and we're done

lol I find it surprising that this thread barely increased by a page

Yes I know it's a late night game


Anyways, good night
 
I know it's too far ahead to be thinking about 50 wins, but I think it's possible. Our schedule gets light after March. We'll have a couple tough games against Boston, Chicago, Miami, Memphis, OKC and Indiana.

Aside from that, we're playing a lot of less than or equal to .500 teams for the most part.


Mar. 20 Orlando- W
Mar. 22 at Toronto- W
Mar. 23 Toronto- W
Mar. 26 at Boston- W
Mar. 27 Memphis- L
Mar. 29 Charlotte- W
Mar. 31 Boston- W
Apr. 2 at Miami- Toss up, but only if we're 100% by then
Apr. 3 at Atlanta- W
Apr. 5 Milwaukee- W
Apr. 7 at Oklahoma City- L
Apr. 9 Washington- W
Apr. 11 at Chicago- W
Apr. 12 at Cleveland- W
Apr. 14 Indiana- W
Apr. 15 at Charlotte- W
Apr. 17 Atlanta- W

53-29 is the projected record (I'm counting Miami as a loss).


Here's my rationale behind this: With Boston and Chicago playing doodoo recently and are banged up. This can be done. Indiana is a solid team, but I honestly think that last game was a fluke and we were out of it. The games we've had before the blow-out game were a lot closer than we think. Melo was out for the second game which we barely lost. Toronto is struggling and Bargani is out for the season. The game were they beat us at home--Melo was playing hurt. Cleveland lost Kyrie for the season. We usually beat up on the Bucks. Also Atlanta and Charlotte have been struggling as well. Washington is a wild card, because they've been playing well. I still think we come out with a win at home. I know this is all based off of how the teams are performing NOW, but it's all we can use for the time being.

Copeland and Shumpert seem to be getting into a nice rhythm and groove finally, which will be a nice addition to our rotation. Kenyon Martin is showing us he can help us out with rebounding and defense with the second unit. He isn't going to score for us like Amare did, but I prefer his defensive intensity. If Felton and JR can play controlled/smart ball, we'll be back into shape. They're the biggest keys to our success honestly. When those two guys play well, we're a tough team to beat.

This is SERIOUSLY looking at the outlook of our team positively, but it's doable and a possibility.

This would be if we're 100% healthy and get back on track mentality & emotionally. Give or take its +/- 4 on the win column. And honestly, getting to 50 wins means nothing to me, but I would love to see us get into the playoffs with a nice winning streak.
 
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Boston is 7-3 in their last 10, 16-7 since Rondo went out. Banged up? Yeah. I wouldn't say they're struggling though.

I get that you're trying to be optimistic but I don't think we should slot W's next to Boston, Indiana or Chicago at any point yet.

We've been playing .500 ball for months. I don't expect that to change too dramatically, especially with how decimated the roster is right now.
 
Good win last night, Not a classic game and we weren't exactly free flowing but with the injuries we have that was a good win
 
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So Kurt Thomas does have a stress fracture in his right foot after all. He just decided to play through it. He's out 2-4 weeks.

Tyson is out 1 week with a small bulging disk in his back. Source is Howard Beck.
 
I know it's too far ahead to be thinking about 50 wins, but I think it's possible. Our schedule gets light after March. We'll have a couple tough games against Boston, Chicago, Miami, Memphis, OKC and Indiana.

Aside from that, we're playing a lot of less than or equal to .500 teams for the most part.


Mar. 20 Orlando- W
Mar. 22 at Toronto- W
Mar. 23 Toronto- W
Mar. 26 at Boston- W
Mar. 27 Memphis- L
Mar. 29 Charlotte- W
Mar. 31 Boston- W
Apr. 2 at Miami- Toss up, but only if we're 100% by then
Apr. 3 at Atlanta- W
Apr. 5 Milwaukee- W
Apr. 7 at Oklahoma City- L
Apr. 9 Washington- W
Apr. 11 at Chicago- W
Apr. 12 at Cleveland- W
Apr. 14 Indiana- W
Apr. 15 at Charlotte- W
Apr. 17 Atlanta- W

53-29 is the projected record (I'm counting Miami as a loss).


Here's my rationale behind this: With Boston and Chicago playing doodoo recently and are banged up. This can be done. Indiana is a solid team, but I honestly think that last game was a fluke and we were out of it. The games we've had before the blow-out game were a lot closer than we think. Melo was out for the second game which we barely lost. Toronto is struggling and Bargani is out for the season. The game were they beat us at home--Melo was playing hurt. Cleveland lost Kyrie for the season. We usually beat up on the Bucks. Also Atlanta and Charlotte have been struggling as well. Washington is a wild card, because they've been playing well. I still think we come out with a win at home. I know this is all based off of how the teams are performing NOW, but it's all we can use for the time being.

Copeland and Shumpert seem to be getting into a nice rhythm and groove finally, which will be a nice addition to our rotation. Kenyon Martin is showing us he can help us out with rebounding and defense with the second unit. He isn't going to score for us like Amare did, but I prefer his defensive intensity. If Felton and JR can play controlled/smart ball, we'll be back into shape. They're the biggest keys to our success honestly. When those two guys play well, we're a tough team to beat.

This is SERIOUSLY looking at the outlook of our team positively, but it's doable and a possibility.

This would be if we're 100% healthy and get back on track mentality & emotionally. Give or take its +/- 4 on the win column. And honestly, getting to 50 wins means nothing to me, but I would love to see us get into the playoffs with a nice winning streak.
those toronto and boston games will not be easy
 
Of course.

Knicks-finger-wag.gif
 
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Melo, Tyson, Sheed, Camby, K. Thomas,

If we there was a week nd half rest before the playoffs began, i would be optimistic. But idk
 
Knicks medical staff botched Melo's drainage procedure. They amputated both arms by mistake. Thats why Melo didnt want to talk to the media. He was getting fitted for edward scissor hands type prosthetic arms.
 
So Kurt Thomas does have a stress fracture in his right foot after all. He just decided to play through it. He's out 2-4 weeks.

Tyson is out 1 week with a small bulging disk in his back. Source is Howard Beck.

Camby and Sheed were out 8-10 months though. What's the difference?
 
Boston is 7-3 in their last 10, 16-7 since Rondo went out. Banged up? Yeah. I wouldn't say they're struggling though.

I get that you're trying to be optimistic but I don't think we should slot W's next to Boston, Indiana or Chicago at any point yet.

We've been playing .500 ball for months. I don't expect that to change too dramatically, especially with how decimated the roster is right now.

I agree with you, but after that 7-0 start, they've been 9-7. And started playing sloppy. If Jeff Green didn't have the game of his life last night, the Celtics would've been blown out of the gym. If Garnett is still hobbling as well, we'll have a shot.

Indiana is going to be a nice game, because we actually play competitive ball against them. That blow out was a fluke and we just didn't have it that night. The other 2 games we played earlier were a lot more closer and the second game we played without Melo.

Chicago is all sorts of messed up right now. They're 4-6 in their last 10 and Deng is slowing down due to playing all those mins earlier.

I'm not saying it'll be easy W's, but it's totally a possibility.
 
couple of things:

i don't think we're ever going to win a title with melo as our best player. the reason is that he has the same problem that JR does. both of them are crazy talented, but its almost like their high level of talent serves as both a gift and a curse. they're both very good shooters, but because of this its almost like they look to shoot first instead of drive. its pretty much universally known that the lowest percentage shot is a long contested off the dribble 2, but these dudes LOVE that shot. its considered a good defensive possession and a success for a team to hold the opposition to that shot. its so ****** annoying. instead of looking to use their athletic ability, skill, and for melo size, they too often bail out the defense taking those shots early in the clock when they can constantly have the d on their heels instead. obviously when they're feeling it then whatever go ahead and pop that, but melo and JR need to have their games mature like lebron. drive first mentality for a layup or to make a play, and if the defense gives you space then drill it on them. those long contested 2s are shots that they can get every trip down the floor and should only be resorted to in end of clock situations when you have no choice but to put your iso game to work.

next thing: a lot of times we complain that we don't get calls to go our way, but its because our players for the most part don't play with grit, toughness, and tenacity. the celtics were up against the cinderellas of the league last night, and the refs held their whistles plenty of times because the celtics just play tough and with great effort. i think refs are just naturally inclined to be that way at any level of basketball. i remember when i'd d up people back in my day, there were times that i knew i was reaching, but i knew i was getting away with it because the ref was respecting the work and grit. i hate to say it, but not only are the heat more talented and playing harder than we are, but they also have referee favoritism compared to us.

last thing: i love the way the nuggets are currently playing and their style. and if you think about it, its the polar opposite of how we currently play. team ball instead of iso. collective instead of superstar. fast instead of slow. point blank from the basket instead of long range. young instead of old. i think woody needs to start stealing ideas and concepts from other teams to implement into our offensive schemes. not saying to play like the nuggets because we don't have the personnel to, but we need to find a way to get more easy baskets. i think we should steal what the spurs run throwing pick and roll after pick and roll at teams and great movement/spacing. ray has gotten away from running it and has become a jumpshooter when he's pretty good at it, and tyson is a great screener and roller. also a great clean up man for putbacks if ray blows the layup. pablo and cope have shown they can run it too and can do it with the second unit.

btw this dude cope is crazy unorthodox and a painfully low IQ player, but i think he's proven that he has an ability to just get the ball in the bucket. he was doing it over in Europe and imo has proven he can also do it at the highest level here in the NBA. so props to him. and peace to James White.
 
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Melo does drive to the basket a lot. The problem is, when he does, he doesn't get the call ALL the time. If you look at Melo's game in a macro scale, he gets to the line a LOT. If the refs called a foul every time he gets hit, he'd average 20 FT attempts a game :lol

Also, I don't think Melo is as notorious as JR is for taking those really bad low percentage shots. Melo actually actively looks to drive into the basket, but he get's doubled so often--it's almost impossible to get to the paint all the time.

I've said this last night and I think a lot of you guys share the same opinion with me. JR is a MUCH better player overall when he attacks the basket first and then looks for his shot second. Hell, his jumper would benefit more, because defenders would have to back down to hedge against the drive.

I don't think having Melo will prohibit us from winning a title. What prohibits us from winning is not having a consistent paint presence. Amare would've fit that role to some degree, but we need a big that will go inside and get us easy buckets when we need it. It's the only way to beat Miami honestly. They know that and the rest of the league knows it as well. If the Pacers had better wing players, they'd beat Miami in a 7 game series.
 
Agreed that melo isn't nearly as bad as JR, and that the refs miss a ridiculous amount of calls on him (the worst ones are when dudes headband is in JKidd position, or completely removed of his kufi but it still isn't called :{ ), but I'm sure most are with me in saying that it happens way too often where Melo puts up a shot and you think to yourself that it just isn't good shot selection and that he bailed out the defense.

there are plenty of things that separate Bron from Kobe and Carmelo, but one of the things is that he rarely takes possessions for granted. he looks for the great shot first. dudes percentage has been improving for the last 7 seasons, and he's been at over 50% for years now. melo has never shot 50% once in his entire career. part of it is the refs, but i believe melo is big, strong, athletic, and skilled enough that he can get to the rack AND finish (too many blown layups) more than we see him do. then i think that can open up his elite midrange game even more. there's a reason even knick hating people like Barkley and Barry will call him the best scorer in the league. he has literally EVERY tool. but then why the hell has he never averaged 30 a game, been scoring champ, shot over 50%, etc.

i know my attack first, shoot second criticism applies mostly to JR (doing this would take him from being considered a streaky instant offense 6th man to one of the best 2 guards in the league imo, but at this point its like beating a dead horse,) but Melo deserves it too. unless its a heat check, possessions can't be taken for granted. i watch too many teams with equal or less talent constantly get to the basket and get great shots.
 
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Agreed that melo isn't nearly as bad as JR, and that the refs miss a ridiculous amount of calls on him (the worst ones are when dudes headband is in JKidd position, or completely removed of his kufi but it still isn't called :{ ), but I'm sure most are with me in saying that it happens way too often where Melo puts up a shot and you think to yourself that it just isn't good shot selection and that he bailed out the defense.

there are plenty of things that separate Bron from Kobe and Carmelo, but one of the things is that he rarely takes possessions for granted. he looks for the great shot first. dudes percentage has been improving for the last 7 seasons, and he's been at over 50% for years now. melo has never shot 50% once in his entire career. part of it is the refs, but i believe melo is big, strong, athletic, and skilled enough that he can get to the rack AND finish (too many blown layups) more than we see him do. then i think that can open up his elite midrange game even more. there's a reason even knick hating people like Barkley and Barry will call him the best scorer in the league. he has literally EVERY tool. but then why the hell has he never averaged 30 a game, been scoring champ, shot over 50%, etc.

i know my attack first, shoot second criticism applies mostly to JR (doing this would take him from being considered a streaky instant offense 6th man to one of the best 2 guards in the league imo, but at this point its like beating a dead horse,) but Melo deserves it too. unless its a heat check, possessions can't be taken for granted. i watch too many teams with equal or less talent constantly get to the basket and get great shots.

I do agree with you on some points. Specifically, when Melo brings the ball up and takes a 28ft shot with 20 seconds left on the shot clock. As you said, sometimes it's because of a heat check. But that doesn't mean it's a good shot.

LeBron and Melo are two different players. Melo is more of a finesse perimeter player and LeBron is a bulldozer. That's why he's able to go into the paint and get those high percentage shots.

Melo certainly needs to go to the basket more often, but you have to realize--he's not built that way. He's obviously quick and his first step is as good as most guards, but he's no where near as fast as Lebron when it comes to the first step. Plus, with LeBron's strength, he can get through the bigger guys when doubled in the paint. He's just a bigger, stronger and faster player.

If Melo does play smart and takes better shots, maybe he'd be a better player, but this is just how he is and with him getting older, he won't evolve into that kind of player. Melo needs to go the Kobe route and work on his footwork (which is great), and take a higher percentage shot. His head fake is great too. If he uses it like Kobe, dude would get to the line at least 10-12 times a game.

Melo tends to complain way too much. He already has a bad reputation with the league and referee's, complaining won't help his case. I think if he just plays and talks to the refs during a dead ball--the ref's would be more open to considering his grievance. The Knicks as a team need to follow this as well. We complain way too much and that affects our play on the defensive end. That's more of a reflection of the personality of the coach though. Not enough discipline to just play after a blown call.

JR is another story. Unless he changes his game and has an attack first mentality, he will always be that guy who dribbles around, doesn't get anywhere and ends up taking that step back shot. He's shown flashes of attacking the rim and opening up his jumpshot, but he's an "In the moment" kind of guy. Woodson is doing a great job with him, but unless he's coached by Phil Jackson or Pop, I don't see him changing that style of play anytime soon. People love to compare JR with Starks, but one thing that separates them is that Starks attacked the basket first. He was tough in that department, and when defenders respected that, he would get better looks in the perimeter. They're both very volatile though. No doubt about it.

I wish Felton would attack the rim more often too. I don't care if he does that stupid floater all the time, at least it would be a higher percentage shot. When he did that earlier in the year, Chandler got all those lobs and so many of our guys were open in the perimeter. Since Felton went down with that hand injury, he hasn't been doing that as often.

I've said before and I'll say it again--When JR and Felton play well, we're a tough team to beat. Those two guys are the keys to our success.
 
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