After much speculation and foreshadowing, the Memphis Grizzlies released veteran point guard Damon Stoudamire today, according to SI.com.
Stoudamire, the diminutive handler formerly known by the handle Mighty Mouse, was drafted out of the U of Arizona by none other than our very own Isiah Thomas when he was mismanaging the Toronto Raptors. With the Knicks only true-point guard (and even that's a stretch) Stephon Marbury sidelined indefinitely, while recovering from surgery, is a reunion in the works?
I hope not. I don't doubt that Stoudamire would be an upgrade over Fred Jones and that he would help this team and do a better job of feeding Curry inside than Crawford or Nate, BUT I'd rather see Mardy continue to sneak onto the floor to spell (or start!) Nate and Jamal.
Letting Crawford, Nate and Mardy handle the point guard duties for the rest of the season is the move of a team seeing what it's got heading into 2009 and beyond while signing a 34-year-old is the move of a team clawing at this year's eight seed without heed for what comes next.
Besides, the Nets could use him to back up Marcus Williams after they trade Kidd.
Tuesday, January 29, 2008
Monday, January 28, 2008
They Believe, We Hope
106-104, Warriors defeat Knicks
I'm not sure how to feel about last night's loss to the Golden State Warriors. Am I just glad that the Knicks are watchable again? After all, the game was compelling to the final ticks of the clock. Or am I disappointed that they lost?
Well, I guess I'm both. I walked away from the television (and went downstairs to watch The Simpsons episode that I'd skipped to watch pre-game coverage) feeling slightly frustrated but definitely upbeat and in a good mood.
I was in a good mood because the Knicks are officially playing better. And, they have been for the last ten+ games. My dad says they've improved from awful to bad while I'd like to think that they've gone from awful to mediocre. Either way, things are getting better. And, even more confounding is that depending on the personnel on the floor this can actually be a likeable team nowadays. Nevertheless, last night's loss was painful because the game was there to be won. The Knicks had a ten point lead in the third quarter and a narrow margin in the black heading into the fourth. And, they squandered it. Stephen Jackson had a huge fourth quarter, Biedrins kept the Knicks off the offensive glass and Davis and Ellis hit the back-breaking shots that Crawford and Nate have been hitting in recent wins.
Taking the longview, this was not a bad loss, in any sense. It was a closely contested road game against a top-flight opponent on track for the playoffs. And the Knicks just came up a couple of plays short. What they needed in the final minute was one defensive stop and then one basket. That's it. They were a two possession swing from winning. They didn't get it, though.
However, right now it is more important for this team to develop some consistency when it comes to the Philadelphias and the Miamis of the world. We need to learn to beat the teams that are eminently beatable and then hope to steal a few games from the playoff caliber teams, like Golden State. We almost got one of those last night. Almost.
The Take-Away
1. Eddy Curry's deficiencies as a rebounder can cumulatively cost the Knicks over the course of a game. After two and a half seasons of watching Curry play for the Knicks this is probably isn't news to anyone. Usually he's contributed to losses by allowing an easy bucket or an offensive rebound in the waning moments rather than allowing someone to alter the game itself. Biedrins thoroughly dominated the glass, at one point grabbing consecutive offensive rebounds by reaching directly OVER a stationary Curry, and finished with an NBA season high 26 boards. His effect on the game cannot be understated. On the other hand, Curry's seventeen points overstate his effect on the game.
2. The Knicks offense should be able to run with the Warriors. With Robinson, Lee and Balkman on the floor the Knicks get up and down. Nate showed last night that he could outrun the Golden State Gazelles at will. He's fast.
3. Mardy Collins isn't done just yet. Starting because Fred Jones is sick, Collins handled himself well while on the floor, especially in the first quarter. He played hard and was rallying to the ball on defense and on the boards. When he came back into the game in the second-half he did get abused by Davis immediately. The same thing happened when these two matched up in the Garden. Nevertheless, it was good to see him get some PT and not waste it. His stat-line isn't very pretty but the Knicks were +13 while he was on the floor. Ideally, I'd like him to keep developing and take away Fred Jones' gig as the guy who plays the first few minutes before Nate takes over.
I'm not sure how to feel about last night's loss to the Golden State Warriors. Am I just glad that the Knicks are watchable again? After all, the game was compelling to the final ticks of the clock. Or am I disappointed that they lost?
Well, I guess I'm both. I walked away from the television (and went downstairs to watch The Simpsons episode that I'd skipped to watch pre-game coverage) feeling slightly frustrated but definitely upbeat and in a good mood.
I was in a good mood because the Knicks are officially playing better. And, they have been for the last ten+ games. My dad says they've improved from awful to bad while I'd like to think that they've gone from awful to mediocre. Either way, things are getting better. And, even more confounding is that depending on the personnel on the floor this can actually be a likeable team nowadays. Nevertheless, last night's loss was painful because the game was there to be won. The Knicks had a ten point lead in the third quarter and a narrow margin in the black heading into the fourth. And, they squandered it. Stephen Jackson had a huge fourth quarter, Biedrins kept the Knicks off the offensive glass and Davis and Ellis hit the back-breaking shots that Crawford and Nate have been hitting in recent wins.
Taking the longview, this was not a bad loss, in any sense. It was a closely contested road game against a top-flight opponent on track for the playoffs. And the Knicks just came up a couple of plays short. What they needed in the final minute was one defensive stop and then one basket. That's it. They were a two possession swing from winning. They didn't get it, though.
However, right now it is more important for this team to develop some consistency when it comes to the Philadelphias and the Miamis of the world. We need to learn to beat the teams that are eminently beatable and then hope to steal a few games from the playoff caliber teams, like Golden State. We almost got one of those last night. Almost.
The Take-Away
1. Eddy Curry's deficiencies as a rebounder can cumulatively cost the Knicks over the course of a game. After two and a half seasons of watching Curry play for the Knicks this is probably isn't news to anyone. Usually he's contributed to losses by allowing an easy bucket or an offensive rebound in the waning moments rather than allowing someone to alter the game itself. Biedrins thoroughly dominated the glass, at one point grabbing consecutive offensive rebounds by reaching directly OVER a stationary Curry, and finished with an NBA season high 26 boards. His effect on the game cannot be understated. On the other hand, Curry's seventeen points overstate his effect on the game.
2. The Knicks offense should be able to run with the Warriors. With Robinson, Lee and Balkman on the floor the Knicks get up and down. Nate showed last night that he could outrun the Golden State Gazelles at will. He's fast.
3. Mardy Collins isn't done just yet. Starting because Fred Jones is sick, Collins handled himself well while on the floor, especially in the first quarter. He played hard and was rallying to the ball on defense and on the boards. When he came back into the game in the second-half he did get abused by Davis immediately. The same thing happened when these two matched up in the Garden. Nevertheless, it was good to see him get some PT and not waste it. His stat-line isn't very pretty but the Knicks were +13 while he was on the floor. Ideally, I'd like him to keep developing and take away Fred Jones' gig as the guy who plays the first few minutes before Nate takes over.
Friday, January 25, 2008
"We are caring enough to really share the ball."--Eddy Curry
This quote means two things:
1. The Knicks won tonight, beating the Sixers.
2. They've been stealing from me all year.
1. The Knicks won tonight, beating the Sixers.
2. They've been stealing from me all year.
Pre-Gaming: Knicks vs. Sixers
The Knicks have been off since Monday's defeat to Boston. It feels to me like they haven't played in weeks. I hope they're ready to come out with some energy tonight and that they've been sitting in their basements, drinking coffee, watching Paul Pierce highlights and just thinking about tonight's game for the past 72 hours. I hope everyone remembers the home-and-home sweep from last month and that someone has been playing those game tapes on a loop at their practice facility all week.
Just like tonight, the Knicks were starting to look a little better the last time they had a Friday night matchup with the Sixers. And, then they surrendered any momentum that they'd built by getting humiliated two nights in a row. The Saturday leg at MSG was the second worst performance I've seen in person all year.
Going into the All-Star break this is a big game. It's a should-win and a must-win if the team has any hope of coming out the gate in the second-half with a good vibe. In spite of Monday's loss, things are still coming together and the last ten games have been the team's best stretch since the first ten games.
Can they keep it going?
Just like tonight, the Knicks were starting to look a little better the last time they had a Friday night matchup with the Sixers. And, then they surrendered any momentum that they'd built by getting humiliated two nights in a row. The Saturday leg at MSG was the second worst performance I've seen in person all year.
Going into the All-Star break this is a big game. It's a should-win and a must-win if the team has any hope of coming out the gate in the second-half with a good vibe. In spite of Monday's loss, things are still coming together and the last ten games have been the team's best stretch since the first ten games.
Can they keep it going?
"No, baby. That's just jokes. That Ed sure is funny."
Or, how the Knicks are officially a source of humor far and wide.
The Knicks have been laughed at for a while now. Looking at this season as a whole (and, yes, a case can easily be made that the team has been a joke for a longer time) I would say with certainty that the tipping point from mediocrity too punchline occurred on November 29, 2007.
That, of course, was the night of the epic loss at the hands of the Celtics. Two days earlier, our old friend Reggie Miller primed the pump with these choice (and accurate) words on the ball club:
Within hours of those words being uttered the Knicks were down by 52 points in the second half on national television, Sir Charles and Kenny the Jet were in hysterics at the ineptitude and the damage was done. From that point on the team has been late-night monologue fodder. Just a week and a half ago Letterman took another shot at the team in a monologue. Isiah, Dolan and everyone else associated with the franchise has seemingly gone out of their way to find every banana peel since then. In other words, kicking out fans hasn't helped the image problems.
Just when you think it can't get worse, when you think that we're putting some things together and Nate is looking good, it invariably does get worse and these two recent events showcase that nicely.
1. While on a road trip to LA Suns guard Leandro Barbosa fell victim to a hoax where his hotel gave him a message saying that Suns GM Steve Kerr wanted to meet him to discuss a trade to the New York Knicks. Barbosa, understandably, freaked and went storming off to track down his coach. He later said the joke about being traded to the Knicks was a "terrible thing... Every time I hear the word ‘trade,’ … it’s just not a comfortable word for me at all. This is my team. I went a little crazy.”
The Punchline: The Knicks are now a threat. If you misbehave...we'll send you to the Knicks. Nice.
2. LA Clippers coach, Mike Dunleavy said, responding to owner Donald Sterling saying that the 12-5 Clippers could be a playoff team despite not having All-Star Elton Brand all season, that the Clippers would be foolish to make trades that would only help them this year. This seems like a fairly benign and sensible statement. But, Dunleavy then justifies his feelings with this gem:
The Punchline: Your management style is so foolish you could work for the Knicks. Oh! Snap!
The Knicks have been laughed at for a while now. Looking at this season as a whole (and, yes, a case can easily be made that the team has been a joke for a longer time) I would say with certainty that the tipping point from mediocrity too punchline occurred on November 29, 2007.
That, of course, was the night of the epic loss at the hands of the Celtics. Two days earlier, our old friend Reggie Miller primed the pump with these choice (and accurate) words on the ball club:
"Right now, they are a league-wide joke," Miller said. "It's sad because they are an historic and iconic franchise. But people think they are late night comedy jokes."
Within hours of those words being uttered the Knicks were down by 52 points in the second half on national television, Sir Charles and Kenny the Jet were in hysterics at the ineptitude and the damage was done. From that point on the team has been late-night monologue fodder. Just a week and a half ago Letterman took another shot at the team in a monologue. Isiah, Dolan and everyone else associated with the franchise has seemingly gone out of their way to find every banana peel since then. In other words, kicking out fans hasn't helped the image problems.
Just when you think it can't get worse, when you think that we're putting some things together and Nate is looking good, it invariably does get worse and these two recent events showcase that nicely.
1. While on a road trip to LA Suns guard Leandro Barbosa fell victim to a hoax where his hotel gave him a message saying that Suns GM Steve Kerr wanted to meet him to discuss a trade to the New York Knicks. Barbosa, understandably, freaked and went storming off to track down his coach. He later said the joke about being traded to the Knicks was a "terrible thing... Every time I hear the word ‘trade,’ … it’s just not a comfortable word for me at all. This is my team. I went a little crazy.”
The Punchline: The Knicks are now a threat. If you misbehave...we'll send you to the Knicks. Nice.
2. LA Clippers coach, Mike Dunleavy said, responding to owner Donald Sterling saying that the 12-5 Clippers could be a playoff team despite not having All-Star Elton Brand all season, that the Clippers would be foolish to make trades that would only help them this year. This seems like a fairly benign and sensible statement. But, Dunleavy then justifies his feelings with this gem:
"I would only make deals to help our future — anything else is suicide. Anything else and you become the New York Knicks. Now if you want to do that and take on big contracts and long-term deals to potentially hit a home run or get some kind of turnaround, that's not the direction I would go as a businessman or if I owned the team."
The Punchline: Your management style is so foolish you could work for the Knicks. Oh! Snap!
Thursday, January 24, 2008
And, time. Pencils down and please hand in your NBA Midterm Reports
It's that time of year, again. The tax papers are in the mail, the holiday gift certificates are all but spent, the media uses the Super Bowl bye-week to destroy your interest in the game and the basketball writers around the country are dusting off their red pens and dishing out "midterm grades" to all of the teams in the NBA. Below you'll see that I've rounded up the comments, compliments and complaints that have bee directed at the Knicks during this year's midterm season.
First we'll start off with Tim Legler's Eastern Conference Grades from the Daily Dime on ESPN.com:
A former Academic All-American at LaSalle, Legler predictably sticks with the tried and true alphabet grading system for his story. Not surprisingly, the Knicks flunked the first half of the season. I agree. In fact, I have no back-handed commentary on anything that the champ of 1996 Three-Point Shootout has to say about the team. The only thing I would amend is that I would add Nate Robinson to the list of players who bring the right mindset every night. Of course, I would like to hear something about Crawford's improved play and the other positive signs in the past two weeks but I can't really argue with Legs knowing that space is limited and he's considering the first-half as a whole.
Meanwhile Charley Rosen over at FoxSports.com eschews the grading route and poses the questions facing each team in the Association during the second half of the season.
I have a hard time taking this guy seriously for two reasons. 1) He works for Fox. 2) He wrote a column a few years back about the players in the NBA who he considered most overrated that, shall we say, upset me. He named Barkley, Ewing, Robinson, Malone and several other prominent and future HOF players in his article and offered very suspect and incomplete evidence to back up his assertions. It was the worst sort of ill-conceived, attention mongering Skip Baylicosity and is indicative of the sort of stuff that you would expect from a FOX outlet or bad talk radio. But, Rosen poses some interesting questions here, so I'll just focus on that. I agree that the fate of Jerome James is an interesting subplot in the second half. As Curry and Randolph show that they are completely inept defensively will James see more playing time? He is allegedly healthy and seems to understand that he is essentially starting from absolute zero as far as the rotation and the fans are concerned. This bit of self-knowledge puts him ahead of some of his teammates and coaches. If James plays well enough then perhaps we could unload him in the offseason or perhaps we could be free to trade another of the bigs. I don't like what James represents about the Isiah Thomas era and I've frequently expressed the fact that I want him banished, so obviously the fates have made it so that he could potentially be a factor down the stretch. Of course.
Jack McCallum attempts to do Rosen's question ploy one better over at SI.com, but he fails miserably with his hilariously unfunny use of the failing economy as a prop.
I must confess that I do like McCallum's work even though I think this conceit is pretty hokey and can barely tolerate Marty Lyons when he does the same thing during the weekly pre-game Jets broadcasts on the radio. I think that McCallum tried to be too clever here. After all, there isn't anything to take away about the team. Yes, I can infer that they're not doing very well but if I'm reading this sort of an article than I already know that. C'mon, Jack. You're better than this
First we'll start off with Tim Legler's Eastern Conference Grades from the Daily Dime on ESPN.com:
New York Knicks (Grade: F) -- I honestly don't know where to begin. The Knicks could have earned at least a D grade if they hadn't been such a disaster off the court. It's one thing to play poorly or underachieve. It's an entirely different level of ineptitude when a team lacks passion, chemistry, unselfishness and the concept of basic winning basketball fundamentals. Thank goodness for David Lee and Renaldo Balkman, the only two Knicks who bring the right mind-set to the arena every night.
A former Academic All-American at LaSalle, Legler predictably sticks with the tried and true alphabet grading system for his story. Not surprisingly, the Knicks flunked the first half of the season. I agree. In fact, I have no back-handed commentary on anything that the champ of 1996 Three-Point Shootout has to say about the team. The only thing I would amend is that I would add Nate Robinson to the list of players who bring the right mindset every night. Of course, I would like to hear something about Crawford's improved play and the other positive signs in the past two weeks but I can't really argue with Legs knowing that space is limited and he's considering the first-half as a whole.
Meanwhile Charley Rosen over at FoxSports.com eschews the grading route and poses the questions facing each team in the Association during the second half of the season.
New York Knicks:
-Will Jerome James be the Knicks' savior?
-If the Knicks have to deal either Eddy Curry or Zach Randolph, the former should be designated to go — if only because the latter (even though he's much more of a pain in the butt) will at least rebound and occasionally pass.
-The Knicks are a mathematical anomaly — their total is less than the sum of their parts.
-By hook or by crook (both methods being SOP at MSG), shouldn't the Knicks get a real point guard, play Crawford at the shooting-guard slot, and bring Nate Robinson off the bench?
-And why doesn't Dippy Dolan heed the vox populi and put Zeke out of his misery?
I have a hard time taking this guy seriously for two reasons. 1) He works for Fox. 2) He wrote a column a few years back about the players in the NBA who he considered most overrated that, shall we say, upset me. He named Barkley, Ewing, Robinson, Malone and several other prominent and future HOF players in his article and offered very suspect and incomplete evidence to back up his assertions. It was the worst sort of ill-conceived, attention mongering Skip Baylicosity and is indicative of the sort of stuff that you would expect from a FOX outlet or bad talk radio. But, Rosen poses some interesting questions here, so I'll just focus on that. I agree that the fate of Jerome James is an interesting subplot in the second half. As Curry and Randolph show that they are completely inept defensively will James see more playing time? He is allegedly healthy and seems to understand that he is essentially starting from absolute zero as far as the rotation and the fans are concerned. This bit of self-knowledge puts him ahead of some of his teammates and coaches. If James plays well enough then perhaps we could unload him in the offseason or perhaps we could be free to trade another of the bigs. I don't like what James represents about the Isiah Thomas era and I've frequently expressed the fact that I want him banished, so obviously the fates have made it so that he could potentially be a factor down the stretch. Of course.
Jack McCallum attempts to do Rosen's question ploy one better over at SI.com, but he fails miserably with his hilariously unfunny use of the failing economy as a prop.
Sell! Run for your lives and sell!
New York Knicks (NIX)
Price at beginning of season: $11.75
Current price: One cent
Analysis: Buyouts impossible for overcompensated workforce. Leadership crisis. Stockholders in near revolt. Company has taken the "standard" out of Standard & Poor's.
I must confess that I do like McCallum's work even though I think this conceit is pretty hokey and can barely tolerate Marty Lyons when he does the same thing during the weekly pre-game Jets broadcasts on the radio. I think that McCallum tried to be too clever here. After all, there isn't anything to take away about the team. Yes, I can infer that they're not doing very well but if I'm reading this sort of an article than I already know that. C'mon, Jack. You're better than this
Wednesday, January 23, 2008
"You know I noticed that somebody wrote in my chart that I was difficult in January of 92 and I have to tell you I remember that appointment exactly"
Your favorite out-patient and mine, Stephon Marbury underwent surgery yesterday to clean out bone spurs in his right ankle. The prognosis is that he is difficult, brooding, egotistical and likely to never suit up in a Knicks uniform again.
The professional speculators at the papers all think he'll be traded to a team looking for cap space going into next offseason or that the Knicks will simply buy him out over the summer. Oh, and his doctor said the he will recover fully after "successful" surgery. Yeah, someone said that too.
The media has created a situation in which it would seemingly be a surprise if Steph comes back. I'm not quite there yet. Mostly because I don't know how they will be able to move him to another team if doesn't get back on the court this season, with the Knicks. But, whatever happens we can be sure it will be dramatic and end poorly.
The professional speculators at the papers all think he'll be traded to a team looking for cap space going into next offseason or that the Knicks will simply buy him out over the summer. Oh, and his doctor said the he will recover fully after "successful" surgery. Yeah, someone said that too.
The media has created a situation in which it would seemingly be a surprise if Steph comes back. I'm not quite there yet. Mostly because I don't know how they will be able to move him to another team if doesn't get back on the court this season, with the Knicks. But, whatever happens we can be sure it will be dramatic and end poorly.
"You are not going to believe what happened to me at the doctors office today ...I was looking at my chart and it said I was difficult . Why would they write that ?"
Spy Hard
In a recent interview with hitherto unknown Philadelphia Magazine former Knick coach and current executive VP of the 76ers Larry Brown spins yet another tale of woe about the awful working conditions at MSG.
He claimed, believably, that the media policy was so oppressive that he was constantly monitored and shadowed during all moments when he could have potentially come into contact with a member of the media or anyone with high speed internet connection. And, to top it off they weren't even nice about it!
And, to show that the salty, self-serving Brown hasn't changed too much since we last saw him, he gets in a nice dig at his former boss when volunteering that he has no plans to replace Mo Cheeks on the sideline in Philly even though he wants to coach again at some point down the line.
Nice, Larry. I'll always believe that Brown had a better chance of turning the squad around than Mr. Thomas and that he got a raw deal, well, except in the financial sense. But this sort of feels like he is piling on here out of spite. Why take a pot shot at the easiest target around when your own team is floundering as well?
"Imagine when you get to work, they don't talk to you," Brown said. "They had security people standing close to me in press conferences, and spies throughout the arena."
He claimed, believably, that the media policy was so oppressive that he was constantly monitored and shadowed during all moments when he could have potentially come into contact with a member of the media or anyone with high speed internet connection. And, to top it off they weren't even nice about it!
And, to show that the salty, self-serving Brown hasn't changed too much since we last saw him, he gets in a nice dig at his former boss when volunteering that he has no plans to replace Mo Cheeks on the sideline in Philly even though he wants to coach again at some point down the line.
"I don't want it to end the way it did in New York," Brown said. "I don't wish that on anybody."
Nice, Larry. I'll always believe that Brown had a better chance of turning the squad around than Mr. Thomas and that he got a raw deal, well, except in the financial sense. But this sort of feels like he is piling on here out of spite. Why take a pot shot at the easiest target around when your own team is floundering as well?
Tuesday, January 22, 2008
Greater Than, Less Than
Celtics > Knicks
Giants' popularity > Knicks' popularity
There were six incredibly loud ovations during the game yesterday afternoon. None of them were received by a member of the New York Knicks. In order, they were received by Kevin Garnett (upon his introduction), Aaron Ross, Steve Smith, RW McQuarters, Plaxico Burress and Kevin Garnett (upon his exit from the game). The closest any member of the hometeam (the Knicks not the Giants) got to that sort of thunderous applause was when Quentin Richardson got himself and Pierce ejected from the game.
If Saturday night's win over Miami was a litmus test of sorts. Are we better than the worst? Yes. Then, yesterday's MLK matinee was a reality check. Are we worse than the best? Yes. And by a good amount.
The most telling moments of the game took place in the first quarter. Yup, the first quarter. Meaning that the most important parts in the game weren't the hi jinx with Q and Pierce. Nor was it the individual spurts by Pierce, Allen and finally Garnett that put the game away. It wasn't the weird non-timeout where the Knicks were seemingly waiting around to fight while Boston was actually huddled up diagramming plays. Nope, the most revealing moments of the game where when Kendrick Perkins, one of the "small-2" in the Celtics starting five, scored 15 of Boston's first 17 points. Aside from proving that the best way to a career-high is through the Knicks frontcourt, the way that the Celtics kept feeding Perkins the ball showed that they are not only talented in the muscles and tendons and quick-twitch fiber sort of way but also in the brains and savvy and poise departments. At one point about midway through the first, Garnett received a pass at the top of the key. He was wide open. Embarrassingly wide open. But, rather than take the jump shot, he drove four steps into the paint. Predictably, the defense collapses on him and he shoots a pass to a now wide-open Perkins under the hoop for an easy two points. Similarly, Paul Pierce had assists on Kendrick's first three buckets. He had three assists before attempting a shot.
This is why the Boston Celtics are better than the New York Knicks. Their best players are secure enough to be unselfish. They put each other in a position to succeed rather than just trying to keep themselves out of a position to fail. They play against their opponent rather than just against themselves and the box score. And this is why the Celtics had a solid lead at halftime. This lead, though, was the result of a good run/collapse by the Celtics/Knicks over the last few minutes of the second. What was a three-point game with 3 minutes to go became a 14-point game heading into the tunnel.
The Knicks actually outscored the C's during the third quarter to put themselves within striking distance heading into the final quarter. Of course the third quarter was defined by the almost-fracas between Richardson and Pierce.
Q entered the game with about six and a half minutes to play in the third, replacing a painfully inept (at least offensively) Jeffries. From section 345 everything seemed ho-hum until a sequence of plays a few minutes later. Q forced Pierce into a miss on possession and then stole a poor pass attempt by Pierce next time down the floor. Not one to go quietly into the good night, Q was letting Pierce hear all about this and you could notice that two of them jawing back and forth now. After a Randolph bucket at the other end, Pierce draws three personal fouls on Q (the last being a shooting foul) and both players are awarded a technical foul. This all happens during one pro-longed possession. The last foul, the one that sent Pierce to the line for two occurred after a NY timeout. Whatever, if anything, was said to calm down Q during the TO didn't exactly work. The two were ejected and had to leave the court one at a time to avoid a fist-fight in the corridor. Still, security guards could been seen rushing down in that direction less than a minute after both were under the stands.
Foolish or not, the net gain was clearly in the Knicks favor. Q had been a non-factor and Pierce was most definitely a factor. Curry in particular seemed to be energized by the events and could even be seen rebounding the ball on the defensive end for the next few minutes. It was really amazing. To top that Curry played up to his size on the other end drawing five fouls over a stretch straddling the third and fourth quarters. Buoyed by Curry's free-throw shooting an electrifying Nate dunk the Knicks went into the fourth only down by 8.
The lead was actually down to 7 with less than ten minutes to play but a Ray Allen three-pointer triggered a 14-4 run by the Celtics that put the game out of reach. The Knicks turned the ball over twice, committed two fouls and missed multiple shots during this run. A deep, two-point jumper by House effectively ended with contest with just under five to play. The assist had come from KG.
When the final buzzer sounded the Knicks had been handily beaten by a far superior collection of players, including three of the best at their respective positions. Moreover, the Knicks were beaten by a team that is confident enough to make the extra pass to an open teammate. You could just tell that Garnett, Allen, and Pierce were all getting a kick out of Perkins demolishing the Knicks in the first half.
To sum up, Heat < Knicks < Celtics
Giants' popularity > Knicks' popularity
There were six incredibly loud ovations during the game yesterday afternoon. None of them were received by a member of the New York Knicks. In order, they were received by Kevin Garnett (upon his introduction), Aaron Ross, Steve Smith, RW McQuarters, Plaxico Burress and Kevin Garnett (upon his exit from the game). The closest any member of the hometeam (the Knicks not the Giants) got to that sort of thunderous applause was when Quentin Richardson got himself and Pierce ejected from the game.
If Saturday night's win over Miami was a litmus test of sorts. Are we better than the worst? Yes. Then, yesterday's MLK matinee was a reality check. Are we worse than the best? Yes. And by a good amount.
The most telling moments of the game took place in the first quarter. Yup, the first quarter. Meaning that the most important parts in the game weren't the hi jinx with Q and Pierce. Nor was it the individual spurts by Pierce, Allen and finally Garnett that put the game away. It wasn't the weird non-timeout where the Knicks were seemingly waiting around to fight while Boston was actually huddled up diagramming plays. Nope, the most revealing moments of the game where when Kendrick Perkins, one of the "small-2" in the Celtics starting five, scored 15 of Boston's first 17 points. Aside from proving that the best way to a career-high is through the Knicks frontcourt, the way that the Celtics kept feeding Perkins the ball showed that they are not only talented in the muscles and tendons and quick-twitch fiber sort of way but also in the brains and savvy and poise departments. At one point about midway through the first, Garnett received a pass at the top of the key. He was wide open. Embarrassingly wide open. But, rather than take the jump shot, he drove four steps into the paint. Predictably, the defense collapses on him and he shoots a pass to a now wide-open Perkins under the hoop for an easy two points. Similarly, Paul Pierce had assists on Kendrick's first three buckets. He had three assists before attempting a shot.
This is why the Boston Celtics are better than the New York Knicks. Their best players are secure enough to be unselfish. They put each other in a position to succeed rather than just trying to keep themselves out of a position to fail. They play against their opponent rather than just against themselves and the box score. And this is why the Celtics had a solid lead at halftime. This lead, though, was the result of a good run/collapse by the Celtics/Knicks over the last few minutes of the second. What was a three-point game with 3 minutes to go became a 14-point game heading into the tunnel.
The Knicks actually outscored the C's during the third quarter to put themselves within striking distance heading into the final quarter. Of course the third quarter was defined by the almost-fracas between Richardson and Pierce.
Q entered the game with about six and a half minutes to play in the third, replacing a painfully inept (at least offensively) Jeffries. From section 345 everything seemed ho-hum until a sequence of plays a few minutes later. Q forced Pierce into a miss on possession and then stole a poor pass attempt by Pierce next time down the floor. Not one to go quietly into the good night, Q was letting Pierce hear all about this and you could notice that two of them jawing back and forth now. After a Randolph bucket at the other end, Pierce draws three personal fouls on Q (the last being a shooting foul) and both players are awarded a technical foul. This all happens during one pro-longed possession. The last foul, the one that sent Pierce to the line for two occurred after a NY timeout. Whatever, if anything, was said to calm down Q during the TO didn't exactly work. The two were ejected and had to leave the court one at a time to avoid a fist-fight in the corridor. Still, security guards could been seen rushing down in that direction less than a minute after both were under the stands.
Foolish or not, the net gain was clearly in the Knicks favor. Q had been a non-factor and Pierce was most definitely a factor. Curry in particular seemed to be energized by the events and could even be seen rebounding the ball on the defensive end for the next few minutes. It was really amazing. To top that Curry played up to his size on the other end drawing five fouls over a stretch straddling the third and fourth quarters. Buoyed by Curry's free-throw shooting an electrifying Nate dunk the Knicks went into the fourth only down by 8.
The lead was actually down to 7 with less than ten minutes to play but a Ray Allen three-pointer triggered a 14-4 run by the Celtics that put the game out of reach. The Knicks turned the ball over twice, committed two fouls and missed multiple shots during this run. A deep, two-point jumper by House effectively ended with contest with just under five to play. The assist had come from KG.
When the final buzzer sounded the Knicks had been handily beaten by a far superior collection of players, including three of the best at their respective positions. Moreover, the Knicks were beaten by a team that is confident enough to make the extra pass to an open teammate. You could just tell that Garnett, Allen, and Pierce were all getting a kick out of Perkins demolishing the Knicks in the first half.
To sum up, Heat < Knicks < Celtics
Saturday, January 19, 2008
Break Up The Knicks! No, seriously...
NYK beat Miami for fourth win in five games
Playing for the fourth time in five games the Knickerbockers played the role of stalking horse against a lesser team (rather than the other way around). They overtook the dreadful Miami Heat late in the fourth quarter thanks largely to Nate Robinson's shot-making, Jamal Crawford's free-throw shooting and David Lee's ability to front Shaq.
I was going to add JJ's defense of Wade to that short list but really Wade is a shell of himself. He is so clearly injured that it is impressive and short-sighted that he hasn't shut it down. Each step is seemingly an ordeal.
Playing for the fourth time in five games the Knickerbockers played the role of stalking horse against a lesser team (rather than the other way around). They overtook the dreadful Miami Heat late in the fourth quarter thanks largely to Nate Robinson's shot-making, Jamal Crawford's free-throw shooting and David Lee's ability to front Shaq.
I was going to add JJ's defense of Wade to that short list but really Wade is a shell of himself. He is so clearly injured that it is impressive and short-sighted that he hasn't shut it down. Each step is seemingly an ordeal.
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