BRIGGS wrote:I love Fields but he seems to regress against top teams and doesnt bring the intensity needed for the starting 5. I think we need to cut a player out of the top 10 and get the rotation down to 9 for continuity. We are having tremendous spacing problems with unit 1 and unless Carmelo can hit that 14+ footer--were stuck in mud against good teams. Right now teams are just sagging into the lane--running two guys at Lin and Carmelo Amare and Chandler are all bunched up. Solution--Anthony needs to play what he is paid to play for--he has to step up and play within the team game--no isolation. Shumpert brings A game defense and intensity--we need that off the bat and Im willing to let him go 38 minutes.

Second unit---I dont think we win playing 10 guys--we need to cut it to 9.

so true briggs. shumpert is one of the top defensive players in the league right now. his on ball defense is superb. to not have him starting is pretty silly, and i hope a change comes tonight given that we are now losing. i like fields' energy and his hustle on the boards, but he does some of the same moronic stuff over and over again, which is maddening when he's on the court as the 5th option.

lin, shump, melo, stat, chandler. gives us 2 scorers (Stat & melo), a true point, and two really good defenders.

bench should be baron, JR, novak, and jeffries. play harrellson and/or fields depending on the matchup, fouls, etc.

BigSm00th wrote:

BRIGGS wrote:I love Fields but he seems to regress against top teams and doesnt bring the intensity needed for the starting 5. I think we need to cut a player out of the top 10 and get the rotation down to 9 for continuity. We are having tremendous spacing problems with unit 1 and unless Carmelo can hit that 14+ footer--were stuck in mud against good teams. Right now teams are just sagging into the lane--running two guys at Lin and Carmelo Amare and Chandler are all bunched up. Solution--Anthony needs to play what he is paid to play for--he has to step up and play within the team game--no isolation. Shumpert brings A game defense and intensity--we need that off the bat and Im willing to let him go 38 minutes.

Second unit---I dont think we win playing 10 guys--we need to cut it to 9.

so true briggs. shumpert is one of the top defensive players in the league right now. his on ball defense is superb. to not have him starting is pretty silly, and i hope a change comes tonight given that we are now losing. i like fields' energy and his hustle on the boards, but he does some of the same moronic stuff over and over again, which is maddening when he's on the court as the 5th option.

lin, shump, melo, stat, chandler. gives us 2 scorers (Stat & melo), a true point, and two really good defenders.

bench should be baron, JR, novak, and jeffries. play harrellson and/or fields depending on the matchup, fouls, etc.

It seems the corner shot, done so well by Novak and SHawne Williams is the key to the second unit. Fields is not dangerous enough to warrant attention.

Channing frye needs to return. Not as a star, just a role.

Shump can only be "Shump" for so many minutes. He is closing out games so he is a major contributer. HIs energy is great at games end.

But we need leads!

martin wrote:but I def would move Shump to starting lineup. He has earned it.

I had been a big proponent of Shump riding pine until he earned it. If he hadn't earned it prior to last night, he certainly did then

BRIGGS wrote:

Knixkik wrote:

BigSm00th wrote:

BRIGGS wrote:I love Fields but he seems to regress against top teams and doesnt bring the intensity needed for the starting 5. I think we need to cut a player out of the top 10 and get the rotation down to 9 for continuity. We are having tremendous spacing problems with unit 1 and unless Carmelo can hit that 14+ footer--were stuck in mud against good teams. Right now teams are just sagging into the lane--running two guys at Lin and Carmelo Amare and Chandler are all bunched up. Solution--Anthony needs to play what he is paid to play for--he has to step up and play within the team game--no isolation. Shumpert brings A game defense and intensity--we need that off the bat and Im willing to let him go 38 minutes.

Second unit---I dont think we win playing 10 guys--we need to cut it to 9.

so true briggs. shumpert is one of the top defensive players in the league right now. his on ball defense is superb. to not have him starting is pretty silly, and i hope a change comes tonight given that we are now losing. i like fields' energy and his hustle on the boards, but he does some of the same moronic stuff over and over again, which is maddening when he's on the court as the 5th option.

lin, shump, melo, stat, chandler. gives us 2 scorers (Stat & melo), a true point, and two really good defenders.

bench should be baron, JR, novak, and jeffries. play harrellson and/or fields depending on the matchup, fouls, etc.

I agree Shumpert needs to start. I just hate the fact that we don't have one shooter in the lineup.

We paid Carmelo and gave up half the team. He better be the F shooter from the mid range. I know what you are saying though---the first team doesnt really spread the floor--its a problem. What happens is the other team can sag into the lane--cutting down Lins driving angles for dishing or going to the hoop which is the basis of this offense..

Don't you think it's about time we have a few plays to run as soon as the double comes to get Lin? That's the perfect opportunity to get the ball into Melo's or Amar'es hands depending on where the double is coming from. Instead Lin is passing it cross court to Fields or sending it to Tyson at the top of the key.

It all comes back to the Knicks only going as far as Amar'e and Melo take them.

Iman got gassed out in towards the end yesterday.
He plays with a 110% every second, yet Dantoni didn't call timeouts and give him a quick breather.
I have been saying he should start because of his ability to defend and apply pressure on the starting PG.
His defense is multiplied when Chandler is his big man.
The problem is we have no identity with our starting lineup, no chemistry, and poor spacing.
Dantoni the other day said he won't even bench Fields, changing him out of the starting lineup, after barely playing him the whole game.
He should start Iman today, vs Parker, because Parker is one of the best PGs/players when it comes to penetration, we cannot afford to let him do it easily.

Our current starting lineup is not good at defending, cannot shoot, horrible spacing, and has an inability to score.
That is just a horrible combination, especially when we have been exposed, and teams have been playing their defense to clog the paint.
It looks like JJ is hurt, which really hurts but opens playing time for Jorts.
Jorts cannot play PF, only center, vs JJ being much more flexible.
We NEED to have the right players that allow us to have an identity, with our starting unit and our 2nd unit.

If JJ is healthy, we can be a good defensive team with and identity of being a defensive unit

Lin
Iman
Melo
JJ
TC

or we can put a shooter in at the F, but since Duncan is playing PF, it would be hard to implement this game.

Lin
Iman
Melo
Novak
TC

Our 2nd unit can be our running, shooting, and have an identity of scoring.

Davis
JR Smith
Novak/Fields
Amare/Novak
Jorts/Amare

or

Davis
JR Smith
Fields
Novak
Amare

Novak and Iman, has been carrying the team, with TC, JJ, and Lin during our winning streak.
We played beautiful basketball, while we haven't looked nearly the same with our starting lineup since Amare and Melo came back.
Even with Amare alone, it really hurt our ability to spread the floor, and Lin's ability to penetrate.
Lin has been getting hammered, wasting his stamina without the ability to penetrate, and unable to make the team pay for clogging the paint.
If Dantoni doesn't make adjustments with our starting lineup, I see us going on a big losing streak.
The reason why Baron Davis and our 2nd unit has been outplaying our starters is because the players MESH much better.

I would like to see a lineup of

Lin
Iman
JR Smith
Melo
TC

when our match ups allow us to do so, but with Duncan at PF, its not possible.

Say what you want about Amare and Melo, as they are payed 20m a year, but they do not FIT, and it is obvious.
Something has to give, it is for the better of the team...

I personally think that we should try starting Novak to see if it helps stretch the floor for Melo and STAT. But starting Shump would also be fine and might have the same net result of getting us better starts to games.

93BUICK wrote:I think Shumpert is the best chance we have of creating a five man starting unit that can win- His D on the opposing best guard, creating steals, and ability to drive and dunk when forgotten about, plus that he doesn't need to ball dominate could be the balance of the team. I see twice as many fast break opportunities when he is on the floor. To me he is the game changer- in many of the Linsanity wins too- I want him to start and to play major minutes- I see him being the balance between a Lin team and A Stat/Melo team into a REAL team.

JR and Landry get their chances with more limited minutes but are excellent insurance for foul trouble- I bet Landry plays better against a 2nd unit and having to earn his minutes-

Sooo..

Lin Shump X X X ?

I would do

Lin Shump Melo Novak Chandler but prefer

Lin Smith Shump Novak Chandler.
Novak and Smith stretch the floor. Shump plays D. Lin n Chandler pick and roll. It all works

martin wrote:

GodSaveTheKnicks wrote:

93BUICK wrote:I think Shumpert is the best chance we have of creating a five man starting unit that can win- His D on the opposing best guard, creating steals, and ability to drive and dunk when forgotten about, plus that he doesn't need to ball dominate could be the balance of the team. I see twice as many fast break opportunities when he is on the floor. To me he is the game changer- in many of the Linsanity wins too- I want him to start and to play major minutes- I see him being the balance between a Lin team and A Stat/Melo team into a REAL team.

JR and Landry get their chances with more limited minutes but are excellent insurance for foul trouble- I bet Landry plays better against a 2nd unit and having to earn his minutes-

Sooo..

Lin Shump X X X ?

I would do

Lin Shump Melo Novak Chandler but prefer

Lin Smith Shump Novak Chandler.
Novak and Smith stretch the floor. Shump plays D. Lin n Chandler pick and roll. It all works

Novak gets CRUSHED by starters. no way in heck this works. Can you really see Novak guarding starting PFs? That would be gameplan #1 on any opponents chalkboard.

If I were MDA

Starters: Lin Smith Melo Amare Chandler because you need Smith out there to space the floor and Melo, Stat, Chandler have to start for the respect factor

Otherwise I feel like our best units for spacing the floor are:

Lin, Smith, Melo, Novak, Chandler: Smith and Chandler make up for Novak on D. Smith and Novak both keep defenses honest.
Baron, Smith, Shump, Novak, STAT: Shump and Smith make up for Novak on D. Smith and Novak both keep defenses honest.