Did you see TD surprise Conly or Mayo when he penetrated to about the free throw?
We are easier to read than a book, resorting to isolation plays, and taking bad shots but hitting them.
Iman is the only SG we have, we have no PGs, we have no PF/C after Amare, we have no 2 way players that are shooters, and we have no post presence after Melo.
Thunder is going to RAPE us Saturday, Iman is going to see he isn't the only athletic beast in the NBA, and he will learn day by day.

Our 2nd unit has to find a cohesive unit to bring it when our 1st unit doesn't perform, our 1st unit has to to learn to move without the ball, and we have to learn to move the ball.
As great as Melo is, he isn't greater than all that DEPTH we gave away, I believe you can make a big 3 but DEPTH is still needed, however, our big 3 doesn't work well together.

misterearl wrote:

smackeddog wrote:Melo and Stat don't seem to have any basketball interaction when they're on the court together- I remember earlier in the season I was pleased when Melo passed the ball and Stat dunked it and thought it was the beginnings of them developing some chemistry. But it hasn't actually progressed since then- there just isn't much back and forth passing between them. Maybe Stat being out with the injury for a few games slowed things down, but I'd like to see them develop some sort of rythm. Hopefully they'll have some by the end of the season.

"Basketball interaction" is a perfect way of stating it smackeddog. The evidence of players ENJOYING being on the floor together is not there with Stoudemire and Anthony. Can we count (on one hand) the number of times they pass to one another?

Forget being stars and set a pick for one other.

MELO and STAT are both ISO players who never have been asked to assimilate their talents
into team basketball. Barkley said it well last night when he said, "After 5-6 years in the league, you are what you are....and you're not gonna change." I agree with this assessment.

Dolan pushed for MELO/AMARE for a simple reason....put fannies in the seats. This was a myopic move because these two stars cannot co-exist on the court productivity-wise.

I stated last week that we should try to move AMARE (even if we have to eat some of his contract).
I am NOT a believer in the need for a three headed monster aka MIAMI and feel that we should build a team around MELO SF, Chandler C, and Shump SG. While we're at it, we should find a coach in the mold of JVG to bring this all together. MDA ain't cutting it in NY.

crzymdups wrote:The idea that Amar'e is an ISO player is so so wrong.

Amar'e is a pick and roll player. He thrives on ball movement.

Melo is an ISO player. He thrives on getting lots of reps with the ball on the wing in his spot.

That's why I'm not sure they can mesh. Melo can try to pass, but it's not really his game. His game is very very very good though.

I think Ideally you have Amar'e in the middle with Tyson on one side and Melo on the other side on offense. You need a pick and roll point guard who can run a pick and roll with Amar'e, Tyson flashes from the weak side, Melo spots up and does his ISO thing from the other side.

A real point guard who can see the possibilities of those three options is really all this team needs.

Baron is that man.

Disagree. When AMARE gets into his head that he's gonna bully his way to the rack (and consistently draw offensive fouls in the process)....he becomes an ISO player.

And, putting all of our hope on Baron Davis to "be that man" mentality....will come back to bite us HARD. He's still several weeks away and it will take weeks for him to mesh with the team.
Don't kid yourself....BDiddy may not help us at all this year.

I would trade AMARE right now for a young PG with distributing and three point skills
and a PF who is a team player, rebounder, decent passer and good defender. Put Shump at SG and roll with it.

KNICKSBIGCATS wrote:

Disagree. When AMARE gets into his head that he's gonna bully his way to the rack (and consistently draw offensive fouls in the process)....he becomes an ISO player.

Yes, but he only does that when the team ocntinues to spectacularly fail to either score, or pass him the ball to place he can score. He get's fed up and tries to carry the team by creating something himself, but it never works!- he only become an ISO player out of despiration- give him a good PG and I guarantee you won't see him doing that.

crzymdups wrote:

KNICKSBIGCATS wrote:

crzymdups wrote:The idea that Amar'e is an ISO player is so so wrong.

Amar'e is a pick and roll player. He thrives on ball movement.

Melo is an ISO player. He thrives on getting lots of reps with the ball on the wing in his spot.

That's why I'm not sure they can mesh. Melo can try to pass, but it's not really his game. His game is very very very good though.

I think Ideally you have Amar'e in the middle with Tyson on one side and Melo on the other side on offense. You need a pick and roll point guard who can run a pick and roll with Amar'e, Tyson flashes from the weak side, Melo spots up and does his ISO thing from the other side.

A real point guard who can see the possibilities of those three options is really all this team needs.

Baron is that man.

Disagree. When AMARE gets into his head that he's gonna bully his way to the rack (and consistently draw offensive fouls in the process)....he becomes an ISO player.

And, putting all of our hope on Baron Davis to "be that man" mentality....will come back to bite us HARD. He's still several weeks away and it will take weeks for him to mesh with the team.
Don't kid yourself....BDiddy may not help us at all this year.

So when Amar'e starts playing the wrong way... then he's an ISO player? Ok. But that's not the Amar'e I want on this team. I think it makes more sense to put the players on this roster in positions to succeed at what they can actually do well, not ask them to be something they're not. Asking Amar'e to be Kevin Garnet, as AnusibADL did, is absurd.

And I think you're wrong about Baron.

I don't expect him to be the player he was on GSW in 2k7. I expect him to be close to the player he was last year in Cleveland. Which is exactly what this team needs.

Baron will be fine.

ABSOLUTELY agree, Crzy....you put people where they can be successful.

I don't want AMARE to play like this either on this team. He is not playing smart, he's trying to take over games and other teams use that against us. This is now MELO's team; Amare is not a good defender and his explosiveness is missing. When two superstars make MAX PLUS money and can't co-exist, there has to be a resolution. AMARE is grossly overpaid for what he is producing right now and I don't see that changing much.
The solution is trading AMARE while he's still got some major value for a PG and PF who can thrive and succeed in our system. If we can open up the CAP a bit, deepen the bench, and acquire some drafts picks in the process, it's a win/win/win.

Finally, I'll keep an open mind regarding Baron Davis....but I remain skeptical; let's revisit this in a few months, okay? I'll surely man-up if I'm wrong....but...like Sir Charles says...."I don't think I am."

Our problems will be solved with a point guard. And if not, then we have to do something to get this roster balanced. But I think Baron is going to be the difference.

Q. columbian - Who else can we get?

A. I understand Qyntel Woods is thinking about a comeback

columbian - We need to move Amare.

The coaching staff needs to convince Amar'e that Steve Nash is not walking through that door and this ain't Phoenix... or last seasons Knicks for that matter.
With the apparent talent on the court for our starters, there is no reason anyone should shoot facing a double team.

If the two so-called "stars" continue the habit of playing selfish ball, there is NOTHING Baron Davis can do to change that.

GustavBahler wrote:

misterearl wrote:

smackeddog wrote:Melo and Stat don't seem to have any basketball interaction when they're on the court together- I remember earlier in the season I was pleased when Melo passed the ball and Stat dunked it and thought it was the beginnings of them developing some chemistry. But it hasn't actually progressed since then- there just isn't much back and forth passing between them. Maybe Stat being out with the injury for a few games slowed things down, but I'd like to see them develop some sort of rythm. Hopefully they'll have some by the end of the season.

"Basketball interaction" is a perfect way of stating it smackeddog. The evidence of players ENJOYING being on the floor together is not there with Stoudemire and Anthony. Can we count (on one hand) the number of times they pass to one another?

Forget being stars and set a pick for one other.

I agree 100%. The two best players on the team and two of NBA's best, need to be able to be in synch, especially in crunch time. They could be a hell of a one two punch if they worked at it, but from outward appearances it doesn't look like they have or want to. I believe their lack of chemistry is partly to blame for the Knicks record since Melo got here.

I also agree about setting picks for each other as well. Its like they've carved out their own little kingdoms on this squad and interact only when absolutely necessary. I'm not suggesting its unfriendly, just as many other have pointed out, two alpha dogs trying to get along. If they can't do it by the end of the season then changes should be made.

If freakin' Kurt Thomas can work the pick and pop with Marcus Camby... why can't Stoudemire trust Carmelo to get him the ball if he sets a high pick, and vice versa. Imagine the attention it would draw to that side of the floor, leaving Landry open to cut to the rack... and Shumpert free for mid-range jump shots taken at moderate volume.

By the first week in March, The Dynamic Duo will have been together for approximately the length of one full NBA season.

If the co-captains are not exchanging high fives on a regular basis, after 80+ games, something is wrong.