We also learn that a coach can say somethings but the players to execute.

We don't know another coach could have done better. We do know that while the pre trade team was not as individually as talented they executed very well. MDA for a time was "coach of the year" candidate and Donnie Exec of the year. Amare was for the first 40 games top 3 MVP.

They executed very well until Rumors got hot and heavy.

Exused or factorals of what happend? Hard to really know.

A core of two players is not gonna get it done without the right role players and system.

I am long on record that if you look at PHil Jax teams he had two great players and some pretty average role players who came together. He won with Rick Fox!!!! Paxton! Kerr! Older Rodman! Wennington! Longley! Purdue! TRADED AWAY OAK! Won with Cartright! Armstrong! Etc etc....

Its doable but you gotta have a system that works.

I don't like the fact we are draft pick depleted again!

Can we get Guys like Mike Dunlevy Jr. on the cheap in a role off the bench? Keep him healthy? Dude lights us up enough. Its a risk but so was starting Moz, Field and giving Williams a shot. Harp on MDA ruining AR but he bought up Wilson and Gallo enough to be major trading assets to get Melo.

SupremeCommander wrote:I think so. I think this core needs to run set plays though. If it were me, I'd have Melo and Amar'e alternate in the high and low posts and alternating who the first and second option is. I do not think SSOL is the ideal offense for this core

I agree. Amare and Carmelo are perfect for a half court system because they have the ability to shoot jumpers.

SupremeCommander wrote:I think so. I think this core needs to run set plays though. If it were me, I'd have Melo and Amar'e alternate in the high and low posts and alternating who the first and second option is. I do not think SSOL is the ideal offense for this core

more significantly- as relates to the incompatibility of melo and amar'e with ssol- is that both get to the rim and are able to finish.

MDA's systems seems to be all the guys standing around the perimeter jacking open 3's.

The knicks number one priority will have to be to find a point guard for next season. I just think Billups is at the point where he is basically going to be on the injured list. We can't go into next season with that much dependence on him, we need to have a plan b.

Celtics are a top team in the league, we should have definitely won game 1 and 2, but that type of stuff happens. I hope that they take that experience and build on it. Not bad for our first year, now if the same thing happens next year, then we have problems.

CashMoney wrote:Yeah they're good enough just need the right pieces around them.

They also need the right mindset Melo has shown he can play good defense but e needs o expend that enrgy throughout. Amare needs to stop standing around and watching opponents collect rebounds. I don't care what points he is putting up, he needs to play defense. If these two don't play defense the rest of th eteam takes the night off. What are you gonna do sit Amare and Melo the next game? And if you don't how do you hold others accountable? Defense is a mindset and it starts with the two best players on the court bringin it every night.

CrushAlot wrote:No. The Knicks have a coach in place now who had a lot more talent in Phoenix and couldn't reach the finals so I don't see anyway Melo and Amare can overcome his shortcomings to achieve that kind of success in the playoffs.

It would seem to me that to insure that the team can win a championship we need more! STAT and Melo aren't the kind of players that actually LEAD a team on the floor from a play calling aspect. We still need a floor leader that handles the ball and gets everyone the best possible shot. In addition since STAT isn't a typical PF nor a C, we must augment him with a Perkins type of big. It's actually the same problem we had with Eddy Curry. Curry needed a rebounding/shotblocker next to him to augment his lack of those skills. So we find a way to get a real C that can board and it would help a ton.

ramtour420 wrote:Melo and Amare are good enough to win a championship with the right players added(re-up Donnie now!!!), with the right system in place "What is this dee-fence I keep hearing about? I wants it !!"(Please let go of MDA to have him go coach an Eastern conference rival, pretty please). Are they good enough to win it all IN SPITE of the coach, like we've won/almost won some games this year? I don't want to find out. I think we tried to put backcourt pressure on Rondo one forking time throughout the series, ehem , in the first 3 games(granted I did not watch game 4 because I was a sad panda + unable to drown my sorrows with alchohol) and thats not how you do eet.

Not for nothing but the defense was near flawless in the 1st 2 games. It really wouldn't put so much pressure on the D if our offense was working like it should. That's the whole idea behind having Mike in the 1st place. If you have Amar'e you're never going to have a defense that is lock tight. You'd better be able to score the ball at a high level. We couldn't really do that cuz we lacked the PG to actually accomplish that. We had to change what we do and we almost completely lost the easy offense that Amar'e usually thrives on. Remember when Amar'e was able to get to the basket off PnR and Cuts? If you have a PG that can break down a D and get into the lane it opens things up for STAT and MELO. We got no guard penetration and even tho AC was able to give us a boost on D he's not nearly the guy to run the offense. When we finally get a PG that can do the basic things like Drive and dish and PnR, you'll see how much better this coach's system really is. Get a C and we'll be in the ECF's with a chance to go to the finals. STAT and Melo alone can't do it.

Paladin55 wrote:

knickstorrents wrote:Name me a championship team where their two best players don't play excellent defense.

I think I may have actually asked a similar question before the trade. but I'm not sure I used the term "excellent"- I might have asked if there was ever a championship team where its two best players were known as below average defenders, or something to that effect.

By the way...you won't get any answers because such a team has never existed.

If the bulls win this year, they will be the first. Rose and Boozer are both subpar defenders. Rose is downright bad.