Celtics Break Out The Brooms, And Knicks Can Only Wonder What Could Have Been

Painful, but expected. While the Knicks could have, and probably should have won games 1 and 2, once Garnett swiped the ball out of Jared Jeffries hand like he was stealing candy from a baby, it was only a matter of time before the Knicks vacation began. And while the vacation was delayed for a couple of weeks thanks to Amar'e and to some extent, Carmelo, the Celtics sweep ensured it will have to be 11 years before the Knicks even have a chance to win a playoff game. The Knicks squandered their chance in 2011, as a furious rally couldn't withstand pinpoint Celtics execution and questionable officiating.

At least they battled. With an incredible third quarter, led by a couple of fast break slams, and the three point shooting of Anthony Carter, the Knicks once again had the Garden rocking, and me screaming like a girl at a Justin Bieber concert. With STAT obviously hurting he still managed to play 44 minutes and have a double double, and Melo also carried the load with 32 points, in willing the Knicks to within 5 points. Even after game 3, and after an atrocious first half that left the Knicks trailing 55-38, they battled back.

But it wasn't enough. Just when it looked like the Knicks were about to make that final breakthrough the Celtics responded every time. Whether it was a Pierce charge, or the pivotal Allen 3, Boston had a response to every New York run. When things got chippy with Melo's flagrant foul on Rondo and the tech on STAT, the Celtics never overreacted, relying on incredible execution and a myriad of pick plays to frustrate the defense and get good looks for the big men.

And it was the big men who led the way for Boston in game 4. While Rondo and Allen dominated in game 3 the Celtics exemplified some of the many ways they can win. With the Knicks overplaying every Allen screen and trying to be physical with Rondo, it was KG and Big Babies turn to kill the Knicks. KG led the way with 26 scoring on jumpers and getting to the bucket in taking advantage of Stoudemire's back injury and Turiaf's lack of speed. But it was a Glen Davis elbow jumper that pushed the lead up to nine and was the nail in the coffin for the Knicks 2010-2011 season.

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A Standing O:...and the Colorado Rocky Mountain High

It's been a while since we got some knowledge from Alex O but he's back today with a post about the New York Knicks, Gallo, and, well, John Denver as well. So whether you're Italian, American, or from the Jersey Shore, you'll love our next Standing O:
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“And the Colorado Rocky mountain high!” John Denver (Great lyrics)

Some have missed Gallo in a Knickerbockers uniform (MSNBC)

Here are some thoughts and links about the Knicks we traded for Melo, Burps (billups) etc. Gallinari, Chandler, Felton, Mozgov, even the corpse formerly known as Eddy Curry is gone but not forgotten. Knickerblogger had a good piece about saying good bye to Gallo. Worth checking out even if it is a bit much. Better yet was the comment I pasted below, from an Italian guy who watched Gallo’s Dad and D’Antoni play back in the day:

1. kaine says:
March 3, 2011 at 2:06 pm

You may not know, but there’s a weeping nation out there.
There’s a generation of italian like me that fell in love with the nba in the 80′, thanks to the men that played then. before the dunks and the no look passes, it was the great personalities. Kareem.Magic.Bird.Jordan.Doc.Moses.Akeem. Ewing. the bad boys.
and when we were in awe at watching the gods, we followed a great italian team, lead by one of the greatest mind that we witnessed on a field, moustache men D’antoni.
I can assure you that he was that good, a stern general well different from the laid back coach of today.
In that team played Gallinari sr. A bruce bowen-type player, I had the luck to wath them play live and I can’t recall to saw him ever try a shot to the rim. defense was his thing, nothing more.
In that glorious days, our collective daydream was to see one italian player to finally succed on an nba field. to show that we are not bound to scramble for a ball with our feet in the mud, but that also the Italians can fly
Last year I finally had the occasion to visit the big apple, and obviously I dragged my wife at the Garden. I was graced with a (rare) great win over the 76ers, and Gallo (along with Douglas) was the leading force to the win.
Seeing him live to blossom into a king for Knicks brought to me all the lost memories of my generation ; the dream of us playground player to become an Nba star was now real. the quest had been fulfilled.
The icing on the cake was that happened in New York, the city that we consider part of ourselves. it’s not the global icon, it’s just the perfect blend of European and American flavours that we love.
I can assure you that Gallo felt the same: he truly truly loves new york.
Now the song has ended. the knicks dismissed Gallo like some high school sweetheart traded for the new flashy hot girl. just another victim of the summer of LeBetaDog.

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A Standing O: Star-Melo and the Trade Deadline

It's been a fun season in Knicksland but last night was something extra special. Last night was the Knicks fans' consolation for not being chosen by LeBron in The Decision. When he saw SportsCenter last night, he probably wondered how nice it would have been to be King in New York City at MSG. If anything, the Carmelo trade was a nice reminder of how exciting Knicks basketball can be with an opening montage that had to make everyone from the Tri-State Area excited about the Knickerbockers again. One guy certainly excited? Alex O and he tells us why in his latest Standing O:

The Star-Melo shined brightly at MSG last night

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This is a great post showing what Melo means to the Knicks offense. Now the Knicks have 2 players who can command a double team. Not many squads have that. Bill Simmons made a great point--- the Knicks now have 2 of the 10 guys that started in the All-Star game. It will take a few weeks to find out how this team can gel. We did not see Anthony Carter, or Shelden Williams, or Balkman or Brewer. It will be interesting to see who gets time with the new squad. One thing that we saw last night was how good Toney Douglas can be. Playing tough D and shooting the lights out, Douglas is showing what he can do when he is healthy and given some time. Hopefully seeing more of him will be the new normal. Clearly defense and rebounding will continue to be issues with this team.

I am not 100%, but I think LaLa was wearing a puffy shirt at the game last night. It was great to get a feel for the excitement in the garden last night. The highlight of that was when LALA was asked what their 3 year old son said when he was told Daddy was traded to the Knicks: “we’re going home!”…………

AWESOME!

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A Standing O: Knicks and Links

Greetings from down in The Big Easy. I'm down here for the week for work so I haven't gotten much blogging done this week. But Alex O is back with another great guest post, talking about Timofey Mozgov, the Russian center who I personally saw electrify Madison Square Garden on Sunday night (and thank you to Doug for those tickets). But enough about me, let's get to Alex O with his update on the Knickerbockers:

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Link #1 and Link #2

I saw this tweet which gives some metrics to the quality of D that Toney Douglas provides for the Knicks. @kevinarnovitz NBA's Top 5 unadj Defensive +/- : Toney Douglas (former ACC Def POY), Shaun Livingston, D. Arthur, KG, Ronnie Brewejavascript:void(0)r. about 2 hours ago

This is just a statistical reaffirmation of my belief that the Knicks do not need a back-up point guard. I would rather get a wide body if they add anyone to the roster…..

Which leads me to the play of Timofey Mozgov Sunday night. 23 pts, 14 boards, 40 minutes and a garden crowd chanting his name at the end of the game vs. the Pistons. I know, I know, big freakin deal it was vs. the Pistons. It is a positive especially when every game matters and the Knicks were without Shawne Williams (suspension for throwin’ hands in Hotlanta), and Will Chandler (out with a calf), Turiaf in foul trouble, and Amare with a tweaked knee. It is also a positive because it shows he is capable, and has been working hard even though he had not played as much as 10 minutes in 26 games (12/5).

It was nice for the Knicks to get the win Sunday following through on the mojo left by St. John’s who “shellacked” Duke on the same court a few hours earlier. It helps them and their fans forget the bad loss at Atlanta, and get them back on track after a great win vs. the Heat last week. A game where Knicks fans booed LeBron regularly and he responded by putting on a shooting performance reminiscent of the John Starks 1994 Game 7 NBA finals debacle. That game always makes me wonder if at least some coaches will tell guys not to shoot? If any one were to do it, you would think Pat Riley would do it. I would have thought that Pat Ewing would do it. Maybe they just kept hoping the next one would go in?

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A Standing O: Merlin the Arch Enchanter

The New York Knickbockers finally got back to the win column last night against the Washington Wizards and today we get another great post about the win from Alex O in a new running column series we'll call "A Standing O": 

When you need to get back on track, call a Wizard

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“The ways of this Wizard pass all understanding” Merlin the Arch Enchanter

Nice to get the Wizards in town last night to help the Knickerbockers get back on track, and end the slide at 6. More on that later.

I remember when I heard Pat Riley had signed on to coach the Knicks. As a long time Lakers & Knicks fan growing up, I was very excited and thought it would guarantee a title for the Knicks---- if not several...Jordan, Hakeem, and others had other outcomes in mind. Thinking of that Rockets team, always reminds me of one of the all-time great nicknames----- E.T. for Sam Cassell.

I think my Dad got an even bigger kick out of that one then me. Sam is now an assistant coach with the Wizards.

I also had some decent feelings when the Knicks hired Lenny Wilkens. I did not get good vibes when they hired Larry Brown. I did get excited about Mike D’Antoni. I was happy about the signing because I love run and gun hoops like the Magic/Kareem/Worthy Lakers, UNLV Runnin' Rebels, and Kimble Gathers Loyola Marymount squads. The jury is still out on D’Antoni even though there were some rumors about him losing his job the last time the Knicks had a 6 game losing streak.

I am willing to give him time (as if I have choice), since the roster has lots of new faces and is the first decent roster Pringles has had to coach. It is worth a discussion on how he has done, and my bottom line is that I hope he gets more creative as the season goes on. Let Mozgov foul…. I mean play a little. I would like to see if Anthony Randolph can play. We still need to defend the rim better.

There are no secrets in the NBA. Teams need to adjust as the season goes on, especially if they have a weakness that gets exploited every night. Teams are able to drive on the Knicks at will, many times working on their chin-ups. Charles Oakley is an assistant with the Bobcats trying to toughen those guys up. Maybe the Knicks should have hired him. Maybe Pringles D’Antoni needs to try some zone and clog the middle?

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Knicks (and Rangers) Bringing Excitement Back to MSG

A few years ago the best part of going to Madison Square Garden for a New York Knicks game was to boo Isiah Thomas. The team wasn't just bad, they were boring and--maybe even worse--extremely difficult to root for. Eddy Curry, Stephon Marbury, and others would put together a lackluster effort on the court and the once-proud Knicks franchise was reduced to a joke. After the Knicks had mortgaged the future for LeBron James only to see him take his talents to South Beach, I thought the Knicks would continue along this path of futility. But after a third of the season, the New York Knickerbockers are not only fun to watch and easy to root for--but they're also a playoff-caliber team for the first time in a long while.

MSG is alive once again for both the Knicks and Rangers (USA Today)

The New York Rangers have had a lot of the same story but with a bit of a different path. The Rangers suffered from the same uncontrolled spending for years before a lockout and subsequent salary cap forced them to change their ways. They made the playoffs every year after the lockout until last year when a shootout loss in the last game of the season kept them out of the playoffs. The Rangers have been extremely rootable for the past few years with guys like Henrik Lundqvist, Brandon Dubinsky and Ryan Callahan leading the charge. The problem is that they've been saddled with tough contracts (Scott Gomez, Chris Drury, Wade Redden and Michal Rozsival to name a few) which has put a salary cap crunch on the team. Yet the current Rangers have been fun to watch, easy to root for, and are producing wins despite a ton of important injuries.

The Rangers have been killed by injuries all season long. Their most recent game against the St. Louis Blues saw them lose Alex Frolov for the rest of the season. Vinny Prospal has been missing in action most of the season, Chris Drury has missed a lot of the first half, and in the past month they've seen Ryan Callahan, Derek Boogaard and Erik Christensen go down to injury (and Michal Rozsival has missed the past few games as well). They've been forced to dip into the minor leagues but have found some guys who look like they could stick around for a while like Derek Stepan (hat trick in his first game), Mats Zuccarello (a few huge game-winning goals recently), Mike Sauer (+11 rating leads all rookies), and, most recently, Ryan McDonagh (the prize of the aforementioned Scott Gomez being dumped on Montreal). And now comes word that Glen Sather has traded Rozsival for some forward depth in what the National Post is calling a "legitimately great trade." The Rangers have somehow managed to scrape by and after an impressive win against Dallas, they are in 6th place in the Eastern Conference and shown as a force in the East.

The Knicks have been building with youth as well, albeit in a much different way. After draft bust upon draft bust, Donnie Walsh has hit gold with guys like Danilo Gallinari, Wilson Chandler, and, most recently, Landry Fields. Amar'e Stoudmire is a sure-fire MVP candidate a third of the way in and the point guard, Raymond Felton, has been astonishingly good. What was seen as a huge drop down from LeBron and Bosh has actually developed into a pretty solid Starting 5. And that is even without Carmelo Anthony who seems like he's headed to New Jersey. Although it would be painful to see him go to their division foe, I think Knicks fans should feel content that the Knicks didn't give up the players (and the future) it would require to acquire him. Anthony would make them better--but if it isn't enough to bring them a championship, it probably isn't worth [further] mortgaging the future.

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Guest Post: Knicks Beat NBA's Best

Last night I turned on the Knicks figuring they were set to lose another game against a top team. But much to my surprise, they kept fighting the San Antonio Spurs until finally Greg Popovich decided to wave an early white flag. The Knicks don't play like normal teams--it's offense first, second and third--but they have found a way to make their formula successful. Wilson Chandler had a huge game playing the 3 in place of Gallo and the Knicks played like a team that could do some damage in the playoffs. But enough analysis from me. Let's get to our latest guest post from Alex O:

"Yes, Wilson Chandler wears Ponys.
I didn’t know Ponys existed anymore either." - Alex (UniWatch)

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Unless you live in Idaho or Washington State then you definitely did not win the big MegaMillions jackpot last night. If you are a LOST fan and played Hurley’s numbers you got 3 plus the bonus and won $150. But I digress...

The Knicks had their best win of the season last night beating the San Antonio Spurs who came in at 29-4. Nine teams in NBA history have started the season at 30-4 and the Spurs could not become #10. I had to write this after telling Andrew yesterday I thought the Knicks would get blown out.

Let’s throw out some numbers: Final was 128-115, most points Spurs have given up in over 10 years. 243 points was most points in a NBA game this year. The announcers kept talking about how their was defense being played but let’s just say it was not successful D as both teams shot around 54% (even though both shot under 30% from 3). Spurs played at the Knicks pace and the Knicks executed better. #1 stat to look at was turnovers. 16 for the Spurs (Knicks had 9 steals) and only 6 for the Knicks. Only 2 turnovers in the whole second half and one was a dubious traveling called on Stoudemire (I think Clyde called it “Incredulous”). Felton played over 36 minutes and had no turnovers.

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Guest Post: Four Things We Learned From The Heat’s Win Over the Knicks

As the New York Knicks continue to improve, the more fans want to jump on the bandwagon. But our guest blogger this week has been rooting for the Knicks throughout--through the good times...and the Isiah Thomas times. He was at Madison Square Garden when there was no one there and he's seen the building slowly fill up as the Knicks have gained traction in 2010. He was also there last night to witness LeBron take apart the Knicks defense and he brings us some insight of what we learned last night. Without further ado, let's turn it over to Russell Simon for a guest post on four things we learned last night:
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LeBron was too much for a "mere" 24-point, 14-board Amare (The Record)

1. When Amare Isn’t Playing At An MVP Level, The Knicks Can’t Beat The Best.
Stoudamire has been one of the best players in the league throughout the Knicks 8-game win streak, averaging 26.6 points per game and 9.3 rebounds. He had 39 against the Celtics and almost single-handedly got people talking about the Knicks again. Unfortunately for the Knicks, when STATS not on, the Knicks aren’t either. He had 24 points, but was 11 for 28 shooting, and missed five free throws. It seems like it will take 30 points and 10 rebounds from Amare for the Knicks to win, and for them to go far the have to find ways to win when he has a mere 24 point 14 rebound day.

2. If The Knicks Starters Keep Playing This Much, They Won’t Make It To March Much Less Into The Playoffs
Mike D’Antoni has a problem: Rest Amare, Felton and Gallo and watch the team implode, or play them for a consistent 35 minutes a game. Amare is second in the NBA in minutes played with 37.6 minutes per game. Stoudamire had micro fracture surgery on his left knee in 2005, and like Raymond Felton, is playing more then he ever has in his career. This also shows just how horrible the Knicks bench is as they added only 12 points last night, with 8 coming from Toney Douglas and 4 coming in garbage time. The Knicks have to get their bench more involved, if only to give some of the starters a break, but can’t do that without the risk of falling behind, as they did in the second quarter against the Heat.

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Guest Post: Revival of the Knicks

Wait, there's still a basketball team in New York? It's no "Second Coming Sale", but what's been going on with the New York Knicks has been very much of a revival of a team that has been dead for quite a while now. The Knicks are a legit playoff team, they have one of the best rookies in the NBA, and led by Amare Stoudmire--who just recorded his 5th straight 30-point game in a win over Minnesota (maybe the Judaism is helping?)--the MSG basketball team has shot up the standings to the point they are one game behind Miami. As ESPN's Chris Sheridan wrote in a chat this past week, the Knicks schedule will determine if they're for real, but they've been fun to watch and "you couldn't use "fun to watch" and "Knicks" in the same sentence for the past 10 years." But once again I will turn the analysis over to Alex O, our resident Knicks expert, to give us some more details on the high-flying Knickerbockers.
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Amare has led the Knicks back into respectability (NYT)

“Is me being a Knicks fan my punishment for being a Yankees fan?”

This was a tagline to a comment yesterday on the Knicks blog “Posting and Toasting” by Benny Blanco from the Brix

Many Knicks/Yankees fans may ask themselves the same thing. We can’t have it all. Steelers/Pirates fans have a similar dichotomy as did Sawx/Celts fans for many years. This may be changing as the Knicks have won 10 of 11 games for the first time since the 2000-2001 season. Starting five then was : Camby, LJ, Spree, Houston, and Mark Jackson.

Reality check….. as Mitch Lawrence points out in the Daily News how the Knicks have been feasting on a “cupcake schedule”. Of the 10 wins only 2 were against winning teams, Golden State, and New Orleans who started hot but has been terrible of late. Next they play Toronto, and the Wizards followed by Nugs, Celts, Miami (2x), Okie City, Bulls, and Magic. As my 8th grade Science teacher Mr. Bowles would say “this will provide a good litmus test”.

It is a good time to evaluate the team since we are ¼ of the way through this long season. The Knicks schedule has been the easiest in the league if you look at opposing teams win %, but they have played a lot of games on the road, and have had 7 back-to-back games. Their success on the road and in back to backs has been a key to their 13-9 record, good enough for sixth position in the East.

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Guest Post: A Second Look at the Knicks

When asbestos isn't falling from their ceiling, the 2010-2011 New York Knicks are adjusting to their new-look lineup (minus LeBron). Thankfully, Alex O is watching them--also, thankfully, he's watching them from the safety of his own couch--and he is back with another guest post on the Knickerbockers:

Considered a reach pick by many, Landry Fields has shined for the Knicks (NYT)

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Time to give a quick update after the Knicks preview I posted. After a mind-boggling shooting performance of 16-24 from 3-Land the Knicks beat up on the Bulls in Chicago. It was great to see a team effort on a night that Amare did not play well and continued to make a lot of turnovers (above his career avg. so far). Toney Douglas continues to impress as does Raymond Felton, both with their D, abilities to increase tempo of the game and certainly the three point shooting.

A friend of mine pointed out my lack of discussion of Landry Fields who is now the starting shooting guard for the New York Knicks. He has not disappointed. David Thorpe from ESPN has him listed as the #5 rookie.

His shooting and scoring make you forget he is a rookie and his rebounding has been a big bonus as the Knicks need all the help they can get in this area.

The extra time off the Knicks got because of the asbestos issue in the Garden may have been what Danilo Gallinari needed to get out of his shooting slump as he broke out last night with 24 points (7-11 shooting, 4-4 from 3 and 6-6 from the line). He has been nursing a wrist and he says it is still not 100%.

After the game last night Amare Stoudemire pointed out that the league’s scouting report on the Knicks is clog the lane and let the Knicks shoot. Last night they moved the ball and nailed the wide open threes. There is a learning process going on with so many new players getting used to a new system and playing with each other. Anthony Randolph saw his first action last night which was less than 3 minutes. When he gets healthy he will eat into the time of several Knicks.

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Guest Post: 2010-2011 New York Knickerbockers Preview

It's time to take a break from the Yankees 2010 funeral. Once in a while a topic comes along which we would very much like to know much about but would be B.S.'ing you if we tried to write an informed blog post about it. That's why we have a great group of guest bloggers and today we go with frequent blog commenter, Alex O to give us a Knicks preview. While I consider myself a Knicks fan, I have no clue how this team is going to fare this year. Alex hails from Connecticut and is a Yankees/Knicks fan (and also a fan of Buffalo Wild Wings). Soon we'll make him a hockey fan, too, so he can root against the man who has the same initials as him down in Washington. Without further ado, here is Alex O's Knicks Preview:

I had to attach this shot of Jerry Stiller with the mid 90’s Knicks City Dancers...“Serenity Now!!!!”- Alex

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The best words to describe this New York Knicks team are VERY INTERESTING! The Knicks are the 4th youngest team in the NBA which is intriguing in itself, and they now have a legitimate All-Star who decided to take his talents to the garden in Amare Stoudemire. I am not one to get into salaries because it ain’t my money and I just want to be entertained. Hopefully we will finally see a team that can run and gun in D’Antoni style. There is no doubt that this is a crucial year for D’Antoni to produce some results. I agree they should contend for the last playoff spot. Big turnover of the roster brings excitement for Knicks fans as they finally have a team with youth, energy, and the ability to protect the rim. I loved David Lee but his shortcomings were obvious and well documented. The Raptors got nothing for Bosh, the Cavs got nothing for LeBron, the Knicks got 3 young players for Lee.

Besides being young and having a legit star the Knicks also continue to build an international roster with new additions:

Kelenna Azubuike -- Born in London but raised in Oklahoma, he is a former D-leaguer who can shoot and score, is a great athlete but will be out with injury till January.

Ronny Turiaf—Born and raised on the French Caribbean island of Martinique, then moved to Paris for high school. He had a serious heart condition that was discovered after he was drafted by the Lakers doctors. He now runs a charity to help provide medical care for children with no insurance or means to pay for the care they need. It is worth checking out his personal website. He is fully rehabbed and will add size and help protect the bucket, which is something the Knicks have lacked since Camby left town.

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Amar'e Stoudemire Lights the Menorah? (and other weekly questions)

O.J. Simpson is still not a Jew, but if the newest New York Knick star, Amar'e Carsares Stoudemire, has his way, he may be considered for Adam Sandler's next "Hanukkah Song". Stoudemire says that he may have some Jewish roots on his mother's side and wants to find out more about them.  If you follow Amar'e on Twitter, you may have seen some odd tweets recently about his pilgrimage to Israel and his search for his "Hebrew" roots.We may have to change his Twitter handle from "Amareisreal" to "AmareIsrael", especially considering this interview he filmed with an Israeli news station (H/T Ian):

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