Really?

[TakMan]

Well I, for one, had given coach his props for emphasising defence more so than he used to - not that he really deserved praise for installing a crucial component that he hadn't as much in the first place.

I have some questions to aim at your self righteousness, as well.

1. Do you blame Douglas, in Billups' absence, for our pathetic offence? Or was it the monotony of it that made Boston's defence so easy for them and difficult for Toney? Double question.

2. Is our offence predictable, non creative and neglecting of individual talents? See Williams and Walker.

3. Is Amar'e's ONLY play - catch and create on the high post/elbow really getting the most out of an enormous super athlete? It made Boston's defence against him a fart in the wind.

4. What sort of genius ignores the post with Carmelo on his team?

5. What changed about the offence since Melo was brought in?

6. Why have we failed in the last 10 seconds of games so often?

7. How does a 'system based on mathematical equations' supplant tradition?

8. Can you answer these questions without mentioning Phoenix?

Are these crazy8 questions is enough for now? I have many more for the D'Antoni apologists. Has he really been through so much that we look as pathetic as we did?

I think questions 1 and 2 are near identical. I'd say Douglas' -and the team as a whole- inexperience cost more than anything. I would go with the predictable offence argument had the team not chocked on so many open shots. The truth is that the majority of our shots were open and not forced (particularly the ones that were beyond the arc). This would indicate that the Boston defence was not quick enough to guard our perimeter players (their age reinforces this argument) This should have proved lethal for Boston as the Knicks were 40% from three in 82 games. Had Billups been ok I think he would have lifted the team mentally and would provide Douglas with the calm required to for a playoff rookie. As a consequence of Billups' injury, Douglas' role was elevated as he was expected to run most plays as well as continue shooting as well as he did during the regular season. He just wasn't ready for this (A counter argument here is that Carter should have been given more court time, and whilst I agree with this, I don't think it would make much of a difference).

Walker, Douglas, Anthony, and Fields, were not their usual selves; not due to brilliant Boston defence but rather due to not being ready for a game like this. A newly formed, inexperienced team that has just suffered the loss of their most experienced player and has been killed off by the referees in the first 2 games after giving it their all, is not a team that will be able to match the Celtics.

Obviously D'Antoni made mistakes, then which coach doesn't. Maybe SAS should sack Popovich, and Orlando SVG should they lose their next games. I keep games 1-2 and am optimistic for next year regardless of who is our coach.

 

[STAT1]

Lol Amar'e the injuries to you and Billups weren't the reason the Celtics blew us out.

We were outcoached, outclassed and outhusseled.

They have a much better roster and a better coaching staff, that's the reason we lost.

And come on it wasn't even close. We're the only ****ing team that got swept!

That sucks and completely ruined our season

Look at the Grizz and Hornets they're kicking some ass, despite beein even lower seeded than we are and they don't have 2 All Star Game starters in their lineups....it's so frustrating that the Knicks just can't win a damn thing not even one playoff game in 10 years.

I agree with the above. I would also add the Sixers a team with a collection of role players around a lesser tier player like Andre Iguodala & 1 ex NBA star well past his prime in Elton Brand have managed to win a game vs. the Miami Heat, a championship contending team, but MDA was unable to get his team to take even 1 game vs. the Celtics. Even the Pacers managed to not be embarassed on their home floor by winning 1 vs the team with the best record in the NBA the Bulls & their MVP Derrick Rose. The Nuggets were able to beat a team with 1 of the top rosters of talent in the NBA in the OKC Thunder with not even 1 star player among them but we can't beat an aging Celtics team? Why do the Knicks consistently always seem to be the team that underachieves with this coach at the helm? I just don't have any faith left in this coach or his philosophy, he needs to go. This team would respond better to a coach with a more conventional approach that preaches better defensive strategies IMO.

 

[Red]

Maybe, just maybe Melo and Amare know ALOT more than many of the posters here hope to or ever will.

That they support this coach is not surprising at all when you REALLY think about what he had to navigate throughout the season.

Donnie's back. Coach's back, just like i've said..

Or maybe they are practicing good etiquette as most professionals do.

Mike being back and being able to lead us to success are two different things.

As I've said the writing is on the wall. And as I've said super-stars equate to the spot light being put on D'Antoni and a diminishing of his role and the reputation he used to get this far.

It's only a matter of time, keeping him (probably due to CBA ramifications) is just prologing the inevitable.

And I can read between the lines, it's clear the constituency wants no part of Mike going forward.

 

[ronoranina]

I hope you realize that the coach's system is predicated on guys taking open shots early in the shotclock. The reason why guys are settling for 3's is because this coach openly encourages it. When guys are taking & missing shots, his solution is not trying to get them to run motion off the ball to get easy basket opportunities in the lane, his solution is telling them to keep taking shots if they're open & not to be shy about taking them. This is why people are so frustrated with his coaching philosophy.

I don't agree. Alot of the shots you see our guys settling for are not good ones. Meaning there not in rhythm off of good movement. W the exception of Amare, Melo, Williams and Turiaf the players on our team really don't understand how the ball is supposed to move. The defense should be totally off balance before a shot goes up. Ideally you want to accomplish this by getting the ball up the court quickly in transition and or driving it into the teeth of the defense to draw help/ rotation. We simply have not seen that often enough w this team yet. The players still confuse taking an early shot w taking the first good shot. Alot of times you see guys passing up that first good shot. That comfort level is not theree yet.

 

[Real NY Baller]

It's about being professional, the media will twist everything you say just to make a story. The best thing to do is speak positive and keep the biz within closed walls. Stat and Melo will either get coach to adjust to their style or his stubbborn ass will be lifted.

 

[STAT1]

I don't agree. Alot of the shots you see our guys settling for are not good ones. Meaning there not in rhythm off of good movement. W the exception of Amare, Melo, Williams and Turiaf the players on our team really don't understand how the ball is supposed to move. The defense should be totally off balance before a shot goes up. Ideally you want to accomplish this by getting the ball up the court quickly in transition and or driving it into the teeth of the defense to draw help/ rotation. We simply have not seen that often enough w this team yet. The players still confuse taking an early shot w taking the first good shot. Alot of times you see guys passing up that first good shot. That comfort level is not theree yet.

The coach is supposed to be teaching these guys where the ball should be rotating to, where & when guys should be moving without the ball during set plays to receive passes, & devising effective schemes how to get his scorers open. IMO this coach has done a pisspoor job of accomplishing all 3 of those facets of coaching, not to mention the below standard job he's done of teaching this team how to play effective team defense consistently. I agree the comfort level of playing with one another isn't quite there yet with this group, but we've seen the same mistakes, same lack of a clue of where guys should be on the floor & the same wanton launching of 3 point shots from this Knicks team for the past 3 years. It's become clear to me that without an MVP calibre PG at the helm like Steve Nash or a CP3, surrounded by sharpshooters & a dominant PnR big like Amar'e, that Mike D'Antoni's "system" is highly ineffective. It's a poorly devised system if you ask me. Basing an offense on taking & making a high volume of 3 point shots early in the shotclock while not placing a premium on playing quality defense is highly flawed. I don't remember any team in the history of the NBA that has ever won a championship using this kind of philosophy.