It Was All Good Just A Week Ago

Remember when the Knicks were given a punchers shot at stealing a series from the sluggish and seemingly disinterested Celtics? Remember last Sunday, when the Knicks showed a defensive effort, and played like they belonged there....for 47:23?

Well, as is usual with the Knicks, an opportunity for total disappointment is never missed. One of the ugliest 37 second stretches I've seen in a while was followed by another inspired effort. Without Stat, Melo carried the team and Jared Jeffries added to his legacy by providing a Charles Smith-like memory in what would be another painful loss. Then there was Good Friday. The Celtics where left more open than they were in their own shoot around. The C's hit 14 of 24 three pointers with Ray Allen going 8/11. Sometimes, great shooters will beat you regardless of what you do. However, leaving the most prolific three point shooter in the league's history about 6 feet open isn't ever going to help the cause. The defense was pathetic. The lack of energy was total disrespect to all Knicks fans who've waited so long for a playoff game.

The Knicks can't possibly be as bad as they were Friday night (at least I hope so), but it doesn't matter. I'm disappointed with this team. A loss tonight makes this entire season a failure. Losing this series is something all Knicks fans somewhat expected. No one expected them to provide us reminders of how awful things got throughout the season. We were provided with numerous frustrating examples of how solid this team can be defensively, and then seemingly forget how to play defense on other nights. How they just sort of show up on nights they need wins, and just sit around playing with a "so what" attitude.

This team obviously needs some pieces to compete. Pieces like a center who can rebound or a point guard who can play point guard (Toney Douglas is painful to watch). This team also needs a new coach. I've called for D'Antoni's head a few weeks ago and again a few days ago. There is no excuse for a lack of intensity, a lack of consistency, or a lack of urgency. It's not totally his fault, but he has a lot of blame in the matter. If you can't get your team to show up every night, if you can't get them to focus every night, and if you can't inspire them to get out of a mid game funk...you have to go.

The Knicks may sneak a win tonight, they probably won't...but does any of it matter? I'll be watching, but I'll have a quick remote control trigger finger.

Happy Easter PTU readers.

PTU Dog House: Jared Jeffries

I think today is as good a day as ever to re-post this:

Jared Jeffries

A long, long time ago Dr. James Naismith nailed two peach baskets up about 10 feet from the floor and created the game of basket ball which would eventually evolve over the years into the sport we all know and love so much. About 90 years later, Jared Jeffries (seen above making his trademark face) was born and Dr. Naismith has been rolling over in his grave ever since, as a talentless waste of life would pervert his creation for years to come.

Jared is to basketball what Malaria is to Africa. When Jared shoots the ball, statues of the virgin Mary cry tears of blood. Jared has the game of an autistic dwarf and the looks of a gay giraffe with Down Syndrome. To call him a bum is offensive to homeless people.

To make matters even worse, coaches inexplicably love this poor excuse for an athlete. He's always said to be a great locker room guy, which I assume means he's really good at picking up towels and jockstraps since he surely is not anyone's idea of a good basketball player. Now in his second go-round ruining the Knicks, JJ has proven that he has not picked up a single skill in his 9 year reign of terror called an NBA career, besides standing in front of more talented athletes to draw charges and generally looking like a cross between Swizz Beatz and mushmouth. How he ever won Mr. Basketball as an Indiana high-schooler is beyond me, unless it was meant to be sarcastic. Averaging 1 point and 3 rebounds per game as a Knick this season, the perpetually slack-jawed Jeffries is well on his way to another kick in the groin of a season.

UPDATE: Jared nearly had the game of his life last night, somehow converting 5 field goals and the go-ahead basket in the final minute. Then he remembered he was Jared Jeffries and promptly fumbled the ball to Kevin Garnett ending the Knicks' chances for a miracle win in Boston. The world is in shock today at the unholy evil that is Jared Jeffries.

We might as well name the PTU Dog House after Jared Jeffries. Just take a look at the video evidence below.

Jared, go to hell.