New York Post Pull-Out Section, Schedule
November 4, 2010
This is as good a time as ever. It's time for me to break my silence. Two years ago Donnie Walsh said he had a plan, and part of which meant getting Salary Cap Flexibility. To every-one's amazement, he accomplished that with effective haste. We knew the roster needed to be deconstructed. And it has been.
Entering year three under Donnie, we found ourselves in a position to add a player of Amare Stoudemire's caliber. He will not be enough, but that is a different conversation. The point is, the Knicks under Coach D'Antoni are back on the clock now. Donnie asked for two years from me as a fan and I gave them up willingly and happily. I was grateful change was upon us. However it's time to start grading report cards again. Their grace period is over however thankful I am with further separation from the ZEKE Era.
Tonight we are in ChiTown taking on the Bulls. It's an early season barometer for us. We played well against the Celtics a short time ago but didn't win. Tonight, a competitive effort against a team that lapped us once around in rebuilding our teams of the 90's, would go a long way towards gaining my short term attention back. It's time to admit something I have never dealt with before as a fan of any of my teams.
I am a Knicks fan at a crossroads. It has everything to do with becoming disconnected in the last years of the Isiah Thomas years and my inability to fully get back into the swing of things. It had gotten so bad for me personally that I am still in the process of re-learning the League again. Honest.
The second factor contributing to my Knick disconnect is none other than the New Jersey Nets franchise coming to Brooklyn. Zeke and the Brooklyn development changed everything for me.
I do not think (I know) I will ever stop being a Knicks fan. Sooner than later I will be back up to snuff on all things Knicks again. It's just been slow coming because the Nets have stolen all my attention since their initial announcement they were coming to the Borough of Kings. I'll start to explain myself now that the season is in swing.
KNICKS vs. BULLS
Live Picture of WARM-UPS from my "source" in Chicago.
Game shots may follow; Maybe not.
1st Half:
Gallinari; high scorer ~ 21 points
Stoudemire ~ 12 points
KNICKS 70
Bulls 52
Photo ~ 1st half action.
The New York Knicks have done everything right in the first half putting up 30+ points in each of the first two quarters. But I expect much better play by the Bulls in the second half.
Derrick Rose was just chucking up threes for the most part.
Gallinari had a break-out performance in the first half. He needs to sustain now. That's been his knock. Coach D doesn't think he brings it every game. He's right. But tonight this is the Gallo everyone hoped they were getting when we drafted him.
2ND HALF
Gallinari pretty much disappeared. He scored 3 points in the 2nd half after such a strong start.
Raymond Felton finished with 20 points and 10 assists. What a great night for him.
Amare Stoudemire increased his points total by 2; finishing with 14 points tonight. He hung in and took a charge late in the 4th quarter. I like to see that.
30 points by Toney Douglas off the bench was the difference tonight by far. That was his career high.
The Knicks had 6 blocked shots and have doubled their average over last year in that category.
Tonight is what a Mike D'Antoni team is supposed to look like...in theory and in practice.
The Knicks spread the ball around, ran the breaks and shot very very well from the field. It was especially nice to see us get the win and Stoudemire not being among the leading scorers.
Like I said earlier, playing these guys was a good way to see where we stand so far. They got out to an early lead tonight, and never really looked back. They won convincingly and made the defensive stops when they had to. Defense? Chicago didn't play much of it tonight. They had huge lapses in effort tonight.
...Just taking everything in stride.
Final
KNICKS 120
Bulls 112
Mike.BTB
Thanks. Stop by again some time.
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