Disfunctional front office (just like the rest of corporate America)

nixon7

Benchwarmer
Dysfunctional front office (just like the rest of corporate America)

Things are better now with Grunwald and Woodson than they were with D'Antoni. However, there still seems to be a disconnect between the GM and the coach.

I was in favor of the move to pick up Gadzuric and understood the move to let Walker go (rather than Douglas). I say this even though I like Harrellson and Jordan more than this coaching staff apparently does, and the move to add Gadzuric potentially hurt their minutes (except that none of them got significant minutes even with Stat and Jeffries out).

However, the move makes no sense if you are not going to use Gadzuric at all (they clearly could have used Walker once Shumpert went down). So did Grunwald consult with Woodson about the move? If so, WTF? If not, why not?

And while I liked Woodson's coaching in general, I do not undertand why he would rather play people out of position rather than play Jordan and Harrellson in the rotation (over-playing Chandler thus reducing his effectiveness because he has to stay out of foul trouble, and is always playing hurt).

It is also telling that the Knicks played better in game 3 with Harrellson and Jeffries in the game than with Carmelo and Chandler. Are they better players? Clearly not. However, the offense featured team-concept and ball-movement vs. stagnant isolation and predictable (playing into Miami's defensive style). The defense was also team-concept (proper rotations) and the rebounding was gang on both ends. When Miami blew the game open (at the start of the fourth quarter) it was noticeable that the Knicks were not even contesting on the offensive boards. Rather than help the Knicks get back and set their defense, it let Miami push the ball up-court faster (if you contest, it slows down the opponent, even if you get zero offensive rebounds).

I strongly believe that if the Knicks had played all season like a team, using their depth properly, limiting players to less than 30 minutes a game, using their backup big men properly (including Harrellson and Jordan), playing team defense and gang rebounding on both ends, playing double-screen and roll on offense, that is, moving the ball side to side and featuring two pick-and-rolls one with Stat and the other with Chandler on opposite sides of the court with either player scoring or passing to a cutting (rather than a ball-stopping) Carmelo; that the Knicks would be a lot healthier and more dangerous team in the playoffs, with a better seeding as well.

In other words, play the right way (coaches and players), pull in the same direction (front office and coaches), and you at least act like a team win-or-lose.

Work off of separate selfish agendas (and I am not just talking players here - I think that selfish started with D'Antoni who coached with an agenda against bigs and against traditional basketball - that had nothing to do with winning - and with a front office of Dolan yes-men corporate snakes who ran Donnie Walsh out of town, following a front office of corporate snakes that ran Rat Riley and Jeff Van Gundy out of town) and you look like the flawed organization that sets a record for playoff futility.
 
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nixon7

Benchwarmer
And one

BTW, I thought Al Hahn was right on the money about Chandler needing lobs rather than bounce passes, while Amar'e wants bounces not lobs.

Of course, this is what a smart point guard like Lin figures out and gets right.

Also, BTW I was surprised by Smith's comments on the game. Either he has a higher BB IQ than I thought or he was just parroting Woodson. If he actually picked up on Al Hahn's comments about how to properly feed the bigs, rather than iso-Melo / iso-Smith 24/7 then I would really believe that.

Off-season priorities: Phil Jackson or Woodson? Backup bigs (keep and develop or upgrade?), PG / backup PG (aside from re-signing Lin). Trading Stat or Melo is madness. Commit to getting them both on the same page, as well as into a defensive skills workshop.
 
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