IrishKnickFan wrote:this team reminds me of the 90's knicks. Gritty defense and smart players

Isn't it GREAT? This team is legit. Woody has them all locked in and focused.

24 assists and only 7 turnovers

We make every possession count.

Then you have the younger guys who basically bust it on D. I was watching how much ground Tyson covers. He was running out to the perimeter to close out on a 3 and then he ran back into the paint to defend the basket. He was all over the freakin place. Same with Brewer. You watch him and he helps and recovers very well. He just makes the floor seem so congested for opposing teams.

Gotta love the way Woody has this team focused on D. There are only a few plays each game where the Knicks get caught not doing the right thing. It's not an accident or just a good stretch of shooting, this is about preparation and consistency. Woody is proving it was no fluke what he was able to do last year. The longest streak to start a year was 7 games back in 94. It's gonna be tough with our road trip coming up, but how cool would it be to match that or pass that mark? Whatever happens, this feels good right now.

nixluva wrote:This is looking more and more like what I thought the team should be. It's a lock down defensive team with smart offense. For all those who bitched about the older players, how's that looking now? You can't just worry about injury. You have to look at how those vets influence the younger guys and keep them sharp and focused. Also having so many capable players you don't have to play anyone long minutes. We're winning games early and that's the idea.

I am one who bitched about the older guys and I have to say that they look great, specifically Kidd in spot minutes. I am just worried that Tyson, having played in the Olympics, will get hurt at some point and how the others would not be able to handle heavy minutes at the 5. You can say not to worry, but it's a real concern.

But this team looks tough as nails and come playoff time, with the veterans and this type of D, are gonna be a team no one wants to face. Just thinking about the depth when Shump and Amar'e come back is gonna be crazy and it'll be interesting to see how the minutes get distributed.

CrushAlot wrote:

Syniko wrote:In about a month, everyone is going to wonder what the heck went wrong after Knicks falls apart. Getting rid of MDA was a bad move. Mike Woodson is a terrible coach.

I am pretty sure you are messing around but since you brought up dantoni here are some numbers to consider. The Knicks would have to lose 4 in a row to be where dantoni had them last year. They would have to lose 8 in a row to match dantoni's 2010 start. They would need to lose the next 14 games to match his 2009 start. Dantoni was a really bad coach in NY. His training camps could not have been more ineffective.

I used to like it when he said "Let's go, let's go". That to me is more important than scouting opposing teams, preparing a team defensively or making in-game adjustments.

This isn't even as good as I think this Knicks team can actually be on D either. They still have breakdowns and Woody hasn't perfected his rotations yet. Also I think they kick it up a notch when Shump comes back and when we get Sheed and Camby in better shape. I still don't see a lot of intensity from Camby yet. I do like the defense we can play on the perimeter when the team is locked in.

The Spurs are a really tough team to defend with all the speed and precision of their ball and player movement. They've got guys that can break a D down and create shots. It's just a tough team to deal with. Knicks will have to be very focused and not mess around with the Spurs. They shouldn't try to play at the Spurs pace. They need to slow it down. I'd like to see more post ups against the Spurs. In any event this team is very tough defensively.