by Ben on December 20 at 10:41PM
I attended last night's game, my first of the season, and was glad to see the young Knicks playing hard with Stephon Marbury out of sight and mind if only for one night. The offense looked crisp and selfless, there was a discernable energy both on defense and on the boards and the team generally looked to be in harmony on the court as well as on the bench. Here are a few observations from last night's win and my thoughts on what the Knicks should do going forward:
- Although he is far from perfect, Jamal Crawford is clearly our best option to run the offense. We know Jamal's strengths: ball-handling, getting to the rim and (although streaky) mid to long range jump shooting. We also know his vices: weak defender, turnover prone, careless with the ball, etc. However, dating back to the Larry Brown regime, Crawford's most redeeming quality has been his team-first attitude and willingness to learn and improve. Crawford dramatically raised his game under Brown's tutelage, developing better all-around skills (especially passing) and increasing his basketball IQ. He is the Knick that is coolest under pressure and according to most things you read, the one that garners the most respect in the locker room due to tenure and his poise. Last night, Crawford played a controlled game at point guard maintaining a good balance between passing and scoring. He made many good decisions and a few bad ones, but given the opportunity to run this offense his instincts will improve and he can make those around him better.
- Fred Jones, who I admittedly have trashed on a regular basis, is a good fit at the two spot beside Crawford. Given the fact the Knicks have so many guys that need the ball in their hands to be effective, Jones serves to balance out the lineup providing hustle, some defense and the ability to finish in transition.
- When Eddy Curry and Zach Randolph are on the court together, the offense is stagnant. Guys aren't moving or cutting, basically everyone is standing around watching Crawford try to create on the perimeter or the ball is force fed inside to one of the bigs and never seen again. I can't stress this enough so I'm going bold on ya - David Lee must start and play at least 35 minutes a night. Like Jones, Lee doesn't need the ball to be effective; however, that's where the likeness ends. Lee generates his own points through offensive rebounds and smart, persistent cuts to the basket where he is developing into an excellent finisher down low. In addition to his excellent rebounding skills, his athleticism and proclivity in starting fast breaks with solid outlet passes keeps the Knicks moving and injects life into the offense. A starting 5 of Zach Randolph, David Lee, Q, Fred Jones and Crawford is the most balanced and effective at both ends of the floor.
- Which brings us to Eddy Curry. He has had a hard time getting going this year and his game has regressed noticeably from a year ago. Watching him last night, I think this is a product of him being put in spots where he is less likely to succeed. As my co-worker Dan points out almost daily, Eddy Curry "is what he is," in other words he's a big that's only as good as the situations you put him in. I don't feel that his game will ever mesh with Randolph's for the simple fact that neither is a good passer and as such it will be difficult for them to develop a high-low chemistry. In addition, when they are on the court together there simply isn't enough room for them to both operate and each of their games are restricted and worse off for it. A second unit featuring Eddy Curry as the lone big will give him an opportunity to own the block and draw favorable matchups. Additionally, Randolph should be able to use his athleticism more with first unit due to the added breathing room. Maybe it will even persuade him to pass a little more...
- As for the remainder of the bench, Nate Robinson deserves at least 20-25 minutes a night. Nate is a guy that can pick a team up when down and make things happen on both ends, especially in the transition game. Another guy I came away impressed by was Malik Rose who offers the Knicks a solid veteran defensive presence at forward. Countless times Rose provided excellent weak side help in defending Lebron and even got an emphatic block. He's a good option to rotate in at the 4 spot for brief stretches. Jeffries and Balkman are also decent plays based on the matchup. Balkman is very skittish and hasn't seen a pump fake he didn't try to block into the stands. He has good defensive skills and is explosive in transition, however he must develop greater poise before getting viable minutes. Essentially, the Knicks rotation should not exceed 8-9 players.
- Finally, I simply don't see Steph fitting in with this current roster. He will most certainly be relegated to a backup role, coming off the bench for 25 minutes or so. Unfortauntely, I don't see any scenario where his presence off the bench helps this team. I feel, as always, he will try to do too much on the offensive end in terms of scoring and hurt the rhythm and tempo of the offense as a whole. I fear this selfish play will be further exasperated by his reduced minutes and serves as the biggest threat to the Knicks overall success.
The reasons for Steph's absence from the Knicks are tough, it is never easy to lose someone you love, especially a parent. However, from a purely basketball stand point - based on last night's play and the team's performance when he is on the court - the Knicks are best served with Marbury out of the equation. Isiah isn't going anywhere folks. The best thing we can do this season is cut ties with Marbury as soon as possible and roll the dice with Zeke's boys. As I said yesterday, this is the only way the young guys will truly develop as a unit and the best chance that the fans and management alike have to see what exactly we have here.
Steph will not be joining the team in Charlotte for Friday's game, let's see if the Knicks can build on the Cavs blowout....
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