Mozgov should be getting consistent minutes..

iJoe

Rotation player
Agreed, it wouldn't hurt to give him a few minutes, but you have to agree that it was completely justified with the way he was playing early in the season. It was painful watching him.

I think it was the right call to bench him until he got more comfortable with the game and system. Did Dantoni wait too long? Its really tough to tell, but obviously Mosgov isn't the bust some people were complaining about.

My favorite part about Mosgov? He didn't start the game off that well, but didn't hang his head and kept playing. This guy wants to play and he wants to win. Thats something you can't teach.
 

ronoranina

Fundamentally Sound
A player is not ready until they're ready, meaning until you see it on the floor. You can't be wrong because a player suddenly shows growth. Hell the coach doesn't even know what a young guy like Moz will do when he gets in there. All you can do is coach em, coach em some more and hope it translates on to the court.

We happened to be in pinch so he gets a chance to show what he's learned. He seems to have been working hard in practice. He didn't look like he did against the Pistons at the start of season. I'm still not going to question Coach's decision to bench him. He was terrible at the start.

Moz's performance tnite definitely warrants more minutes. This is just one game however. I need to see more from him. I'd also like to see more of AR to gage whether or not he's learned anything in practices over these last forty or so games too.

AR did look a bit more calm in the few minutes he did get. He didn't jack up any questionable shots, moved the ball, snagged a few boards. It's a start..
 
A player is not ready until they're ready, meaning until you see it on the floor. You can't be wrong because a player suddenly shows growth. Hell the coach doesn't even know what a young guy like Moz will do when he gets in there. All you can do is coach em, coach em some more and hope it translates on to the court.

We happened to be in pinch so he gets a chance to show what he's learned. He seems to have been working hard in practice. He didn't look like he did against the Pistons at the start of season. I'm still not going to question Coach's decision to bench him. He was terrible at the start.

Moz's performance tnite definitely warrants more minutes. This is just one game however. I need to see more from him. I'd also like to see more of AR to gage whether or not he's learned anything in practices over these last forty or so games too.

AR did look a bit more calm in the few minutes he did get. He didn't jack up any questionable shots, moved the ball, snagged a few boards. It's a start..
Agreed.. Randolph woulda put up atleast 5 shots if this were earlier in the season even with that short amount of time he got. I really hope he plays more somehow too. It'll give some of our rotation regulars a good breather
 

ronoranina

Fundamentally Sound
One thing that's really impressive to me as far as Moz goes is that he played 40 min. and had 2 TOs.

That's growth right there.. Keep it up Timo!
 

New New York

Quiet Storm
Loved what I saw as well

But...it still was just one game!

What I loved was how he started out slow and he couldve just got down on himself but he kept digging and kudos to his teamates for continuing to look for him as well as Mike D sticking with him despite the slow start!

But lets still give this kid time because I saw a lot that still needs to be worked on.

1.He was out of position on Defense a lot of the time (which resulted in him getting 4 fouls)

2. While his hands have gotten much much better, he still showed butter fingers on some plays.

3. The Pistons are a small team, so we have to see what he does against some players with size


That all said, like I said the hands improved greatly, he showed confidence in his shot (which he showed he can hit in the Pre Season) and FT shooting was excellent, and he hit the boards like a beast on both ends.

He'll be up and down (after all he is a rook) but lets hope he stays in the rotation moving forward!


Bottom line is we still need to be patient with this kid.
 

RunningJumper

Super Moderator
Loved what I saw as well

But...it still was just one game!

What I loved was how he started out slow and he couldve just got down on himself but he kept digging and kudos to his teamates for continuing to look for him as well as Mike D sticking with him despite the slow start!

But lets still give this kid time because I saw a lot that still needs to be worked on.

1.He was out of position on Defense a lot of the time (which resulted in him getting 4 fouls)

2. While his hands have gotten much much better, he still showed butter fingers on some plays.

3. The Pistons are a small team, so we have to see what he does against some players with size


That all said, like I said the hands improved greatly, he showed confidence in his shot (which he showed he can hit in the Pre Season) and FT shooting was excellent, and he hit the boards like a beast on both ends.

He'll be up and down (after all he is a rook) but lets hope he stays in the rotation moving forward!


Bottom line is we still need to be patient with this kid.
Good post.

There's no reason NOT to give him at least a few minutes every game. And who knows, he seems like he can get quite a bit of minutes consistently.
 

petescud

Starter
The reason our bigs excelled in this game is cause the Pistons have no bigs either. They are a smaller team then us. Now if our boys did this against a better team like say the Lakers, then i'd be more psyched.

They ddi look great against the Pistons though. I'd love to see Dantoni go to a 10 man rotation. Keep our guys fresh for the run
 
Loved what I saw as well

But...it still was just one game!

What I loved was how he started out slow and he couldve just got down on himself but he kept digging and kudos to his teamates for continuing to look for him as well as Mike D sticking with him despite the slow start!

But lets still give this kid time because I saw a lot that still needs to be worked on.

1.He was out of position on Defense a lot of the time (which resulted in him getting 4 fouls)

2. While his hands have gotten much much better, he still showed butter fingers on some plays.

3. The Pistons are a small team, so we have to see what he does against some players with size


That all said, like I said the hands improved greatly, he showed confidence in his shot (which he showed he can hit in the Pre Season) and FT shooting was excellent, and he hit the boards like a beast on both ends.

He'll be up and down (after all he is a rook) but lets hope he stays in the rotation moving forward!


Bottom line is we still need to be patient with this kid.

The Knicks as a team are out of position on defense most times. Why expect more from a rookie?

I saw one pass that he missed on that he should've caught. A bounce pass that would have lead to a dunk. He'll get there.

I dont expect this kid to dominate Dwight Howard nor should you. But I think he can hold his own against the average bigs in the league.
 
Agreed practice does help. Some player like you said actually can translate what they learned in practice onto the playing floor effectively. Most players however need the minutes to actually learn how to play effectively. You'll always hear NBA players, coaches, commentators, etc say so and so does this and that in practice, but practice and actual in game experience are like night and day. We'll see if it'll work for Mozgov. I don't think it would've hurt to atleast given him 10 mins a game here and there rather than totally taking him out. But we'll see how it goes from here


Practice helps some. No where near as much as playing an actual game. The intensity level is so much different. Plus playing in a game you get to learn your opponents at a much faster rate. Moz would be much further along if he was given 10-15 minutes a game. Just looking at Fields development from earlier in the season shows you this.

Whats funny is it took a game like this to open MDA's eyes. He actually said 23 & 14 I think I'll try it again. If the kid had gone for a respectable 10 points 8 rebounds he would be back on the bench.
 

SSj4Wingzero

All Star
Loved what I saw as well

But...it still was just one game!

What I loved was how he started out slow and he couldve just got down on himself but he kept digging and kudos to his teamates for continuing to look for him as well as Mike D sticking with him despite the slow start!

But lets still give this kid time because I saw a lot that still needs to be worked on.

1.He was out of position on Defense a lot of the time (which resulted in him getting 4 fouls)

2. While his hands have gotten much much better, he still showed butter fingers on some plays.

3. The Pistons are a small team, so we have to see what he does against some players with size


That all said, like I said the hands improved greatly, he showed confidence in his shot (which he showed he can hit in the Pre Season) and FT shooting was excellent, and he hit the boards like a beast on both ends.

He'll be up and down (after all he is a rook) but lets hope he stays in the rotation moving forward!


Bottom line is we still need to be patient with this kid.

Great points made.

We can't get too excited over one game. It's no different from those of us who had our moments thinking that Earl Barron was a full-time NBA caliber starter because of that stretch of games he had for us...gotta prove more than just a limited flash of talent here or there.

That being said it's good that D'Antoni played him, he runs the floor well and looks much more comfortable in the NBA game than he did two months ago, and I think he's going to serve as a solid 15-20 minute guy in the short term and maybe crack the starting rotation next year (he's not at that point where he's better than Ronny Turiaf just yet).

I hope D'Antoni can do the same thing with Anthony Randolph. AR grabbed 5 rebounds in 8:30 and for once we didn't get outrebounded and I think if AR just focuses on rebounding and defense and lets the game come to him offensively he has a chance to still make an impact this season
 

KingofNy

Starter
Like I've been saying I've seen this kid do some nice things on the court. He probably wont get 23 points again this year, but the 14 rebounds is whats important. Given the minutes he can affect a game positively.

Oh Randolph had 5 boards (4 offensive) in nine minutes. So in summation: WE HAVE THE BIGS< THEY JUST NEED TO BE USED!!!

Too bad it takes our guys getting injured to get them into the rotation. The main reason we won tonight was because of our bigs... Well that and Gallo and Stat played well. I wonder how many more games we could have won this season if O'Antoni actually gave them a chance to prove themselves. Those rebounds they provided we're crucial... Especially against teams that kill us in the post with their bigs. Not to mention that we need to give Stat a break, he's not going to hold up long playing all these minutes. WAKE UP O'ANTONI AND GIVE OUR BIGS MINUTES!!!
 

Crazy⑧s

Evacuee
Loved what I saw as well

But...it still was just one game!

What I loved was how he started out slow and he couldve just got down on himself but he kept digging and kudos to his teamates for continuing to look for him as well as Mike D sticking with him despite the slow start!

But lets still give this kid time because I saw a lot that still needs to be worked on.

1.He was out of position on Defense a lot of the time (which resulted in him getting 4 fouls)

2. While his hands have gotten much much better, he still showed butter fingers on some plays.

3. The Pistons are a small team, so we have to see what he does against some players with size


That all said, like I said the hands improved greatly, he showed confidence in his shot (which he showed he can hit in the Pre Season) and FT shooting was excellent, and he hit the boards like a beast on both ends.

He'll be up and down (after all he is a rook) but lets hope he stays in the rotation moving forward!


Bottom line is we still need to be patient with this kid.

Have to take in to account that he's adjusted outside of basketball as well.
 

Crazy⑧s

Evacuee
http://sports.espn.go.com/new-york/nba/columns/story?columnist=sheridan_chris&id=6075822

NEW YORK -- Not since Mikhail Prokhorov pulled the plug on the Carmelo Anthony-to-New Jersey charade has a Russian meant so much to the New York Knicks.

The difference this time was that the Russian was a Knick, not a Nyet.

Timofey Mozgov was summoned from the Vladivostok section of the Knicks' bench Sunday night and made such a difference that coach Mike D'Antoni said there will be more Mozgov to come. It was a complete about-face from what D'Antoni told reporters before the game, insisting that he'd go back to his favorite nine players once those nine were all healthy no matter what any of the emergency subs did against the Pistons.

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But after Mozgov produced a line of 23 points and 14 rebounds in 40 minutes, D'Antoni changed his tune.
"Twenty-three and 14, a one-shot deal? No, I think I'll try it again," D'Antoni said.


The sight of the Knicks playing with an effective center (OK, so he was dominant against the likes of Greg Monroe and Chris Wilcox, which mitigates the superlatives anyone should be throwing around) and thus allowing Amare Stoudemire to play at his natural position of power forward, gave the team a different and more natural look, allowing Stoudemire to expend his energy on scoring (33 points) instead of rebounding and trying to defend the paint.

Not only was Stoudemire his usual productive and efficient self (he shot 11-for-19 from the field and 11-for-12 from the foul line), but D'Antoni also made sure to remind reporters as he exited his postgame news conference that Danilo Gallinari (29 points) also may have played his best game of the entire season.

The Knicks put this one away in a fourth quarter that began with the score tied 91-91, with Mozgov providing the early separation by dunking a miss by Toney Douglas for a 95-91 lead that only grew from there.

It had been 10 games since Mozgov had even gotten a sniff of garbage time, and he racked up 15 DNP-CDs in the past 17 games as D'Antoni alternated starting Ronny Turiaf or Stoudemire at center.

Turiaf got the nod in the starting five again Sunday as Wilson Chandler (strained calf) missed his second straight game, but he was on the bench with two fouls less than five minutes into the first quarter. Mozgov's first shot was from 3 feet away and traveled roughly 6 feet, and his next two attempts were layups that both bounced off the rim and out. But from there, he made five of his next six shots to go into halftime with a line of 11 points and six rebounds, and Mozgov got the call again when Turiaf picked up his fourth foul just 2:13 into the third quarter.

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From there, the 7-foot-1 Russian played the rest of the game, even hearing the fans chant his last name as the clock wound down in the final minute.

"It was great, I really liked it," said Mozgov, who reckoned he hadn't produced a statistical line of this caliber since two years ago when he was playing for Khimki Moscow.

D'Antoni had been saying for the better part of the past two months that he erred at the start of the season when he thrust Mozgov into the starter's role, not properly accounting for the difficulty Mozgov would have adjusting both to the difficulties of rebounding in the NBA and growing accustomed to the manner in which NBA referees call fouls against rookies -- especially foreign rookies whose mettle is often tested first by the guys with the whistles.

D'Antoni acknowledged having a "here we go again" flashback to Mozgov's early-season struggles when the big Russian missed those first three shots. But Mozgov settled down and persevered, and the results in the box score spoke volumes.

"Obviously the work he did with the coaches is paying off," D'Antoni said.

So we now segue to the inevitable question of whether Mozgov was being showcased for inclusion in a possible trade for Anthony, a route the Knicks have been trying to maneuver down for the past several weeks by picking the brain of former Nuggets general manager Mark Warkentien about the best way to proceed forward. In their quest to enhance the value of the players they are trying to trade to Denver, they are in essence using Warkentien's knowledge of the Nuggets' inner workings to make the deal more palatable to owners Stan and Josh Kroenke, who will have final say on whether the Nuggets will move their franchise player or keep him for a playoff run, gambling that Anthony might eventually succumb to the allure of the $83 million he would be leaving on the table, and also gambling that Anthony could still be moved to New York in a sign-and-trade deal over the summer if such deals are still allowed under the new collective bargaining agreement.

Just a few days ago, the debate in New York was whether it would be worth it to include Landry Fields in a proposed package for Anthony.

This week, you can argue the same point about whether Mozgov is a keeper or a spare part.

Perhaps Anthony himself, who has become talkative again lately, will weigh in on the merits of each of those players Monday night when he pays his one and only visit to Prokhorov's rental unit on the other side of the Hudson.

And if Melo says he's a bigger fan of Mozgov than he is of Mikhail, we'll have another clue to decipher as we count down to the Feb. 24 trade deadline wondering whether the trade that has been slow-brewing since the start of the season will finally go down -- and whether either of the two prized Knicks rookies (yes, there are now two thanks to Mozgov's big night) will be staying in New York for the long term.
 

JoHnNyBoXeR

Benchwarmer
He was a pleasant surprise out there today.. he looked like the 2nd coming of Rik Smits!! Night and day comparedto that buse he took from Blake griffin lol.. I think Moz can keep it u .. He certianly has the ability.. He didnt play soft in the paint tonight
 
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Red

TYPE-A
He looks unbelievably good out there tonight (pause). We should've been developing him year round.

Again, sometimes the truth hurts.

Do we see the results of size and high% shots?

Now I didn't even read this threat yet, but I'll guess some
mda supporters are responding by saying he wasn't good enough before, but he's improved thus justifying his mins.

Cough..cough,,,bullsh*t! He and AR have always been good, just lack confidence ala Danillo "flipity-flopity" Gallinari, another coaching skill.

Play the kids/bigs, build up their confidence and reward Donnie and his wisdom. No more:

I will always think these players have some kind of skill, from Darko and Curry to AR, Earl barron and Moz... its on the coach to use them and develop them and not as a result of injury, its always the coach.

These kids wouldn't be so touted, praised and sought and signed/drafted without any skill its the coach imo.

Arguably, the injuries could be caused by lack of min for our depth...think about it.

O'sh*t... we have a big(s) right on the bench... who knew?
 

JoHnNyBoXeR

Benchwarmer
Again, sometimes the truth hurts.

Do we see the results of size and high% shots?

Now I didn't even read this threat yet, but I'll guess somemda supporters are responding by saying he wasn't good enough before, but he's improved thus justifying his mins.

Cough..cough,,,bullsh*t! He and AR have always been good, just lack confidence ala Danillo "flipity-flopity" Gallinari, another coaching skill.

Play the kids/bigs, build up their confidence and reward Donnie and his wisdom. No more:

I will always think these players have some kind of skill, from Darko and Curry to AR, Earl barron and Moz... its on the coach to use them and develop them and not as a result of injury, its always the coach.

These kids wouldn't be so touted, praised and sought and signed/drafted without any skill its the coach imo.

Arguably, the injuries could be caused by lack of min for our depth...think about it.

O'sh*t... we have a big(s) right on the bench... who knew?
Moz had his struggles early playing soft and intimidated and hurt the team early on this season..Thats not DANtonis fault. Dantoni let him adjust to life in the NBA in practice.. he has now made his case that he needs more minutes..
 
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Scipio

Benchwarmer
Great game by Mozgod. It was great to see a Knick actually rebounding. Great to see Randolph also rebounding, defending and grabbing a block in his limited time.

What worries me is that in the pre-game interview no D-Toni dais that no matter what the players did he would revert to his original rotation once Wilson and Shawne were available. In the light of Mozgod`s play he has changed his mind but what kind of coach says that he would do that no matter how the players coming in would play ?

We looked so much more balanced with a good centre and Amare at the power forward position. Amare could use all of his energy scoring rather than having to attempt to defend and rebound like a legitimate centre.

How many of you nearly had a heart attack when Amare went down in the latter stages of the game with a hurt knee. My heart nearly leapt out of my mouth.

I loved hearing the Garden crowd chanting "Mozgov,Mozgov,Mozgov" at the end of the fourth quarter. They know what we all know. If we have a good centre who defends,rebounds and has an offensive game then we become a completely different team. Mozgov could come in for us now and do what DeMarcus Cousins is doing for the Sacramento Kings.
 

Scipio

Benchwarmer
Again, sometimes the truth hurts.

Do we see the results of size and high% shots?

Now I didn't even read this threat yet, but I'll guess somemda supporters are responding by saying he wasn't good enough before, but he's improved thus justifying his mins.

Cough..cough,,,bullsh*t! He and AR have always been good, just lack confidence ala Danillo "flipity-flopity" Gallinari, another coaching skill.

Play the kids/bigs, build up their confidence and reward Donnie and his wisdom. No more:

I will always think these players have some kind of skill, from Darko and Curry to AR, Earl barron and Moz... its on the coach to use them and develop them and not as a result of injury, its always the coach.

These kids wouldn't be so touted, praised and sought and signed/drafted without any skill its the coach imo.

Arguably, the injuries could be caused by lack of min for our depth...think about it.

O'sh*t... we have a big(s) right on the bench... who knew?

Couldn`t agree with you more Red. It`s certainly down to the coach that those you listed haven`t and aren`t getting a fair chance. People on this forum will argue but the simple fact is that all of those players you mentioned have one thing in common. They are all bigs. You don`t see other players playing other positions not getting a fair shake. So it`s obvious that no D-Toni has something against playing bigs. When Mozgov and Randolph signed everyone was excited because we had two incredibly talented young players who, with confidence and experience could become really top qulaity players for us. Does anyone really believe that Donnie Walsh would continually draft,trade or sign bigs during the past couple of years that are not good enough to play for us ??? Of course not.

The problem is no D-Toni and his stupid problem with playing bigs who can defend, rebound and block shots. All he wants is five shooters and no D.
 

skisloper

Starter
here we go again...such whiners...

Mozgov was in the starting five at the start of the season. He sucked.
he was not ready and D'Antonio knew that.

He has gotten experience at practices and by working with the coaching staff...

You guys are so ignorant and whiny. Mozgiv sucked at the start of the season. And if he sucks next week you guys will again complain.

lets things evolve.....

all the hating on Gallo....Remember ? Walker and Williams can do what gallo does. SD you see thats not true ?

Just maybe give the coaching staff credit for getting him ready!
 
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