:alert::alert::alert:
This is coming from the biggest supporter D'antoni had on these boards (aside from KFFQ). I watched this post-season collapse happen before my very eyes. It's time for D'antoni to go.
I was patient. During the season as we played and traded our way to mediocrity, I said "let's wait to see what we can do in the playoffs". I was impressed as we made our way to the 6th seed with a roller-coaster team and was excited for the playoffs..
I said to myself going in to Boston, "At least in the last moments of a close game I can count on this era's best offensive coach and the most clutch player in the last 8 seasons to get us 1 win"
I waited patiently and saw game 1 stolen from us by a mix of the Ref's and some lousy play calling on part of D'antoni. I figured, "everyone get's one, move on, good game, lets get 'em next time"
Oh no. I should have realized this would not go well. Game 2 was disastrous. Melo took over the entire game dropped 42 points, grabbed 17 rebounds and STILL we could not close out the Celtics. We have the best offensive player in the game today and we can't win this 1 game??? JJ under the basket for the final play???? WHY? :barf:
Game 3 I watched in horror as the celtics went up 22-5 before ANYTHING happened. AC got put into the game for a few minutes while boston's bench was on the floor and we battled back, but when rondo came back on, he was out of the game and we never got close again. JVG was calling that game and EVERYTHING that I said in my head he was calling out nearly 2 seconds after I thought it. He was watching the game realizing that AC and Shawne Williams were playing above their heads, had helped the knicks rally and were not getting back on the floor. All because D'antoni wouldn't use them against the Celtics starters. His stubbornness and refusal to adapt and make an adjustment lost us this game before it even started.
Game 4 was a terrible 1st half. I watched at my grandma's house on Easter sunday as my family, full of boston fan's, smirked and got out the brooms. Finally in the second half the players decided to turn it up themselves but it was too little too late. AC should have started every game while Billups was out and had TD come off the bench as he is designed to do. The coach could not solve anything that boston threw at the knicks, which was nothing new. He left Fields on Ray allen all series even tho allen was TORCHING the kid and ruining his confidence. I don't think we will ever see the same Fields again.
This series was going to be a Knicks out regardless of the coach, but there were at least 2 games we could have won with better play calling and a more concentrated Defensive effort. If everyone was healthy and ready to go, then we could of even took this series, with a different coach. His refusal to adapt and make adjustments lost us these games and series. a different coach could make those same predictable calls at the end of games but would also coach some defense, maybe call a play the other team doesn't expect and get the player fired up with more then "OK guys, what we need to do is do what we do and PUSH THE BALL" that was his time out talk in game 3... "PUSH THE BALL". There were no inspirational firing up the team to play better, no assignments on defense, no plays even really called. It was pitiful! It's like he had given up on the coaching after the first 2 games in Boston and decided "**** it, push the ball and we'll score lots of points, maybe that'll do it!"
I am disgusted. These playoffs could not have gone worse from a Knicks fan point of view. 1 win was all we really needed. At least then we could point out 1 positive from the post-season, say we left it all out on the floor and did what it took to get 1 game from Boston.
I literally prayed on Easter Sunday that the knicks would bring back JVG. Please God/Allah/Buddah/Flying Spaghetti Monster PLEASE bring us JVG or at least a coach that has a clue. I lvoe what Donnie Walsh has managed to do from a personnel point of view, but if he is tied to D'antoni then get rid of him too.
:gony: