Knicks on a Roll

The Knicks are playing great basketball right now. A lot of people were saying that it was Nate Robinson’s absence from the team that had spurred their early December winning streak. Of course, Robinson pretty much nipped that notion in the bud with a 41-point outing that gave the Knicks an overtime win against the Atlanta Hawks after the Knicks were down 14 points in the 4th quarter.

With the Knicks on a roll, we have discussed the many reasons contributing to the Knicks success. There’s Al Harrington’s scoring. David Lee’s double-doubles. Jared Jeffries' defense. And let us not forget the outside shot of Danilo Gallinari.

As a result of all of that, the Knicks have a record of 11-6 since the start of December, are 2-0 in January, and are fresh off a game in which they nearly set a franchise record for the beating they put on the Indiana Pacers on Sunday night.

Still, the Knicks have a long way to go before we can consider them a playoff team. Here are 3 places where the team can seek immediate improvement.

Better rebounding as a whole. The Knicks managed to comeback against the Hawks the other night despite giving up a ton of offensive rebounds down the stretch. Typically, the Knicks don’t give up a lot of offensive boards, but they took David Lee out in light of a lineup that worked really well together on the offensive end. I can certainly see the Knicks being in a similar position several times throughout the rest of the season. After all, David Lee isn’t much more than a 1-trick pony on the offensive side of the ball. If he’s matched up against a Tim Duncan or a Dwight Howard, his presence on the offensive end would be meaningless. But if the Knicks are going to go stretches without David Lee on offense that means they have to go stretches without him on defense. That’s going to open the boards up if somebody else doesn’t come in and clean up the glass. Danillo and Harrington try their best, but their not big guys. The only option on the bench is Eddy Curry, but he’s a liability in numerous ways—most notably on the very rebounds we’re talking about. Quite frankly, I don’t know what the Knicks can do to fix this problem, but they have to figure out, otherwise Lee has to play 45 minutes a game.

Deepen the rotation. This team isn’t going to last long with a short rotation. Now that Mike D’Antoni feels compelled to put Nate Robinson in the game, Larry Hughes isn’t getting any playing time. Personally, I think that’s the best combination of guards for Nate—him and Hughes, because Hughes can guard anyone, allowing Nate to get the more favorable matchup. Not to mention, Hughes could run the point, allowing Robinson to work off the ball, which he’s much better at in comparison to playing point guard. Also, I’d like to see some more of Bender and Eddy Curry. I know Curry isn’t a beast or anything, but having him as a big-body down low may be worth it if he’s good for nothing else.

Al Harrington should start. I’m never going to stop saying this, because it stands to reason that I am correct. Al Harrington needs to be in the starting lineup, and his minutes certainly shouldn’t fluctuate like they have over the past few games. In light of all the great team ball the Knicks are playing right now, some are failing to recognize what Harrington has, is doing, and will continue to be capable of doing when he is in the lineup. I know D’Antoni likes Gallinari, and that’s fine. He can take Jeffries out of the lineup for all I care, because Harrington doesn’t do well when Jeffries is in the game anyway. A starting lineup of Harrington, Duhon, Chandler, Lee and Gallinari has a +/- of 15 points and a winning percentage of 7-4. Somebody ought to show the coach these numbers, so these Knicks can turn a good December into a stellar January.

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Knicks Post Game Notes: Knicks Take an “L” Against Spurs

The New York Knicks have come upon a bit of a losing streak. They lost their second game in a row, falling to another playoff contender in the San Antonio Spurs. While I hate to draw upon this same notion again, especially in a loss, I was proud of the effort the Knicks showed in their 95-88 loss to a much more talented San Antonio Spurs team.

I know Knicks fans should be done with the moral victories, and for the most part, I am, too. However, when the Knicks lose to a team that is better than them, not to mention one that is contending for the championship, then certainly I reserve the right to give them some credit given that the game came down to the final two minutes of the 4th quarter.

Listen, if the Knicks barely lose to the Charlotte Bobcats, the New Jersey Nets or the Philadelphia 76ers, believe me, I’m not going to be on this blog talking about how close they were to a win. But this is the Spurs. And if you were to tell me that the Knicks would be within reach of winning with 2 minutes left in the 4th quarter, I would’ve taken it. I also would’ve told you that the Spurs are going to win a close game like that, because they know how to win close games, and the Knicks don’t.

Conversely, the only way you can learn how to win close games is to be in them. A season ago, the Knicks weren’t in very many close games with good teams, and as a result, they don’t know how to win close games against good teams. We saw that against Miami on Friday, and we saw it again on Sunday. So I wasn’t surprised when the Spurs out-executed the Knicks in the 4th. That’s what’s supposed to happen. Next year, my expectations will be different. But for the remainder of the 2009-2010 NBA season, I know the Knicks are on a steep learning curve, no matter how well they’ve been playing as of late.

Here are a few post game notes from the Knicks loss to the Spurs:

---The Knicks have to do a better job defending point guards. Chris Duhon certainly can’t get it done, and that is becoming a real liability. Tony Parker scorched the Knicks in this game, shooting 10 of 17 from the field, scoring 22 points, including crucial baskets in the 4th quarter. Maybe Duhon’s minutes need to be cutback slightly so that Larry Hughes can run the point and provide the defensive effort that Duhon is severely lacking.

---I think part of what we have seen with the Knicks over the past 2 games is fatigue setting in. Right now, they are essentially using a 7-man rotation, with Jonathan Bender getting a few minutes here and there. The Knicks as a whole suffer from this, often looking very good in the 1st and 3rd quarters, but cooling off in the 2nd and 4th quarters of games. You saw it to some degree on the defensive end against the Spurs last night, and it will only get worse as the season progressed if the rotation stays the same.

---What happened to Al Harrington last night? Al got just 30 minutes on the night, which were only the 6th most minutes on the squad. This happened despite him going 7 for 13 from the field and scoring 19 points. I understand that he was a defensively liability with DeJuan Blair and Tim Duncan on the court, but when you have David Lee as your center, you’re not exactly promoting post defense in the first place.

---Speaking of David Lee; this guy is on fire. He scored 28 points and nabbed 10 rebounds against a front line of that includes Tim Duncan, DeJuan Blair and Antonio McDyess. He was also 11 of 13 from the field and 6 of 6 from the free throw line. I know the NBA has had its “financial” issues over the past year, but I have to believe that Lee is in for a big pay-day, whether or not the money comes from the Knicks.

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No Miracles for the Knicks on Christmas, but there is hope

The New York Knicks didn’t get a win on Christmas day, losing to Miami 93-87. The Miami Heat and Dwyane Wade were just too much for New York, as the Knicks repeatedly shot themselves in the foot and out of the game all Christmas afternoon.

However, even after the Knicks loss, there is plenty to be cheerful for. First of all, the Knicks refused to go down without a fight, and while I’m not one for Knicks moral victories anymore, I do understand that they aren’t going to win them all. And secondly, that was a playoff team the Knicks lost to yesterday. And while the “W” the Heat got defies the very logic of what I’m about to say; the Knicks did look like a playoff team to me on Christmas Day.

The Knicks didn’t hit any shots against the Heat, and there are going to be games like that for every team out there. Heck, believe it or not, it used to happen to Mike D’Antoni’s Phoenix Suns every once in a while. Still, good teams have to find other ways to win when the shots aren’t going down, so I don’t want to give the Knicks too much of a pass on their loss. The facts are what they are, and the Knicks were just 5 of 28 from 3-point land and 41% from the field as a whole. Teams that don’t play serious defense aren’t going to win ball games like that.

Then again, the Knicks played pretty good defense against the Heat and superstar Dwyane Wade. They held the Heat to 43% shooting on the day, and while Wade finished with 30 points, 9 rebounds and 5 assists, no one walked away saying Wade dominated that game. I’m not saying the Knicks looked like the San Antonio Spurs of old, but the effort was there on the defensive end, so I can’t complain.

So why do I bring all of this up? Why am I pointing to the Knicks effort and their unlucky shooting? Am I trying to make excuses for them? No. I just want to put some perspective on a loss that gives us a good look at where the Knicks are at this point in the season.

As I mentioned before, the Knicks refused to go down without a fight. That’s important, because if you’re a Knicks fan, and you’re anything like me, you kept waiting for the Knicks to get blown out of that game. But it didn’t happen. Every time the Knicks were down, they came back. And when they need a big 4th quarter to make it interesting, they scored 33 points, their high quarter of the game. A month ago, I’m not sure the Knicks, nor I, would have been around in the 4th quarter, because back then, the Knicks would get down and they would stay down until the game was over. That didn’t happen on Christmas though, and I must say, I was mildly surprised.

I also mentioned the fact that the Miami Heat or a playoff team, or at least they were last season. That’s a team that got the 5th seed in the NBA playoffs, and yet you can’t convince me that the Knicks can’t go toe-to-toe with them for 7 games. All you had to do was look at the matchups to come to that realization yourself.

The Knicks have Chris Duhon vs. Mario Chalmers, a matchup that’s probably in our favor.

We lose the matchup to Dwyane Wade certainly.

At the small forward position, it’s Chandler against Quentin Richardson, a matchup that’s in the Knicks favor.

At power forward, it’s Michael Beasley against Al Harrington. Certainly, the Knicks will when that battle in terms of points, but Beasley’s all around game evens out the matchup to some degree.

And at center, you really have a mix of Udonis Haslem and Jermaine O’Neal, but at this point in their careers, I’d take David Lee over either one of them.

Don’t get too excited though. I’m not suggesting that the Knicks are a better team than the heat, because a team is a whole lot more than individual matchups, something that was clearly evident in that game. However, these matchups, and the exemplary game the Knicks had against the Heat, tells me that this team is ready for the postseason, and it actually gave me enough hope to start thinking playoffs for a team that, just a month ago, seemed as far away from the postseason as they ever had been.

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Knicks Post Game Notes: Knicks Hold off Troubled Bulls, 88-81

It was a close one, one the Knicks nearly squandered, but at the end of the day, the New York Knicks came through with a win in a game that could have defined their season.

I know the Chicago Bulls aren’t that bad. In fact, they walked into the Garden last night with the same number of wins as the New York Knicks themselves. However, they are a team that is in free fall and they are falling fast, and that is the type of team that good teams beat. We can’t exactly deem the Knicks a good team off of one win over the same Bulls squad that relinquished a 35-point lead the night before, but at least we don’t have to eliminate them from the realm of the good just yet.

Here are some of the things I noticed about last night’s game:

Believe it or not, the Knicks are relying on defense. – Yes, it is true. The Knicks scored a mere 35 points in the 2nd half last night, and only had more than 22 points in 1 quarter. They shot a measly 40% from the field and only made 5 of their 27 3-point attempts. Clearly, this was not their best offensive outing. Thus, it was defense that led the charge. They came out the gate defending, holding the Bulls to just 12 points in the first and only 19 points in the second. While the Bulls did blow a lot of shots to help the Knicks cause, the fact that the Bulls managed to shoot just 40.5% from the field and had only 8 offensive rebounds speaks volumes about where the Knicks defense is right now.

Jared Jeffries is finally earning his paycheck. – Like you, I have been scratching my head for 3 years now trying to find out why Isiah Thomas ever offered Jeffries a mid-level exception, but I see it now. The man is a very good defender, and even though he’s not a “Kobe Stopper,” the fact that he can guard all 5 positions makes him even more valuable than a guy who can only defend the perimeter. Having Jeffries on the floor allows the Knicks to do a lot more switching on defense, which makes it easier to defend the pick-n-roll plays, and I think that’s why we’ve seen the Knicks hold their last 7 opponents under 100 points.

David Lee’s shot is getting better and better. – It seems as if Lee’s confidence in his 15-foot shot is growing by the game. He hit a lot of key outside shots in the Knicks win over the Bulls, making my long-term prediction that he will become a Karl Malone type of player all the more likely.

Al Harrington is scoring, but he’s doing other things as well. – At the end of the year, teams are only going to view Harrington as a scorer, but he has done so much more. Yes, he scored 20 points and shot 50% from the field, but he also grabbed some crucial rebounds, made pivotal assists and got a steal that helped slow the Bulls momentum. I know he’s no Charlie hustle, but he deserves to be recognized for his all-around game at this point in the season.

I’m not so in love with Jonathan Bender. – I understand that the announcers, Mike Breen and Clyde, are in love with Bender, but I don’t see it. Yes, he gives the Knicks something when he’s on the floor, but considering that he is just 1 of 2 guys in the rotation that can operate in the paint, he has have some kind of impact on the team. I’ll need to see more of him before I can justify giving him even the mere 8 minutes of playing time he got last night.

Knicks need to take the next step..on defense! – Obviously, the Knicks need to improve their offense, but if they want to take that next step, they have to reach that next level of defense. They have to start stopping slashing perimeter players much better than they have. The Bulls best slashers, Derrick Rose and Luol Deng, finished the night with a combined 49 points on 22 of 44 from the field. That is absolutely unacceptable, and it nearly cost the Knicks the game. If they allow Paul Pierce, LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, or Dwyane Wade (on Xmas mind you) do that to them, chances are that I won’t be around to see the final numbers because I would have either left the game or turned off my TV already.

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Knicks Post Game Notes: The Knicks Win, Beat Clippers in Comeback

Once again, Mike D’Antoni failed to start Al Harrington, and the Knicks got off to yet another slow start. The Knicks fail behind by as much as 20 points in the first half of their game with the Los Angeles Clippers, but ultimately, defense and a hot David Lee spurred the Knicks to their 6th win in the month of December.

Here are some of the things I noticed in the Knicks comeback win:

The Knicks really can play some defense – I know the Knicks are as sporadic as they come, especially on the defensive side of the ball, but every now and then they play lock down defense. Wilson Chandler can be a force against small forwards that aren’t that quick (such as Al Thornton), and David Lee can hold his own against centers that aren’t brutally stronger than him (such as Chris Kaman). Most importantly though, Danillo Gallinari isn’t that bad at creating havoc on the defensive side of the ball. Look, he’s no Kobe Bryant on the defensive side of the ball, but he uses his size and positioning to get his hands on balls and grab some crucial rebounds, and he was a big part of the Knicks ability to tie the game up in the 3rd quarter.

David Lee is going to be the next Karl Malone – I know I’m using a little hyperbole when I say that, but I really think this could be the case. Clearly, Lee has mastered the pick n’ roll with Chris Duhon, and that could become a deadly combination if those two stay together for the long-term. Secondly, Lee’s shot is getting a lot better. And we really began to see a Hall of Fame-esque surge in Malone’s career when that 17-footer became a part of his arsenal. Lastly, I know Lee isn’t nearly the prolific scorer that Malone was at the beginning of his career, but with time, it seems as if Lee is very much on his way to becoming a guy you can give the basketball and let him do his thing. Don’t get me wrong, he’s not that guy yet. But with a developing jumper, an ambidextrous ability around the rim, and his mastery of the pick-n-roll, David Lee’s game is going to look a lot like Karl Malone’s 2 or 3 years from now.

Al Harrington needs to start – I guess D’Antoni just doesn’t care about the numbers, but the statistics clearly say that Harrington’s presence early on and throughout the game has a significant impact on the Knicks’ ability to win games. Last night, he got just 30 minutes against the Clippers, and even though he shot 3 for 15, his impact on the game and his ability to stretch the court resulted in a +3 ratio. And during the Knicks win streak of 5 out of 6 games, it was Harrington’s early presence in games that was the difference. But maybe D’Antoni knows something I don’t know, but it would seem to me that starting Al Harrington is much more important than this “spark” he’s hoping to get from the bench.

Larry Hughes was missed – As well as the Knicks played in the 2nd half, Larry Hughes was severely missed. His defense really would have been in asset in slowing down Eric Gordon, who got to the free throw line 10 times. Obviously, he would have been a much better person to put on Baron Davis, who scored 19 points and shot 7 of 17 from the field, many of his points off explosions to the rim that would have been hard to execute against Larry. Hopefully, Hughes will be back soon, because the Knicks won’t be able to overcome early guard offense every night like they did against the inconsistent Clippers on Friday.

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"Guess Who?" - Battle of the Double-Double Centers

Time for a little “Guess Who?”

I’ll try to do this frequently throughout the basketball season. It’s a little, well-known game, in which I will give you two players’ stats without identifying them, and then I will shockingly reveal who these players are, underlying the glaring blinders we put on when we see certain names on the backs of NBA jerseys.

Anyway, here are today’s pair of players, both whom play the Center position—sort of.

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December Beasts: "Why Are the Knicks Winning?"

Maybe it’s because the holiday season is one of the few bright spots during the winter in New York City, but whatever the reason is, the New York Knicks are on fire since the start of December.

So the question is, “Why are the Knicks winning?”

Before we get into that, let us address the Knicks recent level of success. The Knicks have won their last 4 games, and 5 of 6, all in the month of December. They have scored 100 points or more in 5 of their 6 games, and their opponents have only gone over 100 points 2 of these 6 games. The Knicks have won all 3 of their home games this month, and they are obviously 2-1 on the road. They have beaten the likes of Phoenix, Atlanta and Portland, and their sole December loss is to the reigning NBA Eastern Conference Champions the Orlando Magic.

So there’s their December track record.

So once again, “Why are the Knicks winning?”

It’s a difficult question to answer, especially when so much of it has to do with effort. But I will address why I think the Knicks are winning AND reasons that should be removed from the conversation. First, here are two reasons that should not be attributed to the Knicks winning ways.

Non-Attributable Reason #1 – Nate Robinson isn’t playing anymore.
That is just a ludicrous reason. Don’t get me wrong. Nate was somewhat immature and was a liability against big point guards, but his overall effect on the team was positive, and for anyone to deny that would be silly. Yes, in the 5 straight losses the Knicks incurred leading into December, Nate was the leading scorer in 3 of them. Does that demonstrate that he was a scorer to the detriment of the team? It could, until you look at the numbers more closely. Nate’s shot selection was not costing the Knicks games. In fact, he was shooting 26 of 44 (59%) from the floor. He also had 13 assists and just 6 turnovers in those 3 games. So don’t hate on Nate, just because his lack of playing time has diminished during the Knicks winning streak.

Non-Attributable Reason #2 – The Knicks are trying harder
To be honest with you, I don’t think the Knicks are trying all much harder than they were before. Could they be a little more focuses? Perhaps. But they have been trying all of this time, and it’s not as if their hustle stats are all that great right now. They haven’t had a ton of steals and they aren’t exactly dominating the offensive glass. All and all, the effort has been pretty much the same. The reason they have allowed fewer points has probably had more to do with the type of players they have had in the game as opposed to an increase in the team’s overall level of effort.

Now, here’s why the Knicks ARE winning:

Winning reason #1 – The Knicks are shooting better.
This one is an easy thing to notice. Because the Knicks seem to be taking better shots, moving the ball around creating for one another, their shooting percentage is much better over the past 6 games, especially in the 5 wins. The Knicks have shot 46% or better in 5 of their 6 December games, including 3 games of 49% or better. This is compared to shooting percentages of 35 and 38 during their late November losing streak. Big props have to go to Danilo Gallinari who is hitting a lot more of his outside shots, and also, Wilson Chandler seems to have come out of his early season slum. But most importantly, Al Harrington has really stepped it up, shooting 50% or better in 5 of 6 games this month, helping alter the Knicks shooting woes.

Winning Reason #2 – Larry Hughes and Al Harrington in the starting lineup
Even when the Knicks were losing in November, it was clear that Larry Hughes was having a positive impact on the Knicks competitive level of play. But when Mike D’Antoni finally inserted Al Harrington in the lineup this month, his scoring proficiency combined with Hughes overall game has made the Knicks very formidable over the past 6 games. Hughes brings a defensive force to the guard position, something the Knicks haven’t had in a long time. And Al Harrington has helped the Knicks avoid falling behind early by getting the Knicks off to decent if not terrific starts over the past 6 contests. One has to wonder why D’Antoni took so long to put them both in the starting lineup, especially Harrington, who I have been clamoring for all season long.

Winning Reason #3 – The Knicks are playing defense.
Once again, we’re attributing the Knicks winning ways to Larry Hughes, and rightfully so, as he has been a big time player for the Knicks. His ability to slow down guards is something the Knicks haven’t had in years, and he can even give Wilson Chandler a break from time to time on smaller forwards because of his length. But Hughes isn’t the only stepping up on defense. David Lee is doing a much better job of challenging post-up big men at the rim. Danillo Gallinari is playing defense in the paint and using his length to bother and block shots. And Wilson Chandler has almost been LeBron-esque with his sudden escalation in shot-blocking ability. Not to mention, Jared Jeffries has been great being an all-around defender, even guarding point guards from time to time.

So once again, it all comes down to defense. The Knicks are shooting better and have the right two guys in the starting lineup, but holding their opponents to under 100 points in 4 of their 6 games this month is why their winning basketball games, and they will continue to do so if they can keep that up—especially with an offense as potent as theirs.

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