With the signing of Mike D’Antoni to coach the New York Nickerbockers, Gotham’s team has just gone from low scoring losers, to high scoring, well, losers. D’Antoni is an offensive mastermind. However, lets not forget that a few years back D’Antoni traded, current Knicks point guard Stephon Marbury to the Knicks for Antonio McDyess, Howard Eisley, Charlie Ward, Maciej Lampe, the rights to Milos Vujanic, two first-round draft picks and cash. So basically, Marbury for expiring contracts, a European prospect, and two first round picks. A lot like this years Pau Gasol trade.
That being said, D’Antoni does not think Marbury can run the point in his system. Leaving as his options being the selfish Jamal Crawford (who actually would make a decent scoring guard like Leandro Barbosa), or the diminutive Nate Robinson, who is also really more of a scoring guard. Yikes. Unless David Stern promised to “get them” Derrick Rose in the lottery, they might be in trouble at that position
Moving past the point, D’Antoni does have the perimeter shooting we associate with the Suns of the last few years. He has ex-Suns player Q-Rich, the aforementioned Crawford, and actually Wilson Chandler, last years first round pick will have a chance to shine. That being said, unless Renaldo Balkman suddenly becomes the Matrix, or (the natural distasters) Zach Randolph and/or Eddy Curry decide to lose 100 lbs, they are too slow up front to run the D’Antoni seven seconds or less system. It will be like the Shaq Suns, you know, the team that D’Antoni just decided to leave.
Even if this team does figure out how to score, as D’Antoni has proved he has been able to in the past, its prospects of playing good enough defense to make the playoffs, let alone do some damage is looking pretty bleak, no matter how scary a Nate Robinson/Zach Randolph pick and roll looks on paper. (please sense the sarcasm) I don’t doubt this Knicks squad could put up 105 points a game, I’m just afraid they will give up 115 a night. The Knicks should have hired an Avery Johnson type, a no-nonesense guy who would not accept the laissez faire, no fight, attitude of the Knicks players, and a guy who would play David Lee and the young Knicks who actually want to win.
That being said, D’Antoni does not think Marbury can run the point in his system. Leaving as his options being the selfish Jamal Crawford (who actually would make a decent scoring guard like Leandro Barbosa), or the diminutive Nate Robinson, who is also really more of a scoring guard. Yikes. Unless David Stern promised to “get them” Derrick Rose in the lottery, they might be in trouble at that position
Moving past the point, D’Antoni does have the perimeter shooting we associate with the Suns of the last few years. He has ex-Suns player Q-Rich, the aforementioned Crawford, and actually Wilson Chandler, last years first round pick will have a chance to shine. That being said, unless Renaldo Balkman suddenly becomes the Matrix, or (the natural distasters) Zach Randolph and/or Eddy Curry decide to lose 100 lbs, they are too slow up front to run the D’Antoni seven seconds or less system. It will be like the Shaq Suns, you know, the team that D’Antoni just decided to leave.
Even if this team does figure out how to score, as D’Antoni has proved he has been able to in the past, its prospects of playing good enough defense to make the playoffs, let alone do some damage is looking pretty bleak, no matter how scary a Nate Robinson/Zach Randolph pick and roll looks on paper. (please sense the sarcasm) I don’t doubt this Knicks squad could put up 105 points a game, I’m just afraid they will give up 115 a night. The Knicks should have hired an Avery Johnson type, a no-nonesense guy who would not accept the laissez faire, no fight, attitude of the Knicks players, and a guy who would play David Lee and the young Knicks who actually want to win.
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