****WE’LL BE BACK ON AT 9PM on WEDNESDAY****
Tune in to TKB Radio, one of the top sports radio shows on BTR, tonight at 10 PM with Anthony “Rice Balls” Donahue and Tommy Dee.
Plenty to talk about including the Nate situation; Bender is balling; David Lee is playing at an All-Star level…and introducing the Myles Mills Minute.
Twitter: AnthonyMSG
TommyDeeTKB
MMillsTKB
[this doesnt pertain to this blog entry, but i wanted a clean canvas. sorry Tommy]
so i’ve been taking a backseat when it comes to the Randolph talk on this blog, just trying to absorb everything and generate my own opinion. I even made it a point to follow his box scores and catch a couple games. And i have one question for everyone…
WHY THE LUST OVER RANDOLPH?!
Let me start out with what I do understand about this… He’s a 6’11 PF who can run the fast break, and put up some numbers in all the stat categories… He’s a young, athletic big man.
But here is my gripe with all of this Randolph talk…
1. His offensive game comes in the paint and his mid-range game is terrible. HE IS A FORWARD THAT CANNOT STRETCH THE FLOOR.
2. HE IS A FORWARD! That is the only position where we have an OVERabundance of talent. GALLO, CHANDLER, HARRINGTON, JEFFRIES, HILL, LEE(his natural position). Even assuming that only Gallo & Hill are here next year, what max free agents are we hoping for next year? Lebron, Amare, Bosh, Joe Johnson… All but Johnson(even though he moonlights at the SF spot sometimes) are FORWARDS…. So why bring Randolph into a situation where we are forward heavy, and possibly getting even heavier??
3. STOP SAYING CHANDLER FOR RANDOLPH. Everyone has been down on Chandler this season because he’s been settling for jumpers and hasn’t been driving to the basket… Well folks, lately I have seen a whole lot of the Chandler that I watched have a break out season last year. And you know what it comes down to? The kid just came off of surgery… A surgery which basically took up his entire summer. The time when young players usually work on improving their game for the next season. So there was no shooting drills to help make his 3point shot more consistent. No back to the basket drills to work on his paint game. There were no ball handling drills so he can create for himself. It was all just about rehab. He got off to a slow start because he didint have the benefit of an offseason. But look at him now. He’s got his explosiveness back. And he’s defending well. And he’s been clutch down the stretch. Most of all, he’s a good kid. In a league where every made shot seems to warrent a touchdown dance, it’s refreshing to see a guy like Chandler.
4. Randolph is 20 years old and already thinks his shit doesnt stink because he’s the summer league sensation. I know Nellie has a history of disgruntled basketball players, but let’s look at some of them… Al Harrington (who i think is making a great effort to re-arrange his attitude this year) who took two games out of our hands last year for hanging on the rim in celebration. And Stephen Jackson… no example necessary for him. So you tell me, is it Nellie? Or is there a possibility that he might just have a low tolerance for knuckleheaded players?
I know people are going to argue that he is only 20 years old. His game is gonna mature. But i’m not buyin’ it. Let him mature in Golden State. If we’re making a trade, especially one that sends away Chandler, I want to see a point guard or a shot blocker because thats what we need.
I share your sentiments on chandler… I may have been too hard on him early in the season, but i guess a young player who’s game is based on athleticism will tend to become lost if he doesn’t have that athleticism to rely on. His explosion is definitely back, and he is playing consistent, two way basketball.
I agree even more enthusiastically with your assessment of his character. He is very humble, professional, and subservient (in a good way), and he only tries to do what is expected of him. He is a hard worker, and very coachable.
One difference between Randolph and Chandler going forward however is that one player will fill a position of need (Randolph playing at the 5), whereas the other may very well come off the bench next season (if LeBron, Wade, Joe Johnson… find their way in NY).
I know that is a hypothetical, but it is a very real possibility.
Also, I have not seen Randolph enough to question his heart and his drive to win. If reports are true and he dogs it, then you are right and I do not want him here. However, sometimes reports are overblown and you cannot make a decision until you see him play live.
Also, there are plenty of players that find it difficult to play under Nellie. Look at Al and S Jax. Just saying…
To take a page from gdaibes’ lead, I wanted to raise a non-broadcast point regarding everyone’s favorite topic, LBJ in 2010 (has a nice ring to it, no?). If I hear one more pundit, commentator or Cavs fan claim LBJ is better off in Cleveland than in NY because the Cavs’ team is better I’m gonna platz! (I live in Columbus, Ohio, BTW…)
If you analyze the current Cavs roster, LBJ is the SOLE reason the Cavs are winning. With a simple comparison of depth charts, using only ppg as a comparison (and, yes, there is more to the game than scoring points, but I don’t have a lot of room here), the Knicks are obviously a more attractive roster – when you remove LBJ from the equation, or better yet, add him to the Knicks roster: (I hope this posts legibly)
Knicks (ppg) Cavaliers (ppg)
PG Duhon / Douglas (16.5) Williams / Gibson (23.5)
SG Chandler / Hughes (25.9) Parker / West (14.6)
SF Jeffries / Gallinari (17.8) James / Moon (34.2)
PF Harrington / Bender (28.9) Hickson / Varejao (15.5)
C Lee / Curry (21.7) Shaq / Z (17.6)
If you remove LBJ from the Cavs and pair him with Gallinari on the Knicks, SF ppg jumps to 42.7!
A simple comparison of rosters shows that the Knicks, as CURRENTLY constituted, have far more interchangeable talent and, I believe, compliment LBJ far better than the current crap bag of Cavs players.
I know, I know: all ppg averages would drop on the Knicks side with LBJ taking shots from everyone else, but our shooters and post players would see MANY more open looks with defenses keying on LBJ.
And, yes, someone, or someones, would step in to fill LBJ’s shoes in Cleveland, but there isn’t another player in the league who could carry that sorry group like LBJ currently does.
So, instead of worrying about dumping JJ or Curry (and don’t think for a second I think we shouldn’t try), why not consider a simple tweak to our roster by adding LBJ this summer? (The Greatest Roster Tweak in History!)
Disagree? Please to explain…
You know what? That’s a great idea. All we have to do is tweak our roster by simply adding LeBron James. Great idea. I wish I would have thought of that one.
The problem is that LeBron must want to come here. I think thethat thought of leaving his hometown will also play a big role. I agree with you in that the teams aren’t very different if you take away LeBron from the Cavs.
You’ve already stated why we should disagree with your study. Points per game is not a good measure. Adding’ or removing LeBron James affects the points of others on the respective team. Putting Bender and Curry’s numbers in there don’t make any sense, the sample size is way too small. I can go on, but you get the idea.
Your sarcasm hurts my feelings.
As for the roster comparisons, I just used the most recent depth charts (so Bender and Curry are over Hill et al). And I’m not sure sample size has any merit when dealing with only 15 players on either side. BUT I get your point.
I guess the point I was trying to make (and apparently failed) is that Cleveland, as currently constituted is a lesser team (when removing LBJ) than the Knicks current roster. So anyone who claims Cleveland is a better team is really just say they’re better only because LBJ is there. Removing him or trying to replace him makes the Cavs an instant lottery team. (And by extension, adding him to the Knicks makes the Knicks instantly viable.)
(And the whole LBJ is loyal to Cleveland because he’s from there is a crock. He’s from Akron. That would be like saying someone is loyal to NYC when they’re from Princeton, NJ.)
P.S. How would someone think I could be a “she”? Would any female really put this much thought into something so inane?
That is a terrible analogy. Akron is in the state of Cleveland. Princeton isn’t in the state of New York.
No one here (save bob maybe) doesn’t want LeBron here, but trying to prove why he is coming or wants to come here, when he probably is less than convinced either way, is just hollow and fruitless.
yayyyyyyyyyyy!
LOL
Yo man glad you picked a good game to go to last week. I was happy for you, you deserved that. I even gave you a shout-out in that thread.
IT WAS A good game to be at.ya know ..close til the end,. EFF lebron! lol
next year we wont have Harrington,Hughes,and maybe Lee
But the bottom line is that he/ she is right. The Cavs roster does not impress me. If they bring in Jamison, or to a lesser extent, Troy Murphy, then things will be a little different. But I am not thrilled about Mo Williams, who is probably their second best player. I am not thrilled by Varajeo. Shaq and Z are coming off the books and appear shot anyways. Gibson and West are ok, but they are merely role players whose games are elevated by LeBron. Moon and Parker are one year guys brought in off the heap. I happen to really like both of them, but you can argue that they are both a “dime a dozen” types.
Their young forward, Hickson, has not done a ton to impress me quite yet either. He is big, strong, and still young, so I am willing to give him time.
But unless there is something I am missing on that team, I am not thrilled about their overall roster. I have not been for a while now either.
The only other thing that the Cavs have in abundance over teams like the Knicks and others is an underlying brotherhood. The Cavs as a whole have good chemistry on the court and play like a team. That said, LeBron is the glue that keeps that team close.
I’ve been saying this for awhile. That Cleveland team is not a championship caliber team. Lebron is the only reason they win so many regular season games. Their Lebron James offense was exposed in the playoffs last season when the rest of the team just flat out was taken out of the game by Orlando. If I compare the Knicks with the Cav’s, I don’t know if the likes of Varajeo, Hickson, Mo Williams, Shaq could actually win the same number of games. At least the Knicks have Gallinari, Harrington, and Davide Lee who would compliment Lebron a lot more than the pieces the Cav’s have. Danny Ferry has not done a good job as the GM in Cleveland and if they fail to make the finals (which they won’t because I see Boston beating them) I see Ferry being fired.
Agreed. Has a GM ever been fired for NOT signing a certain player? If LBJ departs Cleveland (to wherever), doesn’t Ferry HAVE to be fired? A greater scapegoat there has never been…
Not sure but I remember the Orlando Magic GM took ALOT of heat that year that Shaq left Orlando for LA but was never fired.
Ferry should be fired though….and not for nothing, Mike Brown is a better coach that what he is doing with that team. The whole just give the ball to Lebron midcourt to score thing does not work. Mike Brown is supposed to be an X’s and O’s coach. Makes you wonder if Lebron is really calling the shots in the timeouts.
Granted Lebron is better off money-wise staying with the Cav’s next season but in my opinion he’s better off career-wise to go elsewhere. The guy was born, raised, went to school all in Ohio….dont you think its time to leave the nest? Get out in the real world.
Get out in the real world?..thats the stupidest thing ive ever heard.The guy plays in the NBA.spends the entire season all-over the usa.Has played numerous times overseas,and your saying ,because he plays for his hometown team,he’ll never be out in the real world. UGGGGHHHHH!
I know bob, I know.
To Chris’ point on chemistry, that will be interesting to see if LBJ values that (and a bit more money) to the possibilities larger markets offer.
I would argue (and Chris alludes to it) that LBJ is the chemistry. I mean, who wouldn’t have more fun playing with one of the best 2-3 players in the world and who, by all accounts, is not a jerk?
Put LBJ on any team and it’s smiles all around. Let’s just hope he brings his test tubes and bunson burners to MSG…
i would take Harrington, Lee, and especially galo over ANYONE on their roster. Lets say we only keep Lee. That’s still Lee, Galo, and whatever 10 million(ish) other guy we will sign if we trade Jeffries.
Galo, lee, and a 10-12 million dollar player, plus another 11 mil in 2011, is 20 times better than the cavs crappy roster.
Z is done.
Shaq is done.
Gibson is an undersized 2 guard with no athleticism or strength, who is signed long term.
Verajo is a great role player, signed for something like 8 mil a year for many years.
It’s not even close.
Lets go through the entire Cav’s roster who would be nothing without Lebron James:
JJ Hickson – Still young and inexperienced. Not showing enough consistency.
Z Illguaskas – Old and needs to retire
Shaquille O’neal – Needs to retire and he does not look right at all in a Cavs uniform.
Anthony Parker – 34 year old shooting guard, enough said…
Anderson Varejao – Over-paid forward who only brings energy on the floor (Cavs are starting to regret how much they gave him for 6 years)
Delonte West – They just better hope he takes his meds….
Mo Williams – over-rated player. Shouldn’t have even been an all-star last year but that’s what happens when Lebron has pull in the league. Not a good enough sidekick for Lebron.
Jamario Moon – decent role player but will never be more than that.
LOL You can pick apart the Knicks roster just as thoroughly. It’s brutal. I think it’s a lot closer than Knicks fans want to admit. In fact one could argue that the Cavs’ team is better without looking crazy.
The whole “well their team is just as bad as mine” theory is probably the most funny of all the arguments that LeBron is DEFINITELY coming to the Knicks.
Well i do think our team is better than his without him, but i don’t recall saying that it meant he was going to come here. I just said, simply, that his team is not good. I don’t know if anyone said he is DEFINITELY coming to the knicks.
I apologize if you are not among those who have.
However, many people have more than implied as much. Many have even gone as far as to suggest personnel moves that should be made with the assumption he is already in the fold.
hello
i got this idea from posters on PSD forum if walsh trades away jeffries and buys out curry’s contract saving few million (2-4) than can we sign 1 max 1 second tier FA and lee or AL and duhon back?
Jesus. Sign Duhon back? I hope not.
I would chip in to have Duhon play somewhere else
Quick question for you 2….
Which PG would you rather sign this offseason coming up?
Duhon needs to go. Period. If he is here as anything but a backup next year, I will lose my mind. Give anyone a shot, anyone. I don’t even care who at this point (no pun intended).
He got off to a terrible star, you have to give him credit, we are playing well and we all know he is the extension of the coach on the floor, even if he doesn’t have the talent to be super effective.
If this winning keeps up, he won’t seem so bad anymore… NOT saying i think he should possibly be our starting PG of the future… but it’s not like you could just hand it over to any random young PG and the kid will be able to run this better than duhon.
Super effective? So he is just short of SUPER effective? Ok. You’re entitled to your opinion. Mine is that he shouldn’t be anything more than a backup and he shouldn’t even be signed as that until every other option is explored/exhausted.
There’s not many point guards available in the summer of 2010 but here are some available…
Jordan Farmar (restricted FA), Luke Ridnour, Raymond Felton, Raefer Alston, Mike James….
No one really stands out to me on that list.
Any of those guys would be a better option than Duhon, save Mike James (only because he isn’t a point guard).
Donnie Walsh is gonna have to trade for one….ill still take Ramon Sessions
well whose gonna play PG pls don’t say douglas he is still not ready ..when douglas plays PG he’s inconsistent on shooting
Douglas is not and probably never will be. He just doesn’t have it in him. He had 5 years in college to learn the position. Never did. The odds couldn’t be more against him becoming a point guard in the NBA.
Sorry but that doesn’t answer my question HAS…
Who would you rather sign as a PG next year if we don’t bring Duhon back or even if we like you said…bring him back as a PG.
Give us a name.
Do I really need to run down a list of a better option at point guard than Duhon? I’ve never had carpal tunnel, but I don’t want to run the risk by typing out such a list.
Sure…give us 5 people you would sign…not trade for….sign.
What PG’s are available?
So, let me get this straight. I’m supposed to prove my point by giving you 5 names of point guards not on a roster nearly 30 games into the NBA season? LOL
Hahahahahahahahahaha! That is your test?
I’ll answer when I finish laughing.
The myth of this coach being player friendly is quickly evaporating
Stackhouse blows stack on D’Antoni over Nate
http://www.nypost.com/p/blogs/knicksblog/stackhouse_blows_stack_on_antoni_z1zjjoiqdZttsFKW7pPu7O
eteran guard Jerry Stackhouse, who tried out for the Knicks last summer and never got a contract offer, blasted Mike D’Antoni over his treatment of Nate Robinson, calling him “so stubborn” and “a control freak.”
“I know Nate has to be obviously frustrated,” Stackhouse said on his regular spot on Chris Russo’s radio show on Sirius. “To be an NBA coach, you’re a control freak. You really are a control freak just because you think about all the things coaches have to manage – from the players, to practice, to the media…”
“And with any type of personality, you have your extremists. And I think D’Antoni is just an extremist. He’s just a guy who’s so stubborn, such a control freak and wants to make an example of this kid (Robinson). It’s not fair to him.”
Thanks for the article Biggie but Stackhouses words mean nothing.
One could argue they mean more than yours. I mean he IS a NBA veteran.
No shots.
No shots bro..it’s all good.
I would rather listen to the stars on the olympic team before I listen to a NBA has been.
That’s just me though.
You can listen to him if you want 2.
Your choice.
I think the fact the Knicks didn’t sign Stack’s beggin’ @ss should speak volumes as to his credibility in this matter.
Stack was an NBA baller for 16 plus years..
seriously..
I take his word with much much more weight than any blogger
no shots.
This could be some sour grapes, but there is a lot validity to his statements. He probably would have just kept it to himself had he not felt passed over by the organization. If this becomes more of a story league wide it would be interesting to see some other players weigh in on Nate’s situation.
Would Jamison (I’ve heard there’s some interest, I think getting Butler would be a better move for the Cavs though) and Nate be enough to convince LeBron to give the organization another year by not opting out?
Let me start out by saying im not a big D’antoni fan.But i do believe it is the coaches duty to put out the best rotation he deems fit to win the most games possible.But it isnt his job to make Nate Robinson look good,or to make other teams want to sign him at the risk of losing.Its Nates job to make himself look like a professional NBA player.and so far he has made himself look like what everyone says he is ….just a side show.Hes the one who dances around like a jerk,hes the one saluting and pulling on his ears at the foul line,hes the one that 2 years ago,almost everyone on the KNICKS wanted to kick his asss,i dont care what david lee says now.Nate did thid to himself.Hed rather be a celebrity than a basketball player
to continue…I really think its about time that some coach ,in any sport ,finally stands up to a player who wont do what hes told,and bench his ass.If it were up to me ,every time ricky henderson didnt run out a grounder,i would nail his ass to the bench.and any other player who took his situation for granted.Christ yer gettin millions to play a childs game at least give it your all
Good post, tell em bob!
Definitely, and I can respect that. I think Nate doesn’t know where the line is between entertaining the fans and “showboating” some of those “smartest fans in the world” tend to encourage the latter. It’s up to the coach to drive that point home without wasting a talent that could certainly help the team.
There is no denying that Nate helped win games that they would have lost last year, especially after Duhon broke down and played terrible. Even for him.
D’Antoni is a player’s coach to players he respects and likes on the court, and he neglects players he doesn’t like on the court… He might be a little bit of an ass about it at times, but you know what… GOOD. We need someone to instill some decency and a professional culture here, and if it takes the mean old substitute teacher, than so be it.
We have all been saying forever that nate was a detriment to this team, and we all know he’s gone, so who cares what jerry stackhouse has to say? All i care about is who is going to be here, playing… To players who earn that right… MD will be a player’s caoch.
Jerry stackhouse… lol; i guess that means you and da gawd are right.
I wish he was “the mean old substitute teacher” when it came to demanding defense. Lee has earned at least a few DNP-CD’s for his lack of defensive effort. There have been times when I’ve nearly thrown up watching him step to the side when guards drive the lane or even worse, touch them on the hip and give them the “And 1″ bonus free throw. Disgusting.
Yeah but that’s a basketball-related issue.
Nate’s off the court antics put him in the position he is in.
If it’s solely “Nate’s off the court antics” and they aren’t “basketball-related issue(s)” than the benching is even more extraneous.
then*
I meant “attitude issues”
Like :
- Yelling at Mike D’Antoni/Herb Williams in front of his teammates
- Pulling a Karl Malone hand-behind-the-head lay-up in a blow-out loss against the Mavericks
- Showboating in a blow-out loss against the Magic
In the heat of the moment a player will yell at his coach and vice versa, those things could be handled in house (which they probably were, since he played after those incidents).
I have no problem with benching ANY player for ANY reason, when that overarching reason is for the betterment of the team/the player as an individual.
Holding him out in a game where you are shorthanded in a back to back situation is not for the betterment of the team. Yes the team won, but if someone had gotten injured (who’s to say Hughes’ injury could have been due to playing so many minutes?) then people could have pointed to the extremely short playoff-like rotation.
Having him sit for so many games and not even get another chance (5 or 10 mins) and playing a rookie and a player who had been out of the league and not playing competitive basketball for several years is not making him a better player or teaching him a lesson that will help him as a player.
Edit:
who’s to say Hughes’ injury isn’t due to**
He was playing a lot of minutes before he went down and admitted to playing through the pain of that injury for at least 2 games before shutting it down.
You know what, Mike D’Antoni’s going to far in my opinion. The Knicks are winning – and Nate’s benching is a huge reason why we’re playing better. But I agree with the fact that Nate could’ve helped in Chicago for example.
D’Antoni could’ve said, “OK I’ll bench you 10 games and if you don’t get it you’ll stay on the bench. But if you’re willing to act like a professional you’ll be back in the rotation”.
Exactly Mucha, exactly.
That’s my point. How will you know if the DNP-CD method has taught him anything?
Give him spot minutes here or there. Let him finish a quarter or something and gauge whether he approaches the game differently.
He has already proven to be a good teammate by continuing to cheer on his teammates and encourage/congratulate them.
Just bloggin’.
Anything else is just being an ass to be an ass, which helps no one. Not the player, the team nor the organization.
its his “on the court antics”
yeah HaS,what is with that?DLee actually gets out of the drivers way to give him free space to shoot.Stay in there and take the charge for gods sake.what the hell is he afraid of?
I don’t know bob, I really don’t. People get on me for being hard on the guy, but the reason I am is because I actually liked the kid. I think he was a steal in that draft. He has a nose for the ball when it comes to rebounding. He is good around the basket and had excellent hands. That said, he is horrible defensively. Absolutely horrible.
He has absolutely no shame, he’ll let 1000 people lay the ball up in his face and never put anyone on the deck. I wonder if he just doesn’t want to foul out and stay out on the floor for as many rebounds as possible? I really can’t figure it out, but what’s even worse is when he gives the silly “touch foul” sending players to the line for potential bonus. It is absolutely sickening.
It may be unfair to think this way, but I am more apt to want even more of a defensive attitude from frontcourt players than backcourt players. Players like Charles Oakley, Anthony Mason, Kurt Thomas etc. _avi_ Lee hardly dives on the floor, hardly flies into the stands, almost never takes a charge, the next hard foul he gives will be the 1st one I’ve ever seen from him and yet he has a hardhat, lunch pail, hustle reputation and that in itself disgusts me.
No one is asking him to be defensive player of the year, but I’d settle for Chris Dudley, Mark Madsen, Jerome Williams or Malik Rose type of hustle. None of those players were particularly blesses with size (aside from Dudley) or athleticism (save Williams).
If he would take some pride in playing defense the way he took offense to being blocked by (and ready to fight) the smaller Stephen Curry he would be worth 10 mil a year, as it stands now anything over 7.5 mil per is overpaying imo.
Make that 7 mil per.
Do you think any of the coaches say anything to him?It seems to me ,that one of the coaches would take him aside every practice just to work on that one aspect of the game.Man if he were a good “D” man ,he would be an all-star.saying he is bad at it,is a compliment for him…HE IS DISGUSTINGLY AWFUL
Even if he weren’t good on defense (I’ve given up on that) I would just expect him to give an honest effort every night.
New thread?? Maybe we do play the Bulls later just throwing that out there.
Jerry Stackhouse’s comments are interesting to a certain extent… But in fact, I couldn’t care less about his opinion. Seriously. Jerry Stackhouse wasn’t good enough to get an offer from the Knicks. Ouch! Dude sounds like a playa hater, you know what I’m talking about BIG lol.
Obviously he doesn’t know Nate Robinson’s resume anyways. I like Nate but he deserves the DNP-CD’s in my opinion, he has been a clown for too long. What I don’t like is the fact that the Knicks have lowered his trade value, and I hate Mike D’Antoni’s double-standards. His decision to bench Nate is legitimate from a pure basketball standpoint… but he’s particularly harsh/severe with Nate which is why many fans believe that it’s a personal issue as well.
“Nate issues have been around since his first season. After how many years, does it finally get to be too much? Sure, some here can take each incident and minimalize it by itself, but there is a cumulative effect that weighs in after a while. Maybe Coach has decided that after four plus seasons, it is time to draw the line.
Is it a double-standard? I’m not so sure. Sure, other players blow a defensive assignment, break a play, but are they a constant source of clowning, and at times seemingly more into image building on the court than getting back, picking up his man, etc? Are they trying within the system? We can criticize the system; I know that I have in terms of asking if it is suitable to the talent available. Coach has modified the system. It is obvious to those who watch more than the ball.
It is easy for a fan to say, “So what! Nate can put the ball in the hoop,” but that is fan talk, not necessarily team-oriented talk from a coaching perspective.
I like and respect Mike D’Antoni’s decision to bench Nate Robinson.
Burn him at the stake for his lack of professionalism… but it’s unfair to embarrass Nate when he makes (basketball-related) mistakes other players get a pass for (Chris Duhon in particular). I can’t respect this double-standard you know what I mean?
I think its Nate’s immaturity more than basketball mistakes that D’Antoni has a problem with. He probably feels by Nate acting the way he does other players on the team will also not focus. I feel for Nate but I don’t blame D’Antoni for benching him. Just like I didn’t blame D’Antoni for benching Curry last season for being fat.
I don’t blame D’Antoni for benching him (Nate). I don’t.
We all KNOW that Nate’s immaturity is the major problem.
But D’Antoni’s problem with Robinson is deeper than that in my opinion, I think the coach just doesn’t like him. Why? Because Nate gets thrown into fire when he makes mistakes most of his teammates get a pass for!
yeah but Duhon has an excuse…….HES DRUNK!
its not about blowing a defensive assignment,all players do that.its about not even listening to the coach ,when he tells you what you should be doing on defense.I’m sure time and time again,he was told Nate do this,nate do this,and after a year and a half of Nate jut not tryin,Coach was at his wits end,did what he had to do.Maybe Nate has gotten by on his athletism for so long,he has no basketball I.Q
I sincerely hope _’antoni isn’t telling Lee to do what he’s done defensively since he’s been here.
nate got benched…if you’ve played basketball before than you know players get benched.
Funny thing is…we’re a better team now that he’s out of the rotation.
Why are we saying he shouldn’t be benched?
“nate got benched…if you’ve played basketball before than you know players get benched.
Funny thing is…we’re a better team now that he’s out of the rotation.
Why are we saying he shouldn’t be benched?”
Hear, hear. To paraphrase you, If you’ve coached basketball than you know players get benched.
There are usually reasons that are not apparent to fans: focus in practice, even “off-court” situations if you want to consider the locker room, the weight room, etc. off-court. In short, team dynamics not obvious to fandom. Nobody outside of the team, the coaches, and management know all the cumulative factors that lead to a player’s benching.
The Knicks have no draft pick to tank for. The coaches and management have no reason to not win. If they felt that looking the other way to Nate’s antics would help them win without destroying team discipline, they would play him.
Personally, even when I am critical, I try not to be cynical. Too many “fans” around here seem to think it cool and sophisticated to trash everything and everybody. I want them to win. I don’t want Utah to have a lottery pick, let alone more balls in the tank than any other team. If they can win more games with Nate on the bench than with him on the floor, I’m okay with that.
It is sophistic to point at every loss from here on in, and say, “If Nate were playing . . .” At least recently, statistics support his benching. When/if they no longer do, then I’m sure that he will be given a chance to show that he can again make a difference. It is a long season, he’ll get his chance if the record shows the need. Nobody in the organization profits from losing this year.
Excellent post!!
I would like to point out this: every time that Gallo put a 3pt i am in some ways surprised because this has not been a consistent part of his game in europe. Drives, assists, intangibles, iq, that was his game. Now he’s on top of nba 3pt shooters list! Given that i still think he’s completely healed but not 100% recovered, may God save all the other team from a Gallo at full throttle.
I don’t think he’s the best shooter in the NBA or a Ray Allen, Reggie Miller kind of sharpshooter. You can’t leave Allen open. Gallinari misses many open 3′s, his shot is not automatic. Maybe his legs aren’t strong enough right now. The fact that he’s not shooting particularly well these days might be a blessing in disguise though, it pushes him to be more aggressive and he’s driving to the basket more often.
He’ll be a very good/great shooter though. But he’s inconsistent, I mean he could miss an open 3 and on the next possession hit a contested fall-away 3 as the shot-clock expires. He’s really unpredictable.
HE LEADS THE LEAGUE IN 3PT.%
3 pointers made.
But it was just an observation, he’s a really good/great shooter but he’s inconsistent.
LOL we get it man, you love Danilo Gallinari. He’s Italian, he’s from Italy and he’s a good player. We get it,
We’re all glad the Knicks have a new fan base because of it.
Were you a Knicks fan before they drafted him?
No shots.
“LOL we get it man, you love Danilo Gallinari. He’s Italian, he’s from Italy and he’s a good player. We get it”
I know you’re talking to Totti but at least Gallo’s a Knick.
You forgot to put that he’s also our best player.
I wouldn’t expect you to admit that though because that would be giving Walsh to much credit.
No shots
LOL
DVJ, you’re very close to being a troll.
How would admitting that Gallinari is the Knicks’ best player (not that he is, because he isn’t) be giving Walsh too much credit? Walsh has admitted he let _’antoni convince him to draft the kid.
Danilo definitely has the most potential out of any Knick on the roster, no question. If he is the Knicks’ best player right NOW isn’t as indisputable.
No HaS, i was not of course, but i’m now. My first favorite team has been the sixers because of docj. After then i haven’t had any. Not even Toronto since bargnani was drafted because you see i don’t expecially like bargnani. But Danilo is completely different, he is special. I’m sure danilo will play for knicks for a long time, so HaS be prepared to read many more posts from my part.
And with that I say, welcome.
It was just a question, I hope you took no offense. It’s just that after 70+ posts the Danilo post came out out of nowhere lol.
It’s all good I like Danilo too, I think people are a little over-enthused about him, but you get a pass. Not because you’re Italian, although that would be understandable, but because you have seen him play before the injury and seen him do things he hasn’t done in the NBA as of yet.
What does it means “no shots” at the end? Sorry guys to ask this, but as HaS has stated before i’m italian from italy.
Sorry, totti. No shots essentially means “with all due respect” or “no offense” etc.
Thanks for welcoming me, HaS!
My post come from nowhere because i was reading another blog and then i saw a post from another italian saying the same thing i’ve been thinking since the beginning of this season: i could have expect anything from Gallo but the 3pt shooting. In fact i was expecting many many drives to the rim, some playmaking as point forward, passes, help in defense, steals, intangibles and the capacity of taking possession of the game smoothly. Some shots yes, but mid or short range. That’s the reason i’m even more excited about him. the last player i was so excited was beloved Drazen Petrovic. Then Gallo came. I’ve been following his steps since his first professional league at the age of 16!!
Maybe it’s just me, maybe it is all patriotic stuff, i don’t know. All i know is that i never seen an european player like him, by far.
“i could have expect anything from Gallo but the 3pt shooting. In fact i was expecting many many drives to the rim, some playmaking as point forward, passes, help in defense, steals, intangibles and the capacity of taking possession of the game smoothly. Some shots yes, but mid or short range.”
That is the reason you could say I am the exact opposite of (I’ll say less than) “excited” about him.
_’antoni will try to turn any player into a 3 point specialist, he has an absolute fascination with the long-ball. Gallinari just happens to have a nice touch to warrant it from him. Chandler shoots them too much, so does Harrington, so does Duhon (and his are from 5-10 feet from behind the line most times), so did Quentin Richardson (in Phoenix and here in NY) and he will never tell a player or his team to stop shooting them. Forty-Seven threes against Chicago should prove that if you weren’t already convinced, by last year’s Knick team (most threes attempted AND lowest percentage I believe).
I hate this coach.
Ah, i forgot…….maybe there is another euro player that seems to be come from another planet: Rubio.
thanks again, i thought it was the contrary!!
Nah man not at all. A lot of people here seem to dislike me because they don’t agree with me on certain topics, but can’t debate with the logic or reason within my ideas/opinions. So they resort to name calling and insults.
Again, like I said, welcome.
I hope the Knicks don’t break your heart they way they have some of ours here lol.
I get your point, in fact for you to see Gallo instead of lopez or gordon coming must have been a shock. I mean, he’s goofy, stiff, he only stays in the corner waiting to catch and shoot, It’s not a 6 pick! I understand now.