and we're done

[beh235]

we just not making shots....these ****** went cold da worst possible time...

good news is JR smith found his stroke late, let's see if he can build on that for da garden.....

cope and priggy gotta play, kidd out there is gettin out worked...

We see what happens when JR and Melo go cold. Disaster. Didn't seeing them in Denver show that? There's no mystery in that.

 

[7thave btn 31stn33rd st]

Knicks are letting down Melo


Anthony deserves better than he's gotten from his crumbling supporting cast
Updated: May 15, 2013, 7:58 AM ET
By Ian O'Connor | ESPNNewYork.com

INDIANAPOLIS -- The New York Knicks want the ball, but they are not worthy of receiving it. They do not belong on the same postseason stage with their star, Carmelo Anthony, who deserves better than he's gotten from a supporting cast that's too busy crumbling around him.

Down 3-1 after Tuesday night's 93-82 defeat, the Knicks are almost certain to lose their second-round series to an Indiana Pacers team thriving without its best player, Danny Granger, a development that would normally reduce Anthony to the easiest of news media and message board targets, a piñata in a headband.

But this will be a whole new blame game if the Knicks fail to make good on their puncher's chance, fail to take three consecutive sudden-death games from a bigger, stronger and more aggressive opponent. The standard default position -- It's all Melo's doing -- isn't going to cut it this time. Not with Anthony's teammates looking about as comfortable in this series as Sergio Garcia looked on Sunday on the 17th tee.

"I don't want it to be where we always have to depend on Melo all the time to bail us out," Knicks coach Mike Woodson said.

Only that's exactly what the Knicks are right now -- a team desperate to be saved from itself. Tyson Chandler called for more ball movement after Melo took a grand total of 16 shots in Game 3, called for it after Roy Hibbert made Chandler look Nate Robinson small, and the few extra passes didn't matter in the least in Game 4.

Kenyon Martin went 0-for-3 in 29 minutes. Iman Shumpert, going on a bum knee, went 0-for-6 in a lousy 16 minutes. Jason Kidd and Pablo Prigioni went a combined 0-for-2 in 19 minutes, 16 of them played by the 40-year-old Hall of Famer-to-be who missed a layup and could really use a couple of weeks in the tub.

"We've got to understand we've got nothing to lose at this point," Kidd said.

Nothing but the 2012-13 season, one that will go down as a major disappointment if the Knicks fall to Indiana, and one that J.R. Smith will take to his grave.

"I take the blame for this whole series," said Smith, who shot 7-for-22 Tuesday night, and who has missed 91 of his 137 shots in this postseason.

"I've been letting my teammates down. I've been letting my coaches down."

Just about every Knick could say the same. Woodson made a significant move before Game 4, starting Martin in Prigioni's place and sending a message to Indiana that the Knicks were ready to play with the big boys underneath. If it wasn't exactly Joe Torre benching Tino Martinez, Paul O'Neill, and Wade Boggs for Game 3 of the '96 World Series, it was a nervy call by Woodson all the same.

And he didn't have Torre's touch with it. Not even close. Still slowed by the same bug that got to Smith first, Martin didn't score a point and contributed five rebounds to a Knicks team that grabbed 36, or 18 fewer than the Pacers grabbed.

"We got hammered on the boards again," Woodson said.

They got hammered in every way an alleged contender can be hammered, coach included. Only 29 seconds after Chris Copeland sank a three early in the fourth quarter, cutting the Indiana lead to 10, Woodson inexplicably summoned him to the bench in favor of the returning Anthony, leaving the rusty and ineffective Amar'e Stoudemire (four fouls, four points in 11 minutes) on the floor. Woodson needed offense there, needed to go small with Melo and Copeland, and by the time Stoudemire was subbed out the Knicks were down 16.

Stoudemire and Chandler picked up early, silly technicals, and the Knicks spent too much time and energy complaining about the officials' calls, a losing proposition every time. No longer interested in taking a wide-open shot, Kidd over-passed his way into a 24-second violation at the end of the second quarter. In the third, Indiana's lumbering Ian Mahinmi beat Smith to a loose ball on the baseline he won on pure desire, nothing more.

"I have to play more efficient," Smith said at his locker, disarming the encroaching media mob by ripping himself to shreds. "I have to rebound the ball. One rebound, two rebounds is not enough. Paul George is out there getting 13, 14 rebounds. As a wing player like myself, it's pretty much unacceptable." Losing this series would be pretty much unacceptable, too. The Knicks are the No. 2 seed, the team with home-court advantage, the team expected to face Miami in the conference final, the team with the healthy star in Anthony to operate in ways Indiana only wished the down-and-out Granger could.

But the Pacers are the ones attacking the basket with a purpose; they shot 30 free throws to the Knicks' 14. "They're just pinning their ears back," Chandler said. "It's not just one or two guys; it's five guys crashing the boards, and we have to make them pay for it."

This time around, Chandler was calling for more points on the fast break and for more shooters to knock down open looks. He said that the ball moved better in Game 4, and that he never meant to incriminate Anthony after Game 3 when he campaigned for a more team-centric approach from offenders he didn't identify.

"I wasn't directing my comments at Carmelo Anthony," Chandler said. "I was directing my comments at the New York Knicks."

It was hardly a convincing claim, and chances are Melo didn't totally buy it, either. But the two said they talked and straightened it out, no blood, no foul.

"I didn't take it like he was throwing a jab at me," Anthony said. "Our offense has been s---. He has a right to say that."

Whatever. But after scoring 24 points on 23 shots, some of which he was all but forced to take, Anthony also has the right to ask for a little help here, help he's not likely to get. The team's fundamental (and fatal) flaw is its casting of Smith in the role of best supporting actor, the pseudo-Pippen to Melo's pseudo-Jordan. J.R. just isn't good enough, or consistent enough, to handle the responsibility.

"I want J.R. to shoot," said Anthony, who fouled out with two minutes left. "He can't take his shots with him. I need J.R. to shoot."

He needs J.R. to make them. "I really believe that we can do something special here," Melo maintained.

"I still do believe that we are the better team."

Written on the grease board in the losers' locker room was this message: "Stay the course. Win one, change everything."

Maybe the Knicks can get this series back to a Game 6, maybe not. But if they lose to Indiana in the end, Carmelo Anthony won't be their fall guy. People will understand that even LeBron James, even Jordan, couldn't have carried this sorry supporting cast.

Finally.

 

[beh235]

My question is, where is Novac? He was money before and now not in the rotation. He seems to be on a milk carton now. That's on coach for not understanding his role and working him in appropriately. If that what was done, wouldn't him being out there spreading the floor work? Would they swing the ball to give him the shot? So many questions to ask about this team. They still need a LOT of work and are an incomplete team imo. It starts with the coach.

 

[arrjae2]

What scares me is the effort. The team looks like they've given up.

this. we got a bunch of mentally weak dudes on the team.

and the quality of the shots is horrible. but i think the Felton PnR would help with that

 

[pr0phecy718]

So this is Grunwalds fault then? Lol

 

[kingfoamnyc]

We might as well put out a lineup of Felton , Prigioni , Smith , Copeland , and Melo and just run our ***** off . Push the ball after every miss and with high pick and rolls and jack up three after three . Chandler doesn't rebound anyway I don't see the issue with the super small fast pace lineup .

 

[7thave btn 31stn33rd st]

Having Chandler in the game enable Hibbert to lounge in the lane.

 

[onewearz]

All Amare's fault

 

[sohoguy]

We might as well put out a lineup of Felton , Prigioni , Smith , Copeland , and Melo and just run our ***** off . Push the ball after every miss and with high pick and rolls and jack up three after three . Chandler doesn't rebound anyway I don't see the issue with the super small fast pace lineup .

I rather that line up, Hell put Novak in the 4 or 5 for all I care cause chandler looks soulless out there.

 

[beh235]

damn y'all turn so quickly

 

[mez 0ne]

My question is, where is Novac? He was money before and now not in the rotation. .

He's had back spasm issues since the Boston series.

Felton has played above his talent level the entire playoffs minus one game.

JR has played to not make a mistake since he was suspended and at this point he can't have the green light anymore.

Talent point of view I'm not convinced the Knicks are that much better than the Pacers anyways and it clearly shows. They have talent, front court depth (which we lack), youth, and have shown they can hit the outside shot. They are beating the Knicks in every way possible and Woodson has no idea what to do.

 

[johnnyredstorm]

woodson is a moron, it's become obvious. he's overmatched out there and it's really a matter of time before he gets the boot.

 

[ninjahood]

i would've small balled these dudes to death...i dunno whats woodson is waitin on.

 

[harlemtothebronx]

We're taking this to 7.

 

[mez 0ne]

We're taking this to 7.

if we win game 5 then maybe I'll have some faith in that happening, but this double teaming has to stop. I don't care if Hibbert gets 20+ points, I don't want their 3 point shooters open anymore. They have such an easy time out there while our 3 point shooters are going through hell.

 

[beh235]

My question is, where is Novac? He was money before and now not in the rotation. .

He's had back spasm issues since the Boston series.

Felton has played above his talent level the entire playoffs minus one game.

JR has played to not make a mistake since he was suspended and at this point he can't have the green light anymore.

Talent point of view I'm not convinced the Knicks are that much better than the Pacers anyways and it clearly shows. They have talent, front court depth (which we lack), youth, and have shown they can hit the outside shot. They are beating the Knicks in every way possible and Woodson has no idea what to do.

The thing is, the Pacers play as a team. They stick to their system and it works. On paper, you look at it, they're not supposed to beat the Knicks, but they have given them that work in the games that they have beat them in this season. AND, they're doing it without their best player (Danny Granger). As a result Paul George is turning into a monster, so going forward this team WILL be a problem for the Knicks. As for Novak, he was phased out of the rotation before the playoffs even started, even before the spasms became an issue. I wondered why Woodson did that. If it wasn't broke, why fix it? This is why I never bought into him as coach. Look at what he did in Atlanta, he has a definite ceiling. I saw this coming and said it in this forum and everyone banged on me about it, now people are turning on him. What did you expect? I'm not a Knick hater, nor a fan, but I try to look at it as objectively as possible.

 

[7thave btn 31stn33rd st]

at Colin Cowherd questioning Melo's endurance. Sorry Colin, Melo isnt like Lebron guarding people 8ft off the ball and 6" shorter. He's guarding a Defensive End for 36 min and running down court trying to create his own shot. Clown.

 

[beh235]

at Colin Cowherd questioning Melo's endurance. Sorry Colin, Melo isnt like Lebron guarding people 8ft off the ball and 6" shorter. He's guarding a Defensive End. Clown.

I agree with some points he has about Melo, but he goes too hard. I really think he hates him or something.

 

[clyde the glide]

lack of talent is not the issue.  not using that talent to even half of its full potential is the problem. 

 

[clyde the glide]

stop it with that missing their best player nonsense.  hes been out all year and even when healthy hes their fourth best player

 

[beh235]

stop it with that missing their best player nonsense.  hes been out all year and even when healthy hes their fourth best player

At the time he got hurt, he was their best player. That was a fact. Obviously that has changed now that they adapted to his absence. He was their leading scorer and the offense ran through him, although it was boring at the time, but like I said that has changed now.

 

[gllahone84]

Melo been a ghost in the 4th. 

 

[clyde the glide]

At the time he got hurt, he was their best player. That was a fact. Obviously that has changed now that they adapted to his absence. He was their leading scorer and the offense ran through him, although it was boring at the time, but like I said that has changed now.

leading scorer does not always= best player.  pacers have been as solid a team all year without him there was no pointing in bringing that up unless u r trying to make the knicks look even more sorry than they do themselves

 

[cdonwashisname]

Thats about right half of us are delusional. This team plays with no urgency at all. I wish they played like it was 5 mins left in a game every minute

 

[sohoguy]

Melo been a ghost in the 4th. 

The man is scoring 25 + every game and gets the ball pass to him at the end of almost every shot clock and have west, Paul and lance switching guarding him. Of course he's tired in the 4th cause without his scoring it would had been a sweep already.