I really don't get the feeling this duo will turn this organization around...It's early I know, but this organization still has no plan or direction..STILL...I would have hope with all that we have seen over the past eight years, we would committ to rebuilding this group through the draft, get under the cap, and build from the ground up...Instead, we seem to be on the road to retooling to fit Mike D's scheme of balling...One that has proven not to be successful in the playoffs..Thinking we can get the parts to compete offensively like the Sun's did is a bit of a stretch...I also don't think this is a Championship style of play...As a long time Knick fan, I have come to love defensive basketball...I cannot envision a successful Knick basketball running and gunning with knowledgeable Garden fans embracing this as winning basketball...

With the Knicks dropping to the 6th pick, I not sure when we will see some relief...So the modus aperandi for now will be expect the worst and hope for the best...It's going the be a long season once again...

I cannot envision a successful Knick basketball running and gunning with knowledgeable Garden fans embracing this as winning basketball...

the fans were pretty excited when they watched Pitino's teams doing it & liked the more uptempo style w/Camby, Spree, Houston, LJ & Childs when they went to it after Ewing went out w/his broken wrist... it wasn't exactly the Suns style of game but i think Garden fans always appreciated fast uptempo style play.

either way i don't think Walsh envisions competing for any championships next year or even the year after... what he seems to be trying to do is to restore some semblence of joy to this franchise again after years of negativity & failure w/a long range vision to target championship in a few years by building a team that has learned how to play team oriented style basketball & adding a franchise player somehow, either through the draft or by gaining some cap flexibility to target one a couple years from now.

i agree w/u, i'd rather this team target defense over high octane offense but i wanna hold off on judgement til i see the end result... i wouldn't expect much more than 38 wins next season if that either way.

The plan is there but you really can't implement the plan without thinking and most moves are made after the season ends. I think the Knicks can become a powerhouse with D'Antoni. We can in noway talk championship with the current Knicks as they are constructed. I don't even think the current Knicks can even play defense asides from players like Chandler and Balkman, I don't think they are all that well geared for offensive play either.

There is going to be a major overhaul of players but that takes time and I think the Knicks can compete for a championship eventually. We can't say what the system D'Antoni is going to play for sure because the current roster isn't suited for run and gun type of play atleast not yet. I think D'Antoni is going to surprise a lot of people with his coaching abilities especially on the defensive end of the floor. He knows there are a lot of doubter about his ability to coach defense but I think that is what motivate D'Antoni, when people say you can't do this and that. He is a winner and one thing about winner no matter what part of the world they won in, they live to make people eat their words.

Posted by Vmart:

The plan is there but you really can't implement the plan without thinking and most moves are made after the season ends. I think the Knicks can become a powerhouse with D'Antoni. We can in noway talk championship with the current Knicks as they are constructed. I don't even think the current Knicks can even play defense asides from players like Chandler and Balkman, I don't think they are all that well geared for offensive play either.

There is going to be a major overhaul of players but that takes time and I think the Knicks can compete for a championship eventually. We can't say what the system D'Antoni is going to play for sure because the current roster isn't suited for run and gun type of play atleast not yet. I think D'Antoni is going to surprise a lot of people with his coaching abilities especially on the defensive end of the floor. He knows there are a lot of doubter about his ability to coach defense but I think that is what motivate D'Antoni, when people say you can't do this and that. He is a winner and one thing about winner no matter what part of the world they won in, they live to make people eat their words.

I just hope that D'antoni can convince Larry Brown to give Nate Robinson his sunshine back.

Posted by holfresh:

I really don't get the feeling this duo will turn this organization around...It's early I know, but this organization still has no plan or direction..STILL...I would have hope with all that we have seen over the past eight years, we would committ to rebuilding this group through the draft, get under the cap, and build from the ground up...Instead, we seem to be on the road to retooling to fit Mike D's scheme of balling...One that has proven not to be successful in the playoffs..Thinking we can get the parts to compete offensively like the Sun's did is a bit of a stretch...I also don't think this is a Championship style of play...As a long time Knick fan, I have come to love defensive basketball...I cannot envision a successful Knick basketball running and gunning with knowledgeable Garden fans embracing this as winning basketball...

With the Knicks dropping to the 6th pick, I not sure when we will see some relief...So the modus aperandi for now will be expect the worst and hope for the best...It's going the be a long season once again...

I totally agree.

Pitino's Knicks teams were good defensively, using a pressing style. The '99 Knicks teams were very good defensively. You want a comparison to D'Antonio's style? Try Paul Westhead's Denver Nuggets.

For argument's sake, let's say that D'Antoni's system doesn't work and they need to go in another direction. That will mean another roster overhaul because a coach, who would want to put in a more traditional team built from the inside out with an emphasis on good defense, will be stuck with "D'Antonio players". That's another 2-3 years wasted. You're going all in with D'Antonio system.

Posted by TMS:
& liked the more uptempo style w/Camby, Spree, Houston, LJ & Childs when they went to it after Ewing went out w/his broken wrist... it wasn't exactly the Suns style of game but i think Garden fans always appreciated fast uptempo style play.

oh my god... people were thinking we were better off without Ewing because they were so in love with the 3 guards + Camby and LJ rotation.

Doesnt matter... all is lost lol

Regarded for what? It's certainly not for winning championships.

Posted by TMS:

yeah i know but you gotta admit the team was a little more exciting to watch... in the end missing our bigman was too big a hurdle to overcome when we came up against the Big Fundamental.

Definitely exciting. I always enjoy watching teams get after it on defense.

Why did they miss their big man? Could it be for post offense and interior defense? Two things that D'Antonio's teams aren't known for.

That's not true. A few transactions have already been made.

Isiah was retained.

Donnie Walsh, who has never put together run and gun teams, hires a coach who epitomizes the run and gun philosophy but has never come close to winning a championship with it, even with the perfect personnel.

Posted by islesfan:

That's not true. A few transactions have already been made.

Isiah was retained.

Donnie Walsh, who has never put together run and gun teams, hires a coach who epitomizes the run and gun philosophy but has never come close to winning a championship with it, even with the perfect personnel.

Jim O'Brien is of the Pitino school, not sure how much imput Walsh had in his hiring. Perfect Personnel? Even you dont believe that. A PF who plays zero defense playing center? A SF playing PF. A journey man(Bell) playing the 2? Diaw, James Jones,House etc were all journey men and a big part of 60 win teams. D'Antoni gets credit for getting that team to overachieve. They lost to the eventual champion in the playoffs, not the 8th seed. Championships are hard to come by. Ask the defensive guru, Van Gundy. How many rings does he have?

Posted by codeunknown:

Posted by islesfan:

That's not true. A few transactions have already been made.

Isiah was retained.

Donnie Walsh, who has never put together run and gun teams, hires a coach who epitomizes the run and gun philosophy but has never come close to winning a championship with it, even with the perfect personnel.

Whoever coaches Phoenix next year better blow out the Lakers and Spurs next year en route to a 16-0 playoff run because they have the perfect personel.

yea.. lets see who they hire. It still cracks me up that guys on this board look at a Suns team playing in the monster west with 3 guards and SF/PF playing the 4/5 win 60+ games and have good playoff runs and cant give that coach credit for putting a system in place that made them an elite team over the last 4 years.