However we do have our weaknesses. Our interior defense against the better bigs is very weak. Lee was getting tooled by OK4.

This run definitely feels good though.

Duhon is playing like an all start of late.

Winning makes it all so nice. Even Magic says LEbron should be in NY! Is Brooklyn in NY?

Its a good run with a tight rotation. Enjoy it!

JrZyHuStLa wrote:

JrZyHuStLa wrote:We're playing some good ball right now but that 1-9 start will haunt us somewhere along the season.

You are right, but I'm pointing out an observation. A 5-5 record from the last 10 games still has us as the 3rd worst team in the East. Again, it goes back to that 1-9 start.

lmao. you just quoted yourself! dude you're going crazy talking to yourself!

Papabear wrote:

nixluva wrote:Can we please kill this idea that MDA doesn't care about D? It's never been true and it's clear from his work with the team that they're being coached to play D. His use of Jared has been very good and it's clear the guys know what they want to do defensively and have developed defensive chemistry. He said he wanted to play guys that were willing to defend and he has.

Papabear Says
Nixlover on the game blog you said that D'Antoni should be replaced because he had no idea about handling defense with the Knicks. What is that about??

I was being sarcastic! I've been one of MDA's biggest supporters. I think he's a great coach but a misunderstood coach. People think he doesn't really know how to coach the game from all perspectives but he does. He just happens to have a philosophy on how he wants his team to play. The frustration for him is that we don't really have the players to execute. He has the team playing much better on D and tho I was mocked for saying it, the team is actually getting better at blocking shots and challenging shots and passes. They've shutdown a lot of the penetration and forced teams to become jump shooting teams.

I noticed that they have all learned how to keep the right distance from their man so that they take a way the drive but are close enough to challenge the shot. That is what his PHX teams did so well and the Knicks look a lot like the Suns on D. That's cuz he does have a defensive system and the stats show he's coached this team to play that system just as he did the Suns.

Also look how he's using Jared. That has had a very positive impact on their defense. OH and guess what? Gallo can defend!

franco12 wrote:

TMS wrote:i've seen Fishlips play well before... but in the end he's a marginally productive basketball player, the stats don't lie... yeah i know he brings intangibles like drawing charges & i do like his defense on the perimeter, but that's pretty much all he does well... he can't even make a layup at point blank range to save his life half the time & when he attempts a perimeter J you can literally hear the crash of the brick before the ball leaves his fingertips... he's also a horrible free throw shooter, one of the worst i've seen, & has zero post up game whatsoever... offensively he is a minus & we're at a 4-5 disadvantage every time he's on the floor on that end... yes, he adds some things defensively but there are plenty of other players that can bring those intangibles & still provide some positive things on the offensive end as well, especially at the type of money he's due to make next season... don't let this recent stretch of games fool u bros, the guy has been here for several years now & not once have i ever felt he was anything but a LLE money player at best... other than Big Turd i'd say Fishlips has been the worst MLE signing we've ever made.

JJ was a team high +28 last night.

I agree that we're probably not as good as we've shown- still so many flaws and holes.

But, I'm not sure I would want to trade JJ at this point. Just like you want to keep Hughes (at the right price), I think we need to keep some players around if we add talent. And I'm not sure we're going to end up getting any big names in 2010.

Not all five of your guys can be scorers. You need guys to do the little things, and to fit in with the team.

I think in Jefferies case, and this is why Washington almost paid as much as we did, the whole is greater than the sum of the parts - that JJ contributes more to the team winning than his individual stat sheet shows.

i only wanna keep Hughes at around $5 mil per... Fishlips is worth no more than a LLE type contract... at $6 mil+ he's no where near worth holding onto... not all 5 of your guys have to be scorers, no, but they at least have to have the ABILITY to score if left open... Fishlips can't even make an uncontested layup look easy for God's sakes... watching this guy over his career tells me the recent stretch of improved play is an anomaly more than it is the norm for this guy... hopefully it's enough to fool some GM out there into taking him off our hands.

TMS wrote:

Papabear wrote:

TMS wrote:i've seen Fishlips play well before... but in the end he's a marginally productive basketball player, the stats don't lie... yeah i know he brings intangibles like drawing charges & i do like his defense on the perimeter, but that's pretty much all he does well... he can't even make a layup at point blank range to save his life half the time & when he attempts a perimeter J you can literally hear the crash of the brick before the ball leaves his fingertips... he's also a horrible free throw shooter, one of the worst i've seen, & has zero post up game whatsoever... offensively he is a minus & we're at a 4-5 disadvantage every time he's on the floor on that end... yes, he adds some things defensively but there are plenty of other players that can bring those intangibles & still provide some positive things on the offensive end as well, especially at the type of money he's due to make next season... don't let this recent stretch of games fool u bros, the guy has been here for several years now & not once have i ever felt he was anything but a LLE money player at best... other than Big Turd i'd say Fishlips has been the worst MLE signing we've ever made.

Papabear Says

Why don't you give the man his due? He is the best defensive player we've got. He is now being used in the right way and if you still have this dislike on him,it's personal and thats on you. I've got to give Jefferies the credit he deserve.

i am giving him his due... he's a scrub... he plays good help D & hounds guys well on the ball, but he can't guard anyone inside in the post cuz he's too damn skinny & weak & gets pushed around way too easily, & he has no offensive ability whatsoever... stop me when i say something u disagree with... everytime i make a critical comment about a player u like u call me out & tell me i'm making it personal... u called me a racist hatter when i went off about Marbury's negative influence on this team... that's all you got Papabear.

He's most definitely not a scrub, he's just overpriced, but that's not his fault, that's Isiah's fault. And he really wouldn't be in the NBA if he was 'skinny and weak'. He eats charges, he's a defensive presence. He's a big part of our recent winning streak.