THE KNICKS HEAD COACH STEERING THE SHIP.

See the above Orange and Blue as it is and where it's going? There cannot be anymore excuses. Time for our Offensive Genious to go.
A simple thread to state " FIRE MIKE D'ANTONI" and lets get on with our season! Or.... keep him and we drown! I for one can't watch
much more of this! Six weeks till March Madness and without a change of our ship...I'll concentrate on the NCAA... as we will have Bracketology 
upon us faster than we think! 

Baron Davis could make Knicks Debut, as New York takes on Cleveland



Although it seems unlikely, coach Mike D'Antoni has yet to rule out the first sighting of point guard Baron Davis in a Knicks uniform today.

If he plays, the former all-star will join a team coming of a massive win in Charlotte last night.

As for that Charlotte game, the key was ball movement, which Fanatics have begged and begged for all season. The Knicks finally heeded these calls and came away with a 30+ point victory.

Surprisingly, Carmelo Anthony had a career-low 1 point in the victory, but Tyson Chandler and Amar'e Stoudemire were both agressive and confident, and you can expect more of the same tonight against the Cavaliers.

With Melo nursing many an injury, Stoudemire will have to lead the Knicks offence, something he hasn't really been able to do all season. As for defence, more of the same could suffice.

The Cavaliers' best player is rookie point guard Kyrie Irving , who will go up against our own rookie defensive stopper Iman Shumpert, in what should be an interesting match-up. Outside of the Austrailian, though, last season's worst NBA team don't have much to threaten the Knicks with.

That said, the Cavs were a tough out for the 'Bockers last season, winning on numerous disappointing occasions.

Predictions

Final Score: Cavaliers 77 - 92 Knicks
Top Scorer: Amar'e Stoudemire (Knicks) - 24 points


 

After losing this weekend's "what if" if game with several players of the franchise's recent past, the the New York Knicks find themselves mired in what could be described as the dog days of a short yet heavily compressed NBA season. The Knicks who currently ride a season long six game losing streak, have regressed immensely on the offensive side of the ball despite showing signs of improving. But is the Knicks offensive funk merely a sign of a critically missing component or rather a telling sign of much large systemic issues with the offense in general and the offense's architect in particular?

Most observers will note that Mike D'Antoni employs an offensive system (Seven Seconds or Less (SSOL) that generates allot of points.  The result as all know comes from the surge of the offense's initial push up the court on the break to gain a step on opposing defenses.  If the initial break is denied the offense will simulate that break via the Pick and Roll (P&R )to initiate the collapse of the defense for the secondary break.  D'Antoni's signature P&R set spreads the floor by complementing the Point Guard and Forward/Center tandem by shooters at the wings.  Back door cuts are intermittently employed when the defenses collapse on the Pentrator or Roller on the P&R, which frees up space for a slasher to cut to the paint and finish.

However, D'Antoni's SSOL offense depends on certain types of players.  Athletic slashing Power Forwards who often masquerade as Centers. Shooting/slashing Small or Stretch Forwards or Shooting Guards at the wings.  But most importantly SSOL depends on a nimble adept decision making point guard capable of directing the uptempo attack.  In SSOL It is the point guard's penetration off the screen/pick that initiates the options in the offense -- e.g., whether to pull up, shoot, drive, dish to the Pick/Roller big man or swing the ball out to the wing players. With the ball in his hands to initiate the key set, it is the point guard who is the offenses chief decision-maker.  Other offensive roles are more limited and dependent on the point guard's penetration to unleash. Nonetheless, when all the pieces of the offensive scheme are in place (but most critically the point guard) the offense can generate points at a remarkable rate -- e.g., D'Antoni's Pheonix Suns. no comments