Game Thread: New York Knicks vs Phoenix Suns 7:30 pm 1/21/2017 [Game#45]

2-minute report is a disgrace.... since nothing can be done after the fact.... it serves no constructive purpose.

With a ref already in jail for fixing
games, there will always be doubt in my mind how "on the level" these games are in reality.

PHO got screwed in playoffs, just like NY, with the whole "fight" and "leaving bench" stuff. It seems like only the mega stars get the calls.... Unfortunately, NY hasn't had one of those.

I think refs anticipate a lot and sometimes are ready to make a call before anything happens, based on reputations. And I imagine, given human nature, refs hold grudges and get annoyed when some complain too much and often they get swept off their feet when the MJ's & LJ's of the world start batting their eyes or berating them.

Like you said, only way to not have it impact your team is to play defense and hit shots and not worry about a call here and there.

If Melo hits the 3.... who cares Booker got the call but Rose didn't?

Or more importantly focus on the things that can be controlled to a degree. Like why does Rose have a habit of not knowing where to be defensively in these tight games since we play them so often? He's blown like 3 assignments/gaffed this yr late in games...

Loss coverage on Schoeder(Hawks), loss coverage on Booker(Suns), misses Porzingis wide open in the paint in OT(Hawks). The horrific defense not just by him but he stands out as really bad during this stretch of losing.

Hornacek sat Rose during the Bucks win, those are the things that can be controlled...complaining about refs has historically proven terrible results unless you are Lebron as you pointed out.

Even if Melo hits the 3, the refs would've still been bad. It's not about who wins and loses, they are just bad. Leave it alone it's really a dead end issue

Clearly Rose let the refs mess with him, he brought that agitation to the defensive side.... he was bothered he didn't get call vs ATL & PHO that he wasn't 100% invested in his defense.

Have to blame the coach for allowing this, and younblame the player for not understanding you can win a game getting a stop just as easily as winning a game sinking the big bucket.

Melo and Rose will never be even good defenders, but that doesn't mean they can't give effort every possession. Too often, they are lazy with their close outs.

This is why I would think long and hard about signing Tucker this summer and making a run at Rubio. At least those 2 are willing defenders. With KP and Melo we need defenders. Lee has disappointed bc his defense has been subpar, for a guy advertised as a defender.

I look forward to seeing KOQ, Plumlee, Thomas, WHG, Baker, Holiday & Kuz.... with that group, and KP, and a lottery pick this year and next, the decisions we make today will dictate where we stand in 2019....

WHG and KP look like pieces we can build around, even if that means we endure 1 more Melo-centric season.

tiger0330 said:

No to paying one trick ponies like DRose 4 yr 100M deals. He's Amare waiting to happen all over again. This is a 3 pt shooting league and he can't shoot the 3 nor do the other things you want from an elite PG making near max money like passing or defending.

Melo is a tough trade but Phil should be working the phones to see what the interest is in him out there. It's clearly the end of the Melo era in NY, seems no matter what coach or players you put around him you can't win with him. He's given the Knicks an opening by saying he'd be open to a trade if the Knicks didn't want him, it's time to have that conversation.

Click to expand...

WOW! So many Knicks fans ready to trade Melo before the trading-deadline! Ouch!
Rose salary dropped the past 4 seasons to a 3 yr $50M deal.
Rose need a backcourt partner like GS Shaun Livingston, or ex-Knick Galloway, who has great IQ on hustle-defense plus great passing-skills.

We need to start playing an all bench lineup for 18 minute in the rotation ..
Jennings need two-big-men in his lineup to have the option to dump the ball in the paint plus give Jennings screens for each play to be successful in the rotation .. Jennings/Holiday/Kuz/Willy/Quinn are the lineup we need to start the 2nd quarter n 4th quarter.
We have a record of 19-26 because we have part of the stater lineup in every lineup throughout a game when our starter lineup hasnt had any success.