Rose: Knicks victims of overconfidence
Tuesday, February 06, 2007
BY DAVID WALDSTEIN
Star-Ledger Staff

GREENBURGH, N.Y. -- As the Knicks search for a way out of their current habit of following each victory with a loss -- and vice versa -- they would be well served to follow the advice of the only player on the team who has been awarded championship jewelry.

Malik Rose, who won two championships with the Spurs and whose 82 appearances in playoff games is four times more than anyone else on the team, knows what it takes to put together winning streaks.

The Knicks have not won more than three games in a row all season, and tonight they will be trying to win back-to-back games for the first time in six tries. They haven't had even a two-game winning since they beat Portland, Seattle and the Sixers almost a month ago, and in their last five attempts to win a second game in a row they are 0-5.

According to Rose, the Knicks have fallen into the trap of thinking they are better than they are whenever they win, and losing focus.

"When you win, celebrate and get over it and get focused on the next game," he said. "But we get a win and we think we're in the conference championship. It's something we have to learn not to do."

Rose said one reason the Spurs have been so successful -- besides having tons of talent -- is that they always remain focused on the next game or next possession. He said concentration on proper execution is vital, and added that no matter what had happened in the previous game, and no matter what sequences come during a game, the championship Spurs always acted as if they were starting from scratch.

"I've said it all season," Rose said. "We'll get a win and all of the sudden we think we've arrived. We get a taste of what it could be like. But with winning streaks and good teams that put their work in daily, they get a win and nothing changes. It's still 0-0. They get another win, it's still 0-0. They go on a 20-0 run, the score is 0-0. Stay focused at the task at hand.

"It takes concentration; perseverance and concentration. We've got to stay focused on the game plan, what you do offensively and defensively. It just takes great deal of concentration and focus to put together win streaks."

Rose was in the playoffs the first eight years of his career before being traded to the Knicks, and is desperate to get back again this year, if only the Knicks can find a way out this pattern of W-L-W-L. As a 32-year-old veteran in his 11th season in the NBA, Rose has been a voice of experience to the younger players on the team, most of who have never even been to the playoffs. But he has tried to pick his spots, rather than become a monotone drone who is easily tuned out, like Charlie Brown's teacher.

"I try to pick and choose when I speak from knowledge and experience," he said. "But I've spoken about it a couple of times. When we win we're not as good as we think we are, and when we lose we're not as bad as we think we are. You've got to stay even-keeled, concentrate and stay focused, and good things will happen."

So far the Knicks' inconsistency is making it hard for the fans to get a grasp on where this team is headed. Isiah Thomas pointed out that although the Knicks haven't strung together many victories all season, at least they aren't doing what they did last year -- string together loss after loss after loss.

"It's a thing we're working on," he said. "You start from the bottom, confidence-wise and everything else, to get to the point where you go from the bottom to the average part, and the average part is one game up, one game down. Now we've got to get to the point where we're playing a little bit above average."

Notes: Channing Frye supported Thomas' decision to take him out of the starting lineup in favor of Jerome James, saying, "It's a good decision by Coach," and Frye acknowledged he needs to develop his all-around game. Thomas said he liked what he saw with James starting and plans to stick with him for a little while, but didn't commit to keeping him there permanently. It will be interesting to see what happens when Jared Jeffries returns from a sore back (he's questionable for tonight), or if Thomas decides to replace James with perhaps David Lee.

David Waldstein may be reached at dwaldstein@starledger.com

Would anyone else mind having Malik on our coaching staff when he hangs it up? I wouldn't.

Remember when Marbs would have a few good games and then proclaim himself God of the Universe. Did he get that from the team or vice versa?

Sometimes it has to be beaten into your head a few million times before you get it. I think our players will get it eventually but it will probably take a few more awful losses to get this out of our system. One of the problem of low standards is that any sign of success is a sign for celebration followed by relaxation.

Was there an MSG media person present when he made these comments?

We have bad habits from a year of quitting. End of story. Because we hated LB so much last year we said it was okay to quit. Now the players are trying to get rid of their bad habits. Quitting should never be acceptable for any reason

Malik will soon be entering the re-education camp

run by commandant John Lucas for the foul mouthed undercontrct player!