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“…How is it that a team like the Houston Rockets that boasts a rotation of role players and nobodies, is 4-2, and has competed in every game this season?
These are the players in Rick Adelman’s rotation:
My theory is that the Houston Rockets realize that they suck. They realize that they are outmatched on the talent flank in most games and they know that they have to make up for it with heart and effort. The current Knicks, by contrast, are a collection of players with an overinflated sense of their value.
- Trevor Ariza
- Carl Landry
- Shane Battier
- Aaron Brooks
- Luis Scola
- Chuck Hayes
- Chase Budinger
- Kyle Lowery
Is that a rotation that so clearly outshines what the Knicks put out on the floor, so much so that they can take teams to overtime (LA Lakers) that would surely build a 20-30 point lead on the Knicks in the first quarter?
What is the difference between these two squads? Why can’t the Knicks play like the 1999-2000 Orlando Magic, which had no bonafide stars, and players who knew they wouldn’t stick around after that season, yet still managed to win 41 games?..”
Interesting take, and you are also talking about a team that has proved it can be better without either Tracy McGrady or Yao. How much better, who knows, but they have something in the locker room that the Knicks don’t. Self pride. More.
Shane Battier & their coaching staff is the difference. You switch him and any of our forwards besides Gallo, and we would be 4-2.
All I know is we needed a D’Antoni style point guard in the worst way and they draft a project, J. Hill, in the 8th spot. Bad management leads to bad coaching leads to bad play. And because of the LeBron 2010 hoopla, the team is bitter and apathetic and it shows.
After Duhon made that comment about the team not taking games serious enough, he’s become invisible. There’s talk about Harrington and others being pissed at him. D’Antoni has just about lost the team. And it’s only November.
Why don’t we just FF to July 2010.
One word: coaching.
There are a couple of factors going for the Rockets. One is that the players in Houston listen to their coach and play hard for them. There roster is filled with players who are known for their hustle – Battier, Ariza, Landry, Hayes are all guys who pretty much make there money on their non-stop effort and that rubs off on the other guys.
The other is I think the mentality of the team – The Rockets are supposed to be good. The team knows that the fans are expecting a winner this year. Even without Yao and T-Mac. They know they need to keep this team afloat and when they get Yao back, they’ll be serious contenders.
The Knicks have no such hope. The players have no reason to care, and there coach isn’t doing anything to help matters.
I’m still on the D’antoni bandwagon, but maybe it’s the coaching?
Adelman’s an excellent and underrated coach. Two finals with the Blazers (if i’m not mistaken) the Kings and now the Rockets.
The Rockets have good guard play, with Alston & now Brooks. If by some miracle Duhon could play like he did the first few months of last season, we would be OK now.
The Rockets play defense first and foremost and that will always keep them in the game.
first of all
they have a better COACH
second they have a better P.G an a back up better than our starting p.g.
third they have a better player playing S.G
but it all starts with the coach that’s why they play hard an win…
sidenotes-since k.martin got injured evans been playing well an they won 2 straight since if he keeps it up he will add more votes to his name for ROOKIE O.Y
Don’t be fooled, Houston has a better roster. The Rockets have 2 real PGs, great individual defenders and, most importantly, leaders on the floor and in the clubhouse. Their roster is built for Adelman. D’antoni has none of those.
True.
The Rockets are underrated and disciplined Stakhanovites – Scola, Landry and Battier in particular – and they actually want to play defense.
They also have the most underrated coach in the NBA. I like D’Antoni but he should be held accountable for the 1-6 record as well. Either he doesn’t care about this season or he has no control over his players. I don’t know – but I think D’Antoni was not built for the rainy days. He inspires sympathy, Adelman inspires respect.
this team is terrible. there’s nothing that can be done until this roster is blown up. yeah, maybe adelman is good at molding a team of hustle players to maximize their talents, but that’s not why we hired D’Antoni. He was hired as a recruiting tool for the 2010 FA class. He is actually our best weapon on this team. We’ll get one max FA and this team will improve. Look what he did with the little talent we had in his first season (Randolph and Crawford). We were competitive. Then we got rid of those albatross contracts and this team has been terrible ever since. This team is being blown up. D’Antoni is well aware of it. The assets he has on this team is garbage.
I totally agree, I’m not anti-D’Antoni. I’ll never say “Fire DA” or something.
But his players were more focused last year and they were playing relatively well. It’s not the case anymore.
Its not the COACH! Are we gonna get a new coach every year? My God! Its bad management. The Knicks organization always goes after Mediocre players that have a recognizable name, and we knicks fans get excited! Its been this way for a couple of years now. They put a team together of other teams scraps, and hope they turn into the 2004 Pistons. Not gonna happen, thats once in a life time.
Why is it, that your coach has to tell you, a so called “Professional” player, to play DEFENSE? The players on this team are flat out Numb Skulls. A bunch of stupids. They go under screens against shooters, they throw cross court passes, they jump when they go to pass as well. All of these are Basketball 101 cardinal sins.
Stop me if im wrong, but how many times have you seen Duhon drive to the basket, get all the way to the rim, and kick it out for a three? Thats not coaching, thats just a player who has no Basketball “IQ”. As a “professional” a coach should not have to tell you, that isn’t smart.
I see what D’antoni is doing in press conferences, he’s deflecting criticizism of the stupid players he has to work with! His laughs are more of the sarcastic “I don’t know what to tell you laughs”. I truly feel bad for the guy. The guy yells at them all game, and they still don get it. They never will!
Interesting point you bring with the IQ subject. That’s what I was thinking.
Yeah the Rockets don’t have Yao or McGrady, but come on… just messure their Basketball IQ with ours and it’s stunning. We are like total opposite.
And that’s the problem. We are not currently build for “D’Antoni Ball”. If Mike D’ actually makes it work, he would be the best freaking coach ever in my book. Guys, the whole concept of the system is BALL MOVEMENT. If we had a Shane Battier, Luis Scola, Danilo Gallinari, playing together, we would be 4-2. But our roster is filled with INDIVIDUAL players. They are “learning” what ball movement is all about, and guess what, they don’t dig it. Al Buckets, Nate, Larry Hughes (yeah, he is sharing now, but we all know his background) they are all shoot first players. Another thing that the system requieres is good ball handling skills and Wilson Chandler doesn’t cut it. The system also needs people attacking the rym, making cuts… but I guess that to much to ask for some of these guys.
And my main problem is at point guard. I believe if we get an upgrade at this position we can be so much better. That’s the critical position for this system to work, and the reason why Nash won two MVP. This system needs a guy who can push the ball consistently, dominate the ball when necessary (looking for the best shot possible, not ala Al or Nate that dominate the ball looking to take a bad shot), and of course, break down the defense with penetration, and when necesary take it to the bucket… not have a clean view of the basket and still kicking out for the three.
We need a PG to run this system. Not a Back Up PG, a TRUE PG who can take the talent of this team and make it better. And we need players who believe that sharing the ball is Good, not a Sin.
When we adapt the roster to the system we’ll see better results. Until them, get ready because it’s going to be ugly.
Btw, with that being said, I’m not going to completely give the coaching a pass. How come you talk and talk to grown men only to see them do the total opposite of what you told them and still play them? This team is in need of some respect and tough love… and that’s on the coaching side.
I understand the coach doesn’t get a pass, but its not all his fault. Its up to the Horses to run the race, we have sheep running for us. I completely agree with needing a “Much better” point guard. Chris brings no energy, no defense and no effort. How is he the Captain? There should be no captains on this team. These guys are not “Men” they are p#$$^%$. No sense of Pride, no Respect for their job, or us fans. The people who pay good money, whether its season tickets, or paying cablevision, just to keep your cable on, to follow these idiots. Fans should be in front the garden everyday, protesting against these fools, and run them out of town before the summer. Make their time in New York a living hell! I personally will not except players with no pride, playing at the Mecca. THAT BLASPHEMY!
any coach who looks at defense as if were secondary is a bad coach.this guy coached the first season just totaly blowing off defense,and then this year during training camp says”we have to stress defense” i think he said it just to appease sportswriters and the fans who just sick of watching every team score 128 against us.obviously he didnt mean, just look at the scores so far
yes your correct about bad management=that’s the reason a franchise sucks.
but danni boy isn’t doin a good job coaching he gave on this team once zach an craw got traded.
gave up^
Really? Did D’Antoni call you and tell you that? What’s your evidence that he has given up?
This team sucking can be explained by anyone of these and all of the above
A. Players suck and have no heart.
B. Coaches suck and can’t teach D
C. Management sucks by mismatching players with coaching philosophy.
D. Capped out/No roster flexibility.
E. All of the above.
You seem to have this Jihad against D’Antoni while excusing the rest. The answer is most likely, ALL OF THE ABOVE. Everyone from Walsh/D’antoni to the players and on down to the towel boy owns this putrid team. Nobody should get any more or less of the blame. There are no saviors, we suck at ALL facets of the game.
“What is the difference between these two squads?”
- defense
- coaching
- point guard
- unselfishness
- basketball iq
What the Rockets really have is Darryl Morey, the boy genius, who is the Billy Beane of basketball. He doesn’t just throw a bunch of guys who have some nice moves together and call it a team. The Rockets do tons of research to figure out what works, in what combination. They’ve narrowed it down to stocking your team with athletic, defensive minded players who get stops on D, and on O move the ball around and hit open threes. Morey studied the stats on Budinger and got him in Round 2 — the steal of the draft.
They’ve also realized that once a loser, always a loser, so they never go after me-first guys, thinking they’ll change. See what they did with Von Wafer and Ron Artest? Both got greedy and the Rockets said buh-bye. Morey would never have guys like Hughes, Nate, Harrington on his team. Have you seen Luis Scola play? He’s one of those guys you love having on your team — it’’s all sacrifice for the team. Same for Battier, Ariza, etc., etc.
Who on the Knicks would you be actually excited to play/go to war with? Who would do whatever it took to win? Can you name one guy? Ugh.
good post.
alot of gm’s go by what the sports analyse say
that’s why alot of the lottery picks have sucked..
Danilo Gallinari, David Lee and maybe Nate Robinson – he’s a knucklehead but he’s a warrior.
i would think being a knucklehead would be a pretty good reason to disqualify.
I’m down to Gallinari, Lee and Chandler. (probably the rookies too)
Gallinari and Chandler are still really young so they get a pass to develop.
I’m seeing Lee’s game improve (at least offensively) every year…so you know he’s working hard.
Everyone else…meh.
I’d rather go to war with a knucklehead with heart (Robinson) than a lethargic player (Chandler).
no team is ever gonna win with NATE
we are not winning without him.
Great point…….! I might go to war with Danilo, he seems like he’s team first, and he’s got alot of pride. I see it. Poor guy, trying to develop around a bunch of losers, I hope it doesn’t rubb off on him.
good basketball IQs are one of the first things you should look at,thats why Wilson Chandler is never gonna be a winner,he doesnt know how to play,and D’antoni obviously ,is not a good teacher
I think basketball “IQ” SHOULD BE SOMETHING YOU HAVE BEFORE YOU GET DRAFTED! As a ball player myself, these guys don’t know basic stuff that you’re taught from basketball camps from 8 years old. As a professional, its not up to your coach to teach you to have an “IQ”. Either you have it or you don’t. Thats why so many guys in the league with great talent, can’t make their carreers last.
Simple “IQ” test:
If you take 5 three point shots and miss, what do you do?
A. Take another one
B. Go to the Basket, and try to get an easier one.
C.Just throw a turnover.
When defending a great shooter, do you?
A.Go Under the Screen.
B.Get Over the screen.
C. Someone else will pick him up.
Basketball is a think fast sport! You MUST have some b-ball smarts to survive in the league. Guys like Jordan, Wade, Kobe love and respect the game. They take time to study the game and increase the “iq’s” on their own. These guys are not babies. They are on their own.
“Poor guy, trying to develop around a bunch of losers, I hope it doesn’t rubb off on him.”
Like it rubbed off on Lee, Chandler and Nate? These guys are already defeated. They don’t believe that they can win.
We have a team that has grown accustomed to a losing culture. The team needs blowns up…
I think Mike D’ should make an example of Chris Duhon. Here is a guy who clearly came un prepared for the season after showing some signs of good play the season before. Then he rips his teammates publicly but DOESN’T LEAD BY EXAMPLE. He is “supposed” to be the team captain, but how do you think guys are looking at him after he said what he said (altought it was true and needed to be said) but he goes out there and plays exactly the way he was bashing?
Even if he’s not ready, start Toney Douglas for a game or two. We suck anyways and we are getting blown out of the water in each and every game but the one and only win. See if Duhon and the rest gets the message. If not, they won’t be here next year. Bench their “Don’t give a f***” asses and let those who are willing to play D and improve get the minutes.
This team has enough to at least COMPETE, and more turnovers than points from our starting PG is unnacceptable. Time to do something about that.
Ahhh… got that off my system. Yeah, feel kind of better now.
Don’t know about the Rockets but lets not forget most of the players don’t have security on this team…
None of the Knicks are gonna take pride in digging deep for a franchise that is planning on gutting them… the media plays a role here as well, consistently harping on 2010…it’s like a company telling someone they’re gonna be laid off in 2 more months and then telling them to go above and beyond the call of duty at work for the company, even though they don’t even have adequate resources to succeed… you’re concerned about how you’re going to eat, not increasing the company’s profit margin
Agreed, but what if you were jeopardizing your opportunities for future employment, as well as the likely hood of never getting a real good contract ever again?
How about pride in one’s self?
But I suppose that i’m asking for too much, after all it’s always about them!
These jerkoffs should spend a few weeks working for a living!
The players on the Rockets are very underrated.
Most people focus their attention on high scorers with athletic ability, but teams don’t win because they have high scorers or great athletes. They win because they have EFFICIENT SCORERS.
What wins games is taking high percentage shots, getting to the free throw line a lot, not taking any 3 pointers unless you are a good enough shooter to justify it, not turning the ball over, rebounding, and playing good defense.
The Rockets have smart players that are efficient scorers.
The Knicks have total knuckleheads other than Lee and Gallo.
Oh, I’ve been in questioned with this issue.
No human being is innocent, but there is a class of innocent human actions called Games.