Indiana Pacers vs. New York Knicks Pre-Game News and Notes March 16th

Friday March 16th 7:30 P.M. ET 
Indiana Pacers vs. New York Knicks 

It is amazing what a win can do for the morale of a team and fan base. After dismantling the struggling Portland Trail Blazers (which led to the firing of their head coach Nate McMillan) the whole vibe surrounding the Knicks is different. After firing head coach Mike D’Antoni, the Knicks played one of their most inspired games of the season leading to a 42 point victory, the largest margin of victory for a coach making his debut. Playing a struggling Blazer team is exactly what the doctor ordered for the Knicks, but the schedule gets tougher right away, starting with the home and home against the Indiana Pacers. 

-Ride the Momentum Wave 
The Knicks should be on quite a high after the impressive showing Wednesday night against the Blazers. The confidence developed in that game by virtually the whole team needs to be carried into tonight’s contest against the Pacers and throughout the rest of the season to give the Knicks a chance to finish the this season out as first envisioned when the season started. 

Getting off to a hot start would also be nice to see as a Knicks fan. The problem throughout the losing streak was the Knicks falling behind big from the start and not being able to climb all the way back. It is only one game, but it was nice to see Woodson not being afraid to sub people, using 10 players in the first quarter alone. 

Holding players accountable for what happens on the court will cause them to play harder because they know playing time is on the line. If they are not performing, they will find themselves sitting next to coach Woodson on the bench. 

-Change in Philosophy 

Mike Woodson promised changes as the head coach, and so far he has come through on his promise. The players looked to be enjoying themselves more, smiling and cheering for each other from the bench and on the court. Woodson and former coach Mike D’Antoni run much different systems so the players need to adapt to the changes and so far seem to be buying in. 

Mike Woodson has made it a point to get Carmelo Anthony and Amar’e Stoudemire more involved in the offense, rightfully so. Anthony and Stoudemire are more than capable of carrying this team on the offensive side of the court. Both are supremely talented and have the ability to score 30 points on any given night. Under Coach Woodson, they should have more chances to do so. 

Mike D’Antoni’s system called for more pick-and-rolls and spacing, but he was never able to have players fully buy in and commit to his system. The system took many players out of their comfort zone, namely Carmelo Anthony who is more comfortable between the block and elbow, not the 3 point line spotting up where D’Antoni wanted him. 

Amar’e Stoudemire thrives in a pick-and-roll system, but he was not the main screener on most occasions; that role fell upon Center Tyson Chandler. This resulted in more deep jump shots, one reason Stoudemire, along with Anthony, is having career low shooting numbers. 

Woodson intends to change that, and expects big things from Anthony and Stoudemire to finish out the season. When in Atlanta, Woodson was known for running a lot of isolation sets, which would put Carmelo Anthony back in his comfort zone. The isolation sets, when used correctly like Wednesday against the Blazers, also are more beneficial for Stoudemire, who thrived knocking down his first 7 shots of the game. 

Another change under Woodson is the substitution pattern, which was one problem many people, including myself, had a problem with about D’Antoni. Woodson is not afraid to use his bench, evident from him using 10 players in the first quarter against the Blazers. It was also nice to see him mix and matching players, so the whole team can develop a rapport with each other, not just the starters with the starters and the 2nd unit with the 2nd unit. 

-Bench Play and Lineup Changes 

For the Knicks to beat the Pacers they need to play a complete game. That means on both offense and defense, and both units. The bench has been a strength of the Knicks recently, and if they look to continue their winning ways they will need to come through in a big way against the Pacers. 

You cannot expect the show like Wednesday against the Blazers in which they shot 19-38 from 3 point land, but bringing energy and consistency is a must. Some players have been struggling because they were not sure of their roles on the team, but Woodson seems to have figured some things out to keep everyone happy. 

There have also been rumblings that “Linsanity” may be coming to an end. For now, Woodson is sticking with Lin as his starting PG, but he has to realize the changes he needs to make in his game. 

Under D’Antoni, Lin was shoot first, attacking PG. In Woodson’s system, he has to be more a facilitator, something Baron Davis has played into perfectly. The PG for Woodson needs to get the ball into the scorer’s (Carmelo Anthony and Amar’e Stoudemire) hands and knock down open shots. Lin has struggled mightily with both recently, and for the Knicks to succeed their PG needs to play well. Look for Jeremy Lin’s minutes and stats to start decreasing more and more throughout the remainder of the season. 

Portland Trail Blazers vs. New York Knicks Post Game Recap March 14th

Final Score: Portland Trail Blazers 79 New York Knicks 121 

Miracles do happen! The Knicks were able to end their losing streak at 6 games, defeating the hapless Portland Trail Blazers in blowout fashion. The Knicks led virtually the whole game, trailing only after Marcus Camby hit the opening basket of the game. Tonight was Mike Woodson’s first game as head coach, and the Knicks showed up for him. They brought effort and energy they had been lacking throughout the last few weeks and especially during the losing streak under Mike D’Antoni. 

The Trail Blazers looked like a team that was lost and did not want to be there tonight, but as a Knicks fan you are not only happy they broke the losing streak, but the fashion in which it was done. 

Mike Woodson said before the game that things were going to change, and at least for one game it looks as if he was right. For the first time in what seems like forever, the Knicks seemed to be having fun playing basketball; players smiling on the bench and celebrating all made baskets. 

-Bomb Squad 

The Knicks bench was firing on all cylinders tonight, led by 
J.R. Smith who finished with 25 points on 7-14 from 3 point land and sharpshooter Steve Novak who finished with 20 points on 6-10 from deep. Shumpert chipped in 16 points and his always stellar defense. Baron Davis did not score much, but led the teams with 10 assists, making the Knicks look like a well-oiled machine and having the offense run more cohesively than they have in weeks. 

It was nice to see Steven Novak continue his hot shooting, but even more encouraging to see J.R. Smith find his stroke. Since joining the Knicks, Smith has been struggling with his outside shot and game overall. He seems to have broken out of the shooting slump tonight, which was quite a thing to watch. Smith is the definition of a streak shooter, and when he’s hot, he’s hot and it is a thrill to watch. 
The bench played well together on the court, never relinquishing the lead the starters built and even extending it. The Blazers are not a good team right now, but it is nice to see, no matter the opponent, the team click on all cylinders and everyone enjoying themselves. 

-Effort and Energy From the Start 

The starters did not play much in the game, but when they did they were dominant. Carmelo Anthony came out firing, scoring 10 of his 16 points in the first quarter, knocking down 2 three pointers in the process. Anthony also added 7 assists, and looked like he was determined to show people firing D’Antoni instead of trading him was the right move. He also made an asserted effort on the defensive end, something he had been vilified for by fans and media personnel alike. 

Amar’e Stoudemire was also virtually unstoppable, scoring 17 points on 8-10 shooting, going 7-7 in the first half to help bury the Blazers. He also showed up more on the boards, grabbing 8 in the limited minutes he played. The starters were able to set the tone in the game tonight, and never looked back. 

The Knicks looked to be more into the game tonight, and made a more concentrated effort on both ends of the court. Given it was against a weak and demoralized Blazers team, but a win is a win and it was encouraging to see the Knicks play as well as they did. 

-Defense and Coaching Changes 

As stated before, Mike Woodson said there would be changes made, and he did not disappoint. One change that stood out was the substitution patterns. Under D’Antoni, the starters would play for most, if not all of the 1st quarter and sit for almost half the 2nd quarter. In my opinion this was poor decision making because it caused the starters to become cold sitting on the bench, and put too much pressure on the reserves. 

Under Woodson, the subs were more consistent. He shuttled in players one or 2 at a time, almost interweaving his reserves and starters for a more cohesive team. Players looked more rested and less cold coming into games, judging from the outstanding performance they put on. 
Another difference was Woodson seemed to be able to reach his players tonight. Granted, it was only one game, but it 1 game is still an improvement. The last few weeks under D’Antoni were tough to watch because players were bickering and not showing the effort NBA players need to have. 

Tonight, for at least one night, Woodson had the attention of his players and drew up a masterful game plan which was executed to perfection by the players, leading to what was the biggest win for a coach making his debut for a team. 

New York Knicks vs. Portland Trail Blazers Pre-Game News and Notes March 14th

Wednesday March 14 7:30 P.M. ET 
Portland Trail Blazers vs. New York Knicks 

The Knicks look to end a 6 game losing streak against a team which is having its own struggles in the Portland Trail Blazers, losers of 6 out of their last 8 games. The Knicks have to focus on stopping Blazer Power Forward LaMarcus Aldridge, who leads them in scoring at 21.7 points per game. One positive in stopping Aldridge is the return of Jared Jeffries to action tonight (never thought I would be glad he is coming back). The Knicks will need to bring energy for the full 48 minutes as well, as the Blazers are not a team to back down. Cleaning up the glass should also be a priority, after the lack of presence on the boards is what led to the Knicks demise against the Bulls on Monday night. 

-Changing of the Guard 
The Knicks management and Coach Mike D’Antoni agreed to part ways earlier in the day, with assistant coach Mike Woodson given the reigns to the team for the remainder of the season. This is a move well overdue, as D’Antoni was a lame duck coach (in his last year of contract with no extension) and had lost the attention of a number of players. Players were questioning playing time, and at times did not know the schemes on offense or defense, leading to confusion and lack of cohesion on the court. 

D’Antoni was stubborn and stuck in his ways of coaching, which led to the budding of heads between him and many players, namely Carmelo Anthony. The two of them have been unable to get on the same page, leading to lackluster play for the Knicks as a whole. The schemes D’Antoni was putting in place were calling for players to do things they were not used to and not playing into their strengths. Sure they are NBA players and should be able to adapt, but it is hard to tell someone like Carmelo Anthony who was a perennial All-Star and leading scorer in the NBA to change his style. D’Antoni’s current offense was calling for Melo to play more at the 3 point line, instead of between the elbow and block where he is used to operating. This caused problems because Melo would gravitate towards where he was used to playing and would stall the offense. This also explains why Melo, along with Amar’e Stoudemire are having career low shooting numbers. They are being taken out of their comfort zones and being asked to do something they are just not comfortable doing. 

It is like taking a square peg and trying to fit it into a circle hole, it just cannot happen. This was a move that was a necessity if the Knicks hope to make anything of this season. Fans have waited over 10 years for a player the caliber of Carmelo Anthony, so moving him right now was not an option, so firing the head coach who he budded heads with was the next best decision. 

-Are Rumors a Distraction? 
Rumors are a part of the NBA and are always around. It is just something that players and coaches have to get used to and just it rub off. Before the news broke that head coach Mike D’Antoni was leaving, there were rampant rumors surrounding Carmelo Anthony. 

There were rumors that he wanted out of NY and was looking for a trade. He not only disagreed with D’Antoni’s coaching style, but was also supposedly not a fan of the upper management either. Rumors started swirling that the Knicks and Magic were engaging in talks surrounding around Anthony and Magic superstar Center Dwight Howard. The rumored trade was if the Knicks could secure a promise from Dwight Howard that he would sign an extension with them, they would package Carmelo Anthony and Tyson Chandler for Dwight Howard and Hedo Turkoglu from the Magic. 

These rumors have died down since D’Antoni was dismissed, and there is now news that Dwight Howard has opted-in for playing with the Magic next season. I will believe all of this only after the trade deadline passes at 3 P.M. on Thursday afternoon, until then I am just going to sit back and relax and enjoy the show. For the record, Carmelo Anthony denies ever requesting a move, and says he is dedicated to the Knicks and this is where he wants to be. Again, ill believe it once I see it. 

-Return of Jamal Crawford 
Tonight Jamal Crawford returns to Madison Square Garden to play against his old team. The Knicks were players for Crawford this off-season, but were unable to come to an agreement and he decided to instead sign with Portland. 
Crawford was my favorite player during his time with the Knicks, and I always enjoy watching him play on the nights he returns. He was willing to take the big shots and was fazed by nothing. He did not back down from any challenge, and embraced the bright lights of New York. It was a shame to see him get moved 3 seasons ago, which is something he is used to and may have to prepare for again. 

There are rumors going around that Jamal Crawford will be part of a 3 team deal involving the Lakers, Timberwolves and Blazers. The proposed deal has Crawford ending up with the Timberwolves, with Michael Beasley going out west to the Lakers and Steve Blake returning to his old team the Blazers. I for one hope this deal does not happen until after the game so I have a chance to see Crawford in action against the Knicks tonight. 

Chicago Bulls vs. New York Knicks Post Game Recap

Final Score: New York Knicks 99 Chicago Bulls 104 

Another game, another loss. The Knicks losing streak has now reached 6, dropping them into a tie for 8th place with the Milwaukee Bucks. If the playoffs started tomorrow, the Knicks would be heading for the lottery. It would be flat out embarrassing if this team were to not make the playoffs. The fact they need to fight for their playoff lives and are 6 games under .500 are bad enough. There are a number of people saying this is a good moral victory because they at least competed tonight against the Bulls. But at this point, there is no such thing as moral victories. The Knicks in a downward spiral with very little signs of turning it around. They may be in 8th place but it is safe to say their season and peoples job's are on life support right now. 

-Amar'e Rounding Into Shape 
After adding 15 pounds of muscle this off-season, Amar'e Stoudemire finally seems to be rounding into shape as he losses some of that weight. Stoudemire put up another efficient game tonight, going for 20 points on 7-12 shooting from the field. He did most of his damage in the 3rd quarter, in which he scored 12 points and had the hot hand, but he took only 2 shots in the 4th quarter. For being such an offensive genius, Coach Mike D'Antoni has no clue when it comes to making this team run. Amar'e had the hot hand, so he gets put on the bench and upon returning is not part of the offense. 

-Bring Back the 90's Knicks 
This Knicks team should be embarrassed with how soft they played tonight. This game was there for the taking, and they were unable to grab it. The Knicks held the Bulls to 43% shooting, making it tough on the Bulls to score. Derrick Rose scored 32 points, but it took him 29 shots and a few favorable calls from the refs to get there. Even if you add up all those positives they do not come close to making up for the lack of toughness and fortitude the Knicks showed tonight. They allowed the Bulls to grab 22 offensive rebounds, giving them numerous opportunities on what should have been empty possessions. To put this into perspective, Bulls forward Taj Gibson had 8 offensive rebounds alone, which is as many as the Knicks leading rebounding, Tyson Chandler, had in total. Amar'e Stoudemire only grabbed 3 rebounds for the Knicks, who still struggle to put it together and successfully play all facets of the game. This is where the game was won, as the Bulls had 24 second chance points compared to the Knicks 6. 

-Time For a Change 
The current makeup of this Knicks team seems to be going nowhere fast. They seem lost during certain points of the game and are lacking leadership. Players and staff are saying all the right things to the media, but it is hard to believe that is how they are really feeling. Coach Mike D'Antoni should be fired if there is any hope for the Knicks this season. The players seem to have thrown in the towel on him, no matter how unjust that may be. Neither the players or coach are willing to change their ways and are budding heads. There is no way Owner James Dolan is going to give up on his pairing of Amar'e Stoudemire and Carmelo Anthony and admit to making the wrong decision, which leaves D'Antoni on the chopping block. D'Antoni has no clue how to make this team play together, even getting gifted almost 2 weeks of practice time around the All-Star break. With that practice time, the product the Knicks are putting out on the court is unacceptable. D'Antoni knew he had to change his stubborn ways to succeed, and seemed to finally be giving in some when he allowed Mike Woodson to be hired as a defensive consultant. It is about time Woodson is moved up and named interim head coach, because the Knicks are only bound for ineptitude under D'Antoni and the current “system”, which none of the players are comfortable playing in. 

The next game for the Knicks is Wednesda, March 14, at 7:30 P.M. ET at the Garden against old friend Jamal Crawford and the Portland Trail Blazers.