Posted by Andrew:
After the new rule changes were announced allowing more flexability on defense, JVG was quoted as saying he would be dissapointed if any team scored more than 80 points. Well, all three have so far. I know Camby is out, but what is going on with the defese?
He's trying letting the knicks run and gun, probably just to prove a point that it doesn't work and that the team needs to go back to controlling the pace of the game, and the scoreboard, through grind it out, monotonous, gruelin' half court offenses - otherwise known as Knicks Basketball. This lack of defense also might tie into the whole conspiracy plot to oust Scott Layden. Layden's problem is that he's conservative and not willing to take risks like his predecessor. Look at the team he built before he came to NYC - the Jazz are not an exciting dynamic team and the only ones that are worth anything on the whole roster are Stockton and Malone and he never had to do anything to recruit them and sign them or trade for them. That's what he has to do here, and he just doesn't seem to be able to do that. The team started going down hill when Grunfeld was fired in '99 before the run to the finals. If Grunfeld was kept on, I think we'd still be in the running, because he would have pulled the trigger on a couple of deals. He also would have never traded Pat away for JUNK.
Furthermore - Layden did do a good job of cleaning out the roster, getting rid of injured LJ and Luc Longly instead of letting them rot on the injured list. Layden did however draft POORLY this year.