Finestrg wrote:Just got done watching a replay of yesterday's game against the Pistons. A few observations:(1) Interview with D'Antoni - Very strange interview. Seems excited enough about all the new acquisitions but had some real strange things to say about Landry Fields. Started out by commenting a few times about what a "surprise" he's been so far which was an odd choice of words imo. Really? How is he a surprise Mike? You drafted him, you should know exactly what he can do. Nothing he's doing right now should come as a surprise to MDA, only to guys like me that never really heard of him. Then a little later when Clyde was asking him about Gallo and what he's up to, MDA responded with "I don't know...He better be ready though 'cause we've got some guys to fill in like Henry Fields.." Henry Fields?? WTF? Who's that? LOL!! I had to rewind it just to make sure I heard him correctly. Almost as bad as when Donnie was referring to MDA as "D'Antonio" when he first hired him..It all tells me MDA had absolutely nothing whatsoever to do with the Fields pick. Makes you wonder who exactly is responsible for player evaluation and ultimately making the selections..I think it's safe to assume Donnie Walsh didn't come up with Landry Fields on his own..I would just like to know who's in charge throughout the whole drafting process because it sounds like the final say isn't coming from the top (Donnie & Mike)..Whoever it is deserves to be commended in this instance because the kid can play.. MDA went on to criticize the dude a little too, saying he's got a flat shot among other things. Surprising considering he's played consistently at such a high level in every game so far. Not sure what to make of these comments -- might not bode well for this young man...A few mins. later when running through all the players, Mike mentioned Bill Walker losing "40 lbs." Really Mike? WTF dude, have you even talked to him? Just looking at Walker for a couple of games now, I don't even know if the whole "he lost 25 lbs." thing is completely accurate. We hear this type of stuff every summer with guys (remember when Channing Frye supposedly put on 20 lbs. of muscle?? 
) Walker looks pretty much the same to me..MDA kinda off his game in this interview a little bit..
(3) TD - didn't look great yesterday. We'll be OK now with Ray Felton getting the bulk of the minutes at the point but I still feel we could benefit from an upgrade at backup point over Douglas somewhere along the way.
(4) Landry Fields - continues to impress. Looks like a fairly complete package -- scorer/rebounder, smart, crafty, runs the floor well, can handle it a little bit, good passer..Very nice pick..
(5) Jerome Jordan - played better and sounds like a mature kid when Tina spoke to him at halftime..As much work as he needs physically, he needs to learn the game -- committed 10 fouls yesterday..That's way too many..He was a good investment by the Knicks though -- now I want to see the team put in the necessary time and effort into developing him into an NBA player.
(6) Rautins - a little better yesterday but he still looks overmatched.
(7) Leo Lyons - getting a little bit of a look the last two games but doesn't look like an NBA player unfortunately.
(8) Charles Garcia - finally gets a cup of coffee but it might be too late. Giving Garcia ample PT should've been a priority right from the start. You almost get the feeling they don't like him for whatever reason (he's obviously not hurt, we know that now)..It a shame because I've been reading about his unique skillset for some time now..Kinda get the feeling that we'll never really find out what this kid's all about..Kind of a shame when you think about it. I'm a little disappointed in Dan D'Antoni's refusal to give this kid enough of a look..Very puzzling. I guess they know something we don't - maybe there are character or work ethic issues we don't know about.
I always find MDA to be a strange interview- not your usual coach answers at times, and he is willing to point out the warts on his players.
Some comments:
I love Fields, and feel he will eventually make Walker expendable, but his comment about his shot and his D is just dead on correct. Houston will work on his shot- he definitely needs more of an arc on it.
I think that Rautins was his boy in the draft, no doubt about it.
Jordan better start the year in the DL, probably with Rautins. Thought he had a better interior game. Has he even tried to show off his hook shot yet?
Garcia was one of the undrafted guys I really wanted to see get minutes, along with Wittman. I think they determine minutes based on how guys have performed in practice- tells me that Garcia has not shown enough in their team workouts to warrant playing time.
Lyons does not seem to be NBA material at this time.
Rautins did look better, and they gave him the chance to play PG, but his shot was still flat. Have not given up on him, but he should be starting in the DL unless he really comes alive during pre-season.
For me, TD has been a disappointment in terms of showing that he has learned how to be a PG. Does not make the guys around him better, and has shown a surprising shoot first mentality this summer.
No man is happy without a delusion of some kind. Delusions are as necessary to our happiness as realities- C.N. Bovee
7/16/2010 9:34 PM LAST EDITED: 7/16/2010 9:34 PM
