HOW WE IMPROVE OFFENSIVELY....
Our offense is basically a derivative of Seven Seconds Or Less (SSOL). The difference is that while the endgame of SSOL was to run sets to open up the 3, our new endgame is to use the 3 to open up our sets. When things are clicking, these are our sets in a nut shell:

1.) Felton-Chandler pick and roll
a.) Felton gets to the basket...
i.) scores off a layup
ii.) sucks the defense in and kicks the ball out, which triggers multiple passes until the man with the best shot is found
iii.) passes to a rolling Chandler
b.) Chandler gets to the basket...
i.) scores on a dunk

2.) Melo iso on the right block
a.) Lulls his man to sleep by holding the ball, while jab stepping for 2-4 seconds before hoisting a 15ft jump shot
b.) Drives to the basket to either draw the foul or score the ball
c.) Drives to his left toward the paint but spots up from about 10 ft.

3.) JR iso on the left wing
a.) Drives left, brings the ball back to his right to kamikazee his way to the rim for either a foul or layup
b.) Takes 2-3 lateral dribbles to get a rhythm and immediately hoists an off balance shot from distance

THE PROBLEM:
1.) We're an incredibly predictable team that is easy to stop when our 3's aren't falling to open up any of the aforementioned sets.
2.) We're a small ball team but we don't exploit the benefits of being small, namely the fastbreak. The reason why we can't get out on breaks is because our guards are incredibly poor rebounders and aren't able to push the ball off of defensive boards. The best uptempo teams of the past decade, namely the Suns and Nets had several of the best backcourt rebounders in the league. Nets: Jason Kidd, Kerry Kittles, Keith Van Horn and then Kidd, Vince Carter and Richard Jefferson. Suns: Quentin Richardson and Joe Johnson.
3.) We get very little penetration to the basket and even less ability to drive and kick, forcing us to take low percentage shots.

THE SOLUTION:
1.) We can no longer play 3 guards at any one time. Shift Felton to PG; Iman to SG and start Copeland at SF. Prigioni/Smith can sub in for either guard but we'd need a legitimate 3 to sub for Copeland. It doesn't solve the problem but certainly helps.
Free Agent Possibilities: (a) Marvin Williams, (b) Martell Webster, (c) Wesley Johnson, (d) Brandon Rush, (e) Matt Barnes
Trade Targets: (a) Danny Granger, (b) Jared Dudley, (c) Joe Johnson, (d) Caron Butler, (e) Rajon Rondo, (f) Eric Bledsoe

2.) We need to establish/acquire a consistent no.2 scorer not named JR Smith. This should make our offense more dynamic and harder to contain. In an ideal world, that scorer would be our primary ball handler, since drives to the basket would be more actively contested and free up our shooters more. The gold standard would be a James Harden.
Free Agent Possibilities: (a) Nate Robinson
Trade Targets: (a) Brandon Jennings, (b) Eric Bledsoe, (c) Danny Granger[he's not a ball handler though], (d) Joe Johnson [he can't drive], (e) Jamal Crawford

THE PROBLEM...
1.) Chandler's getting old and has shown some regression, typical of a high school big this late in his career. Him not performing like a Defensive Player of the Year candidate makes us susceptible to giving up layups as an older and slower footed team.

2.) We're vulnerable to big lineups, which are often typical of title contenders. Three of the current four playoff teams left feature two skilled post players that are especially physical. The fourth has LeBron James who is the great equalizer of any mismatch.

3.) Outside of Iman Shumpert who has been covering SF's, we are extremely slow laterally in the backcourt. Throughout the regular season we've been toasted by quicker and more nimble quards.

4.) The lack of rebounding in our backcourt allows opponents to get 2nd and 3rd opportunities at the basket making it harder to limit their point total.

THE SOLUTION...
1.) Force our guards to fight through picks in order to limit the switches. Though small, they are strong guys and should be over to the picks fairly easily. Its one of the few advantages we should have at the position.

2.) We need to feature a bigger lineup off of our bench that can actually score. Hopefully Amare can stay healthy and be that scoring punch we need at the 4 spot. I'd never want to see Melo and Amar'e on the court at the same time though.

3.) We need an infusion of youth in our backcourt that can offer more athleticism defensively on the perimeter.

Free Agent Possibilities: (a) Patrick Beverly, (b) Eric Bledsoe, (c) Tony Allen, (d) Nate Robinson
Trade Targets: (a) Rajon Rondo, (b) Brandon Jennings, (c) Darren Collision, (d) OJ Mayo, (e) Reggie Jackson

4.) See previous post.

NardDogNation wrote:I'm an insomniac (that's apparently OCD), so here's my two cents on the Knicks moving forward.

HOW WE IMPROVE OFFENSIVELY....
Our offense is basically a derivative of Seven Seconds Or Less (SSOL). The difference is that while the endgame of SSOL was to run sets to open up the 3, our new endgame is to use the 3 to open up our sets. When things are clicking, these are our sets in a nut shell:

1.) Felton-Chandler pick and roll
a.) Felton gets to the basket...
i.) scores off a layup
ii.) sucks the defense in and kicks the ball out, which triggers multiple passes until the man with the best shot is found
iii.) passes to a rolling Chandler
b.) Chandler gets to the basket...
i.) scores on a dunk

2.) Melo iso on the right block
a.) Lulls his man to sleep by holding the ball, while jab stepping for 2-4 seconds before hoisting a 15ft jump shot
b.) Drives to the basket to either draw the foul or score the ball
c.) Drives to his left toward the paint but spots up from about 10 ft.

3.) JR iso on the left wing
a.) Drives left, brings the ball back to his right to kamikazee his way to the rim for either a foul or layup
b.) Takes 2-3 lateral dribbles to get a rhythm and immediately hoists an off balance shot from distance

THE PROBLEM:
1.) We're an incredibly predictable team that is easy to stop when our 3's aren't falling to open up any of the aforementioned sets.
2.) We're a small ball team but we don't exploit the benefits of being small, namely the fastbreak. The reason why we can't get out on breaks is because our guards are incredibly poor rebounders and aren't able to push the ball off of defensive boards. The best uptempo teams of the past decade, namely the Suns and Nets had several of the best backcourt rebounders in the league. Nets: Jason Kidd, Kerry Kittles, Keith Van Horn and then Kidd, Vince Carter and Richard Jefferson. Suns: Quentin Richardson and Joe Johnson.
3.) We get very little penetration to the basket and even less ability to drive and kick, forcing us to take low percentage shots.

THE SOLUTION:
1.) We can no longer play 3 guards at any one time. Shift Felton to PG; Iman to SG and start Copeland at SF. Prigioni/Smith can sub in for either guard but we'd need a legitimate 3 to sub for Copeland. It doesn't solve the problem but certainly helps.
Free Agent Possibilities: (a) Marvin Williams, (b) Martell Webster, (c) Wesley Johnson, (d) Brandon Rush, (e) Matt Barnes
Trade Targets: (a) Danny Granger, (b) Jared Dudley, (c) Joe Johnson, (d) Caron Butler, (e) Rajon Rondo, (f) Eric Bledsoe

2.) We need to establish/acquire a consistent no.2 scorer not named JR Smith. This should make our offense more dynamic and harder to contain. In an ideal world, that scorer would be our primary ball handler, since drives to the basket would be more actively contested and free up our shooters more. The gold standard would be a James Harden.
Free Agent Possibilities: (a) Nate Robinson
Trade Targets: (a) Brandon Jennings, (b) Eric Bledsoe, (c) Danny Granger[he's not a ball handler though], (d) Joe Johnson [he can't drive], (e) Jamal Crawford

Unfortunately, we had that last year and we let him go for nothing. We got a gift from the basketball gods and our owner said **** you.

callmened wrote:RonRon, BRIGGS - you guys have some competition with NardDog...hes becoming "M.R.P" status ("Must Read Post") just like you guys...LOL

Good posts...most of which i agree, some not so much:

1.) We can no longer play 3 guards at any one time. Shift Felton to PG; Iman to SG and start Copeland at SF. Prigioni/Smith can sub in for either guard but we'd need a legitimate 3 to sub for Copeland. It doesn't solve the problem but certainly helps.

- I have no problem with the PNR offense (thats the staple of NBA and we do it very well). I'm not going to go nuts with changing the PNR just because Indy shut it down. They shut it down cuz they have a rare commodity - an old school HUGE Center in Hibbert. With that said, I dont think starting a "conventional" offense will help or hurt things. So this move would be somewhat irrelevant in my opinion. (you even said that yourself).
- Also, I dont think Copeland is that good to be starting. Hes a great offensive talent but "ehhh" defense. I dont think he should be promoted (yet). I think hes a good spark plug off the bench who should replace Novak
- Free Agent Possibilities: (a) Marvin Williams, (b) Martell Webster (yes!), (c) Wesley Johnson (scrub), (d) Brandon Rush (VERY underated and attainable), (e) Matt Barnes (ive always like his game & defense)
- Trade Targets (doubt it): (a) Danny Granger (hate him; just wanted to say that!), (b) Jared Dudley (cool, for shump?lol), (c) Joe Johnson (No ISO Joe is just like Melo), (d) Caron Butler, (e) Rajon Rondo (not happening), (f) Eric Bledsoe (overrated; when he had a chance to run the show; he wasnt good)

2.) We need to establish/acquire a consistent no.2 scorer not named JR Smith. This should make our offense more dynamic and harder to contain. In an ideal world, that scorer would be our primary ball handler, since drives to the basket would be more actively contested and free up our shooters more. The gold standard would be a James Harden.

- This is what scared me ALL YEAR! The fact that we had to rely on JR as a #2 scorer worried me - even though it worked all yr. He has character issues and i just dont trust his streaky self in a big spot.
- This is was Amare was supposed to be and the fact that hes NOT and were investing so much in him is what is destroying the team
- I truly believe that to WIN in today's NBA - you need speedy guards who score and create for others. THIS is what Melo needs since hes a finisher not a creator.

Free Agent Possibilities: (a) Nate Robinson (im not a fan despite his great playoff run; liability on defense)
Trade Targets: (a) Brandon Jennings (NOOOOOOOO), (b) Eric Bledsoe (overrated; when he had a chance to run the show; he wasn't good), (c) Danny Granger [he's not a ball handler though], (d) Joe Johnson [he can't drive], (e) Jamal Crawford

3.) Force our guards to fight through picks in order to limit the switches. Though small, they are strong guys and should be over to the picks fairly easily. Its one of the few advantages we should have at the position.

- this is just a matter about effort. One thing I'll say about Ray is that hes tough but now hes brittle and starting to break down. We need more depth at the guard position.
- Possibilities: Draft picks: (a) Shane Larkin (b) Danny Schroeder (Germany) (c) Pierre Jackson/ Free Agent Possibilities: (a) AJ Price

4.) We need to feature a bigger lineup off of our bench that can actually score. Hopefully Amare can stay healthy and be that scoring punch we need at the 4 spot. I'd never want to see Melo and Amar'e on the court at the same time though.

- I actually think Amare can be somewhat useful OFF the bench for 20-25 mins. Copeland off the bench provides some scoring too. We also need DEFENSE and REBOUNDERS on the front line. Im cool with re-signing KMart for cheap. I think we should try to add beef bruiser like Ivan Johnson/Blair. Also, we need a young defender at the 4 such as Dante Cunningham. Release Camby and sign Sam Dalembert

5.) We need an infusion of youth in our backcourt that can offer more athleticism defensively on the perimeter.

- I agree, ultimately we had an advantage vs Indy. Smallball IS a good idea IF you push the ball. Miami will play small ball and you will see them RUN INDY OUT THE GYM. you cannot play a slow down half court offense vs indy. It allows them to set up down low.
- Possibilities: Draft picks: (a) Shane Larkin (b) Danny Schroeder (Germany) (c) Pierre Jackson/ Free Agent Possibilities: (a) AJ Price

My Suggestions
- Overall, we just need YOUNGER depth. That was my only critique about last yrs offseason's addition. We plugged the holes but with AGE!!
- Also, I think we need to replace JR Smith. In my opinion, hes NOT staying and besides im TIRED of his act
- We need a combo PG/SG to replace Kidd (who should stay on the bench as a coach/player role). Im a big fan of Crazy Delonte West. I think he will be on his best behavior to get back into the league and we can get him for cheap. If not Randy Foye
- We need to get a bigger front line (preferably younger). We need a young defender at the 4 such as Dante Cunningham or Ivan Johnson. Also take a chance on talented big men like Jeremy Tyler
- Resign Copeland. I dont think hes GREAT but hes cheap young talent. DONT use the 3mill MLE though. Simply Cut Camby (and pay him 1mill over the next 8 yrs, so it wont kill the salary cap). Hes worth about 2-3mill since i still think he has a LOT to prove.
- Stop relying on 3s. Its cute cuz it looks good and its fun to watch but in a tough spot, good teams will shut it DOWN. Also, it will HELP our rebounding numbers if we STOP being a jump shooting team
- heres my proposed roster:

PROPOSED ROSTER
PG Felton/AJ Price/(draft Pick)
SG Shumpert/West or Foye/QRich (why not)
SF Melo/Copeland
PF Cunningham or Johnson/Amare
C Tyson/Dalembert/Tyler

AVAILABLE FREE AGENTS
PG AJ price/jose calderon
SG gary neal/randy foye
SF martell webster/anthony tolivver/matt barnes/dorell wright
PF dante cunningham/ivan johnson/Dejuan blair
C Sam dalembert

You're making me blush and I can't even blush,lol. And just to clarify, the suggestions I made e.g. starting Copeland are mostly focused on what we can do to maximize the current roster. Any outside help improvements I tried to contain to the "free agent possibilities" and "trade target" sections. Personally, I don't think Copeland is a bonafide starter but is the best option we currently got IMO.

About some of the players you commented on...
Wesley Johnson- He's definitely not going to be able to make a significant impact for us but I'm intrigued by his youth and skillset. The guy is a gazelle on the court and was excellent defensively and with shooting the long ball in college. His main problem is that he had the misfortune of playing for a Wolves team run by David Kahn who had no idea what he was doing. That problem was compounded by being sent to Phoenix, who have also become an awfully run franchise with the following capable starters ahead of him: (1) the Morris twins, (2) Jared Dudley and (3) Michael Beasley. If given a chance, I think he can be our new Chris Copeland but with a better skillset.

Jared Dudley- Hell no I wouldn't trade Shumpert for him, lol. The only way I'd even entertain that is if we dumped Amar'e and I highly doubt they take him back, LMAO. I do like Dudley though and would like for us to obtain in using some of our lesser players.

Joe Johnson- I really don't like Joe Johnson but he's so versatile that I'd consider acquiring him under certain conditions; those conditions being a trade involving both Amare and Smith in return for he and Marshon Brooks. We'd be shooting ourselves in the foot for 2015 but I think he'd be a nice running mate for Melo since he has range and can move effectively without the ball or at least the PHX version could.

Danny Granger-I got no qualms with the guy. He seems to have his head on the shoulders and I like his game. His injuries scare me off a bit but he's a very versatile all-star that plays smart and is especially long (6"9'), making up for some of our lost height at the 4. I think he and Melo would work especially well together as a result.

Eric Bledsoe-Yeah, I've never been a particular fan of his game but I am a fan of his trade value. I see him as a means to an end in allowing us to upgrade our roster e.g. Tyson Chandler for Bledsoe and Jordan; Felton, Bledsoe and Jordan for Rajon Rondo.

Brandon Jennings-I think he is the ultimate gamble. I've never been a fan of him or his game but he does fit the pre-requisite for being a no.2 scorer that can get into the paint/probe defenses and be the teams primary ballhandler. If he were to accept just a 3 year deal, with the first two heavily front-loaded then I'd consider the deal. That contract allows us to hedge our bets a little and protect our 2015 cap space. Like I said though, its a helluva gamble because he seems like a guy playing his next contract that is also interested in endorsement deals. Once he gets all of those things, who knows if he'll care anymore and given his physique, he has a short shelve life as it is.

Nate Robinson-I have never been a fan of his game and skillset but he does fit a need and we can probably get him on the cheap. We got options to improve this team but not enough to turn our noses up at cheap patch work that can go a long way in protecting our key players from injury.

Like you though, I agree that JR Smith can not be our no.2 scorer moving forward. A teams two best players need to be steady and JR is anything but. I'd keep him around though and consider whatever he contributes as "extra". The same can be said of Amare, who I think can only give us 20mpg max moving forward. I am worried about keeping him around though because he seems to have an inflated sense of what he is at this point and what he can contribute to the team. If he dare demands a bigger role, I think we need to consider buying him out or flat out trading him for whatever Frankenstein-like package we could find.

I personally think we should try and give Camby a shot if he does return. His skillset is exactly what we need from our backup moving forward. This isn't to say that we shouldn't bring in someone that could supplant him in the lineup though. I personally like the idea of bringing in Dalembert myself but it would have to be south of $3million/yr because I think his game has regressed tremendously now that he is not uber-athletic. For that reason I actually prefer Jermaine O'neal who is a tremendous health risk but looked the player that once made him special. I'm sure he'll relapse without the PHX medical staff but between he and Martin at the minimum, along with Camby I'd be willing to take my chances. I really, really, really like Ivan Johnson who would remove the need for bringing back Martin and O'neal but I think the guy would be out of our price range especially if Josh Smith walks this offseason. Dante Cunningham would be in our price range and a guy I've had my eye on for some time. I like the fact that he is a hybrid forward with a 15ft jumper because it allows us more fluidity with moving Melo between the two positions depending on the matchup at hand. In my opinion, he and/or, Anthony Tolliver/Marvin Williams is a must get moving forward for that reason.

I also like your lineup because it addresses a lot of the things we talked about. We don't need much to improve to win the matchups between the Pacers or Bulls but I don't think there is anyway for us to sidestep the need for a no.2 scorer if we truly intend on having a fighting chance against the Heat, which is something your lineup doesn't address. You listed some nice draft picks but those guys are not going to be able to step into that role.

NardDogNation wrote:As far as actual trades I'd make to accomplish some of what I talked about...

1.) A three team trade involving the Celtics, Knicks and Clippers. LAC would get Tyson Chandler; BOS would get Raymond Felton, Eric Bledsoe and DeAndre Jordan; NYK would get Rajon Rondo and a $4 million trade exception. The Clippers get a more seasoned big men that is a favorite of Chris Paul's and an upgrade over Jordan. The Celtics are likely going to bring back Pierce and Garnett, so this moves allows the team to remain competitive with an eye to the future. The Knicks add Rondo for obvious reasons. He likely won't be himself until late in the season, maybe even not until the next season but it is a necessary move.

2.) This might be the biggest stretch of what I'm going to propose but I think we can dump Amar'e onto the Nets. BKN would get Amar'e Stoudemire and our $3 million; NYK would get Kris Humphries, Mirza Teleovic, Tornike Shengalia, Keith Bogans (sign and trade) and a $5 million trade exception. The Nets are easily one of the most spendthrift teams in the league, so I could see them willing to pay a guy $20 million/yr to be a 20mpg backup especially one that is still capable of being one of the best scoring big men per 48 minutes in the league. Humphries is expendable, which is why he hardly plays for the Nets anymore and is currently on the trade block; making Amar'e an upgrade with his minutes. Our interest in him would be his $12 million expiring contract and the $5 million he'd save us to explore in other trades.

3.) Trade Humphries to the Bucks in a sign and trade for JJ Redick and Ekpe Udoh. Redick has no interest in returning to the Bucks and they seem to have little interest in keeping Udoh, given their big man depth. For whatever reason, they have had an interest in Humphries though so I could see them bringing him in to be a backup.

4.) A four team trade involving the Suns, Hawks, Lakers and us. PHX gets Chris Copeland (sign and trade), Iman Shumpert and a $3 million trade exception/additional cap space; ATL gets Marcin Gortat and Marcus Camby; LAL gets Josh Smith (sign and trade), Steve Novak and a $4 million trade exception; we get Pau Gasol.

The trade makes sense for PHX because they are rebuilding and have no need for a 28 year old center. They've had an infatuation with Shumpert since we drafted him so we should be able to leverage his youth and Copeland's play to get them to move Gortat.

ATL makes the deal because they get rid of a problem child and bring in a player who is similarly effective that allows Al Horford to play his natural position at the 4. In effect, they maintain their cap space even with Camby and remain just as good.

LAL makes the deal because Josh Smith fits D'Antoni's system (could be their Shawn Marion) and is best friends with Dwight Howard, which should help their efforts to resign him. They also get Novak who is a shooter they need and that D'Antoni loves, while reducing their league leading payroll by $4 million.

We make the deal because Gasol is an upgrade over Chandler.

I'd basically re-sign JR Smith, Pablo Prigioni and Kenyon Martin. I'd also add Jermaine O'neal via free agency. The roster would look like....

STARTERS
Rajon Rondo...PG
JJ Redick...SG
Carmelo Anthony...SF
Ekpe Udoh...PF
Pau Gasol...C
ROTATION
Pablo Prigioni...PG
Keith Bogans...SG
JR Smith...G/F
Kenyon Martin...PF/C
Jermaine O'Neal...C
THIRD STRING
Jason Kidd...G
Tornike Shengalia...F
Mirza Teleovic...F

These moves accomplish a lot of what I've talked about. We become a much more balanced offensive team, featuring Pau Gasol as Carmelo's no.2 scorer. I really like the Melo/Gasol pairing because Gasol can not only create shots for himself but for Melo. He is an excellent passer into the post and with his ability to stretch the floor, opens up driving lanes for Melo. Pau's days of consistently putting up 20ppg are over but I think he should be good for about 18ppg on 50% shooting, which is all you need next to Melo's 30ppg. He is the epitome of soft defensively but that length of his and high basketball IQ make him effective at contesting shots off of rotations, so I don't think we lose too much with him at the 5 and against slower footed offensive players. Besides, Ekpe Udoh is one of the better help defenders/on ball defenders in the league so I think he can help Pau defensively. On the offensive end of the floor, Udoh actually has nice form and can hit a 10-15ft shot with regularity which maintains the driving lanes for Melo and Rondo.

Speaking of Rondo, we get one of the most steady hands in the league. He brings the penetration and ball movement I mentioned that we needed, in addition to the political clout to keep Melo in check when he stagnates ball movement. I think he'd be amazing at finding Redick off cuts for jump shots, which should make JJ the league leader in 3 pointers made during the season and compensate for the lack of perimeter shooting we'd get from Rondo.

As for the bench, its a bit thing but I'd be satisfied with its defensive skill and diversity. JR Smith would still have the leeway to put up an inconsistent 20ppg, while Jermaine O'Neal could be the two-way big man backup that was suppose to be everything Camby wasn't.

but that's a long term improvement... next year I guess the way to improve would be to get a legit 2G and someone that can rebound

NardDogNation wrote:

AnubisADL wrote:Knicks are going to have to improve by getting better quality players and putting everyone on the same page.

Woodson is going to have to let Smith AND Amare know they will be the featured players coming off the bench. The next thing the Knicks will have to do is a get a PF so Melo can play SF. Offer the minimum to a backup like Sebastian Telfair and give him a chance to play in his home town.

Offer the MMLE or whatever to a guy like Dejuan Blair and let him know he going to get BIG minutes.

Melo has been his best while playing the 4 though. He'll always be exposed defensively; we just need to figure out if we want him to get outpaced at the 3 or overpowered at the 4. Personally, I think I could live with him getting overpowered at the 4 because there are only about 3 or 4 guys that can really make us pay for that mismatch in the league. Other than those guys, he is more than capable of defending the position from a strength standpoint. The only problem is that come playoff time, we'll at least run into one of those guys that can manhandle Melo, which brings me to my next point....

I think the major problem with playing Melo at the 4 is that we don't fully exploit the benefits of having him there. We're one of the worst fast break teams in the league, which is counter to the essence of playing a smaller lineup. If we actually pushed the ball more, we'd be able to establish a faster tempo that is not conducive to back to the basket play, which would in effect neutralize the advantages that 4 has against Melo. Not to beat a dead horse but this is one of the major reasons I wanted James Harden on the team this past summer. Not only does he have PG skills but he can be an excellent rebounder, which makes him ideal at grabbing the defensive board and initiating the break. Maybe Tyreke Evans could be that type of player; I remember you mentioning him before.

I do think we should have the option of having a big lineup when Melo sits though.

he really hasn't been his best at the 4. He is guarded by threes and teams did not respect their 3s so spacing was still an issue. The plan before the season was to go big and play Melo as a 3 but Amar'e got hurt