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.

James Harden Clamoring For Trade to Brooklyn

From the desk: THE HOOPS OF FLATBUSH

BIG THREE?

James Harden Trying to Shoehorn Himself into Nets Neighborhood

James Harden wants out of Houston and to prove his point has turned down a two-year $103 million dollar contract extension.  Instead of potentially becoming the first player in history to break the $50 million per season salary barrier, he instead requested a trade to Brooklyn.

Sure he did ...

The Houston Rockets franchise is falling apart like wet toilet paper and Harden knows it.  Former general manager Daryl Morey left the organization, coach Mike D'Antoni is no longer there, Robert Covington was recently traded and now Russell Westbrook says he wants out as well.  Besides, I guess it's easy to snub your nose at another ten million when you're already making forty million per season.  

Not that I have any experience with that ...

Harden asked for a trade to Brooklyn indeed, where he has convenience and familiarity on his side.  He is former teammates with Kevin Durant when the two played at Oklahoma City, and his former head coach is now an assistant with the Nets.  According to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, Harden, Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving in recent weeks have been in frequent communication.  Woj says Durant is enthusiastic about a potential deal and that contrary to rumors, Kyrie Irving is not known to be opposed.  Woj also says the Nets and Houston Rockets have spoken.  Discussions are being characterized as nothing serious.

Wednesday is the NBA draft.  If such a deal should occur, the potential cost for acquiring James Harden is being speculated to include anyone from Spencer Dinwiddie to Caris LeVert and Jarrett Allen along with a slew of draft picks.  Some pundits say it would take someone more talented like Kyrie Irving in order to facilitate any trade.

I'm opposed to all of it.  

I understand Spencer Dinwiddie's value is as a trade chip.  However, I am particularly protective of Jarrett Allen and Caris LeVert.  First, Allen is my favorite player.  But, mainly because Harden still has two-plus seasons left on his present contract.  He can become a free agent in 2022 if he opts out of the final year of his deal.  Then what?  Maintaining three super-max contracts on the roster is extremely prohibitive.  

I'm also completely averse to trading away draft picks.  This organization has already been there and done that.  The Nets are now on the other side of Billy King's disastrous Paul Pierce/Kevin Garnett trade.  Waiting out the aftermath and smartly rebuilding is what laid the foundation needed to sign Durant and Irving in the first place.  

Why put yourself right back into the same hole?

I was completely geared up for Kevin Durant's return to the floor, and playing a full season together with Kyrie Irvin.  I was satisfied with that.  Otherwise, I reserve further judgment.  

Knicks and Nets Battle in New Jersey for Final Time

From the desks of:

DUTCH PANTS CAN'T JUMP  and  THE HOOPS OF FLATBUSH

Next Stop  ~  An Inner-City Rivalry!

THE FINAL TIP-OFF

NEW YORK KNICKS

vs.

NEW JERSEY NETS

FROM

THE ROCK in NEWARK

NEW JERSEY

Thirty-five seasons of the New York/New Jersey interstate rivalry conclude tonight.  For this will be the last time the Knicks will tip-off against the Nets in New Jersey.  The next time the Knicks visit the Nets for a road game, they will be hopping on a bus headed to Brooklyn for a game in Barclays Center.

Barclays Center ~ View from Dean Street at Sixth Avenue

For the Nets, this will be a rather inglorious final clash between these teams in New Jersey.  Deron Williams will miss tonight's game with an injury.  And the Nets have since been eliminated from playoff contention after a regular season; that outside of surprisingly good play from some of their most junior members; is worthy of little words.

For the Knicks, in order to unleash the greatness of Carmelo Anthony, the Knicks needed to be torn apart along the perforated edges first.  In the Melo System, apparently there is only room for one star.  Namely, the Media has reduced Amare Stoudemire, and Jeremy Lin, to mere flickers of light now.  And with Melo being the dominant force of gravity in the Knicks's universe, Landry Fields has also apparently been swallowed up by a black hole.

Then again, a rook name Iman Shumpert has carved out his own way no matter who's on the court.  And thank goodness for him.

Melo is right where he wants to be now; out from under Mike D'Antoni.  And say what you will about how the team has played under Mike Woodson, Melo is The Man right now due to a simple matter of attrition.  The same problems the Knicks had before, will be revisited once Amare comes back, or, tries to come back, and will worsen should the Knicks still be playing by the time Jeremy Lin gets back.  In the mean time, with everyone out of his way, including Mike D'Antoni, Melo is free to rule his world as he sees fit.  Because outside of a guy like Amare, Melo's team mates know exactly where their bread is being buttered right now.

That's not to say Melo hasn't been doing everything he can to help his team win lately; to include playing defense.  He has.  My thing is he just chose not to do it for D'Antoni.  Don't get me wrong, I think Mike Woodson is far better for the Knicks than D'Antoni and his stubborn commitment to his system were.

But I wouldn't be true to myself if I didn't keep dumping on the Knicks in spite of them throwing Boston a resounding beating Tuesday night.  One night for me doesn't suddenly cloak the prior facts that when the team did well, Melo didn't.  And When Melo did well, the team didn't.  Like I said, it took the elimination of a few players from the floor in order for the real Melo to stand up.

He's standing tall all right.  And leading the Knicks - his way.  And that's where I have a problem.

And I will say to you now - the Knicks aren't nearly this successful without Tyson Chandler.  Not even close.  If his knee doesn't hold up, the Knicks are done, post haste.

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 ~ Coach D'Antoni; Compare and Contrast

From the desk of:   DUTCH PANTS CAN'T JUMP

NEW YORK KNICKS:  Mike D'Antoni; Avery Johnson; Gregg Popovich; One of These Coaches is Not Like the Others.


I'm paraphrasing here, but Coach Avery Johnson said something after the last time the Knicks and Nets faced each other.  It came after Deron Williams torched the Knicks for thirty-eight points in the return engagement against Jeremy Lin; you know, the game Williams said he circled on his calendar after LINsanity broke out.


Coach Johnson said, if the Knicks switched up and tried covering Deron Williams with a forward, that it was his (Coach's) 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.



Wednesday night against the Spurs, I'm not sure exactly why Gregg Popovich flipped his lid and displayed open disgust towards his team, but you can be sure it was done for a reason.  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.  Thinking like a coach, I'm a big proponent of beating on your team when things are going well.



Obviously this is all leading up to Coach D'Antoni.  I don't hear or see that chess-like intricacy from Coach D'Antoni like Coach Johnson talked about.  I don'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.  Point is, I do not see Coach D'Antoni employing such tact with his stars; namely Carmelo Anthony.



Since Carmelo returned to the line-up, the Knickerbockers have come to a grinding halt, and I do not see the Coach adjusting one way or the other.  Not to the extent of the two coaches I chose to use as examples.



I will say this about the Knicks' recent play.  Without Tyson Chandler, their interior is exposed again.



That is all.







Mike.BTB

Knicks vs. Nets ~ Clash of the Tired

From the desks of:   DUTCH PANTS CAN'T JUMP  and  THE HOOPS OF FLATBUSH

SATURDAY NIGHT

NJ/BROOKLYN NETS

vs.

NEW YORK KNICKS

From,

33rd Street at 7th Avenue

NYC

The official end to the New Jersey Nets - New York Knicks slightly neighborly border war commences tonight in Madison Square Garden.  Because after June of this year, New Jersey will never visit the corner building at 33rd Street and 7th Avenue as the Nets ever again.  So take in what you can of it, because unfortunately tonight's game is shaping up to be more like a Battle of the Beaten and Battered than a prelude to a hot inner city rivalry.  No; instead these two teams are currently generating as much heat as the bottom side of a pillow.

But if you're one for living in the moment, then the Battle for Third Place is ON!  Enticing - isn't it?  The Knicks and Nets will be meeting for the third time this season.  The only difference this time is this game counts.  Both teams spent what the NBA called a pre-season playing two games against each other, in which the Knickerbockers took both.  But right about now, the Knicks might be wishing this game wouldn't count either.  They're the team with high expectations who aren't living up to them while the Nets are still trying to piece things together.

After two tough, tightly contested losses to the Bulls and then the Celtics last night, Saturday's game will be the Knicks' third game in three nights.  They lost by three points to Chicago and by two points to Boston.  What will they have left in the tank for tonight?  Good question.  Meanwhile, last night Shumpert and Tyson Chandler may have established a nice connection together and might be on to something moving forward.  Or maybe the aging Kevin Garnett just kept getting caught out of position?

Is there any good news in the Dutch Pants section of town?  I don't know.  Without a point guard, Don Nelson's old system of running the offense a-la through Anthony Mason; that is, through Carmelo Anthony isn't going very well for Coach D'Antoni.  Because he has a roster of round pegs he's trying to fit in square holes, I think we're finally starting the witness Coach get sweaty under the collar.  There's a smoldering fire building under his already hot seat.  A normally confident and sharp Coach D'Antoni sounds a little despondent lately.  When coaches start eluding to things in the abstract and saying things like - I don't know, -  that can't be good.


You know what else isn't too good?  Ending last night's game against the Celtics by launching two bricks.  They couldn't even negotiate a creative-to-decent in-bounds pass.  Little things like that to me wreak of apathy.  It didn't seem like the Knicks had a plan for their last two plays.  It looked more school yard to me.

The Nets will be playing their third game in four nights, and at least have a win over the Pistons to show for their efforts lately.  For the Nets, Deron Williams is Deron Williams, but now he's rolling with Anthony Morrow who's fresh of a forty-two point game against the T-Wolves.  While Coach D'Antoni has a bunch of mismatched players, Coach Avery is not sitting on any kind of hot seat.  He just wishes he had enough players.  Due to a couple of injuries, the Nets were only able to dress eight players a couple of nights ago.

Is there any good news for the future Hoops of Flatbush?  Well, Deron Williams has given his strongest indication to date that he will stay on with the Nets and move with the team to Brooklyn.  And word around the way is that Dwight Howard still views the Nets as his first option.  In more immediate matters, Brook Lopez is progressing well after his foot surgery.

So maybe there's actually something to this game tonight.  It's not exactly the Battle for the City yet.  One team has the gas pedal floored in their Honda Accord but isn't getting very far, while the other team can't understand why it's Benz is a lemon.  So yeah, games like this usually turn out to be rather fun to watch.  Let the Battle for Third Place...begin.

ATLANTIC DIVISION

3rd  -  New York Knickerbockers   8-15

4th -  New Jersey-Brooklyn Nets     8-16

Previous Posts:

 

Knicks:  Blame Dolan.  I Do.

Nets:  Team Lacks a Head of State.

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 ~ No POINT in Dwelling

From the desk of:   DUTCH PANTS CAN'T JUMP




NEW YORK KNICKS:   POINT Taken.  But Gimmie the Big Guy.



If you blinked, you missed it.  The pre-season is over.  Let the games begin.  And if you don't pay close attention on a daily basis this season, you may miss some regular season games also.  The NBA is compressing a sixty-six game schedule into four months.  So check the papers often, odds are your favorite team is playing that night. 



And check the transactions lists as well to see if an NBA star near you winds up on the disabled list.  With this schedule..., good luck keeping players on the court.   Which reminds me,  Merry Christmas Commissioner Stern.  The TV money should start rolling in any day now.  So you can tell your owners it's okay to exhale.  Then again maybe not.  Because the next big influx of cash they can expect will be the insurance money on player contracts once they start dropping like timber on The Learning Channel.

*    *    *    *

...because I'm Old School.

The Knicks will start the 2011-2012 season the same way they finished last season; against the Boston Celtics.  But surprise!  This is not the same Knicks team that lost to Boston in the playoffs this past Spring.  Well..., they are, but they're not.  When the Knicks take the court Sunday afternoon in Boston, they'll have something they didn't have last year; an answer for Kevin Garnett.  But forget Garnett, the League now has to go through Tyson Chandler if they want to visit the paint against the Knicks.  The former Dallas center was enticed by Dolan's Dollars and promises to sell-out on Dee-Fense.  That's great!  And if he gives us twelve points a night?  Stupendous!  And if Dolan doesn't hike my cable bill, - Even more Incredible!  But never mind that.



Now we can talk.  Turn Back Now. The Lane Is Closed  ...is how I worded it.  New York's defensive paint is no longer a place other teams can just come in, dance around, and JAM like the old days of Studio 54.  The Knicks pay a big seven foot dude to man the velvet rope now.  And if you ain't on the list, most of you aren't getting in without some serious skills.



I tell you now, having Chandler, or a top center in general, is more important to me than having a premiere guard.  I believe the Knicks can get by with a good guard.  I even think we can get by with a decent guard.  That depends on what said guard brings to the table of course.  All we need is someone who will get the ball up-court without turning it over; someone who can run the break when we need to run; and someone who can bury shots from the outside when the big guys kick it out.  And yes, plays defense too.  That's it.  We don't have a TWO that's going to consistently bury shots when passes come off penetration into the lane.  The ball is going through Amare and Melo, so driving the lane, creating off the dribble, and stuff like that are less necessary.  Oh right..., Coach D'Antoni may not see things like me.  Regardless, gimmie the big guy every time.



Point guard is not first or even second on my list of concerns.  It's actually third in.  First and foremost, I'm concerned about the Knicks' bench.  And that has everything to do with Amare Stoudemire.  He didn't need to say what most fans speculated about already; - how well will he hold-up playing in such a compressed schedule?  He's going to need rest, in-game management, and we're going to need a back-up.  And we just may have one; - another seven footer to boot.  Additionally, the bench is going to be largely responsible for point guard, as it looks like we're going with the quantity over quality method.



Second on my list of worries is keeping this front court healthy.  I don't know how to prevent injuries, so that's why in the Knicks' case, I worry about them instead.  Then..., I'd start worrying about finding a point guard elite.  For now, just give me someone who can do certain things well.



And while I'm at it, quite frankly, Mr. D'Antoni's offensive philosophy troubles me a bit also.  This roster is not designed for his ideas; at least I don't think so. - Not unless he intends on using his bench a lot more than we might usually expect from him.  Either way, I think Coach is going to have to make some strategic concessions and coach to his personnel.  I don't know what he has up his sleeve, but he wasn't hesitant to speak about the Knicks and a championship in the same sentence together.  I'd say the Knicks have about seven or eight guys that will comprise the rotation; in a regular season that is.  This will be no regular season.  Instead this will be a grueling season and Mr. D'Antoni will have no choice but to keep the tenth, eleventh, and twelfth guy in step as best he can.  He might even have to slow things down from time to time.  No?



I'm just saying.





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 ~ 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 ~ Tighten Up And Do It Again; Game Two

National Basketball Association

2010-2011

EASTERN CONFERENCE PLAYOFFS

TONIGHT

GAME TWO

NEW YORK KNICKS (0-1)

vs.

Boston Celtics (1-0)

Not from the Boston Garden

NEW YORK KNICKS: Mike D'Antoni Coached a Good Game.  But Doc Rivers Mastered The Moment.

Two things are true about the coaching in this series; - Mike D'Antoni prepared the Knicks well with an effective plan on defense.  And Doc Rivers out-coached Coach D in the last minute of the game. 

Doc Rivers mapped out a way to get Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen the ball for their most important possessions.  Coach D was never able to spring Amare Stoudemire free down the stretch.  Instead, Chauncey Billups pulled up lame on a lay-up and Carmelo Anthony chucked up a brick to end the game.  Doc Rivers held on to timeouts for the closing moments of the game..  Coach D did not.  Doc Rivers got points every time coming out of his time-outs.  Coach D did not and then ran out.

This time around, Coach needs to find a better way to keep Amare Stoudemire more involved during crunch time.  Doc Rivers drew up a plan to stop Stoudemire after he scored twelve points in the fourth quarter before the Celts pulled it out.  And just as Doc had an answer for Amare, he also managed to uncork Ray Allen late in the game.

Mike D'Antoni came on board as an offensive minded coach.  He needs to get his team to play defense again, but he needs to live up to his reputation and design plays that will get the Knicks closer to one hundred points.

LANDRY FIELDS:

It's unfair to pile on the rookie.  But the fact is the Knicks need Landry to be the player he was before the Melo trade.  It's strictly a numbers issue.  The Knicks don't have em.  The Knickerbockers not only need the defense he provides, they need his ability to rebound from the two spot.  But mostly they need Landry Fields to adjust for Ray Allen and Boston's points off the bench.

Again, it's up to Coach D'Antoni to find a way and reintegrate Landry into the offensive flow and get him uncorked again.  The problem is Landry is better at letting the game come to him and reacting on the floor than he is with something drawn up for him.  He was a tremendous opportunist before the Melo trade when more players were involved with the offensive mindset.  I said in my last post, that's what happens when you shelve the Team Concept and adopt the Star System.  You might even call Landry an X-factor.  His points are crucial for making what hopefully will be another supreme defensive effort by the Knicks, successful.

Free Throws and Elbows:

* I'm expecting Carmelo Anthony to have a substantially better game.  But I'm expecting likewise from Antonio Pierce.  That's why Landry Fields is so important to the Knicks right now.

* I'm also looking forward towards Amare Stoudemire continuing his dominance over Kevin Garnett and

Big Cry Baby.  Amare is the younger, more spry, and more energetic player between him and Garnett.  That will prove itself out when Amare has the ball.  I don't think Garnett's game will be taking much of an up-tick after Game One.

* I think Toney Douglas at the point helps the Knicks speed up their tempo.  The Knicks have played without Chauncey before and aren't necessarily dependent on him.  Douglas' legs are fresher.  We'll see how the supposedly Old Legs of the Celtics hold up going into Game Two.  And Toney Douglas will more easily keep up with Rondo more so than Chauncey could have.

* Landry Fields has to match-up with Ray Allen over the course of the series.  But the Knicks need to come up with an answer to Jermaine O'Neal right now!  He'll eat us up if Coach D doesn't think of something quick.  Enter Ronny Turiaf.  The Knicks need a sustained defensive effort from him all series long.

* I think the Knicks played very well last game and are capable of sustaining this effort.  Some things need to go our way though; like whistles; but all I think the Knicks need to do for Game Two is to rewind and play it again. 

The true adjustments needed to be made by both teams in this series will come after this game.

Let's Go Knicks!!

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Mike.BTB