Monday, March 10, 2008

Perspective


Tonight the Knicks lost their 46th game of the 2007-2008 season.

Elsewhere, the Houston Rockets extended their current winning streak to 19 games. Meanwhile, the Knickerbockers have managed just 18 wins all season.

The Rockets current streak includes more victories than five teams have racked up so far this season. Those teams are Miami, Minnesota, Memphis, Seattle and your very own New York Knicks.
It's halftime of the Knicks/Mavs game. And, there have been zero minutes of competitive basketball played in this game so far. Not a single, solitary minute. From the moment that it was decided, presumably by head coach Isiah Thomas, that rookie swing-man Wilson Chandler was going to jump for the game's opening tip-off this game has been a farce. From the moment that our 6-8 small forward went out to the center circle to contest that tip the ballgame was conceded. Even if the players didn't know it yet.

This sort of irresponsible game planning, or lack thereof, by a coach can't help but trickle down to the players on the court. If their coach isn't going to take the game seriously then how can the players? If he seems to be going out of his way so that they lose then why should they go out of their way to try to avoid losing? It's ridiculous.

Meanwhile, as a counterpoint to Isiah's willful violation of the responsibilities of a coach is Mavs HC Avery Johnson. In a crowded arena that has fallen eerily quite do to the boring game on display, the only sound that can be heard other than the voices of the announcers is the voice of Johnson. He is frantically chirping out instructions while his team is on the defensive end of the floor from his perch near the midcourt end of the coach's box. Only a few dozen feet away Isiah sits sullenly in his folding chair with nary a word or order for his feckless and leaderless charges out on the floor.

"And, the carnage is on..."

Walt Frazier uttered these words with about 25 seconds left in the first quarter of tonight's game. A Brandon Bass dunk had just made the score 32 to 13 in Dallas' favor. And, chants of "DEE-FENCE" could be heard from the crowd.

I wonder how Sampras is doing...

Pre-Gaming: Knicks @ Mavs

And Freudian Press-Release Slips

Every game-day around 4 PM, I (along with many, many others) get an email from the New York Knicks with the probable starting lineup and the day's press-release-style game notes. Oh, and there is usually an easy trivia question included too. These notes essentially ignore everything actually happening with the team and the things that may be at stake in the game that night while recapping the previous loss as if it had been the previous win.

I used to read these Insider emails as I don't think that they always read like Communist Party propaganda, but now I generally skim the email to see if it contains any offers for discounted tickets and then delete it. I was about to do the same today when something in the email made me pause. It was the picture.

As you can see, it's Malik Rose trying to defend Dirk Nowitzki. This is the picture that is going to make me want to watch tonight's game? A past-his-prime, undersized, post-player clearly in over his head (literally and metaphorically) against the prototypical, next-wave NBA big who runs like a swing man and shoots threes like a 2? This is the picture that the crack PR staff at the Garden has chosen to fill me with confidence in the hours before tip-off?

Then again, the use of this picture to promote this game may actually be the most honest thing that this organization has done all season. After all, Malik Rose playing against Dirk Nowitzki actually does convey how this game will likely unfold: It will be a matchup between a superior (read: West), MVP-caliber player (read: title contender) versus the Knicks. And, we know how the Knicks rate at this point. They rate sort of like Malik Rose. Well, except without the hard-working, respected veteran thing going for them.

Perhaps, I'm wrong about this picture. Perhaps this wasn't a slip up at all. Perhaps this image represents that the slick spin machine is still at work in Midtown. Perhaps the Knicks have deteriorated so much that Malik Rose is now the player who will be dangled in front of your face as an enticement to watch the game. I mean, you know he'll at least give you an honest, professional effort while he's on the floor. He will hustle and make the smart play more often than not, which is more than can be said for some of his teammates. So, maybe this picture was chosen with some purpose.

But, probably not. If the authors of the Insider email were actually trying to make me feel like the Knicks had a chance or that the game was worth watching in spite of their chancelessness than they would have thrown up a picture of Nate, who scored 45 the other night. Or, they would have put up a pic of David Lee, who has been playing larger minutes with Randolph (and, now Curry) out of the lineup. Or, they could have used a picture of rookie Wilson Chandler, who has been getting a lot of run the past week.

Yeah, if this email were put together with any sort of purpose or by anyone with any sort of care as to who received it then one of those three probably would have been pictured. Even in the smallest endeavors this organization brings almost no effort to the table. At least they're consistent.

Sort of like Malik Rose, I guess.

From Bad to Hurt

According to today’s papers beleaguered Knicks center Eddy Curry has torn some cartilage in his right knee and may need surgery to repair the damage.

Pain in the knee is what kept Curry out of Saturday night’s game against Portland. At this point it seems his options are surgery or rehab. And, I’m not sure what I advocate. Of course, part of the reason why I'm not sure what I advocate is that I am not a doctor of medicine.

If this is truly a tear of something substantial then he should go ahead and schedule the procedure for tomorrow. This season is lost and if he is cut open now then he should be healthy by the start of next season. No matter what team he is on. However, if this is the same small cartilage tears that my knees are full of and that every doctor just sends me to physical therapy for (until I stop going after two weeks because I can’t afford a twice-per-week $20 co-pay for the rest of my days) then he should not needlessly have an operation.

Either way, this doesn’t really mean anything. I guess. There are only a few weeks of the season left to play out and seemingly nothing left to play for. Meanwhile, Miami has shut down Dwyane Wade, essentially declaring their designs on the number one pick in next year’s lottery. Since Rose, the point guard from Memphis that I believe this team needs, figures to be taken second then anything that helps us land that spot might be for the best.

Although given his horrendous run of form this year, an argument could be made the Knicks are worse with Curry on the floor than on the operating table. Then again, with Randolph out for last six games, Curry was starting to see minutes and produce (points not rebounds) again. And, given the fact that Randolph will likely be easier to move in the offseason than Curry it might be important to build up his confidence with what few games we do have left. And, then we can deactivate Randolph with whatever this "foot" injury he currently has.

Weekend at Jimmie's

What Lil' Dolan's Knicks Were Doing While You Were Watching Levon Helm at the Beacon Theater

Friday / Knicks 97 – 101 Pistons: The Knicks played harder, tougher and smarter (Rip Hamilton was needlessly ejected for arguing) but they just weren’t quite good enough to win this game. This was the third home game in five nights that they lost to a better team because they couldn’t execute in the waning moments. Monday was the Hornets. Wednesday was the Lebronaliers. The Knicks defended tonight with surprising tenacity and moved the ball as if they actually liked one another. Even more shockingly, without Randolph on the floor (injury) they got the ball inside to Curry, who led the team with 23 points. Actually, now that I think about it, Curry’s performance was only the second most shocking thing (after all, last year wasn’t really that long ago). The most unexpected aspect of the game on Friday night was that the Knicks seemed to want it more than the Pistons. They were within 5 or 6 throughout most of the fourth quarter but were able to close within two points with 34 seconds to go. At that point, the entire game hinged on just one play, one defensive stop. If they got the stop then they had the ball and plenty of time to force overtime. If they didn’t get the stop then they had to rush down the floor to score and then they had to begin fouling. The Knicks defended with vigor and did all the right things but Tayshaun Prince was able to get a supremely difficult shot to drop. Ballgame.

Saturday / Knicks 114 – 120 Blazers OT: No Curry, No Randolph, No Crawford, No problem. Nate Robinson scored a lifetime high of 45 points and dragged the Knicks into overtime against the visiting Blazers despite their poor execution and defense late in the game. As has been much reported, Robinson became only the second player listed at 5-9 ever to score 45 points in an NBA game. Four of those points game in the last 18 seconds of regulation and forced the overtime period. However, once the whistle blew on the extra session Brandon Roy outscored the Knicks by himself. Ballgame.

Also Worth Mentioning: David Lee put up a double-double in both games and Levon Helm was awesome.