Quick Rewind: Timberwolves 120, Knicks 107

 

 

Recap from AP: “Kevin McHale turned to prayer, though it wasn’t really needed. The combination of Al Jefferson inside and some sizzling 3-point shooting was more than enough.  The Timberwolves snapped a 13-game losing streak and won for the first time this season under McHale, getting a season-best 23 points fromRashad McCants in a 120-107 victory over the New York Knicks on Friday night.  ”The guys have been playing hard and we really needed this one,” McHale said. “At the end of the game I said, ‘Thank God,’ and I meant it.”  Jefferson added 21 points and 15 rebounds in the Timberwolves’ first victory since beating Oklahoma City on Nov. 28. They had dropped their first eight games under McHale, who took over when Randy Wittman was fired Dec. 8.”

———————————————————————————————————————————————————————————-

The Knicks have suffered their worst loss of the season as the losing streak has now reached five games.  As the numbers do indicate, this is a loss that has to be put on the defense.  They simply did not bring the energy tonight defensively which was the main reason that they fell into a hole in this one and couldn’t find a way to climb out of it.  The pace of the game, at 99.0, was at the Knicks liking (their season average was 100.7) but a lot of that may have had to do with the fact that Minnesota had way too many open looks to turn down.  After the game Coach D’Antoni was quoted as saying, “We weren’t mentally sharp.”

The offensive numbers that the T-Wolves put up on Friday night were pretty rediculous.  They had an offensive efficiency rating of 121.2 which pretty much tells you what you need to know as that is extraordinary (the current median for Offensive Efficiency in the league right now is around 104).  Minnesota entered tonight game ranked 28th in the NBA in that category, averaging 98.3.  That tells you how poor the Knicks defense really was tonight and why they could not mount a comeback.  There are other ugly stats: the T-Wolves shot 51% from the field, 54% from behind the arc, and that translates to a silly effective field goal percentage of 60.1%.  One of the big keys for the T-Wolves was the play of Rashad McCants.  He scored 23 points on just 12 shots which included 7 big treys in just 21 minutes.  He hit a lot of big shots from the perimeter that really deflated the Knicks.

The numbers show that the Knicks were actually pretty good offensively but it wasn’t enough to make up for the poor defensive effort.  They made a couple runs, one at the end of the first half and one in the fourth quarter, but when you don’t make stops you can’t comeback to win.  The Knicks really need to start defending the screen and roll better.  They were putrid against it on Friday as Sebastian Telfair really had his way and seemed to get in the paint at will.  Give Telfair credit because he played extremely well, but the Knicks have to figure out a way to get on the same page defensively.  

The Knicks have now fallen to 11-17 and the losses are starting to pile up.  One of the worst teams in the NBA came to Madison Square Garden and pretty much had their way.  Things are tough right now as the .500 mark drifts farther and farther out of their reach.  We’ve all seen this story before.  Will the Knicks fall apart like they have in the past or will they find a way to get it straightened out?  A big key will be if they can keep the spirits up in the locker room and get the team to play with intensity night in and night out.  What we do know is the defense needs improvement.  Now Eddy Curry could be back in a couple of weeks.  Oh boy.  I love ya Mr. D’Antoni, but trying to improve your defense while putting Eddy Curry on the floor is a lot harder than you think.  Sunday’s tilt with the Nuggets will be a test for sure.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mike D’Antoni Interview

Recently the new head coach of the Knicks, Mike D’Antoni, sat down for an interview with NYKnicks.com.  You can read my take on the hire of Coach D’Antoni here.  

Here are some of the interesting things that he had to say:

NYKnicks.com: When you first got hired, you said one of the main reasons you decided to come to the Knicks was the opportunity to work with Donnie Walsh. How has that relationship been working out for the last few months? 

D’Antoni: It’s been great. He’s a good guy, and he’s fun to be around first of all. You know, he’s one of the best (executives) in the league, and just the day-to-day relationship we have with each other, it makes it very comfortable to work. 

NYKnicks.com: Let’s name a few players on the roster, and if you can just say the first thing that pops into your mind, starting with Quentin Richardson, whom you already know from having coached him in Phoenix. 

D’Antoni: He’s a guy you want to go to battle with. He comes up with big plays. 

NYKnicks.com: How about Jamal Crawford? 

D’Antoni: He’s a very, very talented basketball player. 

NYKnicks.com: Eddy Curry? 

D’Antoni: Big. He’s one of the better centers in the league. 

NYKnicks.com: Nate Robinson? 

D’Antoni: Nate … He’s fun to watch. Very exciting. And an unbelievable talent. 

NYKnicks.com: David Lee? 

D’Antoni: He works hard. He’s everybody’s favorite … and he’s definitely a coach’s favorite. 

NYKnicks.com: Zach Randolph? 

D’Antoni: Zach is a 20-10 guy who is one of the two or three guys in the league that can do it. 

NYKnicks.com: How about Wilson Chandler? He’s a player you might not have known a lot about before you came over here. 

D’Antoni: He’s got unbelievable potential. The same with (Danilo) Gallinari. He also has unbelievable talent and can really make others around him better. 

NYKnicks.com: Is there anybody who has surprised you so far from what you’ve seen? 

D’Antoni: Jared Jeffries. He’s surprised me. He’s been a lot better than I thought. 

NYKnicks.com: When training camp starts next week, what are some of the things you are looking to establish? 

D’Antoni: Um, running. Playing together. Just doing the right thing and see where we are and where we can go. I’m excited to get on the road and see the direction where we all want to go to. 

NYKnicks.com: We have been asking players this question, so we’ll put it to you, too: If you have one thing you want to tell the fans about the Knicks this year, one single message, what is it you want to tell them? 

D’Antoni: That we’re going to be exciting. We’re going to be a lot of fun to watch.

You can read the entire interview here.

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

Nate Robinson Interview

Nate Robinson recently sat down with NYKnicks.com to discuss some things as he prepares for the upcoming season.  Here are some of the interesting things he said during the interview:

NYKnicks.com: So what exactly has Coach D’Antoni said that he expects out of you?

Robinson: He said he’s watched a lot of film on me and doesn’t see a lot of weaknesses. He wants me to continue to get better as a person and as a player. For the most part, that means coming in like (Leandro) Barbosa, who was Sixth Man of the Year, or whatever it may be. But most importantly, he said he was going to be disappointed if I don’t win this ball club fifty-something games, so I’ve got a lot of work to do.

NYKnicks.com: A lot of people think you are one of the guys who will to benefit most from his system and really flourish. What do you have to say to that?

Robinson: Well, we’ll have to wait and see, but just because of the way that he plays, it suits guys like me and Jamal (Crawford). But really, I just want to win. And if we succeed by playing that way, then I’m with it. Whatever way it is, I support it 100 percent. I’m behind the team and our coaching staff.

NYKnicks.com: Speaking of Seattle, you have a lot of strong roots there. How sad are you to see the Sonics go?

Robinson: Oh it’s sad, man. I’m heartbroken. Honestly. But the one good thing about it is it shows we are going to have a team come back soon since they kept the name and colors. So that’s a good thing at least. They just moved and relocated, but they will bring the game back to Seattle. But for now, yeah, I’m pretty broken up about it.

NYKnicks.com: You were out in Summer League, so you saw Danilo Gallinari up close and personal. What are your thoughts on him?

Robinson: He’s good. He’s got a lot of potential. A lot. We’ve still got to mold him. He’s still got a long way to go, coming in being a rookie. But the best thing he’s got going for him is that he’s coming into the best city in the country, and that’s New York City. For him to come here now so young and so ripe, some of the veterans like Malik (Rose) can really mold him and set him down a good path. But he’s got to come here ready to play. We’re not going to hand anything to him, you know. A lot of the big guys like Eddy (Curry), Z-Bo (Zach Randolph) and Jared (Jeffries), they want to see him do well so they will push him and push him hard. I think he will respond though. He’s a talent.

NYKnicks.com: You were one of the few players who really stood out and took another step forward last season in your progress as a professional. What did you improve upon last year that you are most proud of?

Robinson: Patience. Letting the game come to me. You know, I had a lot of games where I really didn’t try to do too much, and let the flow come to me. I mean, yeah, I had the games where I put on a little of the ‘Nate the Great’ type deal, but – like my father said, ‘never be afraid of success.’ So, I try to go out and try to succeed in everything I do. And so far, it’s gotten me to where I am today. But that doesn’t mean I just sit back. I’ve got to consistently get better and improve, and I think I did that last year by being more patient.

You can read the entire interview here.

Walsh Hires Two Execs

John Gabriel and Misho Ostarcevic have been hired by team president Donnie Walsh.  It has been reported by the New York Times:

“John Gabriel, a former N.B.A. executive of the year with the Orlando Magic, has joined the Knicks’ revamped front office and will assume a major role in rebuilding the roster after seven straight losing seasons.

“Donnie Walsh, the team president, appointed Gabriel as the director of pro scouting and free agency, a newly created position. Gabriel’s primary duty will be evaluating current N.B.A. players, with an eye toward future trades and free-agent signings.

“Gabriel is well versed in the art of rebuilding. He was the Magic’s general manager from 1996 to 2004, a period in which the franchise lost Shaquille O’Neal to free agency and traded Penny Hardaway, but restocked by obtaining Grant Hill and Tracy McGrady.

“Also joining the Knicks’ front office is Misho Ostarcevic, who will be the director of player personnel. Ostarcevic was Walsh’s international scout with the Pacers.”

I wonder if these guys are Eddy Curry guys or Zach Randolph guys.  We’ll see what kind of roles these new execs play as Walsh attempts to get under the cap for the big off-season summer of 2010.