NBA 2012

[JETman]

as are the Cannicks.

[Soulstation1]

IMO

The prob with the Knicks is that melo and amare don't play any D whatsoever

[JETman]

IMO

The prob with the Knicks is that melo and amare don't play any D whatsoever

Ya think? I guess the salary they are paid is only for offense. "If you actually want me to play defense, you'll have to pay me another $10 mil".

As long as the Knicks are owned by someone who continues to intercede in basketball decisions, they won't be going anywhere anytime soon!!!

Melo has turned out to be one of those rapper/hip-hop "look at me" type players so prevalent in the NBA today. Highly over-rated, highly overpaid, and given far too much control over how the team operates. Geez, you would think that getting paid $20 mil a year would be enough for these fools, but no, they have to "control their own destiny" too. Say what you want about A-Rod, but I've never heard him demand anything from the Yankees or the Steinbrenners other than his salary. I'm sure doing so would have gotten him an invitation to leave the party, and rightfully so. It's time for the NBA's owners to show some fucking stones.

[bneuman]

Say what you want about A-Rod, but I've never heard him demand anything from the Yankees or the Steinbrenners other than his salary. I'm sure doing so would have gotten him an invitation to leave the party, and rightfully so. It's time for the NBA's owners to show some fucking stones.

Yeah, you're totally right -- NBA owners don't have/exercise nearly enough power. If only they could all get together, collectively, and tell the players they're not going to let them play until the players give up some power. That would never happen, though, because of those gosh darn hip-hoppers like Carmelo and all those kids who like them.

It was Dolan's choice to hire D'Antoni, a coach known for running a system-heavy offense; it was Dolan's choice to pair Carmelo (an isolation-heavy ball-dominating player) with the systems coach he had hired; it was Dolan's choice to ignore his GM (and D'Antoni) when they said it would be a terrible idea to gut the team to trade for Carmelo, when they could just wait until the end of the season and sign him. Based on most of the roster moves Dolan made while D'Antoni was coaching, it seems as if upper management was never really interested in building a team appropriate for D'Antoni's style of coaching; they hired D'Antoni not for his coaching, but because they had wanted to hire a "big name" coach and he was the highest on the list who said "yes". They threw so much money at Amar'e and so many trade prospects at Carmelo for similar reasons -- not for any coherent vision of how they would fit together, but just because they were Names and look, we're bringing Names to New York!

I'm no fan of Carmelo; I think basketball is a lot better when offenses run like D'Antoni's, not like Melo's; but this one is on Knicks ownership, not on Anthony. They knew exactly what they were getting when they traded for him, just like they knew they were getting a scorer who can't play defense and definitely won't stay healthy for more than a year or two in Amar'e. The Knicks defense actually wasn't bad at all this year, in spite of D'Antoni's rep and Carmelo/Amare's indifference -- Chandler, Schumpeter, Jeffries, etc, were good enough to put them around 9th in the league at defense. Their offense was the real problem.

[paul secor]

IMO

The prob with the Knicks is that melo and amare don't play any D whatsoever

They never did.

'antoni (I call him that - no D) should have forced Dolan's hand by sitting Anthony. Dolan would have been forced to fire him and all the onus would have been on Dolan. Not that he would care.

[JETman]

Say what you want about A-Rod, but I've never heard him demand anything from the Yankees or the Steinbrenners other than his salary. I'm sure doing so would have gotten him an invitation to leave the party, and rightfully so. It's time for the NBA's owners to show some fucking stones.

Yeah, you're totally right -- NBA owners don't have/exercise nearly enough power. If only they could all get together, collectively, and tell the players they're not going to let them play until the players give up some power. That would never happen, though, because of those gosh darn hip-hoppers like Carmelo and all those kids who like them.

It was Dolan's choice to hire D'Antoni, a coach known for running a system-heavy offense; it was Dolan's choice to pair Carmelo (an isolation-heavy ball-dominating player) with the systems coach he had hired; it was Dolan's choice to ignore his GM (and D'Antoni) when they said it would be a terrible idea to gut the team to trade for Carmelo, when they could just wait until the end of the season and sign him. Based on most of the roster moves Dolan made while D'Antoni was coaching, it seems as if upper management was never really interested in building a team appropriate for D'Antoni's style of coaching; they hired D'Antoni not for his coaching, but because they had wanted to hire a "big name" coach and he was the highest on the list who said "yes". They threw so much money at Amar'e and so many trade prospects at Carmelo for similar reasons -- not for any coherent vision of how they would fit together, but just because they were Names and look, we're bringing Names to New York!

I'm no fan of Carmelo; I think basketball is a lot better when offenses run like D'Antoni's, not like Melo's; but this one is on Knicks ownership, not on Anthony. They knew exactly what they were getting when they traded for him, just like they knew they were getting a scorer who can't play defense and definitely won't stay healthy for more than a year or two in Amar'e. The Knicks defense actually wasn't bad at all this year, in spite of D'Antoni's rep and Carmelo/Amare's indifference -- Chandler, Schumpeter, Jeffries, etc, were good enough to put them around 9th in the league at defense. Their offense was the real problem.

First of all, I said it was on ownership in my first post. For more, see the Isaiah debacle. Secondly, you can't really blame D'Antoni since, for the full 3 1/2 years he was here, the management never provided him with a roster that remained constant. The Knicks have been in a rebuilding phase for like forever. They hired Walsh expressly to undo the mess that Isaiah created (see above), and then the owner, while drooling over that big name, overrode Walsh when he advised against the Melo trade. The Knicks operate in a truly dysfunctional way. They will no sooner win a championship than they will stop sucking Spike Lee's cock.

I do not care if they knew what Melo is/was. Athletes like him do NOT belong in professional sports, period. He's being paid. Fucking force him to play a team game. It is that simple.

[ejp626]

I think all NBA teams have had some WTF moments, including some crazy stuff the Bulls did in the aftermath of the Jordan years, but many of them have some long-term vision and a bit of a clue. (Still, there is a lot of luck involved in putting a team together and having some cohesiveness and no major injuries.) But the Knicks owners really do take the cake in terms of crappy decision on top of crappy decision. It would be a shame if Dwight Howard went there, since it would be clear to most fans that he was only interested in the money and not winning a ring. The Nets are more likely to get it together than the Knicks these days (not that I expect either to win a championship anytime soon.)

[JETman]

I think all NBA teams have had some WTF moments, including some crazy stuff the Bulls did in the aftermath of the Jordan years, but many of them have some long-term vision and a bit of a clue. (Still, there is a lot of luck involved in putting a team together and having some cohesiveness and no major injuries.) But the Knicks owners really do take the cake in terms of crappy decision on top of crappy decision. It would be a shame if Dwight Howard went there, since it would be clear to most fans that he was only interested in the money and not winning a ring. The Nets are more likely to get it together than the Knicks these days (not that I expect either to win a championship anytime soon.)

Ater having won more championships than any team in the last 20 years, you're entitled to a few WTF moments with no right or reason to complain about them!

With the Knicks, it's been one WTF moment after another for far too long. For a team whose success is directly tied to the success of the league itself (more than any other NBA team), this is just a sin and a shame (or a shame and a sin).

[Noj]

The Lakers made some good moves today, moving Luke Walton (and his ridiculous contract) with Jason Kapono (dead weight) to the Cavs for Ramon Sessions, a significant PG upgrade. They also sent the aged Derek Fisher to Houston for Jordan Hill, a young athletic forward. Fisher's locker room leadership was probably the biggest loss, but it's been several seasons since DFish could guard anyone.

[Aggie87]

I never got the Luke Walton thing in L.A. He seemed very one-dimensional. And I'm surprised the Rockets were willing to take on old Derek Fisher, unless it's just a money saving contract-dump kinda thing for them.

The Spurs traded a 1st round pick and Richard Jefferson for another go-round with Stephen Jackson. Seems like alot for him at this point. I hope he's got something left in his tank too. Tony Parker's been having a great year as the undisputed team leader - hope they can do something in the playoffs this year. They're really limiting Duncan's minutes, which seems to have energized him, but Ginobili's been hurt quite a bit. Some of the role players have really stepped up though - and I really like Kawhi Leonard so far.

[Brad]

All the players were on point with D'Antoni except Melo. He broke plays so he could do his thing. An incredibly selfish person. Another big problem is the owner. As long as he is the owner the Knicks will never win. The team is owned by Charles Dolan, owner of Cablevision. He gave it to his kid James to run, who has screwed it up. Donnie Walsh cleaned up the mess but James Dolan forced the Melo trade and then forced out Walsh. D'antoni's days were numbered when that happened. Melo is just a scum.

Edited March 16, 2012 by Brad

[Tim McG]

The Lakers made some good moves today, moving Luke Walton (and his ridiculous contract) with Jason Kapono (dead weight) to the Cavs for Ramon Sessions, a significant PG upgrade. They also sent the aged Derek Fisher to Houston for Jordan Hill, a young athletic forward. Fisher's locker room leadership was probably the biggest loss, but it's been several seasons since DFish could guard anyone.

GO Lakers!!!

[um...it's the only LA team I root for; first professional team I ever saw "live" as a kid. I go back to Elgin Baylor, Jerry West and Gail Goodrich.]

[JETman]

All the players were on point with D'Antoni except Melo. He broke plays so he could do his thing. An incredibly selfish person. Another big problem is the owner. As long as he is the owner the Knicks will never win. The team is owned by Charles Dolan, owner of Cablevision. He gave it to his kid James to run, who has screwed it up. Donnie Walsh cleaned up the mess but James Dolan forced the Melo trade and then forced out Walsh. D'antoni's days were numbered when that happened. Melo is just a scum.

Didn't I already say this?

[Noj]

I think the biggest problem for the Knicks is that D'Antoni preaches nothing but offense. That was the same problem he had with the Suns, except he had one of the best offensive floor generals to run his show in Steve Nash. If the Knicks become a defense-first team, their offense will fall right into place. The same goes for this years' Clippers. They have tons of terrific young offensive players, but they have the defensive fortitude of a wet paper towel.

[paul secor]

I think the biggest problem for the Knicks is that D'Antoni preaches nothing but offense. That was the same problem he had with the Suns, except he had one of the best offensive floor generals to run his show in Steve Nash. If the Knicks become a defense-first team, their offense will fall right into place. The same goes for this years' Clippers. They have tons of terrific young offensive players, but they have the defensive fortitude of a wet paper towel.

When you have Carmelo and Amare on the floor, 40% of your players are not playing defense. Simple as that.

[Noj]

Neither of those guys have any excuse. Defense is mostly effort. They need a coach who will stay on them to work hard on defense.

[paul secor]

Neither of those guys have any excuse. Defense is mostly effort. They need a coach who will stay on them to work hard on defense.

Actually, what they need is an owner who will trade both of their lazy asses for players who are willing to play team ball - which means playing defense, among other things. As many have pointed out, Dolan ain't that guy and never will be.

[JETman]

I think the biggest problem for the Knicks is that D'Antoni preaches nothing but offense. That was the same problem he had with the Suns, except he had one of the best offensive floor generals to run his show in Steve Nash. If the Knicks become a defense-first team, their offense will fall right into place. The same goes for this years' Clippers. They have tons of terrific young offensive players, but they have the defensive fortitude of a wet paper towel.

The biggest problem for the Knicks is they, as a franchise, have continually put themselves in a position to NEED a quick fix. As a result, the team has usually consisted of a mismatched bunch of players, who have no idea how to or are too selfish to play together as a TEAM (or both). This is not always a situation which can be remedied by a coach. D'Antoni, for all his apparent faults, should not be blamed. As I stated earlier, he was never given a fair chance to develop a "concept" because he never had a relatively constant group of players during his tenure. He was brought in as a (well-paid) "name" to serve as a sacrificial lamb while the team got out from under the salary cap woes caused by that faux G.M. Red Auerbach or Red Holzman could not win with this group. Phil Jackson will NEVER take this job, and it's not because he doesn't want to coach again. After all, he was ON the Knick team that won its last title in 1973. I'm sure there would be a strong sentimentality component for him, especially since he is a Holzman disciple. He knows he'd be working for a doomed organization, though. At this point he wouldn't want to damage his legacy. I don't blame him.

[Noj]

I must admit that I simply want to blame D'Antoni because I don't like him and his big mouth. And I'm glad Phoenix never won anything with him at the helm.

[Brad]

Linsanity has left the building. In today's Times, Howard Beck writes that "D’Antoni left the building Wednesday, taking his speedy, free-flowing offense with him. His replacement, Mike Woodson, is an old-school coach and Larry Brown disciple who emphasizes defense, ball control and isolation play." He concludes that none of this bodes well for Lin.

See Linsanity Has Left the Building.

The talk is that soon Lin will be relegated to a back up roll. Although the wisdom can be analyzed in basketball terms, from a p.r. point of view it's not a positive for the NBA as his story had brought back a lot of fans and made some new ones and if he's shunted aside, those people may disappear.

[ejp626]

Linsanity has left the building. In today's Times, Howard Beck writes that "D’Antoni left the building Wednesday, taking his speedy, free-flowing offense with him. His replacement, Mike Woodson, is an old-school coach and Larry Brown disciple who emphasizes defense, ball control and isolation play." He concludes that none of this bodes well for Lin.

See Linsanity Has Left the Building.

The talk is that soon Lin will be relegated to a back up roll. Although the wisdom can be analyzed in basketball terms, from a p.r. point of view it's not a positive for the NBA as his story had brought back a lot of fans and made some new ones and if he's shunted aside, those people may disappear.

Fun while it lasted. Anyway, Woodson sounds like he has a plan for success -- I definitely prefer defensive-minded coaches -- but one that has no chance of actually succeeding given the players he has and the Knicks management.

[Brad]

I suppose it was all inevitable unless Anthony cooperated and he wouldn't and he probably knew he could do what he wanted to do since it was the owner who had pushed the trade over the objection of Donnie Walsh. All the players were on the same page with D'antoni except the one that mattered. Well, Anthony got what he wanted and if the thing blows up in his face, then he will have to be held accountable. However, with Dolan you never know. Just goes to show you what happens when Daddy gives you gifts (Madison Square Garden, Knicks and Rangers) you didn't earn on your own.

[paul secor]

Linsanity has left the building. In today's Times, Howard Beck writes that "D’Antoni left the building Wednesday, taking his speedy, free-flowing offense with him. His replacement, Mike Woodson, is an old-school coach and Larry Brown disciple who emphasizes defense, ball control and isolation play." He concludes that none of this bodes well for Lin.

See Linsanity Has Left the Building.

The talk is that soon Lin will be relegated to a back up roll. Although the wisdom can be analyzed in basketball terms, from a p.r. point of view it's not a positive for the NBA as his story had brought back a lot of fans and made some new ones and if he's shunted aside, those people may disappear.

Fun while it lasted. Anyway, Woodson sounds like he has a plan for success -- I definitely prefer defensive-minded coaches -- but one that has no chance of actually succeeding given the players he has and the Knicks management.

Woodson will finish out the year. Then Dolan will bring in a "name" coach - and not Phil Jackson - he's too smart to buy into the Knicks' insanity. If Dolan can't buy a "name", it wouldn't surprise me at all to see Isiah return.

[BruceW]

I find it hard to believe that PJ would absolutely not return to the Knicks. Someone said earlier that it would complete his cycle. And this is probably the only "my way or highway" coach left out there. If Phil returned and walked into the gym, you had better believe there would be instant respect for him. And if there was not "instant" respect, Phil is the only guy known for stating "I want to see you in MY office, NOW." So if New York basically has a great core group and one dissenter, that is only a minor problem for Phil to solve.

But then again, there is Phil's health issues.

So, I have to wait and see who gets the job.

[Soulstation1]

Greg Oden is only 24YO but his knees are 124YO

He's played 82 games in 5 years