We've had two different teams this season, and fans seem to be divided on which they like and which they don't. The first half of this season saw us start terribly, go on a historical run of success and then stay a .500 team. People went nuts for their inconsistency but found solace in their youth. After the trade, the Knicks formed the two-star tandem most teams want but gutted roster depth to do so. The result has been an inconsistent .500 team that drives fans nuts for it but some find solace in their star power.
In between, we have seen different play on both ends of the floor from the two teams. Both teams have had historical nights of hot shooting where they have been impossible to beat. That has only happened a handful times this season. Most games could be described as a coin toss battle were teams trade baskets until the first misses and the other wins. Those games haven't had much defense involved. In fact, both pre-trade and post-trade had their many difficulties playing defense and stopping teams when they had to. That has never changed.
Offensively, both teams have shown an affinity for three-point shooting, which constitutes a big part of their inconsistency on that end. With only a few three-point shooters, the pre-trade Knicks shot lots of threes, having trouble winning every time they didn't fall. The post-trade group has less three-point shooters, but they still shoot a high number of them and see their success most times be dictated by the amount they make. The new group has a bigger arsenal of offensive plays, especially with the addition of Melo, but they don't equate coach D'Antoni's system, so there is still a period of adjustment need to be made and it remains to be seen if the system will be fully revamped given the lineup or if it remains.
A major theme with NY is rebounding, as they have been outrebounded most of the season. Pre-trade Knicks had a few tall centers that helped the cause on some nights, but one of them saw little to none playing time (Randolph) and the other was banished after being declared starting C before the season, only to come back strong and gain value to be included in the trade (Mozgov). While some considered a no-brainier to include "Moz" in the trade, those fans who had followed NY close enough knew he was important to keep as he represented the best chance to have a balanced team with a more traditional lineup and a better chance at rebounding. Not that "Moz" alone would solve this problem, but he was starting to help the cause and his contributions were paying back.
The Post-trade Knicks don't have a seven footer. The closest is Jeffries, who is sometimes played out of position at center and is exposed for it. Either way, the coach is known for favoring small lineups for his system, even though those lineups prove to be hopeless against traditional and long lineups that see their front court players go for huge and sometimes career nights. It happened with the pre-trade Knicks and it happens with the post-trade Knicks.
If you see how both teams play and execute, you will be surprised at how similar both teams are, even if their rosters are so different. Their offensive play is pretty similar as you get heavy three point shooting. The pace is slower, but the results remain as both teams haven't had terrible problems scoring. Defense and rebounding have remained the issues as both teams couldn't stop anybody nor get the important rebound, especially in crunch time. Not much has changed. Why?
The answer lies between the coaching and part of the roster. Some suggest that some of our issues will be solved when we have a more traditional lineup and get the defensive and rebounding centers we need. Others claim that coach D'Antoni doesn't care about defense and will never have the discipline on defense and rebounding enough to be a championship contender. I think a good defensive strategy is important for a team defense no matter how good or bad are players on individual defense. But a big is extremely important to both aspects. The thing is, the coach has shown most of the times that he would rather play with a small lineup in his system than go traditional. Having preached defense or not, D'Antoni has mostly focused on offense and on his system, in which he has a hard time playing traditional centers. So while some preach patience with the coach, the truth is even them find it hard to believe that D'Antoni would play a traditional center and help the cause on D and rebounding.
So the system is responsible for some of our problems while the coach's lack of flexibility is responsible of the other one. Lately the Knicks have had problems with their consistency and their offense has become a little predictable. Yet D'Antoni has shortened the rotation, banishing everyone that came in the trade other than Melo and Billups. He hasn't even tried to integrate Brown, who could help both on O and in rebounding, yet we see signs of Randolph 2.0. Given our deficiencies, would it really hurt it give Sheldon Williams time at C or PF, especially when he could bring the defense that we've given up in losses like last night against the Pistons? You really think this system, with its lack of focus on defense, and this coach, with his stubbornness and disregard for the traditional center will really take the team where they hope to in the future, and that is contending for a championship?
We have changed the roster and seem to be moving in another direction. If we expect different results, then we have another element of our game to change.
