Not to mention that Melo is playing another position some of the time (depends if it's offense or defense).

I hope I am proven wrong, but get the feeling that we are going to be playing from behind come playoffs.

EMS

I wasn't at all saying last nights game was a precursor though. The Stat to come off the bench suggestion was mentioned a while ago as well by Briggs I think.

Well, perhaps we come back here after the playoffs start and I will gladly say I was wrong, gladly.

Amare is getting too many shots blocked on the inside. Sometime I think that his hands are made of jello. His jump shot is not falling. It will come to the point that if Amare can't step up his defense take him out of the game. I would rather see Fields in there.Look I really like Amare as a person but if we want to become competitive next season Amare and Melo should restructure thier contracts.

earthmansurfer wrote:

nixluva wrote:I think despite the loss, that the team ran thru the sets pretty well with the starting lineup. They just didn't hit shots, but they were open. The real issue is defensive chemistry, which is a big deal. STAT was slow on D and overall isn't that good anyway, but he had stepped up his effort in games just before he went down with the back injury. Hopefully he can get back to that.

I've hurt my back before (quite recently actually) and can say with football (on offense) I can mostly do what I want to do, as I step where and when I want. But on Defense. THAT IS TOTALLY DIFFERENT. Someone puts a move on you and you can pinch that nerve trying to adjust when just out of position. When you have a recovering back you sort of sense that can be the case. So, I don't think Stat is capable of playing defense as well as before (which isn't much). He did have some blocks, but those small, sharp and quick movements are probably going to be cut back on, just on instinct alone.

I do hope we find a way as we have talent. I just think bringing Stat off the bench and then overlaying his minutes with Melo is a lot less shocking and then the adjustment goes both ways. Throwing Stat into the starting lineup, the other starters, including Melo, are now trying to fit him in. This is all good, but not when you have 4 games, now 3, to figure it out.

And we can see chemistry can be affected in many ways. The rhythm can be off, which then makes your shots off, and your defense is just a little off which means Chandler has to do more in the middle (foul trouble?), etc. I just think this is a big giant thing to try right now and would have rather seen it in stages, just think that way would have been more productive.

This whole debate about whether or not STAT should start puzzles me...You guys think Melo isn't playing 40 mins a night in the playoffs??..Where will STAT be in those 40 mins??..

earthmansurfer wrote:Holfresh - But you do know Amare has a bulging disk and at any moment that nerve can get re-pinched or aggravated. Why risk trying to get the chemistry going if he may get hurt, not be 100% on defense or offense, etc and be back out of the lineup? Yeah, he will get his minutes, but not if he is sucking out there.

The starting lineup is VERY IMPORTANT. If one cog in the wheel is off it can totally derail the train. Didn't mean all those expressions, but you get the point. ;-)

So, the bigger question is, do you (we) think he is going to get 40 minutes a night if he is doing the matador defense that made him famous? Woody won't stand for that but I'm not sure Stat can play good defense coming back from that injury.

Again, I really really hope I'm wrong but we seem a bit split on it here, though I'd say Amare starting seems to be the flavor right now.

Melo and Amare playing together is unavoidable...It's going to happen...Also, If the Knicks play the Heat and with the coach's job tenuous at best, will he be able to justify sitting the second best player on a 7th seed team against a second seeded team starting their 3 best players??..Ain't going to happen ..

Bonn1997 wrote:

holfresh wrote:

earthmansurfer wrote:

nixluva wrote:I think despite the loss, that the team ran thru the sets pretty well with the starting lineup. They just didn't hit shots, but they were open. The real issue is defensive chemistry, which is a big deal. STAT was slow on D and overall isn't that good anyway, but he had stepped up his effort in games just before he went down with the back injury. Hopefully he can get back to that.

I've hurt my back before (quite recently actually) and can say with football (on offense) I can mostly do what I want to do, as I step where and when I want. But on Defense. THAT IS TOTALLY DIFFERENT. Someone puts a move on you and you can pinch that nerve trying to adjust when just out of position. When you have a recovering back you sort of sense that can be the case. So, I don't think Stat is capable of playing defense as well as before (which isn't much). He did have some blocks, but those small, sharp and quick movements are probably going to be cut back on, just on instinct alone.

I do hope we find a way as we have talent. I just think bringing Stat off the bench and then overlaying his minutes with Melo is a lot less shocking and then the adjustment goes both ways. Throwing Stat into the starting lineup, the other starters, including Melo, are now trying to fit him in. This is all good, but not when you have 4 games, now 3, to figure it out.

And we can see chemistry can be affected in many ways. The rhythm can be off, which then makes your shots off, and your defense is just a little off which means Chandler has to do more in the middle (foul trouble?), etc. I just think this is a big giant thing to try right now and would have rather seen it in stages, just think that way would have been more productive.

This whole debate about whether or not STAT should start puzzles me...You guys think Melo isn't playing 40 mins a night in the playoffs??..Where will STAT be in those 40 mins??..

Exactly; the real issue is making sure that Tyson, Melo, and Amare are not all on the floor at the same time. Melo gets 40 mpg fine. Amare gets 17 as backup C (with Melo as PF) and 8 as backup PF (with Melo resting).

If you listen to Woody all he talks about is defense and rebounding...Amare will be starting at PF especially if they play Chicago who are a very good rebounding team