Hey, Knicks Fans: Keep Calm and Carry On
By Will Leitch
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We understand, Coach: It's hard for us to watch too.
We know you're not going to want to hear this. We know you're frustrated by the Knicks' 118–105 loss to the Spurs, the team's third straight loss, the fifth in their last seven games. We know it feels like everything is lost. We know you want someone fired/beaten/punched. But let us, on this calm, soothing Thursday morning, attempt to assuage your fear, your anger, your strife. There are reasons not to lose one's proverbial excrement. Allow us to give you five.
You ready? Here, take our hand. We'll guide you through this. Don't freak out. Go toward the light.
1. Last night was sort of meant to be a loss. On the road against one of the best teams in the NBA, the Knicks were going to need something spectral to win against San Antonio. Mike D'Antoni, in one of those decisions you hire a coach to make, decided that Tyson Chandler and Jared Jeffries were better off resting their weary bones. So, shockingly, the Spurs were able to drive the lane with no resistance. It's easier when you're not facing premier interior defenders. (Though we will say the string of "point guards having career games while being guarded by Jeremy Lin" is somewhat alarming.) It's extremely difficult to win in San Antonio even at full strength, with your team in sync. There's nothing to be ashamed of by losing to the Spurs on the road.
2. This is the scary part of the schedule. This little four-game road trip was always going to be perilous. The problem was not last night's loss or the loss to Dallas; the problem was that brutal loss to Boston that ensured they couldn't split this trip. To be very clear: Dallas and San Antonio are among the best teams on earth. Winning on the road against those guys is so hard. The Knicks could be clicking the way everyone wants them to, and they still probably would have lost these two games.
3. They're almost surely making the playoffs no matter what happens. Have you seen the Eastern Conference lately? The Knicks have a 71 percent chance of at least securing the No. 8 seed, and a win over Milwaukee on Friday (please beat Milwaukee, you guys) would probably push that near 90. Sure, they're now five games behind Atlanta (and four and a half behind Philadelphia) to get out of that dreaded 7-8 Miami-Chicago seed, but still, you know, playoffs.
4. Carmelo still can play? He still hasn't figured out where he works in the offense, and boy did he miss a lot of people who were cutting to the basket ... but he can still score. He has not lost the ability to do that. The Knicks haven't found the best way to use this in a Lin Landscape, but he can still do it. It's not like the Space Jam aliens took his talent away.
5. THIS TAKES TIME, PEOPLE. It is the Knicks' misfortune that the period in which they're trying to solve the mystery of their rotation, to get all their talented pieces working together at once, happens to be right when they're facing the roughest stretch of their schedule all season. That's not so much an excuse as an explanation; the Knicks just aren't ready yet. Carmelo isn't meshing, Jeremy Lin is adjusting to having two different defenders punch him in the face every time down the floor, Amar'e is getting his legs back, so on, so on, so on. Now, it's possible that these problems aren't going to be resolved, that the Knicks will never get everyone moving in the same direction at the same time. If that happens, well, then it's time to panic. But right now, the Knicks aren't in a position to have everything clicking at the same time, particularly with Chandler needing rest and Anthony having some sort of existential crisis. Will they get there? Hopefully! But they're not there now, and while that adjustment happens, they're not going to look 100 percent. Basketball is hard! They're working on it.
Is this apologetic for a team that we want to stay excited about but that keeps losing? Of course. But all is not lost. There are still plenty of reasons to be hopeful. And hey: What other choice do we have at this point?

We'll be saying the same thing in 2015.

Just one more year is all they need to really click!

That's the problem. It's that it just clicked, we just saw it work. And now it's back to "well, we need more time! it's only been ONE year, don't you know??"

And now we're being asked to give it more time, be more patient! You're not patient enough, you impulsive idiot!

Lin Baron
Shump Smith Fields
Melo Shump Novak
Amare Jefferies Jorts
Chandler Amare

The talent is here. I don't understand what alternative there is other than to wait for chemistry to develop

MarburyAnd1Crossover wrote:I mean, it just clicked, two weeks ago, the team was winning and the entire Planet was behind us.

That's the problem. It's that it just clicked, we just saw it work. And now it's back to "well, we need more time! it's only been ONE year, don't you know??"

It clicked because Amare and Melo were out, and Lin was just appearing on the scene.

Amare and Melo do not work well on this team - until they figure it out we are going to be mediocre at best.

Also, it seems like the league has figured out how to stop Lin or he has just come back down to earth. He is good, but he is far from Linsane. Granted he now has a target on his back which doesn't help.

nixluva wrote:Let's be honest here. This team has a Star that MUST PLAY and his game is not tailored to what the rest of the team does well. This team has guys that can play SSOL and we've seen it with our own eyes. Melo is going to play, but having him takes away some of the effectiveness of Lin, who was playing spectacular BB and was confident and in synch with his teammates.

Now there is hesitation and a lack of aggressiveness that is effecting Lin and by extension everyone else. Until MDA finds a balance or simply makes a super tough decision on lineups and rotations this will be a very slow process.

I think we saw MDA make one good move in putting Shump in the SL. Now we have to see how he tries to work "AROUND" Melo. He can't just erase him from the team. He has to find a way to get what he needs from him but at the same time not stall to flow of the rest of the team that thrives playing SSOL.

Then you have the STAT problem!!! He's an effective offensive player, but his defense is ATROCIOUS!!! I don't wanna hear anymore talk about MDA being the reason his teams don't play D. Now we all can see who was at fault in PHX and here in NY. Not having a true defensive Anchor means everything to a defense cuz teams will pick off your guards and the big has to help shutdown driving lanes. STAT just waves his matador cape and let's them drive right to the basket!!!

Jared and Tyson are critical to our playoff chances. Those 2 guys must play!!! When they were playing major minutes this teams D was playing at a high level, among the best in the league. That in turn made Lin and Shump and Fields better defenders. As i've said forever, it's not the coach, it's the players. The coaches can tell players what to do, but the players have to execute and give effort.

Can you believe JJ is critical to our success now? I mean I give the dude respect, he turned it around somewhat but the fact that the defensive fate of our franchise is tied up in 2 players (one of them being JJ) is scary.

I'm not saying Lin can't ball, but to assume he would produce at the same rate for the remainder of the season is friggin insane. That would mean he's a top five or top three point guard fo all time. While I'm a fan, I'm sorry, he's not that good, at least not yet

nixluva wrote:Let's be honest here. This team has a Star that MUST PLAY and his game is not tailored to what the rest of the team does well. This team has guys that can play SSOL and we've seen it with our own eyes. Melo is going to play, but having him takes away some of the effectiveness of Lin, who was playing spectacular BB and was confident and in synch with his teammates.

Now there is hesitation and a lack of aggressiveness that is effecting Lin and by extension everyone else. Until MDA finds a balance or simply makes a super tough decision on lineups and rotations this will be a very slow process.

I think we saw MDA make one good move in putting Shump in the SL. Now we have to see how he tries to work "AROUND" Melo. He can't just erase him from the team. He has to find a way to get what he needs from him but at the same time not stall to flow of the rest of the team that thrives playing SSOL.

Then you have the STAT problem!!! He's an effective offensive player, but his defense is ATROCIOUS!!! I don't wanna hear anymore talk about MDA being the reason his teams don't play D. Now we all can see who was at fault in PHX and here in NY. Not having a true defensive Anchor means everything to a defense cuz teams will pick off your guards and the big has to help shutdown driving lanes. STAT just waves his matador cape and let's them drive right to the basket!!!

Jared and Tyson are critical to our playoff chances. Those 2 guys must play!!! When they were playing major minutes this teams D was playing at a high level, among the best in the league. That in turn made Lin and Shump and Fields better defenders. As i've said forever, it's not the coach, it's the players. The coaches can tell players what to do, but the players have to execute and give effort.

I am definitely with you. I think Stat has been a major problem. His defense is terrible and he no longer fits in well on offense. He only fits when the other big man can play on the perimeter. Chandler has been great, and exposed Stat for being limited on offense. I have becomes very happy with what JJ and Harrellson bring to the table because they defend well and are complimentary on offense for what limited skills they bring to the table. I would love to see Stat traded for a SG (Martin from Houston?) who can spread the floor. I really feel like we just need players who compliment the core of Lin, Melo, and Chandler. We can win with this group if adjustments are made from all parties. We have 3 main things necessary to compete for a championship, a lead ball handler, a top scorer, and an elite post defender. Sometimes you have players like Lebron, Kobe, etc who fit both ball handler and scorer. Dallas last year had Dirk, Chandler, and Kidd as those 3 things needed, and great complimentary players. I think we have the right ingredience.

MarburyAnd1Crossover wrote:I mean, it just clicked, two weeks ago, the team was winning and the entire Planet was behind us.

That's the problem. It's that it just clicked, we just saw it work. And now it's back to "well, we need more time! it's only been ONE year, don't you know??"

yup