We went from the worst PG in the league,
Calderone
Prigs (Did Prigs suddenly become the most out of shape Knick in your world?)
Larkin
(with possible PG cameos by a focused, faster, hungrier Shump? Hey, I can dream.)

$124 Million dollar skinny Melo.
Yoots! We have Yoots!
Amare and Bargs playing for their collective lives!
The Cole Aldrich breakout season! Our doofy white boy can make those passes!
IF all stay healthy and mentally adjusted, we are stacked at SG! Does that not count for anything?

The glass is more than half full, my friend.

nyk4ever wrote:papabear, you need to cheer up.

Papabear Says

Don't get me wrong. I am happy. I plan to go to at least 10 Knick games this season. I was just wondering.

Papabear wrote:Papabear Says

We have a new point guard added who can't guard but can shoot at 34 years old. Many teams in the East have made upgrades better than ours. They are young and fast. I see movements and changes, trades by teams everyday but we are stuck in quicksand. Phil can't move because no one wants what we have. I believe that this will be a loosing season if Phil can't make a few more moves that can better the team. I look around the east and making the playoffs this season is not guaranteed. If Shump don't improve his shooting, Hardaway don't learn to defend,Jr Smith don't have a 6th man award season and our power forwards don't get any backbone I can't see use improving that much. So whats the big upgrade??

Last year:

This year:

Bonn1997 wrote:OMG, Papa's views are fitting within the mainstream range among American sports analysts! I never thought this day would come!

Papabear Says

Ha Ha Ha don't try it! I'm still a Knicks Luva Just a concerned Luva

Papabear wrote:

Bonn1997 wrote:OMG, Papa's views are fitting within the mainstream range among American sports analysts! I never thought this day would come!

Papabear Says

Ha Ha Ha don't try it! I'm still a Knicks Luva Just a concerned Luva

Sangfroid wrote:

Papabear wrote:Papabear Says

We have a new point guard added who can't guard but can shoot at 34 years old. Many teams in the East have made upgrades better than ours. They are young and fast. I see movements and changes, trades by teams everyday but we are stuck in quicksand. Phil can't move because no one wants what we have. I believe that this will be a loosing season if Phil can't make a few more moves that can better the team. I look around the east and making the playoffs this season is not guaranteed. If Shump don't improve his shooting, Hardaway don't learn to defend,Jr Smith don't have a 6th man award season and our power forwards don't get any backbone I can't see use improving that much. So whats the big upgrade??

Papabear, I'm taking the "addition by subtraction" approach. As the season wore on, I began to hate Tyson Chandler. Either he was sick, bitching or giving his half-ass efforts. He's gone, and Aldrich can give his eight rebound effort with the same amount of minutes. His favorite PG went with him, another big disappointment. I haven't seen much of Calderone or Dalembert but they will at least come in with new energy.

nixluva wrote:You have to also project this group of players together in this system and not just how they have performed individually in the past.

CrushAlot wrote:

So for anyone who think Phil Jackson and/or Derek Fisher are these super smart magicians and basketball gods and gurus, here's something to chew on. The Knicks could have won with D'Antoni. They didn't need to shell out 60 million for Captain Eleven Rings. Though Jackson is nice to have. They were WINNING with Pringles. Linsanity wasn't just about Lin, it was about team ball, synergy, everyone "buying in" ( well everyone on the court), discipline and tough heady defense.

The Linsanity thing was nice but there is a huge difference between winning 7 games against teams who had a combined record of 73-115 and bringing in a guy that has won 11 championships as a coach. Only two of those seven teams had records over .500. The other three had a combined record of 45-93. Dantoni coached the team for 288 games.

The key issue is that MDA is not a coach who molds men in the way Phil tries to do. He doesn't want to get into a players head and try to change the way he plays. MDA would much rather have a very mature and team oriented player who wants to play team ball. He doesn't like wrangling disobedient or resistant players. Phil is also a system coach, but he is much more equipped to handle dealing with a players frame of mind. Phil tries many ways to get his players to open up their minds to new things and to see things differently.

Phil has brought in some of his guys who where with him when he won Titles. They know exactly how he wants things done and the little things that lead to a winning franchise. This doesn't ignore the fact that Phil had some really talented teams, but IMO he was able to prove that his way of doing things was successful with different rosters over the years. I think Phil has more than proven he knows how to get a team playing well. He has Fish and his staff ready to bring his way of doing things to a new generation. Fish will possibly bring some fresh ideas and i'm sure some tweaks that will help with how things are done nowadays.

nixluva wrote:

CrushAlot wrote:

So for anyone who think Phil Jackson and/or Derek Fisher are these super smart magicians and basketball gods and gurus, here's something to chew on. The Knicks could have won with D'Antoni. They didn't need to shell out 60 million for Captain Eleven Rings. Though Jackson is nice to have. They were WINNING with Pringles. Linsanity wasn't just about Lin, it was about team ball, synergy, everyone "buying in" ( well everyone on the court), discipline and tough heady defense.

The Linsanity thing was nice but there is a huge difference between winning 7 games against teams who had a combined record of 73-115 and bringing in a guy that has won 11 championships as a coach. Only two of those seven teams had records over .500. The other three had a combined record of 45-93. Dantoni coached the team for 288 games.

I love MDA and his system, but it's a very specific system that is predicated on a very specific type of roster. You must have a good PG who can run PnR at a high level and see the court, plus also be able to score the ball effectively. He needs shooters of course and a Stretch PF who can play away from the basket to open up the floor. MDA needs owner and GM cooperation in order to make his system work. If you aren't going to fully support him in building a team that can excel in his system then you shouldn't hire him. The Olympians LOVE playing MDA system and they show the system being played at it's absolute best.

The key issue is that MDA is not a coach who molds men in the way Phil tries to do. He doesn't want to get into a players head and try to change the way he plays. MDA would much rather have a very mature and team oriented player who wants to play team ball. He doesn't like wrangling disobedient or resistant players. Phil is also a system coach, but he is much more equipped to handle dealing with a players frame of mind. Phil tries many ways to get his players to open up their minds to new things and to see things differently.

Phil has brought in some of his guys who where with him when he won Titles. They know exactly how he wants things done and the little things that lead to a winning franchise. This doesn't ignore the fact that Phil had some really talented teams, but IMO he was able to prove that his way of doing things was successful with different rosters over the years. I think Phil has more than proven he knows how to get a team playing well. He has Fish and his staff ready to bring his way of doing things to a new generation. Fish will possibly bring some fresh ideas and i'm sure some tweaks that will help with how things are done nowadays.