orangeblobman wrote:I live on the edge

loweyecue wrote:If we handle the Pacers today and Cavs drop the Bobkittens then 14-20 > 13-19 and we would have the better Win percentage. So we may actually cree into the playoff picture today, whethere we can stay in it is what will define our season.

Chicago won, Pacers won, and Bobcats won in the 2 days. That game against NJ really set us back. I was hoping today's game would get us in the playoffs, but it will likely be next weekend before we can get the 8th seed. We really need another 6 game winning streak to solidify our position.

The good thing is it will make our assets more attractive for a pre-deadline trade to try to dump Jeffries for more 2010 cap space.

misterearl wrote:Fasten Your Seat Belts

"Defense is something that Mike D’Antoni is not known to care about. Now in interviews you hear Coach Mike D’Antoni stress the importance of defense. In December the Knicks went several games holding their opponents under 100 points. This is really impressive since the recent Knicks team was known to give up points. The Knicks are now perfecting zone defense. Many people are familiar with a 2-3 zone defense. However, Mike D’Antoni has his ball club winning games by running a 3 -2 zone defense. He has three players on top and two in the back. This forces teams to shoot from the outside. Playing zone defense has been one of the Knicks keys for shutting down their competition."

- BigC

"I knew at some time I would go back (to Robinson)," D'Antoni said. "He's too talented of a player not to try again. I knew supposedly it's all personal. Nothing's personal. It's how can we make the playoffs and that's what this year is about... I'm going to try everything we can."

One thing is guaranteed is that things are never dull in the land of Knicks. Rumor has it that Larry Hughes is demanding a trade. By mid February he will be the starting lead guard in New York.

Other than Eddy Curry, the Knicks have been relatively injury free for the first two months. Gallo and Chandler, both coming off Summer rehab, had limited time to get acquainted. The productivity of their shift line will be something worth watching.

How many times have you predicted playoffs? You've been saying the same thing every year since 1946. Your record isn't that good.

What does it matter what The Answer Man's record is when the Knicks are on a roll?

It is oh so easy to find things wrong and complain about minutia when the team is losing. I suppose that is human nature to a certain extent. The threads are buzzing and everyone has a solution or the next fantasy transaction.

How many fans can celebrate a night when the entire second unit gets some burn and the team shoots 52 per cent?

"Beating the Bobcats (15-19) doesn't equate to the old days when the Knicks did battle with Michael Jordan or the old Heat teams and the Garden was electric. But finally there is life in the building. The noise was genuine. Not the artificial stuff pushed through the public-address system.

(Amen to that)

D'Antoni is the biggest cheerleader of them all, fist pumping the air down the stretch.

"Players know that everybody's got their own style," Walsh said of his coach. "Some coaches tell you everything. Some coaches don't."

Truth is, the season is getting to the point where any grumbling by players will be viewed as self-serving. The Knicks are competitive; a postseason berth is possible. And at the very least they are showing any potential free agents the franchise is on the upswing.
The Garden is starting to get that feel again...

- George Willis

Could Danilo have taken that money three ball from any further out?

TMS wrote:Larry Brown caught plenty of flack for not communicating with his players during his tenure here, & deservedly so... why should MDA be exempt? yeah, we're playing great right now but the unnecessary drama can be avoided simply by taking a few moments to assuage the egos of your players from time to time... it's not much to take a player aside & explain to him personally that they're still a big part of the plan this season even though they're not playing right now... the worst is when you don't know where you stand with your boss & you feel left out in the cold regarding the direction the company is going... in an ideal world these guys would just shut up & collect their paychecks & perform when called upon, but these guys are human beings & not robots... any veteran on this team would be upset if they were in Hughes' situation... if u ask me Hughes is handling this about as well as anyone could possibly hope for.

What exactly should MDA have told Hughes? I mean, he must have told the team who was starting (Hughes was not) when the DNPs started. Should he have told Hughes ... You may play tonight?

Remember, his DNP first came when Nate went off for 40. If Nate sucked that game, Hughes may have seen playing time. Also, the next game? Knicks UP by 40. Hughes may have also played that game too if there were different circumstances.

During the season, Harrington and JJ have both started and come off the bench. I don't remember either complaining about not being told which it was.

And after 2 wins? I think Hughes was baited into saying something by the press. Over the past 8 games or so that Hughes did play, he sucked. If he had a problem not starting, he should have talked with coach, not the press, that's the way a 10 year vet with some savvy should have done it.

martin wrote:

TMS wrote:Larry Brown caught plenty of flack for not communicating with his players during his tenure here, & deservedly so... why should MDA be exempt? yeah, we're playing great right now but the unnecessary drama can be avoided simply by taking a few moments to assuage the egos of your players from time to time... it's not much to take a player aside & explain to him personally that they're still a big part of the plan this season even though they're not playing right now... the worst is when you don't know where you stand with your boss & you feel left out in the cold regarding the direction the company is going... in an ideal world these guys would just shut up & collect their paychecks & perform when called upon, but these guys are human beings & not robots... any veteran on this team would be upset if they were in Hughes' situation... if u ask me Hughes is handling this about as well as anyone could possibly hope for.

What exactly should MDA have told Hughes? I mean, he must have told the team who was starting (Hughes was not) when the DNPs started. Should he have told Hughes ... You may play tonight?

Remember, his DNP first came when Nate went off for 40. If Nate sucked that game, Hughes may have seen playing time. Also, the next game? Knicks UP by 40. Hughes may have also played that game too if there were different circumstances.

During the season, Harrington and JJ have both started and come off the bench. I don't remember either complaining about not being told which it was.

And after 2 wins? I think Hughes was baited into saying something by the press. Over the past 8 games or so that Hughes did play, he sucked. If he had a problem not starting, he should have talked with coach, not the press, that's the way a 10 year vet with some savvy should have done it.

if u read my post, i said to take a player aside & let him know that he's still in the plans even tho he's NOT playing... obviously that means after he finds himself sitting out a game or 2, it doesn't hurt to reassure the guy that he's not out of the plans all of a sudden again just because Nate is now back in the rotation... i don't expect MDA to know for sure before a game who he's going to play & who he isn't... Jordan Hill could get the call for all anyone knows, but as a rookie he at least knows he'll have to wait his turn... Larry Hughes is a veteran in this league & is playing for a contract here... how the hell does anyone blame the guy for being upset about being benched again after he helped turn this team around this season w/his play is beyond me... why is it up to the player to go up to the coach to ask what his intentions are going forward? a coach's job is to manage his players & get the guys all on the same page... part of doing that is through communication.