I like Mike D’Antoni. In a dark time of Knicks’ basketball, he brought his mustache along with an entertaining style of basketball to the Garden. It all made a very bad Knicks team at least a little fun to watch…but Mike’s time is up. As Mikey D’s track record has proven, entertainment usually translates to a bunch of points and a bunch of disappointing losses.
With the recent losses, the Knicks have shown a lack of offensive continuity. They have also continued their futility on the defensive end of the ball and seem to forget all things intangible (rebound anyone). The result has been a string of bad losses (much like the beginning of the season). If the Knicks want to compete for more than a playoff spot, there needs to be a change in the offense and a change in the "offense comes second to nothing".
The addition of Melo means you have to create an offense where both he and Amare can coexist. Melo’s strength isn’t in playing the move and spacing game D’Antoni preaches. His game can be likened to Kobe and the role Kobe plays in the Triangle. He can be on the ball, dish when the defense collapses or shoot when he’s alone in the post or has space to shoot facing the basket. With that considered, there also needs to be at least a basic commitment to some defense. Every team/player goes through stretches where baskets are hard to come by. What keeps great teams in those games is their ability to play some defense and keep things a little close (all things the Knicks have struggled to do recently making these loses look so bad). D’Antoni seems either incapable or unwilling of making those offensive/defensive adjustments, meaning he has to go. Maybe this Melo move was a secret sneaky move to get him out of his job by The Snake (Isaiah Thomas) and James Dolan.
I suggested Ewing as a possibility in a recent post. Another option mentioned by Bill Simmons is have Phil come back to where it started and try and win a ring like his old coach/idol Red (a move I would endorse but seems unlikely). Anyone have any other names to throw in the hat?
I don't see how you can blame D'Antoni.
ReplyDeleteHe had them in a good position (6th in the East) prior to the big trade. The management executes an awful trade (gives away WAY too many pieces) and brings back Jeffries to start at center (who has about 2 points in ten games).
Meanwhile, after that one game-winner, Perpmelo has been underplaying. He didn't even have one field goal in the 4th quarter against the Celtics.
Under D'Antoni and before the trade (with all of those fantastic pieces we traded), the Knicks had a 5-11 record against the teams they've played since the trade.
ReplyDelete5 for 11 makes for a good batting average, not win percentage. Based on performance this season, you can argue the Knicks would have faired worse in this past stretch.
Wrong Bottle. D'Antoni deserves a huge amount of the blame.
ReplyDeleteThey're in 7th place after the trade. Only one spot down. I hardly call being in 6th "good position." They were only two games above .500 before the trade. They're one game under after. That's not a big difference.
Keep in mind they were playing horrible defense with Gallo, Chandler, Felton and Mozgov. They're still playing horrible defense now. That's all on D'Antoni.
As of right now the players aren't responding to his extremely flawed offensive philosophy. He needs to go. Get a coach that will actually teach defense instead of just talk about it. Get a coach that will hold his players accountable when they play like dogs. Get a coach that doesn't sound like a broke record during his post game pressers. Then add some depth during the off-season. Only then will this team start to show growth and go places.
D'Antoni should not be scapegoated.
ReplyDeleteLets put things in perspective:
The Knicks were in 6th place, doing well, with a lot of trade potential on their side. Even Curry's contract, which was once sinking the Knicks, become a huge asset (especially before the new collective bargaining). What do the Knicks do? They somehow let Thomas get involved in the trade, they panic, and they give up way more than they had to.
Now they are stuck with a crappy supporting cast around Amare and Carmelo and almost no defensive-minded players. How can I prove that? They brought Jeffries back, the worst player ever, just to fill those voids.
I don't know how you can expect D'Antoni to make them play defense when they get Amare and Carmelo (two awful defensive players) and don't add any depth or defense in the trade. You say "add depth during the off-season". Why do they need that? Because they gave up way too many players to the Nuggets, that's why. Now they need Amare AND Carmelo to go off or they don't win (the Celtics game and tonight's game show that).
Currently the Knicks are depending on their GM to magically add another all-star player. Keep in mind, their GM/owner are responsible for the last 10 horrible years of Knicks basketball, as well as butchering the Carmelo trade and bringing back Jeffries. You can point fingers at the coach if you want to but the blame clearly lies elsewhere.
The Nuggets just beat the Spurs with Chandler's go-head shot with 20-something seconds left and Felton's clutch free throws.
ReplyDeleteMeanwhile, in the matchup of juggernauts, Jeffries had 0 points and 1 rebound to Dwight Howard's 33 points and 11 boards.
No one is expecting the Knicks to be the Bad Boy Pistons...but you cannot win playing like the Dominique Hawks.
ReplyDeleteBefore the trade, they were awful defensively and had a poor record against the teams they are currently struggling against. Now they're doing exactly what they've done throughout the season with greater ecpectations.
This team needs to re-tool and find the right "pieces" (not necessarily a superstar), but we'd still play no d and still lose games like last night. We were losing those types of games before the trade, we're losing them now, and will continue to lose them regardless of who comes in so long as D'Antoni is the coach.
BRING BACK PAT!
Except they weren't really playing well before the trade was made. Lest you forget, (before they beat the Hawks) they were playing some bad basketball heading into the all-star break.
ReplyDeleteThe point about what they gave up is moot, because even when they had those players they were one of the lousiest defensive teams in the league. Fact. For the record, I wasn't a fan of the trade either but that's besides the point. D'Antoni was a horrible defensive coach (when they had the depth) before the trade, and he's a horrible defensive coach after it.
While D'Antoni shouldn't be the lone scape goat, it's obvious that he's not the right man for the job. Should we give him until next year to see what he can do (assuming they add depth in the off-season) with an upgraded roster? The skeptic in me says "why bother?" It's not like they're magically going to start playing consistent defense under him.
"No one is expecting the Knicks to be the Bad Boy Pistons...but you cannot win playing like the Dominique Hawks."
Exactly. I'm not expecting them to be one of the best defensive teams in the league. But why can't we get a full effort from these guys night in night out? This was a reoccurring theme before the trade, and a reoccurring theme after. So blaming it on lack of depth is a lousy argument because they were like this all season long.
See you guys at the Garden soon! Hope there are still some bitches working there!
ReplyDeleteThanks for half your team, New York! Please get rid of your coach so we can take him too!
ReplyDeleteHey guys, love the blog! I realize what a useless piece of shit I am now! Going to go kill myself!
ReplyDeleteThanks JJ. We appreciate the favor.
ReplyDeleteAny time Hater J!...BANG
ReplyDelete