In the bigger picture Melo coming here under great fanfare wants to deliver and succeed. I don't doubt his sincerity. In the face of a tough opponent like we are facing he plays to his isolation strength trying hard to live up to his star billing. If he can succeed individually at least he is absolved from certain criticism. Melo can still keep his star billing. He is under a lot of pressure.

Amare subconsciously bailed on us. With his back, brother and facing his fading star he freaking lost it. There is a boiling point for everyone. Jordan had a very high sociopath like tolerance for pain and pressure performing great feats. Not everyone can be like Mike. This is Lebrons greatest challenge.

Shump had indicated against the Clippers it felt like the playoffs. In his first playoff game, he blew his knee out.

Is there a physical connection between stress and injury? Of course there is. Is that the reason Shump got hurt? I doubt it. Or Billups blowing his achilles? I doubt it? Or Amare's back went out last year in playoff? I doubt it. Or in anger he punched glass/plasitc in anger and basically took hiimself out of the playoff? I doubt it.

But I'd call a leading sports psychologist and ask him these questions because its starting to add up. I'd also By Phil Jax a steak and ask him about players able to stay healthy and mentally focused during intense pressure. The "Zen" thing worked. Jax took all star talent and forged them into champions. He took role players like Kerr, Paxton, Wennington, Longly and others and thru the years came up big in moments to win games.

Cuz under such pressure our guys are melting physically and mentally. This year, like last the team has not risen to the challange of playoff basketball.

I agree, this group is just mentally soft.

The knicks have a lot going against them, but they can't execute basic things like moving the ball on offense. This isn't hockey where teams in the play offs are suddenly able to mug players and not get called for it- though Miami nearly has been able to with the refs.

RoyBatty wrote:I'd have to agree. This team is playing at its level and not elevating in the playoffs. Ball movement is not crisp. (Some credit goes to Miami for that, but it's also because of weaknesses at several positions.)

Fields is showing us why he was a second round pick. He is good in certain circumstances, but not in others. And we are in the "others" category right now. He needs to shoot reliably when left free, he can't. He has weak off the ball sense on defense.

Melo plays hard, but his ability to exploit a double team to find an open team mate is similarly inconsistent. (Part of me blames the coach for this; there's got to be a way to get someone free in a position to score once Melo faces a double team and then get Melo to make that pass). And he seems to have gained weight in a way that has slowed his ability to slash to the basket or elevate consistently.

Our PG spot is atrocious. Baron is playing through lots of stuff, so I put this less on him. At some point he's got to adjust his game more to his physical limits. And did someone do a Clockwork Orange on Toney Douglas and a basketball. Guy's just lost..it.

Amare. He's been dissected enough. I think he wants to give the effort, but is just so weak fundamentally, he gets lost.

I'm still one step away from throwing this team out the door. And we can't. No one will take Amare unless we offer them Lin. And he's not someone we should give away until we see a full season of him healthy ..

The team is being outclassed by a better team and if no injury--Miami will be this good or better for the next 3 years. That is the consideration here.
I would probably say that there will be people who want to have radical changes--but that is not happening because this is a lock 2nd round playoff team if together 82 games. We do however need improvement and we are staring player departure right in the face. Novaks value--to me has dropped because he simply has little effect here--bottom line. Landry Fields has been terrible in the playoffs two years running. Were not moving Stoudemire---so I believe strongly that we need to move him to sixth man(still at 30 minutes) which creates more space for Carmelo and Chandler(who needs to score more to help make the team better). That is my own in-house remedy for what we have here---move Stoudemire to 6th man Fields to 8th man and concentrate on getting Chandler the ball more and bringing back a healthy Lin at PG. Obviously there are more holes there---but its all speculative at this point.

Jmpasq wrote:Its not about mental Toughness its about being completely outmatched athletically.Its not just the Knicks its every team. The Knicks were good enough to beat everyone but this team in the First round "Bulls -Rose".The Knicks are going to have to get a lot more physical if they have any chance against this Heat team in the playoffs next year. U know what I see know way they can get past Miami until those guys split up

No doubt Miami is the better team. Its the self destruction aspect now two years in a row that is of concern.

Its one thing to be beaten if you bring your best. I play tennis and I am just fine to lose to a better opponent if I play up to my potential. There are times fatigue takes over and I do stupid things. Yeah I want to hit things. I recall on my Junior high team the guy starting in front of me got mad and hit the pad. Too bad behind the pad was a pipe. He broke his wrist. I beat out thee others to get the job and lead the team in scoring. (Eventually Mr Broken Wrist grows to 6-4 and Nalod stops at 5'9")

My point (besides keep growing) is keeping ones cool. Mr. Broken wrist was a good friend of mine and over time he had self destructive tendancies in part because his pops beat the snot out of him.

I'll leave the psycho babble to Marv and Bonn but this team has issues. Its had issues for years.

Maybe its the intensity of being in NYC that can inhibit a mans potential for greatness?

Tyson Chandler who has had a wonderful healthy season at the moment of playoff truth gets a virus? Tyson is a champion and one tough hombre but is it coincidence or a subconsious defense mechanism?

Perhaps Lebron was right to not come here.

I was hoping at the very least the team would give Miami a good match and at least be able to say they threw everything at them but they were just better.

Maybe we don't ever want to hear our "heroes" say such things.

I think this team needs another year to gel with the current lineup if possible, with hopefully some tweaks here and there. We've had terrible luck with injuries. There are certainly other issues having to do with coaching, etc., but isn't it more likely that we've met a better team when we're far-below full-strength? We can over-analylze this and make it seem a lot more complicated than it really is.

BasketballJones wrote:Hmm. I think the team is turning the corner on the "psychological" issues, and a lot of that has to do with Lin. For the first time in forever the Knicks got lucky and found a diamond in the rough. Everyone was feeling good about the team again. Then he was injured...

I think this team needs another year to gel with the current lineup if possible, with hopefully some tweaks here and there. We've had terrible luck with injuries. There are certainly other issues having to do with coaching, etc., but isn't it more likely that we've met a better team when we're far-below full-strength? We can over-analylze this and make it seem a lot more complicated than it really is.

Completely agree.

ramtour420 wrote:

BasketballJones wrote:Hmm. I think the team is turning the corner on the "psychological" issues, and a lot of that has to do with Lin. For the first time in forever the Knicks got lucky and found a diamond in the rough. Everyone was feeling good about the team again. Then he was injured...

I think this team needs another year to gel with the current lineup if possible, with hopefully some tweaks here and there. We've had terrible luck with injuries. There are certainly other issues having to do with coaching, etc., but isn't it more likely that we've met a better team when we're far-below full-strength? We can over-analylze this and make it seem a lot more complicated than it really is.

Completely agree.

Do you realize that we are not the only team in the NBA with injured players, right?

mrKnickShot wrote:

Bonn1997 wrote:The most clutch player in the league does not buckle under pressure. This is all part of Melo's rope-a-dope plan.

Yeah its nice for KD to be able to shoot 5-18 and still win because of Westbrook (and Harden) - barely win both games against Dallas at home!

But let Melo go into Miami against the all world by himself (oh I am sorry with Baron Davis)! 12-26

Who held it together Sunday when Kobe could not throw it in the ocean? OH - Bynum had a triple double!

Now isn't that special?

Yeah but it make's too much sense so many will ignore.

KnicksFE wrote:

mrKnickShot wrote:

KnicksFE wrote:

ramtour420 wrote:

BasketballJones wrote:Hmm. I think the team is turning the corner on the "psychological" issues, and a lot of that has to do with Lin. For the first time in forever the Knicks got lucky and found a diamond in the rough. Everyone was feeling good about the team again. Then he was injured...

I think this team needs another year to gel with the current lineup if possible, with hopefully some tweaks here and there. We've had terrible luck with injuries. There are certainly other issues having to do with coaching, etc., but isn't it more likely that we've met a better team when we're far-below full-strength? We can over-analylze this and make it seem a lot more complicated than it really is.

Completely agree.

Do you realize that we are not the only team in the NBA with injured players, right?

So which team in the playoffs has lost their starting 1, 2, and their 5 gets too sick to really play?

Who is dealing with anything similar?

Don't say chicago because its not close and I doubt they are going to far.

Well Chandler played so don’t give me this thing about being sick, a lot players are not 100% healthy these days, but they still play, so good for Chandler.

1. Chicago Bulls is not about whether they go far or not, instead it is about how they regroup as a team and still play hard and smart regardless of the adversity.

2. Orlando, lost Howard (or he checked out earlier, whatever) this team with little talent was able to steal home court advantage and win game one against the Pacers.

3. Memphis lost Zach Randolph (arguably their best player) for most of the season and still end up with home advantage in the first round.

4. Atlanta lost Al Harford (arguably their best player) for the entire season and still finished with home court advantage in the first round.

5. Clippers lost their starting shooting guard Billups and just lost their starting small forward Caron Butler, yet they just pulled one of the biggest comebacks in recent history.

You see, I’m not expecting the Knicks to win the series against the Heat, however, after all the improvement they showed in the last 24 games, I was expecting better from them, instead right now we are playing again like it is the first game of the regular season, with no identity defensively or offensively. Enough with the excuses, this is the playoff man.