JohnWallace44 wrote:Which style is going to win games for this squad exactly? We're running a trick offense to begin with to make up for a lack of talent. We have no backcourt and no interior defenders, so... Aside from running iso plays for Nate every time down, I don't know what the answer could be. Can you see these one year players picking up a Triangle offense or Flip Saunders' scheme?
The 7SecOrLess offense requires something these players don't have and for good reason. Confidence.
The GM put a joke team together that was lucky to win as many games as it did lasy year. Its too bad we didn't have this collapse then, because we might have Evans instead of Hill.
Another thing that is missed is that we're not running the coach's offense as is. He says that he doesn't know why Duhon is slowing it down. The players are just amazingly inept.
DW is currently in the dismantling stage of the Knicks. He has some solid picks among the youngsters, potentially a superstar in Gallo. Even Hill could pan out, time will tell. But a nucleus is there.
This summer marks the transition from the dismantling stage to the building stage when we add serious talent. In the next two off-seasons we gain the talent needed for MDA's system. Better that the talent we're keeping be familiar with it than to modify our system this year to accommodate the ill-equipped team we have. It's painful to watch, but it's in the interest of long-term rebuilding to hold our tack and not change course.
The one year rental players (e.g., Hughes, N8, Lee, Duhon, AH) don't have a vested interest in this system as they won't be in it after this year. Possibly one of them gets retained on a modest and brief contract (read MLE or less, probably Al) to shore up our gaps, but for the most part they are auditioning for their next team. It's very unprofessional to play such schlocky ball right now, but that appears to be where it's (still) at with these guys.
They have showed signs of life. I've even seen hustle and defensive tenacity. But they are not going to become a good team by changing the scheme. There are too many guys not invested, not trying to win. There are too many non-playing distractions about the direction of the team and the looming deal for a franchise player hanging over the Knicks. Must be hard to get that "buy in" from the players. What's DW and MDA supposed to do about that?
I am ready to extend patience to this management group to get us out of the deep rut the Dolans have led us into. I have abundant hope that the patriarch finally pulled back the reins on Jimmy or the kid decided he was incompetent and got out of the way. It's clear to me that DW and MDA represent a solid break with the past and a new, promising direction for the Knicks. They are not going to mess up reputations or careers by letting an idiot like Jimmy interfere. Losing sucks, but it's tolerable so long as we remain headed down the correct path.
Here's a thought: Give Oakley the Asst. Coach of Defensive Tenacity job and have him come in here and wake these slouchers up a bit. They are so lame on interior defense that it's laughable. That's not on MDA's lap, these guys are not even trying. The guys down low have how many fouls to give per game? They need to use a foul or two to send a message about the painted area in front of the hoop. It hurts to watch guys like David Lee putting down the Welcome Mat and sweeping off the leaves. I am surprised he doesn't have hot cocoa made for his guests. Maybe all those millions act to shrivel up their sacks and take away their pride. We need a guy to step in and tell them where it's really at.
