Thomas emphasizes defense

http://blogs.msg.com/gameon/isiah_uncut/index.html
http://www.newsday.com/sports/basketball/knicks/ny-spknix165414575oct16,0,1315462.story

When asked if Eddy Curry took plays off, a question about his defensive afford, Thomas replied, " I don't think Eddy took plays off. I think what happened to us a lot last year is that we got beat on the perimeter, and you're looking for a savior in the back to do everybody else's job. That is not his job. He is guarding his man, and everybody else has to guard their man."

"I'm pretty old-school ... Don't get beat, that's how we teach, We're not saying 'if' you get beat, we're saying 'don't' get beat."

And what if a guard gets beat?

"Substitution," Thomas said. "If it continues to happen to that guard, we sub and we find somebody that won't let it happen. The answer is not, 'Eddy, do something,' the answer is 'You do something or I'll find somebody else to do what you can't do.'"
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I'm glad he came out with this. Defense is a team afford not just a centers afford. Strong words, but are they good enough for the haters?

That's fine and dandy...

To have that approach, but it's also unrealistic to think with all the picks that guards have to deal with, none will get beat. Bottom line is the center is going to at times have to help. What he is doing is trying to again take the onus off of Curry to help the way a true defensive center always does. And that is providing a crutch for Curry's inability to focus on defense.

All the great centers guard their man, and help if the defense gets broken down at times. Curry has to develop that to become a great center. Zeke's talk right there is not going to help.

Knicks4lyfe said:

To have that approach, but it's also unrealistic to think with all the picks that guards have to deal with, none will get beat. Bottom line is the center is going to at times have to help. What he is doing is trying to again take the onus off of Curry to help the way a true defensive center always does. And that is providing a crutch for Curry's inability to focus on defense.

All the great centers guard their man, and help if the defense gets broken down at times. Curry has to develop that to become a great center. Zeke's talk right there is not going to help.

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It will help. He never said Curry doesn't need to work on defense. He said the guards weren't playing it at all and that's what's killing the team. It will definitely help if the entire team embraces defense. It can't be the responsibility of one player.

I like isiah's mentality. I never blamed the knicks poor defense entirely on Curry. Crawford, Francis (when he played), and Nate Robinson were all big problems for the knicks last year. Marbury played great D and so did Q-rich (when healthy). Nate won't be gettin as many minutes this year, Francis is gone, Q-rich hopefully can stay healthy, Marbury will keep doin his thing, and Crawford added the 15 pounds so hopefully he can keep him man in front of him. Curry and Randolph will be the biggest problems this year. Curry is a poor help defender and a bad man to man defender just like his partner in crime, Zach Randolph. I still believe this Knick team will be a playoff team this year because they can score and rebound very well. I believe they also have one of the best benches in the NBA.

The Knicks aquired Chandler, Nicholes, and Fred Jones for the defensive peremeter this offseason, there is no reason why he should not use these three players this season on the peremeter. All three did good defending the peremeter alongside Nate Robinson so assigning this Role to these 3 players on this peremeter this season would only help them improve in this area. When you add Collins with them the best thing to do is cut down on Marbury, Crawford, and Q.Rich playingtime for better results on the defensive end from PG, SG, and SF.

The Curry, Zach, and Lee frontcourt defense will need alot of help from Balkman & Malik in areas which may give the frontcourt defense an edge.

It should be easy to find a 9-Man rotation out of the above players that will add on both ends of the court.

I'm still scared of both JJ's playingtime on this team.

What cut down what

Kiyaman said:

The Knicks aquired Chandler, Nicholes, and Fred Jones for the defensive peremeter this offseason, there is no reason why he should not use these three players this season on the peremeter. All three did good defending the peremeter alongside Nate Robinson so assigning this Role to these 3 players on this peremeter this season would only help them improve in this area. When you add Collins with them the best thing to do is cut down on Marbury, Crawford, and Q.Rich playingtime for better results on the defensive end from PG, SG, and SF.

The Curry, Zach, and Lee frontcourt defense will need alot of help from Balkman & Malik in areas which may give the frontcourt defense an edge.

It should be easy to find a 9-Man rotation out of the above players that will add on both ends of the court.

I'm still scared of both JJ's playingtime on this team.

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What Q and Marbury are great defenders. Q when healthy is one of the best defenders on the team and Marbury last year stepped it up and Crawford gained 15 pounds. So what are u saying i mean yeah put those guys in but dont bring down the efforts of out starters

:gony:

Kiyaman said:

The Knicks aquired Chandler, Nicholes, and Fred Jones for the defensive peremeter this offseason, there is no reason why he should not use these three players this season on the peremeter. All three did good defending the peremeter alongside Nate Robinson so assigning this Role to these 3 players on this peremeter this season would only help them improve in this area. When you add Collins with them the best thing to do is cut down on Marbury, Crawford, and Q.Rich playingtime for better results on the defensive end from PG, SG, and SF.

The Curry, Zach, and Lee frontcourt defense will need alot of help from Balkman & Malik in areas which may give the frontcourt defense an edge.

It should be easy to find a 9-Man rotation out of the above players that will add on both ends of the court.

I'm still scared of both JJ's playingtime on this team.

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Good post besides of your bias. Curry and Zach will need most of the minutes to be affective and Lee and Balkman just need to provide that change of pace game when we put them in. They will get their time to shine. But right now, Z-Bo and Curry is where it's at.

This is like me emphasizing Curry's shot blocking ability.

Honestly this is hilarious.

Our worst defenders are starters, so this is more of a contradiction.

What The Fuck Happend

:wtf::wtf::wtf::wtf::wtf:

WE JUST GOT OUR ASS BEAT 61 TO 101 BY THE CELTICS NOT ONE PLAYER SCORED IN DOUBLE FIGURES I CANT BELIEVE THIS

Yeah

And that bull shit Isiah said about pulling the guards out if they kept getting beat well i gues that was a lie too

:wallbash:

NYC-BOY said:

And that bull shit Isiah said about pulling the guards out if they kept getting beat well i gues that was a lie too

:wallbash:

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Like I said, the Knicks have the Peremeter Defensive Players that should be playing in the Preseason games (Fred Jones, Collins, and Rookie Chandler & Nicholes).
The Poor excuse of Knick Players that lead this Knick Team to a 33, 23, and another 33 WIN season with their poor peremeter defense (Marbury, Crawford, and Q.Rich), should not be on the court telling the new peremeter defenders anything.
Marbury & Q.Rich so-call defense last season was a NBA JOKE to everyone but Knick-Fans.
Any poor defensive area that is not protected on the court is the Head Coach fault and job to get protected in a game not three seasons.
If Coach Isiah Thomas had a defensive-Plan in his play-book then in the Preseason game vs the Nets 7-13 3-pointers would not have been wide open to take 13 3-point shots and make 7 of them.

So far everyone (sportswriters and B-Ball-Fans) who believe the Curry & Zach tandem would not be ready to play together at the start of the regular season was absolutely right.
The two players cause to many turnovers on offense, and make the Knicks a LOTTERY-TEAM on their Defensive effort.

The four Preseason games showed us Knick-Fans that Coach Isiah Thomas have to make a Wake-up call with this Knick-Team Roster to be successful this season.
Two or maybe three of Isiah high salary five Starters have to become bench players for this team to have success.