Better early in the season than later. Lenny is still sucked as a freaking coach, but our boys showed a lot of emotions after the lost and that says a lot about the character of our team. As a coach, it is his job to put the best team on the court, and most of all to protect a freaking lead. The problem all season has been our second half, adjustments have to be made. Perhaps changing the lineup a little in the second half could remedy our bad start. I am going to keep on preaching about a change until it becomes a reality. Since most of you don't want to tweak the starting lineup, then I will propose an even better change: the second half, our lineup should be from the start, Marb, Houston, JYD, Sweetney, Nazr. Houston may miss shots, but all of his shots look good, but the same can't be said for Crawf. Like that we can have a confident shooting team and a confident defensive team on the court to jump-start the second half.


Please use your brains when reading this thread. I am not asking to change the starting lineup, simply change the starting lineup in the second half which has been killing us because of lack of energy..




"We didn't have a set play and we tried to open up the floor," Crawford said. "I just tried to get to a spot where I was comfortable and familiar, so I did, and just let it go.

"I know not every one is going to fall, but I hope the majority of them fall. I wish I could have gotten that one to fall at the end. I got to a spot where I was comfortable, going left, and it just didn't go."

That the rebound went right to Billups didn't help.

"The worst place it could have (gone), right? I don't know how that happens," Crawford said.

His frustration at the final outcome was palpable, but a couple of stalls down, Allan Houston was trying to keep the mood upbeat. Houston, who played 21 minutes and had 17 points in his fourth game back from a knee injury, was asked if the loss was devastating.

Too dramatic a word for Houston's taste.

"This is New York, huh? Nothing's devastating. Devastating is something outside of basketball," he said. "It's disappointing, because we've had games like this where we're not mature enough to capitalize on mistakes. And we make mistakes at ends of games, and when things are going well for us, we're not disciplined enough right now to just compete and stick with what's working.

"But we're going to get there. We have to do it quick. You establish certain habits and ways you play, and we have a chance to establish some things, but we have to work on getting there sooner rather than later."

"This is New York, huh? Nothing's devastating. Devastating is something outside of basketball," he said. "It's disappointing, because we've had games like this where we're not mature enough to capitalize on mistakes. And we make mistakes at ends of games, and when things are going well for us, we're not disciplined enough right now to just compete and stick with what's working."

In other words Jamal shouildn't have done what he did at the end of the game

I'm sure everyone wants to blame the defense too. I guess we really are no better than a .500 team

You think if Dallas and Phoenix has a defensive collapse the fans will go crazy about it? Problably not because by this point they have accepted the fact that they will never be a goo defensive team. I think thats the point I've reached as a Knicks fan this year. Last year we had Mutombo at least. If I keep waiting for this Knicks team to play defense then it's going to be a lonnnnng year.

but it's foolish to expect this Knicks team to play defense. If they wanted defense they should've hired Fratello but then we'd be bored to death. I think it's a waste arguing..we're arguing about a .500 team. Who doesn't play defense and doesn't execute on offense. Basicall doesn't do anything well making them a .500 team.

Posted by diderotn:

You all have missed the point. All we need to do to fix our problem is change the lineup in the seconf half. Instead of coming out with that same starting lineup, Marb, Crawf, TT, Kurt, Nazr; tweak it some: Marb, Houston (he has always been a starter, very consistant with his shots, and makes good decision with the ball), JYD (our best defender, especially if we have to protect a lead), Sweetney (better foot work, more agile, and better rebounder than Kurt), and Nazr.

Watch the games, watch sweets, he is a rebound magnate, but he is out of synch righ now. Somthing is not right with him.

Regardless, the guys that have monitored the minutes distributed the night before and last night needs to be fired. Our boys didn't look fresh in the second half, they looked very tired and they didn't have their leggs under them. We have a bench, and the purpose of it is to give our starters a breather. I can understand if our boys weren't producing. Our bench are our best defenders

going with a different starting lineup to start the 1st and 2nd half is not typical. has it ever been done before? i dont think so

Posted by diderotn:

Regardless, the guys that have monitored the minutes distributed the night before and last night needs to be fired. Our boys didn't look fresh in the second half, they looked very tired and they didn't have their leggs under them. We have a bench, and the purpose of it is to give our starters a breather. I can understand if our boys weren't producing. Our bench are our best defenders

You give no credit to the Pistons. Sometimes you just get beat!

Just because it has never been done before we should not try it??? Last time I checked, the game of basketball is a game of momentum and a game of strategy. It doesn't matter about what you do, as long as it is a smart approach. if your team is getting beat because of lack of defense in the second half, you have to adjust your lineup until you find something that works. Detroit played excellent defense in the second half, and Larry had totally outcoached Lenny, which is very easy to do, just like Jordan outcoached Lenny when we played the Wiz last week. There is not a set way to play the game, you have to go with whomever is providing what we need. All season long, the second half have been a killer for our team, therefore a new approach must be adopted to at least, at least remedy the problem. We have to be proactive.

Posted by gunsnewing:

thats exactly what i said...

In the 1st half you want to start:
Nazr
KT
TT
Jamal
Steph

In the 2nd half:
Nazr
Sweetney
JYD
H20
Steph

I don't think thats ever been done before. thats pretty wacked out

another idiot with no clue about what to do to fix our weakness. If I were to say "let's do a trade", you would all love that idea. We have yet to use all of our assets, how do we know what that lineup that I have mentioned can do if we don't at least give it a try??? It is all about winning game, it doesn't matter how we do it. Be creative and stop using the strength of this team.

That should be the last resort. the coach is on a garatied contract. If we are to fire him, we will have to pay him fiv million for the next three years. Use the easy solution. Lineup change, have true defenders on the court especially when we have a huge lead.

Posted by gunsnewing:

Posted by diderotn:

another idiot with no clue about what to do to fix our weakness. If I were to say "let's do a trade", you would all love that idea. We have yet to use all of our assets, how do we know what that lineup that I have mentioned can do if we don't at least give it a try??? It is all about winning game, it doesn't matter how we do it. Be creative and stop using the strength of this team.

Then you fire the coach not start different lineups to begin halves