Or just him having an off game on the bench and the rest of the team can pick up the slack...
I sort of think that yelling was a momentary thing, I really doubt if Lin would all of a sudden become the vocal leader on the court.
Regardless, things were looking slightly better against the Bucks. It could be the chemistry (I love that Davis/Lin back court), or it could just because it was the Bucks, a team not in the same caliber as the Spurs, Celtics, or Mavs.
Another key is their the Knicks' ability to take care of the ball. You can't continually throw the ball to the other team and have them score off of that miscue. It's really hard to beat good teams when you turn the ball over at the rate the Knicks do.
This Knicks team needs a leader. Who will step up as the leader of this team ? From interviews it sounds like Jeremy Lin is not willing to take the lead role.
It looks more and more like Carmelo or Amare are the leaders ... and to an increasing extent, Baron Davis.
The Lakers have Kobe Bryant, the Suns have Nash, the Bulls have Rose .... who will lead the Knicks ?
Bottom line: Jeremy needs to keep his man in front of him. Carmelo and Amare are terrible help defenders and don't rotate well and the Sixers have gotten open looks.
The problem is clear. Jeremy is HESITATING with his passes and shots. That moment of indecisiveness makes it easy to pick off passes and hard to swish open jumpers.
He simply cannot coexist with Melo. He needs to attack the basket. WAY too many passes going backwards up top.
What I'm also seeing is that he's having a tough time getting into the lane against teams that defend well. They'll live with him taking jumpers all day, and unfortunately, he's obliging.
If he doesn't pick up his play, the murmurs about Baron starting will get louder, and articles like that Mitch Lawrence one will multiply.
I don't mean to be rude, but I honestly don't know what you're talking about. Lin has played very poorly, but staying in front of Holiday has not been a problem. He's been on him all night forcing Holiday into taking those jumpers that he's missing. Maybe one of us is watching the wrong guy, ha.
LOL. Holiday just isn't finishing his shots. Lin looks slow-footed against him. They aren't even bringing a screener. But if you want to convince yourself otherwise, go ahead. LOL.
Lin does hesitate when Melo is on the court. That split second costs him the opportunity of driving into lanes or making sharp passes before the defense can collapse on him. Also, Melo and Amare doesn't move without the ball as well as Fields and Chandler do. And, this clogs up the paint and gives the defense more opportunity to double team him at the top of the key.
Basically, Detoni should always play Davis with Melo/Amare together and Lin with Fields/Chandler.
I talked about it earlier, whenever Jeremy has a bad game and he gets frustrated, he tries desperately to score with bad shot attempts. He needs to stay calm and not be the emotional player that he is. Opposing teams are feeding off of his mistakes, he can't force things that aren't there.
TVN isn't fooling anybody, every post from TVN has been anti-Lin for the past few weeks. Not Lin's best offensive game but he has absolutely locked down Jru Holiday. Holiday also fouled out. Not a coincidence that Evan Turner has 15 rebounds, Melo and Amare are terrible at defense and defensive rebounding.
I agree Anoynmous, this guy comes on here when Lin has bad games. If you hate watching him play so much don't watch. It's not just Lin playing bad, it's everyone on the Knicks. Their chemistry is not 100% and probably won't be for the rest of the season.
It all comes down to the 2 super stars. If Amare and Melo can increase their defensive production like 10 rebounds a game each and get around 40-50% field goal percentage and about 20 points a game between them then that should relieve some pressure on others like J Lin to try to carry the team.
Maybe, but D'Antoni's system is good for Jeremy. Jeremy is lucky that D'Antoni is really patient with him and hasn't thrown him under the bus for some of the issues he has (turnovers, inconsistent efforts defensively). There's no guarantee a new coach would nurture Jeremy the same way.
Last year, the Indiana Pacers had Jim O'Brien coaching.
It was looking BAD, worse than the Knicks now.
Then Larry Bird fired OBrien in midseason and promoted asst coach Frank Vogel. Vogel simplified the offense and defense while promoting Tyler Hansbrough to starter. The Pacers turned their season around and have become a very good team this year.
I feel that the Knicks have more talent than the Pacers do. I'd like to see some gameplan changes that give the Knicks a better chance to win.
One thing I'd like to see is the Knicks playing more inside out. During the height of Linsanity, Lin and the Knicks were repeatedly attacking the basket. Now with the perimeter oriented Anthony and Stoudemire back, the Knicks are no longer an inside team.
Coaching is certainly an issue. Yes, D'Antoni is an offensive genius, but unless the team is built around that system, he is too stubborn to adjust his system to cope with the players. We knew that in the past when he insisted on playing TD at 1 and Shump out of position etc.
You know who do I miss ?? Jeff Van Gundy. He must had been the coach with the worst constructed roster to ever win a playoff series; there was a time when half of the roster was playing out of position. How did he do it? Shear defense intensity and hustle plays. Even Ewing had to swallow his pride. Man I miss that.
Look, I'm a big Lin fan and a game like this really disappoints me. I haven't seen Lin play that bad in a long time. I really hope he can flush this one down the toilet, because he has D.Rose coming up tomorrow and Rose is probably salivating at the thought of isolating Jeremy at the top of the circle. It's going to be a huge challenge. I wouldn't be surprised if D'Antoni starts Shumpert and plays Lin on the 2-guard.
TVN, I actually sympathize with you this time around.
On the other hand, don't forget that Rajon Rondo had a horrible 6 point game against this Sixers team. Rondo is an All Star and he had as bad a game as Lin had, if not worse. If Rondo can have a bad game against the Sixers, so can Lin.
In the big picture, Lin has had more good games that he has had bad ones. Every time he had a bad game, it was because he was facing a contender like Miami or Phi. Plus, Lin is a very new player who is still learning about the NBA on and off the court.
I will keep reminding people that Lin is a waiver wire player who is playing far beyond the expectations of any D league player.
These all may be excuses, but I feel as if they at least are LEGITIMATE excuses.
I agree with you, but all those media folks are looking to skewer Lin after every bad game he has. Heck, even after his good performance at Milwaukee, they were calling for him to be benched. They don't see him as a developing young player, and guy that is basically a rookie. They're saying things like, "his 15 minutes of fame are up," or, "he's never going to be a star, just an average starting PG".
I really hate it, but he's held to am unfair standard compared to other players. To combat this, he has to be on point with his play almost every time out.
Everyone is going to have some bad games. To expect JLin to come out and perform like an All Star night in and night out is just ridiculous! He's played how many games?
Jlin is going to improve...but it is not going to happen over night. Count on him to work hard over the summer and come back a better player.
He does miss a lot of wide open jumpers and layups, when other teams play physical defense, or when he needs to use a lot of energy defending other PG's. It could be a strength and conditioning issue, he admitted before that he wasn't in shape during the off season. Maybe another off season of conditioning, training camp, and a controlled diet will bring him up to fitness level of the NBA. Steve Nash is almost 38 years old, yet he doesn't get slowed down or have his jump shot altered by exhaustion.
Why is people saying Jlin played bad, he shot the ball bad bud that is the case when your getting pressured hard now by every player, he is still learning and will get better over time. Defensively he played great! The frustrating thing about all these losses is the answer is right under their nose again when Linsanity exploded. But somehow humans revert back to the norm. Champions are not really champions until they do it over and over again. One is not enough. Knicks NEED TO GET RID OF CARMELO AND AMARE!! THEY ARE NOT THE PLAYERS THEY ONCE WERE. Scoring is not the answer its the DEFENSE!! Just look at the stats! They make average players look like hall of famers. Evan Turner and Lewis Williams are you kidding me and look at the Bucks 3 players over 25 points each. They dont play defense and most importantly they don't box out. When they were winning 7 in a row everyone was playing team defense.
Secondly the spacing on the floor is non existent again. When Knicks we winning the floor was very spaced hence the D'antoni system. Jeremy was able to go around screens and didnt have 4 hands trying to pick at him, now because of Carmelo and stat standing around defense are able to trap and put more pressure on jeremy after the screen comes and when he goes to the paint he has more defense collapsing cause Stat stands around and defensive will sag over to help.
Basketball isn't rocket science, but I guess when your supposed to be the best players and getting paid the most some how it is not your fault!!
true.. linsanity wasn't just about one person. i think the next time we chant linsanity, we could include the rest of the guys that made linsanity possible :)
No offense TVN but when you have to 'clarify' that your a Jeremy Lin fan, that speaks volumes. Nobody here is going to say he had anything but a bad game. We have eyes, we can see. But most of us also know that this is a work in progress. Rome was not built in a day and Jeremy's game is still evolving. Post after detailed post filled with criticism about every shot is not going to help the guy. Not suggesting a critique isn't in order but again, you had to clarify you were a fan. Perhaps even you realized you are sounding more and more like someone who doesn't even particularly like Lin or his game.
And who cares what the media says? We all knew they would turn on him the minute things stopped looking so rosy and they are. Is anyone surprised? I don't think Jeremy himself is that affected, if anything he's looking affected by the state of play in the team, not what's being said in the press. It's hard to get out of a slide and the team is in a massive slide. Bad team play all round. That is what is more important, not what Mitch Lawrence or Marc Berman has to say today.
TVN is NOT a Lin fan. He's a Lin fan like those moronic sports writers who all said he wasn't a NBA player but they were "rooting for him". Filled with back handed compliments. Completely over emphasizing his bad plays and downplaying his good plays. Basically, if I didn't know any better, TVN's posts are filled with subtle bigotry. Definitely NOT a Lin fan no matter how much empty lip service he tries to say otherwise. Go back the past few weeks, this TVN poster is a troll and closet Lin hater. No rational true basketball fan would be writing what TVN has been writing about a young 23 year old kid in only his 2nd year in the league.
I disagree that TVN is a troll. It's OK to criticize Lin if you are a fan. You don't have to be Jeremy's mom. I also think he had a bad game, but I know he will rebound strongly.
Perhaps some fans cannot handle disappointment and reacts by finding fault and putting down Jeremy. Criticism is good, but not when it seems to be more to release one's disappointment rather than with the motive of being constructive. I've got to say that shedding all the negativity and put downs, TVN's criticisms are not unfair. Perhaps his trolling behaviour has to do with alleviating his disappointment by overcompensating with overly harh side comments. Haha reminds me of my Asian parent.
Trust me when I say I'm a Lin fan... I have followed all his games even before the NBA... I'm from Paly as well and we have the same background in so many aspects. In fact, truth be told.. he lives a few blocks from me. Maybe because I want him to do so well that at times I'm more critical of him (maybe that's the Asianness in me) than necessary. I really want him to be not just a good player but if possible, even a future hall of famer. So when somebody like TVN comes along and posts negatively about his play, I totally get it. It's a good thing that we can hear other viewpoints than to listen to only one side of the story which is all unbridled adulation. Lin had a very bad game today... no sugarcoating it. It's okay to say that.
I thought Lin played his C game today and he still had 14 and 7. He shouldn't be the guy that takes the most shots in a game, at least not right now. The more shots he takes and misses the more criticism he will receive. The whole team is just struggling right now and nobody should assume they will make it as the 8th seed if they keep up this poor play.
I don't have a shot number, but a big reason Lin's relative shot total was high was D'Antoni's use of the Linsanity line-up and style in the 4th quarter.
omething is up in that locker room. D'Antoni is on his way out and he knows it. Benching Melo and Amare in the 4th quarter? I think he thinks if he's going down, he's going down his way with his guys. He made some cutting comments afterwards about the team not matching JLin's intensity. Tyson Chandler, who clearly has a soft spot for Jeremy made some subtle digs in his post-game interview about playing the guys with heart. And then? Amare's friend retweets a Linsanity is dead tweet. Call me foolish but I honestly think the two superstars are resentful of the new kid on the block. You can't tell me Melo has not followed every bit of tattle about how he's 'ruining the Knicks' and messing with the chemistry. He knows what's being said rightly or wrongly. This is not a team that has harmony anymore. Not on the court and I'm suspecting not off the court either.
Perhaps I need to have my eyes checked, but I don't see how Jeremy had a very bad game. He is doing the same thing he has always been doing, even during the win streak. He just couldn't stick some shots tonight so his scoring was down. He had a few questionable turnovers, but again that has not changed from the win streak. If anything, he's getting better on D. 14 and 7 with 2 steals is not a very bad or even bad game. I may be being picky with words, but Jeremy played an average game.
For a franchise type player (which he will become some day) it would be a bad game . For an undrafted guy who is practically a rookie with less than half of a normal season under his belt I think it meets expectations.
I agree with your overall assesment, but 5 for 18 is not good, especially a couple of those shots were air balls. His shooting since the Boston game hasn't been too efficient, except for the Bucks game. I don't know man. Did Jlin just hit a wall or something with his shooting slump? Everyone goes through that but this is not the time for it. Not like Jlin has a choice but I would like to see him adjust a bit and move closer to the basket for his J's.
It seems like Lin is in a shooting slump, but he's not.
The simple matter is that the Jordan rules of guarding Lin with every player has finally caught up to the Knicks.
I am forgiving of Carmelo Anthony, as he has used the gaps created in the defense to score the way he was hired to do. Baron Davis also has the right idea, though he no longer has the athleticism to penetrate to the rim. Even Stoudemire is trying to get to the hole despite not being athletic enough to explode anymore.
I am of the mind that Anthony and Stoudemire could become solid defenders and STILL the Knicks would lose. Until they get a starting caliber SG that can attack defenses and score consistently, the Knicks cannot win.
That's why I wish the Knicks could get someone like Stephen Jackson from the Bucks. A guy like him would immediately come in and be the starting SG that the Knicks must have to contend.
KHuang - the issue is not the lack of a SG, it's the dynamic of the team which ultimately affects defense and spacing. As for the poor shooting, I don't know how it's not a slump for JLin. JLin had multiple wide open shots and he missed point blank, not just this game but previous ones as well. JLin is not the only with recent shooting woes. I dont want to point the finger at JLin but he's making me cringe missing wide open shots.
21-17. Could have been 28- or 30-17 if some makeable shots weren't missed. Lin given back freedom, control, and a green light to score, same style as during the winning streak. Defense, hustle, chemistry in the 4th quarter after they were missing all game. Not the full-blown good vibes of Linsanity but enough to remind of better times.
D'Antoni pointed out in the post-game that the team played with the "will" in the 4th quarter that was pointedly missing in the 3rd quarter. I wonder whether D'Antoni will go further with it and cut minutes from Anthony and Stoudamire in order to make the Linsanity line-up a regular part of the rotation. The Bulls game will be interesting.
Mike D'Antoni said he kept Anthony and Stoudemire on the bench in the final quarter because the Knicks' reserves were "fighting."
"I just didn't feel like it was fair to them to take them out and try something else," said D'Antoni, who said he believed his team lacked a "collective spirit" on Sunday. "If guys are going to fight that hard and bring you back, I [want to] give them the chance to finish it up."
Maybe Mike had been under the pressure to play STAT and Melo all these time, despite unwillingly. So he was gutting it to prove his point.
Basically the ballhandler doesn't go to fast or too slow but stays in at the same speed as the person rolling to the basket.
What I see hapenning with Jlin's pick & roll is he either goes too fast or too slow.
1. When you go to fast in a pick & roll as the ballhandler you get ahead of the person setting a pick so you end up having to commit to drive to the basket. If you have to pass it to the roller, it's a back pass. Defenders can easily clock up the passing lane this way and passing behind you is more difficult and risky.
2. If you go to slow, without a consistant jumpshot, you'll be forced to take a jumper and the roller gets too far ahead of the ballhandler. This again makes it easier for defenders to block the passing lane. You're basically stuck trying to throw it inside like a post play.
Jlin has to bounce pass it more than trying to do the over the head pass. Also he needs to be more illusive with his passes and not make it too obvious, because they know it's a pick and roll and there's only a few options that a ballhandler can do, layup, jumpshot, pass out, pass in.
Also if the pick & roll doesn't work the first time, do what Steve Nash does, just dribble out & restart.
If the person setting the pick and rolling does get ahead of the ballhandler, it has to be a quick pass from the ballhandler to the roller or else it's not going to work.
Only if Melo could do pick & rolls correctly, then we can have a Malone + Stockton duo. But Jeremy Lin as to make decisions faster and develop a faster quicker release mid-range shot.
I do see that Jeremy's shooting stats have gone down.
One explanation may be that Jeremy is playing harder on D. He has been fighting through screens harder than before and is following his D like a hound in the past two or three games. That will take away from his legs with knock on effects on his jump shot and finishing at the rim.
But even before the past two or three games his shooting has come down.
The explanation for that may be the D adjusting to how he scores, especially driving to the lane. Jeremy likes to drive straight and draw contact from the defender. Perhaps he can change it up a little to catch the D off guard.
He has already done so, adding in the floater.
Jeremy can try to be more deceptive. PG's like Paul and Lin tend to evade defenders or put fakes on them to draw contact. What I mean by evade is that they 'dance' around when the help comes in the lane or off the pick and roll. These small changes in direction distracts the D. Jeremy tends to stay stationary when the help comes. Recently, he simply picks up his dribble. The result is the D can focus on swiping at the ball. It is easier to swipe at the ball and get away with it because he is not a moving target. Even if he moves slightly to create space for a shot or a passing lane, or simply to avoid defenders from swiping at the ball cleanly, the defenders cannot be so aggressive with him without increasing the the likelihood that they will catch his arm and foul him, or simply run into him.
Unfortunately with the shortened season and little practice time it will be hard to improve overnight. He is a smart player and over time with tweaks here and there, he can be at the level of Steve Nash or Chris Paul in that respect of being an always in motion PG.
Lin's handle has a long way to go to reach the Nash/Paul level. Look, Lin is a combo guard with a combo guard's handle (think Goran Dragic, Delonte West). His handle is fine at the 2. His handle is good enough at the 1 against lesser defenses. But against elite defenses, his handle isn't good enough to do the things his team needs him to do as the PG. Not yet. Not expected this season.
Can his handle get to that level? Maybe. Until then ... I was disappointed we didn't see more Davis/Lin today to let Lin play more off the ball as a scorer and secondary creator.
On the other hand, a bright spot was finding out that, while the 'Linsanity' line-up has some rust (what difference if Smith and Shumpert had cashed some makeable shots?), they still have that chemistry and hustle, unlike their 'superstar' teammates.
Next opponent: Bulls. It is noted that D-Rose isn't a pure point either and the Bulls are built around Rose's game reminiscent of how AI's 76ers were built around AI. I don't think Lin is their level, but it's nonetheless noticeable how different he's looked with the 'Linsanity' line-up that was de facto built around his game versus how much worse Lin has looked on the restored STAT/Melo Knicks.
Right on point. It has to be Jeremy's team if the Knicks are to succeed. All the analysts are wrong. Having said that there will inevitably be lots of ups and downs because of Jeremy's handle, the first rate defense against him, the turnovers, the lack of defense. But there will be more ups then downs. There are still many things Jeremy needs to fix or improve. #1 is his shots. His shooting coach says he wants Jeremy to shoot first then react. Agreed at this stage. But he has to become like a Steve Nash who reacts first then shoot and still make the shot.
Even though the Knicks has lost five straight, they came really close a couple of times. Against the Celtics they really almost won that game, and they played well enough to beat the Bucks. The problem with the Knicks is they aren't mentally focused enough. That's everyone on the knicks, but it has to start with the Amare and Melo setting an example. Who is their team leader? If Melo is the team leader, he definately isn't doesnt sound like one and isnt playing with any passion. He's gotta get in teammates faces, and also set an example with his play. In the post-game interviews, he seems dejected, and responds by saying he doesnt know why the team is playing this way and he doesnt know the answer. If that's what your superstar, and team leader is saying how are the other players on the team suppose to react?
what's wrong with jeremy's handle? nothing that I saw or have seen recently. he didn't get stripped once today by the best or second best defense in the nba. all the turnovers were passes that were picked off by quick defenders.
the guy is fine, he actually played ok today if you watched the whole game. I agree that he is burning a lot of energy on the defensive end which is hurting his offensive game.
they really need jeffries back. when chandler went out with that 4th frustration foul, the game was lost (with jlin on the bench btw). the +/- stats are telling... jlin -2, amare -14, melo -16, bdiddy -16.
to be honest, I think the team is meshing a lot better actually from the game today. first and second quarters were great. they just didn't hit shots today and the sixers shot lights out. they need their glue guys back and put a win or two together and this team will start rolling again.
and jlin is playing just fine which is what we're all here to see anyway right?
1. The Lin pick n' roll offense has become too predictable. Opponents already anticipate where the ball is going. And they cut off passing angles accordingly. Basically the Knicks offense it's just guys standing around, while defenders collapse on Lin. There is no movement off the ball, nobody cutting to the basket.
2. I have no problem with some Melo isolation in the post, as long as they are not true iso plays. Knicks players should be making cuts to the basket setting picks to get open. If you ever watch Tim Duncan or Kevin Garnett, it's not just a one-on-one, there are always guys cutting to the basket waiting for a quick entry pass. Timmy and KG are not only looking to shoot the ball, but also to facilitate ball movement. Something I believe Carmelo can do, given the right system.
3. Lin always starts his attack from the top of the key, but this has become predictable, and the passing angles are too easy to intercept. Maybe he can run the pick n' roll from a spot closer to the baseline.
4. Jeremy Lin is a very emotional player. Which is good for momentum .... if the Knicks are winning. But it seems that when he gets shut down early in games, like the first 10 minutes .... it affects his game for the entire 4 quarters. A good veteran point guard does not let the defense get into his head. Teams can shut down a player like Steve Nash, Chris Paul, or Deron Williams for 3 quarters .... but they can still explode for 20 points in the 4th quarter.
Maybe Lin needs to talk to a counselor, to learn how to control his attitude during a game, and not force up bad shots when things don't go his way.
5. The Knicks don't good defense. But they are especially lacking in transition defense, leading to an opponents high FG %. They need to stop the other team's scoring where it starts, in transition.
6. Lin doesn't get foul calls when he goes to the rim. Are the officials still treating him as a rookie ? If so that is a main cause of his low FG% and high turnovers. The other team can get physical on him, in a way that would send a veteran like Kobe and Rose to the FT line.
Lin in his interviews often refers to a key part of the offense as "swing swing", meaning the quick secondary pass that catches a gap in the defense, whether a cutter, open spot-up, or mismatch. Watching the Knicks, how often is there a temporary gap in the opposing defense but the quick second swing of the swing swing just doesn't happen to exploit that gap? Too often. Lin isn't blameless in the teamwide problem - he gets tunnel vision on his drives and misses open teammates.
I'm of a mixed mind about Lin not getting calls. Part of it is not getting calls he should get. At the same time, some physical contact is normal on defense and Lin falls down a lot from normal NBA contact, whether from lack of balance or lack of strength on his part. So officials may view as normal contact what we see as fouls when Lin falls, and on bang-bang calls, that bias makes them miss fouls.
I agree, sometimes he focuses too much on getting the ball to one player whether it be Melo, Amare, or Novak ... that he doesn't see the other players open. This tunnel vision is understandable, since you want to get the ball to your cash cows ... but if said cows are being well defended ... there is no plan B.
A good example of this was during a game vs. Atlanta when Lin was running the break. Chandler was going towards the right baseline ... but he was being guarded by a Hawks defender, Lin passed it to Tyson anyway who runs into the defender (I think it was Zsa Zsa Pechulia).
The result: Tyson gets fouled hard, falls on the palms of his hands, and suffers a wrist injury that is impacting the entire Knicks defense.
I'd add that I don't blame players for being overpaid, it's the team that agreed to pay that number. What I can't tolerate is not being a professional athlete. Working and playing to the hardest (that includes defense within your athleticism talent) every game, and be a team player... these are just the most fundamental aspects of a basketball player. Jared Jefferies is a prime example. I don't care if he's being paid 8 or 12 mil or 2 mil a year, the man gives everything he has and leaves everything God's given him on the court.
If Amare is ageing rapidly, so be it, at least move your legs on defense. Elton Brand is never the same since that Achilles injury, so? He still works his butt off night in and night out. People are saying Iggy isn't a franchise player, lack of charisma etc. So? At least he isn't complaining about lack of touches or how the team isn't revolving around him, and does give his full efforts everyday.
Overpaying a player is the fault of the management. Not playing with a heart is a disgrace to the game of basketball and God who blesses you with the gifted talent.
The problem with Melo is that he is not a natural small forward. He's really an undersized power forward, who scores points by being bigger than the SF guarding him. But he's not fast enough to run with a true small forward like Shane Battier or Kevin Durant.
It's like if you put in Demarcus Cousins as a guard. Yes he can score over every guard in the league because he's simply a bigger body.... but can he defend those smaller, quicker guys at the other end of the floor ?
Knicks fans actually don't ask for that much. A generation of Knicks fans were raised on the Riley and Van Gundy Knicks teams, gutty competitors who are still beloved despite not actually winning a championship. Give us defense, hustle, and heart, and we can forgive a lot. We still want to see wins - eventually - but we can support a team that displays the right character even if the team doesn't always win. Which is to say Knicks fans didn't fall in love with Linsanity just because the team won. Knicks fans fell in love with the Linsanity Knicks for their defense, hustle, heart, and chemistry, which has disappeared since the team reincorporated Anthony and Stoudamire. And, the Linsanity Knicks did give us wins, given that defense, hustle, heart, and chemistry are main ingredients in winning.
Adjusting to Anthony and Stoudamire has turned Lin into perimeter-floating, Knicks-version Mike Bibby. To mitigate, D'Antoni has tried several of the moves I've suggested here: the Davis/Lin backcourt placing Lin in his more-natural scoring guard role, Anthony at the 4 in the Suns' Shawn Marion role, splitting up Stoudamire and Chandler to unclog the paint, and more Stoudamire at the 5 in the, well, Suns' Stoudamire role. Those moves have helped, but they haven't restored what the Knicks need most: the kind of defense, hustle, heart, and chemistry we saw during Linsanity. The Knicks are in freefall again, the season is running out of games, and the remaining schedule is tough.
In the 4th quarter against the 76ers, a desperate D'Antoni tried the Linsanity line-up. Now is the time for D'Antoni to make a drastic decision if he's ever going to try something radical to rescue the season, like restore the Linsanity Knicks and ride Lin like frickin' Secretariat again at Anthony and Stoudamire's expense.
The risk of restoring the Linsanity Knicks, besides alienating the superstars, is that I don't believe the Heat, Celtics, Mavs II stopping of Lin are flukes. Lin isn't good enough of a D'Antoni PG - at least not yet - to carry the Linsanity Knicks on a play-off run. He's not Steve Nash. Not this year, maybe not ever. But the Linsanity Knicks should be good enough to reach the play-offs. Meanwhile, the Anthony/Stoudamire Knicks that on paper should be good enough to go on a play-off run are actually falling out of the play-offs.
In my opinion, whether or not Lin can lead the team on a play-off run, or whether or not Lin can even take the pounding of being the focal point for the rest of the regular season, D'Antoni needs to solve the immediate problem of the Bucks and Cavs biting at the Knicks' heels. Restoring the Linsanity Knicks would be his final card to play, but if D'Antoni waits much longer to play it, he may not have a season or a job left to save.
There is no hope. Whether or not Jeremy improves, how much he improves by, none of that matters in the long run because the Knicks are a poorly-run disaster of a franchise and always have been under Dolan.
It's one of the worst possible scenarios for a rising young talent to be stuck in. Two overpaid, aging superstars who can't coexist, don't play defense, don't play off the ball, and are completely untradeable. Add in intense media scrutiny, a coach on the hot seat, no young talent coming up through the pipeline (Knicks have - count 'em - ZERO draft picks this season), and a capped out roster that offers no room for flexibility (face it: the Knicks best trade chip ... is Lin) and you've got yourself a hellish cocktail of one or two underachieving 45 win seasons + 1st rd exits followed by a long, hard decline.
I really, really don't want Jeremy's career to be mired down in this mess. I pray to GOD he goes to a sensible, smart franchise that plans for the future instead of always splurging big money on big name "stars" in a desperate bid to WIN NOW. (Portland, Dallas, OKC, even the Lakers have proven management that will build a true contender for him to play on)
It's torture to continue watching these Knicks games.
If the Knicks could get out of the horrid salary mess created by Scott Layden and inherited by Isiah Thomas, then getting out of Anthony and Stoudemire would be a lot easier.
The Knicks will be just fine. The team will eventually be built around Lin who's already a fine NBA starting PG.
Lin will eventually become one of the best if not the best PG in the NBA. He's learning hard lessons in games, just as Kobe and Michael and Tim and Shaq did.
The key to every Knicks game is whether or not Carmelo Anthony can exert enough effort on defense to limit his man from scoring 20+ against him.
ReplyDeleteOr just him having an off game on the bench and the rest of the team can pick up the slack...
DeleteI sort of think that yelling was a momentary thing, I really doubt if Lin would all of a sudden become the vocal leader on the court.
Regardless, things were looking slightly better against the Bucks. It could be the chemistry (I love that Davis/Lin back court), or it could just because it was the Bucks, a team not in the same caliber as the Spurs, Celtics, or Mavs.
We'll see
Another key is their the Knicks' ability to take care of the ball. You can't continually throw the ball to the other team and have them score off of that miscue. It's really hard to beat good teams when you turn the ball over at the rate the Knicks do.
DeleteThis Knicks team needs a leader. Who will step up as the leader of this team ? From interviews it sounds like Jeremy Lin is not willing to take the lead role.
DeleteIt looks more and more like Carmelo or Amare are the leaders ... and to an increasing extent, Baron Davis.
The Lakers have Kobe Bryant, the Suns have Nash, the Bulls have Rose .... who will lead the Knicks ?
the sixers are reading lins passing lanes this game
ReplyDeleteHis passes are way too predictable. You could anticipate where he's going to go with the ball.
DeleteLin is playing like crap
ReplyDeleteJeremy can't afford to lose confidence right now. He's having a really tough time staying in front of his man defensively.
ReplyDeleteHe's throwing up terrible shots. Ironic timing with the whole Doc Scheppler features.
He's really hurting his team right now. He's a mess.
Are you kidding? His defense is great. Did you see what Jrue Holiday is shooting? 1-11.
DeleteHoliday is missing a ton of open shots. None of that is a result of Jeremy's D.
DeleteWatch Jeremy closely. Holiday doesn't even need a screen to get by him.
Bottom line: Jeremy needs to keep his man in front of him. Carmelo and Amare are terrible help defenders and don't rotate well and the Sixers have gotten open looks.
DeleteThe problem is clear. Jeremy is HESITATING with his passes and shots. That moment of indecisiveness makes it easy to pick off passes and hard to swish open jumpers.
ReplyDeleteHe simply cannot coexist with Melo. He needs to attack the basket. WAY too many passes going backwards up top.
That's a poor excuse. He needs to find a way to play his game with Melo on the court.
DeleteWhat I'm also seeing is that he's having a tough time getting into the lane against teams that defend well. They'll live with him taking jumpers all day, and unfortunately, he's obliging.
DeleteIf he doesn't pick up his play, the murmurs about Baron starting will get louder, and articles like that Mitch Lawrence one will multiply.
I don't mean to be rude, but I honestly don't know what you're talking about. Lin has played very poorly, but staying in front of Holiday has not been a problem. He's been on him all night forcing Holiday into taking those jumpers that he's missing. Maybe one of us is watching the wrong guy, ha.
DeleteLOL. Holiday just isn't finishing his shots. Lin looks slow-footed against him. They aren't even bringing a screener. But if you want to convince yourself otherwise, go ahead. LOL.
DeleteLin does hesitate when Melo is on the court. That split second costs him the opportunity of driving into lanes or making sharp passes before the defense can collapse on him. Also, Melo and Amare doesn't move without the ball as well as Fields and Chandler do. And, this clogs up the paint and gives the defense more opportunity to double team him at the top of the key.
DeleteBasically, Detoni should always play Davis with Melo/Amare together and Lin with Fields/Chandler.
I think the Knicks know this...
I talked about it earlier, whenever Jeremy has a bad game and he gets frustrated, he tries desperately to score with bad shot attempts. He needs to stay calm and not be the emotional player that he is. Opposing teams are feeding off of his mistakes, he can't force things that aren't there.
ReplyDeleteI agree. He tends to resort to playing hero-ball when his team is down and he's struggling.
DeleteThe Disrespect did a great job of plugging the gaps and making him indecisive. He resorted to taking some really questionable long range shots.
This really was a pathetic effort. very hard to watch. I had to turn the game off a couple times because I was sickened by what I was seeing.
NY is an unforgiving town. They'll tear you down as much as they'll build you up.
Disrespect is supposed to be "Sixers". Thanks a lot auto-correct. SMH...
DeleteGoodness, this is ugly. I don't see a comeback, either. The Sixers are a lock-down unit defensively.
ReplyDeleteI'd love to be wrong about the comeback, though.
DeleteTVN isn't fooling anybody, every post from TVN has been anti-Lin for the past few weeks.
ReplyDeleteNot Lin's best offensive game but he has absolutely locked down Jru Holiday. Holiday also fouled out.
Not a coincidence that Evan Turner has 15 rebounds, Melo and Amare are terrible at defense and defensive rebounding.
Wow, some of you fools are really lacking in basketball acumen.
DeleteI agree Anoynmous, this guy comes on here when Lin has bad games. If you hate watching him play so much don't watch. It's not just Lin playing bad, it's everyone on the Knicks. Their chemistry is not 100% and probably won't be for the rest of the season.
DeleteIt all comes down to the 2 super stars. If Amare and Melo can increase their defensive production like 10 rebounds a game each and get around 40-50% field goal percentage and about 20 points a game between them then that should relieve some pressure on others like J Lin to try to carry the team.
Does anybody here think that a coaching change is needed?
ReplyDeleteMaybe, but D'Antoni's system is good for Jeremy. Jeremy is lucky that D'Antoni is really patient with him and hasn't thrown him under the bus for some of the issues he has (turnovers, inconsistent efforts defensively). There's no guarantee a new coach would nurture Jeremy the same way.
DeleteLast year, the Indiana Pacers had Jim O'Brien coaching.
DeleteIt was looking BAD, worse than the Knicks now.
Then Larry Bird fired OBrien in midseason and promoted asst coach Frank Vogel. Vogel simplified the offense and defense while promoting Tyler Hansbrough to starter. The Pacers turned their season around and have become a very good team this year.
I feel that the Knicks have more talent than the Pacers do. I'd like to see some gameplan changes that give the Knicks a better chance to win.
One thing I'd like to see is the Knicks playing more inside out. During the height of Linsanity, Lin and the Knicks were repeatedly attacking the basket. Now with the perimeter oriented Anthony and Stoudemire back, the Knicks are no longer an inside team.
Baron Davis played horrible defense as well. Even Shumpert couldn't keep up with his man.
DeleteCoaching is certainly an issue. Yes, D'Antoni is an offensive genius, but unless the team is built around that system, he is too stubborn to adjust his system to cope with the players. We knew that in the past when he insisted on playing TD at 1 and Shump out of position etc.
DeleteYou know who do I miss ?? Jeff Van Gundy. He must had been the coach with the worst constructed roster to ever win a playoff series; there was a time when half of the roster was playing out of position. How did he do it? Shear defense intensity and hustle plays. Even Ewing had to swallow his pride. Man I miss that.
Look, I'm a big Lin fan and a game like this really disappoints me. I haven't seen Lin play that bad in a long time. I really hope he can flush this one down the toilet, because he has D.Rose coming up tomorrow and Rose is probably salivating at the thought of isolating Jeremy at the top of the circle. It's going to be a huge challenge. I wouldn't be surprised if D'Antoni starts Shumpert and plays Lin on the 2-guard.
ReplyDeleteWell, the Miami game was pretty bad, but he wasn't jacking up shots that weren't even close in that one.
DeleteTVN, I actually sympathize with you this time around.
ReplyDeleteOn the other hand, don't forget that Rajon Rondo had a horrible 6 point game against this Sixers team. Rondo is an All Star and he had as bad a game as Lin had, if not worse. If Rondo can have a bad game against the Sixers, so can Lin.
In the big picture, Lin has had more good games that he has had bad ones. Every time he had a bad game, it was because he was facing a contender like Miami or Phi. Plus, Lin is a very new player who is still learning about the NBA on and off the court.
I will keep reminding people that Lin is a waiver wire player who is playing far beyond the expectations of any D league player.
These all may be excuses, but I feel as if they at least are LEGITIMATE excuses.
I agree with you, but all those media folks are looking to skewer Lin after every bad game he has. Heck, even after his good performance at Milwaukee, they were calling for him to be benched. They don't see him as a developing young player, and guy that is basically a rookie. They're saying things like, "his 15 minutes of fame are up," or, "he's never going to be a star, just an average starting PG".
DeleteI really hate it, but he's held to am unfair standard compared to other players. To combat this, he has to be on point with his play almost every time out.
Everyone is going to have some bad games. To expect JLin to come out and perform like an All Star night in and night out is just ridiculous! He's played how many games?
DeleteJlin is going to improve...but it is not going to happen over night. Count on him to work hard over the summer and come back a better player.
Jlin needs to play his game and he's not been playing his game as of late.
DeleteHe does miss a lot of wide open jumpers and layups, when other teams play physical defense, or when he needs to use a lot of energy defending other PG's. It could be a strength and conditioning issue, he admitted before that he wasn't in shape during the off season.
DeleteMaybe another off season of conditioning, training camp, and a controlled diet will bring him up to fitness level of the NBA.
Steve Nash is almost 38 years old, yet he doesn't get slowed down or have his jump shot altered by exhaustion.
Why is people saying Jlin played bad, he shot the ball bad bud that is the case when your getting pressured hard now by every player, he is still learning and will get better over time. Defensively he played great!
ReplyDeleteThe frustrating thing about all these losses is the answer is right under their nose again when Linsanity exploded. But somehow humans revert back to the norm. Champions are not really champions until they do it over and over again. One is not enough.
Knicks NEED TO GET RID OF CARMELO AND AMARE!! THEY ARE NOT THE PLAYERS THEY ONCE WERE. Scoring is not the answer its the DEFENSE!! Just look at the stats! They make average players look like hall of famers. Evan Turner and Lewis Williams are you kidding me and look at the Bucks 3 players over 25 points each. They dont play defense and most importantly they don't box out. When they were winning 7 in a row everyone was playing team defense.
Secondly the spacing on the floor is non existent again. When Knicks we winning the floor was very spaced hence the D'antoni system. Jeremy was able to go around screens and didnt have 4 hands trying to pick at him, now because of Carmelo and stat standing around defense are able to trap and put more pressure on jeremy after the screen comes and when he goes to the paint he has more defense collapsing cause Stat stands around and defensive will sag over to help.
Basketball isn't rocket science, but I guess when your supposed to be the best players and getting paid the most some how it is not your fault!!
Many peo
IMISS THE LIN + TYSON + FIELDS + NOVAK + JEFFRIES + SHUMPERT days .. Anthony/ Amare is no guud.
ReplyDeletetrue.. linsanity wasn't just about one person. i think the next time we chant linsanity, we could include the rest of the guys that made linsanity possible :)
DeleteNo offense TVN but when you have to 'clarify' that your a Jeremy Lin fan, that speaks volumes. Nobody here is going to say he had anything but a bad game. We have eyes, we can see. But most of us also know that this is a work in progress. Rome was not built in a day and Jeremy's game is still evolving. Post after detailed post filled with criticism about every shot is not going to help the guy. Not suggesting a critique isn't in order but again, you had to clarify you were a fan. Perhaps even you realized you are sounding more and more like someone who doesn't even particularly like Lin or his game.
ReplyDeleteAnd who cares what the media says? We all knew they would turn on him the minute things stopped looking so rosy and they are. Is anyone surprised? I don't think Jeremy himself is that affected, if anything he's looking affected by the state of play in the team, not what's being said in the press. It's hard to get out of a slide and the team is in a massive slide. Bad team play all round. That is what is more important, not what Mitch Lawrence or Marc Berman has to say today.
ReplyDeleteTVN is NOT a Lin fan. He's a Lin fan like those moronic sports writers who all said he wasn't a NBA player but they were "rooting for him". Filled with back handed compliments. Completely over emphasizing his bad plays and downplaying his good plays. Basically, if I didn't know any better, TVN's posts are filled with subtle bigotry.
ReplyDeleteDefinitely NOT a Lin fan no matter how much empty lip service he tries to say otherwise. Go back the past few weeks, this TVN poster is a troll and closet Lin hater. No rational true basketball fan would be writing what TVN has been writing about a young 23 year old kid in only his 2nd year in the league.
I disagree that TVN is a troll. It's OK to criticize Lin if you are a fan. You don't have to be Jeremy's mom. I also think he had a bad game, but I know he will rebound strongly.
DeletePerhaps some fans cannot handle disappointment and reacts by finding fault and putting down Jeremy. Criticism is good, but not when it seems to be more to release one's disappointment rather than with the motive of being constructive. I've got to say that shedding all the negativity and put downs, TVN's criticisms are not unfair. Perhaps his trolling behaviour has to do with alleviating his disappointment by overcompensating with overly harh side comments. Haha reminds me of my Asian parent.
DeleteTrust me when I say I'm a Lin fan... I have followed all his games even before the NBA... I'm from Paly as well and we have the same background in so many aspects. In fact, truth be told.. he lives a few blocks from me. Maybe because I want him to do so well that at times I'm more critical of him (maybe that's the Asianness in me) than necessary. I really want him to be not just a good player but if possible, even a future hall of famer. So when somebody like TVN comes along and posts negatively about his play, I totally get it. It's a good thing that we can hear other viewpoints than to listen to only one side of the story which is all unbridled adulation. Lin had a very bad game today... no sugarcoating it. It's okay to say that.
DeleteI thought Lin played his C game today and he still had 14 and 7. He shouldn't be the guy that takes the most shots in a game, at least not right now. The more shots he takes and misses the more criticism he will receive. The whole team is just struggling right now and nobody should assume they will make it as the 8th seed if they keep up this poor play.
DeleteI don't have a shot number, but a big reason Lin's relative shot total was high was D'Antoni's use of the Linsanity line-up and style in the 4th quarter.
DeleteFYI, Lin shot 2-5 in the 4th quarter, plus he was fouled on a shot.
Deleteomething is up in that locker room. D'Antoni is on his way out and he knows it. Benching Melo and Amare in the 4th quarter? I think he thinks if he's going down, he's going down his way with his guys. He made some cutting comments afterwards about the team not matching JLin's intensity. Tyson Chandler, who clearly has a soft spot for Jeremy made some subtle digs in his post-game interview about playing the guys with heart. And then? Amare's friend retweets a Linsanity is dead tweet. Call me foolish but I honestly think the two superstars are resentful of the new kid on the block. You can't tell me Melo has not followed every bit of tattle about how he's 'ruining the Knicks' and messing with the chemistry. He knows what's being said rightly or wrongly. This is not a team that has harmony anymore. Not on the court and I'm suspecting not off the court either.
ReplyDeletewhat's his friend twitter?
DeletePerhaps I need to have my eyes checked, but I don't see how Jeremy had a very bad game. He is doing the same thing he has always been doing, even during the win streak. He just couldn't stick some shots tonight so his scoring was down. He had a few questionable turnovers, but again that has not changed from the win streak. If anything, he's getting better on D. 14 and 7 with 2 steals is not a very bad or even bad game. I may be being picky with words, but Jeremy played an average game.
ReplyDeleteFor a franchise type player (which he will become some day) it would be a bad game . For an undrafted guy who is practically a rookie with less than half of a normal season under his belt I think it meets expectations.
I agree with your overall assesment, but 5 for 18 is not good, especially a couple of those shots were air balls. His shooting since the Boston game hasn't been too efficient, except for the Bucks game. I don't know man. Did Jlin just hit a wall or something with his shooting slump? Everyone goes through that but this is not the time for it. Not like Jlin has a choice but I would like to see him adjust a bit and move closer to the basket for his J's.
DeleteIt seems like Lin is in a shooting slump, but he's not.
DeleteThe simple matter is that the Jordan rules of guarding Lin with every player has finally caught up to the Knicks.
I am forgiving of Carmelo Anthony, as he has used the gaps created in the defense to score the way he was hired to do. Baron Davis also has the right idea, though he no longer has the athleticism to penetrate to the rim. Even Stoudemire is trying to get to the hole despite not being athletic enough to explode anymore.
I am of the mind that Anthony and Stoudemire could become solid defenders and STILL the Knicks would lose. Until they get a starting caliber SG that can attack defenses and score consistently, the Knicks cannot win.
That's why I wish the Knicks could get someone like Stephen Jackson from the Bucks. A guy like him would immediately come in and be the starting SG that the Knicks must have to contend.
KHuang - the issue is not the lack of a SG, it's the dynamic of the team which ultimately affects defense and spacing. As for the poor shooting, I don't know how it's not a slump for JLin. JLin had multiple wide open shots and he missed point blank, not just this game but previous ones as well. JLin is not the only with recent shooting woes. I dont want to point the finger at JLin but he's making me cringe missing wide open shots.
DeleteInteresting that D'Antoni went with the 'Linsanity' line-up in the 4th quarter.
ReplyDeleteI missed the game, how did that turn out ?
DeleteFrom the boxscore, those "Linsanity-players" actually have a much better +/- value than "the superstars."
Minus Shumpert and Jeffries
Delete21-17. Could have been 28- or 30-17 if some makeable shots weren't missed. Lin given back freedom, control, and a green light to score, same style as during the winning streak. Defense, hustle, chemistry in the 4th quarter after they were missing all game. Not the full-blown good vibes of Linsanity but enough to remind of better times.
DeleteD'Antoni pointed out in the post-game that the team played with the "will" in the 4th quarter that was pointedly missing in the 3rd quarter. I wonder whether D'Antoni will go further with it and cut minutes from Anthony and Stoudamire in order to make the Linsanity line-up a regular part of the rotation. The Bulls game will be interesting.
I just read this on ESPN Knicks Blog
Deletehttp://espn.go.com/blog/new-york/knicks/post/_/id/14060/amare-melo-not-upset-over-benching-in-4th
Mike D'Antoni said he kept Anthony and Stoudemire on the bench in the final quarter because the Knicks' reserves were "fighting."
"I just didn't feel like it was fair to them to take them out and try something else," said D'Antoni, who said he believed his team lacked a "collective spirit" on Sunday. "If guys are going to fight that hard and bring you back, I [want to] give them the chance to finish it up."
Maybe Mike had been under the pressure to play STAT and Melo all these time, despite unwillingly. So he was gutting it to prove his point.
Simple Solution:
ReplyDeleteFix the pick & roll chemistry:
Do it like Stockton & Malone used to do it:
1. Timing
2. Chemistry
Basically the ballhandler doesn't go to fast or too slow but stays in at the same speed as the person rolling to the basket.
What I see hapenning with Jlin's pick & roll is he either goes too fast or too slow.
1. When you go to fast in a pick & roll as the ballhandler you get ahead of the person setting a pick so you end up having to commit to drive to the basket. If you have to pass it to the roller, it's a back pass. Defenders can easily clock up the passing lane this way and passing behind you is more difficult and risky.
2. If you go to slow, without a consistant jumpshot, you'll be forced to take a jumper and the roller gets too far ahead of the ballhandler. This again makes it easier for defenders to block the passing lane. You're basically stuck trying to throw it inside like a post play.
Jlin has to bounce pass it more than trying to do the over the head pass. Also he needs to be more illusive with his passes and not make it too obvious, because they know it's a pick and roll and there's only a few options that a ballhandler can do, layup, jumpshot, pass out, pass in.
Also if the pick & roll doesn't work the first time, do what Steve Nash does, just dribble out & restart.
If the person setting the pick and rolling does get ahead of the ballhandler, it has to be a quick pass from the ballhandler to the roller or else it's not going to work.
DeleteYes! He needs to back out or move laterally to open up passing lanes or space for shots.
DeleteOnly if Melo could do pick & rolls correctly, then we can have a Malone + Stockton duo. But Jeremy Lin as to make decisions faster and develop a faster quicker release mid-range shot.
DeleteI do see that Jeremy's shooting stats have gone down.
ReplyDeleteOne explanation may be that Jeremy is playing harder on D. He has been fighting through screens harder than before and is following his D like a hound in the past two or three games. That will take away from his legs with knock on effects on his jump shot and finishing at the rim.
But even before the past two or three games his shooting has come down.
The explanation for that may be the D adjusting to how he scores, especially driving to the lane. Jeremy likes to drive straight and draw contact from the defender. Perhaps he can change it up a little to catch the D off guard.
He has already done so, adding in the floater.
Jeremy can try to be more deceptive. PG's like Paul and Lin tend to evade defenders or put fakes on them to draw contact. What I mean by evade is that they 'dance' around when the help comes in the lane or off the pick and roll. These small changes in direction distracts the D. Jeremy tends to stay stationary when the help comes. Recently, he simply picks up his dribble. The result is the D can focus on swiping at the ball. It is easier to swipe at the ball and get away with it because he is not a moving target. Even if he moves slightly to create space for a shot or a passing lane, or simply to avoid defenders from swiping at the ball cleanly, the defenders cannot be so aggressive with him without increasing the the likelihood that they will catch his arm and foul him, or simply run into him.
Unfortunately with the shortened season and little practice time it will be hard to improve overnight. He is a smart player and over time with tweaks here and there, he can be at the level of Steve Nash or Chris Paul in that respect of being an always in motion PG.
Lin's handle has a long way to go to reach the Nash/Paul level. Look, Lin is a combo guard with a combo guard's handle (think Goran Dragic, Delonte West). His handle is fine at the 2. His handle is good enough at the 1 against lesser defenses. But against elite defenses, his handle isn't good enough to do the things his team needs him to do as the PG. Not yet. Not expected this season.
DeleteCan his handle get to that level? Maybe. Until then ... I was disappointed we didn't see more Davis/Lin today to let Lin play more off the ball as a scorer and secondary creator.
On the other hand, a bright spot was finding out that, while the 'Linsanity' line-up has some rust (what difference if Smith and Shumpert had cashed some makeable shots?), they still have that chemistry and hustle, unlike their 'superstar' teammates.
Next opponent: Bulls. It is noted that D-Rose isn't a pure point either and the Bulls are built around Rose's game reminiscent of how AI's 76ers were built around AI. I don't think Lin is their level, but it's nonetheless noticeable how different he's looked with the 'Linsanity' line-up that was de facto built around his game versus how much worse Lin has looked on the restored STAT/Melo Knicks.
Right on point. It has to be Jeremy's team if the Knicks are to succeed. All the analysts are wrong. Having said that there will inevitably be lots of ups and downs because of Jeremy's handle, the first rate defense against him, the turnovers, the lack of defense. But there will be more ups then downs. There are still many things Jeremy needs to fix or improve. #1 is his shots. His shooting coach says he wants Jeremy to shoot first then react. Agreed at this stage. But he has to become like a Steve Nash who reacts first then shoot and still make the shot.
DeleteEven though the Knicks has lost five straight, they came really close a couple of times. Against the Celtics they really almost won that game, and they played well enough to beat the Bucks. The problem with the Knicks is they aren't mentally focused enough. That's everyone on the knicks, but it has to start with the Amare and Melo setting an example. Who is their team leader? If Melo is the team leader, he definately isn't doesnt sound like one and isnt playing with any passion. He's gotta get in teammates faces, and also set an example with his play. In the post-game interviews, he seems dejected, and responds by saying he doesnt know why the team is playing this way and he doesnt know the answer. If that's what your superstar, and team leader is saying how are the other players on the team suppose to react?
ReplyDeletewhat's wrong with jeremy's handle? nothing that I saw or have seen recently. he didn't get stripped once today by the best or second best defense in the nba. all the turnovers were passes that were picked off by quick defenders.
ReplyDeletethe guy is fine, he actually played ok today if you watched the whole game. I agree that he is burning a lot of energy on the defensive end which is hurting his offensive game.
they really need jeffries back. when chandler went out with that 4th frustration foul, the game was lost (with jlin on the bench btw). the +/- stats are telling... jlin -2, amare -14, melo -16, bdiddy -16.
to be honest, I think the team is meshing a lot better actually from the game today. first and second quarters were great. they just didn't hit shots today and the sixers shot lights out. they need their glue guys back and put a win or two together and this team will start rolling again.
and jlin is playing just fine which is what we're all here to see anyway right?
Ouch.
ReplyDeleteIt stings mostest when truest.
+40 million
A few points:
ReplyDelete1. The Lin pick n' roll offense has become too predictable. Opponents already anticipate where the ball is going. And they cut off passing angles accordingly.
Basically the Knicks offense it's just guys standing around, while defenders collapse on Lin. There is no movement off the ball, nobody cutting to the basket.
2. I have no problem with some Melo isolation in the post, as long as they are not true iso plays. Knicks players should be making cuts to the basket setting picks to get open.
If you ever watch Tim Duncan or Kevin Garnett, it's not just a one-on-one, there are always guys cutting to the basket waiting for a quick entry pass. Timmy and KG are not only looking to shoot the ball, but also to facilitate ball movement. Something I believe Carmelo can do, given the right system.
3. Lin always starts his attack from the top of the key, but this has become predictable, and the passing angles are too easy to intercept. Maybe he can run the pick n' roll from a spot closer to the baseline.
4. Jeremy Lin is a very emotional player. Which is good for momentum .... if the Knicks are winning.
But it seems that when he gets shut down early in games, like the first 10 minutes .... it affects his game for the entire 4 quarters.
A good veteran point guard does not let the defense get into his head. Teams can shut down a player like Steve Nash, Chris Paul, or Deron Williams for 3 quarters .... but they can still explode for 20 points in the 4th quarter.
Maybe Lin needs to talk to a counselor, to learn how to control his attitude during a game, and not force up bad shots when things don't go his way.
5. The Knicks don't good defense. But they are especially lacking in transition defense, leading to an opponents high FG %. They need to stop the other team's scoring where it starts, in transition.
6. Lin doesn't get foul calls when he goes to the rim. Are the officials still treating him as a rookie ? If so that is a main cause of his low FG% and high turnovers. The other team can get physical on him, in a way that would send a veteran like Kobe and Rose to the FT line.
Lin in his interviews often refers to a key part of the offense as "swing swing", meaning the quick secondary pass that catches a gap in the defense, whether a cutter, open spot-up, or mismatch. Watching the Knicks, how often is there a temporary gap in the opposing defense but the quick second swing of the swing swing just doesn't happen to exploit that gap? Too often. Lin isn't blameless in the teamwide problem - he gets tunnel vision on his drives and misses open teammates.
DeleteI'm of a mixed mind about Lin not getting calls. Part of it is not getting calls he should get. At the same time, some physical contact is normal on defense and Lin falls down a lot from normal NBA contact, whether from lack of balance or lack of strength on his part. So officials may view as normal contact what we see as fouls when Lin falls, and on bang-bang calls, that bias makes them miss fouls.
I agree, sometimes he focuses too much on getting the ball to one player whether it be Melo, Amare, or Novak ... that he doesn't see the other players open. This tunnel vision is understandable, since you want to get the ball to your cash cows ... but if said cows are being well defended ... there is no plan B.
DeleteA good example of this was during a game vs. Atlanta when Lin was running the break. Chandler was going towards the right baseline ... but he was being guarded by a Hawks defender, Lin passed it to Tyson anyway who runs into the defender (I think it was Zsa Zsa Pechulia).
The result: Tyson gets fouled hard, falls on the palms of his hands, and suffers a wrist injury that is impacting the entire Knicks defense.
The lesson: Only pass if someone is open.
You just summarized our points and frustrations.
ReplyDeleteI'd add that I don't blame players for being overpaid, it's the team that agreed to pay that number. What I can't tolerate is not being a professional athlete. Working and playing to the hardest (that includes defense within your athleticism talent) every game, and be a team player... these are just the most fundamental aspects of a basketball player. Jared Jefferies is a prime example. I don't care if he's being paid 8 or 12 mil or 2 mil a year, the man gives everything he has and leaves everything God's given him on the court.
If Amare is ageing rapidly, so be it, at least move your legs on defense. Elton Brand is never the same since that Achilles injury, so? He still works his butt off night in and night out. People are saying Iggy isn't a franchise player, lack of charisma etc. So? At least he isn't complaining about lack of touches or how the team isn't revolving around him, and does give his full efforts everyday.
Overpaying a player is the fault of the management. Not playing with a heart is a disgrace to the game of basketball and God who blesses you with the gifted talent.
The problem with Melo is that he is not a natural small forward. He's really an undersized power forward, who scores points by being bigger than the SF guarding him. But he's not fast enough to run with a true small forward like Shane Battier or Kevin Durant.
ReplyDeleteIt's like if you put in Demarcus Cousins as a guard. Yes he can score over every guard in the league because he's simply a bigger body.... but can he defend those smaller, quicker guys at the other end of the floor ?
Still waiting for post game thoughts from JLinfan#1
ReplyDeleteI'll have a recap late tonight. Had to deal with work stuff and sick kid.
ReplyDeletemy goodness. Take care JLinfan#1, god bless you and your kid.
DeleteKnicks fans actually don't ask for that much. A generation of Knicks fans were raised on the Riley and Van Gundy Knicks teams, gutty competitors who are still beloved despite not actually winning a championship. Give us defense, hustle, and heart, and we can forgive a lot. We still want to see wins - eventually - but we can support a team that displays the right character even if the team doesn't always win. Which is to say Knicks fans didn't fall in love with Linsanity just because the team won. Knicks fans fell in love with the Linsanity Knicks for their defense, hustle, heart, and chemistry, which has disappeared since the team reincorporated Anthony and Stoudamire. And, the Linsanity Knicks did give us wins, given that defense, hustle, heart, and chemistry are main ingredients in winning.
ReplyDeleteAdjusting to Anthony and Stoudamire has turned Lin into perimeter-floating, Knicks-version Mike Bibby. To mitigate, D'Antoni has tried several of the moves I've suggested here: the Davis/Lin backcourt placing Lin in his more-natural scoring guard role, Anthony at the 4 in the Suns' Shawn Marion role, splitting up Stoudamire and Chandler to unclog the paint, and more Stoudamire at the 5 in the, well, Suns' Stoudamire role. Those moves have helped, but they haven't restored what the Knicks need most: the kind of defense, hustle, heart, and chemistry we saw during Linsanity. The Knicks are in freefall again, the season is running out of games, and the remaining schedule is tough.
In the 4th quarter against the 76ers, a desperate D'Antoni tried the Linsanity line-up. Now is the time for D'Antoni to make a drastic decision if he's ever going to try something radical to rescue the season, like restore the Linsanity Knicks and ride Lin like frickin' Secretariat again at Anthony and Stoudamire's expense.
The risk of restoring the Linsanity Knicks, besides alienating the superstars, is that I don't believe the Heat, Celtics, Mavs II stopping of Lin are flukes. Lin isn't good enough of a D'Antoni PG - at least not yet - to carry the Linsanity Knicks on a play-off run. He's not Steve Nash. Not this year, maybe not ever. But the Linsanity Knicks should be good enough to reach the play-offs. Meanwhile, the Anthony/Stoudamire Knicks that on paper should be good enough to go on a play-off run are actually falling out of the play-offs.
In my opinion, whether or not Lin can lead the team on a play-off run, or whether or not Lin can even take the pounding of being the focal point for the rest of the regular season, D'Antoni needs to solve the immediate problem of the Bucks and Cavs biting at the Knicks' heels. Restoring the Linsanity Knicks would be his final card to play, but if D'Antoni waits much longer to play it, he may not have a season or a job left to save.
Or D'Antoni can man up and get Melo and Amare to start playing some defense.
DeleteThere is no hope. Whether or not Jeremy improves, how much he improves by, none of that matters in the long run because the Knicks are a poorly-run disaster of a franchise and always have been under Dolan.
ReplyDeleteIt's one of the worst possible scenarios for a rising young talent to be stuck in. Two overpaid, aging superstars who can't coexist, don't play defense, don't play off the ball, and are completely untradeable. Add in intense media scrutiny, a coach on the hot seat, no young talent coming up through the pipeline (Knicks have - count 'em - ZERO draft picks this season), and a capped out roster that offers no room for flexibility (face it: the Knicks best trade chip ... is Lin) and you've got yourself a hellish cocktail of one or two underachieving 45 win seasons + 1st rd exits followed by a long, hard decline.
I really, really don't want Jeremy's career to be mired down in this mess. I pray to GOD he goes to a sensible, smart franchise that plans for the future instead of always splurging big money on big name "stars" in a desperate bid to WIN NOW. (Portland, Dallas, OKC, even the Lakers have proven management that will build a true contender for him to play on)
It's torture to continue watching these Knicks games.
If the Knicks could get out of the horrid salary mess created by Scott Layden and inherited by Isiah Thomas, then getting out of Anthony and Stoudemire would be a lot easier.
DeleteThe Knicks will be just fine. The team will eventually be built around Lin who's already a fine NBA starting PG.
Lin will eventually become one of the best if not the best PG in the NBA. He's learning hard lessons in games, just as Kobe and Michael and Tim and Shaq did.