http://www.postingandtoasting.com/2016/3/22/11284830/steve-cliffords-creative-success-in-charlotte-casts-a-light-on-knicks

The Charlotte Hornets are the talk of the league after stunning the San Antonio Spurs Monday evening. A former Knick featured very prominently in that game, and the New York fans are distraught that the franchise let him get away.

I'm referring, of course, to Steve Clifford -- former assistant under Jeff Van Gundy in New York, and one of the finest coaches in the league. His Hornets are 10 games over .500, ranking 8th in the league in defensive efficiently and an astonishing 11th in offensive efficiency, turning around years of scoring futility for the franchise.

How has Clifford done it? He achieve success by doing the least Knicks thing imaginable: He changed his philosophy to suit his players. Gone are the days where Charlotte ran the majority of their offense through Al Jefferson in the post. The front office grabbed some underrated perimeter players, and Clifford changed to a more perimeter-oriented offense.

At The Hive's Nick Denning stated Clifford's case for Coach of the Year back in late December, and it perfectly illustrates what the challenges he's faced and how he overcame them:

Seven new players are on this season's roster, and Clifford re-did his entire offensive system to utilize their strengths, along with the returning players from last season. As a result, we're seeing numerous Hornets having career best starts -- Kemba Walker, Nicolas Batum, Jeremy Lamb, Marvin Williams and Cody Zeller to name a few. Other players, such as, Jeremy Lin, and Spencer Hawes -- are finding success after being in bad situations last season.

And that doesn't even factor in the loss of Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, one of the league's best defenders. The Hornets front office made some good under-the-radar moves this summer, but it's not as if they've thrown championship-level talent Clifford's way. Hell, they drafted ninth in one of the finest talent pools in recent history and came out with Frank Kaminsky (Next four players drafted: Justise Winslow, Myles Turner, Trey Lyles, Devin Booker. Ouch).

Clifford gets the most out of players like Marvin Williams and Kemba Walker by putting them in the position to succeed. Could you imagine what he'd do with a talent like Kristaps Porzingis?

Sadly, Steve Clifford won't coach the Knicks next year. But he should be the template for any candidate moving forward -- a defensive coach who is willing to adapt. Essentially, the opposite of almost every coach the Knicks have had for the past decade.

Just check down the list of New York's most recent head coaches -- Mike D'Antoni, Mike Woodson, Derek Fisher, Kurt Rambis -- and it's hard to find a guy with a flexible ideology. Woodson had the most success with his outside-the-box small-ball approach, then willingly torpedoed it in the name of his basketball beliefs. Perhaps Fisher could have grown into that kind of coach -- he had shown some encouraging signs -- but of course he was fired and replaced by the ultimate Triangle zealot in Rambis.

I've supported many of the moves Phil Jackson has made over the past few years. He's cleaned away much of the trash on the roster, and has given us at least a few players who could contribute on a winner. He even went outside of Triangle orthodoxy in acquiring Porzingis and Robin Lopez, neither of whom appeared to be traditional Triangle bigs. If only he could do the same thing in picking his next coach.

Aside from a few progressive roster moves, there is little indication that Phil is comfortable looking outside the Triangle Club. It's not so much the antiquated offense that's killing the club, but that damn stubbornness, the lack of willingness to adapt. Particularly in Kristaps' case, they're pounding a square peg into a round hole. Let's be honest, though -- this obstinate streak was present at MSG long before Phil arrived. If the Zen Master doesn't find a coach who's willing to change with the times, he'll be replaced ... probably by a guy even more pig-headed than he.

We need you, Phil. We need you to be the change. If it doesn't happen this summer, it might never happen.

martin wrote:It seems so easy. Why didn't Clifford think of that last year?

No Batum and Jefferson wasn't hurt probably. Its similar to when NY lucked into their small 3ball line up with 2pgs, Kidd was supposed to come off the bench

How do these fans and writers know what this will be after JUST ONE YEAR of rebuilding. Phil just tore the team down and put together a new roster this summer! Things didn't work out as well as hoped, but there was some positive progress with his new roster and as expected there are still some holes. It was always in the plan to make further improvements this summer. Let's see what happens.

martin wrote:It seems so easy. Why didn't Clifford think of that last year?

maybe it took big stinky Al getting hurt to realize.

mreinman wrote:

yellowboy90 wrote:At least we can draft. .

Also, this is your trade Melo thread, it keeps popping up in different forms but it's the same msg, triangle old and dusty.

Bizarro-Briggs

haha ... at least I posted an article.

I didn't have a thread title that says:

Carm ....

[click on post]

elo should be traded (and ROLO SUCKS)

LOL!

Nalod wrote:"We let him get away?" That was 15 years ago? Im sure he has learned his craft and grown.

Hack article.

Well, at least someone posted it. We need more trade Melo threads.

Next up, "Timofey Mozgov points out that most of the problems in the Crimea are tied to the Carmelo Anthony Trade"

BRIGGS wrote:

newyorker4ever wrote:Who cares about Charlotte?? If the Knicks trade Melo then we'll be going multiple years stinking up the place while building through the draft just like they did and eventually if we stick to it we'll become a good young team that we'll be able to add a couple of good players to in free agency and be able to start fresh with a good young team. That takes time though so everything depends on what happens with Melo in the off season.

I think we can trade Melo and absolutely not stink. The key is the assets coming back--it would have to be through Boston or Phoenix in a multi team trade. Our frontline is already in place and we going to add Wily G--so we have more than enough there. What we need is new guards and finding 2-3 in the draft and perhaps trading for one would give us a big jump--then you can look at what we spend in FA and what we dont. If we took back for example Eric Bledsoe Archie Goodwin pick 13 and 33 this year and the Lakers unrestricted pick next year.

I agree that trading melo for assets would be a good move but I think that you are WAY overestimating what he would bring back. If he does not bring back enough is it still a good idea to trade him?

jrodmc wrote:

mreinman wrote:

BRIGGS wrote:

newyorker4ever wrote:Who cares about Charlotte?? If the Knicks trade Melo then we'll be going multiple years stinking up the place while building through the draft just like they did and eventually if we stick to it we'll become a good young team that we'll be able to add a couple of good players to in free agency and be able to start fresh with a good young team. That takes time though so everything depends on what happens with Melo in the off season.

I think we can trade Melo and absolutely not stink. The key is the assets coming back--it would have to be through Boston or Phoenix in a multi team trade. Our frontline is already in place and we going to add Wily G--so we have more than enough there. What we need is new guards and finding 2-3 in the draft and perhaps trading for one would give us a big jump--then you can look at what we spend in FA and what we dont. If we took back for example Eric Bledsoe Archie Goodwin pick 13 and 33 this year and the Lakers unrestricted pick next year.

I agree that trading melo for assets would be a good move but I think that you are WAY overestimating what he would bring back. If he does not bring back enough is it still a good idea to trade him?

Trading Melo for long term liabilities would probably be defended at this point. Part of the Hinkie Syndrome that's infected some on the board.

Define "enough" for a player that's improved his play offensively and defensively, but is 31 years old. Honestly just asking.

mid first rounder + 1 solid above avg vet

Hinkie??