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The Time To Advance Has Come

by Chris Alvino on November 21st, 2010 at 7:59 pm

The Knicks were a couple of plays away from beating the Nuggets in Denver earlier this week. Off an embarrassing loss at home to Houston, the Knicks lost a tough one in Denver.  After that? The Knicks went on to sweep their way through the Golden State, knocking off inferior teams in the Warriors, Kings and Clippers.

I was talking with friend and strong TKB supporter, Aharon Diaz, while watching the Warriors game and he said that the Knicks have looked good, but that the team still had some loose ends to “tighten up.”  I would say that with the improved play of Gallo, Amare and Felton, the team has begun to “tighten up.”

The Knicks return to action Tuesday night against conference rivals with momentum and a 6-8 record.  Their west coast trip was very good, but now is the time to take their next stride.  Looking at their upcoming schedule, there are very winnable games coming up for the Knicks.  See for yourself:

Charlotte

Charlotte

Atlanta

Detroit

New Jersey

New Orleans

Toronto

Minnesota

Toronto

Washington

Out of those next ten games, is it unfair to say that the Knicks can win 7 of them?  Winning two straight against Charlotte will be tough.  Sweeping home and home match-ups generally is a tall task.  But it is definitely doable.  Atlanta next Saturday will be tough, but after a very hot start, the Hawks have come back to earth.  The Knicks have the length and athleticism to stick with the Hawks in my opinion.  I feel as though Landry Fields will be able to contain Joe Johnson and that Turiaf will be able to stick Al Horford, but I do fear Josh Smith against this Knicks team.  Amare will have his hands full trying to keep up with him.

Moving right along, both Detroit and New Jersey are not only winnable games, but games the Knicks have to take if they are serious about playoff contention later in the season.  Out west, the Knicks took care of inferior teams and I would hope they can do the same here.  New Orleans will be a tough game.  Chris Paul is on his game, Emeka Okafor and David West is regaining his form and the team appears to be clicking.  At 10-1, I cannot sit here and write that the Knicks should win that game.  At this point though, I am not sure whether to consider them contenders quite yet out West.

The Knicks end their next stretch with two against Toronto (a team that the Knicks have already beaten), one against Minnesota and one against Washington (another team the Knicks have already beaten).

From there, the Knicks hit a brick wall going up against Denver, Boston, Miami, OKC, Chicago, Miami and Orlando (with a game against Cleveland sprinkled in there somewhere).

So again, their west coast trip was a nice, but it was only a start.  Win 7 of 10 from here and gain a bit of a cushion, and better yet, some momentum before going up against the top teams.  If the Knicks falter in their next stretch, by the time 2011 rolls around, they might be in some trouble.  Now is the time to advance.  Now is the time to start creating some separation between themselves and the other lower tier Eastern Conference rivals.

         
         
         
         
         
         
         
         
         
         
         
         
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About Chris Alvino

Chris Alvino grew up in Crestwood, NY. He graduated from Regis High School in 2005. There he played both basketball and baseball. Chris is currently a student at Boston College, where he practices with the varsity Women's Basketball Team (... seriously). Chris has been a Knicks' fan for years and can literally talk about them all day long, every day of the week. Chris enjoys writing on this blog and seeing what everyone out there has to say about it. View all posts by Chris Alvino →
  • gianthinker

    Its not ridiculous but its still a lot to ask of the 4th youngest team in the NBA. they can do it but its not a given.

  • jay from the fix

    The last time something like this was posted on this blog we lost 6 in a row lol

  • jay from the fix

    We cant count any of those as wins this is the NBA any given day a Raptors can beat the Celtics just saying. I’ll take them one game at a time. I can see us losing to any of the above mentioned team, im sorry to be the negative nancy here

  • TRUTH TELLER

    gotta handle our business….because there was talk about a 7-2 start of the season over that particular weekend then it was a disaster……………..

  • TRUTH TELLER

    I agree….

  • TRUTH TELLER

    It’s going to take a TOTAL TEAM effort…..better coaching as well…….

  • jay from the fix

    Thats the best thing i have ever read from u. If the coach keep telling them to drive to the basket and not jack up 30 threes, we will be ok. We need to get Will and Fields and AR cutting to the basket ALOT. Run the pnr with Gallo or Fields, get TD to stop forcing the pace let it come naturally. Teh past few games i have to give it to the coach he has made some adjustment it seems lets see if he keeps it up or revert to the old Mike.

  • Rome1988

    Rondo was injured.

  • TRUTH TELLER

    “Thats the best thing i have ever read from u. ”

    Ahahahaha…WOW…that was mean..kinda hard to believe…but all good….gotta watch this game………..I’ll get at you guys..My BOYZ later….hahhaha……

    THE MOST EXCITING ATHLETES IN ALL OF SPORTS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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  • fauci933

    Michael Vick soo would be your “boy”

  • JBNY24

    Would love to see 7 out of 10 wins. However, let’s take it one win at a time.

    It’s time to see D’antoni go. Its hard to believe he will take us where we want to be.

  • gianthinker

    Totally right. Injuries can change matchups and anyone can play good or bad any given day.

  • gianthinker

    Dude we’ve all called for his job but realistically he wont even be in trouble until 25 or 30 games into the season. And calling for his job after a 3 game winning streak just doesn’t make sense.

  • JeffM729

    The east is wide open with only 5 teams above .500, where the West has 9 teams above that mark. So 37 wins might make the playoffs. Thankfully we play in a division with so many bad teams.

    It’s not good to declare games are ones we should win. Anything can happen on a given night. It’s over the full course of a season that it all evens out. We need to take a longer view and realize we going to lose games we feel we should win and we games we feel we should lose. If you believe the Knicks are improved, time will bear witness to that.

  • Knicks4life

    Why do you keep saying GS is an inferior team to the Knicks?

    I agree they are without David Lee. But with Lee, Ellis, Curry, Biedrins, etc. I actually think GS is the better team.

  • TG

    Yeah, there’s not doubt really that with Lee they win that last game.

  • bob go knicks

    arf! Arf!Arf! arf!arf!arf!arf!arf!

  • 3dsoul

    If Lee was playing, we might not have won that game, sorry….

    I’m gonna throw in my inputs about a testy subject around here:
    Maybe Will is all around better than Gallo, but that doesnt mean Gallo is a bad player. Gallo is improving a little bit each game. Getting to line and draining 90% of your free throws is no accident. He may be the best 3 point shooter on the knicks and the knicks need him to do that.

    When that shot is falling it puts tremendous pressure on the opposing D, and Gallo is using that to pump fake and draw the foul or take it to the rim. He also runs the floor very well for guy who’s almost 7 feet tall.

    Every playoff team has the 3 point weapon. We need that too. What I’ve been impressed with about Gallo is that he’s been making an impact in other ways lately and he looks like he’s finally learning to let the game come to him. He hasn’t been just looking for every opportunity to hoist up a prayer, but rather he’s taking what the flow of the game is giving him and making it work.

    Since he’s been a knick, I have the feeling that D’antoni’s been really emphasizing to Him to shoot that 3 ball; let it fly. Gallo’s had to deal with a coaching philosophy that I dont think he’s been 100% sold on, but he’s dealing with it and it looks like he’s taking it upon himself to do other things that D’antoni doesnt talk about too much. I love it and I hope Gallo continues to improve. He’s only 22, he’s getting there.

    With all that said, Wilson may be the best “all around” player on the team (this year). He needs to bring that aggressiveness and competitiveness in the 4th quarter, taking it strong and getting to the line. Like I’ve been saying, if this team (aside from chandler) ever learns how to defend the pick-n-roll the right way, look out…

  • jay from the fix

    LOL did mean it to be mean lol i meant it to be a compliment to that post lol

  • nick78

    these kind of threads tend to jinx it for us. please no predictions. let’s take one game at a time. and for the record, GS was not an inferior team, they are over 500 and it was def the brightest win.

  • snadler

    I hate when people do this and try to look at games on the schedule and say they can win this game and that game. There is at least one thing I have learned being a Knicks fan, and that is, just take it one game at a time. certainly the Knicks could win those games, but they certainly can lost all of them as well.

  • JLS125

    +1…can we just take it one game at a time? i have low expectations for this team and that’s how i prefer it…

  • Chris Alvino

    I think I wrote that post too haha.

  • Chris Alvino

    Based on their records, I clearly cannot say the Knicks are a superior team to GS, but I do feel as though the Knicks are a better team. It is debatable though. If Ellis plays like this all year, then they might be the better team.

  • Rome1988

    Meaning Rondo didn’t play…meaning the offense flow was disrupted.

  • eduardo

    It would be great to go on a winning streak or just win a large majority of the games we have coming up. But my main focus is not on the game to game fluctuations but the overall trajectory of our development as a winning team .

    This west coast trip IMO was very important even if the competition was sub par or had injuries . Would we have gone 3 and 1 in any of the last few seasons , I think the answer would be a resounding NO . So that has to be viewed as progress .

    One thing that I want to see develop is winning at home . I think the expectations got them a little tight and were making bad decisions in their home games earlier and you have to win at home to even consider making a playoff run .

    This is the next big step for this Knicks team to have a team that defends it’s home court each and every game there. That doesn’t mean you beat everyone that comes into your house , it means nobody ever leaves there thinking that they won without having earned it and knowing they have a fight on their hands the next time they visit.

    If we can achieve that this year and maintain a half decent record on the road next year with a few reinforcements you take the next step to becoming dominant on your own home court against anyone and playing 500 on the road.

    That is what I want to see developed over the next 1 1/2 years. That is what will bring glory back to the Garden !

  • Ol Dirty 187

    Yup the dude is unstoppable

  • ds2488

    Huge games coming up, that’s for sure. Can’t take anything as a given, but this game against the Bobcats needs to be won. Old Knicks would so return home with lots of momentum and lay a complete stinker, especially against a defensive team.

    Let’s see what these Knicks are made of.

  • Boots

    I agree with the largely group sentiment “one game at a time.”

    The next game is Tuesday night. That should be the focus.
    Looking ahead is a recipe for losing.

  • slim baby

    lets not get carried away..after all we just beat 3 teams that are mediocre at best…and giving anything over 100 pts to the clippers is a disgrace!

  • TRUTH TELLER

    as well as giving up over 1hundred points to sac…..glad someone else besides the same hand full with more perspective of what’s at hand welcome….

  • KnickKnack

    Funny thing, all those teams we gave up over a hundred points to average over 100 ppg…

  • TEHRON

    I just wanna see what this team does when the opponent shuts down felton. Because this team cannot afford that to happen. Mike will probably go with the douglas and felton duo in those situations I bet.
    I can’t front though, sometimes I wish it was felton and N8. But N8 didn’t have the def douglas has IMO. But that kids speed.
    Damn I dug that kid. Hate DamDummi over that situation.

    That jets game today made my food go down the wrong pipe I was yellin so much :)

  • TRUTH TELLER

    ahahahhahaha love the post agree 1 hundred percent(GANG GREEN)…I mentioned a couple of weeks ago when talks first started about the pick and roll struggles and I stated that I wonder what it would have looked like to see Nate and amare run the pick and roll probably could have been unstoppable……could have been a great 1 2 punch to rely on in the fourth…I really wonder what our record would have been if we still had Nate……when T. Doug was struggling we could have went heavey with Nate or vice visor….

  • johneco

    I think this is especially true of us, with the system we play. Our system is highly predicated on our outside shooting, which makes it highly variable. If we’re hitting we can beat anybody and if we’re not we can lose to anybody.

  • fauci933

    I know right, sucked when we traded him away then he went on to win like 3 playoff games single-handedly. Wish he was here.

  • TEHRON

    I think it would have been a GOOD thing my dude. That’s what I’m saying though, we HAVE goo talent on the team but its not being utilized.
    AR has a PURPOSE. Dam dummi needs to get him out the dog house and let him RUN some. I don’t know HOW manny damn times we gotta look at all the great player we HAD that didn’t FIT into damdummis system of just didn’t play well for zeke or larry B. This is stupid now. Woulda loved to see that N8 and felton or N8 amare combo. Cuz N8 penetrates at will dammit.

    Hate this ORGanization a LOT of times man.

  • JaymanJD

    Your Correct Tommy looking at that ten game list and then the next 10 it shows how important it will be for the Knicks to win 7 of 10.

    However, looking at these games I can say that I think the Knicks might not only be a team that needs to shoot very well to win but they are a matchup team. Meaning they seem to play well against teams that are defensively lacking like them and are not as physical with them in the paint. I am not so sure that we can simply write off teams as teams the knicks should beat. I like to first look at the roster and see how they match up against the knicks first. When I see a team with depth at the center a power forward positions. I alwas fear the knicks will be pushed around on the boards and in the paint. For me this is really a game by game issue. Until they prove otherwise I am not really ready to say the Knicks should beat any team because when they loss im never surprised.

  • slim baby

    the knicks need to hold the opposition to a reasonable amount of points (no matter what system we are playing in) felton + amar’e need to keep developing chemistry….amar’e needs to rebound the ball like he did against the clippers (no more 20/4 games, thats not gonna cut it)

    i’m hoping they can show up charlotte, a team that we may be competing with for a playoff spot however, nothing is certain…as fans we still gotta take it one at a time until we get the consistency.

  • Old Knick

    Check this folks for all the most easy explanations as to why Felton cannot run the pick and roll. With great videos to explain and prove it. Please let me know what u guys think.

    http://www.basketballprospectus.com/article.php?articleid=1287

  • Old Knick

    Aww just wrong.

  • Old Knick

    We gotta remember he was walsh’s pick. He could have gotten another coach but this is his choice so I think it would take alot for walsh to fire him. Only thing could force that is dolan getting involved.

  • Old Knick

    +100

  • fauci933

    What’s wrong was to kill hundreds of dogs with no remorse. But hey, that’s just my opinion.

  • Old Knick

    Ellis is a strange kind of player because he can flat out score. He kinda reminds me of Iverson. Another short guard that is an incredible scorer. Always wondered what if iverson was Landry Fields height!!! Anyway ellis is such a good scorer, especially when that jumpshot is falling that he almost cant be guarded. Then they have curry who is a big threat since he is an excellent shooter.

  • Old Knick

    +1 Absolutely agree…

  • Old Knick

    It was for the best. Simply put NO”D”antoni is NOT a disciplanary coach. Nate needed structure and guidance and he is getting it now and from that u are seeing and will see a much better ball player. Our coach expects guys to monitor themselves and keep themselves in line and improve themselves as well. Some players cannot do that and need structure. NO”D”antoni is a better coach for veterans that already know what to do and can easily police themselves and others in the locker room.

  • HaS

    Yea it was horrible, I love dogs.

    He served his debt to society though.

    Move on.

  • Rome1988

    Nate knows how the run the pick and roll in Boston?

  • peeg

    That was an interesting article, and seeing those plays was getting me frustrated all over again. Alan Hahn wrote a little about the Knicks running the pinch post with Felton now, and that seems to be a play that he excels at. He can look to score, or get it to the wing and let them make a decision instead. That’s why Turiaf had 12 assists over 2 games, and it’s also a great play for Fields or Gallo who seem to make good decisions with the ball. Those 3 actually got Amar’e a few of the easy baskets he’s been used to getting over his career.

  • HaS

    Time to pull away from the pack and show our superiority.

  • ds2488

    yeah…I can’t believe how wide open the East still is. The Knicks need to take advantage of this schedule and head into the new year above 500. if they want to seriously compete.

  • chito31

    We can just as easily lose to all those teams. One of the charasteristics of a young talented team like NYK is playing up and playing down to our competition. (Makes for fun games though every night). Look how well we played against Boston, look how bad we played against Philly, for e.g. Notice, we haven’t blown anyone out. If we get a big lead, we usually give it up. If we’re down big, we usually come back. Seems like all our games have been highly competitive in the last few minutes.

    The good teams take care of the scrubs quickly and knows how to go for the kill when leg is on your throat.

  • fauci933

    Yea I agree he’s done his time, and I’ve moved on. But when his Eagles beat my Giants in such a heartbreaking manner, the feelings return. Can’t help it.

  • fauci933

    Not to mention it’s hard for me to think he served the deserved amount of time, what with Plaxico accidentally shooting himself in the leg and going away for what, like 2 years? But whatever, Philadelphia fits him like a glove.

  • jay from the fix
  • jay from the fix

    “Felton isn’t a bad point guard, and his numbers show that. That being said, he is not very good when running the pick-and-roll. This forces the Knicks into a tough decision. Either they spend practice time working with Felton, trying to help him develop into a solid pick-and-roll point guard, or they start going away from the pick-and-roll and start running sets that Felton excels in. They can’t continue to throw Felton into pick-and-roll situations if he keeps performing like this.”

    Thats the part in the link posted above by Old Knick thats a no brainer but it seem as if Mike cant figure it out. We have a PG thats not good at the pnr so we continue to run pnr?Im not saying to stop in im saying use Gallo or Fields to run it and work hard on Felton’s pnr skills in practice and when he has it down let him run it game situations.

  • Old Knick

    Yes indeed the videos really express the problem. I learned a couple of things as well. It really illustrates the problem we are having with the pick and roll and felton in particular!

  • peeg

    I disagree, I think the coach is starting to figure it out. That’s why you saw Felton’s points go up and Turiaf getting 12 assists in 2 games. I think we’ll see more of this, letting Felton drive and score, or kick and letting a wing or Turiaf make the decisions.

  • chito31

    BTW….

    Our last few games have boosted our offensive efficiency (125 pts per 100 possessions). We’re now 7th in the league (just before road trip we were 24th, staggering jump).

    BUT…. our defense got exploited. We dropped from league average to 24th in league. For what it’s worth, Denver and GS are offensive juggernauts and Griffin alone was a beast (other then Gordon, no other player in double figures).

    I think a lot has to do with Amare’s defense or lack of…. is that something I’m not suppose to say???

  • PipeDreamin

    why is ORG capitalized?

  • JeffM729

    I think 7-3 is a best outcome scenario. Here’s my take on the next ten games.

    Charlotte

    Charlotte

    A split with Charlotte sounds about right 1-1

    Atlanta

    Detroit

    A loss to Atlanta and win versus Pistons is 2-2

    New Jersey

    New Orleans

    A loss to NO and a win against the Nets 3-3

    Toronto

    Minnesota

    Toronto

    Washington

    It will be hard to run the table here so 3 wins and a lass makes it 6-4.

  • sdot

    i want what youre smoking…nate the point guard? your kidding me right? i love this how blog gets obsessed with ex players that didnt do much for us
    1. nate
    2. hill
    3. curry
    4. marbury..
    4. chuckets

    getting rid of guys with character is the first step in progress

  • chito31

    duh… he was always the key to all our offense.

  • chito31

    last time we looked ahead like this we went 0-5.

  • HaS

    Yea the Giants didn’t want it last night.

    They’re pissing me off.

    Eli is the only QB who can look like a rookie one night and seasoned vet the next, sometimes in the same game.

  • JeffM729

    In defense of Amare’s lack of defense against Griffen. Griffen fouled out Chandler, put 5 on Turiaf, and 4 on Mozgov and none of them even played 20 minutes. So do we want Amare on the bench in foul trouble or in the game to score, score, and score some more? Clearly if Amare tried to defend Griffen with more aggression, we could have easily lost this game. No one was going to slow down Griffen, you could only foul him and take your chances on the line.

    In addition, did anyone get a chuckle out of Gallo getting two quick fouls on Griffen, when the Paper Clips tried to shut him down. On the 3 point foul, Gallo got Griffen in the air and made him look like a rookie. They pulled him off Gallo and put the much shorter Eric Gordon on him. Gallo then put up 17 points in the 4th.

  • nikurbokir

    haha… you guys are really serious about this “jinx” stuff. I don’t think comments on TKB will determine the outcome of a string of Knicks games. As long as the actual players and coaches are taking it one game at a time, we’ll be aight. With that said, I think Gallo is gonna have a nice stretch against these teams… damn jinxed it.

  • HaS

    I was being a little sarcastic, but if we’re a playoff team we definitely have to take most of those games. Especially when you look at the schedule coming after that stretch. This could be the season right here.

  • fauci933

    Yea I don’t understand a Superbowl MVP who still doesn’t know how to slide. This fumble on an untouched dive thing has happened at least 3 times with Eli over the past few years.

    Jason Pierre-Paul’s tiny tiny jump offsides didn’t help either, as we would have gotten the ball back instead of McCoy going 50 yds for a TD on 4th and 1

  • scottewil

    Nate and Felton could combine for like 15 a game…Turnovers that is. I like N8 though, but realistically, he had a few good performances in the playoffs, but wasn’t out there much because Doc doesn’t tolerate bonehead plays. Turnovers are his achilles.

  • scottewil

    +1

    If they have an “easy stretch” now (What is easy for this team?), then hard times are coming. This thread should be more about using these games to tune up for what’s to come. I’m tired of seeing scared Knicks’ faces in tight games. I wanna see confidence and resolve, and that is what these games can do for this team. Go NY Go NY Go!

  • Old Knick

    Check out the Pick N Roll
    In response to felton is a bad point guard.
    After watching these short videos you make the decision.
    http://www.basketballprospectus.com/article.php?articleid=1287

  • Old Knick

    +1000
    A good coach will utilize his players strengths.
    A bad or stubborn coach will make them continue to do what he thinks is good even if it does not work!

  • Old Knick

    Are we really saying we should have kept Nate?

    It was for the best. Simply put NO”D”antoni is NOT a disciplanary coach. Nate needed structure and guidance and he is getting it now and from that u are seeing and will see a much better ball player. Our coach expects guys to monitor themselves and keep themselves in line and improve themselves as well. Some players cannot do that and need structure. NO”D”antoni is a better coach for veterans that already know what to do and can easily police themselves and others in the locker room.

  • TEHRON

    dunno. caps locked.
    it happens.

  • TEHRON

    with the exception of curry, they are all decent players. thats actually the point most people like me make. why do they play so well somewhere else and not HERE?