Worrying signs

Starting to walk in a dangerous path. It's not only for the four L's in a row, it's the way we're playing. This season we used to be a good team in offense. We used to move the ball well to find open looks. We used to score +100 points per game. We weren't a good defensive team but we used to do a good job protecting the rim. We prevented our rivals to achieve easy layups, forcing them to outscore us from the mid range. Our main flaw was rebounding. We used to concede too many second chances but we tried to compensate that making more shots. That was our game plan.

Now, the last four games something has happened. We are shooting with terrible % and watching the games you can see why. We don't run anymore, we don't move the ball properly. Most of our shots are contested and difficult to made. Amar'e tries to battle against the world, conceding too many turnovers. Raymond Felton has been incapable to make defenses pay for their double-triple teams on our franchise player. Awful shooting percentages and decreased assists for him. Wilson Chandler seems to not cope well with his improved status on the team. Terrible performances lately. It shows he's not a reliable weapon too. But most of all, i'm worried about our D. Since Pringles has started to work on that we are letting backcourts walk through our yard and right into the kitchen. So we're going from 106,6 points per game conceded during the season to 114,2 in the last four games against not elite teams. And at the same time we are scoring 104,5 in front of our 107 average.

I don't know if this Melo thing is distracting us too much but we must cut off this inertia before it's too late.

This Melo Drama is very distracting.

They are playing a short rotation in a high tempo offense with a man to man defense. This will wear anyone out....

This is accurate. Having watched the last few games it's become more than frustrating to watch other teams grab the offensive rebound with more ease than they get the defensive rebound. It's clear for all to see that the Knicks defend worse than a high school team and the only decent defensive player they have (Turriaf) remains sidelined as D'Antoni can't stand games that end with a scoreline of under 100. Felton's not a playmaker. At least not good enough to start a game. His carelessness is costing the team every time he decides to either shoot hastily or to become confused and just give the ball away. Trade him for Nash I reckon.

This hasn't anything to do with Melo. Is he making Felton play like crap because Idr him being in rumors.


Listen we had a stretch like this early on, anyone remember the 3-8 stretch? It happens bros. This is the dog days of the season and their tired. They'll be like off and on until all star break then hopefully they make a stretch run. The predictions early on of a 7-8 seed was accurate, but we might luck out w/ 6th place because the last 2 of the East are so bad.

The biggest worry for me is this is about the exact same point in the season where Duhon began to break down and play like sh*t. I hope this isn't what is happening to Felton and it's just his ankle, but he's looked awful these last 4 games.

If he plays terribly, the Knicks lose. He has been very important to this team's success. We will lose a lot more if Felton can't get it together.

Stfu.

TakMan said:

This is accurate. Having watched the last few games it's become more than frustrating to watch other teams grab the offensive rebound with more ease than they get the defensive rebound. It's clear for all to see that the Knicks defend worse than a high school team and the only decent defensive player they have (Turriaf) remains sidelined as D'Antoni can't stand games that end with a scoreline of under 100. Felton's not a playmaker. At least not good enough to start a game. His carelessness is costing the team every time he decides to either shoot hastily or to become confused and just give the ball away. Trade him for Nash I reckon.

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Are you serious...yo shut up and look in the mirroor and smack yourself. Felton not a playmaker he was doing fine until his injury moron. I get tired of the ignorence displayed when we hit a wall. we will be fine they know how to play. all this melo talk and a few injurys Turiaf/ Felton etc etc. will pass and we will again be rocking. I see another 14-1 run coming soon.

I think it's probably the players wearing out more than anything. Coach really needs to try and make better use of certain guys on our bench.. (Mozgov, AR, maybe Rautins in spots..)He seems dead fixed on keeping this rotation tho, and I dunno why.

NYKLiFER said:

Are you serious...yo shut up and look in the mirroor and smack yourself. Felton not a playmaker he was doing fine until his injury moron. I get tired of the ignorence displayed when we hit a wall. we will be fine they know how to play. all this melo talk and a few injurys Turiaf/ Felton etc etc. will pass and we will again be rocking. I see another 14-1 run coming soon.

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Yep you're probably right there. Must be his injury that's caused every other point guard he goes up against to have the game of his life on that particular day. He's average. Mediocre shot and susceptible to unreal amounts of turnovers. Knicks need an all round point guard. One that can set the tempo, pass, and defend. That's my view anyways. As for looking in the mirror and smacking myself. You've just described my morning routine. Beats having breakfast.

LJ4ptplay said:

The biggest worry for me is this is about the exact same point in the season where Duhon began to break down and play like sh*t. I hope this isn't what is happening to Felton and it's just his ankle, but he's looked awful these last 4 games.

If he plays terribly, the Knicks lose. He has been very important to this team's success. We will lose a lot more if Felton can't get it together.

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This. Felton's play has had the biggest fluctuation, and has made us fluctuate the most.

It's also apparent, and D'antoni said as much in the post game, that we gradually got complacent and lost some of our hunger and underdog fight that had us fighting so hard, and also playing relatively organized and cohesive ball.

Time to see if D'ant can rally the troops and re-align the ship.

Our defense has basically been the same. We've just made some super moronic plays that happen when a young n incomplete team go thru lulls and lapses. On coach to rectify.

And our offense is slipping -- mainly bc of needing a backup point and a 2nd, or 1b scoring option a la Melo.

Adding Turiaf or AR for extra minutes "just to help our defense" won't help make us a better team, or more defensive team. Whatever we make up in defense from the player individually, will be retarded by what we lose offensively -- from the player, and the entire offensive flow of the team.

Not to say Turiaf or whomever shouldn't see more minutes. But our prob is deeper than just throwing him in and thinking it makes our team better.

Some problems can't be truly tamed without a total system overhaul, or new/better players. That's us.

Couldn't agree more. He needs to play 10 players or this is going to get uglier

Real NY Baller said:

They are playing a short rotation in a high tempo offense with a man to man defense. This will wear anyone out....

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Felton is worn out! don't be making comparisons to duhon! felton is a much better player but we do need another decent back up PG to keep ray fresh

TakMan said:

D'Antoni can't stand games that end with a scoreline of under 100.

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Best line in entire thread.