Quick Rewind: Pacers 105, Knicks 103

Box Score

The Pacers pulled off a dramatic win at the Garden on Friday 105-103 thanks to the game winning jumper by Jarrett Jack with 0.9 seconds remaining.  Jack was the difference as he scored his 29 points on 10-14 shooting.  The Knicks had a poor start to the game as they did not have a lead until they made their run in the fourth quarter.  They actually built a 5 point lead with a few minutes to play but could not secure the advantage.  Their poor play had a lot to do with their offense which was not pushing the ball enough and turning the ball over at will (they finished with 21 total turnovers).  It would also be nice to see the Knicks play with some desperation every game.  They go through these lapses in games when they don’t get after it enough on both ends.

The Knicks made their move in the second half when their offense got in gear.  A lot of that had to do with the performance of Al Harrington who scored 22 of his 27 points in the second half.  But as we are all to used to seeing, the Knicks could not get the big stop at the end of the game.  The Knicks led 100-99 with about a minute remaining.  Jarrett Jack gets a switch with David Lee on him and nails the jumper.  The next Pacers possession, with Indy up 101-100, the Pacers set a pick for Jack at the top of the key and the Knicks had some miscommunication as Lee failed to provide the help or at least slow down Jack who drove right down the lane for the easy deuce.  Then with the score tied the Pacers run an isolation for Jack who nails the clutch jumper for the win.

Three Pacer possessions, three buckets by Jarrett Jack.  Give credit to Jim O’Brien for not calling timeout after the Knicks tied it.  With a stoppage I have to assume D’Antoni would have subbed Jared Jeffries in for the final possession to guard Jack who had the hot hand down the stretch.  Jeffries’ length may have bothered Jack and would have given him less space for him to get off the final jumper.  The Knicks are clearly still having trouble finding a way to finish games which has a lot to do with their inability to get crucial stops in crunch time.

Some other people postgame thoughts:

Alan Hahn of Newsday:

But while five steals is five steals…reality is David Lee has more to give on the defensive end. But the Knicks aren’t getting it.

The most critical play was with 24.1 seconds left and the Knicks trailing 101-100. Lee was supposed to switch on a screen to pick up Jarrett Jack but seemed to hesitate as if waiting for Nate Robinson to slide through. Jack used Lee’s hesitation to blow right by him and down the wide-open lane for a layup to put the Pacers ahead, 103-100. Lee, who had three fouls at the time, could have tried to pursue and clobber Jack just to avoid the freebie, but instead he went matador and turned spectator.

Marc Berman of the New York Post:

It’s one thing to get outclassed by Denver’s Carmelo Anthony. It’s another to get whipped by Indiana’s Jarrett Jack.

The Pacers point guard ambushed the Knicks last night, dominating all game, going wild in the final minute and hitting the game-winning 19-foot jumper over Chris Duhon with 0.9 seconds left as the Knicks dropped a 105-103 Garden heartbreaker.

Joshua Robinson of the New York Times:

With four miserable teams packed in the span of six games, this chunk of the Knicks’ schedule was supposed to be their buoy, a spell to keep them afloat and lift them back toward a .500 record.

Instead, it has been a stretch of stunning mediocrity — a sorry defeat against the Minnesota Timberwolves, an expected failure against the Denver Nuggets, and only modest success against the Charlotte Bobcats. Friday’s 105-103 defeat to the Indiana Pacers (11-21) was simply the latest in a string of forgettable nights at Madison Square Garden.

Frank Isola of the Daily News:

Yes, the Knicks knew what was coming and no, they didn’t stop it. Only the Knicks can make Jack, a solid veteran guard, look like LeBron James and open a new year with the same old way of losing: not understanding how to close out games.

And a Pacer perspective via Indy Cornrows:

Jarrett Jack had a big overall game to go along with the last-second heroics. Jack finished with 29 points on only 10-14 shooting from the floor. He knocked down his first four 3-balls, so obviously he was feeling it all night. Of course, Jack doesn’t play a perfect game and a couple of his five turnovers were critical in letting the Knicks back in the game. No since dwelling on those tonight though. Since Jack has had to play so many minutes and grind through the “Heartbreak Hotel” games as he calls them, he has become the emotional leader for this team. He sets the tone for the team’s heart, soul and guts on the floor.

Coming Up: Knicks @ Bobcats

• Records: Knicks 11-18 (12th in Eastern Conference); Bobcats 11-20 (13th in Eastern Conference)
• Pace: Knicks 100.6 possessions per game (2nd in NBA); Bobcats 90.1 (28th in NBA)
• Offensive Efficiency: Knicks 103.3 points per 100 possessions (17th in NBA); Bobcats 100.1 points per 100 possessions (25th in NBA)
• Defensive Efficiency: Knicks 107.8 points allowed per 100 possessions (25th in NBA); Bobcats 103.1 points allowed per 100 possessions (15th in NBA)
• Effective FG% (eFG%): Knicks 49.9% (12th in NBA); Bobcats 48.1% (23rd in NBA)
• Rebound Rate: Knicks 47.3 (28th in NBA); Bobcats 49.5 (19th in NBA)

Knicks Notes: The Knicks may have hit rock bottom back on Friday night when they fell to the Minnesota Timberwolves in an embarassing loss at home.  On Sunday they played better and with a little more energy but their second quarter defense and poor play in crunch time ultimately let them down as they watched Carmelo Anthony take things over.  The main problem for me has been their defense and especially not being able to prevent dribble penetration.  They could not keep Telfair out of the paint and we saw similar things against Chauncey Billups.  That has left them vulnerable to giving up easy buckets inside especially when you consider that the Knicks don’t have any legitimate shot blockers on their roster, which might be their most glaring need in terms of personnel.

The offense has not been bad as long as the Knicks do not start to play 1 on 1 basketball.  If they keep the ball moving they should be fine offensively.  I would like to see them run a little more but their offense still has been fairly decent.  One thing that needs to improve is their spacing on the court and getting back to the screen and roll game with Duhon and Lee.  I felt like they had great success when they went to it early in the season as it became their bread and butter.  Off the screen you can hit a cutting Lee who is good need the basket with his ability to use both hands, Duhon can take an opening and drive hard to the hoop, or if help defense comes you have a drive and kick scenario for them to get an open look on the perimeter.  Without much of a post scorer I think they need to go back to executing this well.

The other concern floating around is the possibility that this team has just gotten fatigued as the season has gone on.  Due to injuries and the exile of Starbury, the Knicks have basically been playing with just a seven man rotation throughout the season.  I’m not sure if I buy that theory completely.  Duhon might be tired because he has played a lot but everyone else on the team has played a reasonable amount of minutes.  The main problem may be the lack of depth.  They just need another couple options that can help score and give the team a boost of energy.  Eddy Curry could be back in two weeks which wouldn’t help the defense but would at least give them a low post scoring option.  Rumors have been floating about Carlos Delfino which is an option I like.  However, I think Donnie Walsh will wait until he hears if they will receive salary cap relief from the Cuttino Mobley retirment situation before he does anything.

The lineup changes may not have resulted in a win on Sunday but I thought they helped a little.  Jared Jeffries needs to be out there more because good things have happened when he’s been on the court, especially on the defensive end.  He has a -6 rating for the season which leads the Knicks when you don’t count fat paycheck collector, Jerome James.

A Look at the Bobcats: The Bobcats had been playing well recently, winning four out of five since acquiring Boris Diaw and Raja Bell in the Jason Richardson trade, until they fell to the Nets in their last game.  The big blow was Raja Bell leaving the game with a groin injury so his status for now is uncertain.  The trade made sense to me just because I didn’t think Richardson seemed like a Larry Brown type of player.  It is also hard to argue with the trade’s success since it has definitely improved their defense.  Their defensive efficiency has improved from 108.2 to 103.1 after the trade.

For me the Bobcats will only go as far as Emeka Okafor and Gerald Wallace will take them.  Okafor has been an All-Star caliber center this year who can pound you on the glass in addition to being one of the better shot blockers in the league.  Wallace is just an athletic freak and one of the toughest players to defend.  He can fill all columns in the box score and is capable of dominating a game on both ends.  The only problem with him is inconsistency and his propensity to have problems with turnovers.

Oh and Adam Morrison?  He was taken over Brandon Roy and Rudy Gay.  Yikes.

Keys to the Game: Obviously it comes down to the defense for the Knicks.  They need to be able to get enough stops to win games.  They also need to get off to a good start on the road to help their spirit as a team.

I think it’s pretty simple to determine which teams the Knicks should struggle against.  They have trouble stopping good shooting teams because they just aren’t very good defensively.  They are now 0-10 against teams ranked in the top 10 in eFG%.  However, Charlotte ranks 23rd in that department and will likely be without Raja Bell.  This is a big positive for the Knicks coming in.

The main area of concern will be rebounding and not letting Okafor and Diaw dominate the Knicks due to the size advantage they may have.  Another key will be containing the explosive Gerald Wallace who the Knicks have struggled with in the past.  Don’t let Wallace make plays driving to the hoop and turn him into a jump shooter.

Game tips at 7 PM EST on Tuesday.  That’s it and I won’t be back until Friday due to New Year’s festivities.  I’ll be back then to preview the game with the Pacers.

Walsh Says Marbury Is Here to Stay

Alan Hahn of Newsday is now reporting that Stephon Marbury may not actually be waived after all.  Donnie Walsh told ESPN.com that Marbury will be reporting to training camp.  Walsh is dismissing this as something that the media has created and blown up.  I doubt that’s the case but what else is Donnie going to say publicly at the moment?

Here is Hahn with the latest on the situation: “Walsh, who did not return a message seeking comment from Newsday on Monday, told ESPN.com that “this thing is initiated in the press and then I have to ask questions about it.” A majority of the Knicks veterans were expecting Marbury to be gone by the time camp opened. And despite Walsh’s statement to the contrary, it would be a surprise if Marbury is on the gym floor at Skidmore College on Tuesday morning. Walsh signed free agent Chris Duhon to a two-year, $12-million contract in July with the promise that he would compete with Marbury to be the team’s starting point guard.”

And here is Hahn on the potential of a buyout: “Multiple sources said the Knicks have had internal discussions regarding Marbury throughout the offseason and there was a conclusion that he should be moved. With no takers on the trade market, the only other option would be to buy him out and place him on waivers. Madison Square Gardenchairman James Dolan would have to approve the buyout, which likely would be somewhere around $16.5 million.”

It really shouldn’t come as a surprise that we get conflicting reports about Marbury’s status with the Knicks.  It appears there have been rumors going back and forth on his situation all summer long.  I also believe that Hahn’s original report of the Knicks wanted to dump him came from some good sources and that is still the way the organization would like to go.  The big amount of money is still and issue but I think they will swallow it just to improve the nature of the locker room.  A lot of veterans on the team appear to not want Steph around.  So despite Walsh claiming Steph will stay, I still expect Marbury to be waived before the start of the season.  

But who knows?  This story seems to change daily so we’ll keep you posted.

Breaking News: The Starbury Era is Over

Alan Hahn of Newsday is reporting that Stephon Marbury’s career as a Knick will officially be over very soon.  People that are close to the situation say that the Knicks plan is to waive and buy out Marbury by the end of the week.  Marbury is currently in the final year of his contract with the Knicks which is to pay him $21.9 million.  

This has been something that has been rumored as a possibility for pretty much the entire summer so it does not come as that big of a surprise.  Donnie Walsh went out and signed a capable veteran when he brought Chris Duhon in during free agency.  Walsh believes that Duhon is a player that is capable of setting up the players around him and making them better.  This was something that Marbury has always been critcized for.  He has never been a good leader and most of his teams have seemed to underachieve.

The move to eat the rest of the contract cannot be easy for the Knicks.  In doing so they are giving him $20 million to play elsewhere and they are also reducing the level of talent on their roster.  However, this is still the move that the Knicks needed to make.  Yes, this is a move that can be classified as addition by subtraction.  It is about separating themselves from the previous era of Knicks basketball and starting the D’Antoni/Walsh era.  It is about starting to rebuild and moving this organization in the right direction.  

The move is also about improving the nature of the locker room by removing someone that was conceived to be a cancer to it.  The uneasiness between Steph and the other players was there, as Hahn reported:

“Marbury, who created a huge divide between himself and teammates after he went AWOL in Phoenix last November, stayed to himself with his workouts at the MSG Training Center this offseason until yesterday, when he joined the other Knicks veterans in pickup games. One observer from yesterday’s workout noted the uneasy atmosphere among the other players. “You could just feel the hate,” the person said.”

So now the Knicks can move forward once the move becomes official.  Let’s hear what you guys think about the move in the comments.  Happy?  Sad?  Indifferent?  Let’s hear it.

—-

Photo via AP

A Look Back and a Look Ahead: Is Mike D’Antoni a Good Fit for the Knicks?

Last year certainly brought the Knicks to rock bottom.  There were all of the “Fire Isiah” chants and all of the off the court issues, including the embarassing sexual harassment lawsuit.  The Knicks managed to win just 23 games and Donnie Walsh replaced Isiah Thomas as team president.  The burning question at that time was, “Who is the coach that can help fix the Knicks?”  Then Mike D’Antoni had his falling out with Steve Kerr and the Phoenix Suns.  The Bulls and Knicks both pursued him but D’Antoni chose the Knicks and their 4-year, $24 million deal.  Right away there was a lot of criticism accusing D’Antoni of running to wherever the most money was.  The Bulls seemed to have a brighter future and an upcoming lottery pick.  It was also perceived that the Knicks had a roster with a mess of underachievers with bad character issues who many believe do not fit in with D’Antoni’s uptempo style of basketball.  So you heard all of the people who said that this relationship was an awful fit, like the couple that is destined to be found fighting and breaking up every other weekend.  Is he really a bad fit with the Knicks?  Let’s look a little deeper first.

One thing that you cannot debate about Mike D’Antoni is the fact that he has been a very good coach in this league.  All you have to do is look at the numbers and accolades that he has achieved so far.  His head coaching career began slowly in Denver in 1998 as his team went 14-36 in the lockout-shortened season.  He then spent a year as a scout for the Spurs and a year as an assistant coach in Portland.  He joined the Suns in 2002 as an assistant and took over as head coach in December of 2003. 

In four full seasons as head coach of the Suns here is what they accomplished:

• 50 wins in all four years, including two seasons with more than 60 wins.
• Three division titles and two Western Confernce Finals appearances.
• Led the NBA in team scoring for three straight years.
• In 2004-05 they averaged over 110 ppg, the first time that has happened since 1994-95.
• In his first year with the Suns, they won 62 games which was 33 more wins than they had the previous season.

And here are the coaching accolades he has achieved:

• Won NBA Coach of the Year in 2004-05
• Four time winner of the NBA Western Conference Coach of the Month
• Was the head coach for the Western Conference at the 2007 All-Star game
• He is the third winningest coach in Suns franchise history
• His .650 winning percentage with the Suns is second in franchise history

The one thing I remember about the Suns during the “Seven Seconds of Less” days was that I never felt like they were really a great team or legit title contender.  Yet year after year they won around 60 games and continued to have their high octane offense in gear.  Heck you can make the argument that in 2007 they would’ve won the title if not for the key suspensions of Stoudemire and Diaw in their series with the Spurs. 

Mike D’Antoni had a big role in this great success for the Suns.  The best attribute about him is that he finds out what the strengths of his players are.  He then develops a style that fits them best and puts them in the best possible situation for them to succeed.  He did that with the Suns as they went to small and fast lineups that would play at relentless pace and shoot a high percentage.  Also he is a coach that players seem to love playing for which probably helped him get the maximum effort from those good Suns teams he had.

The criticisms about the situation with the Knicks are valid.  Eddy Curry has got to want it more, Danilo Gallinari has to get his feet wet, Stephon Marbury is not a leader, Zach Randolph has to play harder (if he isn’t in Memphis soon), Quentin Richardson needs to be in better shape, and Chris Duhon needs to be the guy to help set up his teammates to succeed.  It is true that not many players on this roster would succeed at the phrenetic pace of the “Seven Seconds or Less” Suns.  However, I truly believe that Mike D’Antoni will learn what his players do well and develop a style that will help him get the most out of his players.  The truth is he is just a very smart basketball person who knows this game as well as anyone.

I truly believe that the Knicks made the right hire for this rebuilding process.  D’Antoni will get the most out of his roster and will see what he has.  Then it is up to Donnie Walsh to bring in more players that fit into what kind of style D’Antoni wants to play.  Danilo Gallinari and Chris Duhon are a start but there is a long way to go.  Let’s see what they can do.

—

Photo via AP

The Seesaw That is the Stephon Marbury Situation

It seems like the future status of Stephon Marbury with the New York Knicks for this season is changing rapidly.  Marbury has been criticized as not being the leader that the Knicks need and being somewhat of a cancer to the team.  Granted he was not the only reason the team won just 23 games last season.  But by the way things went in the offseason it appeared that the Knicks would just cut Marbury and his $19 million contract.  The reason this was thought to be the case was that the Knicks signed free agent guards Chris Duhon and Anthony Roberson.  This gave the Knicks 16 players on their roster, one over the maximum.

So Marbury is outta here.  That is what a lot of Knick fans seemed to be hoping.  But then new GM Donnie Walsh traded Renaldo Balkman to Denver in a salary dump and the roster was back down to 15.  So maybe they refuse to eat Marbury’s absurd salary and stick it out with him.

However, there was still skepticism at this point.  Maybe Walsh reinforced the backcourt with Duhon and Roberson so he could afford to cut Steph loose.  But then recently at a seminar with season ticket holders, Walsh said that Marbury would be given a clean slate and see how he looks in training camp.  Translation: We refuse to eat this jerk’s monster salary and we’ll see if we can get anything out of him.

But it appears that the seesaw has swung back to the other side.  A report has surfaced from the Boston Globe saying:

“Point guard Chris Duhon was New York’s key offseason signee. Talented but troubled guard Stephon Marbury, however, has played his last day in a Knicks uniform, according to an NBA source.”

It has always been rumored that Mike D’Antoni did not get along well with Steph back in Phoenix.  Maybe since the Knicks appear to be rebuilding, they think they’ll be better off without Starbury.  But I think we all know the seesaw could swing a few more times in the next month or so.

And now we wait….