Posted by islesfan:

Posted by SugarRayRichardson:

Posted by islesfan:

Posted by SugarRayRichardson:

We have gone to Curry late in games whenever we can. He has had several key shots and 1's late in games but opposing teams are not dumb. They had Eddy doubled when he didnt even have the ball. They were not going to let Curry beat them. They forced us to our 2nd option.

Curry wasn't getting the ball in the final minute yesterday. It wasn't even an option.

Actually it was the very first option if you listened to Jcraw after the game but I guess you know better. LOL

After the Kings had gone up 97-96, Thomas called a play for Curry. Crawford saw that the center was struggling to get position in the low post and that the man defending him, Martin, was feeling for a screen.

Even when the play was called for Eddy Curry to get the ball coming out of a timeout with 26.2 seconds left in the game, Curry was not expecting it to ever get to him because the ball started in Crawford's hands.

"I didn't really think he was going to pass it, honestly," Curry said of the go-ahead basket that Crawford scored with 18.3 seconds left in the Knicks' 102-97 win over the Sacramento Kings yesterday. "He's the big shot. He takes the big shots at the end of the game. I expect that from him. A lot of teams expect it, but it's hard to stop him."

"It's weird because I was cold the whole game," Crawford said. "My teammates and coaches have the utmost confidence in me. The play really was for Eddy to get a deep post-up and if it's not there, then come set a screen-and-roll. I saw him coming, fighting for position and I tried to take advantage of that."

[Edited by - SugarRayRichardson on 01-16-2007 10:50 AM]

It's funny how it never seems to make it to Curry in those situations. Something always seems to happen.

I guess you missed the Cavs game and the Bobcats first game and the huge and 1's.
If a team is going to double the post you dont force it. You go to your 2nd option. The other teams know Curry is the first option and are determined to take it away. They would rather a perimeter player try to beat them then have Curry get the ball 5 feet from the hoop. Its common sense

Posted by islesfan:

then why do the Knicks constantly go to Crawford at the end of close games?

Shouldn't Curry be the go to guy if he's half as good as people here are making him out to be offensively?

i don't know... why was Shaq not consistently getting the ball downlow on those Laker teams, or on the Heat? maybe the team is concerned about his FT shooting? or maybe they don't want to risk a big turnover in a huge moment in the game? or maybe teams are consistently doubling on him down low? there can be a whole range of answers to this one.

teams w/players who can create their own shot off the dribble consistently go to those guys in the closing seconds of games because defenses batten down on the interior game & cut off all passing lanes... so it's largely a 1 on 1 type situation, as it's always been for as long as i've been watching basketball.

maybe you ought to ask the same question to the Spurs for why they don't consistently go down low to Duncan in the closing seconds of games & rather let Parker or Manu take their men off the dribble? or why the Rockets traditionally went to either Francis (when he was there) or T-Mac over Yao in similar situations?

Great thread IslesFan !

The answer to your question is this: Eddy Curry is not a franchise player, therefore he can't and doesn't get the ball in crunch time.

These guys want this thread moved to the basement for one reason. They like lying to themselves

[Edited by - jrzyhustla on 01-16-2007 11:09 AM]

Its weird how people simply choose to ignore the truth. Isiah, Jcraw and Curry all said the original play was to get Curry the ball in the post if possible. Those 3 people were in the time out designing the play. You were not, lol. :)

Ok...maybe he is an option....but honestly, I wouldn't want him to be if we were in a last possession scenario.

remember the big AND ONE! against the bulls.
He's the first option because he can get the ball in the hole after the foul.
But the best response was that he WAS the option on that play.
he couldn't get open and that led to the bucket by craw.

If this is the SAT thread, do we all pass?

these are our babyknicks...they are all just babies.

Kobe is arguably the best player in the league as is Wade.

Give them time...give them time.

Kobe started as a game winner specialist as well...he's also the king of the one on one move...

What Crawford lacks is defense. and defense wins champio...you know the rest.

In terms of the end of the game heroics, crawford is comparable to wade and kobe.

maybe the mistake is beginning a discussion on the final play of the game and extrapolating to bodies of work?

Posted by islesfan:

then why do the Knicks constantly go to Crawford at the end of close games?

Shouldn't Curry be the go to guy if he's half as good as people here are making him out to be offensively?

For one thing, Crawford led the league in game-winning shots in the final five seconds last year (he even hit one that Ben Gordon negated with a ridiculous shot in Chicago). For another thing, we actually HAVE gone to Curry in the final minute, but he's usually being fronted and doubled, but he has scored a few final minute buckets this year, but he's a horrible free throw shooter so if he's fouled immediately the chances of getting two points are slim to none. Crawford can create a shot for himself and rarely sees a double team. Even the great Larry Brown went to Crawford at the end of games, he's just pretty good at it. He already has, what, 3 or 4 game-winners this season?

So, while it's not like calling Crawford "Kobe" or Curry "Shaq," the basic principle is the same - it's easier to double/foul the big guy who can't shoot free throws than it is to contain the one on one perimeter player who can make a pass if you double him.

I was thinking about this. I guess Tim Duncan, Jordan, and David Robinson were scrubs since Paxxon, Kerr, Avery Johnson and robert Horry hit championship clinching shots. Also we can add Kobe and Shaq to the scrub list since Horry and Fisher hit series clinching shots during their run as well.

Posted by Anji:

Seriously when was the last time you seen a post up as the last play of the game???LOL. When Duncan takes the last shot of the game are they pounding the ball inside, or is he 15 feet away on an iso??? Post players don't get the ball at the end of games because talking away the post is the easy thing to do. So................um, Yeah. Basement??? Please.

Last time? Yesterday, when the Kings needed a bucket and went to Shareef for the go-ahead score with 0:26 left.

The problem with Eddy late in games isnt his FTs or clutch play. Hell, even if he misses FTs there's a good shot he's going to dunk or be shooting an and-1. Eddy sits late for the same reason Skiles sat him late. His defense is so bad he instantly gives the team a 60% scoring option to go to.

This is why mentioning Ewing, Shaq and Eddy in the same line says how little you know about the game. Shaq and Ewing had a great presense on defense and totally dominated the glass. Eddy collects some rebounds during the game and simply does nothing on defense. Its almost insulting to watch, but he scores and scores well. Points show up in the stat sheet so people eat it up and believe the hype.

We cant break .500 for any kind of stretch of games. Eddy's play on that "other" side of the court is a big reason for that.

Posted by islesfan:

Posted by JohnWallace44:

They go to Curry late now, its just that when the game is coming down to the final minutes the guards have to have the ball to run clock. Eddy can't stand there and dribble for ten seconds like Nate, Steph or Craw.

Then why was Ewing a go to guy?

who did you want with the ball in their hands besides derek Harper when he was here? Starks? Ward? Childs? Gerald wilkens? Eddie lee wilkins? I think the fact that jamal gets the shot down the stretch is more of a compliment to jamal than an indictment on curry...