I actually think Rambis has done some good things with this team. Sure we may have wanted to see this team move on to playing the kids but at the same time it's important to establish some better habits rather than just throwing the players out there when they aren't doing the right things. He seems to be making changes to how this team prepares and that makes sense on many levels.
His comments about the way the team practices make a lot of sense. It's not just about the kids on this roster. There are players who are going to be here going forward too and they also have to continue to be developed the right way. Doesn't help to just throw kids out there if they don't know what they're doing. If they show it in practice then they can play.
Kurt Rambis revealed that 59 games into the season the Knicks “are not connected” which is why the interim head coach has the players scrimmaging more since he replaced Derek Fisher.“Even though we got some older veteran ball players on our team, this is a relatively new team,” Rambis said on Thursday. “I use the word immature but I don’t mean not having the maturity as individuals but just the growth process and how long these guys have been together and know how to work off of each other and help each other.
“They are not connected that way yet. You don’t get enough of it just by playing games, we got to be out there on the court so that they can actually work on timing and talk about timing and hey this is what I was thinking, what were you thinking on that play so they get better communication so they have an understanding out there. So that is something that I am trying to get time out there on the court so that growth process can speed up a little bit.”
It is Rambis’ belief that in order to develop chemistry the players need to work together more as opposed to simply working on their individual games.
“I wanted to change when we came in here is to get more scrimmage time, where defense is out there and they got to read and react and deal with physical contact but also put more guys in 2-on-2 and 3-on-3 situations which is what we are doing out here because those are actions happen in games rather than guys just working by themselves,” he added.
“Our coaches are pretty good passers. It’s our players that need to work their passing. So they are the ones that have to be working on moving the basketball too and that ability to move the ball to your teammate in right place, right time, right rhythm, all of that stuff is part of being connected and playing together.”
Talent-wise, the Knicks (24-35) should be competing for a playoff spot with the likes of the Pacers, Hornets and Pistons yet Phil Jackson’s club sits in 13th place. The Raptors are certainly a better team than the Knicks but are they 14 games better?
“They got to think like winners and believe like they are winners,” Rambis said. “I agree with you. We have talented guys on this ball club but talent is not enough. This talent has got to play together.
“When this talent is combined with the unity that you have to have out there on the court, then we will be fine. When we are doing it right, we are playing really well. But we can’t just sustain or maintain it.”
http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/basketball/knicks/rambis-knicks-scrimmaging-calls-team-immature-article-1.2544102
2/23/2016 6:23 PM