Are you sugesting that Knicks played like crap tonight because Lin wasn't the focal point of offense? Lin missed a lot of open looks tonight like everyone else. He wasn't creating on offense. He was part of the problems tonight.
Nope. I'm suggesting that - with everyone cold on the shot - the Knicks needed to shift back to Lin and do it earlier instead of play him for 20 solid minutes. Lin has a clutch gene and performs will under pressure. How many times did we come back from 15 pts down, 17pts down, 20pts down. In the past? That was when Lin was playing 40+ minutes.
* I also suggested that - the day-off was a mistake, that they should have had shooting practice/shooting drills.
* Taking only 9 shots and going 3/9 wouldn't be as bad as :
all 3 shooting guards combining for 17 points.
If everyone is cold ~ you go with the guys that are most clutch. Clutch as in - the start making points happen, either on their own or through teammates.
Example: Boston Celtics.
Lin loses ball then steals it and drives through 4 celtics to score -then hits 3pter. This in turn inspires teammates, fires them up, distracts celtics. Melo then hits 2 shots and they end up +3 toward the end of the game.
The Lin - Novak pair has the highest scoring statistic of any combo on the knick squad. When Novak finally emerged onto the NBA stage for the Knicks - it was because Lin was looking for Novak - and started feeding Novak once he got hot; ignoring other teammates to dish to Novak because he knew Novak had the hot hand at that point.
I think you misunderstood my post. I was stating a - what they should have done to pull out an ugly win.
I have stated here and elsewhere that everyone had an off-night.
* I have also gone into detail explaining how Lin was more or less excluded from having an impact on the game - the premier minutes bulk of the middle - were given to Baron Davis.
* I have also stated the problems seen from/in BD from the 76ers game - were further magnified in the Raptors game.
* Woodson should have taken BD off the floor faster - like he did in the 76ers game.
* If you re-watch the 76ers game and focus on BD and his impact on the team and then the raptors - you'll understand.
* Hopefully BD can get his chemistry back together, set-the-ton for 2nd unit to move the ball better or instead start the 1st quarter with melo and amare, and work on his temper
- But as I have stated several times in the past, the offense starts to stagnate with Lin off the floor - its not necessarily about him shooting as much as - 1. his defense - which I have gone to some lengths to note many times 2. his ball movement 3. aggression and drawing opposing teams coverage 4. his ability to crush the spirit of the opposing team (see 76ers give up video) 5. he creates shots for teammates 6. he looks for the hot hand 7. he is fearless 8. huge clutch gene etc etc etc

9. the guy just steps it up as the game progresses, as he gets comfortable. 10. he figures it out - if given the chance over the course of a game - giving him maybe 20 minutes of which mainly come from 1st quarter