Would D'Antoni have the cajones for suc a bold move? Hey, that's why he gets the BIG paycheck, right? Make it so. Send a message that the best 5 play. This is New York. It would make great headlines for about a week so the media is happy for a set up storyline to attach juicy headlines to.

Douglas did a decent job and will only improve with experience. Billups adds much needed offense with the second shift. It makes too much sense. Billups, if playing well, can always finish games. If Douglas is going well - you ride him. Why? Because we all know it's not who starts but who finishes.

Most of all, defense demands fresh legs. Did I mention Douglas just turned 25?

You have to work Chauncey in and give him 10 games to get the offense. Losing him for 6 games was a setback, even if Toney played well.

People called for Raymond Felton to be benched at the beginning of the season. And those people were being too impatient.

misterearl wrote:crzymdups - this is not about early season opinions of Ray Felton, fragile egos, perceived setbacks, throwbacks or putbacks.

It is about making an intelligent, bold, lineup adjustment.

Prove it wrong from a strategic standpoint. I dare you.

Okay, Strategically, Billups is the better playmaker and captain of the ship type point guard and benching him after he's been back for two games sends the wrong message completely.

Billups is a game tested veteran who still has plenty of game - when he gets comfortable in this offense, the team will be better for it.

Does Phoenix start Steve Nash or Aaron Brooks?

I don't think starting Toney Douglas is intelligent, I think it potentially weakens both the starting lineup and the bench, because Billups could check out on a team that benches him after he's played SIX GAMES.

Chill out and have some patience. We gave Mozgov more than 6 games.

NYKBocker wrote:Billups is coming off a painful injury. Gotta give him some leeway. I just don't trust that TD is there. He just takes way too many ill advised shots for my taste.

The operative word here is "injury"

At 34 years old those things tend to linger longer than the published reports. Chauncey, like any warrior, is trying to battle through it. He understands the politics and impact of negative press opinion. There were questions of him "dogging it" last week. That does not help on any contract extension.

With all the chatter about defense... you add a defender. Yes?

Ask not what is best for Chauncey.

What is best for the Knicks?

misterearl wrote:

NYKBocker wrote:Billups is coming off a painful injury. Gotta give him some leeway. I just don't trust that TD is there. He just takes way too many ill advised shots for my taste.

The operative word here is "injury"

At 34 years old those things tend to linger longer than the published reports. Chauncey, like any warrior, is trying to battle through it. He understands the politics and impact of negative press opinion. There were questions of him "dogging it" last week. That does not help on any contract extension.

With all the chatter about defense... you add a defender. Yes?

Ask not what is best for Chauncey.

What is best for the Knicks?

I am also in the boat of MDA asking Billups to come off the bench, and 100% of it has to do with his injury, nothing more.

Usually I am not of that opinion for this type of situation but Billups looked too out of sorts. And quick PGs were burning him with regularity, and TD looked decent to above average in the starts - it seemed to give HIM confidence too.

Towards the end of the game, you keep Chauncy a bit fresher and you go with whomever you trust at the moment. And having that extra scoring punch would indeed help the second unit.

martin wrote:I bet Chauncey is a walking Bengay scented athlete right now LOL

Back in the day when I ran track we had this orange stuff labelled "Atomic Balm"

That sh!t burned.

Starters

Douglas - Fields - Carmelo - Stoudemire - Turiaf (just 8 effective minutes in the first quarter)

Second Shift Du Jour

Billups - leadership and scoring
Carter - street toughness to pick up defensive slack in backcourt
Shawne Williams - for three
Derrick Brown - might as well see what he can do. 6'8 is still 6'8
Jeffries - comic relief

misterearl wrote:

martin wrote:I bet Chauncey is a walking Bengay scented athlete right now LOL

Back in the day when I ran track we had this orange stuff labelled "Atomic Balm"

That sh!t burned.

Google Salonpas. You will thank me later.

franco12 wrote:

martin wrote:

misterearl wrote:

martin wrote:I bet Chauncey is a walking Bengay scented athlete right now LOL

Back in the day when I ran track we had this orange stuff labelled "Atomic Balm"

That sh!t burned.

Starters

Douglas - Fields - Carmelo - Stoudemire - Turiaf (just 8 effective minutes in the first quarter)

Second Shift Du Jour

Billups - leadership and scoring
Carter - street toughness to pick up defensive slack in backcourt
Shawne Williams - for three
Derrick Brown - might as well see what he can do. 6'8 is still 6'8
Jeffries - comic relief

I like it.

Not sure why MDA has gone away from Carter when the dude brought it and earned it. Would love to see Brown. The team needs hustle and energy.

The same reason we've seen MDA not play guys.

There was a quote in the paper- I think it was AC's break out game against Miami, and it was something to the effect that MDA told him to be ready the game before, but MDA lost track of him on the bench, and that was why he never got in.

Serious.

Maybe MDA is too old- he can't keep track of all his marbles and tools.

I understand playing a short rotation, but wtf is up with MDA & AC? Clearly, MDA does not have a grip on all his assets.

well, in all fairness, whose minutes would you cut to see AC get some burn? Billups is 2 games back and prob will get 25-32 minutes. TD is good for 30 minutes. Landry is good for 30 minutes. AC is def not a SG. You are talking about 100 minutes at the PG/SG spots. And if you need a shooter, Mason has been decent over the past 4 games.

we didnt trade our starting pg for a backup.