Sounds like we found that hidden Twolves fan...

Knicks redux to 1990
http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9C0CE4DE143CF936A35751C1A966958260&sec=&spon=&pagewanted=all


Knicks Give MacLeod a Good Look at What's Wrong
By CLIFTON BROWN
Published: December 5, 1990

In a shockingly inept performance, the Knicks lost to the Orlando Magic, 113-102, at Madison Square Garden, and the game magnified all of the Knicks' problems for the new coach to see. They were outrebounded. They were outhustled. They were slow getting back on defense. They committed costly turnovers. And they were booed heartedly by many of the 14,430 fans.

If the Knicks continue to play this poorly, it will hardly matter whether John MacLeod or John McEnroe coaches the team. New York (7-9) has lost six of its last seven games, and its home record fell to 3-6. Now MacLeod knows how Stu Jackson, who was dismissed Monday felt after some of New York's recent performances. 'Didn't Happen'

"I would've loved to have won my first game in New York, but it didn't happen," said MacLeod, trying to remain upbeat. "We gave up too many offensive rebounds and we gave up too many easy baskets. You have to box out, and when you miss a shot, you have to sprint back on defense. These are fundamental things. We're going to work on them every day in practice and believe me, we will get better."

Judging from this performance, MacLeod and the Knicks have much work to do. New York was outrebounded, 50-37, including 14-7 on the offensive boards. And the Knicks committed 21 turnovers, which led to 22 Orlando points. Patrick Ewing led New York with 28 points.

Several Knicks turned in woeful performances. Charles Oakley had 14 points and 8 rebounds, but he also committed 6 turnovers and 5 personal fouls. And the man Oakley defended most of the night, Terry Catledge, led Orlando with 24 points. Catledge scored 15 of those points in the first quarter, scoring and rebounding over Oakley as if he were invisible.

"It was just one of those nights when everything seemed to go wrong," Oakley said. "It was just one of those nights."

But Oakley was not alone. The starting backcourt of Maurice Cheeks and Gerald Wilkins was outplayed by Orlando's backcourt of Scott Skiles (24 points, 9 assists) and Otis Smith (11 points). Cheeks (4 points, 5 assists) was lethargic; Wilkins (7 points) hit 3 of 9 shots from the field. 17 Points for Jackson

Mark Jackson, whom MacLeod decided to bring off the bench for the first time this season, contributed 17 points and 8 assists on 8-for-14 shooting. Jackson said he was ready to accept his role off the bench, if that is what MacLeod wants. But Jackson is not ready to accept the Knicks playing so poorly.

"No matter what your role is, starting or coming off the bench, guys should be ready to play," Jackson said, obviously upset. "We just got beat tonight, outhustled and outplayed. There's no excuse for that."

Certainly, Orlando (4-13) played one of its better games and received solid contributions from a number of people. Six Orlando players reached double figures, and Greg Kite, the starting center, had 13 rebounds as the Magic won their first road game in 11 attempts this season and ended a seven-game losing streak.

As the Knicks' Kiki Vandeweghe, who had 18 points, said, "It was embarrassing, because we're not in Orlando, we're at home, a that shouldn't happen to us here."

MacLeod inserted a few new plays for the games that the Knicks were unfamiliar with, which may have contributed to some of their early tentativeness. But the players knew that did not explain how poorly they played defensively, particularly in the second half.

After an Oakley layup gave New York a 61-60 lead early in the third quarter, the Magic went on a 10-0 run and never relinquished the lead. Orlando led by as many as 13 points late in the third quarter, and MacLeod knew he had to do something.

Enter Greg Grant, the 5-foot-7-inch reserve guard who rarely plays. Grant went in with 1 minute 13 seconds remaining in the third quarter and immediately ignited a Knicks' rally. He passed to Jerrod Mustaf (a season-high 12 points) for a dunk, and forced several turnovers. And the Knicks used a full-court press sporadically throughout the second half, something MacLeod said he would do, and it created several Orlando mistakes.

But when New York pulled to 93-90 with 7:59 left, Orlando refused to fold. And when a 6-0 Magic run increased their lead from 100-95 to 106-95 with 3:30 left, the outcome was decided. Jackson Reacts>

Earlier in the day, in his first statements since being dismissed Monday as the Knicks' head coach, Stu Jackson commented cautiously and briefly, saying only that he was surprised by the decision.

"Absolutely," he said from his Westchester County home. "I think everyone was."

As for his immediate plans, Jackson, who coached the Knicks for one season plus 15 games, said: "I have absolutely none. I'm going to sit back, see what my options are, and take it from there."

And when asked if he would ever comment in detail about his dismissal, Jackson said: "I don't know if I ever will or not. I haven't decided. Right now, I've been advised not to say anything. I think anything I said now would sound like sour grapes."

Hey Bip, just for the record, I don't expect us to be good now but I'm also not biting on any guarantee that we will be good after 2010. It's a process and we have begun it, but I don't want to be around here in 2010 if things don't go right. Personally, I think alot of the 2010 free agents will re-sign with their current teams for max dollars and the whole media frenzy is a bunch of crap, but I'm sure that Walsh also knows that and is moving the ship in the right direction and is doing everything in a professional manner.

[Edited by - Rookie on 01-08-2009 5:44 PM]

Posted by Rookie:

Hey Bip, just for the record, I don't expect us to be good now but I'm also not biting on any guarantee that we will be good after 2010. It's a process and we have begun it, but I don't want to be around here in 2010 if things don't go right. Personally, I think alot of the 2010 free agents will re-sign with their current teams for max dollars and the whole media frenzy is a bunch of crap, but I'm sure that Walsh also knows that and is moving the ship in the right direction and is doing everything in a professional manner.

[Edited by - Rookie on 01-08-2009 5:44 PM]

Hey, if over the next two years he doesn't acquire a young guy, or our team doesn't develop the young guys we have then you can say we put all our eggs in the 2010 basket. But I'm with you, it's way to early to make this proclamation. The first step had to be to clear cap space and get out of the cycle we were in. There is no guarantee that any GM/Coach will bring us a winner. I do not ask them to guarantee us this. I don't ask them to be perfect either because none of them are. They all will make mistakes with free-agents, draft picks, trades etc. The only thing I ask is for them to put us in position to make positive changes. Before our only hope was to find a star in the later rounds of the draft. We had no hope to trade or sign anyone. Now we can trade. In 2 years we are a player in the free-agent market. If the guy gets us another couple of draft picks then how can you argue about anything?

Posted by sebstar:

Posted by Rookie:

The Prudential Halftime Report from the Boston - Philadelphia game played on April 5, 1987, with a special feature on the struggling New York Knicks. Starts at 6min. into the feature

Man, the Knicks have had a bad run of GM's. What gives??

And Damn!!! at that sweater that B King was wearing on the bench. And they say coke didnt fuel the '80s

Laugh@ Kenny Walker and using a draft pick on Gerald Henderson, whoever the hell that is

Gerald Henderson made a career out of 1 steal.