man, the pessimism. I saw a totally different game.

these days I am not looking for perfection, but improvement. The Knicks aren't going to play a perfect game by any stretch of the mean, but if they play better than the previous games, I'll take it.

Wilkens HAS to start TT, it just doesn't make sense not to yet. And if TT doesn't play well? 12 minutes. That's a coaching improvement.

It's hard whether to decide to play JYD, Ariza or Penny off the bench. JJ wasn't playing the 3 and T-Mac wasn't really killing the Knicks, so he gave time to Ariza and Penny. Giving minutes to Ariza over JYD is a GOOD thing, even if the minutes are with bad play.

Nazr is 100 times the player he has been in Preseason and the other games. No all-star, but certainly much better than anything we saw last year, and that means he is turning into a bargaining chip for Isiah.

Crawford did take a few bad shots and didn't swing the ball nearly as much as he could, but it was much better than we have seen in other games.

Marb passed the ball and had a consistent game. Not stellar, but he is passing more.

Look, the Knicks ARE in rebuilding and learning mode, whether Isiah and/or Wilkens says it or not. Watch for the improvement over a 10 game swing, not day-to-day. This team is going to take MONTHS before we see obvious improvement.

Also, T-Mac is a super all-star, and Yao is an all-star. JJ is a solid role player as is Howard. Through in Ward and some of the others, and this is a pretty good team who is just in a little funk (they are still figuring out how to play too).

Houston is not going to make the playoffs most likely
Spurs, Wolves, Jazz, Kings, Lakers, Mavericks, Suns, Nuggets are all going to make it before them. They are expecting too much from Sura

And Howard is not really all that solid anymore

If you look at the game, they were playing Ward, Mutumbo, Lue (15 points yikes) and Nocbar. So we really shouldn't have had a big problem. TT constantly didn't even fight to get back into the play after standing flat footed and got used.

Then there was no rotation, NAZ didn't move all night, he never ever challenged shots when a defender was beat.

Crawford had a good game, but his shot selection is just terrible, just because shots go in doesn't mean his selection is improving.

And Marbury doesn't really know how to play the game. He is a dynamic talent that passes his ass off but takes dumb shots, hasn't been aggressive when he should. Classic Marbury at the half he decides to show everyone he can shot a jump shot from half court instead of taking three more dribbles and taking a makeable shot.

HE had Ward and LUE on him and he wasn't that aggressive. Come on Steph step it up.

Martin, Andew.. thanks. Nobody says we are winning a title this year. But we want to play better and see improvement from our young players. Rather than be happy to see Ariza, Crawford and Sweetney a major part of a nice 4th qtr run to beat a team with two players at a talent level we cant sniff, they moan about not being good.

thats pretty sad fellas... maybe you would find golf or tennis more to your liking.

Im happy they won but I was disappointed in their lack of an inside game.I knew we were weak up front but too many times it was maybe one pass and a chuck.I agree with MS about Crawford's shot selection,he really is a chucker for all his skills.He needs to drive more.Unfortunately its still the same problem for the Knicks despite all the revamping,the Knicks are living and dying by the jumper.Maybe it was just one game and things arent as bad but they should be throwing it inside more to draw away the perimeter defenders.

I was ready to see KT packaged in a deal but from watching the game,I believe we should hold off unless its something the Knicks cant pass up.

Posted by MS:

Houston is not going to make the playoffs most likely
Spurs, Wolves, Jazz, Kings, Lakers, Mavericks, Suns, Nuggets are all going to make it before them. They are expecting too much from Sura

If the Knicks were in the West, you would say the same thing, so you call Houston and the Knicks to be about the same ranking, and the Knicks won on the road. Good for them, they beat a team - albeit through a minor miracle - on the road.

And Howard is not really all that solid anymore

maybe, throw in Taylor and the combination is OK, nothing stellar.

If you look at the game, they were playing Ward, Mutumbo, Lue (15 points yikes) and Nocbar.

Kind of the same way the Knicks were playing Moochie, Penny and Ariza. The context is off.

So we really shouldn't have had a big problem. TT constantly didn't even fight to get back into the play after standing flat footed and got used.

Agreed. The guy SUCKS.

Then there was no rotation, NAZ didn't move all night, he never ever challenged shots when a defender was beat.

Yao? He was checking Yao. But Agreed, he is not the best center at rotating over to protect the basket, but what can you do? He is somewhere between a backup and a starter.

Crawford had a good game, but his shot selection is just terrible, just because shots go in doesn't mean his selection is improving.

I'll give you that one. And he has to improve his 1-on-1 D. The guys is young and coming to a new team. Give him another month or 2. Or 5.

And Marbury doesn't really know how to play the game. He is a dynamic talent that passes his ass off but takes dumb shots, hasn't been aggressive when he should. Classic Marbury at the half he decides to show everyone he can shot a jump shot from half court instead of taking three more dribbles and taking a makeable shot.


HE had Ward and LUE on him and he wasn't that aggressive. Come on Steph step it up.

There was more than a couple of times that he posted Lue. What can you say? Should he hog the ball and go to the basket himself every time and not do pick and rolls for Kurt? Don't swing the ball for Crawford? Not give the ball to TT in the high post? It's a balance, and as long as we see Marb doing less only-me shots, it's good.

played poorly? agianst one of the best defensive teams on the road?

give me a f'in break.

that's a big time win any way you slice it. houston has 2 all world players and a stud coach and got beat at home by our knicks. everybody (except the usual suspect) had really solid games.

no defense at all? dude and dudettes, we locked them down in the 4th when we needed to. didn't you see nazr and kurt gaurd their man and then slide over and help like defensive studs last night? that might've been the best defensive game we played all year.

i can't believe what i'm reading.

we all think it's a 45 win team yet you're already finding fault with a win on the road against a western team? amazing.

golf? tennis? try jump rope or hopscotch...

Posted by Bonn1997:

Martin, Andew.. thanks. Nobody says we are winning a title this year. But we want to play better and see improvement from our young players. Rather than be happy to see Ariza, Crawford and Sweetney a major part of a nice 4th qtr run to beat a team with two players at a talent level we cant sniff, they moan about not being good.
thats pretty sad fellas... maybe you would find golf or tennis more to your liking.

I had a feeling a few Knick haters would be upset over seeing the team win a tough road game. If the Knicks get a few more wins, these posters are gonna go crazy finding reasons to criticize the team.

Im happy they won but I guess I was surprised this being the first game I watched at how in some ways the Knicks were dealing with the same old problems.I still dont want to see Isiah go for the quick fix though.

it's crazy dude.

everyone knows we're a mediocre team yet even after a big road win, these guys come here as soon as they wake up already pointing out the negatives.

they played a tough team on the road. they're not supposed to play well but they fought through and came up big down the stretch. we pretty much owned the 4th quarter and if it's not for t-mac hitting those jumpers, it may not have come down to the final possession. that's the thing these guys QUICKLY dismiss and start with the usual rant.

but whatever...

its pretty funny, if we win its because the opponent isnt good. If we lose its because we arent good. In this case its both. Hous is the best defensive team in the NBA and they have two of the top 10 players in the league but who cares.

If this was KVH, KT, Eisley, Anderson, Ward and the golden girls from last year I would probably share in some of the overall pessimism, but we have promising young players with great upside that are getting better every night.