This is the first year in a very long time around here I have seen the coach have a clear and tangible effect on the level of play and the development of players.

I think Gallo is doing well. Al is Al... he's going to put up shots. Duhon was really horrible early on and is now quite serviceable. Hughes had a nice stretch and is back where he started. Kind of whatever of those guys.

However Lee, Chandler and JJ are playing at a level I think most around here could have only hoped for.

Lee's development is astounding. He's one of the more skilled big in the league. He handles the ball. He's got range. He cleans the glass. He gets assists. MDA has given him the biggest role on this team. He's the key guy here and he's delivered. 19ppg, 11rpg and 57% FGs.

Chandler's turnaround this season really speaks volumes about how he is coached. The effort is always there. But he's really changed his game and how he fits here. Shot selection and defense have been so improved.
Chandler in Oct-Nov 32 minutes, 11.9ppg, 5rpg, 40% FGs
Chandler in Dec-Jan 36 minutes, 17.2ppg, 6rpg, 51% FGs

And JJ...
we all would and could trade him for a fart in the wind to clear cap space for next year. But a guy thats been regarded as nothing but an albatross contract with YMCA skills plays a vital role on this team.
Jeffries team +/- numbers?
+3 on the court, -4.5 off the court +7.5 differential. He's played 50% of the minutes this season. Thats a tangible impact (he's got the highest team +/- on the Knicks).

For the first time since 33 was patrolling the paint I actually feel good about this management and this coaching staff. Feels kinda weird to be honest.

fishmike wrote:

holfresh wrote:
Can we surpass last year's win total before we run MDA into Knick HOF....

didnt mention HOF... yes or no, is this team well coached?

Being that you were the most outspoken supporter of Isiah and Marbury this should be interesting.

3 of the 4 players you laud in your opening was brought here by Isiah...

djsunyc wrote:and was last year one of the worst coaching you've seen since riley?

One of the worst? I cant say that... we started out very good w/ Zach and Crawford. That was a playoff team. The rest of the year was throwing **** against the wall and seeing what stuck.

Once we tanked the season for 2010 cap space the only MO at that point is to play Chandler/Gallo heavy minutes for the purpose of development. Chandler did that

holfresh wrote:
3 of the 4 players you laud in your opening was brought here by Isiah...

by Isiah The GM

kam77 wrote:

holfresh wrote:
3 of the 4 players you laud in your opening was brought here by Isiah...

by Isiah The GM

Is that his alta ego...

holfresh wrote:

fishmike wrote:

holfresh wrote:

fishmike wrote:

holfresh wrote:
Can we surpass last year's win total before we run MDA into Knick HOF....

didnt mention HOF... yes or no, is this team well coached?

Being that you were the most outspoken supporter of Isiah and Marbury this should be interesting.

3 of the 4 players you laud in your opening was brought here by Isiah...

Imagine if Isiah hadnt traded Ariza? Drafted Bynum? Does it matter? Isiah's tenure here represents one of the worst jobs in pro sports.

Anyway....

lets try again...

yes or no, is this team well coached?

I'll wait until the end of the season to cast judgement...But glad he scrapped SSOL and caved into to playing some Defense...

Regardless... whats the end of the year have to do with it? What if Walsh trades Harrington, Curry, JJ and Chandler and gets nothing back but expiring junk contracts and some late picks? If that happened we will surely take a major hit trading 3 of your key guys. Whats that got to with coaching?

Right now, is this team well coached?

TMS wrote:just curious, do u think the team Lenny Wilkins had was more talented than the one we have now?

2004-05 Knicks

C - Nazr Mohammed / Mo Taylor
PF - Kurt Thomas / Mike Sweetney / Malik Rose
SF - Tim Thomas / Jerome Williams / Trevor Ariza
SG - Jamal Crawford / Penny Hardaway
PG - Stephon Marbury / Moochie Norris
IR - Vin Baker / Bruno Sundov / Jermaine Jackson / Allan Houston / Jamison Brewer / Jackie Butler

It WAS
Marbury
Crawford
KVH
Kurt
Doleac
And that was the team that got us the wins to make the playoffs, and it was a pretty good squad. You had a drive an dish PG and 3-4 bigmen who could drill that jumper all night. Also KVH and Kurt were great rebounders and we defended pretty well also.

More talent? I dont know, but they were a well assembled group, that is all had complimenting skills.

Is it really a surprise that a coach with MDA's record and respect around the league could do this? IMO no. I said during the losing that his team would not stay down and would eventually play MUCH better. I think people are also bashing what MDA did last year when really that's not fair either. Before DW made those moves, MDA had things going pretty good. He figured out a way to use the guys we had and I think for the most part even tho we lost games, the team was into it and playing hard.

Now this year he has really had a chance to get comfortable with his roster and how to use them. Great coaches get more out of weak rosters than expected and MDA is doing that with this team. The 3-14 thru November was a mixture of guys slumping, losing confidence and the coach not really having the right handle on the team. MDA would admit that he didn't really have a feel for the club early. Since then he changed his approach and adjusted things so that the team is now playing at a very good level for the talent we have.

crzymdups wrote:i think D'Antoni has done a very good job this season - better than expected. He has Gallo, Chandler, DLee, Jeffries and Duhon playing as a solid, respectable unit. He's taking advantage of our strengths and doing a solid job of minimizing our weaknesses.

But I'm not ready to say he's done a better job here than Van Gundy, who did some great work with Ewing in and out of the lineup over a 5 year stretch.

Only difference with JVG is that he was standing on work done by Riley. It's like the coach in PHX now who is basically using everything that MDA taught him and his team and adding to that base. In this case there was no system or base in place and MDA has had to figure out how to get these guys to play at their best from scratch and the players have had to do the same. Developing a chemistry and a style on D that can work for the guys we have. At least JVG had a group of seasoned defenders to work with.