Knicks Draft & Off-Season Options. (ESPN) I TOLD YALL!

Red

TYPE-A
Love this article. Although it repeats much of our observations it also adds statistical break-downs.

Check it out: (espn.com)

To be fair to head coach Mike D'Antoni, after the New York Knicks made a blockbuster three-team trade on Feb. 21 to acquire Carmelo Anthony, he had only about 25 regular-season games to engineer a system with seven new players, some of whom were signed separately from the deal (in all: Melo, Chauncey Billups, Anthony Carter, Renaldo Balkman, Jared Jeffries, Shelden Williams and Derrick Brown). With that said, looking ahead long-term, the Knicks need some pieces to surround Anthony and Amare Stoudemire to be considered title contenders. Here are the four biggest ones:

1. A LEGIT SCORING STARTING CENTER
First of all, before you bash Jeffries -- something that nearly every Knicks fan has done since the season ended -- consider this: The numbers prove he was actually effective on the floor, especially while playing alongside Stoudemire, albeit in only about 250 minutes of action. On an individual basis, Jeffries was plus-87 points (in comparison, Ronny Turiaf was minus-11 and Williams was minus-29), and ranking the Knicks' 4-5 combos, Jeffries-Stoudemire was the best at plus-62. In comparison to Turiaf, who started most of the time at center, when Jeffries was on the court, the team played more efficiently and Stoudemire shot at a higher percentage. Take a look:


Player Team Offensive Rating Team Defensive Rating Net +/- Stoudemire FG%
Jeffries 122.2 108.2 14.0 50 %
Turiaf 108.4 107.1 1.3 44 %
But even with Jeffries' ability to space the floor, defend and take charges, the Knicks were missing something big: interior scoring. The Knicks ranked 18th in points in the paint and 20th in second-chance points this past season. This is not to say they need Howard to fix their problems, but they need at least a B-tier center who not only has some Jeffries in him but also can post up and go to work as well as rebound. The Knicks ranked 20th-worst in the league, averaging 40.5 boards.

Realistic available free-agent centers: Kwame Brown (unrestricted), Samuel Dalembert (unrestricted), Reggie Evans (unrestricted), Chuck Hayes (unrestricted), Ryan Hollins (unrestricted with a player option) and Chris Wilcox (unrestricted).

Scout's take: "They definitely could use a big, physical guy. Centers are not easy to get, though, so I'm not going to dwell on that. Look at Miami with Joel Anthony, Zydrunas Ilgauskas, Erick Dampier and Jamaal Magloire. Unless there's cap space or something otherwise, that's not an easy thing to go get. Point guards and centers are the two toughest things to get, and that's why if you can get good ones, it's so much more valuable than a good 2 or a good 3. It's easier to put a serviceable 3 or 4 with Chris Paul or with Dwight Howard than it is to put a serviceable 5 or 1 with LeBron James and Dwyane Wade. Miami, though, has such a talented 2 and 3 that they make up for a lot of that obviously."

2. A TRUE BACKUP POINT GUARD
D'Antoni needs to stop forcing the issue: Toney Douglas is an undersized shooting guard like the Mavericks' Jason Terry. He is not a point guard. Case in point: After the All-Star break, Douglas led the league in 3-pointers made (68). When Douglas took over starting at the 1 in place of the injured Billups in the first round of the playoffs against the Celtics, his distributing flaws showed, and the Knicks' offense struggled to generate offense. When he brought the ball up the court in Game 3 for a total of 37 possessions, that led to seven turnovers, and the Knicks averaged just 0.65 points per play.

Knicks' Offense By Who Brought The Ball Up The Court In Game 3

Douglas All others
Points per play -- 0.65 0.96
Field goals -- 9-of-27 15-of-30
Field goal percentage -- 33.3 50.0
After the Knicks' 113-96 Game 3 blowout loss, D'Antoni said, "He has to run the team a little bit more. It would be nice if he can create more, and we're trying to show him on tape where people are open." But, Mike, you had a whole season to teach him that. It will help everyone if the Knicks can look for a cheap but serviceable backup point guard this summer in free agency (or in the draft), and that would allow Douglas to continue to flourish at the 2.

Realistic available free-agent backup point guards: Carlos Arroyo (unrestricted), J.J. Barea (unrestricted), Earl Boykins (unrestricted), Sebastian Telfair (unrestricted), Earl Watson (unrestricted) and Delonte West (unrestricted).

Scout's take: "Toney Douglas stepped up a little bit [after the trade], but the real key is, who's going to be their long-term solution at point guard? Now, I love Chauncey Billups. When the deal was made, Billups was the overlooked piece, looked at as a throw-in. He still can really make a difference both in terms of being able to score and to create for others. I just think that the window's closing a little bit with the veteran point guard in terms of the stage in his career. And as good as he is, he's just not quite Chris Paul. Barring hitting the Anthony addition has put them in the title contention category, I think it's put them in the perennial playoff category."
 

Red

TYPE-A
Cont'd

http://sports.espn.go.com/new-york/nba/news/story?id=6687039

3. A SOLID STRETCH 4
What's the first thing that comes to mind when you hear the name Robert Horry? For me, seven championship rings. The former Rocket, Laker and Spur set the standard for the stretch 4 position, a power forward-type player who not only could create better spacing on the court to allow for more driving lanes for guards and more post spacing for centers but also could knock down the open 3. For the Knicks to acquire Anthony, they had to part ways with their main stretch 4, Danilo Gallinari. You could even argue by how well he guarded post players and protected the paint, averaging 1.4 blocks per game while in New York, that Wilson Chandler was also a stretch 4. By letting go of those guys, the Knicks lost forwards who not only could play inside but also possessed the skills of a guard with passing, ballhandling and especially shooting. You could make a case for Shawne Williams because of his size and shooting, but he doesn't take his game inside like Gallinari or Chandler do. Overall, the Knicks tended to play better with a smaller lineup with Gallinari at power forward, especially Stoudemire who shot 56 percent, when Gallo was on the floor. Take a look at the impact that Chandler and four other formidable stretch 4s had on their teams this past season when they were on the court versus off it:

Wilson Chandler, (with only) New York Knicks

+/- FG% PITP TS%
Off -.3 45.1% 38.2 55.7%
On 2.2 46.5% 43.7 56.6%
Lamar Odom, Los Angeles Lakers

+/- FG% PITP TS%
Off 4.4 45.5% 42.8 53.5%
On 6.9 46.7% 44.9 56.6%
Ryan Anderson, Orlando Magic

+/- FG% PITP TS%
Off 3.2 46.8% 37.8 55.3%
On 9.4 44.9% 35.5 55.6%
Channing Frye, Phoenix Suns

+/- FG% PITP TS%
Off -5.8 46.5% 41.5 54.4%
On 1.9 47.3% 41.0 56.8%
Matt Bonner, San Antonio Spurs

+/- FG% PITP TS%
Off 4.0 47.6% 44.3 55.9%
On 8.6 47.4% 38.4 58.1%
All team stats are based on per 48 minutes PITP = Points in the paint TS% = True shooting percentage, which calculates shooting percentage adjusting for the value of free throws and 3-point field goals

Realistic available free-agent stretch 4s: Matt Barnes (unrestricted), Wilson Chandler (restricted), James Jones (unrestricted), Jason Kapono (unrestricted) and Peja Stojakovic (unrestricted).

Scout's take: "In their attempt to get Carmelo, they gutted their surrounding cast. I think it showed a lot when they didn't have guys who could space the floor and make shots to help give Amare, Carmelo and Chauncey room to do their thing. They really could use a couple of shooters. The Gallinari type of catch-and-shoot guy on the perimeter. The James Jones type. The Jason Kapono type. The Mike Miller type. Those guys are so much more valuable because they draw the [defense's] attention away from Carmelo and Amare."

4. A SPECIALIZED DEFENSIVE ASSISTANT COACH
After catching flak all season for being a poor defensive team, the Knicks surprised all of NBA Nation in Games 1 and 2 of the first round of the playoffs, holding the Celtics to 91.5 points per game. Of course, you have to be cautious of only two-game increments, and the Knicks still need to show they can play consistent defense for an entire season.

D'Antoni has been unapologetic about his offensive philosophy. He's not in it to try to stop teams; he's in it to try to get teams to stop his own. That's not to say D'Antoni has to coach like Jeff Van Gundy and slow the pace down dramatically to where his team is scoring in the 80s and 90s, but he has to find a better balance between offense and defense (a l? Phil Jackson, whose teams usually ranked in the top five in offensive and defensive rating year in and year out).

Although the Knicks gave up a lot of points in the regular season (105.7 per game; third-worst in the league), that's a condition of their fast-paced and perimeter-based offense. More possessions and longer shots, which lead to longer rebounds, mean more scoring opportunities. The true indicator of defensive excellence is opponents' field goal percentage, and the Knicks struggled significantly in that category, finishing fifth-worst (47.2 percent) in the league.

Scout's take: "I commend Mike for doing what he believes, but there's gotta be some attention paid to defense. Certainly a guy like Tom Thibodeau would've helped Mike, but he would've helped him if Mike bought into defense as well. I think that's the tough part. Mike has his philosophy and he also has his staff, and I don't know if it's easy to integrate someone from the outside unless Mike really buys into it.

"I'd look at a Dick Harter type. Harter is very well known for his defensive philosophy and strengths. Jim O'Brien had him on his staff for a number of years for that reason, and so did a number of other head coaches. That is really what his MO was: defensive assistant. Maybe a P.J. Carlesimo type. I'm not saying you can't be fast and still be a good defensive team, but I think it's paramount that you have the ability to get defensive stops."

Just makes too much sense. Earl Boykins...smh
 

KBlack25

Starter
Who is Dick Harter that they mention (btw that sounds like a porn name)? What do we know about him and is he attainable?
 

Red

TYPE-A
Who is Dick Harter that they mention (btw that sounds like a porn name)? What do we know about him and is he attainable?

From wikipedia..
Dick Harter

Dick Harter (born October 14, 1930 in Pottstown, Pennsylvania) is an American basketball coach, who has served as both a head and assistant coach in both the NBA and NCAA.

Hide Coaching career

In the 1970s, Harter, who regarded as one of the top defensive coaches in the game, was the head basketball coach at the University of Oregon, where his "Kamikaze kids" were known for a swarming defense. In 1974, when the rival Oregon State Beavers clinched the Chancellor?s Trophy, which was annually given to the team that won the Civil War series, the head cheerleader brought out the trophy and was running around the floor when Dick Harter tripped him. Many basketball notables came from Harter's Oregon program, including Stu Jackson and former Oregon coach Ernie Kent. He has also served as the head basketball coach at the University of Pennsylvania and at Penn State.

Harter's first job in the NBA was as an assistant coach with the Detroit Pistons in the 1982?83 season. He left in 1986 to become an assistant for the Indiana Pacers. In 1988, he was hired into his first head coaching position, with the expansion Charlotte Hornets. In the team's second season Harter was fired in 1990 during mid-season when the Hornets' record was 8?32.[1] Harter went on to work on the coaching staffs of the Indiana Pacers, New York Knicks, Portland Trail Blazers and Boston Celtics. Harter is often credited by then-Pacers head coach Larry Bird as the reason for the team's trip to the 2000 NBA Finals. Harter joined the Philadelphia 76ers' coaching staff on May 5, 2004.
 

nuckles2k2

Superstar
Who is Dick Harter that they mention (btw that sounds like a porn name)? What do we know about him and is he attainable?

All I know about him is that he was with the Pacers when they made their Finals run in 2000.

But if you google him, you'll see some good stuff. Apparently he was the "Tom Thibbs" of is era. But it looks like he's retired.

But the part of that article that I find the most interesting is:


Although the Knicks gave up a lot of points in the regular season (105.7 per game; third-worst in the league), that's a condition of their fast-paced and perimeter-based offense. More possessions and longer shots, which lead to longer rebounds, mean more scoring opportunities. The true indicator of defensive excellence is opponents' field goal percentage, and the Knicks struggled significantly in that category, finishing fifth-worst (47.2 percent) in the league.

Scout's take: "I commend Mike for doing what he believes, but there's gotta be some attention paid to defense. Certainly a guy like Tom Thibodeau would've helped Mike, but he would've helped him if Mike bought into defense as well. I think that's the tough part. Mike has his philosophy and he also has his staff, and I don't know if it's easy to integrate someone from the outside unless Mike really buys into it.

"I'd look at a Dick Harter type. Harter is very well known for his defensive philosophy and strengths. Jim O'Brien had him on his staff for a number of years for that reason, and so did a number of other head coaches. That is really what his MO was: defensive assistant. Maybe a P.J. Carlesimo type. I'm not saying you can't be fast and still be a good defensive team, but I think it's paramount that you have the ability to get defensive stops."

But the last line seems to be one of those "I'm only right until I'm proven wrong" statements. Yea...no one is ever saying you can't be fast and be a good defensive team...but it seems that all of the championship caliber teams are deliberate offenses with above average defenses. Some of those offenses might be faster than others, but none of them are at the level of a D'Antoni team or Warriors the past few years.

The sample size is large enough to come to the conclusion that this offense has to change to compensate for it's philosophical ignorance of defense. But the questions are: will MDA do so, and if he does, will he still be an "effective" coach without his style? Coaches are like players, they have a comfort zone and strengths/weaknesses. Sometimes it's just better to cut your losses and go get someone that fits the mold of what you need as opposed to trying to change someone else.
 

tiger0330

Legend
Who is Dick Harter that they mention (btw that sounds like a porn name)? What do we know about him and is he attainable?
KBlack - I know you must have seen this guys face on NBA sidelines with as much bball as you have watched. He's been a head coach and had what seems like dozens of asst jobs, he even worked for the Knicks according to his bio though I can't remember for what head coach. Just one of those anonymous coaches that you recognize the face but not the name.

dick_harter.jpg
 

KBlack25

Starter
I recognize the face from various benches...I don't know much about him, trying to get a sense of his resume (but loaded with work and so can only be on here sporadically, not much time to scour the web for info on this guy)
 

Crazy⑧s

Evacuee
After the Knicks' 113-96 Game 3 blowout loss, D'Antoni said, "He has to run the team a little bit more. It would be nice if he can create more, and we're trying to show him on tape where people are open." But, Mike, you had a whole season to teach him that.

This was only one of many overlooked/neglected facets of our offence.
 
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