Lin is a good young talent that would have gotten an opportunity somewhere else I'm sure but there is no way in hell he plays this well for any other coach. He has even said himself that D'Antoni's system maximizes his strengths and that is exactly what we're seeing in the past 3 games.

It's not just about team ball, it's about proper spacing, maximizing the use of screens, and finding the right teammates by taking what the defense gives you. Lin is doing exactly what D'Antoni preaches in those pick and rolls and when defenders are rotating to cover the roll guy, he is swinging it to the other side to the open man.

Lin is buying into the system completely and the other players are all moving well without the ball. For those that think Lin would have done this for any coach, look at how the Wizards played last night and that is a perfect example of what a team looks like when they don't have a system that emphasizes ball movement, hitting the open man, etc. Wall get going iso, Crawford chucked up shots, etc..

We're getting the most out of Lin right now. It's a combination of great play by Jeremy and great coaching by Mike.

nyk4ever wrote:

holfresh wrote:U guys know we just played the Wizards, Nets and Jazz right?

we couldn't even beat my high-schools JV team before holfresh and now we are playing the best offensive ball we've seen here in who knows how long. i don't think anyone is saying we are going to win the championship, but the way we've won those 3 games has been pretty damn good.

Before our losing streak we won 4 in a row..There were stretches last year where we looked better...I think a few here are going overboard..But that's Knick fans for ya..

holfresh wrote:U guys know we just played the Wizards, Nets and Jazz right?

Having watched some more talented (or at least higher regarded) players than Lin struggle to get the P&R going what is really impressive is watching he and Chandler work it too perfection. Lin has a very quick release and his midrange jumper is excellent. Chandler is uber athletic, has great hands and obviously finishes beautifully around the basket, and he's knocking down enough FTs.

holfresh wrote:

nyk4ever wrote:

holfresh wrote:U guys know we just played the Wizards, Nets and Jazz right?

we couldn't even beat my high-schools JV team before holfresh and now we are playing the best offensive ball we've seen here in who knows how long. i don't think anyone is saying we are going to win the championship, but the way we've won those 3 games has been pretty damn good.

Before our losing streak we won 4 in a row..There were stretches last year where we looked better...I think a few here are going overboard..But that's Knick fans for ya..

Yeah, especially those Knick fans that were dying to post things like, "we're playing down to the competition"..."these are must win games"..."we don't win these games and mda should be skinned and nailed to the bottom of the first greyhound heading back to PHX"

Knicks fans...you can't live with them and you can't live with them.

Although, Lin might not keep this up it's a difference between a me first ball player with no basketball IQ and a kid that just understands how important it is getting everyone invovled. It was fun to watch him last night. Everyone wanted to trade Landry and made stupid threads about him being garbage. But, when you play team ball you have an undrafted point guard, a second round pick and a castoff playing beautifully within a team concept.

Amare will look great when he comes back, Melo I am not so sure. Watch the way he handles himself, sulks, throws his hands up. Melo holding the ball has destroyed this team. Landry struggled, Shumpert struggled, Amare struggled, Douglas that's a different story. It's just a same we don't have Gallo, Chandler, Moz to play in this concept. We saw how it worked last year when everyone buys in and it can continue to work.

God forbid we can get Davis healthy and have a whole game of Ball movement the Knicks would actually give teams all they can handle. But it's all on Melo and no one else if he is moving the ball the Knicks will win, if not the smiles you saw on everyones faces, the five guys in double figure will again become losses to the Raptors, Bucks, Bobcats, etc.

So it would seem that Amar’e will be a fit, which leaves us with Melo, who has to assume the Paul Pierce roll in all of this. Pierce knows when his touches are coming and he learned this very quickly with Rondo in Rondo’s rookie year. Credit Rondo for this, but also Pierce as well. Pierce has learned to CLOSE possessions not DOMINATE them. That’s a Hall of Fame and champion quality.

That takes selflessness.

fishmike wrote:

Panos wrote:

fishmike wrote:what your seeing is MDA basketball as it was designed to be played. Space and ball movement. NOT chucking 3's, not jacking jumpers. MDA doesnt play centers? Seems Chandler looks pretty solid in this system when played right doesnt he?

Whatever. I'm seeing J Lin driving and sharing the rock, instead of a bunch of black holes.

Not whatever...this is the point about coaching, sharing the ball, defense.... get players who share the ball and defend and you will have a team that shares the ball and defends, regardless who is coaching.

You think a new coach is fixing Melo's style of play? Or Amares?

Amare will fit wonderfully with Lin's style of play.

Melo needs to watch whats happening

agree completely. i started a thread about this and everyone jumped down my throat, calling me a hater.

GodSaveTheKnicks wrote:From the Tommy Dee piece. http://www.theknicksblog.com/2012/02/09/how-melo-and-amare-will-fit-the-celtics-model/

So it would seem that Amar’e will be a fit, which leaves us with Melo, who has to assume the Paul Pierce roll in all of this. Pierce knows when his touches are coming and he learned this very quickly with Rondo in Rondo’s rookie year. Credit Rondo for this, but also Pierce as well. Pierce has learned to CLOSE possessions not DOMINATE them. That’s a Hall of Fame and champion quality.

That takes selflessness.

I don't usually agree with Tommy Dee, but that's a pretty good point.

GodSaveTheKnicks wrote:

crzymdups wrote:

GodSaveTheKnicks wrote:From the Tommy Dee piece. http://www.theknicksblog.com/2012/02/09/how-melo-and-amare-will-fit-the-celtics-model/

So it would seem that Amar’e will be a fit, which leaves us with Melo, who has to assume the Paul Pierce roll in all of this. Pierce knows when his touches are coming and he learned this very quickly with Rondo in Rondo’s rookie year. Credit Rondo for this, but also Pierce as well. Pierce has learned to CLOSE possessions not DOMINATE them. That’s a Hall of Fame and champion quality.

That takes selflessness.

I don't usually agree with Tommy Dee, but that's a pretty good point.

Yeah I hope people don't go to overboard and say we don't need Melo and Stat to win.

Every team needs someone they can throw the ball to at the end of the shot clock who can create for himself. Especially in the playoffs where teams have plenty of time to learn your go to plays and you have often improvise when plays break down.

I guess the point of the MDA system is supposed to be that instead of all set plays he instills a set of principles so supposedly everyone on offense is on the same page and knows what to do when the 1st or 2nd or 3rd options on a possession are taken away.

The last time I had this much fun watching the Knicks play was when Amare was rolling off that crazy streak of games and Felton/Stoneface Chandler/Gallo etc were contributing too.

Of course we need both to win and its a great point about Pierce because not only was he worried about his touches but he was also a so/so defender.

He became a very good defender and bought into the team concept. Realized that winning was more important than stats. Melo I think, justs wants to win and is ultra competitive. He believes that his shot will always go in as there is no better shot on the court.

So, he just has to start believing that we now have equal or better options that can also help us win and we still need you (MELO) because when things break down or are tight at the end of the shot clock, you are our closer.

Like Melo as a person and think he can do it.

crzymdups wrote:

GodSaveTheKnicks wrote:From the Tommy Dee piece. http://www.theknicksblog.com/2012/02/09/how-melo-and-amare-will-fit-the-celtics-model/

So it would seem that Amar’e will be a fit, which leaves us with Melo, who has to assume the Paul Pierce roll in all of this. Pierce knows when his touches are coming and he learned this very quickly with Rondo in Rondo’s rookie year. Credit Rondo for this, but also Pierce as well. Pierce has learned to CLOSE possessions not DOMINATE them. That’s a Hall of Fame and champion quality.

That takes selflessness.

I don't usually agree with Tommy Dee, but that's a pretty good point.

It is great they pointed out the Celtics Model. This is what the Knicks need to become. They have the center the celtics lacked in this offense, they just need a real shooter at the SG position.