Cosmic wrote:

martin wrote:

to showcase you also need to win some. And that has been too far and too few for the Knicks. So before the coaching staff can integrate a new guy, yes, you do have to make sure your other regulars are doing what they are supposed to. And then Curry just returned.

And to make things worse, Harrington, Duhon, Wilson all started shooting the ball like 25% for the first 8 games.

And then it's about combinations of players that work together. You just don't cut 2 minutes here and 3 minutes there. These are players, not robots.

Well, yes, we need to win in order to showcase, but all the same there are GMs that eye one player and think "Hey, if I take that guy and plug him in here, in this situation, in a role I envision, he's going to be good for us, so who cares if the Knicks are 3-79!" (you know?)

As to players shooting terribly the first 8 games, well, every years it takes about 10 regular season games before most players shake the rust off. Well, we're beyond that now and the players are waking up so it's not an issue from here on out. I think scouts understand that as well when looking at players to trade for.

As to cutting minutes, well, I don't see how cutting Duhon from 46 to 44 minutes is going to hurt much. Same with the other vets who play 35+ minutes per game. 1 or 2 minutes shouldn't mean much should it? Yet, you take 5 guys and do that and you can give them to our lotto pick to get out there.

At worst what has Jordan Hill looked like? TO me even at his worst he's done what Jerome James did when he came into a game. It might not have been pretty but he changed the game for the better for us. So...I don't see the problem in doing it.

As to combinations, yep, combos are essential. Yet with the players we have we don't have many combos that work do we.

Lee-Chandler-Gallo-Hughes-Duhon is our best combo. I'd even say if you swapped Duhon for Douglas it might even be better.

Other than that every other combo is a DISASTER at best except for the occasional spurt here or there.

So, again, plugging Hill into any combo? I don't see an issue given all that is going on (the big picture if you will, from our record, to the fact we really only have one GOOD lineup that produces)

Eh, well, what can we do but watch.

But, hey, I won't be doing that until the Orlando game.

hey, i'd like to see hill more too.

What's to say they aren't putting him through some Curry-like drills at practice when we aren't watching? who knows what's going on. Long season.

martin wrote:

hey, i'd like to see hill more too.

What's to say they aren't putting him through some Curry-like drills at practice when we aren't watching? who knows what's going on. Long season.

Well, nothing. We don't know. I'd assume he practices in 5 on 5. I would hope so.

I do recall Mike suggesting about a week into the season that he doesn't play Hill because he is worried about his defense. When you see Hill come in and get 2 blocks, get crapped on 4 times, and then foul 4 times, well, sure....it makes sense.

But again I come back to our record, our situation, etc. And the big picture would say there is no reason no to see two 5-minute stints of Jordan Hill every game.

But, hey, that's why I am a fan and not a coach I suppose.

*shrug*

Cosmic wrote:I will say one parting bit here (and then I will catch you all on the flip side)

Given our upcoming schedule, it's quite rough, and we could easily be 4-20 or 5-19 after the fact. By then, we damn sure better be seeing 10-15 minutes of Jordan Hill and Toney Douglas.

Would anyone disagree with THAT?

i think curry and jeffries will continue to see heavy minutes up until the trade deadline. that's just the way it is. walsh has to try to trade them. i think we'll see hill play a lot more in march and april.

Hill Knows His Time Will Come
by Chris Creed

At about 6 p.m. on Nov. 6, fans started filing in to The Garden to watch the Knicks take on LeBron James, Shaquille O’Neal and the Cleveland Cavaliers. With nearly an hour and half before tipoff, rookie Jordan Hill was the lone player on the court working with assistant coach Dan D’Antoni.

Groups of young fans began lining the court trying to get the attention of Hill for either an autograph or a simple wave.

The Knicks rookie was more than willing to oblige as it was not that long ago that he was one of those young autographic seekers looking to get a few precious moments with his NBA heroes.

“I was in the same situation growing up watching Kevin Garnett, Amar’e Stoudemire and other players I wanted to meet when I was a kid,” said the 22-year-old Hill. “I want to show everyone that I care and I’m a down-to-earth guy. I’m humble and love what I do.”

Unfortunately for Hill he never got to meet KG or Stoudemire as a youngster but did have the opportunity to meet one of the greats of the game.

“I met Karl Malone when I was little. It was crazy to simply be in his presence,” Hill remembers. “When I was young I would watch the pros to see how they interacted with fans. They were just normal people and I’m going to do the same thing.

“That’s just how I am. Just because I’m a pro basketball player doesn’t change the fact that I care for and respect other people.”

Hill is certainly a regular guy but has already experienced some extraordinary moments in his freshman campaign. One came in the Cleveland game when he found himself defending the 7-foot-1, 325-pound Shaquille O’Neal.

“He is a monster,” Hill said with a huge grin as he looked back on that moment with Shaq. “I just tried to hold my own but I did get him to travel. I don’t know if it was my defense or he just lost it. But he was about to go crazy on me so I’m glad he did travel.

“I was thinking, ‘is Shaq really backing me down?’,” Hill continued. “I never thought I would be in that position. And I had a chance to guard LeBron as well. But then I finally realized I came here to play basketball and it doesn’t matter if they are an MVP or someone trying to get minutes like me, I’m going to go out there and give it my all.”

Hill has done just that in the limited minutes he’s played thus far in the season. That night against the Cavaliers, he netted six points in five minutes of action while the very next day against the Milwaukee Bucks, Hill played 13 minutes and scored seven points and grabbed six rebounds.

But more importantly, his play over the two-game span got the attention of his head coach.

“It’s time I have to start playing him some,” Mike D’Antoni said following the Cavs game. “We have to start developing him little by little.”

With a number of veteran “bigs” ahead of him on Coach D’Antoni’s depth chart, Hill understands he must be patient and absorb as much about the game as he can until his number gets called.

“I have to wait my turn and keep working,” he said. “I might get two minutes one game and 15 the next. I just have to stay ready and be prepared.”

The Jordan Hill story has only begun to be written and time will tell whether it becomes a best seller. But the person most instrumental in deciding the length of that story, to this point, feels there is enough character development to keep reading.

“He showed some promise and he’s very athletic,” said D’Antoni. “He’s got a ways to go, but I do think it’s something we need to look at and keep developing.”

Hill’s career in New York has spanned just a handful of games so far in the young 2009-10 NBA season, but in his brief tenure he has a clear understanding of what he needs to do and is willing to put in the time to get there.

“To get on the floor and help my team out as much as possible,” he said of his goals for the season. “Give it my all and play my game. I love to play basketball. I have to keep working hard and I know my time will come.”

seems to me Jordan Hill isn't the problem here... he's working hard & produces whenever he's given minutes... anyone who's watched the games & seen him play will attest to that.

martin wrote:

TMS wrote:Hill was defending the post well for a guy who's seen such limited action this year... he made Bynum have to work hard for his shots & for positioning downlow... earlier on he was having his way in the paint against Lee, Harrington & Jeffries...

noticed. he did look good defending the post.

Agreed. Got to be honest, the kid has looked good each time he's gotten on the court. I'm guessing that he steals minutes pretty soon.