Darko and he is adamant about going to Europe next year play just Curry. If anything we get a player and the best case scenario is we can trade Eddy for an expiring contract and a draft pick.
Chris Duhon and Wilson Chandler are stepping up their games too and David Lee is starting to move to the next level. He is a keeper.
Jefferies play is mystifying (and delightful) but Gallinari? He misses two key free throws but wins the game on a shot block? I could write this but nobody would believe it. Italians playing defense.
Now for the "If I were the coach of the Knicks" segment of this post.
The current roster:
Lee, Milicic, Curry and Hill at center.
Bender, Harrington, and Jefferies at PF.
Gallinari and Landry at SF.
Chandler, Hughes and Nate at SG.
Duhon and Douglas at PG.
You can dress only 12 so Landry and Darko go into suits.
I think the NBADL is fine but players do better when they can practice with the team so while he doesn't play much Jordan Hill stays on the team albeit at the end of the bench. Ditto for Landry though he doesn't dress for games.
I don't care much about the starting lineup but I do think Harrington is better off the bench so Curry, Lee, Gallo, Chandler and Duhon works for me. We use Jefferies, Harrington and Bender up front with Hughes and either Douglas or Nate.
My caveats on Nate. While his agent has been bitchin' I have nothing but praise for the way Nate has acted during this difficult stretch in his career. I think he should play but only if he meets these conditions...
Play PG. Play defense. The ability is there to be a pesky, ballhawking sumagun who doesn't get exploited as much for his lack of height because the guy he is defending either isn't getting the ball or too scared to put it on the floor.
Nate can play defense. He can handle the ball and pass. He can score too and as a spark off the bench he could be invaluable but he has to play a role and he has to play smart. I think Jefferies has done a lot for us but I cut down his minutes. I play Bender more and even in the post because of his shooting ability. He would open up the middle like the Lincoln Tunnel for Lee and Chandler to get to the basket on pick and rolls.
Give Curry a shot. I like what I see physically and I know his game is rusty. If he can give us some low post, high efficiency offense plus improved defense and rebounding the Knicks are a much better team because that allows us to play Lee at PF. Lee is a key player as his range expands and his offense improves.
Harrington is still perfect off the bench. He can play either forward position and he finishes well so the pick and roll works with him too.
Gallinari is key. I see the confidence improving but he needs to drive more as teams tighten up on him when he is behind the three point line. As discussed many times here players are better when they mix up their games more with perimeter shots and drives. Driving gets you to the foul line and puts opponents in foul trouble. Driving also loosens up a defense because they have to respect the ability to get to the basket.
My advice to Gallo is a) take bigger steps to the basket. Choppy steps add time and give defenders time to react. Big, long strides get you and the ball to the basket ahead of defenders. b) Shoot more off the dribble. Gallo has a very good rhythm jumper and the physical ability to stop and pop. Great players have more facets to their game and the ability to shoot from the perimeter, get to the basket and stop and pop is what guys like Kobe, LeBron, Wade, Paul and Melo do. I love Danillo's defense and hustle but he needs to square up on the perimeter shots. Get thos shoulders squared and feet set right and make sure to put some arc on the ball.
Duhon has been playing better of late. When he hits shots he makes himself a guy who has to be guarded instead of the guy first abandoned by opponents when they double up somebody else. Passing the ball his assist to turnover ratio has been good. Duhon is still a better backup but till somebody better comes along he will do.
Major props to Wilson Chandler. His play at both ends of the court has been outstanding.
I think Larry Hughes has played well as has rookie Toney Davis. Till we can remove the logjam up front (hopefully by trade) then Jordan Hill only gets garbage time but you can see he has skills. The addition of Jon Bender retards his progress but I like what Bender brings. He could be a key play now and in the future as the rust slips away and as long as that right knee stays healthy.
The Knicks play well when they play team ball on offense and defense. When we pass a lot, play unselfish and take good shots we are a damn fine offensive team. When we talk and switch and help we are decent defensive team. Right now we should be lining up "components" for the FA Bonanza this summer. We need to keep Lee. That should be first and if Bender works out then that is great for us too.
The "components" for 2010....
David Lee. He adds scoring, rebounding, passing and as he gets better shooting the ball he becomes a high post option. Leaving the basket area uncluttered can only help that certain superstar we might be getting this summer....
Lee's defense has improved too and cost wise he won't break the bank.
Danilo Gallinari is vital because we need a good perimeter shooter and Gallo might be a 4 position type player. He's a lot tougher than most think and a much better defender.
Wilson Chandler might be expendable but I hope not. I think he can play SG but my hope is we add LeBron and Joe Johnson. His ability at both ends of the court is unquestioned.
The "rooks". Hill and Douglas are both important as depth and talent off the bench.
Jon Bender. He likely would come to the Knicks cheap and there is no denying he has major talent and he's still young. He's a team player too who keeps the BBall IQ high.
I'm on the fence about Harrington and Duhon. At the right price they are good assets. Woudl either or both settle for the right price to stay in NY?
My hope is we can trade Curry, Jefferies and Nate. Maybe get a couple of draft picks out of the deal and more cap relief. We will lose Hughes and Darko as their contracts expire leaving us hopefully with a nucleus of Lee, Gallo, Chandler, Hill, Douglas and maybe Harrington, Bender and/or Duhon. Now add LBJ and Joe Johnson and we have playoffs plus a team filled with versatile players.
Happy Holidays to All.
