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Reason to Be Optimistic?

by Tommy Dee on September 19th, 2010 at 6:33 pm

Via Hoopsworld

Considering Lee was assumed to likely be leaving without the Knicks receiving anything in return, this was a brilliant move by Walsh. Anthony Randolph is the true prize in this deal as a young man who is just beginning to scratch the surface of his potential – his upside is immense. It’s only a matter of time before Ant Rand develops into a huge crowd favorite at MSG…With these exciting additions and necessary reinforcements, Knicks fans are approaching the 2010-2011 season with a rare, and nearly forgotten emotion: optimism.  Can Coach Mike D’Antoni successfully shape these newly assembled parts and players into winners?  Are the playoffs a possibility?  That remains to be seen.  But, for the first time in a long time, New Yorkers are actually hopeful, which in and of itself is a step in the right direction.

I’m generally optimistic about this group but I really need to see them together. I think they are going to be exciting, but excitement doesn’t close out games. Defense and shot making does in the 4th quarter in the NBA.
  • italian stallion

    They have to figure out how to keep Randolph, Gallo, and Amare on the court together. That’s the key.

    They absolutely need Randolph’s rebounding and shot blocking on the court with Amare because Amare is not very good at either. Turiaf can block shots but he’s below average offensively, fouls way too much, and is not a good rebounder for a Center.

    Gallo spaces the floor, but he’s not a rebounder or shot blocker like Randolph.

    If it comes down to Amare playing C against all the teams without a legitimate big strong C, that’s the way it’s going to have to be.

    The line up of Turiaf, Amare, and Gallo is not going to be good enough on multiple levels. Turiaf is a bench C.

  • Brookdon

    That’s why I think by midseason, Randolph will be our starting C.he is 6’11 230 LBs Offensively he runs and can pass and defensively he blocks shots and rebounds. He would be terrible on the low post however but in this “system” he is a prototypical center.

    Felton
    Azubuike/Chandler
    Gallinari
    Stat
    Randolph

  • flossy

    I agree. Or you could just switch Stat and Randolph. Amar’e might not love it but against most centers in the east it would not be a problem.

  • MetsKnicksRutgers

    You need to play defense and make shots to win Tommy? Wow, thanks for blowing my mind.

  • flossy

    If Randolph can limit his fouls and keep himself on the floor, good things will happen. I see him soaking up the 31 mpg that Al Harrington vacated, mostly replacing Al’s 17ppg (maybe 15-16) but also bringing muuuuuccchh better defense, rebounding and shot-blocking.

  • JeffM729

    It will be interesting to see Randolph and where he can play. It’s hard to see him at center as he’s rather light and not very strong. I keep hearing he’s gaining 20 pounds, but he looks stick thin. Time will tell and we will know soon enough. He will have a hard time against guys like Boozer, let alone banging with guys like Lopez and Shaq. He also fouls at a high rate, which limited his time in GS, aside from being in Nellie’s doghouse.

    A front line of Randolph, Amare, and Gallo isn’t much of an improvement over Lee, Gallo, and Chandler defensively. Perhaps Turiaf and Mozgov can play enough to keep Amare out of the post for more than 10 minutes per night. Hopefully one will show some ability to defend bigs in crunch time.

    Getting stops late in the game will be tough for the Knicks as other teams can overpower our front line and get free throws or easy baskets.

  • ds2488

    I think there’s a lot of reasons to be optimistic, but at the same time expectations should be tempered. Im saying 40 wins or failure, and hopefully that will be more than enough for a playoff spot.

    I actually think addition by subtraction will be the biggest component in the Knicks success this year. Lee, Harrington, and Duhon were such losers it would be impossible to put into stats or words how much worse they made this team with their selfish play.

    The next big thing to me will be the improvement that Felton brings over Duhon, along with the 3 talented swingmen Gallo, Randolph, and Chandler and what they can bring to the table without AL Harrington taking all their shots.

    Finally, the fact that the Knicks now have a legitimate inside defensive presence in Turiaf and hopefully Mozgov will be huge.

    Those are the keys to me. If Gallo/Randolph/Chandler steps up and Felton is an obvious upgrade over Duhon we will win 40 imo.

  • flossy

    Wait, what?

    On defense, Amar’e > Lee (I know, but still)
    Randolph >>> Harrington (who is the more apt comparison), and Gallo this year I hope will be > Gallo last year.

    Just giving Randolph the minutes that Al Chucketts took up will mean a HUGE upgrade in defensive intensity, rebounding and shots blocked. The key will be limiting fouls. But if a Gallo/Randolph/Stat front court is getting pushed around they’ll have two bruisers on the bench in Turiaf and Mozgov to bring in to set the tone. If someone gets in foul trouble but D’Antoni wants to stay small and fast, he can bring in Chandler to play the 3 or even 4.

  • flossy

    Also, I recommend the youtube clip where AR lights up the Jazz for like 20 … it seems like Boozer had a hard time with him, not the other way around. And that was in his rookie year when he was a good 30-35 lbs skinnier.

  • PickNY

    Tommy,

    Nuttin wrong staying optimistic about our team this year. They will learned to play and finish games out too as well, but we all know they are going to be games that we should have won! These are the BREAKs! I’m just happy not having Duhon and the crew from last year! We got us a new exciting squad with a few players getting a chance to have a break out season! I bet there will be suitors asking for tem via trade! Then NY better not…!

  • flossy

    Exactly. Beyond statistics, Amar’e, Randolph and Felton over Lee, Harrington and Duhon is such a no-brainer improvement it’s ridiculous. Presumably Gallo, Chandler, and Douglas will improve somewhat, and finally there are some real, hustling, defense-playing options at center rather than trotting out Jarred Jeffries or even Darko once in a blue moon. I’m not sold on Azubuike/Mason/Walker/whoever at SG just yet, but as an alternative to Larry Hughes/Nate/washed-up TMac… I’ll take it.

  • SilentJay

    I want Randolph to get a lot of minutes just as the next guy, but if Amare’s to maximize his play he needs to be at the 4 with a center that can take the dirty work away from him (ala Garnett with Perkins). If Turiaf can handle the workload on the boards while adding a block or two to the mix, Amare will have the the necessary space to bring his game every night. I assume the coach will slide his former best friend to the 5 letting Randolph play his strongest minutes at the PF. He should only be placed as a center if his matchup won’t break him on D.
    The thing about Randolph, we all love how explosive he can be, but if he keeps gaining weight, he’ll lose that part of his game.

  • bb_dot

    “Can Coach Mike D’Antoni successfully shape these newly assembled parts and players into winners?”

    it really comes down to that. Individually we are definitely more talented than last year. Nobody in their right mind can dispute that. But are these guys going to jell? Can they create chemistry and can the coach find the right rotation before the end of the season. I hope he will explore slightly larger rotations than usual and allow some of the young kids to make mistakes without being buried on the bench. We will see… I’m still cautious and think a 10 game improvement from last year would be a realistic expectation.

  • Sangfroid

    “Lee, Harrington, and Duhon were such losers it would be impossible to put into stats or words how much worse they made this team with their selfish play.” This statement sums up the entire team exsistence last year. I’m looking for an increased synergy this year, better defense as well as a smoother flowing offense. Just the elimination of Duhon’s ineffective PG play guarantees us a 10+ games in win total. 40+ is in our grasp!

  • HankNight

    It’s the best I’ve felt about the team in 10 years. It might sound trite, but it’s been a HARD 10 years!

  • bb_dot

    “Just the elimination of Duhon’s ineffective PG play guarantees us a 10+ games in win total”

    lol. and another 10+ for chuckster’s selfish play and another 8+ for Lee’s lack of D. We are at 57 already! Seriously, I would be careful with those guarantees… Other teams in the East improved too..

  • gianthinker

    Just trying to get a grasp on peoples opinions around here. I see Randolph as one of those tweeners big guys who is more like a 3 who can play 4. However, I’ve noticed a lot of you think he can play the 5. Do most of you think Randolph will be a Marcus Camby type? Maybe Camby with more offensive moves?

  • JeffM729

    In Randolph’s first two seasons, he didn’t play the minutes Harrington did last year for the Knicks. He has been injury prone and that worries me. He has “potential” but has yet to establish himself as anything in the NBA. The problem with a “potential” player is you are filling in the blanks with wondrous exploits, yet to be achieved.

    Randolph COULD be a huge defensive presence. He has never done it for an extended period, nor been healthy enough to give more than highlights. He wasn’t a defensive stopper in GS.

    So let’s wait and see what his role is and whether he can lose the potential label.

  • JeffM729

    Yeah, but Utah won that game.

    I want to see what Randolph looks like weight wise and how it affects his game. He was under 200 as a rookie, now it’s reported he 230-235, according to your estimate.

    So if he bulks up, does he lose his handle and speed. I’m hoping for the best, but but have usually been let down by the last 10 years of the Knicks. Not trying to be negative, but if Randolph was an amazing player, we wouldn’t have got him so easily.

  • Knicks4life

    I don’t think Duhon is selfish. He is just really really bad.

  • JeffM729

    Perhaps it’s just wishing thinking. No one in GS wanted Randolph to play the 5. He was under 200 pounds coming out of LSU. We are set at the 3 and 4 for the foreseeable future, so Randolph has to play the 5, simply because there is no other spot and D’Antoni doesn’t use a traditional center.

    Camby was the college player of the year, made several all-NBA defensive teams, and was defensive player of the year back in 2006. To say he can be Camby with more offensive moves is highly unlikely.

  • flossy

    I mean, Randolph alone was not good enough to make up for the fact that Utah is just much better than the Warriors.

    6’11″ 230 lbs is not exactly hauling around a bunch of extra weight, that’s like Joakim Noah size. Randolph apparently gained muscle by doing workouts designed to increase his core strength and explosiveness–lots of squats and dunking medicine balls and stuff. If anything I think he will be more beastly than ever.

    I know he seems too good to be true, but we’re talking about the same coach and franchise that drive Chris Webber out of town. The fact that they did the same to Randolph probably says as much about Don Nelson as it does about AR.

  • dino2008

    Amare needs to start at center with Randolph at the 4, Gallinari at the 3, Chandler at the 2, and Felton playing the point.

    Listen, I love Ronny Turiaf. I think he is a fantastic energy guy/leader off the bench, where he excels.

    c- Amare
    pf- Randolph
    sf – Gallinari
    sg – Chandler…. will has been here coach should show some confidence in him before handing the job to buike. give will the thrill a chance
    pg – felton

    mosgov, buike, douglas, mason jr. off the bench.

  • dino2008

    i Know Amare prefers to play the 4, but Amare wants above all to win. If it takes him playing the 5 instead of the produce 4 to win more games there is no doubt in my mind he will do it.

  • flossy

    Think Shawn Marion or Gerald Wallace. But 6’11″.

  • dino2008

    http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=5594741

    the carmelo talk continues…. via espn

  • dino2008

    + 20 no eddie house.

  • Knicks4life

    Eh. I was slightly optimistic when we got Zach Randolph.

    On paper (at the time) Marbury, Crawford, Q rich, Zach, Eddy, with Lee coming off the bench seemed solid.

    If only I knew then what I know now.

  • Knicks4life

    Don’t listen to the Randolph is a Center crowd. He is not Marcus Camby.

    Without comparing them, because he will never be him, he is more like a young KG without as much handle or fire. A 3/4 who happens to be close to seven feet but without the frame or low post game to bang in the post.

  • Knicks4life

    I think we should temper expectations for Randolph and Mosgov. I predict our starting lineup will be Felton, Chandler, Gallo, Amare, Turiaf with Randolph getting the bulk of the minutes off the bench and Mosgov playing 5-10 minutes per his rookie season.

    I like Randolph’s potential, I think he should start at the 3 over Gallo, but I doubt that happens because Gallo shoots threes and D’Antoni can’t get enough of that.

    I’m actually more interested in who finishes games in the 4th qtr. Felton, Douglas, Gallo, Randolph, Amare may be our best bet if Randiolph bulks up and Douglas cuts down on the mental errors.

  • Old Knick

    @dino2008
    “Amare needs to start at center”

    I think Amare asked his agent to make it clear before he signed with knicks that he was not to play center.

  • Old Knick

    “Don’t listen to the Randolph is a Center crowd. He is not Marcus Camby.”

    I agree. I think he is closer to a player such as Lamar Odom, maybe with a better shot blocking presence. Camby was a different player all together. Camby is/was a legit center in the NBA.

  • ds2488

    lol. Agreed about Duhon not being selfish, but just plain awful. All I can say is good luck to the Magic with Duhon and QBrick.

  • ds2488

    Haha. Yeah, that was one I was all over at the time. I was keyed into the Isiah BS rumor mill by that time, and was fully aware that a frontcourt of Curry and Randolph could never, ever work. It was made worse by the fact that in the previous season Isiah had talked about the Knicks becoming the Suns of the East, and then blatantly dismantled that theory. It was at the point when he traded for Randolph when I finally realized how much of a delusional schizophrenic Isiah was in putting teams together.

    Also, Q Brick was the only player on the team capable of playing defense.

  • ds2488

    It’s unclear what exactly Amare is willing to do at the center spot, but after a year of watching Lee I will not be happy if Amare is sent out as the 5 for more than 10 minutes a night.

    I really hope that Amare refuses to play center and/or Dantoni will stick to his word about Amare being a power forward.

  • 3dsoul

    Hey all,
    I’m a long time fan, been watching my knicks for years. I’ll just throw in a quick 2 cents.
    But first I’ll start with a question:
    IN any trade scenario involving the knicks getting Melo, which knicks player will certainly be in the conversation more than any other Knick (besides Curry) Gallo or AR? Its funny, but I have a feeling it’s Gallo. Thoughts?
    Moving on… I have to say, it appears that Coach No-D isn’t showing any signs of changing his approach any time soon, as far short rotations and trying to outscore the opponent. Not good news for Mozgov. IF Walsh is truly giving No-D free reign to coach, then D’Antoni is going to to spend the rest of days being hell bent on proving that his system can win it all. Thats not necessarily a good thing. Defense is the X factor in the NBA as long as you can score, of course. If each team avgs 1oo per, then the team that plays the better defense will win those contests. If that aspect of the KNicks changes, we can make the 8th spot. If not, its gonna be another long year. I believe TD will bring more on the court this season as well as Gallo. I pray Turiaf and AR stay Healthy, and they find minutes for Mozgov. Its pretty simple. Sorry so long winded. Its late, wife is snoring, time for bed.

  • Pingback: Nuggs More Open To Melo Trade Talk at Knicks Vision

  • flossy

    Huh? If anything, his handle is better than Garnett’s.

  • markstripes

    It’s important to remember than Randolph just turned 21 years of age. Even though he is entering his third year in the league, he is still learning, and his role is just being defined. If he’s 6’11″ and 230 lbs. at 21 years of age, in another year or two he could easily be 7’0″ and 250 lbs. Sounds familiar doesn’t it? Patrick Ewing was about that size.

    I recall when Roy Tarpley came out of college at 6’10″ and 230 lbs. By the time training camp started for the Dallas Mavericks, he was 7’0″ and 250 lbs. Randolph is still just a kid! Give him time and as he matures physically, he could develop into something really special. He’s already shown that he can contribute and produce solid numbers.