N.Y. Knicks: Glen Grunwald Out, Steve Mills Back In - How George Steinbrennian

From the desk of:   DUTCH PANTS CAN'T JUMP

(Walton Street, Williamsburg)

NEW YORK KNICKS: The Heels At The Garden Go Round And Round.

There you go!  If life works in cycles, James Dolan is lapping the field.  History has taught him nothing.  His long list of failures as owner repeat themselves.  This is why I'm so down on the Knickerbockers.

I can understand, if only theoretically that is..., if Dolan felt as if Donnie Walsh was imposed upon him by Commissioner Stern, and that Walsh wasn't necessarily Jimmy's kind of guy.  Fine.  But the fact that Donnie Walsh recovered this organization after being reduced to rubble by the previous administration, and was then rewarded by being shoved in front of an oncoming train downstairs at Penn Station, and for what(?) - to replace him with lightweight Glen Grunwald(?) - is what got lost on me. 

If you really want to know how Dolan felt about Donnie Walsh, look no further than how the Carmelo Anthony deal went down.  For a decade plus, Dolan never ever came close to sticking his unlearned nose into Glen Sather's or Isiah Thomas' business.  At the same time he was facing direct competition or the first time via the Brooklyn Nets, Denver put Melo on the market, and Dolan didn't just step on Donnie's toes, he broke them with a nut cracker in order to acquire the Nuggets star forward.

Sather (still does) and Thomas enjoyed absolute reign over MSG's teams for as long as they lived, right up until the Anucha Brown Sanders debacle forced David Stern to effectively break up MSG's triumvirate led MSG cult, which include among the ranks, an albeit lesser known, Steve Mills.  He was right there, front and center for a decade, playing an equal part in the Fall of Knickerbocker.

I had no particular like for Glen Grunwald, but without knowing for sure why he is no longer the GM, the fact Steve Mills is back in the fold is ponderous to me.  We all know Isiah Thomas still has a key to the executive bathroom, and has never really gone away.  Mills had his fingerprints all over the decision to bring Zeke to the Knicks.  And now he's back for an encore.  Do you want more?  He's back as GM and President no less.  Happy days are here again.

Meanwhile, Glen Grunwald has been reassigned within the organization as an advisor.  Right - How George Steinbrennian, and absolutely ponderous!

All that aside, it appears as if Allan Houston will be taking on a larger role with the Knicks.  That's another conversation.



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

N.Y. Knicks ~ Another Flagrant Foul

From the desk of:   DUTCH PANTS CAN'T JUMP

NEW YORK KNICKS:  I Blame James Dolan For Everything Wrong With the Knicks.  Period!



We are going to take this slowly and methodically making sure we give proper credit where it's due, and making sure the blame for this disaster which is the Knicks falls on the proper head.

First off, thank the soon to be Brooklyn Nets, Mikhail Prokhorov, the Billboard Wars, and the construction of Barclays Center for the haste in which James Dolan has acted with regard to renovating Madison Square Garden and signing both Amare Stoudemire and Carmelo Anthony.



Consider this.  Without Commissioner Stern interceding, and based on the relationship between Dolan and Thomas as we knew it then and still understand it today, there's a distinct possibility Isiah Thomas could still very well be in charge of James Dolan's organization today.  Commissioner Stern practically forced James Dolan to hire Donnie Walsh as the team's General Manager and Team President.  In addition to doing miraculous things to change over the roster and get the Knicks back under the cap, Donnie Walsh also hired Mike D'Antoni to be the Knicks' Head Coach.



With the Nets representing direct competition within the city limits starting this coming Fall, Madison Square Garden needed stars on its' roster again.  Donnie Walsh positioned the Knicks in time to partake in the LeBron James sweepstakes.  But LeBron took his talents to Miami, so the Knicks settled, and took a chance on Amare even without being able to insure his contract.  The supporting cast Donnie Walsh put around Amare Stoudemire prior to the Melo trade was a breath of fresh air; the freshest air to blow through the Garden in ten years.  At a minimum, they made Knicks Basketball fun, and the Garden a hot place to be again.



With Donnie Walsh already having put the Knicks back in salary cap order again, opportunity struck the New York area when Carmelo Anthony became available during last season's trade deadline.  And that's where everything went awry for the Knicks all over again.  There were strong indications Melo was about to accept a trade to the Nets before the Lock-Out changed the terms of potential contract value.  When Carmelo Anthony became available, the Billboard Wars against the Nets were already at a fever pitch.  Mikhail Provhorov's highly aggressive ad campaign was clearly having it's affect on their future cross-city rivals.  James Dolan had a hard time keeping up with the Nets' tactics, and so the Knicks hastened some of their own newspaper pullouts, and billboards of their own.  But the Nets won those battle most decisively, and still are.



Now consider that at the same time, James Dolan never wanted Donnie Walsh here.  Dolan couldn't and wouldn't deal with any Commissioner appointed executive running his team.  He still wanted Zeke, and even had Thomas lurking in the halls behind Donnie's back, and also kept a direct line of communication between the two open at all times.  Thomas even played a part in the failed courtship of LeBron James.  What was always clear, Dolan never hesitated to overstep Donnie Walsh, when for the ten years prior, James Dolan never meddled in Isiah Thomas' affairs even once.  As a matter of fact, James Dolan never had to worry about his empire until threatened by the proposed West Side Stadium.  It was Dolan who took the lead and successfully opposed that project.



James Dolan knew the Garden needed stars again because the Nets were coming.  With little respect for Donnie Walsh's appointment in the first place, James Dolan trampled over his de-facto General Manager, and gave Denver everything they wanted in return for Carmelo Anthony.  It was clear the owner wanted the deal done post-haste.  But it's well believed Donnie Walsh would have negotiated a better deal than Dolan brokered, and would have not left the remaining roster depleted of talent and depth.



James Dolan took the lead in that deal from start to finish.  Donnie Walsh was made to obediently agree with everything Dolan said at the press conference to announce the trade.  And just a few chairs down, the look on Mike D'Antoni's face was that of incredulity.  Coach's face screamed - Lord Help UsMe with Carmelo Anthony.  It was plainly evident, D'Antoni's body language was not in agreement with the deal.  I myself have never been a Carmelo Anthony fan, and was never in favor of the trade.  You can look it up.  My position has always been - putting this team into the hands of Carmelo Anthony was a huge mistake.  But right now, why, is not important.



Coach D'Antoni was made to take on the Stephon Marbury era head on, and by benching him, end it.  He did that, to the joy of many Knick Fans.  But he was also forced to coach an under-staffed team, and a roster undergoing complete renovations.  None of that should be put on Mike D'Antoni.  But the team's performance with Amare Stoudemire, Carmelo Anthony, and Tyson Chandler on the floor, should.



I did exactly what Donnie Walsh asked of us.  I gladly gave the Knicks two seasons of amnesty.  Starting last season, Mike D'Antoni was back on the clock again.  Prior to the Melo trade, and during the stretches Melo was injured since the trade, the Knicks flourished.  With him on the floor, they have struggled mightily.



Now..., I believe a coach needs to take stock of his team and coach to their strengths.  If you insist on implementing a system your players can't grasp, manage, or handle, it's incumbent upon the coach to come up with another plan.  Instead, Coach was pulling one way, and his stubborn players were pulling in the opposite direction.  Something has to give.  Clearly communication broke down.



How would you have liked to have been D'Antoni though?  He had to compromise himself when Donnie Walsh gutted the team.  He was tasked with ending the Reign of Starbury.  He was made to sit like a stooge during the Melo press conference.  He was given a player who was clearly contrary to everything D'Antoni preaches as a coach.  Then he was clubbed over the head with the hiring of Mike Woodson to be THE Defensive Coach of the team.  Imagine that - a two headed monster. -  A monster sewn together like Frankenstein, by the hands of Dolan, and given to D'Antoni to train.  I would have quit too.



But did Mike D'Antoni really quit?  It's hard to say.  How often to coaches quit their posts?  Did Stan Van Gundy quit in Miami?  No, that was a coup by Pat Riley.  Pat Riley - He was the guy who quit the Knicks via fax.  But he legitimately quit.  Stan Van Gundy?  How about his brother Jeff?  Remember him?  He quit the Knicks too.  I didn't realize there was an abundance of coaches who quit their jobs. And somehow, many are related to the Knicks.  But only two respected coaches have quit the Knicks since James Dolan assumed ownership.  And that's two too many.



Take that Commissioner!  If indeed Mike D'Antoni and James Dolan reached a "mutual agreement", or if Dolan did in fact fire him, the end result is still win/win for Dolan.  The Knicks owner has already effectively dismissed Donnie Walsh, and now goes Mike D'Antoni; the Commissioner's Choice's appointee...    James Dolan has finally freed his team of the Commissioner's influence as far as he's concerned.  We should officially be afraid again.



Mike Woodson is the interim Head coach for the rest of the season and the Knicks are still without a genuine General Manager.  Glen Grunwald is the make-believe GM for the moment.  But we all understand, with James Dolan, he means nothing.



But at the end of the day, Mike D'Antoni was not right for this team.  I would not have brought him back beyond this season.  I do not even believe he was the best coach in town.  I think Avery Johnson is better.  And I pointed out something Coach Johnson said after Deron Williams dropped thirty-eight points against the Knicks the last time they met.  In the post-game Coach Johnson said (paraphrasing):

... if the Knicks switched up and tried covering Deron Williams with a forward, that it was his (my) job to make sure he got a guard back on Williams. Coach said he was responsible for making that adjustment, and that the onus was not on Deron Williams to adjust to the defense on the floor.

Then the Knicks got blown out by the Spurs.  Greg Popovich got ejected that game.  I'm not sure exactly why, but Coach Popovich flipped his lid and was disgusted with his team.  You can be sure it was done for a reason though.  He's done that before.  And when you've coached that team for as long as he has, you do that sometimes if it gets their attention.  If I'm thinking like a coach, I'm a big proponent of berating your team when things are going well too.



I didn't hear or see that chess-like intricacy from Coach D'Antoni like Coach Johnson talked about.   And I didn't see a Knick Coach being the alpha-male with his stars like Gregg Popovich is with his stars.   On countless occasions I've seen Popovich rip into Tony Parker, and especially his big man Tim Duncan.  But of course we know that Duncan is complicit in Popovich's plan to get everyone to fall in line.  Avery Johnson even did it with Nowitski in Dallas.  Point is, I did not see Coach D'Antoni employing such tact with his stars; namely Carmelo Anthony.  Nor would Carmelo allow himself to get dragged down in some nefarious plot by the coach to motivate his players - at least not Melo and D'Antoni - not together - and certainly not now.



For the moment, James Dolan is firmly in control of his empire again.  He's a capitalists, which means he's free to run his enterprise into the ground if he wants to.  The Knicks are in the state of disarray they find themselves, I believe, chiefly due to the machinations of one man.  That man is James Dolan.



What now?






Mike.BTB

N.Y. Knicks ~ Blame Dolan. I Do.

From the desk of:   DUTCH PANTS CAN'T JUMP

NEW YORK KNICKS:  What's Old is New Again.  The Knicks' Woes "Point" to the Top.



The Knicks look like they're playing in tar.  And your owner put them there.  Blame Strummin' Jimmy for the current state of Knickerbocker disarray. 


The after-shocks of Isiah Thomas' reign still send tremors through this organization because of the ongoing cycle of having no draft picks.  To make matters worse, Dolan ran a man whom he never wanted on board out of town, as Donnie Walsh was thankfully imposed upon the Knicks by Commish Stern.  Donnie Walsh was not tasked with rebuilding an organization.  He was merely charged with saving the NBA's largest market team from themselves.  Walsh performed near miracles with regard to the salary cap.  But with the advent of direct competition from the Nets coming to Brooklyn, and construction of Barclays Center, James Dolan acted rashly and in haste, trampling over Donnie Walsh's efforts to make Dolan's product better.


One can argue the signing of Amare Stoudemire was necessary.  And he turned out to be a terrific person, player and leader.  But I'm guessing Dolan perhaps insisted on the deal with total disregard to the fact his knees were un-insurable; something I'm sure Donnie Walsh was leery of.  Of course that's just my speculative opinion.


But the real harm came in James Dolan's "keystone cop" haste to acquire Carmelo Anthony.  If left alone to negotiate the trade, Donnie Walsh would have ensured the Knicks would still have a capable point guard, and a reasonably better bench.  But because the spectre of Mikhail Prokhorov loomed over James Dolan like a storm cloud, the Knick owner stepped into the negotiations like Godzilla romping through Tokyo.  If Denver had asked for more in the deal, Dolan would have gladly emptied the closets for them.


Does it even need discussing that the Knicks still are operating without a qualified General Manager?


I have stated long ago putting this organization in Carmelo Anthony's hands was and still is a mistake.  Then again, I am biased.  I don't like him.  Never have; not since he sucker punched Jared Jefferies.


Blame James Dolan for pushing Donnie Walsh out the door, and thus resulting in a woeful lack of skill at point guard and absolutely no bench or depth to speak of.  With regards to the point, I wasn't interested in Chauncey Billups either.  I'm much happier having Tyson Chandler on board.  But short term, I still contend we do not need the caliber of a Steve Nash; Deron Williams; Derrick Rose; etc.; to help play traffic cop for Carmelo and Stoudemire.


Somewhere in a pre-season posting, I even thought the Knicks would have to become more of a half-court team rather than run D'Antoni's traditional style offense.  And they did.  But Coach so far has not shown to be a capable X-and-O guy when placed outside his element.  He either hasn't adapted to his roster or has failed to get his team to respond.  But if you look at the play on the court, what we see are five individuals; a failure to communicate; and a lot of standing around.  And well, yes, blame that on having two forwards who need someone feeding them the ball.  They were meant to finish plays; not manage or create plays.  They've clearly proven an inability to assist each other and in the mean time, Coach doesn't have any answers on the court or to the Media. 


However, can't it be said that D'Antoni has been a victim of circumstance his whole time here?  He was charged with disappearing Stephan Marbury, and coaching a team about to be imploded by Donnie Walsh.  Now he's charged with trying to untangle Dolan's mess.


The ultimate and unfortunate still developing reality in all this is how Amare Stoudemire is the one getting his name tossed around like a grenade.  It's established he's not going anywhere with those knees and that contract.  And if he can stay healthy and put up with the grind this season, I'm happier for it.  I still feel like this is Amare's team because of the way he came to town and embraced everything.  And yeah, my bias says Carmelo Anthony came here to take that away and worsen the team's situation.  My cousin and I argue about this all the time.


Want to improve this team's situation?  Hire a qualified General Manager; rethink Coach D'Antoni; and trade Melo.


That is all.  Go back to your farms now.  There's nothing more to see here.  Not winning basketball anyway.  Both teams remain ice cold on the court while the weather remains balmy outside.  Go figure.  For both the Nets and the Knicks, the days spent before the inner-city battles commence have proven so far to be planning, and logistical nightmares.

ATLANTIC DIVISION STANDINGS

Battle for the City

New York Knicks   7-13   t-3rd

NJ/Brooklyn Nets   7-13   t-3rd



Mike.BTB

N.Y. Knicks ~ Turn Back Now; The Lane is Closed

From the desk of:   DUTCH PANTS CAN'T JUMP

NEW YORK KNICKS:  December 10, 2011 - The Night They Stopped Dancing in the Garden.


I think we last left off with me saying, "Talk to me when we get a Big Man."  -  O.K.  So, let's talk.



No discussion on my part regarding the Knicks shall commence without paying tribute and offering thanks to the founder of the feast; Donnie Walsh; first.  For it was he whom made everything the Knicks are today, possible.  Even despite his age, Donnie Walsh would still be the Knicks GM today were it not for the subversion, mistrust, mismanagement, ulterior motives, Dolan's grudge against Commissioner Stern, and a supposedly banished yet still trusted phantom menace slash advisor lurking in the hallways and shadows of MSG who retained the owner's full trust.  Despite all that,  you're welcome New York!  -   Love Donnie.  And thank you.  But let's do that at another time.

*    *    *

The Knicks' defensive paint that cleared more opposing take-offs to the rim per game than 747's LaGuardia Airport handles in a day, just got a seven foot control tower placed smack in the middle of the tarmac.  Roger that NBA - You now have a problem approaching the New York Knicks.



This is no longer the New York paint that came to resemble the old dance floor at the famed Studio 54 club because of all the shuffling feet, squeaks, geeks, fancy moves, and glitzy dunks, that to our dismay, the rest of the League bedazzled Knicks' crowds with.  Those doors are now closed; post haste; and getting chained up much in the same manner how they slammed the doors shut on the old club of Sodom.



That's right, moving forward the Knicks' defensive paint will no longer be a place where opposing players can just stroll in, take a long look at the place and dunk basketballs without so much as a single Knickerbocker contesting a shot, or much less showing them around first.  Those days might very well be over if you can believe it.  After all, for so long we were being conditioned to believe Dutch Pants Can't Jump.  And with that shameless plug aside....., 



For the first time in a long time, the Knicks will have a rather large specimen, and a pleasantly talented one at that, ready to answer the door when would be visitors to the paint come knocking.  And I can say with certainty, they won't be getting running starts from the top of the key anymore either.  What's more, all slashes through the high elbow just got a rough road ahead sign placed on it.  Enter at your own risk.  Additionally, the Knicks' low post is also now firmly anchored with at least seven plus feet and over two-hundred and thirty pounds of Tyson Chandler's mass.  You've been warned.


Yeah..., we can talk.  We can talk about a great many things now.  Like Defense, and how the Fan's chants for Dee-Fense might actually get answered now.  And how the rest of the Knick players will now have someone on the floor equally sweaty and imploring them to play defense along with him instead of a head coach half heartily exhorting them to defend from the sidelines.




Tyson Chandler changes all that.  And he doesn't even want the ball.  Imagine that!




That's my first word on this year's Knickerbockers.






Mike.BTB

Knicks and Nets ~ The Battle For The Boroughs

 From the desk of:  THE HOOPS OF FLATBUSH ~ NETS
....and the desk of:  DUTCH PANTS CAN'T JUMP ~ KNICKS



The Knicks Are A Two-Star Solo System Surrounded By A Lot of Dark Matter Hiding The Chaos Within; While The Nets Are Building a Franchise The Old Fashioned Way, Quite Literally From The Ground Up.


One team executive is making his mark on a franchise by putting his fingerprints all over an organization in a short period of time while working for a relatively hands-off owner.  Another team executive, who started out similarly and with success, except for the part about a hands-off owner, is making his exit having performed one last act of mercy for an organization and an insufferable and adversarial owner.


Since Billy King jumped in the pool as Nets' new GM, he's been splashing water at the Knicks.  Sure the Knicks landed Melo, considering Carmelo Anthony was actually close to signing with the Nets assuming a lock-out.  But very shortly after that deal went down, Billy King stole a lot of the Knicks' thunder by landing Deron Williams from Utah in a move that stunned most across the League.


Earlier this week, Coach Avery Johnson threw out the ceremonial first pitch before a Brooklyn Cyclones' game.  It was there on the field during an interview Coach characterized his owner as a passionate man who's fairly hands-off. - "But he'll supply you with all the resources to succeed."


So, with the conclusion of the 2011 NBA draft, Billy King proved once again he doesn't need a micro-manager obsessing over his moves or raking over his decisions.  And behind the glitz of the Deron Williams trade, the Nets are quietly but very effectively engaged in team building. 


The Nets originally owned the 27th pick of the first round.  They traded that pick to Boston along with a future pick, for G-Marshon Brooks; selected by the Celtics with the 25th pick.  He stayed in college for four years and guys like that usually come into the League much more polished and ready for the NBA. 


A second deal by Billy King landed F/G-Bojan Bogdanovic; selected #31 by the Timberwolves.  Billy King sent them a 2013 pick and cash in exchange for the former EuroLeaguer.  And with the 36th pick, Billy King selected F-Jordan Williams.


In all, the Nets are resoundingly said to have had a very solid Draft Day.  The hopes now are in signing Chris Humphries to a deal.  If they can manage that, then the Nets off-season will have been considered a  huge success (in the absence of an extension for D-Will).


And what of Donnie Walsh; Jim Dolan; and the Knicks?  Madison Square Garden might be undergoing renovations this summer, but Dysfunction will always have a home on 33rd Street and 7th Avenue for as long as Jim Dolan keeps Zeke, his phantom teddy bear, behind the curtain. But that's another story.

With the 17th pick in the first round, the Knicks selected IMAN SHUMPERT.  At first I hated the selection.  I'm still waiting for a big body to clog the middle and get some rebounds for this glass challenged bunch.  But after digesting the selection for a day, it grew on me.  At any moment, Chauncey Billups (whom I didn't want retained) is a tube of Ben Gay away from getting hurt again.  Landry Fields disappeared after the Knicks made the Melo trade, as they switched and adopted the Star System; foregoing the Team Concept.  With Team Ball out the door, Landry's game went MIA. 


So, Shumpert will be called upon for much needed back up duty.  His defensive prowess will be negated if the other four Knicks on the floor with him don't buy in also, because they sure as hell aren't going to get the defensive impetus from Coach D'Antoni.  Tony Douglas perhaps can join forces with him in the back-court and form an effective defensive minded duo.  Where they fit into the 0.7 second shot offense is any-body's guess.

The Knicks also acquired Josh Harrelson from the Hornets for cash.  Out of Kentucky, He's a 6'10" center selected by the Hornets with the 45th pick.  Will he stop the opposition from walking their dog in the paint on their way to an uncontested dunk or lay-up?  Doubt it.


But that was Donnie Walsh's last official act as a team executive.  He is now just a token Team Consultant for cosmetic purposes of course; and for the next fiscal year only.   Jim Dolan pays former employees handsomely for their strict and binding silence once they ultimately sour on the owner like many not named Isiah Thomas.  But even Jim Dolan knew, as he was in the process of pushing Walsh out the door, that Donnie was still the best man to conduct the Draft for him because of the time; effort; and research already logged in.


The exit of Donnie Walsh also means Mike D'Antoni is officially a coach in limbo without the GM who hired him around.  Mike D'Antoni sacrificed his reputation as a winning coach for two seasons at Donnie's behest in order to get the Knicks turned around.  Now the next, unknown GM inherits a roster/coach relationship which raises more questions about the team's direction than it does supplying a clearer picture like before when Donnie was still in charge.  The Knicks are left guided by a coach which One; the fans were never overwhelmingly enamoured with. -  Two; a coach whom most are down on because of his lack of interest in emphasizing defense. - And three; someone who no longer has someone in the Front Office watching his back.


The Nets on the other hand, will continue forward with a General Manager and a Coach working together while building a franchise the old fashioned way; from the ground-up; just like their new arena.  Everything about the Nets organization you used to know has been purged.  There is a new owner; GM; coach; and a young roster completely turned over from the last era.  The Nets' foundation is strong; very strong;....like steel and concrete rising above Flatbush Avenue at Atlantic Avenue strong.


The Knicks?  Faced with real direct competition for the first time EVER, the Knicks franchise is scrambling to renovate their own arena and sticking season ticket holders with the bill.  They are also trying to patchwork a roster together without the services of a GM as of this day going forward.  And yes, the roster is an inharmonious patchwork. 


I still believe Melo and Amare are incompatible players.  But the Knicks (err...Dolan) sold out to the Star System over the Team Concept.  Donnie Walsh would have negotiated a better price for Melo and not have left the roster so vastly incomplete.  But the owner played Capitalist Media Mogul and made sure to acquire drawing attractions for his Entertainment Empire. 

It never was about Basketball with him.  Look no further than his opposition to the West Side Stadium.  In all the years Isiah Thomas ran the Knicks, Jim Dolan never said "Boo."  The owner however, has done everything to step all over Donnie Walsh's toes; whom was basically forced on the Knicks by David Stern; because of the direct threat posed by Prokhorov's Nets.  Basketball decisions are not order of the day on 7th Avenue.  Business preservation is and in my opinion, will turn out all wrong.


It seems as if the closer the Nets get to Brooklyn, the more erratic and anxiety riddled James Dolan becomes.  Behind the Knicks Two Star solo-system is a lot of dark matter hiding the chaos within.


The Nets?  There is a lot of scaffolding obscuring the old fashioned creation of an organization from the ground up.  And like their new arena under construction, when all the work is considered complete and ready for the Brooklyn Opener, we'll see just how strong the team's foundation really is.  But I think they're taking sure steps and getting it right.


I truly believe, because of the tactics employed by both teams in their escalating Battle of the Boroughs, the Nets are on more solid footing than the Knicks are.  It may not seem that way to the naked eye.  But if you expose a lens long enough on both team's path's towards the New York City showdown, you'll see what I'm talking about.

BARCLAYS CENTER

UPDATES ON CONSTRUCTION:

Photos as/of June 23, 2011

 

 

 

Mike.BTB

N.Y. KNICKS ~ Dolan Shows David Stern's Guy The Door

NEW YORK KNICKS:  James Dolan Never Wanted David Stern's Henchman In The First Place.


Way back when, I did not at all criticize hiring Isiah Thomas.   The Patrick Ewing era had ended and the Knicks were gladly moving on under Zeke after having suffered through Scott Layden.   I think I remember most Knicks' fans looking forward to the changes Isiah Thomas would no doubt initiate.   Back then, that was all fine and well and not what this big point is all about.  


But since the day Donnie Walsh assumed his position with the Knicks, James Dolan has done everything an owner can do to step on another executive's toes.  Now Dolan finally got what he wanted all along; which is Donnie Walsh; David Stern's henchman; gone.


Thanks for rebuilding my organization I let Isiah Thomas destroy.  Now beat it!





Welcome To MADISON SCARE GARDEN;  The World's Most MEDIEVAL Arena!

Knick fans, say good-bye to the former GM "slash!" President, James Dolan never wanted in the first place. 


Once upon a time, the atmosphere inside Madison Scare Garden had become so polluted and wreaked of hot garbage that when Commissioner Stern caught a whiff of the sexual harassment lawsuit against Isiah Thomas and MSG, David Stern decided his New York franchise had fallen to an all-time low and instigated the replacement of Isiah Thomas with Donnie Walsh.


When you're the most powerful Commissioner in North American Sports, you get what you want.   And so, the Knicks (namely James Dolan) got Donnie Walsh.   But behind the scenes, the Knickerbockers (namely James Dolan) never got rid of Isiah Thomas entirely.  Dolan allowed Zeke to lurk in the shadows.  Now if you're James Dolan and you're favorite Teddy Bear just got taken away from you, how do you covertly take out your frustrations and seek revenge on your oppressor?   Answer - Corporate Passive Aggression.


And James Dolan, in his actions, insulted Donnie Walsh at every turn.


When Isiah Thomas was MSG's one man gang and running this franchise into the ground, his boss, James Dolan, never even so much as said Boo!  Isiah had Card Blanche.  And James Dolan blindly and loyally believed/believes everything Isiah said/says.  James Dolan assumed operating control of his Daddy's Knicks in 1999.  Once he settled on Isiah Thomas to run his operation, James Dolan pretty much disappeared from the picture, minus the time when Latrell Sprewell.....  ahhhh.  Why bother.


Dolan made one huge splash, albeit an inconspicuous public protest under the guise of MSG to block and successfully drown any chance of the West Side Stadium from being built along the Hudson River on top of the West Side Rail Yards.  That was James Dolan the entertainment mogul and capitalist protecting his business interests.  That's fair.


Other than that, and up until the sexual harassment suit brought against him, Isiah Thomas, and MSG, we never ever heard from James Dolan.  And never once did he inject himself, or intercede in Isiah Thomas' affairs as President and GM of the Knicks.  Committing the Knicks to Salary Cap high holy hell, and not to mention letting Stephon Marbury run amok, meant little if nothing to James Dolan.  Isiah Thomas was free of interference from his superiors.  For Dolan, business was still good.


But the person James Dolan trusted most; Isiah Thomas; was taken away from him by the big bad Commissioner.  And, it couldn't have come at a more worse time for James Dolan and MSG.  Up until now (in relative time) everything was fine at MSG as far as James Dolan the Capitalist was concerned.  MSG was always packed no matter the incremental destruction Zeke wrought on his team.


So why is the taking of Zeke away from Dolan at this particular junction in Knicks history so bad as I say?  It has everything to do with the Nets and their move to Brooklyn.


James Dolan the Capitalist is scrambling to fortify his defenses because he knows Mikhail Prokhorov means business.  And the closer the official move date to Brooklyn comes for the Nets, the more erratic James Dolan has become leading up to right now.  Fallout? - The scripted stepping down of a one, Donnie Walsh.


Fighting the West Side Stadium was a natural for Dolan as a business man.  But now with one of his Entertainment Empire's Jewels; MSG and the Knicks; in direct threat of competition from the Nets in Brooklyn, James Dolan finds himself fighting a two front battle against business and basketball.


For evidence that James Dolan the businessman knows how to fight a good business fight any time, anywhere, look no further than the notorious Battle of the Billboards.  That's good stuff right there.  James can fight that fight.  But when his Basketball enterprise is topic one, he always has, as he still does, run to Isiah Thomas for direction.


I'm not so sure Isiah Thomas would have been allowed to mismanage the Knicks much longer had Commissioner Stern not insisted on the change as the Nets move to Brooklyn drew closer.  James Dolan might have made a move for that very reason IF Zeke didn't have things turned around by "now"...  We are three years after David Stern saved the Knicks and their fans from Zeke AND Dolan.  And now the reality for James Dolan and the Nets in Brooklyn is officially one more season away, once the Finals conclude this month.


So when it comes to Donnie Walsh, James Dolan Did This:

* Originally wanted to retain and pay Isiah Thomas to be a team/personal consultant to James Dolan.

* Pure speculation?  Sure!  Dolan is convinced Zeke would have landed LeBron James and blames Donnie.

* Tripped all over his own Capitalist hooves in a free-agent signing frenzy trying to secure players before Mikhail Prokhorov did.  Stepped all over Donnie's toes and involved Isiah Thomas in their attempt to sign Amare Stoudemire.

* Tripped all over his own Capitalist hooves in a trading deadline frenzy trying to secure Carmelo Anthony before Mikhail Prokhorov did.  Stepped all over Donnie's toes and INVOLVED Isiah Thomas, whether directly or indirectly, in their attempt to secure Melo from Denver.  Dolan would have given Denver more had they just asked.  Walsh never had a chance to ply his negotiating craft.

* Did not allow Donnie Walsh to hire Chris Mullin on two separate requests.  James Dolan tells Walsh he'd rather re-hire Isiah Thomas instead.  The two have a concentrated disagreement over the matter.

* James Dolan concluded the Melo Trade Press Conf. by stating Donnie Walsh's contract extension would be settled in very time.  But no press conf. would have; could have; ended without at least one more mention of Isiah Thomas.



I say again, in all the years Isiah Thomas ran the Knicks, James Dolan said and did nothing to Isiah Thomas regarding the state of the Knicks.  That's when New York City was still a one team town.  If you don't think Brooklyn will have an impact on James Dolan's enterprise, you are mistaken then.  James Dolan is in full panic mode and is making his fan base pay for the renovations to keep up with the Jone's....er, Mikhail Prokhorov and Barclays Center.


Because James Dolan knew he needed those two stars badly, he practically beat down Donnie Walsh on his way to snag Amare Stoudemire and Carmelo Anthony.  And the Melo deal epitomizes my whole point.  Dolan didn't allow Donnie Walsh to negotiate a more responsible price for Melo.  But that's because James Dolan, like many execs in the NBA, is subscribing to the Two/Three Star Method, and are distancing themselves from team oriented Basketball at light speed.


Due to the plethora of players given to Denver for Melo, the Knicks were left with a roster barren of capable cagers after the third name down the list.  But James Dolan doesn't care that Amare Stoudemire and Carmelo Anthony are incompatible players or that his bench sucks.  He just cares that he has stars.  After all, he is a Media Mogul.  He knows star power and the draw they have.


The best hands this organization have been in since the days when Dave Checketts roamed the hallways of what will soon be the "Newer MSG" are now waving good-bye to the fans as he says Good Luck to us on the way out.  Because we'll need it.


If they were building a baseball only stadium in Brooklyn, do you think James Dolan would have cared?  No, he wouldn't have.  And as a result, maybe his renovation of MSG may have come farther down the line.  You know what they say; - Necessity is the Mother of all Invention.


With the NBA sporting a second team within the borders of New York City, and not just the "Metro Area" anymore, James Dolan is scrambling.  As such, he didn't let his GM do his job to the best of his ability.  Dolan never wanted Walsh, thus he never trusted him.  James Dolan continually ran back or phoned Zeke.


In spite of all Dolan's panicing because the Nets are coming, Donnie Walsh still managed to straighten out James Dolan's Basketball operation.  And this is the thanks he gets.


Donnie Walsh never had a chance.  James Dolan just wants his teddy bear back.  He did to Donnie Walsh like what the Yankees did to Joe Torre.  They insulted and made him feel unwanted enough to make him want to leave.



What comes next for the Knicks is anybody's guess.  A safe bet to take is the Knicks' near future involves a Yes Man.



To that I say,  "Oh No!"





Mike.BTB

N.Y. KNICKS ~ SWEPT!! But Not Under The Rug.

N.Y. Knicks
Barclays Center
All-Time Playoff List; LINK



NEW YORK KNICKS:  My Four Point Play.

In no particular order,  these are the points I believe to be most important to the Knicks heading into the off-season:

1) - Re-Sign Donnie Walsh

2) - Maintain Salary Cap Flexibility

3) - Building A Bench

4) - D'Antoni, Amare, and Melo Need A New Plan



SWEPT....,
You saw what happened at Madison Square Garden in games three and four versus Boston.  There's no need to rehash everything...is there? 

Just know, the Knicks needed to play at their absolute best while Boston needed merely to hang-around in games one and two.  And in the closing minutes of both games, the Celtics were able to pull out late victories because they knew how to finish and the Knicks didn't.  Then, when the series shifted to New York, it seemed as if the Knicks took two steps backwards while the Celtics took three leaps forward. 

....Under The Bench.
Like in the first two games, the Knicks also made runs in games three and four that might lead you to believe they are closer to the Celtics than they really are.  Just don't believe it, because they're not.  And I'll give you seven reasons why. - Toney Douglas; Roger Mason; Anthony Carter; Shawne Williams; Bill Walker; Jared Jefferies; and Ronny Turiaf are not the stuff dream seasons are made of.  They're just not.  Nor is anyone else you care to throw into the mix.  I don't mean to come down hard on these guys.  Some of them are serviceable.  But just take a look at Boston's depth and bench alone, and you know what I mean.

We didn't win the series against Boston because those players were getting extraordinarily more time than they should rightfully expect to play.  But that's what happens when your owner agrees to trade away a bus-load of players for Melo; you lose Chauncey Billups for the series, Landry Fields disappears, and you play with a compromised Amare Stoudemire since game two.

So clearly, finding complementary players to fit around Melo and Amare is Donnie Walsh's next mission.  So, the sooner the Knicks resign him the better.  Needs for a rebounder/Center; addressing Landry Fields; and possibilities at Point Guard are matters to be talked about as the Knicks lurch forward.  But it starts with Donnie.


Donnie Walsh Still Has Work To Do.....,
But, there were Knick Fans who thought this team was a championship contender heading into the playoffs.  I was never one of them.  Instead, I think the Knicks are a not-so-well mixed bag of goods heading into the off-season.  This team is still obviously a work in progress and the playoffs should have nailed that notion home for everybody by now.

This is Donnie Walsh's work in progress, so let's take this from the top. 

Donnie Walsh is yet to have a contract extension offered to him.  I most definitely want him back but there's speculation Donnie may not want to come back.  And of course, there is always the Dolan Effect that needs to be factored in when talking about the Knicks' Front Office.  According to James Dolan by his own spoken word at the Melo press conference, Donnie Walsh and him would address a contract extension after the buzz of the Melo trade subsided.  Why are we now done with the regular season and the playoffs, yet, here we are in the off-season and still no offer?

.....And Coach D'Antoni Should Be Allowed to Return.
I also hear many fans calling for Coach D'Antoni's job.  Many fans called for his job last season also.  As a matter of fact, fans were calling for his job after his first season in New York too.  I detect a not so subtle pattern here.  But, rest assured, he will be the New York Knicks' coach again to start the 2011-2012 season.

I concur Coach D'Antoni got woefully out-coached by Doc Rivers on most counts.  Now let's leave Boston out of this.  There is no one available to replace Coach D at the moment, and it's unlikely a better coach will become available before next season starts.  The recurring names of speculation replacing D'Antoni continue to be Phil Jackson and Doc Rivers.  Even if there was a grain of believability there, that chance is still well over a calendar year away from being theoretically possible. 

But then that begs the question as to whether the Knicks should extend D'Antoni?  Ah....What to do?  Answer - Tack on a year to his present deal so he isn't a lame duck coach next season and take it from there.  But of course, easier said than done.

I'm not completely sold on Mike D'Antoni, but I am not against him.  I believe he deserves to come back next season because after all, this team did make the playoffs after undergoing a complete renovation over the prior two years.  And in that time, Coach D never had a consistent or quality roster to work with until this season.   But I won't commit beyond that. 


....But Coach And His Two Stars Need A Brand New Plan.
We have a Coach and a system being carried out by incompatible players.  On the court, the Knicks have Carmelo Anthony, Amare Stoudemire, and a roster full of question marks. Coach D and Amare Stoudemire play one way, while Chauncey Billups and Carmelo Anthony play another.  Additionally, Melo and Stoudemire have still yet to prove they can play together on the same court.  What we saw since the trade were spurts and pops, but nothing resembling something which was clearly cohesive, unified, and meshing.  Going forward, the Knicks either need a system that better adapts to the players, or we need players that better adapt to the Coach.  In that regard, something has got to give and it involves everyone the Knicks plan on surrounding Melo and Amare with.


Maintain Cap Flexibility!  Buy-Out Billups.
And speaking of giving...., the Knicks should not give Chauncey Billups $14 million+ to return next season.  Donnie Walsh damn near performed a miracle clearing out Cap-Space in the short time he did.  I don't believe the Knicks should handcuff themselves with a player I believe will continue to decline and be even more susceptible to injuries.  We've played more games without him than with him since the trade, and he isn't a good fit in D'Antoni's system anyway.  The Knicks are playerS (plural) away from greatness; not lacking one player to put them over the top.  Therefore, I'd rather free-up the point guard position for competition and be in a position to make a trade-deadline deal next season.  Then, we'll see if next season's free-agent class is needed to provide a solution.  My mind is on getting younger and better; not getting older and hanging on.  Maintaining our cap flexibility is a major part of that.





Elsewhere on the Local Basketball Scene:  Construction of Barclays Center in Brooklyn.

View From Flatbush Avenue at 4th Avenue.

View From Dean Street and Flatbush Avenue.

And for those of you who enjoy debating over a
List of All-Time Playoff Greats, check out this LINK: 
The Ten Best NBA Playoff Players of All-Time; by TopOnlineColleges.com






Mike.BTB

N.Y. KNICKS ~ Playoffs; BeanTown vs. The Big Apple

They're Baaack!!

TONIGHT

NBA

NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION

2010-2011

PLAYOFFS

Game One

ROUND ONE

NEW YORK KNICKS

vs.

Boston Celtics

From Not The Old Boston Garden

NEW YORK KNICKERBOCKERS ~ Payoffs and Playoffs;
Donnie Walsh Delivers.

Welcome back to the post season fellas.  It's been a long time.  Congratulations.

First and foremost, thank you very much Donnie Walsh!  His plan paid off.

And let us keep that in perspective; shall we?  Because it can not go under-spoken.  Donnie Walsh said give him two years to strip the team down, get under the salary cap, and reconfigure things.  He asked to be judged on his third year as GM of the Knicks.  He was clear about his intentions and followed his prescribed plan.

Today on April 17th, 2011 -  the Knicks feature a Twin Power Threat comprised of Amare Stoudemire and Carmelo Anthony.  They have with them also a former NBA Champion and still very capable floor leader; Mr. Big Shot, point-guard Chauncey Billups.  And on this day, the New York Knickerbockers are opening the 2010-2011 NBA Playoffs in a Round One match-up versus the Boston Celtics.

So, if I'm Donnie Walsh, I'm asking, - How do ya' like me now!? 

Don't ya just love it when a plan comes together?  This team is still a work in progress.  There is still a big piece missing in order for this team to truly compete for a Championship.  But here we are in the tournament trying to compete for one none-the-less.  It's a great first step forward.

To the very patient Knicks' fan base, you have the post-season again.  Have fun.

The Big Apple  vs.  BeanTown

New York Knickerbockers vs. Boston Celtics

I think the Knicks can win games in this series.  I'm just not so sure we can win four before Boston does.

We can match-up against KG with Amare.  He's not the menacing paint presence he used to be.  But he can still muster up havoc a game at a time.  KG is more of a jump shooter these days, and my biggest concern is having an answer for his rebounding especially on the offensive glass.  We have to deny Boston 2nd and 3rd attempts at the basket.  Amare gets knocked for weak-side shot blocks, but he's very game on defense and Turiaf can definitely help.  Amare will get his points.  Have no concerns there.

We can match-up against P-Pierce with Melo.  You know damn well, at the end of each game this series, both teams will be looking to get the ball into each of these players hands.  The ball will find it's way to them in waning moments of games and much will be decided this series based on their respective fingertips. 

After that, is where I think the Knicks get into trouble.  The Celtics are deeper and will win this series.  I question Chauncey's ability to keep up with Rondo and wonder who will equal Ray Allen's points?  Landry Fields?  I want to believe that.  I think the Celtics' bench is much deeper than ours; even without Shaq.  Big Baby has been shooting off his Big Mouth but he's still going to be a Big Problem off the bench.  There is no rest with a big body leaning on you; if Cry Baby does nothing else.

Outside of Chauncey, what I do think the Knicks have going for them is youth.  This is most likely Boston's last chance at a run for a trophy together.  The Celtics are not a young group and maybe there's a chance the Knicks will be fresher.  I wouldn't count on it though.  The familiarity the Celtics have with each other and the team cohesion they enjoy is an advantage I feel they have over a Knicks team that is still trying to gel together.

A team with Melo, Amare, and Chauncey on it has a legitimate chance of advancing beyond the first round.  Next year, the Knicks will have more than just a chance...

Enjoy the playoffs.  It's been a while.



The Knicker-BackBone:

I won't be at the games when the series comes back to MSG, but you can find me, so to speak, riding the back of Amare Stoudemire.  That's my guy right there.  I like the way he embraced everything about coming to New York City and throwing this team on his back.  I'm not into cheapening his story by listening to the "he came here because this was the best deal" line, as to why he came in the first place.  I don't care if it's true or not.  He came here and did and said all the right things. 

Earlier to start the season, he led a likable F-Troop squad back into the limelight of New York City sports and into favor again with the fans.  Amare took guys like Ray Felton, Gallo, Chandler, Mozgov, and holdovers, Fields and Turiaf, challenged them and even scolded them.  For his part, he led the way with thirty-point game performances.  He helped make Knicks' basketball fun again.  As a player, he made the team matter again.  After games, he listened to every question and spoke into every microphone before he left the building at night.

Then came the Melo trade.  And while Carmelo Anthony will be going school yard, one-on-one with someone, and will be called upon as Option One during the closing minutes of games, I'm with Amare because he's the one who ultimately pushes this team through four quarters and gives it it's backbone.

Let's Go Knicks!

LINKS:

SLAMonline

TheKnicksBlog.com

KnicksNow.com

PostingAndToasting.com

Magazines:

May 2011 SLAM; Cover 2 of 2

NYK Magazine

Other pictures taken by BTB

Mike.BTB

KNICKS-NETS; State of a Rivalry Under Renovation

As Of Friday Night

Showdown in Newark

NEW YORK KNICKS
vs.

NEW JERSEY NETS

The Rock, Newark

FINAL SCORE

KNICKS ~ 116

NETS ~ 93

The New York Knicks and New Jersey Nets

Concluded Their Season Series Friday Night. 

The Inner-City Rivalry is Still One More Season Away.

THE STATE OF THE RIVALRY ADDRESS:  Still Under Reconstruction.

One team is in the playoffs.  The other team is not.  But why do I feel like the team that's going to the playoffs has more problems than the team that is not?

The team that isn't going to the playoffs still suffers major identity crisis until they get to Brooklyn. I have a reliable source that says there were about 12 Net fans in the building; the source being my son.  Of course he said that in jest but it wasn't very far from being true.  It's hard to ignore, one; the major spike in attendance for a Nets' game, and, two; that spike was directly attributable to Knick fans filling the place.  The Nets have one home game left on the schedule, and one more season in Newark for the folks in N.J. to be apathetic about before the Nets' relocation to Brooklyn.  Who can blame them?  How do you get behind a team that you know is leaving town? - Albeit not such a dramatic move; they're just moving to the other side of New York Harbor.

My son said traffic going through Staten Island on their way to The Rock was horrific.  Well, it's no different coming back to Brooklyn.  So what incentive would a loyal Net fan who still plans on attending games in Brooklyn have for making such a trek?  Love of team?  It's going to be rough.  I won't lie about that.  But I will also say this.  I go to about 7 to 10 Newark Bears (Atlantic League) games a season.  Why?  Because I like that league.  It's different.  But the point is, I do drive to Newark from Brooklyn.  So, it's do-able.

In the mean time, the trick for the Nets will be to, one; get Deron Williams' wrist OK again, and two; figuring out a way to get him to sign with the team beyond his current deal.  The Nets in the mean time, are now trying to maximize Deron Williams' star appeal with a new marketing ad in Times Square.  Next on the docket for the Nets will be another summer of dabbling in free-agency and, with an abundance of picks, hopefully for them, a prosperous draft lies ahead.

And what of the team that is going to the playoffs?

Playoffs? 

The Knicks are back in the playoffs...  How about that?! 

But the man most responsible for making that happen, is the one who is least assured of his current job status.  Didn't Jim Dolan promise Knick fans he would address Donnie Walsh's contract extension once the Melo trade was out of the way?  But since then, we heard continuing Isiah Thomas talk and little about extending Donnie Walsh.  Now John Calipari is the latest name being pushed around the Garden as successor to Donnie Walsh? 

Nothing against Calipari (yet...!), but what about Donnie Walsh?  We keep hearing so many things, but what we haven't heard is that Donnie Walsh has been signed to an extension.  That's where my head is at.  But it's also still unclear whether Donnie Walsh wants to come back.  That can be because of age and lack of desire to be here or want of being closer to home.  But there's also a very real possibility Donnie Walsh just doesn't want to work for Jim Dolan anymore.  My take is Jim Dolan interceded into Donnie Walsh's affairs as GM far too many times versus not at all when Zeke was running things here.  That speaks volumes to me.

Jim Dolan the Entertainment Mogul may not have been on the same page as Donnie Walsh with regard to how the Melo trade went down.  To me, the threat of Mikhail Prokhorov's Nets in Brooklyn is the real impetus for Mr. Dolan tripping over himself and stepping on Donnie Walsh's toes to sign Melo.  The attraction of two stars to fill his renovated arena is where Dolan's mind is at.  The best interests of the team are not.  Otherwise, he would have let Donnie Walsh conduct Melo negotiations under Donnie's terms and never have gotten involved.  What I'm saying is we have an owner doing something right (acquiring Melo) but doing them for all the wrong reasons.  So, I'm still not entirely sure that the Knicks future is as bright as it may appear right now.  Outside of opposing the West Side Stadium project, Dolan was never seen nor heard from in all Zeke's days at MSG.  But the Nets and Brooklyn were still far from being joined together.  As the Nets relocation nears, Dolan, only recently felt it necessary to involve himself in team affairs like never before.

But here we are none-the-less.  It's great the Knicks are in the playoffs again, don't get me wrong.  But I don't have lofty expectations going into the NBA's second season.  We are still a player, a season, a plan which fits these players, and inevitably, we might be a coach away from real, tangible success.  These playoffs might do more to get Coach D fired than anything else.  Now all of a sudden, when you have two star players, there are twice as many expectations.  And if the team gets knocked out in the first round, some one might need to be scapegoated.  We all know who that will be.  He's the only guy Knick fans are complaining about.   And we all know how that goes too.

Do I want Coach D fired?  I wouldn't word it quite that way, but the truth is I have considered the idea of replacing him.  I only say that because I feel we have a coach and a philosophy that are in-congruent with the players trying to implement said plan.  I do think Coach D is a good coach though.  But I might be leaning more and more towards him just not being right for this team.  For this Knick team, I actually think the guys in Newark have a coach that's better suited for New York's roster.  Of course he's not available.  I'm also not going to say I have someone else in mind.  I don't.  Jerry Sloan is home.  Give him a call?

I'll leave all the other little details for a next post before the playoffs start.


RELATED ARTICLES:
Game Recap Knicks 116;  Nets 93  by Chris Alvino at The Knicks Blog
NBA Fines Jay-Z.. By Graham Watson; Rivals/Yahoo.com
Brook Lopez, The Only Nets Starter Left Standing, Has Shined Down The Stretch,  by Colin Stephenson/Star Ledger; nj.com/Nets
Done For The Season, D-Will and Hump Finish With Double Doubles  by NET INCOME at NetsDaily.com





Mike.BTB