Explode in Sports: Site For Sore Eyes
On All Hallows Eve, the streets were bare and the wind was whistling through the trees above the telephone lines. The noise of a garbage can being blown over on the back porch let out and startled me greatly. But the reality was, there was nothing else going on. What a boring Halloween I had spent all night. The good news for you is if you’re a New York Knick fan myself, these symptoms feel all to familiar. Particularly when watching this franchise play defense.
The Philadelphia 76ers rolled into Madison Square Garden for a battle between Atlantic Division foes. Second year coach Mike D’Antoni is a run and gun type of guy and lets his players have a bit of freedom in the offensive system. Just look what he accomplished in Phoenix with Steve Nash and the Suns. Though no NBA Titles follow him to New York, many playoff appearances and over .500 records are on his resume. Seems like a good potion to mix up for the anxious New Yorkers who still somewhat fill the seats on a nightly basis. To those of us who watch and study the game of this franchise, we deserve much credit for withstanding the trauma.
The Knicks managed to score a total of 127 points including an overtime period, in which they only scored five. So you’re telling me that at the end of regulation the game was tied up at 122 points apiece? Simply inexcusable for a professional franchise that has a demanding fan base and rich history. I mean seriously, they play in the arena known as, “The Mecca of Basketball.” The Sixers had a total of five guys scoring in double figures and four of them had 20 or more points. Andre Iguodala ended his night with 32, followed by Louis Williams and Thaddeus Young with 27 and 25 respectively. Marreese Speights, the second year man out of Florida chimed in with 20 even. This type of offensive production is not likely to happen often in the NBA. Mark my words on that comment. But, what is some what disturbing is that every time the Knicks take the court, these are the results.
In their opening game on Wednesday against the Miami Heat, they let three players score 20 or more points, lead by Dwyane Wade with 26. In their second game, Friday night, they were in the game until the final seconds and finished with a 102-100 loss on the road to Charlotte. Let’s face it, the Bobcats and their regime haven’t really had it in the last couple of years and do have trouble trading and moving players often. Tyson Chandler, Stephen Graham and Gerald Henderson are all new additions this season.
Three straight games, three straight losses and a consistent habit of giving up 100+ points a game. After the game tonight, Larry Hughes said in the post game conference that when Al Harrington fouled out early in the overtime period, it took their post presence away. Really? You see, Harrington moves around and takes jump shots and drives off the dribble often. He is not a true post presence on the floor by any means. I’ll take a quick gander at the roster and say there isn’t really a true post presence on this Knicks team, and that’s why they can run and shoot their way in and out of games. Do I consider Darko Millicic to be a true post presence? No. He hasn’t been a factor in this league since he’s been drafted. I tell you who can be and will be if used the right way. Jordan Hill, the rookie draft pick out of Arizona. At 6′10” and 235 pounds, Hill dominated the paint in college and can provide much needed intimidation on the defensive end for the Knicks. He can block shots and rebound with a physical presence. What is most impressive to me about Hill is his ability to finish at the basket and hit the mid range jump shot. He has a lot of upside and needs playing time immediately, but he’s only seen two minutes against Miami this year.
It’s time for all the LeBron hype and any other big time superstar coming to New York talk to stop. This is a professional franchise in a professional organization. They play like it’s pick up games at the Rucker and nothing phases them if they seem to drastically continue to miss the .500 mark and playoffs by a sling slot. The management needed to bring in some talent, though maybe mediocre to have a nucleus to build around. If Donny Walsh and his brilliancy like hiring Isiah Thomas has any merit, he will not roll over on this team. LeBron or Bosh could come, but I guarantee any superstar doesn’t want to be in a situation with no talent around them. Think about it and rationalize your answer.
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