Brooklyn Nets: For Jarrett Allen, Time is of the Essence

From the desk: THE HOOPS OF FLATBUSH

"Center of Attention"

In Sean Marks, we trust, right?

Jarrett Allen is my favorite player.  Let's get that out of the way.  I was not pleased to hear his name mentioned in off-season trade rumors and would have been downright irate had he been included in a rumored deal for James Harden.  But I digress ...

Allan's contract status is the matter at hand.  Brooklyn's center of attention and the Nets recently failed to reach an agreement on an extension by the required deadline.  Thus, he becomes a restricted free agent at season's end.  This is just capitalism at work.  I have no compunction letting the market set Allen's price, so long as I know the Nets are committed to matching any potential offers.  And there's the rub.  Jarrett is effectively playing out the rest of the season to establish his future worth.  If all goes according to plan, Jarrett's annual value is due to spike from its present level of just under $4 million towards much higher and more cap and tax problematic sums.

Lest we forget, Caris LeVert last season signed an extension that was well celebrated by fans.  At this stage, I would also argue Spencer Dinwiddie is more expendable than Jarrett Allen.  

But the real phantom menace at play here is veteran DeAndre Jordan, who came loosely linked together with KD and Kyrie Irving.  He is taking up time and space that formerly belonged to Jarrett Allen.  In four games to date (two exhibitions, two regular-season), DeAndre Jordan started each time with Allen coming off the bench.  Jordan in the pre-season played 17 minutes and 19 minutes, respectively; Allen punched in 15 minutes and 17 minutes.  Through four games, Coach Nash has so far kept his starting lineup intact.  But whereas Jordan's playing time has remained consistent at 17 minutes against Golden State, then 19 minutes at Boston, Jarrett Allen's minutes were bumped up to 20 against the Warriors, and 21 minutes against the Celtics.  

Regular Season:

• Jordan vs. G.S. - 17 minutes, 11 rebounds, 4 points, 1 block.
• Allan vs. G.S. - 20 minutes, 7 rebounds, 8 points, 2 blocks.

• Jordan vs. BOS - 19 minutes, 7 rebounds, 4 points, 2 blocks.
• Allan vs. BOS - 21 minutes, 11 rebounds, 9 points, 4 blocks.

Albeit a small sample size, the numbers both collectively and individually speak for themselves.  No team in their right mind turns away 38.5 minutes, 18 rebounds, 12.5 points, and 4.5 blocks per game at center.  For the moment, it's a good problem for the Nets to have, but for how long?  Jarrett is averaging just 20.5 minutes a game.  He hasn't averaged as little as 20 minutes a game since his rookie season.  This, after spending the last two seasons as a prominent performer on an emerging playoff contender, punching the clock for 26.3 minutes per game.  Said another way, Allen, a starter for most other league teams, is theoretically deprived of a half-dozen minutes per game.  What Coach Nash has planned for Jordan and Allan moving forward remains to be seen.  Allen won't be 23-years old till next Spring.  Jordan, although very likable, is ten years Allen's elder.  Injuries can come into play for all we know.  But as they say: time is money.  In Allan's case, minutes are now his primary unit of value.  

So, what's a restricted free agent to do in the meantime?  

I guess learn from Jordan and Amare Stoudemire and prove himself an indispensable component of the Nets.

Circling back to Sean Marks, he continually reiterates the merits of being a disciplined organization, one that sticks with the plan, all the while prioritizing team and organizational culture.  Well, Jarrett Allen has been no less instrumental in establishing said culture than any player to don a Brooklyn Nets uniform.

Brooklyn Nets: Pre-Season Test Run Goes Smoothly

From the desk: THE HOOPS OF FLATBUSH

THE LAB

PRE-SEASON

• NETS 119; Wizards 114
• Nets 113; CELTICS 89

I can't remember the first or last time I had such fun watching pre-season games!

It's been eighteen months, well over 500 days, since Sean Marks signed Kevin Durant.  Nets fans waited excitedly but patiently throughout until Dec. 13, when KD and Kyrie Irving finally played together as members of the Brooklyn Nets.  Their respective first-half effort against Washington was an eye-popping glimpse into what could possibly be a fascinating season in Flatbush.  In turning away the Wizards during last Sunday's opener at Barclays Center, the team's oft-debated team synergy was a complete non-issue.  The two joined for 33 points en route to a 68-50 first-half lead.  Said another way, they accounted for 48.5% of the Nets first-half scoring.  I don't like math, but I'm completely copacetic with that measure of contribution as water ultimately seeks its own level.

On Friday, the Brooks rolled to their second victory this time over (last year's playoff-contending) Celtics by a commanding 24-point margin.  Naturally, both Durant's and Irving's minutes increased.  So far, through two games and 51 total minutes for Durant and 45-minutes for Irving, they've been nothing short of impressive.  Durant, in particular, appears completely recovered from surgery and rehabilitation.  He's shown no signs of hesitancy.  In fact, his first step appears explosive as ever.  Durant scored a floor high 25 points in 27 minutes, with six defensive boards.  Drawing attention and fouls, he was 5 of 6 from the line and put up a team-high sixteen attempts.  Irving put up the second-most attempts, shooting 7 of 15 from the field for 17 points with no trips to the line.  He otherwise tied for a game-high five assists and was second on the team in rebounding with seven.  Together Durant and Irving accounted for 37.1% of Brooklyn's total points.  As I said, water will find its own level.  These numbers are due to change once the regular season commences this coming Tuesday.

Unable to participate against the Wizards (knee), Caris LeVert joined in with 18 points in 21 minutes off the bench.  He was 6 of 13 from the floor, including 2 of 3 from the arc and a perfect 4 of 4 from the line.  With LeVert back in the fold, both Tyler Johnson's and Timothe Luwawu-Cabbarot's minutes dropped by half.

After missing a pair of three-point attempts against Washington, happy-to-be-back Joe Harris connected on 4 of 7 from the arc against Boston.

Getting consistent minutes under close inspection were Taurean Prince and Landry Shamet.  In 42 minutes, Prince was 5 of 11 (55%) from the floor with five boards, and Shamet in 39 minutes was 4 of 12 (33%) with just one assist but six rebounds.

Meanwhile, DeAndre Jordan and Jarrett Allen remain at the center of my attention.  Against Washington, in splitting 32 minutes, the two joined for only seven points with eleven defensive boards.  Coach Nash started Jordan for a second straight game.  DeAndre against Boston made no attempts from the field and was 1 of 2 from the line.  However, he did tie with a team-high five assists with four rebounds, three steals, and two blocked shots in 19-minutes.  In 17-minutes off the bench, an aggressive Jarrett Allen was 5 of 6 from the line with nine points overall.  He secured a game-high eleven boards and was a +20 for the game.

Now the fun really starts.  Brooklyn's regular-season commences this coming Tuesday night against the Golden State Warriors at the Flatbush Avenue Gym.  Ironic that Tuesday's opener is against the team for which Kevin Durant last played an NBA game.  He tore his Achillies mid-June 2019 during Game 5 of the NBA Finals.  By month's end, the free agent agreed to sign with the Nets.

Flatbush was a playoff team last season minus Kyrie Irving's services, who played just twenty games.  After appearing in the team's first eleven games, he missed the next two months from mid-November through mid-January.  Kyrie returned to play nine more games.  However, Feb. 2, at Washington would be his last of the season.  He would ultimately undergo surgery to relieve a right shoulder impingement.  Through two pre-seasons games, like Kevin Durant, Irving's performance appeared free and unrestricted.  He's also made peace with the media after referring to them as pawns - a matter, however, that doesn't interest me much.  All that matters to me is his ability to stay on the floor.

From the outside looking in, this team can appear cliquish to the casual observer.  I do not believe so.  But that's going to be Steve Nash's responsibility to discern.  For you have Nash, Mike D'Antoni, and Amare Stoudemire, who all have a long relationship together.  You have assistant coach Jacque Vaughn and the Flatbush cultivated crew of Caris LeVert, Jarrett Allen, Joe Harris, Spencer Dinwiddie, and even Rodions Kurucs.  Lastly, you have the incoming triumvirate of Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, and DeAndre Jordan, who together agreed to join forces.  I'm looking forward to an agreeable melding of minds between Nash, Durant, and Irving.  However, I'm also curious to see who is trying to be the alpha personality on any given day.

I trust that Sean Marks thought all this through ...

#NoHarden

Brooklyn Nets: Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving Play Together at Last

From the desk: THE HOOPS OF FLATBUSH

Pre-Season Opener

Wizards 114

Nets       119

FINAL

... and the Hoops of Flatbush Take the Court!

Welcome to the Brooklyn Nets' most anxiously anticipated season to date, even more so than their initial arrival in Kings County.  Expectations were never nearly as high then, nor moving forward, as they are at this very moment.  

General manager Sean Marks is to thank.  His patience and discipline have so far prevailed.  Through his rebuilding and architectural vision, the team in these last two seasons has done more to endear themselves to fans than in any preceding six.  Caris LeVert, Jarrett Allen, Joe Harris, even Spencer Dinwiddie (and the departed D'Angelo Russell) grew up here, along with others worth mentioning whether still with the team or not.  They're all responsible for elevating the Nets to a more competitive level.  I'm happy a trade to acquire James Harden never transpired.  Generally speaking, the point is the long-sought emotional bond between team and fan has finally been cemented.  That's a very different vibe than hiring a bunch of costly mercenaries in the hopes of grabbing a new fan base's attention, a la Mikail Prokhorov's and Billy King's device.  Although a Nets familiar crowd, Brooklyn can be an apathetic bunch.  Early attendance figures bear that out.

Some pundits are saying the Brooklyn Nets are now a legitimate Eastern Conference threat.  Then, all that remains is for Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant to drive Sean Marks' vision forward and validate such prognostications.

That being said, the wait is over.  For the first time since their respective acquisitions, fans got to witness Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant playing in the same game at the same time and donning the same black and white uniforms, albeit in the first preseason exhibition game against the pedestrian Washington Wizards.  But if fans think they waited a long time for this moment, imaging Durant's plight, who last participated in an NBA game over 550 days ago.  He's been recovering from a ruptured Achilles tendon ever since.  It was definitely a relief and very encouraging as a fan to see Durant moving so fluidly and without hesitancy.

Insofar as first impressions, Irving and Durant did not disappoint.  Their respective first-half effort was an exciting glimpse into what possibly could be a fascinating season in Flatbush.  The two joined for 33 points en route to a 68-50 first-half lead.  Said another way, they accounted for 48.5% of the Nets first-half scoring.  I can't stand math, but I'm completely copacetic with that measure of contribution for the sake of involvement.  Despite 0/3 from the arc, Spencer Dinwiddie scored ten and led the team with seven assists in 25-minutes.  Timothe Luwawu-Cabarro seems to have picked up where he left off with eleven points in 21-minutes.  Taurean Prince was an effective 6/9 from the field and 2/2 from the line.  Kyrie Irving led the team with 18 points in just 17 minutes, and Durants had 15 points in 24 minutes.

Meanwhile, DeAndre Jordan and Jarrett Allen were not the centers of attention.  Coach Nash gave Jordan the start over Allen.  I'll wait out the preseason before I make that an issue.  Otherwise, the two joined for just seven points with eleven defensive boards while splitting 32 total minutes.

This brings to mind Steve Nash and his rather eclectic coaching staff.  I'll just start by saying holdover Jacque Vaughn is completely welcome.  Mike D'Antoni is the assistant head coach.  He'll definitely be a head coach of his own team again next season; I'm sure of it.  He, unfortunately, was the one person left standing in the latest round of head coaching musical chairs.  Nash, of course, played for D'Antoni while at Phoenix.  And then there's Amare Stoudemire, Nash's former teammate at Phoenix.  The two were great together, and the three went far together but never did get to light a victory cigar.  Amare is said to be here (partly) to teach Jarrett Allen how to play like a big man.  I hope it works.  However, I'm no booster of D'Antoni.  I do not and have never believed in his system.  We've seen it up close with the Knicks, and where did his system get him in Phoenix, Los Angeles, and Houston?  That said, I fully expect Steve Nash to be his own man and run his own game while being completely open to information and advice.  Above all else, I trust Sean Marks made the right decision.

I do not consider the upcoming season a championship year or bust situation.  I prefer to judge the upcoming season in stages.  For now, they are nothing more than a team with two stars who have yet to complete a full season together.  Of course, Durant is returning to the floor after an extended absence. However, Kyrie Irving with the Brooklyn Nets still must demonstrate durability, lest we forget he only played 20 games last season.

N.Y. Knicks: London Braces For A Royally Bad Show

From the desk of:  DUTCH PANTS CAN'T JUMP

The Knickerbockers are well on their way 

towards the franchise's first ever 60-loss season.

If they keep up this rate of futility, 70 losses is not out of the question.

NEW YORK KNICKS: Team Half Way Through Historically Inept Season; Phil of the Future Said, Blame Me.

...Okay, Phil.  Consider it done.

He nailed it when he spoke of this team's loser mentality though.

I became a fan of this team just after the championship years; right around 1974-75.

That year, they posted their first losing season after eight winning campaigns, and a pair of NBA titles.

Just my luck, right?

I watched that team either retire, or get dismantled.  I caught the back end of the careers of Earl the Pearl Monroe, Bob McAdoo, Dave DeBusschere, and agonized over the trading of Clyde Frazier.

I also watched their team mate, Knicks president Phil Jackson's playing career fade into the sunset.

I caught Red Holzman as coach, when Willis Reed took over, and when Red Holzman came back.

I dealt with the disappointment of Michael Sugar Ray Richardson, lived through the Hubie Brown days, and felt a sharp pain when Bernard King went down.

I was also one of the fans chanting - Fire Al Bianchi - and of course, endured the tenure of Isiah Thomas.

Who could envision this organization getting even worse, and making those seem like the good old days?

The present day Knicks have lost their last 15 in a row, and 25 of their last 26 games.  So far, they own an overall 5-35 (.125) record this season.

They need to post a 15-27 record the rest of the way just to avoid becoming the first ever Knicks team that failed to win at least 20 games in a season.  With Iman Shumpert and J.R. Smith already gone; Jose Calderon, Andrea Bargnani, and anyone else not named Melo on the endangered list; not to mention knee surgery looming for Carmelo Anthony and Amare Stoudemire struggling with his own knee problems; there are few who believe they can pull it off.

Another way of putting this into perspective: this franchise has never suffered the indignity of a 60-loss season, although they came close several times.

Before my time on this planet, the Knicks of the early 1960s were terrible (and only played 80 games a season):

• 1960-61; 21-58 (.266)
• 1961-62; 29-51 (.363)
• 1962-63; 21-59 (.263)* All-Time Franchise Worst
• 1963-64; 22-58 (.275)

The good times didn't roll in until the late 1960s and early '70s, when they moved into present day Madison Square Garden.

Then I came onto the scene as a young fan, and watched the 1970s close out with some pretty funky basketball.

After Red Holzman's last hurrah in 1980-81, Hubie Brown rode Bill Cartwright and Bernard King to a pair of playoff appearances before the franchise tanked again (after Bernard King's knee injury).

• 1984-85; 24-58 (.293)
• 1985-86; 23-59 (.280)
• 1986-87; 24-58 (.293)

Then, with Patrick Ewing, Mark Jackson, and Charles Oakley, coached by Rick Pitino, things started getting markedly better.  The Knicks made the playoffs every season from 1988 through 2001.  Pat Riley and Jeff Van Gundy led them to respective NBA Finals, but each fell short of a title.

Then came the Isiah Thomas era.  I'll say this in his defense: I was agreeable with his initial appointment, and at the time, totally on board with rebuilding the Knicks (which knowingly required patience).  However, his time here requires an entirely different conversation.  His relationship with James Dolan was a sad and destructive time in Knicks history.

What we need to know for this post, is that under Zeke, the Knicks twice matched Hubie Brown's mark for team futility:

• 2005-06; 23-59 (.280)
• 2006-07; 33-49 (.402)
• 2007-08; 23-59 (.280)

The funny thing is, a team composed of Zach Randolph, David Lee, Nazr Mohammed, Trevor Ariza, Jamal Crawford, and even Nate Robinson, would destroy this year's Knicks, even with a healthy Melo and Amare on the floor.

I digress....

Of course, then came the sacrificial season under Donnie Walsh and Mike D'Antoni.  But, not even that season stood to be as bad as this unfolding one seems to be headed.  If you remember, at one point Donnie Walsh stripped the roster down to just 8 or 9 bodies, while he and D'Antoni pulled the plug on Stephon Marbury's playing time, and even reduced him to civilian clothes.

• 2009-10; 29-53 (.354)

Thursday's game is the official mid-point of the Knicks season, and they'll mark the occasion with a game in London, England, against Jason Kidd's Milwaukee Bucks.

Since when is trying to avoid a 16th consecutive loss considered exportable, much less prime, entertainment?

What on earth did the Brits ever do to the NBA to deserve this match-up?  We screw them the same way with NFL games.

Blimey!

...Cause in sleepy London town there's just no place for........the New York Knicks.  No.  Get down! - stuff Mick Jagger might say.

Mike

N.Y. Knicks: Phil Jackson's Deconstruction Plan Moves Forward

From the desk of:  DUTCH PANTS CAN'T JUMP

This man is no doubt next on Phil Jackson's list

NEW YORK KNICKS: The NBA Lottery - Phil Jackson Decided Ya Gotta Be In It To Win It.

After starting the 2014-15 season a neat 2-1, the Knicks then lost 7 straight.  Shortly thereafter, they endured another 10 game losing streak before finally defeating Boston on December 12th.

To date, that was the last time the New York Knicks won a game.

Since then, the New York Knicks have dropped another 13 games in a row, to include Wednesday night's road loss to the Washington Wizards.

It hasn't really mattered whether Carmelo Anthony has been in or out of the lineup.  The losing has been consistent throughout.  So, if his knee is bothering him, why not shut him down?  Mind you, this is just year one of Carmelo Anthony's 5-year extension, and it's not like Phil Jackson doesn't already have buyer's remorse.

Not incidentally, chants of "fire Fisher" had recently been gaining mild momentum in the stands at MSG.  That's why earlier this week Phil Jackson offered those fans an abrupt correction.

There will be no blaming the coach this year; certainly not Phil Jackson's coach.

Instead, Phil of the Future abruptly pulled the plug on this sickly season (the worst start in franchise history), by trading J.R. Smith and Iman Shumpert, and pink slipping Samuel Dalembert.

They join Raymond Felton and Tyson Chandler on the list of players given one way tickets out of town by Phil Jackson.  The same goes for the three non-nondescript bodies acquired in return for Smith and Shumpert.  Phil Jackson made them instantly disappear too.

This also means Amare Stoudemire, who has an expiring contract, is no doubt next on his list.

At this point, we can forget Donnie Walsh, Mike D'Antoni and Mike Woodson.  For a change, we can also leave the owner out of this too, although he is the one most responsible for the situation Jackson inherited.  Phil Jackson is stripping it all down.  He owns this.

This season is all about the ping pong balls now.  With an already promising draft to look forward to, Phil Jackson has also cleared over $30 million of cap space to work with.



Mike

Visiting Washington Wizards Confound Sloppy Knicks

From the desk of:  DUTCH PANTS CAN'T JUMP

Tuesday Night Final

Wizards   98

Knicks     83

NEW YORK KNICKS: Washington Wizards serve up a reality check.

So far in this young season, the Bulls dismantled the Knicks.  The Knicks defeated the Cavaliers.   The Cavaliers beat the Bulls.

The hope is somewhere in the middle lies the truth about the 2014-15 Knicks.

In the pre-season, the Knicks were not expected to finish as one of the Conference's final 8 teams.

Iman Shumpert in particular got undressed by the Bulls.  But, he rebounded to play well against LeBron James, then had a strong game against Charlotte.

In addition to Shumpert's contribution, Amare Stoudemire scored 17 points and pulled down 10 rebounds.  That's significant in itself.

In addition to Melo's game high 28 points and the team's 2nd victory, the highlight of the Knicks win over Charlotte was Carmelo Anthony scoring the 20,000th point of his career.  Melo is the 15th quickest in NBA history to reach that milestone.

Congratulations.

However, I suggest he stop talking about last season.  Tyson Chandler might have deserved a parting word or two, but Mike Woodson doesn't.  Not now.

Woodson said coming in he was going to ride Melo like a mule.  Woodson learned during the previous regime, that not feeding Melo's ego (or failing to blindly utilize Dolan's newest toy) got people fired at MSG - see Mike D'Antoni.

True - under Woodson, Melo led the league in minutes played (mule) but, that's the way Melo wanted it.  So, you can't demand (or hog) the ball the way he did, then complain this season how wrong things went - not when you were the central figure of the on-court dysfunction.

I'm no fan of Melo.  I've made that quite clear over the years.  I was never a fan of his game (although he's a scoring machine), and I've never been able to clear the mental image of him sucker-punching Mardy Collins, then running away like a little b**ch.

But I give him a pass because Jim Dolan brought him here, which fit right in with the dysfunctional world he created at MSG.

Yes thing are different now.  Of course Phil Jackson has already made a dramatic impact.  Of course the atmosphere is different.  Welcome into the new era of structure at MSG, and say hello to someone with a plan.

I'm on board with Melo as a Knick, now, only because Phil Jackson is the MSG alpha-male - like Pat Riley/Dave Cheketts and Red Holzman were, once.  Coach Fisher is Phil Jackson's guy, unlike how Dolan was Melo's guy regardless of D'Antoni, Woodson, Donnie Walsh or Steve Mills.

I still don't have to like him, but I know he'll be reformed this season, and will now operate within a system (the Triangle offense), or risk being excluded from the next year's media guide.

That's fine with me, as Phil Jackson will bring order to what's been a chaotic and toxic environment, or leave if Jim Dolan pisses him off.  I like those terms.  It seemingly places Jim Dolan out of sight and out of mind.

On Tuesday night, John Wall, Nene, Paul Pierce, and the Washington Wizards entered Madison Square Garden.  They are believed to be top 8 Eastern Conference contenders.

Washington lost to the Miami Heat in their opening game of the season, then won 2 straight.

On the strength of a 32-15 3rd quarter, Washington defeated the Knicks rather handily by a 98-83 final for their 3rd straight victory.  Paul Pierce and Garrett Temple led the Wizards with 17 points each, while 4 other players scored in double-digits.

The Knicks were sloppy handling the ball evidenced by 18 turnovers.  They also only shot 37% from the field versus 48.8% for the Wizards.

Iman Shumpert led all scorers with 19 points, while Melo was limited to 18 points.  They were the only two Knicks to score in double-digits.  Amare Stoudemire only scored 6 points, but pulled down a game high 12 rebounds.

J.R. Smith led the bench with 24 minutes.  He actually led the Knicks with a scant 4 assists, but only contributed 6 points.  The Knicks only had 16 team assists which is not reflective of an effective Triangle.  It is obvious then, they miss Jose Calderon.

Meanwhile, if Melo is off, J.R. Smith in particular needs to be on.  Another inconsistent season from J.R. Smith will not due.  That is why he already is the subject of trade rumors.

In the wider picture, the Knicks showed just how much they struggle when Melo is not on his game, or on the bench for a rest.

Four games into this season, the Knicks have played 3 of the Eastern Conference's top contenders, and so far have a 2-1 record against them.

For the moment however, we're still trying to figure out how they'll stack up.




Mike

N.Y. Knicks: Please Phil, Don't Stop!

From the desk of:  DUTCH PANTS CAN'T JUMP

Taxi!  Airport please, and step on it.

NEW YORK KNICKS: "The Time Has Come For Change Throughout The Franchise..." - Phil Jackson.

I couldn't agree more with Phil Jackson's decision to fire the entire coaching staff.  It was the right thing to do Knicks fans.  He was correct to declare - "The time has come for change throughout the franchise...."

You're damn right it's time!  Gut it Phil!

Let Phil Jackson put his footprint all over this organization, and then own it.  But please, don't stop there!  Steve Mills should be next.  Purge every last remnant of the old regime.  Knicks history, basketball history, even world history says that's the thing to do.  Gut it all!

The defects to this franchise go far beyond preventative, or even corrective maintenance.  Above all, this organization has been polluted under James Dolan's ownership.  All you need to know is what Steve Kerr intimated - he's skeptical of MSG's overall environment, conditions, and dark, corporate climate that permeate the organization.

Everything that ails this organizations starts at the top.  So, if indeed Phil Jackson has full, and absolute autonomy, then yeah, act like you own it.

There can only be one alpha, and it can not be a man who A) - knows nothing about basketball, and B) - is more interested in his band.  Yes, he is a business man.  No doubt.  That's why he needed Carmelo Anthony in his building, and trampled all over Donnie Walsh to get him.  But, the time has finally come to put the game, and the team, ahead of the star system and entertainment.

Too bad for Mike Woodson.  I hope he lands on his feet.  Over time, we grew to understand his flaws as a head coach.  But, he was a good guy who shouldn't have to bear full blame for players that either turned on him, or tuned him out.  That's an indictment more of the players, than anything Coach Woodson tried.

The day he took over, he said he was going to ride Carmelo Anthony.  That was a smart ploy considering Mike D'Antoni wouldn't.  To Melo's credit, by and large he stayed loyal to Coach Woodson.  The same can't be said of Tyson Chandler, and Amare Stoudemire in particular.



Mike.BTB

N.Y. Knicks: Team Almost Unraveled In Chandler's Absence

From the desk of:  DUTCH PANTS CAN'T JUMP

NEW YORK KNICKS: Tyson Chandler's Return Came Just In Time To Possibly Save Coach Woodson From Himself.

Tyson Chandler couldn't have returned a game too soon.  Playing without him, and continued play without an effective point guard have weighed heavily on this team, to the point it all almost unraveled in the aftermath of a brutal loss against Washington.  Time-Out Gate, and the inquisition that followed could very well have been the end of Mike Woodson, right then and there.

Who knows what he was thinking, or not thinking at that moment?  It doesn't matter, because the lasting impression will be that Coach was unprepared for the closing moment of their game against the Wizards.  Afterwards, players pointed fingers as if identifying a locker room perp from a line-up.  But I think Coach himself exacerbated the situation, by bringing his former pupil, and current Nets sharpshooter, Joe Johnson into the conversation.  That's a huge no-no, and Woodson has to know that, especially in the realm of Dolan.  Secondly, he took an indirect, direct shot at his guy, his mule, Carmelo Anthony, who was actually first to hurl Coach under the bus by not standing up for him.

If winning cures all, or most all, then losing is a disease that can spread quickly throughout the system, if not diagnosed early and treated properly.  In the Knicks case, Tyson Chandler was just what the doctor ordered.  He played big minutes in his first game back.  The fact the Knicks  rebounded after the Wizards debacle, to defeat Milwaukee, coupled with Tyson's return, is all you need to know.  The Knicks missed him immeasurably.

Chandler will at least start changing the general conversation, and at a minimum, restore order in the paint.  Chandler is however, unlikely to get Woodson off J.R. Smith's and Iman Shumpert's back, or mediate the difference of opinion between Coach and Amare on Twitter.  Furthermore, that stunt Pablo Prigioni pulled against Milwaukee further demonstrates how little everybody's heads are in the game right now.  Getting back to Shump, he one scored one point in 31 minutes against the Bucks.  That's ponderous.

A legitimate point guard could clean up the remaining mess and confusion on the floor.




Mike.BTB

N.Y. Knicks: The Hole Keeps Getting Deeper

From the desk of:  DUTCH PANTS CAN'T JUMP

 

No Standing Anytime!

NEW YORK KNICKS: If They Continue To Dig A Hole At This Rate, They Should Reach China By Spring.

Hey kids, don't count on finding that New York Knicks 2013 highlights DVD stuffed in your holiday stockings this year.  Production is woefully behind schedule due to lack of quality play.  For the moment, all the crews at MSG have is a clip of James Dolan guaranteeing a victory over the Atlanta Hawks, and hours upon hours of footage of Coach Woodson cruising the sideline with confounding looks on is face, and players imitating statues on defense.

Since that night the owner willed his team to victory, the Knicks continued to rally around their owner by posting a putrid 2-11 record, which kicked-off with a nine game losing streak.  This past Sunday afternoon, the Celtics handed the Knicks their lunch during a noon-time matinee, to the tune of a 41 point disparity, in a 114-73 wipeout.

Tuesday night, they faced the Cavaliers in Cleveland, and only lost by 15 points.  That's progress, so, aim high, like Kyrie Irving did.

When you attempt more shots from beyond the three-point line, than from the free-throw line, by a 6 to 1 margin, you're doing something very wrong.  The Knicks were 4/5 from the line, while the Cavs were 16/22 from the line.  Instead of working harder to draw fouls, the Knicks were more content to stand around, and continually jack-up three-point attempt, after three-point attempt, to the tune of 31 shots from beyond the arch in the game.  Cleveland attempted 19 treys in the game.

Despite leading the Knicks with 29 points, and 8 rebounds, Super Melo was unable to overcome the Cavaliers by himself.  Amare Stoudemire came off the bench and offered the most support.  In 27 minutes, he scored 15 points, pulled down 5 rebounds, and blocked 2 shots.

For Cleveland, Kyrie Irving scored at will, and led all players with 37 points and 11 assists in Cleveland's 109-94 victory.  He was yet another point guard the Knick made look like a sure fire Hall of Famer.

The Knicks dropped to 5-15 this season, and are gaining separation from the Nets, who now own a 7-14 record.

TONIGHT

 

Chicago Bulls

vs.

New York Knicks

FROM

Madison Scare Garden

33rd Street at 8th Avenue

NYC

Mike.BTB

N.Y. Knicks: 'Bockers Hit A (John) Wall; Skid Hits Five

From the desk of:  DUTCH PANTS CAN'T JUMP

 

NEW YORK CITY BASKETBALL

 

ATLANTIC DIVISION:

New York Knicks  3-9; T-Last

Brooklyn Nets        3-9; T-Last

NEW YORK KNICKS: All In All, It's Just Another Brick In The WALL....

KNICKS LOSE 5TH STRAIGHT; DROP INTO LAST PLACE TIE WITH BROOKLYN.

Pre-Game: Melo Versus The World

Saturday Night Final
Knicks      89
Wizards   98

Set another plate at the table, because Misery has company.

Hello neighbor!  The Knicks were pushed up against a Wall in Washington Saturday night, and into a tie for last place of the Atlantic Division with the Brooklyn Nets.  With identical 3-9 records, perhaps both New York City teams can now join to commiserate over their continuing misfortunes and folly during the holidays together.  How nice would that be?

The Knicks losing streak is now up to five games.  Their latest defeat came Saturday night in the Nation's capital, by a 98-89 final score.  A 52-49 lead at half-time, quickly became a seven point deficit after three quarters.  The Knicks were outscored 27-17 in the third, and never recovered - eventually losing by a nine point margin.

Washington's legislator, point guard John Wall laid down the law.  He led all players with 31 points and 7 assists.  He was 10/18 from the field, and 10/11 from the line.  And there in lies your game.  Free throws and each team's ability to get to the line wound up being the deciding factor.

The Knicks and Wizards battled to a near even 74-72 Washington advantage from the field.  The Knicks connected on a few more three's than the Wizards.  The battle of the boards and team assists were relatively even as well.  The Washington Wizards, and Wall in particular, however, considerably outshot the Knicks from the line.  New York only managed 15 shots all game, and connected on six.  Washington took 22 free throws, and connected on 17, for a decidedly 11 point advantage.  The Wizards also outpaced the Knicks on the fast-break by a 16-5 margin.

The Wizards only employed an eight-man rotation.  Coach Woodson had seven players receive at least 20 minutes, and tasked World Peace and Pablo Prigioni with another 29 combined minutes.

Carmelo Anthony topped the Knicks with 41 minutes in defeat, scoring a team high 23 points, and pulling down another team high 12 boards.  J.R. Smith is still rounding into form as the team's second scorer, and dropped 15 points in 30 minutes.  Amare Stoudemire returned to the floor, and scored 12 points in 22 minutes.




Mike.BTB

N.Y. Knicks: Dolan Set The MSG Dominos In Motion

From the desk of:  DUTCH PANTS CAN'T JUMP

 

Chuck Said This Man Is Done

NEW YORK KNICKS: The Lane Is Once Again Open For The General Opposition's Enjoyment.  Tyson Chandler Will Miss Upwards Of Six Weeks With Fractured Fibula.

The dominos have begun to fall.  The Knicks are in the midst of a three game losing streak, the Knicks City Dancers for the moment have lost their gig, the team itself lost the services of Tyson Chandler for at least a month, analyst extraordinaire Charles Barkley said Amare Stoudemire just flat out lost his skills, and today's papers are speculating how long Coach Woodson can old on to his job.

.............. just another day in paradise.  Only the last three items deserve any kind of discussion though.

The Knicks rebounding and interior defense suffered a major blow Tuesday evening when Tyson Chandler suffered a non-displaced fracture of his right fibula.  He could miss upwards of six weeks. Tyson left in the first quarter, and by game's end, the results and future effects his absence would have on the team were glaringly evident.  The Bobcats overwhelmingly outrebounded the Knicks by a 51-38 margin.  Charlotte pulled down 35 defensive rebounds while the Knicks only managed 11 offensive boards.  At the other end, the Bobcats had 16 offensive rebounds versus 22 defensive boards for the Knicks.  Charlotte also scored 34 points in the paint.  And this all came minus the Charlotte Bobcats' big man in the middle, F/C Al Jefferson.

Coach Woodson was following through with his "big" experiment, and seemed committed on letting his guys iron out the wrinkles.  Then, his biggest variable in that equation went down.  That changes everything, and Coach will be forced to go small, much like last season.

I always felt, for as long as Ray Felton had Tyson Chandler on the floor as an option for pick-n-roll, or what not, Carmelo and J.R. Smith would have to respect Felton's ball distribution and get back on defense.  That's out the window now as well.  Ray will still have to play traffic cop between the two, unless the plan is to reduce the offense down to the Melo Show, and let him play over 40 minutes a night like he did against the Bobcats.

With Chandler down, Iman Shumpert's defensive prowess now becomes the Knicks model to follow.  Good luck with that.  And good luck to Coach Woodson.  He's working for an outwardly imbalanced owner now who can potentially short circuit at any moment.  Can Melo save the universe?  Stay tuned.  But I do know this, the dynamic between Carmelo, Woodson and Dolan will become the most explosive ever-developing story of the season.

If Charles Barkley is correct in his assessment, do not count on Amare Stoudemire supplying any help.  Chuck said Amare is done.  Barkely does a lot of hating on the Knicks.  That's an established fact.  But we've all seen Amare's perform this season.  Chuck is not on an island on this one.



Mike.BTB

N.Y. Knicks: Derrick Rose Set To Reintroduce Himself Tonight

From the desk of:  DUTCH PANTS CAN'T JUMP

NEW YORK KNICKS: Tonight's Early Season Clash In Chicago Should Be The First Of Several Contentious Affairs Against The Bulls.

With Game One in the books, Carmelo Anthony is eighty-one games closer to exercising his right to test free agency.  Good for him.  I do not appreciate that kind of talk when there is a season to be played first.  I additionally did not appreciate when Patrick Ewing did the same exact thing back in the mid-90's.  On the one hand, a player would have to either be very comfortable in his situation, or be an idiot not to exercise his rights under collective bargaining.  That's fine.  The problem is, no fan wants to hear their player express that stuff out loud.

That's the way the Knicks 2013-2014 season starts for me - with crap like that.

On the court, the Knicks also already have something to worry about.  Raymond Felton's hamstring paid him a return visit.  He toughed out last night's game however, and clocked in 34 minutes against the Bucks.  He scored eighteen points but only issued three assists.  It was Pablo Prigioni who topped the Knicks with five assists.  But if Felton is feeling tender already, that may spell trouble.  He's the one I feel who will maintain order between Melo and J.R. Smith.

Carmelo Anthony pulled down a team high ten rebounds, and scored a game high nineteen points, to rescue the Knicks from what would have been an embarrassing loss, considering the Knicks led Milwaukee by twenty-five points at one point.

Is Iman Shumpert on the precipice of a break-out season?  Many people think so.  He was 5/13 from the field, and 5/5 from the line for sixteen points.  I'd like for him to continue playing near thirty minutes a night.

Tyson Chandler was the fourth Knick player to score in double-digits, with ten points and five blocked shots in thirty-two minutes.

All five Knicks starters played over thirty minutes.  No wonder though, as the game almost slipped away from them.  The Knicks were up 56-31 at the half, but allowed Milwaukee to explode for 33 points in the third quarter.  The Knicks barely won the battle of the boards by a 34-31 margin.  They shot 50.7% from the floor, while the Bucks finished at 45.9% and took three more shots from the field.  But the Knicks edged out Milwaukee at the stripe, making 15/17 shots for 88.2%, versus 83.3% for the Bucks.

Andrea Bargnani struggled in his season debut, scoring six points in seventeen minutes off the bench.  He was 0/3 from beyond the 3-point line, and committed three turnovers.

Is tonight's game against the Chicago Bulls a foreshadowing of a possible encounter next Spring?  Why not enjoy it that way, considering both teams have their full compliment of players, minus Amare Stoudemire that is, who did not play in last night's opener.  I'll be curious to see him if he plays tonight, how he meshes, and how many minutes Coach Woodson allots him.

Derrick Rose is also attempting to come back from ruinous injuries.  He complained of a sore neck after the Bulls opening game against the Miami Heat, but he will reportedly suit up and play this evening.  He missed the entire 2012-2013 regular season and playoffs.  It looks like the Bulls, Heat, Indiana Pacers, Brooklyn Nets and Knicks will all be battling this season for the top four seeds in the Eastern Conference.  Should be fun.

For now, the time has finally come for Derrick Rose to reintroduce himself to the New York Knicks.  If Rose's neck is stiff, then the Knicks are playing off a quick turn-around from last night at the Garden.

It's all good.



Mike.BTB

N.Y. Knicks: Series Over - Donnie Walsh Leaves Old Team In His Dust

From the desk of:   DUTCH PANTS CAN'T JUMP

NEW YORK KNICKS - Grunwald's Geezers Run Out Of Gas.

MELO SCORES THIRTY-NINE, BUT KNICKERBOCKERS FALL IN SIX

What started out a few years ago with Stephon Marbury being nailed to the bench for a grossly under-manned Knicks team, ended Saturday night in Indiana's field house, as Donnie Walsh's Pacers dismantled the Knicks, eliminating them from this year's playoffs, four games to two.  New York's off-season uncertainty starts....now.


The Indiana Pacers' executive man in charge sat quietly absorbed, triumphantly observing his newest creation defeat the team Jim Dolan hijacked from him.  How does an NBA owner hijack his own team you ask?  When Commissioner Stern orders him to hire Donnie Walsh in order to halt one of the league's marquee franchise's decade long free fall into basketball Tartaros.  For with blind love, devotion and negligence, Jim Dolan allowed Isiah Thomas to put the Knickerbockers organization through hell.


Fast forward to the signing of Amare Stoudemire.  Donnie Walsh did everything that needed getting done in order to gain salary cap relief, regardless of LeBron James' pending free agency.  Personally, I felt securing Stoudemire was the owner's knee jerk reaction for failing to secure James, but more, a desperate last minute signing mandated by Dolan before the market closed.  If the Phoenix Suns were only willing to offer Amare three years, I had, and still have zero reason to believe Donnie Walsh wanted to pay him a day longer or a dollar more, especially under an uninsurable contract.  Only owners do that, not GMs, and certainly not the Donnie Walsh of a reasonable mind.


Fast forward to the Carmelo Anthony trade.  In direct conflict with Dolan's preference for the star system, Donnie Walsh effectively got fired because he tried building a team.  When Melo trade talks between Denver and the Nets picked up , Jim Dolan succumbed to the threat of direct competition from Brooklyn, and swooped in to kidnap Anthony.  Shortly thereafter, Dolan pushed Walsh out the door.


Let's be clear - all things considered, the Knicks do not reach the playoffs in consecutive seasons without Donnie Walsh's prior ground work, or without Carmelo Anthony for that matter.  These days, Donnie walks needing the assistance of a cane, but the man knows how to run an organization.  As it pertains to Saturday night, the Indiana Pacers made it to the Eastern Conference Finals before the Knicks did - two franchises that began at the same starting line after the Patrick Ewing and Reggie Miller days passed them by.  Donnie Walsh had a hand in the Pacers of that era, and will now face the Miami Heat - the team, and an era, the Knicks are still chasing ever since Pat Riley split town via fax.

Game Six Final

Knicks       99

Pacers      106

If the Knicks were guilty of anything, the post-Walsh Knicks stamped their luggage with NBA Finals stickers months ago, not coincidentally, around the same time gas mileage on present GM Glen Grunwald's Geezers started registering true.  During the season's most important minutes, in the team's most important games, Rasheed Wallace, Kurt Thomas, Marcus Camby, Jason Kidd, and Kenyon Martin were all out of leaded gasoline.


The Knicks were surviving Game Six largely on the strength of Melo's usual star performance  and  Iman Shumpert's hot hand.  Was Iman really the plan?  Hardly.  Truth is, no one showed up in support of the team's star.  Ray Felton scored two points - Tyson Chandler had two points - Pablo Prigioni had six points - Kenyon Martin had five points - Camby and Novack did not play.  And lastly, Jason Kidd failed to score a point in any of the six games - not one.


Fact is, the Pacers represented a horrible match-up for the Knicks.  Tyson Chandler was flat out  deleted by Roy Hibbert inside.  Hibbert dropped twenty-one points on Chandler, pulled down twelve rebounds, and blocked five shots, one of which became an instant ESPN classic against Melo.  How much of Roy's performance was due to Chandler's bulging disc problem is still, and may remain  unknown.  Roy Hibbert however, was only the beginning.  Lance Stephenson scored twenty-five, and pulled down another ten rebounds.  For the game, Indiana cleaned up 43-36 on the glass.


The Pacers also scored fifty-two of their 106 points in the paint, while the Knicks only managed twenty.  By relentlessly pounding the Knicks interior, they additionally put themselves in the bonus early.  Indiana pummelled the Knicks from the line, sinking thirty-four of forty-six attempts.  The Knicks only made it to the stripe eighteen times.  Tyson Chandler was one of three Knicks to foul out of the game.  Shumpert and Kenyon Martin joined him.  Carmelo Anthony ended the game with five fouls.


J.R.Smith contributed fifteen points and ten rebounds an otherwise nice game.  Let's be honest though.  Ever since his ill-fated elbow and suspension in round one, his game has effectively disappeared.


When Mike Woodson took over as head coach, he made it very clear that Carmelo Anthony was his star player, clearly in line with the Dolan Doctrine, and that he was going to ride Melo like a mule for all he's worth.  Compared to Mike D'Antoni, that was probably the smart way to go.  For the first three quarters of the game, Melo took care of business, with Shump and Smith providing points as well.  Carmelo finished with a game-high thirty-nine points, pulled down seven rebounds and had two assists.


What of the fourth quarter then - closing time?  Melo tied the game 81-81 with a layup in the last seconds of the third quarter.  So, this game was there for their taking.  But after allowing thirty-four points in the third quarter, Indiana clamped down on defense, limiting the Knicks to just eighteen points in the final twelve minutes.  Carmelo Anthony and J.R. Smith both only shot two of seven from the field during the quarter.  And in a game in which Iman Shumpert had already scored  nineteen points, and was five of six from beyond the three-point line, he failed to take a single shot in the fourth quarter.  That's hard to understand.  Ponderous!


On the heels of an abrupt ending such as this, there will be those looking to cast blame.  Which ever way you size this up, the local story will read how a bunch of no-names overcame Carmelo Anthony.  Did Melo come up small in crunch time?  Has he reaffirmed his playoff legacy?  Did Mike Woodson mismanage the Knicks this series?  Was the Knick relying too heavily on Glen Grunwald's geriatrics a huge mistake?  Does Ray Felton get a chunk of blame, who, as the primary point guard, failed to orchestrate?  Is there more?


In the immortal word of former Knicks broadcaster Marv Albert - YES!




Mike.BTB

Brooklyn Nets: Atlantic Division Title Up For Grabs

From the desk of:   THE HOOPS OF FLATBUSH


BROOKLYN NETS - The Atlantic Division Flag Can Be Won If The Brooks Stay Consistent Through An Eight Game Road Trip.

A Nets Win Coupled With A Knicks Loss On Sunday Creates A Tie

For The Atlantic Division Lead.

 

1) - Knicks  38-25   .603

2) - NETS    38-27   .585

If no one believed a tangible rivalry existed between the Knicks and Nets before, the two teams are now sitting on a powder keg.  The Nets are just four wins away from clinching their first playoff berth since Jason Kidd led them into the 2007 post-season.  Jason Kidd and recently added Kenyon Martin are now trying to help stave off the Nets as members of the New York Knicks.  If the Nets overtake the Knicks, and hold on to win an Atlantic Division title instead of the heavily favored Knickerbockers, this town is sure to go BOOM! - sending shock waves through every city playground from Coney Island up to Rucker Park.  Not to mention, a division flag would be a giant step forward for Mikhail Prokhorov, and a major blow to James Dolan.


Perchance to dream, or seize the moment?  Which will it be?


Spring nears.  For the Nets, opportunity lies closer.  The NBA's regular season is coming around the far turn, and heading into the home stretch.  The Atlantic Division is less settled now, than at any other time this season.  One game separates Brooklyn from the New York Knicks, and first place.   Thank the Knicks horrendous west coast swing and current three game losing streak for setting up a super Sunday of hoops.  The Nets will host the Atlanta Hawks at Barclays Center.  While the Knicks continue their problematic road trip against the L.A. Clippers.  A Nets win and a Knicks loss, will result in a tie for the Atlantic Division lead.


The Nets enter Sunday's game with a 38-27 record.  They are 22-13 at home, and 2-1 versus the Hawks this season.  The Nets won the last two meetings.  Atlanta won the first game between them. The Hawks are in fifth place (tied with Chicago), just two games behind fourth seeded Brooklyn in the Eastern Conference standings.


Seventeen games remain in Brooklyn's inaugrual season.  After defeating New Orleans this past  Tuesday, Flatbush has been idle the last four days.  The Nets will certainly need the rest.  After facing the Hawks, Brooklyn will embark on an eight game, seventeen day road trip that will take them through Detroit, Dallas, L.A. (Clippers), Phoenix, Portland, Denver, Utah, and finally Cleveland. Such a swing can potentially make or break Brooklyn's season.  So far they are 16-14 on the road.  Should they survive the journey in relatively decent shape, five of their last eight games of the season will be played at Barclays.


After a remarkable 18-5 start, the Knicks are playing exactly .500 basketball since.  One of those five losses came on November 26th against the Nets in the first ever meeting between the boroughs.  Another way of viewing the Knicks season is they are playing under .500 basketball since Christmas.  Pick your poison.  Their season long strangle-hold on the Atlantic Division last came under threat on February 22nd, when a Nets win over Houston could have placed them within a game of the division lead.  But the Nets lost to the Rockets and failed to close the gap.  This past Tuesday they had another chance to close within 1 1/2 games of the Knicks, but failed again with a brutal loss to Philadelphia.


This time, the Knicks lured Brooklyn to within one game by their own device.  Or should I say, demise?  Amare Stoudemire was recently lost for the rest of the regular season, and for the moment, Carmelo Anthony appears to be a compromised (knee) player, and will remain so, for the foreseeable future.  Melo will benefit from the Knicks two day break in the schedule.  But how effectively will he perform down the stretch?  Watching Melo play these last two games with an ailing knee, and listening to him comment afterwards, provided ample reason to wonder if he can continue the pounding it takes to succeed through June.


Meanwhile, I'd say the Nets two biggest concerns have been Deron Williams and Joe Johnson.  Accused of not being as dynamic as advertised prior to the start of the season, Brooklyn's front court certainly have had their problems this season.  However, dynamic is exactly what Deron Williams has been since receiving treatment on his barking ankles.  He is currently playing the best ball of his Nets career, at just the right time.  After missing a few games, Deron's back-court mate is making a return from a bruised heel.  Joe Johnson is expected to play Sunday against his former team.  If he can remain healthy down the final stretch of the season, Joe is going to bury buckets in crunch time.  Otherwise, the Nets have no major injuries to speak of.  Other than playing time and personnel issues at forward, they are heading into the stretch run in good shape.  The Knicks however, seem to be  creeping towards an injurious, and ruinous finish.  Outside of Tyson Chandler, the Knicks are presently facing some type of dilemma at every position.


If the Nets want it, the Atlantic Division can be had.



Mike.BTB

N.Y. Knicks - It's The Star System, Or Bust

From the desk of:   DUTCH PANTS CAN'T JUMP

NEW YORK KNICKS - Amare Stoudemire Out Minimum Six Weeks With Injury.  Faces Second Surgery, This Time On Right Knee.

Time To Follow The Melo Brick Road

The Knicks plan to preserve Amare's knees - the one to limit his minutes by having him come off the bench - the one that was starting to work out nicley of late - failed.  The uninsurable Amare Stoudemire has effectively been lost for the rest of the regular season with a right knee injury.  Six weeks is the actual prognosis.  That potentially puts Amare and the Knicks into the end of April or early May, and the playoffs.  That's a damn shame too.  After everything he's been through here.  Amare has done nothing but say and do the right thing since arriving.  But when taking injuries into account, he could never do enough.  There is also no way I hold the "breaking glass" incident against him - not at this point.  He's been that much of a stand up guy.


There is no time to wallow in self pity however.  It is time to pack up, and follow the Melo Brick Road.  When Carmelo's knee gets better, they're off, they're off, they're off.....  in search of the elusive Atlantic Division title.


You know where I stand - the team concept versus the star system.  From here on out, it's the star system or bust.  The Knicks fortunes now lie exclusively between what Carmelo Anthony thinks he needs to do, and wants to do, in order to help the Knicks win, and what Melo actually needs to do in order to help his coach and team mates make the Knicks a successful team.  Coach Woodson's prophecy is now his reality.  When he assumed the role of head coach, he said he would be riding Carmelo Anthony as far as his small forward takes him and the Knicks.  With Amare officially out, and not being accused of complicating the rotation, Coach Woodson now gets to saddle up and find out just how far that really is.


Before Amare's injury changed everything, the Knicks recent game against the Thunder punctuated the argument, or growing belief, the Knicks are a more cohesive, and thereby a more effective team, when Melo is off the floor.  Their last win over the Jazz minus both Amare and Melo, may have reinforced the notion even further. There are tons of truth in that argument.  But at the same time, the Knicks will not win an NBA title without Carmelo Anthony.  It didn't help Melo's cause that the Knicks dream bench of Rasheed Wallace, Marcus Camby, and Kurt Thomas never quite made it out of the senior center.  And the rest of the assembled body, like Ray Felton's increasingly round one, or Jason Kidd's creaky one, aren't performing as spryly as they were last Fall either.


Something will have to give, or, some one will have to bend.  Because right now, at this very moment, this is J.R. Smith's team.  Somehow, someway, and at some point, Coach Woodson has to make Melo conform again, into the player Anthony was back in November and December, and keep that player in uniform until June, Red Holzman willing.  For if alternative anti-Melo emerges from  behind the wizard's curtain after his own knee injury subsides, the Knicks will be headed towards a tumultuous end, and no one will like the way Carmelo Anthony, first and foremost, will explain everything off.




Mike.BTB

N.Y. Knicks: For Those Who Said Talk To Me In January

From the desk of:   DUTCH PANTS CAN'T JUMP


NEW YORK KNICKS - Many Said Age And Injury Would Start Taking Its Toll In January And February.  The Team Is Certainly Not Without Issues.

Knicks Needs Ray Felton Back On The Floor.

 

...And Honey Nut Cheerios Too.

I can't fault Melo for continuing to go after Kevin Garnett.  What KG does, he does supremely well.  He talks vicious smack.  But we've known that for a long time.  And I get it.  That gets players even more mad.  Especially when the dude starts poppin' off about your wife and honey nut Cheerios in the same sentence.  How rich!  That was unnecessary on KG's part.  But as a highly paid professional athlete, you have to learn to ignore guys like Garnett and the Dennis Rodmans in life and stay within the game.  Riiight.  But yeah, on a more primitive level, a trip to the bus after the game might have been warranted.  That's so 1970's of me.  I know.  So now if you're Melo, you shut up and take your one game suspension like a man.  Too bad however, Melo didn't make the trip to the parking lot truly worth the effort.  You know what I mean.  If you're going to get punished, might as well go all the way.  What happened to the Carmelo Anthony we all knew and loathed in 2006; the punk who threw a cheap punch at Mardy Collins, then ran away?  He should have given KG some of that.


Grab yourself some Hatorade.  There's plenty.


With a 23-11 record, the Knicks are tied with the Heat for most wins in the Eastern Conference. Indeed, the Knicks enjoyed a stellar start to the season, raining three pointers upon opponents and playing surprisingly good defense.  But staunch pragmatists decided to hold off till January before assessing the team.  And well, here we are.  The Knicks are in first place of the Atlantic Division.


Happy New Year.


While earlier in the schedule the Knicks were playing like the team many thought they could be, they are now slowly morphing into the team many feared they might be.  Problem one?  Life has been a struggle without Ray Felton.  That's just my take.  Pablo Prigioni is nice off the bench.  But I don't think the Knicks want him getting extended minutes.  The longer Felton is out, the more minutes Jason Kidd must play.  The more he plays, the sooner he burns out heading into March and April.  That's the traditional thinking.  The Knicks also probably do not want to potentially head into the playoffs with Ronnie Brewer at the two and Kidd at point.  Do they?  I think Felton is more important to this team than he gets credit for.


Regardless of how I started this posting, I have nothing but good things to say about Carmelo Anthony this season.  He, Tyson Chandler and J.R. Smith have been stellar.  The return of Iman Shumpert will add a lot of youthful spring to the Knicks legs too.  These four lend much to be optimistic about.


The same can't be said of Amare Stoudemire.  The doctor is ordering his minutes get cut back.  He will remain a compromised player for the foreseeable future.  Then consider the limited contributions of Rasheed Wallace, Marcus Camby, and Kurt Thomas, and it is easy to deduce the Knicks have major depth and size issues moving forward.


The age factor and injuries many thought could hamper the Knicks the deeper the season went, are indeed starting to hinder the Knicks as the New Year settles in.  The next seven weeks of Winter will reveal much about this team.  For now, I think Knick fans have to be happy with their season so far.  But the real fun, or pain, lies ahead.




Mike.BTB

Brooklyn Nets: Battle For The City Begins

From the desk of:   THE HOOPS OF FLATBUSH

 

THE DAWNING OF A NEW RIVALRY:

 

 

New York Knicks

vs.

BROOKLYN NETS

 

FROM

Nassau Coliseum

Long Island, N.Y.

 

BROOKLYN NETS:

Pre-Season Showdown Versus Manhattan Knicks;

It's Time To Face The Competition.

An era ends.  A new age begins.  Over the last thirty five years, the New York Knicks foot print extended out and dominated the desolation of East Rutherford.  The days when Nets players got taunted by Knicks crowds in their own arena, as was the case in the Meadowlands arena and in Newark, are done.  The Nets have a new home crowd now, passionate and loyal as any.  Many native Brooklynites that will be attending games this season have no particular need, want, or even like for Manhattan.  So proceed thee now with caution Knickerbockers.  In eight more days they'll be  entering the very different Borough of Kings.


The Billboard Wars which played out over the last two winters, and the Battle for Melo are both long behind us.  While the first official game isn't until November 1st, the modern Battle for Brooklyn and the greater city is upon us.  Sometime late next Thursday afternoon, the New York Knicks in all likelihood will traverse the Manhattan Bridge and file down Flatbush Avenue.  Their destination will be Barclays Center, to engage the Brooklyn Nets on their home court for the first time in history.

First, Brooklyn and New York will return to the site of the Nets organization's greatest triumphs to date.  Wednesday's pre-season game will be played in Long Island's Nassau Coliseum; the arena where the once formerly New York Nets won two American Basketball Association championships.  Those were the days of Julius Erving, more popularly known as Dr. J.  This trip into Long Island also hearkens back to the days when the Knicks imposed not one, but two territorial rights tariffs against the Nets.  On top of paying the NBA entrance fee once the NBA/ABA merger took effect, the Nets were also forced to pay the Knicks their due tax for entry into the local market.  The Knicks nailed them again for the Nets subsequent move into New Jersey.


This time, the Nets relocated to the 4th largest city in America, which just also happens to be right next door, and the Knicks weren't entitled to a dime.  Conveniently forgotten, if not ignored, Brooklyn is the western tip of Long Island.  So I guess in a manner of speaking, the cycle is complete.


If you're headed to the Nassau Coliseum and get overwhelmed by a waft of Tiger Balm, that would be the Knicks you smell.  When you write names on paper, they have a great team.  In truth, I think the Knicks are in deep trouble.  They have more senior citizens on the books than AARP.  Amare and Camby are already out.  And Rasheed Wallace, is back (!?) and out as well.  The only real question is - Who's next?  My money is on Jason Kidd having to swipe his Medicaid card.


Having Amare off the floor only makes Melo's world better anyway.  Right?  That used to be the case.  The return of Ray Felton and the arrival of Jason Kidd should change that.  Amare and Melo no longer need to learn how to exist together.  The Knicks have two guards who will decide things for them.  I'm even looking for Felton and Kidd to elevate Tyson Chandler's offensive game as well.


The Knicks biggest concern is now health, and lack of youth.  Coach Woodson is going to have to manage his team very carefully.  The Knicks actually have a few players who want to play defense now.  But how long will they manage to stay on the court?


In their first pre-season as the Brooklyn Nets, the team is also not without their problems.  While cohesiveness is still going to be a work in progress, their defense is far below Coach Avery's standards.  Based on their overall play so far, who could blame Coach for voicing displeasure after allowing 100 points in three of five games.  Despite a 3-2 record, the Nets have allowed 510 points, for a 102 ppg average.  They have scored 484 points, for a 96.8 ppg average.  I would also venture to say the team's overall free throw shooting needs major improvement as well.  But hey, that's why it's called practice.


Tonight, the Battle for the City begins.  Let's get it on!






Mike.BTB

N.Y. Knicks ~ 'Bockers Trying To Get Their Point Across

From the desk of:   DUTCH PANTS CAN'T JUMP

NEW YORK KNICKS:  Jeremy Lin is Now a Point of Contention.  Knicks on Verge of Pointing Him Towards the Nearest Exit.


Many have been clamouring for the return of Ray Felton ever since he found favor with fans prior to the Carmelo Anthony acquisition.  Now, based on circulating reports, you may have him again Knick fans.  And with Jason Kidd in the fold, it looks a lot like the Age of LINsanity is all but over.  Jeremy Lin signed his offer sheet with the Houston Rockets, and now the Knicks will have 48 hours or so to match.  But do they want to?  If you're reading into the Knicks' moves, the answer is, No.


Without trying to detract from Jeremy Lin's arrival on the scene, and playing so well before getting hobbled by injuries, I was never completely sold on him.  The key word there is SOLD.  I'm not insinuating he can't be a good player.  I just do not see the upper body strength from him, and watched him get pushed around last season after the brilliance wore off his introductory flash, and lighting the city on fire.  Once teams started taking the body against him, LINsanity headed to the LINfirmary.  In his defense, he almost always made good decisions on the court.  But can he endure a whole season of bumping bodies in the lane?  I do not think Knicks fans will be finding out up close.  For answers to that quandary, check in on him while he plays in Houston.


With Jason Kidd on board however, the Knicks now have that alpha-point guard who will dictate the direction of the ball, and more specifically, direct traffic between Amare Stoudemire and Carmelo Anthony.  Whether it is going to be Lin, or Felton, I look for the soon to be forty year old Kidd to be splitting playing time down the middle.  In that case, Jason Kidd should be very reliable, not to mention effective while playing twenty-some minutes per game.  Whether he is on the court during the last six minutes like he says he wants to be, will get itself worked out.  That's Mike Woodson's problem for now.


With Jason Kidd on board, I think we'll be seeing a very different version of Carmelo Anthony.  Of the players he'll share the court with, Carmelo Anthony stands to benefit the most from Kidd's arrival.  For a guy I'm not too particularly enamoured with, Kidd just may help out Melo's game immeasurably.  I still do not think Jeremy Lin has the cache to demand the ball back from Melo.  But Jason Kidd does, and will.  And if Melo doesn't fall in line, a veteran like Kidd knows how to send on-court messages to his team mates through selective ball distribution.  Whatever in-game time the old man needs to refresh his legs and catch his breath, will be provided by Ray Felton or, possibly Jeremy Lin, or even both.  Being a starter means stepping out on the court first.  After the initial tip-off, being a starter means nothing.  So, I don't care who steps out first.


If acquired, can Ray Felton recapture the flare and effectiveness he played with his first time here?  He better lose some weight first.  That's just fact.  He's the third coming of Round Mound right now.  Ray may need boot camp instead of training camp later this summer.  In any case, expect him to get a loud ovation the first time he takes to the Garden floor this Fall.  But just keep in mind, he couldn't win a starting job in any of his landing spots after he got traded.


I'm not lost on Jason Kidd's age.  But for twenty to twenty-three minutes a night, I think he'll be just fine, and key to any Knicks' success next season.  What Ray Felton can contribute remains to be seen.  But we already have a feeling we know what we're getting.  And I'm sure Amare Stoudemire is OK with the deal too.  If Stoudemire's body holds up, prepare yourselves for a return of the Amare from the 2010-2011 season.


Marcus Camby's age is also not lost on me.  But to back up Tyson Chandler and play some forward, I think he's marvelous.  And the more players willing to play defense, the better.  It will be nice to see Camby in a Knicks uniform again.




Mike.BTB