BLEAK FOR ZEKE
By PETER VECSEY

November 15, 2006 -- GOING into Monday night's game at the Garden, the Prophet Isiah alerted the media he'd made his pubescent flock aware of the value of starting games amped up.

You'd think by now the Knicks would be a mite further along in their professional development than needing their coach to motivate them into exhibiting hustle and muscle. But, hey, whatever works.

Still, any other coach would be mortified to volunteer such an admission. Thomas, if nothing else an unending self-promoter, believes he deserves congratulations. Naturally, Mike Breen was quick to bestow it early in the MSG telecast when the Knicks jumped to an eight-point lead, 10-2.

Thomas also thought he made a bold statement (as did the resultant media coverage) last week when he threatened to sit any and all sloths. How naive of me, I always thought that was a given.

At any rate, at some point during the Prophet Isiah's next sermon, he might want to remind his fickle flock it might be a good idea to rev up at the outset of the second, third and fourth quarters as well.

Now 2-6 overall and 0-3 at home following the Cavaliers' 102-96 victory, the Knicks fell behind by as many as 14 deep into the last quadrant. As usual, they depended on Jamal Crawford (8-for-16) and Nate Robinson (9-for-10) to close the gap to two down the backstretch.

Around that time, Marcus Haynes, er, Leon Hillard, er, Curly Neal, er, Nate The Gadget (the best fourth guard in the NBA) tried to dribble east to west through a cavalcade of Cavs and committed a disastrous turnover that led to a 3-pointer by LeBron James.

In spite of The Gadget's critical fumble, I gotta give him an offensive gold star; he's tough. Not many players could dominate the ball far too long and still get an assist at crunch time off a backward pass that Crawford converted into an unreal 35-footer to beat the shot buzzer.

Alas, Robinson earned another behavioral demerit when he put on a side show struttin' up the sideline, pullin' on his jersey and playin' to the crowd, after a remarkably inventive score in the fourth. Oh, yeah, that sliced the Knicks' deficit to seven.

Still, The Gadget's three assists following back-to-back shutouts in Houston (19 minutes) and San Antonio (24) is an outburst worth accentuating.

Unfortunately for him, we know now The Gadget is eminently capable of setting up teammates for easy baskets; a couple of other creative handoffs within dunking distance were botched. So, from here on in, when he doesn't pass it'll be obvious he's simply being himself, stone selfish.

How else can Robinson's previous 95 minutes prior to Monday night be described? He amassed all of three assists.

I can't recall anyone so diminutive at the pro level so infuriatingly one-dimensional. Even compulsive scoring Calvin Murphy averaged 4.4 assists during his 10-year career, going slightly over seven twice. I mean, nobody loathes sharing the sphere more than Earl Boykins, yet he's accidentally conceived 3.3 assists per over eight seasons.

Robinson's numbers are downright Yinka Dare-ish. But at least the 6-foot-10 Yinka (RIP) didn't have the ball in his hands 90 percent of the time.

At the risk of Doubting Thomas, I beg to differ regarding which play determined the outcome.

The Prophet Isiah swears it was an un-retrieved loose ball off an aborted three by Sasha Pavlovic with about a minute to go, Knicks trailing 97-94.

First of all, why was the 6-7 forward (2-for-8 and only two rebounds in 22 minutes) even in the game when spread-the-defense, long-distance shooting was needed? If I'm not mistaken, Damon Jones, enjoying his most faultless shooting display (29 points, including 7-10 from three) since downing about 15 trifectas at the Garden many moons ago in the Wheelchair Classic was sitting on the bench to the left of coach Mike Brown.

OK, so not one of the Knicks' three guards came out of the ensuing scramble for the ball with Eric Snow, which is what he does best. What galled the Prophet Isiah more was the absence of floor burns on Crawford, Robinson and Stephon Marbury - which brings me right where I want to go.

Yeah, I know Marbury had seven assists (three turnovers and three steals), but he'd also dry-heaved all six shots from the field. Only the Prophet Lord Isiah Thomas knows what Marbury was doing in the game at this stage instead of Quentin Richardson, who only happens to be the team's most accurate outpost marksman and manliest defender.

Wouldn't the Knicks have been better off with Marbury on the bench, his customary towel tucked around his head? Think Richardson would've hesitated or shied away from challenging Snow for an obtainable possession?

More to the point - the play I maintain determined the outcome - think Richardson would've big appled the gaping three presented to Marbury with 1:09 left, Cavs up 97-94?

In the hope of being excommunicated from the Church in the Garden, such a slipshod personnel decision never would've happened if Larry Brown were in charge.

peter.vecsey@nypost.com




Home

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

NEW YORK POST is a registered trademark of NYP Holdings, Inc. NYPOST.COM, NYPOSTONLINE.COM, and NEWYORKPOST.COM
are trademarks of NYP Holdings, Inc.
Copyright 2006 NYP Holdings, Inc. All rights reserved.

IT is a dream couch.
He is dreaming a game.
If game is not going the way he dream it - hell with it...
BIG TIME DREAMER..

Posted by arkrud:

IT is a dream couch.
He is dreaming a game.
If game is not going the way he dream it - hell with it...
BIG TIME DREAMER..

dude, it's coach not couch.

Nate criticized Larry Brown for taking the joy out of his game. Robinson needs to learn to find joy in passing the ball. He's a talented, high energy player, but he has to learn to play a team game.

Pete is all fluff as usual. Did he really say that LB would've had the best players on the floor during he crunch? Yeah, maybe in Detroit.

Nate hasn't been passing but hes shotting 54%, I;m not mad at that at all. Plus he is really playing the role of the scorer off the bench, he isn't being asked to facilitate the offense.

Q would've made that 3? I'm not so sure about that, we don't have anyone on our team who I could say that about. Allan Houston woulda made it. Everybody else is a big question mark.

nate is basically a 6th man sniper right now. he ain't no pg, that's for sure. with that said, he can pretty much get his shot off with ease and shoots a pretty good percentage from the floor. this kid needs coaching in the worst way...and he has to accept the coaching. unfortunately, you got isiah and lebron telling him to "never change" and that's not a good message to give a kid with a napolean complex.

he's a 2nd year player so you can't be mad at this kid when he makes some bad decisions. the key is whether or not he can learn and grow as a player.

Posted by Allanfan20:

Vescey was definitely a little overharsh on Nate and this article was just a little too sarcastic for my taste, for a beat writer. It was hardly to the point.

Pete isn't a beat writer, he is a feature guy. There is a bit of a difference.

Posted by martin:


dude, it's coach not couch.

I think he's right, Isiah is Steph's couch.

good one DJ..I love how the score flashes right after Nate's little dance LOL