Toney Douglas still cannot dictate pace or tempo. He is what he is, a caddy.

"Nineteen shots is too many shots for Toney Douglas, especially if he's only going to convert eight of them."

The Really Good News

Carmelo did things other than score and manage the rock. First, he could be see chanting, "one stop" before the Celtics last possession. Second, he called the squad (some headed for the locker room) together after the game for a post-game huddle on the floor.

“Where we are going to succeed is me making other guys better,” Anthony said. “Making Toney [Douglas] better, making Landry [Fields] better, making Tyson [Chandler] that much better, getting [Stoudemire] in the right position where he can be effective, and then seeing what’s left over for me.”

The Bad News

Both Adrian Peterson and Shump took a wicked hits to the knee. Shump missed a lot of shots.

The Good News That Allows One to Breathe A Bit Easier

Shump has only a strain and not a tear. The stunning drives to the rack he missed, barely missed and can be corrected.

loweyecue wrote:The worse news: STAT showed no effort on Defense. He got punked by Bass. Does he have no pride?

Amar'e needs to take one for the team and realize that his role has changed. He is no longer the first option on offense, and his defense is spotty, at best. A stronger post presence as well as a lift in his defensive and rebounding efforts would help the team greatly. Bass was eatig his lunch in the paint yesterday. Corrections must be made!

Basketball IS a Team Game. That is a stone cold fact. It is NOT a game for individual stars. The Showtime Lakers had star talent but they had something greater. The ability to run a play, with the shot being taken from the same spot on the court, by different players.

We miss that.

The thing that makes Carmelo great, his ability to deliver stunning solo moves, is the thing that disconnects him from a team game when he feels his scoring performance MUST be the only solution. There is a fine line between a dominant performance that wins a game (Boston) and a performance that forces his mates to stand and watch (Charlotte).

The thing that makes Amar'e great, his ability to outquick big men, is less apparent as a forward. He should be banned from shooting three's except in an extreme emergency. Kevin Love anyone?

Landry Fields did not forget how to play basketball.

Iman Shumpert has the look. It is the thing that goes beyond physical gifts or talent. The crowd responds to him because of the way each move he makes is with a purpose. When he takes a defensive stance, each drop step is a personal dare to the ball handler. New Yorkers dig that.

Toney Douglas is selfish and undisciplined. Either he ignores the idea of running plays or is incapable of execution. Neither is a good thing. Have a seat.

Scary version? Baron Davis will not make a bit of difference unless his running buddies learn to trust each other, on both ends.

The good news?

Valentine's Day is a month away.

"If Shump is really a PG he will be a monster in two years."

Nalod - The Answer Man knows it's crazy but when he squints at Shumpert he sees Derek Rose. Forget the highly defined muscles, the ability... no, the passion, to get to the rack... and forget the confidence. Look closely at Shumpert's eyes and you can see an intensity that cuts through bullsh#t. Or a half-hearted effort by his running mates. There was a beautiful moment last night, after a Knicks score, when Shumpert was clearly shouting "C'MON!" as he got back on defense. It was not a plea but a demand. It was delivered in the manner that if someone did NOT "C'mon" he would personally kick that person's azz.

Yeah, New Yorkers dig that Charles Oakley-type stuff. It was Jordan-esque, and I'm talkin' Michael... not Jerome.

The best part? Shumpert's fire does not accept losing. He WILL call out a lack of effort, no matter who it is. Why? He is a winner. The Charlotte announcers made an interesting point about Shumpert's game being more suited to the pros than college. For that we should give thanks.

As Red Auerbach once said, "I don't want small forwards or point guards... I want basketball players!"

"Its difficult to plan a wedding without a wedding planner..."

Marriage is a commitment. We are struggling to get past the dating stage as we keep trading playing partners.

"Its impossible to hold a party if no one is sending out invitations and being the party planner..."

Party planner? You hear those boos last night? If that was a party, I don't wanna be anywhere near the funeral.

"Its hard to get the party started without a party-starter...."

Donnie Walsh got the party started, unfortunately he didn't get to finish his masterpiece and Dolan took the cake out of the oven too soon.

"I.E. We need a PG ASAP..."

We Need A Playing Personality

Marques Colston, Pierre Thomas, Lance Moore, Devery Henderson and Robert Meachem. Sound familiar? They are the talented receivers for the New Orleans Saints. Each of them is a valued contributor at the position. They have been described as humble, unselfish and driven. The same adjectives used to describe the shining star on the roster, Drew Brees.

Humble. Unselfish and driven.

"... and a new coach might I add..."

Another shotgun wedding? Who did you have in mind?

There are few coaches who would get this crew to be attentive, and do exactly what he says, unless he is wearing a championship ring.

misterearl wrote:Mike Woodson struggled to manage a grossly overpaid semi-star in Joe Johnson, a recalcitrant and talented forward in Josh Smith and a potential All Star in Al Horford.

There are few coaches who would get this crew to be attentive, and do exactly what he says, unless he is wearing a championship ring.

Woodson would take over for the rest of the year and will be re-evaluated in the summer. Just feel its time for MDA to be relieved of his duties at the present time. Dont think we need a coach with a championship ring on his finger to get us to play the right way. We just need a system and philosphy change. A coach who will stress defense first, teach proper defensive principles to the players, hold them accountable ,adjust to the players on the roster rather than force the players to play in a system that doesn't fit....etc.

The Philadelphia Eagl...I mean... New York Knicks

"After an offseason spending spree brought several accomplished players to Philadelphia and added to a roster that already featured Vick, LeSean McCoy and DeSean Jackson, the Eagles were the talk of the NFL. They were defending NFC East champions and seemingly on the rise."

The Knicks were the talk of the NBA, especially after adding Tyson Chandler.

"Eagles team president Joe Banner declared the Eagles “all-in” and called this a Super Bowl-or-bust year."

Mike D'Antoni talks about competing for a championship.

“There were definitely red flags,” said defensive tackle Cullen Jenkins. "It’s obviously the ultimate goal in where you want to get to, but you have to understand that you have to work hard. It’s something that is a process and you have to take it each step at a time to get to it and I think a lot of time people just want to jump from preseason to the Super Bowl without doing what it takes in between.”

How many people wanted to jump to the NBA playoffs without understanding the delicate process of team-building?

"Various factors contributed to a four-game losing streak that dropped the Eagles to 1-4 and doomed them from the beginning. Vick couldn’t finish two games in September because of injuries, the offense made critical turnovers and the defense struggled mightily as new players tried to adjust to new defensive coordinator Juan Castillo’s system."

Injuries are inevitable, as Stoudemire and Shumpert illustrate. Baron Davis is in a suit. Jared Jeffries would have helped against Boris Diaw. There will be others. The Knicks have limited depth. The defense is struggling mightily as new players try to adjust to new defensive coordinator Mike Woodson's system.

“It will be tough to sit at home and watch the playoffs, but we have to maintain a positive outlook about what we could be and go into the offseason knowing that we can play with the best teams in the league,” wide receiver Jeremy Maclin said. "This offseason will be very critical for us and I think it will be good.”

It will be tough if this Knicks edition fails to make the playoffs. They will need to maintain a positive outlook and go into the offseason knowing that it takes more than four and a half guys. The offseason will be the most critical in the history of the franchise, until next season.