SteveSmith wrote:To get back to the topic: Granted, it was against an bad Bobcats team, but I think we have seen the best Knicks Basketball of the season. There were turnovers, missed wide open shots and the usual effects of not "clicking". But they played the right way. Not SSOL, but ball movement, picks and penetration, off ball screens and all the rest. The effect of one practice with this team is impressive. And all of that without Baron 
One thing that I am curious about, is how fast Melo will learn to play off the ball. Today he was a decoy and distributor. In this role he opened the court for the rest of the team. He was marked closely almost all game. When the ball actually found him the few times he was unmarked he looked surprised. He had at least 3 wide open shots that he missed today, but will hit more often than not another day. I think, if we keep moving the ball like today, teams will have a very hard time deciding if they stay with him and suffer the cuts of fields and stat or give him wide open shots, wich he will make eventually.
What do you guys think? How hard is it for an player as talented, but used to being ball dominant, as Melo to adjust and learn? Will his ego cope with it?
In a perfect world he will become a natural part of a free moving offense were good shots are traded for great shots. I think his talent would make him a constant triple double treat for this team and we would win a lot of games.
agreed, its great to see almost everyone contributing. The Bobcats must have missed like 20 shots/layups, point blank, while we had at least 10 baskets that were put backs off offensive RB and TC beasting...
I like how the team is stepping up, while Melo can now gain trust in his team mates, when we were struggling earlier.
This is off ball movement and playing the right way, while vs a struggling Bobcats or not, it was much needed.
It shows how team effort, ball movement, and good shots, can affect our opponents defense and our offense, especially with offensive RBs.
Before the season started, I thought we were going to struggle for the first 20 games, i just didn't think we would lose the way we did...
We have to continue to build on this, support each other, give/feed off each other's confidence, stay positive, continue to learn, and develop chemistry..
1/25/2012 1:37 PM
