The Knicks Fix

The decision to pull Steve Francis from the starting lineup – whether he did it voluntarily or whether Isiah Thomas ordered the move – was not the reason why the Knicks got blown out in Minnesota. And putting Francis back as a starter wasn’t why the Knicks blew out the Celtics two nights later.

Both results, along with most results this season, are products of the performance of the Knicks frontcourt, mainly Eddy Curry. The 23-year-old big man was a force against the Celtics because a. he wanted to be and b. his teammates allowed him to be. He was invisible against the T-Wolves because a. he wanted to be and b. his teammates allowed him to be.

I’ve said before that Curry is the one player on this team that could carry the bulk of the load. I’ve also said he’s not quite there yet and, possibly, might not ever be. All the evidence to support both theories came in the past two games. Against Minnesota, Curry was flat-footed and dispassionate. Passes slipped out of his hands. Short shots missed. Rebounds flew by him because his hands were at his sides. Against the Celtics, Curry had bounce in his step, he was moving and he was involved.

Why the difference? Mainly, it was his attitude. When he stops getting him the ball on the low post, Curry tends to get a glazed-over look in his eyes. He loses focus and loses intensity. It’s up to his teammates – and Isiah Thomas – to get him the ball and keep him in the game mentally and physically. However it is also Curry’s responsibility to keep himself mentally and physically in games by concentrating on other things (rebounding, defense, setting a good pick) when he’s not getting the ball. That’s a maturity factor.

But the Knicks almost have to start force-feeding Big Eddy the ball, especially early on, and establish him. When he’s doubled, Curry needs to make smart and quick decisions with the ball. Guards need to cut, give him options or give him space to work on the low block.

Same goes for Channing Frye. He might have had his best game against the Celtics and he only had 13 points. I liked his game on the post – he made crisp decisions and showed off a soft touch with the jump hook – and I especially liked his five fouls. He denied an Al Jefferson dunk attempt that drew a foul, but still almost had me up and clapping. Nothing should come easy in the paint. Frye’s foul on Jefferson sent that message.

Steve Francis and Stephon Marbury both have the ability to score in spurts, but the Knicks aren’t going to the playoffs with the offense going through either of them (it’s already been proven). So let’s see if the Knicks continue to go down to the post and work their offense through their bigs. And let’s see if that lights a fire under Curry.

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I’m not a big fan of zone defense because it’s basically admitting you are a poor man-to-man team, which the Knicks are. It is a good strategy for the Knicks because of how deficient they are on help defense and guarding the pick-and-roll. It helps Curry not get caught in no-man’s land on high screens. It also keeps Frye down low so he can use his length to rebound. They got away with it against a cold-shooting Celtics team. It might not work as well against a team that gets hot from downtown.

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I’ve been to Boston more times than I can remember over the past 12 years and I can remember the city when “The Big Dig” was just a concept under discussion. They’re still only putting the finishing touches on it, but moving I-93 under the city made a dramatic aesthetic difference to the city. Instead of being shadowed by rusted, dirty elevated highways, you can now stand outside the Garden and see the city skyline. And if you look toward the Garden, you can see a lot of perennially-disappointed Celtics and Bruins fans.

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A fellow member of the media paid a nice compliment for a sport jacket I wore to the game in Boston. He then asked, “Joseph A. Bank?” I had to laugh. Though I pride myself on looking professional and neat, my wardrobe is nothing extravagant. It’s more like Joseph Ain’t Got No Bank.