Quick Knicks Fix

D’Antoni or Melo, Take Your Pick

70 games since the New York Knicks traded half their roster to acquire Carmelo Anthony from the Denver Nuggets, it has become apparent that the D’Antoni-Carmelo Experiment does not produce results.

The Problem:

The Knicks who were 28-26 last season prior to the Carmelo Trade have gone 32-38 since. And when we consider the ‘Melo-less 7-1 record the team posted during Jeremy Lin’s explosive ‘arrival’ to fame, where does that leave us.. I’ll let u do the math on that one.

It’s not just Carmelo’s fault, Mike D’Antoni (head coach) has not made enough adjustments to take advantage of the talented players he has acquired. My issue here is that, the Knicks are 1-dimensional, they make no adjustments offensively or defensively depending on who their match ups are. And although, D’Antoni’s free flow offense keeps many players very happy statistically, the only time it has ever produced results was under a future hall of fame floor general PG Steve Nash.

The Solution:

One or the other must go, the trade deadline is Thursday, the experiment has failed. Either D’Antoni’s despicable reign as head coach must end, or move the all star talent who demands the ball in his hands and restricts a free-flow offense. The Knicks can upgrade all positions by trading Melo, but this team is just too talented and too deep to be 6 games under .500 this season.

My Solution:

Bye-bye D’Antoni… You had your chance, you have all the talent and you’ve produced little to nothing. A talent like Carmelo will always be more valuable than a stubborn coach.

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Tune Up? – Knicks Dusted Off

Questionable Moves?

So the Boston Celtics are the first team to move on to the Second Round and I admit, I had no idea it would happen this quickly.

The combination of underestimating the Celtics (again) and the false hope that Carmelo Anthony or Amare Stoudamire may actually put forth a decent effort, ended the most highly anticipated first round match-up much too early.

Consequently, the New York Knicks were swept by the Celtics.

The worst part of all this, is that the Knicks were virtually blown out in their home losses, and seeming lacked effort, despite coming close to winning both games on the road in Boston.

And here come the questions. . .

Did the Knicks make the right move in acquiring Anthony?
I still think they made the right move, a talent like Anthony’s is hard to come by, but if they can just find a way to keep this guy motivated and focused.

Will Coach Mike D’Antoni’s system ever work?
No, No and a million times, NO! Basketball is about defense just as much as it is about offensive. Neither is better, neither is more important, both must be applied, practiced and perfected. D’Antoni needs to change his approach or find something else to do, because his system is ineffective against the best teams.

What changes do they have to make?
The Knicks must add veteran leadership that players of Melo and Stoudamire’s caliber will respect and follow. Not necessarily a star, just one whose play and achievements demand your effort and dedication. (Jason Kidd, Steve Nash… etc)

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