Here is a partial list of things I believe the Knicks should be doing but still aren't.
Whether D'Antoni will ever do these things or not, whether Phil Jackson or Van Gundy or someone else would or would not be doing some of these things, others can speculate on.
1) Double pick 'n' roll
Setup Lin and Chandler on one side of the floor, Carmelo and Amare on the other. The fifth player will change for variations, call them player X.
Run pick 'n' rolls on both sides of the floor swinging back and forth. Contrary to popular wisdom, Carmelo and Amare do seem to have some chemistry, witness Carmelo's six assists in the Nets game (first game back).
This would be very hard for teams to defend (one pick 'n' roll is hard enough).
In addition, when Jordan, Jeffries, or Harrellson are player X, they could set back screens for Melo and Amare with Lin feeding them the backdoor cut.
When player X is Fields, Shumpert, Davis or Smith, you could sometimes reverse this and have Amare and Melo setting the screens towards the basket; and for Novak, Harrelson, Davis, and Smith out to the three point line.
Virtually unstoppable.
2) Jerome Jordan
Just like Lin needs backup in the form of Baron Davis, Tyson Chandler needs backup.
Harrellson and Stat are out of position and undersized as backup centers, let alone anyone else on the team.
Either develop and play Jordan, or get someone else (I think Jordan can play, but I do not care to argue this now).
If not him, do something BEFORE THE TRADE DEADLINE.
Enough with the lame excuses about no practice time. Evaluate Jordan and make a definitive decision. It is not like the corporate hack non-decision decision method they used with Lin was proven to be a good idea (seven games under .500 and almost cut or traded Lin).
3) Melo and Amare's defense
Melo and Amare may never become good defenders.
However, it is absurd that nothing is being done to correct their basic technique of defensive footwork and boxing out on rebounds.
What are Mike Woodsen and Herb Williams being paid for?????
There is just no excuse on this one. If there is not a half hour focused drill on this at every practice session, then the Knicks are just playing games to sell tickets and have no desire to actually compete for a championship.
There is just no excuse for Jeffries and Novak being better options than Stat and Melo because they cannot defend or rebound against a scarecrow.
Enough BS and hype already. Do the work.
Whether D'Antoni will ever do these things or not, whether Phil Jackson or Van Gundy or someone else would or would not be doing some of these things, others can speculate on.
1) Double pick 'n' roll
Setup Lin and Chandler on one side of the floor, Carmelo and Amare on the other. The fifth player will change for variations, call them player X.
Run pick 'n' rolls on both sides of the floor swinging back and forth. Contrary to popular wisdom, Carmelo and Amare do seem to have some chemistry, witness Carmelo's six assists in the Nets game (first game back).
This would be very hard for teams to defend (one pick 'n' roll is hard enough).
In addition, when Jordan, Jeffries, or Harrellson are player X, they could set back screens for Melo and Amare with Lin feeding them the backdoor cut.
When player X is Fields, Shumpert, Davis or Smith, you could sometimes reverse this and have Amare and Melo setting the screens towards the basket; and for Novak, Harrelson, Davis, and Smith out to the three point line.
Virtually unstoppable.
2) Jerome Jordan
Just like Lin needs backup in the form of Baron Davis, Tyson Chandler needs backup.
Harrellson and Stat are out of position and undersized as backup centers, let alone anyone else on the team.
Either develop and play Jordan, or get someone else (I think Jordan can play, but I do not care to argue this now).
If not him, do something BEFORE THE TRADE DEADLINE.
Enough with the lame excuses about no practice time. Evaluate Jordan and make a definitive decision. It is not like the corporate hack non-decision decision method they used with Lin was proven to be a good idea (seven games under .500 and almost cut or traded Lin).
3) Melo and Amare's defense
Melo and Amare may never become good defenders.
However, it is absurd that nothing is being done to correct their basic technique of defensive footwork and boxing out on rebounds.
What are Mike Woodsen and Herb Williams being paid for?????
There is just no excuse on this one. If there is not a half hour focused drill on this at every practice session, then the Knicks are just playing games to sell tickets and have no desire to actually compete for a championship.
There is just no excuse for Jeffries and Novak being better options than Stat and Melo because they cannot defend or rebound against a scarecrow.
Enough BS and hype already. Do the work.
