But the way they started last night, and competed and played defense shows this group can do it.

Clearly something clicked for them last night, and I kinda take it as proof that we need a new coach.

It has seemed as though MDA is simply too laid back for this group, and its only when he starts to show a little fire that the team responded.

Supplement the supporting cast in the off season- make some kind of decision about Billups, add some draft picks & youth & size.

But get rid of the coach, and get a new voice in here, and this squad can aim for a top 4 slot in next year's play offs.

franco12 wrote:

NYKBocker wrote:If something clicked last night then wouldn't you give the coach some credit?

No- because my opinion is he is too laid back. It was only when he showed some fire that he got the guys to respond.

It was overdue, and should have been there from the moment this team started training camp.

I'll give MDA some credit if he can maintain his fire for the rest of the season, and into the play offs.

Key word in your post is "training camp". OK that was 2 words but what I am trying to say is that this new group has not the luxury to have training camp. The pre-trade Knicks were very good and improving. You can't deny that.

franco12 wrote:

NYKBocker wrote:

franco12 wrote:

NYKBocker wrote:If something clicked last night then wouldn't you give the coach some credit?

No- because my opinion is he is too laid back. It was only when he showed some fire that he got the guys to respond.

It was overdue, and should have been there from the moment this team started training camp.

I'll give MDA some credit if he can maintain his fire for the rest of the season, and into the play offs.

Key word in your post is "training camp". OK that was 2 words but what I am trying to say is that this new group has not the luxury to have training camp. The pre-trade Knicks were very good and improving. You can't deny that.

Nothing to do with this group or that group. I am talking about D'Antoni showing some fire and getting through to the players, no matter when they got here.

Last night was an effort win. The Knicks wanted it more. It was basketball, not a battle of systems.

What took so long for them to show that? I think D'Antoni finally got desperate, and showed some fire.

I wished he had had that same fire, that same urgency, from the start of the season.

The Knicks were playing pretty good basketball pre-trade. Heck after the trade they were 6-3 at one point. The goal this year was to make the playoffs and we're still on target. MDA get's no credit for this? 8-11 since the trade is tough to deal with but crap like this happens. Losing streaks tend to create a sense of urgency.

franco12 wrote:

NYKBocker wrote:

franco12 wrote:

NYKBocker wrote:If something clicked last night then wouldn't you give the coach some credit?

No- because my opinion is he is too laid back. It was only when he showed some fire that he got the guys to respond.

It was overdue, and should have been there from the moment this team started training camp.

I'll give MDA some credit if he can maintain his fire for the rest of the season, and into the play offs.

Key word in your post is "training camp". OK that was 2 words but what I am trying to say is that this new group has not the luxury to have training camp. The pre-trade Knicks were very good and improving. You can't deny that.

Nothing to do with this group or that group. I am talking about D'Antoni showing some fire and getting through to the players, no matter when they got here.

Last night was an effort win. The Knicks wanted it more. It was basketball, not a battle of systems.

What took so long for them to show that? I think D'Antoni finally got desperate, and showed some fire.

I wished he had had that same fire, that same urgency, from the start of the season.

we are back to coaching effort?

JrZyHuStLa wrote:Franco has a valid point. Whether it was the coach or the players who initiated last night's effort, it still helps D'antoni's case.

Playoffs will matter most; we get rolled or get hot, everything changes.

Reg season moral victories mean more to the players.

islesfan wrote:

martin wrote:

franco12 wrote:

NYKBocker wrote:

franco12 wrote:

NYKBocker wrote:If something clicked last night then wouldn't you give the coach some credit?

No- because my opinion is he is too laid back. It was only when he showed some fire that he got the guys to respond.

It was overdue, and should have been there from the moment this team started training camp.

I'll give MDA some credit if he can maintain his fire for the rest of the season, and into the play offs.

Key word in your post is "training camp". OK that was 2 words but what I am trying to say is that this new group has not the luxury to have training camp. The pre-trade Knicks were very good and improving. You can't deny that.

Nothing to do with this group or that group. I am talking about D'Antoni showing some fire and getting through to the players, no matter when they got here.

Last night was an effort win. The Knicks wanted it more. It was basketball, not a battle of systems.

What took so long for them to show that? I think D'Antoni finally got desperate, and showed some fire.

I wished he had had that same fire, that same urgency, from the start of the season.

we are back to coaching effort?

If you've watched any of the NCAA Tourney you would see that coaching effort is very real. Or using Knicks history, effort and defensive intensity went up when Pitino, Riley and Van Gundy replaced Bob Hill, John MacLeod and Don Nelson respectively.

Last night put an end to the myth that these players can't play defense and that Antoni wasn't to blame for that. Fire Antoni and get a real head coach in here.

I mean how do you explain his Speech before the game? I guess it was a knockdowning one of no effect. Matter of fact why was he giving a speech in the first place.... if it's all about internal desire and effort from players.

fishmike wrote:

islesfan wrote:

martin wrote:

franco12 wrote:

NYKBocker wrote:

franco12 wrote:

NYKBocker wrote:If something clicked last night then wouldn't you give the coach some credit?

No- because my opinion is he is too laid back. It was only when he showed some fire that he got the guys to respond.

It was overdue, and should have been there from the moment this team started training camp.

I'll give MDA some credit if he can maintain his fire for the rest of the season, and into the play offs.

Key word in your post is "training camp". OK that was 2 words but what I am trying to say is that this new group has not the luxury to have training camp. The pre-trade Knicks were very good and improving. You can't deny that.

Nothing to do with this group or that group. I am talking about D'Antoni showing some fire and getting through to the players, no matter when they got here.

Last night was an effort win. The Knicks wanted it more. It was basketball, not a battle of systems.

What took so long for them to show that? I think D'Antoni finally got desperate, and showed some fire.

I wished he had had that same fire, that same urgency, from the start of the season.

we are back to coaching effort?

If you've watched any of the NCAA Tourney you would see that coaching effort is very real. Or using Knicks history, effort and defensive intensity went up when Pitino, Riley and Van Gundy replaced Bob Hill, John MacLeod and Don Nelson respectively.

Last night put an end to the myth that these players can't play defense and that Antoni wasn't to blame for that. Fire Antoni and get a real head coach in here.

good post. But dont you also think you need players receptive to coaching effort? When a team is floundering there are not a lot of NBA coaches that can tell their team its because they arent playing hard enough.

Franco is right. MDA is a laid back coach and probably isnt the right fit as he has too many laid back players. However MDA is also successfull and thats been proven. Who is coming in here and setting a fire under Melo's ass to play like that more often? Skiles? Mark Jackson? Melo has what? 4 all star games and a $20mm a year pay check on his current level of effort. Who is the guy who is getting more out of him? Thats a big personality. I dont see any of the candidates out there with those credentials.

It would be great if Riley, Jackson were the coach but its not happening... and we have seen Wilkins, Larry Brown, Isiah, etc run out of town by lesser players than we have now.

Easy to say "replace the coach with a guy who stresses defense." But people dont really think about how that plays out

The "who's out there that's better" question always comes up as if there's never anybody out there worth replacing the incumbent. That's just folly. There are so many good young head coaches that were hired since Antoni was hired to coach the Knicks, including 2 defensive minded coaches (Skiles and Thibodeau) who would be better fits.

CashMoney wrote:

franco12 wrote:

NYKBocker wrote:

franco12 wrote:

NYKBocker wrote:If something clicked last night then wouldn't you give the coach some credit?

No- because my opinion is he is too laid back. It was only when he showed some fire that he got the guys to respond.

It was overdue, and should have been there from the moment this team started training camp.

I'll give MDA some credit if he can maintain his fire for the rest of the season, and into the play offs.

Key word in your post is "training camp". OK that was 2 words but what I am trying to say is that this new group has not the luxury to have training camp. The pre-trade Knicks were very good and improving. You can't deny that.

Nothing to do with this group or that group. I am talking about D'Antoni showing some fire and getting through to the players, no matter when they got here.

Last night was an effort win. The Knicks wanted it more. It was basketball, not a battle of systems.

What took so long for them to show that? I think D'Antoni finally got desperate, and showed some fire.

I wished he had had that same fire, that same urgency, from the start of the season.

The Knicks were playing pretty good basketball pre-trade. Heck after the trade they were 6-3 at one point. The goal this year was to make the playoffs and we're still on target. MDA get's no credit for this? 8-11 since the trade is tough to deal with but crap like this happens. Losing streaks tend to create a sense of urgency.