Referendum on D'Antoni

The final few minutes of close games for this Knicks team looks eerily similar to the inept Knicks late in games last year. And with 10 new players on the roster I have to look to the main common denominator, and the man who's in charge of orchestrating what the team does on the court, to find the cause of the problem.

It starts at the top. It's not a matter of "if we had hit more of the 3s we took we would have won" it's a matter of creating some sort of sustainable offense, low percentage shots doesn't fit the bill. And even when we do start to drive...where's the backdoor cuts? Where's the guy running off of two baseline screens? Where's the ****ing movement? When one guy drives...everyone stands and watches and the defense just treats the driver like LeBron...5 heads looking at him and everyone converges on him.

Move your body and move the ball. It's absolutely atrocious to look up at the screen in the Garden to see that we're shooting 23% from 3. I think we were like 5/22 at that point. How does it even get that bad? At some point the coach has to draw up something else for his guys cause IT. AINT. WORKIN'

I watched that Jazz vs Heat game on Tuesday, and even tho Sloan uses the pick and roll and a good amount of perimeter shots...the man movement and ball movement was delicious.

This is all really a referendum on D'Antoni. Players often say they like to play for him because he "let's you play your game and takes the reins off, etc. etc." well shit...with Steve Nash orchestrating the O' and getting people open looks all over the court, and Team USA (which also benefits from other coaches with r?sum?s that rivals D'Antoni's) then it's real easy to "let go of the reins" and "let them play their game." This team needs some structure, desperately. High pick and rolls, chucking 3s, and "playing your game" is barely even the dirt under the foundation so we're not even close to any sort of structure.

Knicks were 7-31 from 3-point range and GSW was 5-10.

There's your ball game.

If you rely on low pct shots you'll end up with a low win total.

I'm no D'antoni lover. If it were me, I would fire him yesterday and hire Mark Jackson or Herb Williams. Why not. But, some blame has to go to Donnie Walsh. The first move after hiring D'antoni should have been to find a PG.

He wanted Westbrook in the 2008 draft and then Curry in the 2009 draft. Fine. Stuff happens. Those players were gone before we were on the clock. BUT YOU HAVE TO HAVE A BACKUP PLAN. Eric Gordon or B-Jennings should be on this team right now.

Instead, we have ZERO guards. Felton-Douglas are serviceable, but neither really makes anyone else better. How can you win in the NBA when you don't have a guard?

The failure to get a PG for MD, and that horrific Jeffries trade, will cost the Knicks another lost decade. Only way to be saved from DW's mess is if Melo falls in our laps. If that happens, DW's plan works (almost by accident). If Melo doesn't come here, then Walsh goes down with Layden and Thomas as the pathetic Dolan triumvirate that cost the Knicks 20 years of even average basketball.

Trying to keep an open mind on this, but I just don't see Dan't teaching anything or demanding 48 minutes of smart baskerball, he sits there 19 points down like he is about to fall asleep. "Oh well, we missed a lot of 3's".

I still hope for JVG or Mark Jackson. You need a serious teacher who is demanding, not the players buddy. Look at the success of Scott Skiles, no smiling, no joking, just a serious coach who demands you follow his orders.

CLYDE said:

Trying to keep an open mind on this, but I just don't see Dan't teaching anything or demanding 48 minutes of smart baskerball, he sits there 19 points down like he is about to fall asleep. "Oh well, we missed a lot of 3's".

I still hope for JVG or Mark Jackson. You need a serious teacher who is demanding, not the players buddy. Look at the success of Scott Skiles, no smiling, no joking, just a serious coach who demands you follow his orders.

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EXACTLY. The last few games we've messed a TON of 3s, but each game we seem to chuck more?

Yous ee GSW last night? They shot only 10 3s. They had nearly 80 points in the paint? What's wrong with exposing your opponent's weakness, and going with what works?

Heck, they had Radmonovich on STAT. We should've fed him all night long. He should've had 50 points. For TD to take (and miss) 7 three-pointers? Where is the coach?

Pull the player or tell him if he takes another three he's going to sit.

These players are lazy. They settle for low pct shots believing that's what the system dictates. PLEASE!

Still have no idea why Walsh signed a PG who can't run the pick and roll though?

Still can't fathom we have absolutely no clue what to do on offense late in the game when we need a bucket. I keep hearing how D'antoni is sucha genius designing plays on the fly, but when does he ever design a play when we need a bucket? I never see anyone get an open look within 20 feet!

look at it this way, Dantoni gets paid regardless if he wins or loses so what does he care. if he gets fired, big deal another team will hire him.


he's in New York just to fluff his resume he coached in a tough town, give some excuses the teams he had didnt have the best players so they didnt win and move on. and you? probably die never seeing a Knicks championship parade. enjoy the heartburn.