The 15 game Feb schedule is broken into bite sized pieces for proper consideration

Thu 02 vs Chicago - the Bulls are talented where we are weakest, TNT hosts ask "who is checking Derrick Rose?"
Fri 03 @ Boston - Doc may have his guys ready for some payback from the season opener
Sat 04 vs New Jersey - the finale of three games in three days, did somebody say quality depth?

Three consecutive games, win 2 of these and the ship be floatin', winning one (New Jersey) is realistic (1-2)

Mon 06 vs Utah - the Jazz commit only 13.6 turnovers per game and make 45.4 pct of their shots.
Wed 08 @ Washington - bad basketball in the nations capital
Fri 10 vs LA Lakers - Kobe
Sat 11 @ Minnesota - Kevin Love slapped 31 and 31 on us in 2010 for the first 30/30 game in the NBA in nearly 30 years
Tue 14 @ Toronto - The Answer Man's predicted return of Baron Davis, maybe

Win any two of the above (3-5)

Wed 15 vs Sacramento - first of 5 consecutive home games, this stretch can set the tone to finish strong
Fri 17 vs New Orleans - welcome back Monty Williams
Sun 19 vs Dallas - World Champions?
Mon 20 vs New Jersey - tired legs

Split (5-7) Reality (4-8)

Wed 22 vs Atlanta - the Hawks will run out McGrady
Thu 23 @ Miami - second night of back-to-back
Wed 29 vs Cleveland - the month finally comes to an end with an overtime win

Finish strong, take 2 of 3 and finish the month 7-8, scary version? 6-9 brings the record to 13 - 22

Summary: Anything less than winning half of these games and the short season is over. Breaking even would put the record at 15-20, assuming a win against the pitiful Pistons. Lose to the pistons and all bets are off.

"The Knicks play 10 of their next 14 games in the Garden. Nearly a third of the way through the season and already playing catch-up to the eighth-place Milwaukee Bucks, the Knicks face a defining stretch. Baron Davis’s return and Carmelo Anthony’s mending may help. But just as important, the Knicks as a whole need to figure out a way to tap back into the energy and enthusiasm of the Garden."

-Jim Cavan, NYT

http://offthedribble.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/01/30/home-court-advantage-or-burden-for-the-underachieving-knicks/

Beat Detroit.

Or else.

Pray for Melo and Baron to come back healthy. Pray for desire, effort, passing and team play. Pray for a gift from China (JR or Kmart, plz).

In the end it comes down to guard play guard play guard play. I hope Baron comes back, I hope Iman gets his swagger back, I hope Toney... doesn't trip over his shoelaces and has more threes made than horrible turnovers. (This is why I wanted Jamal Crawford so badly, even with the hope of Baron. How HUGE would it be to have Crawford on this team?)

We need to have an average February at worst in order to have a good March and an interesting April.

Here we go.

This team needs a reality check. Chuck the coach. It's been time for it to happen.

misterearl wrote:Hardcore - change coaches mid-stream if you like... it does not address the fundamental issue that the Knicks can barely go six deep without a SIGNIFICANT drop in productivity on BOTH ends.

The overall talent in the Eastern Conference has gotten more versatile. Philly, Chicago, Indiana, Miami (and even Boston) have superior supporting casts. The Knicks VETERAN bench players that were thrown together are among the worst second shifters the league. The guys we THOUGHT could be depended upon (Douglas, Walker, Jeffries, Novak, Bibby) are closer to being an answer to a trivia question, than they are an answer to a roster headed for the Eastern Conference Finals.

What we have is a mis-matched roster problem.

I understand where you are coming from, MisterEarl, but even with the flawed roster, this team should still be better than 8-15. It's up to the coach to get the most of the team assembled. Clearly, MDA isn't doing that.

misterearl wrote:"Carrrmellooooo ANNNNN-tho-NEEEEEEEEEEEEE!"

Hardcore - The Answer Man respects your point and feels your passion. Completely agree it is up to the coach to get the most from his talent. In New York, the head coach MUST manage more than just his players - stars included.

Know what the first thing a saavy, experienced coach would have done the day Carmelo was acquired? A saavy New York coach would have told the PR staff and MSG public address announcer to cool it with the over-the-top attention over Carmelo, especially after Amar'e had done the heavy lifting of building confidence in the franchise. You cut the hype to a minimum, as much as you can, and EMPHASIZE team. You introduce him like everyone else, not like the King of Zamunda.

Second, D'Antoni should have DEFINED expectations for Amar'e and Carmelo LAST FEBRUARY. You don't leave them to figure out out on the fly. As Jeff Van Gundy stated last night, it is a coaches role to be brutally honest about players flaws. Carmelo's flaws were evident then and remain evident now. It is not Carmelo's job to figure it out where he fits in a team context. THAT is on D'Antoni.

Third, 'Antoni's December promise about "competing for a championship" only created unrealistic expectations and more press fuel for frustration. D'Antoni should have paid closer attention to Rex Ryan and his chest-beating. This is New York. You fail here and the whole world gets to laugh at your expense. Humility is always best... especially when you have a roster of strangers with NO practice time.

True that.

MDA played up the hype, rather that take the more modest, humble and SAFE approach. He was one of the main ones talking championship, but now he wants to have this emotionally detached outlook on the downward spiral that the team is currently going in. He can't sidestep the expectations that he helped create, and that indifferent demeanor of his, in the midst of things falling the hell apart only throws salt on an already festering, infected wound only makes it seem as if if he is attempting to pull such a stunt.

Players have accept more responsibility for this mess that MDA has, and that suck worse than the Knicks' current record. How often has he ever openly discussed the plethora of missteps that he's made? What kind of "leader" does that?

Like I, you and many other sensible fans have already stated, it's MDA's job to figure out the game plan, not the players. There are a lot of people who rallied behind the "title contender" talk and aren't happy about having to wipe the omelette from our faces while the haters and naysayers have a field day.