N.Y. Knicks: Killing Us Softly With Their Words

From the desk of:  DUTCH PANTS CAN'T JUMP

NEW YORK KNICKS:  What's You Angle?  Who's Baby Is That?  I'll Buy That!

....If you don't know where that is from, before there were The Simpsons, there was a guy named Flintstone.

The Madison Square Garden Triumvirate has spoken, and no word brings good news.  This is what the Knicks had to say for themselves after Sunday afternoon's 120-89 branding administered by the San Antonio Spurs:

• No pride - Coach Woodson.

The coach is riddled with conflict he can not resolve.  Woodson was originally brought here to help Mike D'Antoni on the defensive side, but the Knicks stubbornly keep playing D'Antoni's defensive style long after his departure - which is none.  There was little to no excuse for allowing 120 points,  despite missing Tyson Chandler, because much of the damage came from the perimeter, and not necessarily inside.  In fact, Iman Shumpert might want to get an MRI on his ankles, and send the bill to Tony Parker.

Coach may have been dead-on when he said the Knicks showed no pride on their home court.  He was just offering an honest and poignant assessment.  That's what you also call taking the safe way through the media.  It's an old ruse to avoid singling-out any one player, while directly making it about the players.  The only problem is, the only player in Madison Square Garden that matters is Carmelo Anthony, and he does not play defense.  And if you remember, when Mike Woodson took over head coaching duties, he (took the media safe route - ding ding ding!  and...) decided right away to ride Melo like a mule.  Coach said so.  In fact, I remember Woodson saying (paraphrasing) - I know where my toast gets buttered.  To me, that just wreaks of inner-conflict.

For as long as long Woodson remains the antithesis of Mike D'Antoni, the known universe keeps a low opinion of James Dolan, and the ball continues to go through Dolan's acquisition, Carmelo Anthony, Woodson should continue have an ally in the media.  For the first time however, fans have started chanting for his dismissal, and James Dolan might be stupid impatient enough to listen.

So you see, this all goes so ponderously beyond X's and O's.

• We didn't compete, and it showed today; embarrassing - Carmelo Anthony

In the month of November - no - within the span of eight days, Carmelo Anthony played 163 minutes of basketball.  He averaged 40.1 minutes-per, in games against the Timberwolves, a home and home against the Bobcats, and most recently against the Spurs.  To begin the month, Melo scored 22 points against Minnesota and pulled down 17 rebounds.  By Sunday afternoon, Anthony was reduced to 16 points, 8 rebounds, and one assist against San Antonio.  Even if Melo wanted to play defense, he can't - not with this kind of work load.  And it's only six games into the season!

Ya Mule!

There will be more embarrassing games.  Be sure if it.  That is inevitable when a preponderance of players are not committed, (obligated), or incapable of playing defense.  What guys like Melo and J.R. Smith can do is make offensive comebacks somewhat exciting to watch.  You win some and lose some according to that method.  But well after the buzzer goes off, there is no getting around the game tape.  The film never lies, and reveals flawed basketball with no opinions.  It is what it is.  Stuff like that comes back to haunt teams in the playoffs.  ding ding ding!

Emptying the kitchen cabinets to acquire Carmelo Anthony, and a resulting ill-configured roster, max dollars and injuries to both Amare Stoudemire and Tyson Chandler, firing a coach and general manager, and yes, defense, are not on Carmelo Anthony.  The only thing on Carmelo Anthony is Carmelo Anthony.  And besides, he's Dolan's guy, which unfairly exposes Mike Woodson, no matter how embarrassing play on the floor gets.

• We're going to win the next game, that's a guarantee - James Dolan

The first guy was offering an opinion.  The second guy was just stating the obvious.  This last guy is so astonishingly out of touch, it's not funny.  I think we are witnessing the process of James Dolan losing his mind.  The Nets, Mikhail Prokhorov and Barclays Center, made him spend $1 billion dollars to renovate the Garden, and then New York City officials turned around and told him he only has ten more years to enjoy it.  No wonder he is so desperate to win - Wednesday night's game in Atlanta?




Mike.BTB