TMS wrote:refreshing as hell to not see guys walking into the lane & laying balls up at will like they did against us the last several years... Turiaf, Wilson, Moz & even Amare getting into the shotblocking act.

That was just the most frustrating thing to watch.

If he or Mosgov are going to get in foul trouble, let it be for attempting blocks and not reaching in.

Olbrannon wrote:

CrushAlot wrote:Turiaf and Wilson have been so impressive in this area. The block can be such a momentum changer. This team is very likeable. I am back to watching the Knicks start to finish for the first time in a long time.

-----snip--------------

"We're creating our own identity, making sure of our own destiny," Douglas said. "We know what it takes to win and everyone's on the same page."

-----/snip-------------

and

NEW YORK -- Toney Douglas and Raymond Felton lack the speed of John Wall or the shooting of Gilbert Arenas.

But on the night the Washington Wizards finally got their guards together, the game belonged to the New York Knicks' duo.

Douglas had 19 points and a career-high 10 rebounds, Felton added 13 points and 10 assists, and the Knicks spoiled Arenas' return to NBA action with a 112-91 victory Friday night.

The Knicks' point guard combo outplayed the more heralded duo of No. 1 draft pick Wall and Arenas, who played in his first regular-season game in 10 months. And the Knicks' guards had much more help up front, with Amare Stoudemire scoring 18 points and Danilo Gallinari chipping in 16.

via http://scores.espn.go.com/nba/recap?gameId=301105018

This group has been fun to watch in so many ways, and they will get a lot better.

Our interior D is guarding our basket and dealing with penetrating opponents like fundamentalist parents protecting the virginity of their only daughter, and I don't think it is an anomaly.

http://www.msg.com/blogs/charlie-zegers/douglas-keys-knicks-vs-wizards-1.53835?localLinksEnabled=false

Trending team: New York Knicks

To their arsenal of 3-pointers and pick-and-rolls, the Knicks have added a new weapon: the blocked shot. New York leads the league in rejections, averaging eight a night over the season's first six games. That's a major change, given that the Knicks blocked a lower percentage of opponents' two-point attempts than any other team in the NBA during 2009-10. But it is a change that could have been predicted.

SCHOENE, Basketball Prospectus' system for projecting player and team performance, indicated before the season that New York would rank second in the league in block percentage. The improvement can be explained by the Knicks adding two shot-blockers (Ronny Turiaf and Amar'e Stoudemire) who were better at swatting attempts than anyone who saw regular minutes in New York last season. New York already had one of the league's top shot-blockers from the wing in Wilson Chandler, but playing bigger lineups figured to enhance the Knicks' prowess in that area overall. Chandler and Turiaf both rank in the NBA's top 10, with better than two blocks per game, and Stoudemire is not far behind.

More importantly, the blocks have translated into an improved Knicks defense. Stopping opponents at the rim was a major problem for New York last season. Opposing teams made 63.5 percent of their tries at the rim in 2009-10, according to Hoopdata.com, which was the league's sixth-worst mark. Before Sunday's loss to Philadelphia, the Knicks' 55.3 percent accuracy allowed on layups and dunks was good for third in the NBA.

New York's overall defense has made equally notable strides. The Knicks have gone from 27th in the league in defensive rating to seventh before Sunday's game. In fact, through the first five games of the season, New York was actually better on defense than offense on a per-possession basis.

loweyecue wrote:

GodSaveTheKnicks wrote:Something from Kevin Pelton at BP. Progress baby!

Trending team: New York Knicks

To their arsenal of 3-pointers and pick-and-rolls, the Knicks have added a new weapon: the blocked shot. New York leads the league in rejections, averaging eight a night over the season's first six games. That's a major change, given that the Knicks blocked a lower percentage of opponents' two-point attempts than any other team in the NBA during 2009-10. But it is a change that could have been predicted.

SCHOENE, Basketball Prospectus' system for projecting player and team performance, indicated before the season that New York would rank second in the league in block percentage. The improvement can be explained by the Knicks adding two shot-blockers (Ronny Turiaf and Amar'e Stoudemire) who were better at swatting attempts than anyone who saw regular minutes in New York last season. New York already had one of the league's top shot-blockers from the wing in Wilson Chandler, but playing bigger lineups figured to enhance the Knicks' prowess in that area overall. Chandler and Turiaf both rank in the NBA's top 10, with better than two blocks per game, and Stoudemire is not far behind.

More importantly, the blocks have translated into an improved Knicks defense. Stopping opponents at the rim was a major problem for New York last season. Opposing teams made 63.5 percent of their tries at the rim in 2009-10, according to Hoopdata.com, which was the league's sixth-worst mark. Before Sunday's loss to Philadelphia, the Knicks' 55.3 percent accuracy allowed on layups and dunks was good for third in the NBA.

New York's overall defense has made equally notable strides. The Knicks have gone from 27th in the league in defensive rating to seventh before Sunday's game. In fact, through the first five games of the season, New York was actually better on defense than offense on a per-possession basis.

Not too shabby for a coach who never coaches or mentions defense.