Clean wrote:VS good teams all we need is someone to breakdown the D. This is why we looked like Pre-Linsanity Knicks tonight. We can get away with it vs bad teams but we will be exposed vs good teams unless we get hot from outside or melo is on fire.

This is true. We can not be true contenders without a viable PG. But the difference between the current Knicks and the pre-Linsanity knicks is that we can now win (and have been winning) with defense.

holfresh wrote:

mrKnickShot wrote:

holfresh wrote:

yellowboy90 wrote:I will say this: Although I dislike this loss it shows me how well NY matches up with the Bulls. If STAT is willing to come of the bench there is no way they beat NY in a seven game series because they can not match up with Ny with Melo at the four.

I don't get this logic about Amare coming of the bench..The Knicks are getting killed on the boards..Absolutly slaughtered...Bulls are covering Melo with Deng who is a three??..Why is it advantageous for Melo to play the 4?

Other than the Bulls, it creates horrible matchups for all teams. Also, Amare gets in the way of what the knicks want to do with Melo

But Melo could score on anyone..He has been blowing by Granger on Indy and the same with Deng...Rebounding is more important than any added advantage we could get from Melo playing the 4...Plus Melo rebounds better against threes..

Other teams need to play smaller to guard us when he is at PF. Also, I actually think that Melo is a better rebounder at this point.

Tonight they played the Bulls who beast on the boards (especially Noah) but against other teams, I don't see that rebounding is their issue.

holfresh wrote:Anyway coach says he starts and I think its the right move..I think this board has a tendency to think the team is better playing a certain way given a few wins...

Time will certainly tell. If it does not work, I have confidence in Woody to make the right move for the team.

holfresh wrote:

yellowboy90 wrote:I will say this: Although I dislike this loss it shows me how well NY matches up with the Bulls. If STAT is willing to come of the bench there is no way they beat NY in a seven game series because they can not match up with Ny with Melo at the four.

I don't get this logic about Amare coming of the bench..The Knicks are getting killed on the boards..Absolutly slaughtered...Bulls are covering Melo with Deng who is a three??..Why is it advantageous for Melo to play the 4?

With the Bulls they Play hide the Boozer on D which forces them to put Noah on our three because they want Boozer on Chandler. If Fields drives the basket he can put major pressure on the Bulls. Also, as you saw late in the game if they go to Melo as a Point Forward with a PnR with Chandler it puts the Bulls in a bind because of Boozer defense and Noah not being able to give help. You even got to see several skip passes to open shooters because the Bulls loaded their D to stop Anthony. You also saw that Boozer is bad even when he tries to trap.

Now where does Amar'e come in: Having him come off the bench it gives that unit size not to be out rebounded. Novak and Jeffries do not match up with Asik and Gibson but throw amar'e into the mix and move Novak to the three and you have size plus Novak has Korver to match up with. Then on O the second unit has a go to guy. The Bulls would probably go Gibson on STAT which plays pretty well but Amar'e can do it. The real key is that mid to late minutes of the first and third where the second unit plays with Melo. Stat and Melo at the 4 and 5 is just to hard to cover when you have a four that can really dribble and a five that has a jumper. Then the double high post game is open for both players because STAT can take his man off the dribble from there without any help from another big and the same goes for Melo. Deng/(thier rookie) guarding Melo and STat against Gibson with Asik, Noah, or Boozer guarding a 3 behind the three. Its just dribble drive to the rim for Melo and STAT without any shot blockers. Chandler can do it occasionally but thats STATs game. Basically they will have to give up an easy jumper off the jab step for both guys.

Amar'e size just gives the second unit what they plus he gives them a go to guy.

holfresh wrote:

yellowboy90 wrote:

holfresh wrote:

yellowboy90 wrote:I will say this: Although I dislike this loss it shows me how well NY matches up with the Bulls. If STAT is willing to come of the bench there is no way they beat NY in a seven game series because they can not match up with Ny with Melo at the four.

I don't get this logic about Amare coming of the bench..The Knicks are getting killed on the boards..Absolutly slaughtered...Bulls are covering Melo with Deng who is a three??..Why is it advantageous for Melo to play the 4?

With the Bulls they Play hide the Boozer on D which forces them to put Noah on our three because they want Boozer on Chandler. If Fields drives the basket he can put major pressure on the Bulls. Also, as you saw late in the game if they go to Melo as a Point Forward with a PnR with Chandler it puts the Bulls in a bind because of Boozer defense and Noah not being able to give help. You even got to see several skip passes to open shooters because the Bulls loaded their D to stop Anthony. You also saw that Boozer is bad even when he tries to trap.

Now where does Amar'e come in: Having him come off the bench it gives that unit size not to be out rebounded. Novak and Jeffries do not match up with Asik and Gibson but throw amar'e into the mix and move Novak to the three and you have size plus Novak has Korver to match up with. Then on O the second unit has a go to guy. The Bulls would probably go Gibson on STAT which plays pretty well but Amar'e can do it. The real key is that mid to late minutes of the first and third where the second unit plays with Melo. Stat and Melo at the 4 and 5 is just to hard to cover when you have a four that can really dribble and a five that has a jumper. Then the double high post game is open for both players because STAT can take his man off the dribble from there without any help from another big and the same goes for Melo. Deng/(thier rookie) guarding Melo and STat against Gibson with Asik, Noah, or Boozer guarding a 3 behind the three. Its just dribble drive to the rim for Melo and STAT without any shot blockers. Chandler can do it occasionally but thats STATs game. Basically they will have to give up an easy jumper off the jab step for both guys.

Amar'e size just gives the second unit what they plus he gives them a go to guy.

Right now there is no other legitimate offensive option than Melo so he gets doubled...There are no other legitimate rebounding option in the first unit than Chandler but u want to make this permanent ??

But what if Amare being there as a viable second option hurts Melo as our first option. It's very possible (though not certain) and that is why very smart NBA people keep alluding to it.

I actually have no problem with Woody first trying to put Amare back at the 4 but hope he has the stones to change it if it hurts the team.