For Knicks, Another Day, Another Debacle

By MAREK FUCHS
Published: December 16, 2005
GREENBURGH, N.Y., Dec. 15 - The Knicks, who have had their share of fourth-quarter collapses this season, were striving to make a change in two home games this week. They did change - they floundered in the second quarter.

At practice Thursday, as Coach Larry Brown was sorting out his team's shortcomings, the Knicks sustained another blow: Eddy Curry, the starting center who has already missed five games this season because of a calf injury, sprained his ankle. His status was not immediately announced.

After lopsided losses this week to Milwaukee and Orlando put the Knicks' record at 6-15, Brown said that "you look at the schedule and don't think you can win another game."

He blamed his coaching and questioned his players' listening skills.

"I've always believed if you have to tell them 1,000 times, you tell them," Brown said. "There are some kids, you tell them once and they get it. Others, you got to tell 1,000 times and they still might not get it.

"Right now, I feel we have to keep telling them over and over and over again. It gets frustrating."

Brown has a history of reclamation projects. But when asked if he had ever had a team struggle to follow directions but go on to succeed, he said no.

He quickly said, "In all honesty, I think they are trying - in their minds."

One option for Brown is further simplifying the offense. He said that he already used simple principles, but that he may have to start calling every play from the bench.

In the losses to the Bucks and the Magic this week, the Knicks' perimeter defense was exposed, and turnovers were chronic.

Malik Rose, a forward with championship pedigree from his tenure with the San Antonio Spurs, said there was not an easy fix.

"Something has got to give, and I don't know what it is," he said.

Rose mentioned what has become a prevailing explanation for the Knicks' struggles: lack of continuity.

"We're learning a new system, we have a lot of new pieces, some guys are injured, some guys are coming back and a lot of guys aren't confident," he said, adding that the result is a problem with rhythm.

Sloppy passing and dribbling cannot always improve with familiarity. But what Rose called the other half of the turnovers - the ones resulting from violations like illegal screens and traveling - can be caused by poor timing, which can be improved with familiarity.

"There are just a lot of different things we have to correct," Rose said.

Being blown out twice at home and hearing boos may have begun to fray the Knicks. After their loss Wednesday, Rose had an altercation in the locker room with Nate Robinson, a 5-foot-9-inch rookie who last month fought Jerome James, the team's tallest player at 7-1.

Rose was coy about the details of the skirmish, giving a tongue-in-cheek explanation about a bet on an N.F.L. game between Seattle and Philadelphia, their respective hometown teams.

Laughing, Rose said that he should not have to pay up because of the Eagles' injuries.

Now, with Curry's sprained ankle, the Knicks have another injury. But even if Curry is unable to play Friday night in Atlanta against the Hawks, the Knicks may have hope; they will playing the Hawks (4-17).

Then again, the Hawks have recently beaten the Spurs and the Cleveland Cavaliers.

"I haven't slept in two months," Brown said. "And I don't anticipate getting a lot of rest."

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/12/16/sports/basketball/16knicks.html

I wonder if Nate and Ron Artest would murder each other on their first day of practice?

Rose needs to get the hell off the team. He's a waste of space.

wow, 12 hours behind.

http://www.ultimateknicks.com/forum/topic.asp?t=13211