Tanks a lot, Vol. 2
Here's your lineup down the stretch against the Pacers, in a game that was tied at 83 with less than nine minutes to go in regulation:
Mardy Collins
Fred Jones
Wilson Chandler
Jared Jeffries
Renaldo Balkman
That group was on the floor to see a close game turn into a rout. When Jeffries fouled out, Randolph Morris took his place.
"I wanted to see how they'd compete," Isiah Thomas said of his lineup. "I just wanted to see if the young kids could pull it out."
With only the lottery left to play for, this what you're gonna get as the season winds down. And there will be a whole lotta Wilson Chandler, who isn't shy about going to the basket or putting up shots (he was 6 for 15 from the floor and had 15 points, 8 rebounds, 2 steals and a blocked shot.
"I think they definitely picked up their intensity," Chandler said of the Pacers in the fourth quarter. "You could tell that they are a team playing for something, a possible playoff spot."
The win allowed the Pacers to remain three games out of the final playoff spot.
At 19-48, the Knicks tragic number is SIX.
More Donnie Walsh-related news in the print editions for tomorrow.
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Comments (10)
Willis, did you notice? This time, Mike Dunleavy only tied his career high, against the Knicks, with 36 points. Then again, it was the second time this year he hit that number against us. Other teams must love it when they see the Knicks on their schedule. It’s a career-night opportunity every time they play New York . . .
@Trane
maybe if donnie walsh becomes gm he will convince the pacers to trade him to the knicks...LOL
but seriously he is the type of small forward the knicks need:
can shoot and has a high b-ball IQ
It really shows how flawed his team really is. No squad or group of guys on this team can consistently win at this level. Vets or rookies, it really doesn't matter they both lose. Bad drafting, coaching, psych, uniforms. Any way you slice it we stink. Kiki for president....
The Knicks have to have the lowest collective basketball IQ in the league. They also have some players who just completely lack the skill to shoot the basketball. Some of these rubes should be sent to a summer camp. How the hell did Jeffries win Mr. Indiana Basketball? Get these bums and their worthless coach outta here...
Alan - I remember someone recently calling you out for not considering the Knick's schedule down the stretch when you ruled out the playoffs. Something about you looking foolish when they rip off a win streak. Hmmmm. I guess they have won one of the last eight...
Its nice to see the kids get some burn, although the substitution patterns are as weird and random as ever. And like AR points out - all the bad coaching, structure, etc. stuff is still around - so throwing different guys out to run around and chuck isn't likely to change anything.
LGM - the low basketball IQ players and the incompetent coach make a perfect storm. Good coaching can get the most out of flawed players, just like smart players can compensate for a mediocre coach (look at Boston this year). Isiah and the Chuckers have had neither all season.
Donnie Walsh as GM.
Mark Jackson as HC.
Make it happen!
Trane, I was watching with baited breath - he tried to sneak in a 3 at the end there that didn't quite get in. I guess wee no longer get credit for "discovering" him, since he's been wearing it out for a while now, but the good people at Madison Square Garden will continue to mine the league for hidden gold each and every night. Kendrick Perkins can't wait for next year.
The squad that got most of the play last night was our summer league squad who played so well under Hanners (in summer league, yes, but by well, I mean the right way) and they showed at least the defensive portion of that promise last night. Three long active guys, a post player, and a guard who doesn't turn the ball over is a good way to play basketball, and should have been the goal all year.
Nate Robinson is officially dead to me. His transformation into Starbury is nearly complete.
Walsh did a great job building the team to compete with Oakley/Ewing back in the day. Rebuilding on the fly with the Davis boys and ultimately making hay in the Eastern Confeerence was pretty impressive. But he lost it all when he made the biggest mistake of his tenure in trading Antonio Davis the very year they had their best shot at a title run and Shaq's Lakers. Inexplicably, he gave up one of the best post defenders in the league, and his six fouls for Jonathon Bender. Dear me! I think Indianna could have pulled that series out with AD still there. Reggie was at his freaky best and ready to score whatever it took to get them over the top. Too bad. Great strategic thinker that over-grasped and lost all when the final prize was there.
It looks like we might have our way finally and be rid of the IT era in New York this off-season, and that is great. I have to say though it will not matter if we bring in the wrong GM and coach. I hear and see a lot of people suggesting unproven ex-New York players. While I love our retired players unless they have experience I nthe league as coaches or general managers I do not think they should be considered for the job. A lot of these guys have not spent any time coaching or managing at any level and to bring in unproven talent is a mistake. Much like drafting potential can cost you your job as a gm, hiring potential in a gm can cost your franchise it's future.
What we need is an established GM who has ties to and in roads with other coaches and organizations in the league. I love Mark Jackson but he does not have the GMs of the other teams I nthe league on speed dial and no one has him in their fave 5 either. He might be seen as a mark (no pun intended) for GMs to unload garbage on because when you are new you tend to make more mistakes (or you are so afraid to take a chance you miss an opportunity). What you need is a seasoned professional who has spent years honing his craft.
The same for coaching. Right now we need a coach who has been around the block and experienced success. I can not say enough that if I were hiring a coach it would be only one of three guys and the guy at the top of my list would be Rick Carlisle. I would not even waste too much time with the others until he was no longer an option for to be honest. Why?
-Rick was raised in Lisbon, New York
-Played with the Celtics and won a ring, so he knows what it feels like to be on top and what it takes to get there.
-As a player he spent time with both the Knicks and the Nets, so he has local ties through basketball.
-He has coached in the NBA since 1989, and is still pretty young in coaching years.
-Helped guide the Pacers to the Eastern Conference Finals, and then finals as an assistant to Larry Bird.
-Won coach of the year and guided the Pistons to two 50-32 win seasons, before being fired. His replacement Larry Brown enjoyed a lot of his success because of the ground work that was laid by Carlisle, and one could argue that those titles would have been won by Rick had he not been pushed out.
-As head coach of the pacers led them to a league best record of 61-21 in 03/04, coached them into the playoffs two years in a row in including a year when the team was injury riddled. Despite this he and the team found a way to get out of the first round.
Rick Carlisle is the man for the job in my opinion.
I'm pulling for Scotty Stirling. He has the kind of judgement, experience and luck that would definaelty impress Dolan.