jzero29
Rotation player
Last year Crawford got off to an awesome start. He was dropping 30 all the time and I was all ready to eat my harsh words of criticism. Then he came crashing back down to earth. I even started a thread last year
The team/system has shown promise. They are playing well and have been in most games. The only really bad game was the one against lowly milwaukie(no effort), they were also outclassed by 76ers(elton brand was unstopable). They hung with the spurs most of the game. They have looked good. Granted the only team that they played so far that is a good team is the 76ers. I'm not counting the spurs, they were without 2 allstar caliber players. which puts them in the beatable catagory.Oh i forgot the big win against a really good jazz team. There is hope for this team and I am surprised they are doing so well so soon.
I am sure they will not continue this improbable start, and they will struggle still working out kinks to system, but it shows huge promise, while increasing value of our guys. I was skeptical of D'antoni. Now I'm a fan. The team looks happy, they are having fun, there is plenty of shots to go around and they have been competing. Curious to see how they react to hard times, and better teams and elite teams, like the Celts, clevland and western confrence teams, like LA, houston and others. Curious to see team morale after a losing streak. they have done good rebounding from poor performances early.
Back to crawford who has been impressive so far, avg career highs in pts, fg% and 3ptfg%. His both %'s well above his career avg. career fg .404 2008-09 fg% .460, career 3ptfg% .348 2008-09 3ptfg% .466. He has started what could be his best year ever. He needs to pick up some more steals. But he has really seemed to fit this system [so for(cautious optimism)]. I have been saying this all along, take the ball out of his hands, place into a PG who is not shoot first, like duhon, and reel in Crawfords shot selection, he could be okay. If he keeps playing like this he will be better then okay and I'll have to eat my words finally. My only point I'd still be right on, is you can't run offense through him, he is a better supporter. The offense hasn't run through him. It's been through duhon and robinson and team sharing(the extra pass) there is no isolation play by the knicks, only on occasion when they need to get off a shot. Less turnovers from the guy running the offense(no longer jamaal)
I still am not sold, Crawford would have to continue his career year, for me to be a fan. But either way, the knicks players are gaining value. Zach, Chandler, Robinson and yes crawford have looked great. Lee has been good a little overshadowed by chandler. Duhon has been solid. Not all star but solid. His play has been better then his stat line, he really runs the team. The extra pass has really caught on. I am curious to see the addition of jefferies and gallinari. If this system does for them, what it has done for everyone else, I'd love to see it. I'd even like to see curry increase his value from zero to anything.
Sad to say, it really shows Isiahs ability to gather talent, while also showing his inability to coach and create a good system. His main problem was running offense through crawford as number 1 option and ballhandler. not fixing problems like Marbury, Curry's attitude and effort and crawfords TO and shot selection. Zach Black hole. and not putting curry in his place, trying to force him to become a great player to justify his trade. Right now it is all up to curry to prove he belongs. By healing and getting in game shape and playing within the system. If Curry manages to stop believing he deserves to start, and starts thinking he needs to earn/prove it, he could revive his career. D'antoni has made it clear they don't need him to win.
He has sent message to entire team, I don't care who you are, what you get paid, how much we gave up for you to suceed here, we don't need you if your not going to play my way and play hard. The Ball is in curry's court. And it's right, at this point and time he doesn't deserve to start, they don't need him, D'antoni doesn't care how much Curry gets paid or what the knicks gave up to get him, he's not playing until he proves he deserves it. It's not his mistake to correct. That goes for everyone, he is finally basing the knicks playing time on their effort, not the other factors, not trying to force the moves he made look good(like Isiah) and things are falling into place.
This year he is off to a good start as well. Making me want to eat my words, but this year I'll wait.
The team/system has shown promise. They are playing well and have been in most games. The only really bad game was the one against lowly milwaukie(no effort), they were also outclassed by 76ers(elton brand was unstopable). They hung with the spurs most of the game. They have looked good. Granted the only team that they played so far that is a good team is the 76ers. I'm not counting the spurs, they were without 2 allstar caliber players. which puts them in the beatable catagory.Oh i forgot the big win against a really good jazz team. There is hope for this team and I am surprised they are doing so well so soon.
I am sure they will not continue this improbable start, and they will struggle still working out kinks to system, but it shows huge promise, while increasing value of our guys. I was skeptical of D'antoni. Now I'm a fan. The team looks happy, they are having fun, there is plenty of shots to go around and they have been competing. Curious to see how they react to hard times, and better teams and elite teams, like the Celts, clevland and western confrence teams, like LA, houston and others. Curious to see team morale after a losing streak. they have done good rebounding from poor performances early.
Back to crawford who has been impressive so far, avg career highs in pts, fg% and 3ptfg%. His both %'s well above his career avg. career fg .404 2008-09 fg% .460, career 3ptfg% .348 2008-09 3ptfg% .466. He has started what could be his best year ever. He needs to pick up some more steals. But he has really seemed to fit this system [so for(cautious optimism)]. I have been saying this all along, take the ball out of his hands, place into a PG who is not shoot first, like duhon, and reel in Crawfords shot selection, he could be okay. If he keeps playing like this he will be better then okay and I'll have to eat my words finally. My only point I'd still be right on, is you can't run offense through him, he is a better supporter. The offense hasn't run through him. It's been through duhon and robinson and team sharing(the extra pass) there is no isolation play by the knicks, only on occasion when they need to get off a shot. Less turnovers from the guy running the offense(no longer jamaal)
I still am not sold, Crawford would have to continue his career year, for me to be a fan. But either way, the knicks players are gaining value. Zach, Chandler, Robinson and yes crawford have looked great. Lee has been good a little overshadowed by chandler. Duhon has been solid. Not all star but solid. His play has been better then his stat line, he really runs the team. The extra pass has really caught on. I am curious to see the addition of jefferies and gallinari. If this system does for them, what it has done for everyone else, I'd love to see it. I'd even like to see curry increase his value from zero to anything.
Sad to say, it really shows Isiahs ability to gather talent, while also showing his inability to coach and create a good system. His main problem was running offense through crawford as number 1 option and ballhandler. not fixing problems like Marbury, Curry's attitude and effort and crawfords TO and shot selection. Zach Black hole. and not putting curry in his place, trying to force him to become a great player to justify his trade. Right now it is all up to curry to prove he belongs. By healing and getting in game shape and playing within the system. If Curry manages to stop believing he deserves to start, and starts thinking he needs to earn/prove it, he could revive his career. D'antoni has made it clear they don't need him to win.
He has sent message to entire team, I don't care who you are, what you get paid, how much we gave up for you to suceed here, we don't need you if your not going to play my way and play hard. The Ball is in curry's court. And it's right, at this point and time he doesn't deserve to start, they don't need him, D'antoni doesn't care how much Curry gets paid or what the knicks gave up to get him, he's not playing until he proves he deserves it. It's not his mistake to correct. That goes for everyone, he is finally basing the knicks playing time on their effort, not the other factors, not trying to force the moves he made look good(like Isiah) and things are falling into place.
