Editor’s…er blogger’s note(s)

In response to my Nov. 25th post:

- Okay, maybe Subway Super Bowl was a little much…but come on – the Jets were 8-3 despite some mediocre first-half of the season performances. Since then, they’ve managed a 1-3 record, and have watched in amazement as Chad Pennington puts together an MVP-caliber season. The Dolphins are 10-5, and have their foot on the throats of the Jets’ season. If they can come away with a win next week, or get some help from the Patriots – they’re in the playoffs.

- As for Big Blue, after some Plaxico drama and a couple of hiccups the last two weeks, they came away with a HUGE win against Carolina Sunday night. The G-men rushed for an insane 301 yards (thanks in part to the return of Brandon Jacobs, as well as Derrick Ward turning in the greatest game of his career.) More importantly, they picked apart the Panthers on their final drive in OT, with a couple of huge gains on the ground from Ward, and Jacobs finishing the job for the game-winning TD. This win gives the Giants home-field advantage for the playoffs, and secures them as the team to beat in the NFC, and possibly the entire NFL.

A note about my Oct. 28th post:

Since I just mentioned my good friend Plaxico Burress in  the above paragraph, why not take a look and see what he’s up to? We know he’s been suspended from the team, but what’s he been doing with his new-found spare time?

http://enews.earthlink.net/article/spo?guid=20081222/494f1ed0_3ca6_15526200812221282790355

Plax. Behind on your insurance premiums? I’m sure you couldn’t afford to pay – what with your $7 million per year salary (not to mention millions in bonuses you would’ve been awarded).

Just another example of what I had referred to in my post…not a DUI, but something just as (if not more) foolish… 

In response to my December 18th post:

I stand corrected, the Knicks cant just not close games…they can’t start them either. New York got off to a slow start against the Bucks, en route to a home loss Friday night. Then, they trailed Boston by 19 at the end of the first quarter Sunday night, but bounced back time and time again, cutting the lead to single digits on multiple occasions. I will say this: the Knicks gave the Western Conference champs (in their building)  all they could handle, and also made several runs against the defending-champion Celtics before slipping away late in the game.

How can they take their game to the next level and get back into playoff contention? Stop living and dying with the 3-pointer. While hitting 3’s kept the Knicks in the game against Boston, it was Rajon Rondo’s ability to attack the basket which proved to be too much for the Knicks. They need to look to the low post on occasion; David Lee has become so solid down low, it boggles my mind why they don’t give him more looks. The man has an excellent field goal percentage, and it’s not from chucking up 3’s. He does what no other Knick will do, and that’s fight for offensive Leebounds and wreak havok in the paint. New York would also improve if Al Harrington can work on a post-up turn-around J, something he’s got the agility and size to do, but rarely puts into action. The man is in love with the 3, and too often is either hot or cold, and that’s that. The Knicks need consistency out of Harrington if they’re going to have any chance at making a run as the season continues….

- Thanks for reading; more to come soon.

P.F.

Knicks hang tough, but fall short against Lakers

It came down to a last second hail mary 3-point attempt by Chris Duhon, but the Knicks couldn’t quite hold off the Laker’s second half comeback.
The Knicks led 65-50 at halftime, but weren’t able to hold off Kobe who finished with 28 points.
Though New York struggled closing out the win, they showed remarkable fight, and the ability to hang with one of the top teams in the league.
Watching the game, it became apparent what the Knicks are lacking in the post-Crawford/Randolph era. With no go-to scorer, the Knicks looked to the hot hand of Nate Robinson late.
Though Nate Rob was on fire, at his undersized 5′9, he’s not the premiere late game option the Knicks are going to need to win big games.
Al Harrington looked to be that guy as he earned Eastern Conference Player of the Week honors last week, but Harrington has to shoot a lot to maintain his stroke. He was a non-factor last night.
The Knicks played well on their road trip, and return to the Garden Friday against the mediocre Bucks. Don;t be surprised to see New York continue their strong play against Milwakee, but their real test will come Sunday against the defending champion Celtics. Look for Al Harrington to be the deciding factor if they’re going to make some noise against the East’s top team.

Knicks trade top two scorers to free up cap space

Al Harrington, one of 3 newly acquired Knicks, addresses the media.

The New York Knicks have traded their two top scorers for a trio of journeymen. Last week, Zach Randolph and Jamal Crawford were traded along with Mardy Collins for forwards Al Harrington, Tim Thomas, and guard Cuttino Mobley in a 3 way deal.

Knick fans, you may be pulling out your hair right now – wondering why Knicks’ GM Donnie Walsh would make such a deal. The Knicks are above .500 in the weak Eastern Conference. As of right now, if the season ended today, the Knicks would qualify for the playoffs.

Does Donnie Walsh really think this trade will make this Knicks better this season? No. This deal had one thing in mind: freeing up salary cap room for 2010.

The Knicks were a financial mess, and Crawford and Randolph each had long-term deals which would carry beyond 2010. This trade frees up cap room, and for the biggest free agent market in over a decade. Lebron James, Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh, and Steve Nash – four NBA All-Stars will be available. Three of those: James, Wade, and Bosh will be in the prime of their careers. Nash, though getting older, still might consider a trip to New York to reunite with his old coach, Mike D’Antoni.

So, where does this leave the Knicks this year? Can they still compete? Perhaps not as much as they would have, but all three acquisitions: Harrington, Thomas, and Mobley fit right in to Mike D’Antoni’s up-tempo system. Harrington and Thomas are big guys who can run, and Mobley is an excellent perimeter shooter. All three are weathered veterans who know the league, and could be a good influence on the younger players.

As for the rest of this Knicks squad, where will the rest of this team fit in to the lineup? Tonight marks the Knick debut of Harrington, Thomas, and Mobley. Mobley will likely be the shooting guard, Harrington the center. As for Tim Thomas, he join Quentin Richardson, Wilson Chandler, and David Lee in the fight for the forward positions.

I’d like to see more of Lee, as the Knicks (especially after losing Randolph) have nobody to guard the low post, and Lee is the only player who stands a chance against any decent post players.

The Knicks may win regular season games with speed and shooting, but the only way to win postseason games is through defense and rebounding. Without Zach Randolph, New York lacks a dominant force down low. Lee is now the Knicks’ only answer to the Duncans and Garnets of this league, so he needs to see more playing time.

To see the debut of the newest Knicks, tune in to MSG Network at 7:30 p.m. E.T. They play against Lebron James (the man they intend to pursue in 2010) and the Cavaliers.

Sources:

http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news?slug=txknickswarriorstrade&prov=st&type=lgns

www.knicks.com

D’Antoni’s Knicks have simple formula…

The new-look Knickerbockers are a surprising 4-2 heading into tonight’s game against the Spurs. Their secret? Score 100 points. The Knicks are 4-0 this season when they’ve done so. Mike D’Antoni has never been known to preach defense, and the style of play that the Knicks are using doesn’t call for much of it. They’ve been using a remarkably undersized starting 5 the past two games: Wilson Chandler, and Quentin Richardson – two players who have the ability to play shooting guard, were the forwards. As we’ve seen in Phoenix in recent years, D’Antoni loves to use an undersized squad that can run, and while we’ve seen success from this, another huge key to New York’s success has been Nate Robinson. A prime candidate for the Sixth Man of the Year Award, Nate Rob is averaging 15 points, 3.8 rebounds, 4.3 assists, and a remarkable 2.8 steals per game off the bench. He’s serving as a real spark plug for this team, and is being used similarly to how Leandro Barbosa (the 06-07 Sixth Man of the Year) was used on Phoenix. Keep an eye on Nate tonight against the Spurs. San Antonio easily outsizes New York, so the Knicks will be relying mostly on speed, and Robinson has plenty of that. Also, look for the Knicks to take advantage of the Tony Parker-less Spurs by using the more explosive Robinson, rather than Chris Duhon, a pass-oriented point guard. The game starts at 8:30 p.m. ET and will be in San Antonio at the Alamodome.

source: www.knicks.com

Nate Robinson has been a key part of the Knicks' success this season.

Crawford, Lee Shine as Garden Rocks on Opening Night

Jamal Crawford had a game-high 29 points.

Was that the ‘06 Suns? Do my eyes deceive me? The Knicks dropped 120 points on the Miami Heat in their season opener Wednesday, Oct. 29. In a surprising move by Mike D’Antoni, Stephon Marbury did not play in their 120-115 win. This made a huge statement about How D’Antoni wants his team to be viewed: this is a new era of New York Knick basketball. The Knicks played typical D’Antoni basketball, constant fast-breaks, constant pressure offensively. They had an incredible 27 assists; six players scored 13 or more points. It was an incredible team effort – much different than what we’ve seen in recent years.

David Lee, Zach Randolph, and Wilson Chandler were spectacular in the low post, combining for 53 points and 29 rebounds between the 3 of them. However, the star of the night was Jamal Crawford, who took on the role of team leader. Crawford had a game-high 29 points and hit a key 3-pointer with 2 minutes left to play, slowing a Miami 4th-quarter comeback.

Granted, this was just one game, against a Heat team that had a horrendous 15-67 record last year. But the feel of the game, and the energy of the players was easy to see. This team believes in themselves. They hustle. And despite a solid win, D’Antoni continued to scold his players for allowing a late comeback by the Heat. This is the type of coach the Knicks need, and more than anything they need a strong start to give them confidence in D’Antoni’s system.

The Knicks will be tested Halloween night against a re-vamped 76ers team which features two solid underrated players in their prime: Andre Miller, and Elton Brand. If they can get a road win, it will be a huge boost for their confidence. The game airs at 7pm on MSG.