anrst wrote:Kerr said something ... therefore it's true

He was Phil's first choice

So is this an indictment on Steve or Phil

Kerr was an exec, what Phil is now

I think Kerr was speaking more to the process of building and winning

It doesn't come with a snap of a finger

F500ONE wrote:

nixluva wrote:

F500ONE wrote:

nixluva wrote:

F500ONE wrote:

nixluva wrote:

F500ONE wrote:When the scoreboard is 0-0 guys talk the talk

J.R. Smith last year

However, even if Smith is deemed ready for the season opener, he will have to sit out the first five games while serving the drug suspension. Smith said his goal is to be ready for the opener.

“I have so many questions to ask them, but I’m afraid of the answer,’’ Smith said of his timetable. “I might be too far along. So I don’t really ask him too much.”

Smith’s playoff bust somewhat tainted his Sixth Man Award, but the Knicks were anxious to re-sign him with the early-Bird rights exception.

Smith said he still is nowhere near his prime.

“I have so much room for improvement,’’ Smith said. “I just want to be the best player I can be. I’m not at the elite level yet. No, not even close [to my prime].”

Smith says fans will see changes in him this season.

“Different attitude, a different approach,” he said. “I’m going to be more focused in on the game than myself and try to get the crowd hyped up. I’m going to be more locked into what [Coach] is telling us.’’

Smith said he believes the Knicks will be more consistent than they were last season, when they won 54 games. They no longer are the oldest team in league history.

“For one, we’re younger,’’ Smith said. “We’ve got a lot of youth. So we plan on extending our adrenaline throughout the whole year.’’

The playoff exit versus Indiana still stings.

“They were just more aggressive than us,’’ Smith recalled. “They beat us up on the boards. Our spacing at the end of the season was terrible. We got out of character a little bit. We have to remain in character throughout the whole season.”

J.R. forgot to walk the talk.

This year the sensations are different I suppose

Read articles from other teams at this time it reveals similar fluffery.

They probably have in shape and culture change type dudes selling company line MO

It's not just the words tho. It's not about just the other players on other teams also saying they're in shape and expect big years etc. This is about the VERY REAL presence of Phil and his staff who know how to teach players and get them to perform at their best. They have an actual track record of doing this. Woody and his Staff were not on the same level in this regard.

This will be the 1st time that JR is playing in this kind of system and being taught to play the game in this way. I'm pretty sure that he's not going to be perfect but I do think that this is an opportunity where the environment is more professional around him. The structure of a Phil Jackson led team is different than what we had before. Maybe that will have a positive impact on JR and all of our players. It seems to me that you and others are discounting the impact of Phil's way of doing things.

They aren't the only coaches/execs who have winning influence throught this league.

The spurs sent several of their people across the league

As well as many competent and bright minds associated with this league

I believe Smith will turn some new leaves

So will players from other teams

No one said we have the only winning coaching staff. You have to admit that few have as many RINGS as our front office and coaches. How many teams added Phil Jackson, Fish, Rambis and Cleamons as a cohesive unit who have worked together to win Titles before? There is a profound difference here in NY. Our coaching change is more comprehensive. It's a plus for this team and worth acknowledging.

You keep trying to make this about what other teams will have that matches what we have and that's not really the point. From your posts you comes across like a "Self Hating Knick Fan". You don't sound proud of your team or willing to look at the areas that could be a positive for this team. You sound like someone who dislikes his team very much. There is always something positive that can be explored. This is a Knicks forum after all. Sober and pessimistic takes on this team are best left to sites that aren't focused on being a Knick Fan. This is the place where it's OK to take a more Pro Knick look at what this team can possibly be this year. If you want to Poo Poo every positive Knick aspect of the team why not go to a Non Knick Fan site where it's expected that there won't be a slant to the posting? It was a rough year last year. It happens. Doesn't mean that all is doomed forever. This could be a turn around year for this franchise and there are valid reasons to be optimistic.

Having titles doesn't mean squat although it could prove to be a huge benefit

How many titles did Popovich have before he took over the Spurs

What about the assistants he brought in

How many rings did Doc Rivers have before coming to Boston

How many teams had Mark Cuban led to championships before he took over ownership in Dallas

Lakers hired Byron Scott, he won rings with Lakers does that means he's better than D'Antoni

Woodson's coaching experience has been wrapped around pinnacle successs

How did that work out for us

We hired Donnie Walsh an accomplished exec with winning pedigree

How did that work out for us

Rambis came from Minny the past couple seasons

How come they never made the playoffs while he was there

You ignore what I like about this team and focus on what I don't

Meanwhile I haven't heard 1 thing you dislike about this team

Did you have high appreciation for this team last year

Before any game was played, they finished 37-45

Which means there must have been something to dislike before the season started

I do not poo-poo every positive aspect of the team, don't post lies

This "because I'm so psoitive and because I said so" schtik of yours

Is nothing but dust on a pair of cheating scales

Now you're just being difficult for the sake of arguing. You can' really be saying that having Phil and some of his staff is meaningless. Surely it's desirable to have a coaching staff that has been to the top many times. They've been thru the process over and over again and that will have some degree of impact on this team going forward. You can't have it both ways. It can't be important to have winning players but not important to have winning coaches.

As for not liking things with the team, I think it's obvious that i'd much prefer we had a dominant defensive team or at the least more really good defenders. I'd prefer younger more physically gifted PG's than Prigs and Jose. I'd love t have a shot blocking/rebounding beast at C. There's a number of things I could wish for. That's not what this is about. This is about what can this team realistically accomplish? What can we expect to change with this new coaching? What will the new players added contribute? What future moves can Phil make to improve the team? You're so negative about this team that you can't even see the positive changes that have already taken place on this team. I'm not the one with the problem.

I never said having Phil was a negative

I'm telling you having him doesn't equal instant positive

I provided several results proving this

Phil needs to change a lot of the groceries in the cupboards

As of now we're not a 50 win team, namely because the groceries are inferior

Phil job has only just begun

Kerr said it's going to take us some time to get this right

Therefore we're not coming out the gate as you're advertising with 50 wins

I can only imagine what the projections would be had we convinced Lebron to sign here

What 82-0, some aren't leaving room for true impaction improvement

Calderon is a 10-15 game improvement then what is Bron

What would a Triangle Darling Steph Curry be

I'm not rallying behind premature commentary from a knucklehead such as J.R.

His resume speaks for itself but you can