Did u really expect Mike Dantoni to give playingtime to a center?
Dantoni dont know anything about BIGMAN basketball.
In Dantoni NBA career he only gave playingtime to two centers Shaq/Chandler,
only b/c the two centers have NBA Championship rings, plus both franchise (owners)
made major moves to get those centers.
Did u see any type of chemistry from Tyson & Amare, or Tyson & Melo in the
two preseason games, and one regulars season game? I didnt. I am still waiting
for Amare & Melo to co-exist on the offensive end.....b/c the two superstars
are quiet as a mouse on the defensive-end of the court.
I'm Half and Half. I admit D'antoni has a ton of flaws but we can't judge him 100% until Baron comes back. Plus he knows his job is on the line, just like players play for contracts coaches do to. Also his use of the last TO's in the last game was apt and beneficiary to the team it cooled down the Ray Allen play and had Doc switch to McDaniels since he saw that the Knicks D was aware that Ray was the run and Gunner. Also the KG miss was well..... if KG didn't choke Bill Walker we would all be talking about how Bill Walker bumped Tyson Chandler from blocking that shot but that doesn't matter the Knicks won.
Anyhow Amare and Tyson thrive based on good PG P'N'R' and Allyoops. The only person who the coaches can currently put completed plays into affect for is Melo. I think that is the reason D'antoni has been emphasizing Melo as the point forward. In theory when Baron comes back he would have an offense set based on 7 viable options.
1. penetrate and lay up/ dunk/ shoot
2. penetrate and pass the ball to the open man
3. perform a pick and roll play with either Amare or Tyson
4. Perform an alleyoop play with either Amare or Tyson
5. pass the ball to Melo early allowing him to either take the shot or distribute to the open man (thus the point forward emphasis)
6. shoot the G#@damn 3
7. pass the ball to a teammate on the wing so they can move it to the corner man shooting the 3
right now with TD there the knicks can only do 5, 6, and 7 (Which ironically TD should be the open man in the corner now that the turncoat S. Williams left to play with the Nets
) all the other plays will at best be erratic.
Now when Baron gets back and if the Knicks are still struggling etc, etc, the Knicks need to throw a few suitcases full of money at Phil Jackson and Brian Shaw and start waxing poetic about circles and endings being beginning and all that BS.