At that time, Carmelo Anthony, and the Knicks at large, had been having an underwhelming season. Anthony and Amar’e Stoudemire were out of sync, in an out of games with injuries; the team looked disjointed and inconsistent. The brief glimmer of hope that was Linsanity, sparked by the meteoric rise of Jeremy Lin, had been squashed during the team’s return to Earth and the apparent incompatibility of Lin and Anthony.

Now, months later, D’Antoni’s return to Madison Square Garden as the Los Angeles Lakers head coach offers a chance to see how far the Knicks have come. Since Mike Woodson took over for D’Antoni that day in March, the Knicks have gone 33-12 excluding the playoffs. Carmelo Anthony is playing at an MVP-level, the Knicks’ offense is among the best in the NBA, their defense, while inconsistent, capable of winning them games, their bench is sturdy, their point guard rotation trustworthy; things are good in New York.

In Los Angeles, D’Antoni’s situation mirrors the one he left less than a year ago. The Lakers are severely underwhelming, struggling with a 9-13 record, despite cast of all-worldly NBA talent. However, D’Antoni’s circumstances in LA are also similar to what he left in New York because of the instability. D’Antoni hasn’t gotten a chance to coach the point guard he made MVP in Phoenix, Steve Nash, who’s been injured since early November. Pau Gasol has been absent for the last few games. As Zach Lowe pointed out, the Lakers players are just as much at fault as D’Antoni. Besides injuries and an incomplete bench, D’Antoni also took over early in the season without any training camp to become acquainted with his new roster.

In New York, D’Antoni coached a team that was constantly under construction. Over the four years that D’Antoni coached, he had a total of 58 different players on his roster, and dealt with a major mid-season roster overhaul almost each year. Through the first two years of coaching, the Knicks teams were built around expiring contracts in order to clear cap space for the summer of 2010 and LeBron James. Though the Knicks obviously missed LeBron, in 2010-11, D’Antoni had a team humming along, built around Stoudemire, Raymond Felton, Danilo Gallinari, and Wilson Chandler. Then, of course, the Knicks cleared most of the rotation players for Carmelo Anthony and Chauncey Billups, and the team basically started from scratch.

Last season, the Knicks finally had a stable roster, but went through many different phases, mainly highlighted by the failed Anthony-as-a-point guard stage to start the season, and then Linsanity. When injuries took Anthony and Stoudemire out of the lineup, the Knicks adjusted, led by Lin. When they returned, there was no cohesion because the groups had never played together. D’Antoni never truly had a stable roster or rotation to work with.

When D’Antoni returns tonight, it will be a pleasant reminder for Knicks fans at just how things have turned around in recent months. But with that said, Knicks fans should not be hostile towards D’Antoni. What they had in four years under D’Antoni was a good coach, who struggled to find consistent success during a turbulent time.

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Mar 7, 2012; Milwaukee, WI, USA; New York Knicks head coach Mike D

Clearly this is a good move for the organization as the players loyalty to Brown has grown tenuous.  His “Princeton” style offense did not seem to be a good fit for the Lakers last year and it wasn’t meshing well with the new and incumbent players this year.

Not only was Brown’s sluggish scheme bad for fantasy basketball owners who have many of LA’s players, but D’Antoni’s “seven seconds-or-less” approach to the offensive side of ball should do the complete opposite.  I expect bigger numbers from most of their players in terms of scoring, assists and shooting.  The Lakers’ big men, as well as spot-up shooters, will get a nice boost in numbers due to the fondness D’Antoni has for the pick-and-roll.

So will their defensive numbers be hurt from the drastic reversal of coaching styles?

According to Dwight Howard they won’t.  I agree with his theory that the Lakers already have guys in place who like to play defense, so that will make up for D’Antoni’s shortcomings on coaching the defensive end of things.  D’Antoni has vowed that the Lakers will at least “contend for an NBA title” and I think that he’s correct in assuming that possibility will be there come June.

Here is my fantasy outlook on the Lakers “Big Four” players in the post-Mike Brown Era:

Kobe Bryant (G):  So far in 2012 Kobe’s numbers have pretty much been in line with what his previous three seasons have looked like (26 PPG/5 RPG/4.5 APG).  The one category that has notably taken a rise is his 3-pointers made per game.  He’s making 0.6 more a game now, but that will soon change once D’Antoni begins coaching.  Kobe is one of the best players of all time and he will continue to post Hall of Fame numbers regardless of who is manning the sidelines, but  I actually expect his scoring to drop a tad with more emphasis on the pick-and-roll and less isolation plays.  As long as he keeps playing through his numerous aches and pains, Kobe Bean is as safe a bet as any to lead your fantasy team to the promise land.

November 13, 2012; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Lakers center Dwight Howard (12) moves to the basket against the defense of San Antonio Spurs power forward Tim Duncan (21) during the first half at Staples Center. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-US PRESSWIRE

Dwight Howard (C):  I believe Dwight Howard is going to benefit the most from the coaching switch.  This offense is perfect for his game.  Howard was brought to LA with an expiring contract and management had high hopes of them winning a championship and cementing a long-term deal with him in the offseason.  But with their terrible start and with Kobe sticking with his impending retirement plans, they needed to change things quick.  After all, he will be a huge building block for them in the future.

Sure, he is one of the worst free-throw shooters in the league, but he is also shooting less of them this year.  This new offense will give him many more looks inside and while his percentages may still hover in the 50-60% range, owners that have him in leagues that count “free throws made” as a category will reap the benefits.  D’Antoni was praised for the way he helped Amar’e Stoudemire out offensively and should do the same with Howard.  Slowly but surely I think the Lakers’ offense will start to revolve more around Dwight than Kobe.  He can still be a “category” league nightmare, where he’ll almost guarantee you a loss in FT% every week, but trade for him in “points” or “roto” leagues while his stock is still low.

Pau Gasol (F/C):  Gasol has gotten a bad rap the past couple of seasons.  He’s been called “soft”, among other characteristics we might attribute to a bunny or a pillow, but he prime statistics (points, rebounds, assists, blocks) have remained constant.  The calls of “softness” may have resulted in the fact that he got to the line way less last season that he had throughout his career as well as some pretty dismal performance in the playoffs.

But alas this is fantasy, not life, and on paper his numbers are at the top of the list for power forwards.  He has always been one of the premier passing big men in the league and should continue to rack up assists when drawing double teams.  He is another great “buy low” guy right now, as his season hasn’t exactly started with a bang and there may be some owners willing to part ways with him.

Steve Nash (PG):  Between 2004 and 2008 when he was on the D’Antoni –coached Suns, Nash won two MVP Awards (’05, ’06) and established himself as one of the top point guards of all time.  Nash had to be the happiest of all the Lakers when he heard of the coaching change in LA.  In his last season in Dallas he recorded 14.5 point and 8.8 assists per game.  The following year, his first in Phoenix and first with D’Antoni, he upped that to 15.5 points and 11.5 assists per game.

This run-and-gun style of offense is perfect for a ball handler of his caliber.  While he is up there in age (38 years-old), he won’t have much of a scoring burden, which will allow him to dish the ball to any of the multi-talented players on the roster.  His rapport with Howard and Gasol in the pick-and-roll could end up being one of the deadliest combinations ever.   He has missed all but two games this year because of a non-displaced fracture in his left leg, but when he comes back to the court expect the Lakers’ offense to go off with a bang.

But all Laker fans must hope that any mention of the word “turkey” ends at Thanksgiving.

It might be a good thing for Steve Nash and fun-lovers in LA, because there will be plenty of fun offense to be had to go with your turkey, cranberry sauce and giblets.

Jan 28, 2012; Houston, TX, USA; New York Knicks head coach Mike D

But on the other hand, you can call him Mike Not Phil Jackson D’Antoni, or you could just call him MikeAntoni because there could be no D in Los Angeles.

There’s been much talk today about how the job was Phil Jackson’s if he wanted it, but behind the scenes he reportedly asked for too much including an ownership stake in the team. It seems that Lakers Owner Jerry Buss wouldn’t go for that and instead hired D’Antoni. Jackson is reportedly “shocked”. But there’s more to it that we don’t know. Buss and Jackson may have something going on behind that scenes that isn’t pretty and that we don’t know about. It seems that Jackson’s name was out there and the Lakers had to satisfy the crowd’s lust for Jackson, so they considered it, but D’Antoni was their man all along.

Steve Nash must be happy. he and D’Antoni were a match made in basketball heaven in Phoenix and they will be fun to watch on offense. But defense is another matter. Unless D’Antoni gets a defensive-minded Woodson-like assistant, the team will be one-sided, run n’ gun fun. That’s not bad, but what happened to “defense wins championships”?

Meanwhile, in other news, it looks like the Lakers and Nuggets may have gotten the best of the 3-way deal that sent Andrew Bynum to Philadelphia. Bynum has yet to play a game for the 76ers due to knee issues. Now the team is saying he may be their Xmas gift, playing his first game (maybe) Xmas week, because he won’t begin doing any work till 12/10. The team gave up Andre Igoudala for him but don’t seem to be getting anything back. By the way, Bynum will be a free agent at the end of the season. I wrote about the trade here. I have a feeling this season will be a washout for him and the 76ers will rue the day they let Iggy go for him. Now that’s what I call a turkey deal!

Former Knicks’ head coach Mike D’Antoni shockingly was named as Mike Brown’s successor Monday morning, signing a three-year, $12 million deal, with an option for a fourth year.

Jan 28, 2011; Atlanta, GA, USA; New York Knicks head coach Mike D

The announcement of D’Antoni not only leaves Lakerland stunned, but Jackson as well.

Jackson’s triangle offense was seen as a benefit to Bryant and Pau Gasol, but not as conducive to the rest of the players on the roster — namely point guard Steve Nash and center Dwight Howard. Another strike against the triangle was the fact that this Lakers team struggled to pick up the similarly complicated Princeton-style offense being instituted by Brown.

However, the problem with the Lakers hasn’t been on the offensive end, but on the defensive end of the floor- not exactly D’Antoni’s strength as a coach.

But he will do a good job in Lakerland. Once the Lakers get healthy, they should excel in D’Antoni’s fast-paced and pick-and-roll style attack.

The biggest problem Los Angeles has the lack of team speed up-and-down the roster. That could prove to be a problem, but it should be good for point guard Steve Nash.

D’Antoni spent five seasons coaching Nash in Phoenix. Nash won two MVP awards while running D’Antoni’s signature up-tempo offense, and they won at least 54 games in each of D’Antoni’s last four seasons. That of course was Nash in his prime, but it should be a good reunion for both parties.

He had knee surgery at the beginning of November and has not yet been cleared to travel and it could be a couple of days still before D’Antoni can travel to LA.

There is a possibility that Bernie Bickerstaff will remain interim head coach even after D’Antoni’s introductory news conference, according to a source, if D’Antoni isn’t feeling physically able to coach games just yet.

But D’Antoni, who got run out of the Big Apple by Carmelo Anthony, deserved another coaching opportunity.

We will see if he can handle the ego of Kobe Bryant, who has been a long-time fan of D’Antoni, and Dwight Howard, who has been a long-time fan of himself, any better than he handled the ‘Melo situation.

Just like there was in New York, there will be immediate pressure to win in Los Angeles.

D’Antoni will have his work cut out for him.

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Well, D’Antoni hasn’t been contacted by the Lakers and likely won’t as its not big secret that this job is Jackson’s if he wants it and he likely will.

Mar 9, 2012; Milwaukee, WI, USA; New York Knicks head coach Mike D

A team with four All-Star’s in the starting lineup, well that’s Jackson’s type of gig, one that he certainly would jump at the chance to coach.

But how would D’Antoni likely fare in Los Angeles with his up-tempo attack?

D’Antoni wouldn’t be available to coach for another 10 days to two weeks because of his knee replacement surgery.

But I don’t think he would be a great fit to begin with.

Sure the Lakers have had their “Showtime,” era before, but asking this current Lakers team to play a lot of run-and-gun would be asking a lot.

Kobe Bryant, while you can’t doubt what he is still capable of, is 34 and in his 17th year in the league and the up-and-down pace throughout the course of a full season may not suit him well anymore.

He would have a point guard in Steve Nash who excelled in D’Antoni’s system and a big guy like Pau Gasol who runs the floor as well as any big man in the game, but the mystery is Dwight Howard.

If any coach in the NBA could make Howard less of a factor defensively it is D’Antoni, but he did have 2012 Defensive Player of the Year Tyson Chandler for half a season last year.

But Howard already cost one coach his job (Stan Van Gundy), so I don’t know if that’s a situation D’Antoni would even want to put himself in to begin with. He already went through a similar situation with Carmelo Anthony, he would be foolish to go through that again.

The Lakers are built to win right now. There’s not much young talent to get excited about for the future and while they have a great starting five, their depth isn’t great.

D’Antoni’s system would take some time to perfect and while the Lakers have the talent to do exactly that, it is doubtful they win a title with that system this year.

The team that the Lakers share the Staples Center with might be a better fit for D’Antoni, if the Clippers eventually decide to part ways with Vinny Del Negro.

But this Lakers team wasn’t assembled for D’Antoni or Brown, from the beginning it was assembled to lure Jackson back and that strategy looks like it worked.

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Atkinson was the Knicks player development coach and who Jeremy Lin credited for his rise to prominence last season.

Atkinson was the only coach from the Mike D’Antoni regime who was kept when D’Antoni resigned last March (Herb Williams was kept but he wasn’t a D’Antoni guy). Instead of promoting Atkinson, Mike Woodson elected to hire Jim Todd and Darrell Walker to fill the vacancies left by Phil Weber and Dan D’Antoni.

The decision for Atkinson to leave could have something to do with the Knicks decision not to match Lin’s offer, but it very well could have more to do with owner James Dolan.

Dolan once wanted Atkinson removed from the coaching staff because he believed he was talking to the media, but former Knicks president Donnie Walsh insisted that Atkinson stay. Later on, Dolan would not allow Atkinson out of his contract to the join the Portland Trail Blazers.

Atkinson is seen a head coaching prospect in the mold of two former Knicks assistant coaches; Jeff Van Gundy and Tom Thibodeau. Woodson will now have to find a player development coach with the energy and dedication Atkinson gave the organization.

It will be very interesting to see how the Knicks replace Atkinson, if they choose to. Atkinson was always regarded as the Knicks’ best advocate for young, developing players, but the Knicks don’t really have many young players anymore, so a “player development coach” might not be necessary.

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Apr 7, 2012; Milwaukee, WI, USA; Portland Trail Blazers guard Raymond Felton (5) during the game against the Milwaukee Bucks at the Bradley Center. The Bucks defeated the Trail Blazers 116-94. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-US PRESSWIRE

Though Felton had been little more than a solid, if not unspectacular point guard through the first five years of his career with the Charlotte Bobcats, I just saw something in him that I liked. He routinely had his best games against the Knicks, posting averages of 19 points, 7 assists, and 6 rebounds per game against them in the 2009-10 season. I enjoyed his ability to briefly take over a game. I enjoyed watching a short man with a pudgy physique bolt in and out of the lane. And when he came to the Knicks, though he struggled at first, Felton was arguably the best point guard in a New York uniform in quite some time.

Let me remind you of how awesome Raymond Felton was:

Amar’e Stoudemire was not supposed to survive without Steve Nash; once chemistry developed, Stoudemire and Felton became the NBA’s hottest pick-and-roll duo as Stoudemire cruised to a streak of nine straight 30-point games.

Felton manned a ship of underdogs that became one of the league’s most efficient offenses.

Through the first two months of the season, when those Knicks were red hot, Felton averaged 18 points, 9 assists, 4 rebounds, and 2 steals per game – nearly elite-level stats.

With rumors of the Knicks pursuing Chris Paul, Steve Nash, Deron Williams, Felton squashed them by out-playing Paul (17 points, 13 assists, 5 rebounds in a win), posting a triple-double in a win over the Suns, and out-playing Williams, as well (23 points, 11 assists, 7 rebounds).

Raymond Felton once claimed he wanted to be a New Yorker for life.

But the past season-and-a-half hasn’t been kind to Felton. He was shipped to Denver where he came off the bench behind Ty Lawson and struggled with his shot. On 2011 Draft Night, Felton was traded to Portland where he initially did well, but struggled with conditioning, and his season became disastrous.

Now, with Felton entering free agency (as the Blazers almost surely will not pick up his option), there have been rumors of Felton returning to New York. Much of this depends on how the arbitrator rules the hearing for the Bird Rights case for Jeremy Lin and Steve Novak – if the Knicks have to use their mid-level excpetion to retain Lin, then Felton is most likely not an option. However, if the Knicks’ MLE remains, then Felton may be a realistic option. But would he be a good fit?

The natural response would be yes. Any time you can acquire a PG as talented as Felton (even in his worst seasons, he’s hovered around an average starting point guard), to be a backup, it’s almost a must. But this New York Knicks team is a vastly different Knicks team Felton played so well with originally.

Gone is Mike D’Antoni’s fast-paced offense, that let Felton dash around the court with free will. Gone are the shooters like Danilo Gallinari, Wilson Chandler, the jumpshots of Landry Fields and Toney Douglas (RIP, jumpshots, respectively).

The Knicks under Mike Woodson play at a slower pace, which has never been a good fit for Felton’s game. Felton’s Bobcats usually played somewhere between a league average and slowest pace in the NBA, and this past season, the Trailblazers played at exactly 15th in the NBA in pace – about 94 possessions per game. Felton’s best season – his 54 games with the Knicks – came with Mike D’Antoni, where the Knicks were around the top five in pace. Likewise, the Knicks lack the spacing that Felton likes to utilize to drive into the lane and run the pick-and-roll with the big men. That space will especially be lost if the Knicks don’t bring back Steve Novak and J.R. Smith.

My love for Raymond Felton would swoon if he returned to the Knicks, but in complete honesty, there may be better fits.

Isola reported via Twitter:

Knicks and Mike Woodson have finalized a deal to remain head coach, a person close to Woodson tells the Daily News.

— Frank Isola (@FisolaNYDN) May 25, 2012

The Knicks have confirmed the deal in a press release.

Terms were not immediately disclosed, but  according to Marc Berman of the New York Post, the deal is for three years and could exceed $10 million.

Woodson had success after taking over for Mike D’Antoni, finishing the regular season with a 18-6 record.

Although the Knicks went only 1-4 in the postseason and were knocked out of the first round by the Miami Heat, Woodson had the backing of superstars Amar’e Stoudemire and Carmelo Anthony.

Now the the coaching dilemma is solved, general manager Glen Grunwald’s next item of business is to deal with the slew of unrestricted free agents, which include point guard Jeremy Lin and forward Steve Novak.

Mike Woodson is nearing a deal to make him the Knicks full-time head coach.

According to Ian Begley over at ESPN New York, the Knicks are moving closer and closer to removing the interim tag from Mike Woodson’s title and making him the full time coach.

Woodson was wildly popular when he replaced Mike D’Antoni, winning over stars Carmelo Anthony and Amar’e Stoudemire with his coaching style. He guided the Knicks to an 18-6 record to finish off the regular season, boosting the team to the 7th seed in the Eastern Conference before falling 4 games to 1 against the Miami Heat in the playoffs.

There is no Knick fan in this realm that is at all unhappy with the team bringing back Woodson. I’ve written about this before, and its worth mentioning briefly again to keep fans grounded.

My original point on Woodson was how much of his success is directly linked to his coaching and how much of the team’s success was due to anyone coaching this team not named Mike D’Antoni?

It is clear that the defense played with a different level of vigor under Woodson, and the offensive had more rhythm and flow once the Seven Seconds Or Less offense was eliminated. But, again, I don’t think anyone can judge how much was Woodson and how much was the removal of D’Antoni. I referred to it as the “Jerry Manuel Theory”, hearkening back to when Manuel replaced Willie Randolph mid-season for the New York Mets and brought the team within a win of the playoffs, then failing as a manager the next two seasons.

With all that said, do I think there was a better option for this team on the coaching market? Outside of Phil Jackson, who I believe is retired for good, no. Stan Van Gundy wouldn’t have made sense because, while he is a great coach, his personality is too big for a James Dolan organization. Jeff Van Gundy and Dolan clashed often, and Stan Van has more diva qualities than his brother. It would’ve been a recipe for disaster, but definitely entertaining.

The Knicks couldn’t have done better than Mike Woodson, but nobody should be going out and crowning the Knicks as champions. They have the talent to be a Top-5 Eastern Conference team. It seems that they now have stability at the head coaching position and someone in place their players enjoy playing for, which boosts team chemistry.

However, the danger is that Mike Woodson will now be working with expectations for the first time. Knicks fans would’ve taken anything he had to offer at the end of last season and in the playoffs. Now, we know what we saw and we know what we want.

That, more than anything else, is the most dangerous label Woodson will now have next to his name.

Woodson then clarified his statements to say, again, he would love to be the Knicks coach after this season, but nothing is set in stone. Meanwhile, Carmelo Anthony and Amar’e Stoudemire both reiterated their desire for the Knicks to keep Woodson as the coach, which is the strongest support any future coach will ever need in New York.

There is growing support throughout New York and amongst Knicks fans that the team should move quickly to re-sign Woodson and keep him as the coach on a permanent basis moving forward. The numbers speak for themselves when you consider what Woodson inherited after Mike D’Antoni resigned. The Knicks went 18-6 under the former Atlanta Hawks coach, and locked up the 7th-seed in the Eastern Conference after living on the outside of the playoff picture looking in. Furthermore, the defense played a much stronger defense once Woodson took the reigns, and Carmelo Anthony thrived once out of the Seven Seconds of Less offense. Top to bottom, the Knicks were a tremendously better team under Woodson than D’Antoni, and nobody is going to argue that.

Keeping all of that in mind, allow me to introduce to readers of Buckets Over Broadway what I like to call “The Jerry Manuel Theory”.

If you read this site regularly, by now I’m sure you have discovered my first true love in the sporting world resides in Queens with the New York Mets. My love for them runs about as deep as the love I have for my own family, because a lot of my memories growing up as a kid and with my dad come from the times we spent at Shea Stadium. Back in 2008, the Mets fired then-manager Willie Randolph, who was about eight months removed from the devastating 2007 collapse that saw the Mets lose out on a playoff spot and a second consecutive National League East crown on the final day of the season (ugh). To this day, its still one of the strangest firings in sports history. The Mets finished a twi-night double header against the Texas Rangers at Shea (my buddy Dan and I sat through both games, nearly falling asleep in the second from baseball overload), and the team immediately boarded a flight to Los Angeles for an inter-league series with the Angels. When the team landed at 3am eastern time, Omar Minaya landed in LA and announced that Randolph, who traveled with the team, would no longer manage the Mets.

WARNING: The Jerry Manuel Theory applies here.

At the time of the manager move, the Mets were 33-34, Carlos Delgado was playing terrible baseball, nobody was pitching and it seemed that the team was headed nowhere and fast. Minaya promoted bench coach Jerry Manuel. Manuel was a former American League Manager of the Year with the Chicago White Sox, and was a well respected baseball mind who many said kept a loose clubhouse, in stark contrast from Wille Randolph’s business-like mentality. From that time, I remember turning to my dad and saying that the Mets needed to play .600 baseball in order to win 90 games and get to the playoffs.

Once Willie left, something just happened to the Mets. Delgado exploded, with many pointing towards the apparent rift he had with Randolph that was holding him back. The Mets played incredible baseball in the second half of the season, which featured a 10-game winning streak and coming, again, within one game of a playoff appearence. After the season, the team removed the interim tag from his title and signed him to a two-year contract.

The similarities between Woodson/D’Antoni and Manuel/Randolph to me don’t just stop there. Both coaches had polar opposite mind-sets, and both Woodson and Manuel were generally liked among the fanbases, so much so that fans put aside their inherent desire for proven, championship-caliber managers/coaches like Bobby Valentine or Phil Jackson. Each fan base would talk about the names, say its nice to imagine, but acknowledged that the way the interim’s did, they deserved another chance.

Needless to say, the next two years for Manuel were nothing like his first 2/3 of a season. 2009 wasn’t completely Manuel’s fault, considering how many injuries the Mets suffered. But, 2010 was such a brutal mismanagement by both Manuel and Omar Minaya that it can’t be understated how poorly they planned the Mets for the future.

To me, the reason why Mets fans rallied behind Jerry Manuel in 2008 was because he wasn’t Willie Randolph. He was our rebound manager. Anybody could’ve been better than Willie because Willie was awful. We needed to break up with him, and we, as a fan base, were ready to shack up with anyone and everyone. In fact, the Mets probably could’ve put any manager in Manuel’s 2008 shoes and they would’ve done better. Once the honeymoon ended in 2009, Mets fans looked at each other and now didn’t know how to get out of a mistake relationship. Like any rebound after a series girlfriend that you had remarkable highs and devastating lows with (Randolph), the first girlfriend after should never be your next long-term option.

That’s the reason I’m skeptical about Mike Woodson staying with the Knicks beyond this season. Personally, I thought the Knicks missed their real opportunity last off-season when Rick Adelman was available. Now, Adelman is entrenched in Minnesota and not going anywhere with that young nucleus. If at the end of the season and Knicks management sits back, evaluates all of their options and comes to terms that Woodson is the best coach moving forward, then no Knicks fan will complain. He’s earned our respect.

But, Knicks fans need to be cautious. The last thing I would want as a fan is to see the Manuel Theory in play once again. I’m not emotionally prepared for that.

Did the marriage between 'Melo and STAT ever have a chance?

I specifically waited until after Game 2 to write this post. I wanted to view the relationship one more time on such a large stage before passing what I would believe is a final judgement.

Then, Game 2 happened. Amar’e was non-existent. He punched a fire extinguisher. We all know the story by now.

In my mind, the question has thoroughly been answered. However, I think the question was answered a long time ago, and most fans didn’t recognize that it was. In fact, I’d go so far to say that the question was unfair to ask.

Why was the question unfair to ask?

Because Amar’e Stoudemire may be finished.

I’m not overreacting. I’m really not. Look, when the Knicks signed Amar’e to the massive five-year, $100 million contract, the team couldn’t get insurance on his knees. His knees were never going to magically get better, especially if nobody thought he would last long enough where they would guarantee the Knicks contract on him.

Once Amar’e took the court as a Knick, Mike D’Antoni began to ride him. All of it came to a head in December of ’10, when the Knicks were riding hot, fans were chanting MVP for Stoudemire each time he got fouled, and New York became a basketball city once again. By all means, it was a great month for Amar’e in New York, probably the best month he’ll ever enjoy here.

In 13 games, Amar’e put up 29.8ppg, 9.7rpg, 2.7bpg, shot 53.6% from the field, 80.6% from the line, and was the center piece of the Knicks offense, taking over 22 shots a night.

But, you know what else Amar’e averaged? 39.5 minutes a night.

Since December of 2010, its all been downhill, even pre-’Melo. He dipped to 25.7 in January on 45.6% shooting in January, then 24.3 in February and March. Former Saints defensive coordinator is now famous for the phrase “If you hit the head, you kill the body”, but for basketball purposes, if the legs go on you, everything else will suffer. That’s seems to be the case for Amar’e. He’s half the player he was when he first came to New York, and its because Mike D’Antoni ran him into the ground at the beginning of the 2010-11 season.

So, getting back to my original point, its not that the Carmelo Anthony-Amar’e Stoudemire marriage will never work. Its that we were unfair to put such high expectations on it when Amar’e is simply not the player he used to be. He isn’t the All-Star he used to be, or offensive force. Its not that ‘Melo is being selfish on the offensive end and not getting Amar’e involved. Its that Amar’e can’t be as involved because he can’t do the things he used to.

Amar’e could still be a useful piece for the Knicks moving forward. However, Mike Woodson may need to take a page out of the Memphis Grizzlies playbook. Maybe the best use for Amar’e is as a sixth man, allowing ‘Melo to roam freely on the court as the dominant force he is, and allow Tyson Chandler to control the paint without an extra body getting in his way. Carmelo, in his head, felt like he needed Amar’e to be involved in the offense early on this season, then realized he doesn’t have the skill set to be that involved, and made a move in a different direction. However, we as fans weren’t as quick to pick up on it, and that may be our fault.

It’s not that the Carmelo-Amar’e marriage didn’t work. It’s that it didn’t have a chance in the first place. And that’s on us.

And, Mike D’Antoni.

Mar 12, 2012; Chicago, IL, USA; New York Knicks head coach Mike D

The headline pretty much says it all, but just in case you haven’t heard Mike D’Antoni has resigned as head coach of the Knicks today according to multiple outlets. The Knicks are expected to promote Assistant Coach Mike Woodson for the remainder of the season.  For these are all the details we have, however there will be more to come as well as a little more in depth analysis as to what this means for the Knicks. Stay tuned..

Amar'e Stoudemire will need to step up without Carmelo Anthony in the lineup.Mandatory Credit: Sam Sharpe-US PRESSWIRE

been bothering him over the past two games.

With Melo out I would expect Bill Walker to join the starting lineup for the Knickerbockers. Walker’s range and scoring abilities should help bridge the gap as far as the starters are concerned, but it will weaken their already shallow bench.

The Knicks have lost seven of their last eight games, and getting back on track against the surging Miami Heat won’t be easy.  The Heat have won 5 of their last six and have looked great despite playing without their star guard Dwayne Wade.

If the Knicks have any hope whatsoever to win this ball game they are going to have to tighten up on D and play smart on offense.

The Miami Heat’s attack has been heavy on Chris Bosh in the past few games, so this is something the Knicks are going to need to focus on from a defensive perspective; this means that we are likely to see a heavy dose of Tyson Chandler guarding Chris Bosh—the effects of which are two-fold. By pitting their superior defensive front court player against Bosh, the Knicks are both neutralizing the Heat’s best front court player, as well as freeing up Amar’e Stoudemire to put the majority of his focus on the offense end of the floor as he will be left to guard the offensively challenged Joel Anthony.

On offense the key to the Knicks attack will once again be ball movement. Now that Anthony is out of the lineup, the Knicks will have one less player that requires their touches; this should make it much easier for the Knicks to share the wealth and spread the floor with their shooters. Look for a steady dose of pick and rolls with Stoudemire in an attempt to get him going in Anthony’s absence.  Should the Knicks be able to get some assistance from their role players, they be able to make things interesting tonight in Miami. (more…)

Last night’s contest was a tale of two teams that have gone in completely opposite directions since the Carmelo trade last season.

Anthony's poor play sank the Knicks last night against the Nuggets

The Knicks this season have developed a reputation of being a rather selfish team; the Nuggets on the other hand, have been the antithesis of the Knicks—displaying great team play and taking advantage of their abyss-like depth, an asset that the Knicks were largely responsible for providing the Nuggets with by making  the aforementioned Anthony deal.

During the game, these two teams played true to their respective forms. The Nuggets had 6 players score in double figures, including a massive performance out of Al Harrington who had 24 points, 15 of which came in the 4^th quarter.  Former Knick Danilo Gallinari severely outplayed Carmelo Anthony and dropped 36 points in the victory.

The Knicks played an impressive first half in which they shared the ball to the tune of 15 team assists and lead by 8 points at the break. Unfortunately for the Knicks the old cliché, old habits die hard, rang true for them in the second half.

The Knicks offense was incredibly stagnant, at times if even bordered on unwatchable. This was particularly true when Carmelo Anthony was on the floor.  Melo’s 10-30 shooting night was as bad as it sounds. His willingness to settle for long jumpers instead of attacking the basket, or moving the ball, is a huge reason, if not THE reason, that this team lost last night.

At points in the game the Knicks had success running the screen and roll, both from the top of the key and, to a larger degree, from (more…)

We will deal with the second question first as we got our answer on Saturday against the Sacramento Kings. Mike D’Antoni made the decision to start rookie Josh Harrellson, a potentially controversial decision given Jorts’ lack of experience and D’Antoni’s other options which would have allowed the Knicks to play small ball—a type of basketball that Coach D’Antoni has become infamous for utilizing in his game plans.

Despite the nature of the decision, Josh Harrellson’s play did more than enough to vindicate D’Antoni call to start the rookie; in the end Harrellson finished with an impressive line of 14 points which included 4 three pointers on 50% shooting from behind the arc to go along with 12 rebounds and a steal.

More impressive than just his stat line, was his defensive effort. Harrellson made a noticeable impact both individually as well as on rotations for this New York Knick defense. Granted, it was only one game against an enigmatic team in the Sacramento Kings but Jorts certainly showed he potentially has what it takes to make a difference for this team defensively and on the boards.

Defense, along with point guard play, has been a big issue for the Knicks so far this season, and being able to shore up that defense by (more…)

The Knicks stumbled a bit out of the gate to begin last season, however once that group of largely new players learned to play with each other, they started to gel together and win games. Then, when Donnie Walsh pulled the trigger on the Carmelo deal the Knicks pretty much hit the reset button and had to begin this process all over again. This was clearly represented in their win-loss record. (more…)

This from the New York Daily News:

Mike D’Antoni has already defied the odds by surviving three years as Knicks head coach, a position that previously had chewed up and spit out six coaches in eight years.

But for his first time in New York, D’Antoni’s job security has become an issue. Garden Chairman James Dolan decided against giving D’Antoni a contract extension and thus D’Antoni is working with a one-year deal.

Moreover, the club announced the hiring of Mike Woodson as an assistant coach. Woodson, a former Knicks first round pick who played for Red Holzman, is a one-time head coach with the Atlanta Hawks and provides the Knicks with a quick fix should the team elect to make an in-season coaching change.

Shawne Williams was probably the biggest surprise of the season for the Knicks.  Before the season began, there probably was not one Knick fan who even knew who Shawne Williams was.  Williams became a very important member of the team and potentially a very useful player in the future.  He is a free agent and will certainly look for a pay raise far above the $885,000 he made last season.

Williams really came out of nowhere for the Knicks, but it is not like he had no ability.  Williams was a first round pick of Indiana in the 2006 draft (17th overall).  After 2 years with Indiana and 1 with Dallas, Williams was traded to the Nets and then found himself out of the league after being released.  Still very young (24), former Knicks president Donnie Walsh felt it was worth a shot to give the former first round pick an opportunity.  Walsh was familiar with Williams as he was the one who drafted him back in Indiana. Now that Walsh is out as team president, it will be interesting to see if the Knicks are still interested in bringing him back. (more…)

In many regards, Mason Jr. was a major disappointment considering with San Antonio in the 2008-2009 season, he averaged almost 12 points and shot 42% from three, making 166 of them.  His numbers dropped off in 2009-2010, but he still averaged over six points and played 79 games.  In Mason Jr’s defense, he was never given a real opportunity to play with the Knicks.  We have all learned how Coach D’antoni can designate a player to the bench for a very long time.

Finally in the playoffs, do to all of the Knicks injuries, Mason Jr. received more PT and played much better.  In the series against the Celtics, Mason Jr. played in three of the four games and averaged around six points.   Maybe if D’antoni gave him more of a shot, the Knicks would have seen better results.  I don’t understand how Mason Jr. was good enough to get significant PT with the Spurs and not the Knicks.  I guess Mike D’antoni must know more than Gregg Popovich. (more…)

D’Antoni is under contract through next season and is expected to be retained after leading the Knicks to their first postseason appearance in seven years. However, under D’Antoni the Knicks have been among the league’s weaker defensive teams, which is something Walsh would like to change.

Memphis assistant Dave Joerger, Orlando’s Steve Clifford, Portland’s Bill Bayno and Chicago’s Ron Adams are all regarded as top defensive coaches. Another possibility for the Knicks is Thibodeau’s replacement in Boston, Lawrence Frank, the former Nets’ coach. Frank’s contract expires this summer.

A move to hire another assistant does not necessarily mean one of D’Antoni’s current assistants will be removed. Phil Weber, Dan D’Antoni, Herb Williams and the highly regarded Ken Atkinson are all expected to be retained. D’Antoni, who is expected to acquiesce to management, has made it clear that he wants to remain in New York. However, there will be several job openings this summer that D’Antoni might find attractive, including one with Golden State, whose roster has players better suited to play D’Antoni’s up-tempo system than the Knicks currently do.

Before Game 2′s telecast on TNT, Charles Barkley made a few strange comments towards Mike D’Antoni. As far as we know, the statements were unprovoked. D’Antoni responded earlier today in an article by Newsday’s Alan Hahn:

Mike D’Antoni brushed off questions about Charles Barkley’s recent comments — and subsequent apology — on TNT this week. Barkley before Tuesday’s Game 2 criticized D’Antoni and suggested the Knicks “are going to have a new coach next year” and then on Thursday said he was wrong to say that.

“It’s fine,” D’Antoni said. “It’s a distraction in a sense that I’ve got so many things on my plate right now, trying to get us right, but I haven’t really thought about it that much.”

When asked a follow-up question, D’Antoni quickly replied, ”This is probably not the place to go into it.”

Weird. Unless Stephon Marbury is Barkley’s godson, I can’t figure out/wait to hear what the deal is.

When I arrived at 100 Legends Way (A.K.A the grimy back lot behind Boston’s North Station where the the satellite trucks make their home) on Sunday afternoon prior to Game 1, I was struck by how nondescript the arena’s exterior was. For all who haven’t been there, it is essentially a big, brown rectangular block that rests over Boston’s northernmost commuter rail station. In that way it is similar to Madison Square Garden, which hovers above Penn Station. That is about where the similarities end aesthetically speaking.

(more…)

Courtesy of Howard Beck:

Boston’s Delonte West took the inbounds pass in the backcourt with 4.1 seconds left, forcing the Knicks to chase him and waste time. Anthony, who seemed gassed, did not foul him until 0.6 remained on the clock. West made both free throws for the final margin.

The Celtics, who had all of their stars present and in working order, barely escaped.

Courtesy of Bob Ryan:

More Knicks confusion: After the ball was inbounded, Delonte West was allowed to dribble unimpeded until he finally was fouled by Carmelo Anthony at the 0.6-second mark. Not exactly the urgency you need.

Okay. Now there’s 4.1 seconds left in the game, you’re down a single point, and the opponent has a side inbounds. There’s no reason to think a win is out of reach or that this ball game should be chalked up as an inevitable loss. It’s still anybody’s to win. In this situation, in the NBA, one full second, maybe 1.5, should trickle off the clock before a foul is had. It’s a simple man to man assignment where each Knicks player should be matched up to shadow a Celtic, and the moment he catches the ball he’s fouled. Instead, New York allowed Delonte West to escape into the backcourt and dribble out all possible hope of a game winning or tying shot.

Yes it’s unlikely. The odds of it happening are stacked so incredibly high that attempting to win would be daunting if not downright heroic. But it also would be necessary, smart, and instinctive. At least it should be. What we all saw Carmelo Anthony do in that second half was incredible, and who’s to say it couldn’t happen again.

I’ve been a D’Antoni supporter since his arrival, but the effort and wherewithal on this play was both embarrassing and nonexistent; that’s on the coach. The play wasn’t included in the game’s highlights, and more people today will be talking about Carmelo’s decision to pass to Jeffries, and then Jeffries’ decision to pass to Garnett, but this should be included in the team’s mental crumbling as much as anything. There’s just no way a professional team can breakdown like this in a playoff game and expect to win a series. I don’t care who was injured or who was on the court. You or I could chase Delonte West 20 feet and then hit him, anybody could. It made the Knicks look like a team resigned to go back home for Friday’s Game 3 and give it their best shot in the Garden. The problem is, this ideology is a million miles away from what a true champion believes.

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D'Antoni Needs To Settle Down When It Comes To Playing His Starters (AP)

Despite clinching a playoff spot on Sunday evening, Mike D’Antoni said he doesn’t feel the need to limit the minutes of his key guys as the regular season dwindles down. This also despite Amar’e and a few others complaining about weariness and fatigue throughout the month of March. (more…)

NOT the happy campers (AP Photo/Chuck Burton)

Hop the turny to read some wonderful New York Knicks literature that was both written AND published over the weekend/this morning.

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This, Right Here, Is A Tired Man

Hop that turny to find out why.

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Carmelo Fell And He Couldn't Get Up (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

* “We just got to a point there, I just thought we just panicked,” [D'Antoni] said.

* The losses are tough right now, but Zach Lowe says hold off your judgement on the Melo deal, for now.

* ”It was a bloodbath,” Rivers said. “And I thought it was beautiful.”

* Aww shucks. No Earl Barron after all.

* The blame game snowball is beginning to roll down the mountain.

* Will the Knicks have Chauncey next year? It’s absolutely crucial they sign him.

* Wise words from the Knicks’ best player in last night’s game.

* The Boston perspective, it makes things even tougher to swallow.

Boom Goes Toney's Dynamite

Toney Douglas came off the bench last night to log more minutes than both Chauncey Billups and Landry Fields. It was probably for the better; Douglas hit 9 three pointers, tying Latrell Sprewell’s Knicks franchise record. They seemed to keep coming, one after the other, like raindrops. And Memphis had no umbrella. Or rain coat. Or water resistant Timberlands. Late in the third quarter, when everyone in the gym knew what Douglas was planning with the ball in his hands, Memphis tried everything in their pick and roll defense. They went above, attempted traps, fell below screens, and yet nothing was a suitable response. Douglas attempted 9 threes through 3 quarters, and made 8 of them.

* The always illuminating New York Times recap

* The Knicks had a pretty great win last night, but let’s not pretend all our problems are magically poofed. In the last few days, Mike D’Antoni’s taken some heat for his coaching style’s allowing of such repugnant defense. His excuses have been perfunctory. Here’s an advanced scout’s take on the team so far.

* Two comparisons we won’t be able to escape the rest of this season—and likely the next few years: The loot we sent to Denver and the Nets’ trade for Deron Williams.

* Highly esteemed SI.com columnist Jeff Pearlman gives his two cents on Madison Square Garden’s decision to raise ticket prices.

* Anthony Carter used to live in Hawaii. Here they check up on him in a solid feature.

* Now that James Dolan has two superstars he enjoys watching, the minimum pressure level for Mike D’Antoni will be a dark shade of orange, teetering on light red.

* We covered this a few days ago, looking ahead at the rest of the regular season. Business Insider backs up our argument.

* More Mike D’Antoni pressure cookers.

* Something tells me this unit needs more than training camp to play effective defense…or they could just mimic Miami.

* Calculating the Eastern Conference Playoff possibilities.

Thanks to the team’s inconsistent nature, Knick fans are currently split in two different camps. The first sees New York as an ultra talented ensemble, capable of light switching their abilities on and off as they please. (“Wait, we lost to Indiana? Umm…so what! We have Carmelo, they don’t.”) The other ideological group views the Knicks as an overrated bunch unable to mesh their individual skills together in time for a deep playoff run. (“Wait, we lost to Indiana? And they didn’t have Danny Granger? And Tyler Hansbrough went for how many? How dare they raise ticket prices! Screw this team; they’re terrible.”)

Both are slightly extreme and more impatient than they need to be, and both can agree that defensive intensity nears the top of the team’s shopping list. But each month this season New York has shown that they’re nothing more than a .500 club—16-17 since New Year’s Day. Almost all of the team’s statistics remain equal post Carmelo Anthony (but without Chauncey Billups)—for example points per game are up 1.2, points allowed are down 0.3, offensive rebounds are both 10.4 per game, and three-pointers made were 9.0 before the trade and 8.9 after.

Here’s further information on why the team’s offense gets stagnant and its defense remains porous, courtesy of Howard Beck’s latest in the Times:

“We revert back to ‘Just give me the ball, let me put my head down and go,’ ” D’Antoni said Monday, adding: “That’s what we have to guard against. Those are tendencies that we’ve shown that we’ve had. And hopefully we can get that out of their games completely. I think we will. I don’t see it as a problem.”

As the Knicks prepared for a Tuesday night rematch with the Pacers in Indiana, the focus was on well-worn principles of ball and player movement. The lack of each was evident as they reviewed tape of Sunday’s game — the one D’Antoni referred to as “a horror film.”

“We can’t win that way,” Stoudemire agreed. “We didn’t move the ball.”

The Knicks are just 6-5 since Anthony arrived. Every encouraging victory against a quality team (Miami, Atlanta and Memphis) has been offset by a stunning loss to a poor team (Indiana, Cleveland twice).

Anthony has been productive, averaging 25.5 points, and predictably erratic. He has converted 50 percent of his shots in just three games. He is shooting 47.2 percent in the Knicks’ victories and 41.4 percent in the losses. Also noteworthy is the difference in Anthony’s assist rate: 4.2 per game in wins and 2.4 per game in losses. On Sunday, he had zero assists.

“Right now, we’re playing against the Knicks,” D’Antoni said. “It’s us.”

Where does this put us? The Knicks are far and away the most Dr. Jekyll, Mr. Hyde team in the league. When they win it makes sense. When they lose that too makes sense. At least we know one thing: Unless hell freezes over, they won’t have to play Denver.

It is no secret that the New York Knicks struggle on the defensive end, and during their game against the Indiana Pacers we saw yet another example of that.  Late in the fourth quarter when the Knicks were looking to make things interesting, the Pacers knocked down two big threes.  Both of these three point shots were wide open looks as a result of bad defense from the Knicks, specifically when it came to switching screens, both on ball and off ball screens…

Go ahead, click the link, read on.

Don't be jealous, Candace.

Wow, sooooo that just happened. Carmelo and Amar’e played to the absolute peak of their abilities in that Jazz rout last night, and what a sight it was. Just a pleasure. Today in the Linkin’ Center, we’re taking a look at a few things, including last night’s “game”, Wednesday’s hot opponent, and Carmelo’s wife saying she feels unwanted.

* First, let’s get this question out of the way: Are the Knicks playing down to their competition?

* On the Wendy Williams Show a few days ago, Mrs. Carmelo revealed something quite disturbing. And by disturbing we mean pointless and catty.

* Oh, that Landry Fields. If he’d tried his patented jump stop, this problem would be solved.

* Just some stats to show how dominant Stoudemire and Anthony were last night.

* “The potential is there—it’s there,” Coach Mike D’Antoni said, adding, “If we can rebound, if we can play defense, we’ll have nights that they’re unstoppable.” Sounds like good news.

* In another go round as a Knick, Jared Jeffries is finally getting some love.

* Amidst the cloud of perpetual happiness currently surrounding New York City basketball, the team’s future front office leaders are still in limbo.

* Did you know the Miami Heat cried on Sunday? I’m just hearing about it this morning.

* With recent wins over Oklahoma City and Dallas, New York’s next opponent is the hottest team in the league.

* Recap from the Utah side of things, courtesy of our brothers over at Purple & Blues.

* Are Carmelo’s defensive inefficiencies much ado about nothing?

* Speaking of Carmelo, should he stay with No. 7 or go back to the familiar No. 15?

In last night’s nice little fourth quarter barrage, the Knicks reverted back to their early winter look, i.e. with no Carmelo Anthony. Apparently a migraine was suffered by the All-Star starter on an Al Horford love tap during the first quarter. Not sure if this’ll create any lingering side effects, but the Knicks’ new cast of characters seemed able enough to step in and give a solid effort without him. Also, congratulations to Mike D’Antoni. In 224 games as head coach of the New York Knicks, last night was the first time your team held its opponent under 80 points!

Read more about last night’s game in the links. Now onto them.

* Recap of the Atlanta game from the Times. When it comes to different ways you can win in the NBA, this was one of the stranger instances.

* Down in Tennessee, a former Knick gets his number retired.

* With all the media scrutiny going on in Miami, specifically aimed at Erik Spoelstra, Knick head coach Mike D’Antoni feels like he can relate. (What D’Antoni didn’t say was he’d absolutely, positively, never in eight million years embarrass his players the way Spoelstra did yesterday.)

* The Knicks main focus right now? The Charlotte Bobcats!

* I’d have to say this is a terrible, out-on-a-ledge theory by the Post’s Marc Berman, but crazier things have happened. Especially when it involves New York’s ability to make management decision.

* The best part about last night’s win in Atlanta? The team’s depth was revealed. Roger Mason Jr., for one, was a starter in San Antonio just a few years ago, and having a veteran presence like that is only going to help a team battling injuries, trying to mold a strong locker room.

*Remember when Amar’e told BYU how he really feels? Well, maybe he was lying.

* A very cool story. Reactions to the Carmelo trade are disclosed by the players who weren’t involved.

Remember how great it used to be? When the Knicks and Heat despised each other with a ferociousness so unyielding that punches were thrown more often than bounce passes? When enforcers tee’d off on superstars and everyone on both sides were ripping with muscles, ready to brawl (even if they didn’t know how to fight) with each passing whistle? It looks like we’re now witness to a resurrection 10 years later. However, this time around, basketball seems to be more of the focal point, which is good considering you have four All-Star starters on both teams—and Chris Bosh—turning the court into an overflowing volcano of supreme talent.  Last night’s game began as most expected it would: the Heat ran out to an early lead and were on pace to eclipse 149 points by halftime.  But then the Knicks fought back, Chauncey Billups (already) put a significant performance on his Knicks resume, and New York stole one on the road by keeping both teams under 100. Thoughts? Comments?

* The most important Knicks victory in 10 years? Once again, thank the defense.

* Embarrassed. And they should be.

* A very significant play. Not just because of its crunch time context, but watching Carmelo and Amar’e combine for a key defensive stop is huge in the big picture.

* “Sunday’s game was also the first that featured four of that season’s All-Star starters (James and Dwyane Wade, Anthony and Stoudemire) in a regular-season game since the Seattle SuperSonics (Shawn Kemp and Gary Payton) played the Chicago Bulls (Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen) in March 1997, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.”

* How do they go from giving up 2487 points in Cleveland to 86 in Miami?

* Wade’s least favorite rapper was in attendance.

* Who’s Ray Felton, again?

* Old Knick legends discuss new Knick heroes.

* The win feels nice, but pressure is mounting on D’Antoni’s shoulders.

* The renewed rivalry feels extra funny, for some.

Who Would You Rather See Back In New York?

With the official word coming from several respectable news outlets that New York plans on bringing back 6′ 11″ Jared Jeffries, the search for a big man is somewhat quelled for the time being. But those who remember watching Jeffries play know he’s hardly someone who allows a fan base to sleep comfortably. Jeffries is a really tall forward; way too thin to bang with the league’s centers and way too fragile to stake any legitimate rebounding claim in the paint.  In other words, he’s no Mozgov. Going on his ninth season, Jeffries is a career 4.3 rebound a game guy. In the 18 games he suited up for Houston this season, he averaged 1.5 points, 0.2 blocks, and 1.9 rebounds per night.

Maybe we’re asking the wrong question here. Instead of “What big men are out there?”, should we be asking “Do the Knicks need a true center?”. Looking back at Mike D’Antoni’s days in Phoenix, specifically the three season period of 2004-2007, who was his center? In 2004, our new friend Amar’e was a 22-year-old who managed to squeeze 26 and nine from his hardly “center” caliber frame. The short list of fellow big guys in the years that followed looked like this: 6′ 9″ Kurt Thomas, 6′ 11″ Pat Burke, and 6′ 10″ Sean Marks. That’s pretty much it. Until the fun stopped with the acquirement of Shaquille O’Neal, Phoenix ran up and down the floor, night in and night out, leading the league in points per game as well as pace (number of possessions per 48 minutes) each and every year.  There was no time for a seven foot behemoth to lug his body back and forth. Shots went up fast and possessions rarely lasted longer than 10 seconds.

This team is built in a more traditional way, especially with the additions of Carmelo Anthony and Chauncey Billups—a point guard who probably couldn’t run Mike D’Antoni’s system the way Nash once did—and the big question right now is whether the new players will adapt to the system or if the system will make the proper amends. For arguments sake let’s say  the former option wins. Putting Amar’e at the center spot, with Turiaf and Jeffries as his backups, the Knicks could try their best at a run and gun style. The reverberations would ripple throughout the team—with Toney Douglas increasing his minutes and Carmelo Anthony taking over at the four—mostly on the defensive side of the ball, but that’s a price those mid-2000 teams in Phoenix paid. (If it weren’t for the uber-patient San Antonio Spurs and their Goliath, Tim Duncan, Phoenix might have seen a championship ring or two.) In the end, at least for the rest of this season, it looks like the Knicks might not have the personnel to run either system as efficiently as they’d like. In which case, based on possible playoff opponents, they should go all out. (Let me be remiss in my refusal to take into account Amar’e Stoudemire’s knees. I know it’s a problem, but how much hurt could 30 games bring?)

The only Eastern Conference playoff team with any legitimate big man threat is Orlando. A team that just so happens to be fading right before our eyes. Boston is large but Kendrick Perkins-less, and figure to be better than New York regardless of any big man dilemma; Chicago has some length with Joakim Noah and Taj Gibson, but those two are more worrisome on the defensive end; Atlanta has nobody; Miami has nobody; and every other playoff team with any size at all (Milwaukee, Indiana) likely won’t face the Knicks. So there you have it. If the Knicks want to grab a good chunk of real estate this year—mind you there shouldn’t be any pressure on them to do so—they should invoke their inner Phoenix Suns and shoot the ball like it’s 2005.

Reason Numero Uno

Today the Knicks announced that last night’s telecast against Milwaukee saw their highest viewers in 16 years.

From NBA.com:

The Knicks said their 114-108 victory over Milwaukee on Wednesday earned a 6.75 household rating, easily topping the previous high this season, a 3.61 for the Boston Celtics’ visit Dec. 15.

It was MSG’s highest-rated Knicks telecast in the regular season since Jordan’s first return to Madison Square Garden after his first retirement, when he scored 55 points in a Chicago victory.

The Knicks are averaging a 1.62 rating through 52 games, a 60 percent increase over the 1.01 at this time last season.

Nobody wants to drop the dreaded B-bomb (bandwagon) on basketball fans in New York, but can you honestly blame anyone? The Knicks have been an atrocious, poorly run franchise for 10 years, and thanks to the hard, shrewd dealings of Donnie Walsh and the attractive playing style instituted by Mike D’Antoni, this is a minor gleam on what should be a successful and radiant beam of light.

Oddly, since teams often start sluggishly in afternoon games (with the Knicks particularly egregious in this regard at home), they both came out firing.  Even odder, one would think that would favor the Knicks (the Pacers are ranked 24th in offensive efficiency), yet the first stanza ended with us down 30-32.  It wasn’t because they shot lights-out, but rather because in a Zydrunas-Ilgauskas-esque nightmarish way they outrebounded us by five boards in that quarter alone.

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First, despite popular wisdom, the Knicks actually do play some very good defense at times.  Wilson Chandler, Landry Fields, Ronny Turiaf and Toney Douglas have been great at scrambling all over the court and causing chaos, while Raymond Felton can be quite the bulldog on D himself.  And Amar’e, while simply awful at one-on-one defense, can be a good help shot blocker.  Thus we’ve actually had several games where our D clamped down at the end of the games and really save the day for us.  So why am I complaining today — is it just because we lost?  No, it’s because this time D’Antoni came up with a specific defensive game plan that I feel put us in a big hole.  What was it?

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After the Cleveland game where I got another DNP – Coach’s decision, I have read – yet another time – that Mozgov is losing is losing the trust of the coach.

I’ll say this: on my part there’s no panic!

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Hottest Seats:

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Did the '04-'05 Phoenix Suns prove that offense can't win championships, or just leave the question still unanswered?

The old adage is that defense wins championships, and until the last 48 hours I believed that pretty strongly.  For those who have been following my comments on various posts, I keep harping that the thing we most need is a shot-blocking defensive center because I was no moron: I know offense can only take you so far.  Eventually shots won’t fall, and that’s why you need to be able to rely on defense.  However, after watching the Knicks/Celts game and then last night the San Antonio Spurs against the Denver Nuggets, I saw reasons to believe offense could lead to a ring and question my very own beliefs that D is dee way to win.

No, no, I’m not saying I’m delusional and that after one close game against the Celtics that now I think that this New York team has a shot at winning a championship this year.  And up until just last night, I was the same acolyte as you, praying at the Holy Altar Of Defensive Stops. My hope was that coach Mike D’Antoni could get us up to that elite level of those high-octane offensive teams of the past decade (like his own Phoenix Suns, but also the Sacramento Kings and Dallas Mavericks).  At that point, we’d then follow the Mavericks blueprint to the next step, firing the old offense-only coach (in their case, Don Nelson) and bringing in a defensive-minded coach as the closer (new coach Avery Johnson did bring them to near the brink of acquiring some shiny new rings until Dwayne Wade went nuts).  And while I still believe that’s probably the best way to go, I now can’t help but feel there is another way.  What made me change so radically that I’d be willing to forgo my dearest, closest beliefs?

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Mike D'Antoni was dejected after our last loss, but maybe it's us fans who should be dejected with him.

Josh Sage gives his second, more in-depth, view of the New York Knicks’ loss to the Boston Celtics:

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Amar'e Stoudemire is the new King of Broadway (Source: Yardbarker.com)

After attending last night’s heartbreaker to the Celtics, I figured it would be a good time to add my initial contribution to the site .I don’t want to get too much into the nuts and bolts of the game, but just add a few observations of the scene at MSG before during and after the game. I’ll start out by saying that this is my 7th season covering the Knicks so I have witnessed some dark days at the World’s Most Famous Arena.

• Stephon Marbury anointing himself “the best point guard in the NBA” before the 2005 New Year’s Day tilt with the Jason Kidd’s Nets. We all know how that proclamation turned out.
• Nate Robinson’s circus act leading to a vicious brawl with the Denver Nuggets in December of 2006.
• Jerome James. Enough said.
• The poisonous atmosphere that existed during Isiah Thomas’ last days at the helm with the continuous “Fire Isiah” chants booming down from the rafters. The fact that two Italian dudes constructed this rap song just about says it all.

Last night, all of the darkness seemed to have drifted far away from that hallowed cathedral of hoops. There was life again in Madison Square Garden, the kind of life not seen since Latrell Sprewell roamed the court more than a decade ago.  It was the most pregame anticipation I had ever felt at that place. There was a tangible buzz in the crowd and the place erupted when the lights dimmed and the Knicks were introduced. Amar’e Stoudemire, the new hero on Broadway, got the loudest ovation any Knicks player has gotten in years. I’d say the guy deserves it with the way he’s been playing.

Ronny Turiaf then did his now customary twirling dance, circumventing the the rest of the Knicks players as they huddled under the basket. It almost like he’s a witch doctor casting some kind of voodoo on the opposing team. Pretty cool to see in person. Unfortunately on this night, there wasn’t quite enough voodoo to hold off what I would consider the best team in the Eastern Conference if not the entire NBA. Paul Pierce is a cry baby and gets phantom fouls a aplenty, but the guy is a cold-blooded killer in the 4th quarter. The second best closer in the NBA behind Kobe Bryant in my book. He stuck the dagger in the Knicks, but that does not temper the positive vibes I took from their performance last night.

Mike D’Antoni, Amar’e and Raymond Felton all expressed their disappointment in not being able to close the Celtics out during their postgame meetings with the press. Sometimes, you hear guys talk about no moral victories in losses, but you could tell each one of these guys was proud of the effort the Knicks put forth and you could see and hear a confidence and swagger continuing to build, even in defeat. Here is a little sampling of what I heard:

“Everybody has their own opinion. Real basketball players and people who understand the game know we have a good team and we can play with anybody. We lost a tough one against possibly the best team in the league.” -Raymond Felton

“I guarantee you that Boston respects us. We are not slouches. They know how good we can be and how good we are. We’ll see them again.” -Amar’e Stoudemire

Before I close up shop, here are few scenes I witnessed and heard while moving between the media room and the two locker rooms:

• Nate Robinson hooting and hollering and spitting out more obscenities than Rex Ryan as the Celtics left the court and headed to the visitor’s locker room. Pipe down Nate. Your act was one of the reasons this franchise was such a joke the past few years. Once a punk, always a punk I guess
• A smiling Kevin Garnett and the huge rocks in his ears talking to a small gathering in front of the media room after I left the Knicks locker room. He was chatting with a blond-haired woman about two feet shorter than he was and said something to the effect of, “Whew boy, did you feel the electricity in here tonight? [The Knicks] thought they had us but we are bunch of champions. Not gonna argue that one.
• Amar’e Stoudemire walking toward the exit leading out to the where the Knicks park their shiny vehicles next to Amber Rose. You may want to click on the link provided. Check out Amar’e's tweet from Dec 5th at 10:41 PM. That my friends is a bird call. It appears as if we may be seeing a lot more of Ms. Rose at MSG in the coming days

Bring on LeBron and crew. It appears these Knicks are not afraid to tangle with anyone.

The New York Knickerbockers beat the Toronto Raptors last night, winning their sixth straight game and 11 out of their last 12, but it took Amar’e Stoudemire once again performing like an MVP, and Raymond Felton’s clinching three-pointer bouncing off the rim five times (plus once off the backboard) before falling in.  With our record at 14-9, it’s the best we’ve been since 2001.  And tonight we have one last easy game (against Washington, who also might likely be playing without John Wall, perhaps their best player).  Then the true test begins when we finally start playing teams with winning records.
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To donate to the FanSided and Site5 Holiday Season Charity Drive and help us help the BGCA help our children, visit this link.

Here are some things I’m thankful for in the world o’ Knicks (feel free to add your own thankful bits in the comments section below):

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Why are we using a picture of Shawne Williams as a Memphis Tiger? Because before Sunday he'd never played on the court in a Knicks jersey. (Source: Yardbarker.com)

One of the oddest things about the New York Knicks’ double-overtime victory over the Detroit Pistons on Sunday was that it also featured both coaches using double rotation strategies: getting everyone a shot initially, only to end up with a short leash.  By the end of the first quarter, Detroit coach John Kuester had already gone ten players deep.  For the Knicks, Mike D’Antoni went nine-deep in the first half, which might not seem like he went too deep into his bench, until you see who he played.

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Felton has done well scoring, but assisting? Not so much. (Source: Yardbarker.com)

From new Buckets writer, Joshua Sage, a post on how perhaps one of the reasons we lost to the Hawks was due to Raymond Felton.

The New York Knicks five game winning streak came to a halt yesterday at the hands of a troubled Atlanta Hawks team.  A Hawks team that looks like it’s in route to another disappointing playoff exit, but hey, at least Atlanta will be in the playoffs.

The Knicks trailed throughout the game, showed little defensive prowess, played selfishly on offense, and failed to win over their home crowd, which booed like they were getting payed for it.

New York once again lost the assist battle, only four times this season have the Knicks had more assists then their opponent. They were also out rebounded for the tenth time. So far this season, no Knick is averaging double figures in rebounds or assists.

The loss of David Lee has sorely affected the Knicks ability to keep opposing teams off the boards and muster up any second chance points. Another issue in NYC are the point guards, who look to just score, score, score. Ideally, Raymond Felton should be a quality veteran backup point guard, with a true floor general leading the starting five.

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The Knicks need to get a second star. ...Or do they already have him? (Source: Yardbarker.com)

New Buckets writer Joshua Sage talks about how the key to the Knicks winning a championship is having two studs, and how to make that happen:

Jordan & Pippen.

Shaq & Kobe.

Robinson & Duncan.

The perception amongst the media, fans, NBA GM’s and players, the unwritten rule, is that a title team needs two stars to carry the team to victory. All three duos listed above have all won multiple titles, so maybe they’re right. To that end, teams around the league have paired players together in an attempt to create that dynamic for themselves.

Deron Williams & Al Jefferson in Utah.

Carlos Boozer & Derrick Rose in Chicago.

Dwayne Wade & LeBron James in Miami.

These are the modern day duos meant to carry their teams to a championship. The first for the Jazz, the seventh for the Bulls and the second for the Heat. But who the hell cares about them, lets talk about the Knicks!

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Is this the look Mike D'Antoni gives his players when they ask him a question about defense? (Source: Yardbarker.com)

Another post from new Buckets writer Joshua Sage, saying we shouldn’t be blinded by our last three wins ‘cuz they only further proved we need a new coach who preaches defense:

The New York Knicks defeated the LA Clippers Saturday night, led by Danilo Gallinari and Amar’e Stoudemire in the final quarter. Now that bit of good news will be the only thing on most New Yorkers’ minds today. I, on the other hand, will be spending some time thinking of reasons why the Knicks haven’t fired Mike D’Antoni yet.

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