Nobody is saying why JR didn't play. JR didn't know. I think JR might be gone via trade or something. Tomorrow is the 1st day he can be traded
Speculation on Knicks twitter (bunch of different knicks fans/reporters I follow) is that JR probably annoyed Dolan with his "betrayed" comments about his brother being waived and that JR not playing came from Dolan.
That wouldn't make much sense. Why punish him today for something that happened two weeks ago? As far as team performance, they just exhibit such poor instincts sooo often. Tonight, you had Bargnani finding himself on Henderson, I think, in the first half, and just backing off, backing off as Henderson (I think) just stays put in the corner and lines up a 3. Walker saved a ball in front of the Knicks bench in the first half, throws it in bounds, off-balance, and Hardaway is relaxing as the save goes right past him up the sideline. Stat doesn't roll off a pick as Beno throws it OOB in the 4th....I hate to use the term, but this team just has a low basketball IQ, it seems.
That was the springboard I think. And then untying shoelaces gave him a "real" way to punish JR. Who knows, it is just speculation, but something has to have happened because no way you play him in Philly, against PHX (draw up the game winning shot) and then within 24 hours he's benched and JR doesn't know why and Woodson won't say. That's why the theory is it comes from upper management. I don't think it's low basketball IQ, I think it's partially (gonna blame Woodson again :breakdance that nobody really knows what they're supposed to be doing. The Knicks have never shown under Woodson to understand who the "hot" player is on the other team. I think against PHX was the first time I can remember them fouling up 3 on purpose and correctly.
And if they do understand who the hot player is, the doubles come really easily. They aren't smart doubles. Double when the guy has his head down. Double when he's turning to dribble. Don't double when's he holding the ball and can see the extra defender approaching. The other one that annoys me is zone D. The Knicks sometimes go to it randomly for a possession or two and it looks like they get burned every time. Woodson has said in the past they don't practice zone....
Almost halfway through the season and I still don't know what to make of Bargnani. Obviously not worth a first round pick but we knew that immediately. He's not as bad a one on one post defender as I thought but leave him in space and he's terrible. And for a stretch big he's been terrible shooting but he's had some big games.
Same boat as you. There was no reason to give up the first and I bet we could have gotten the deal without the first. His 3 point shooting isn't that good, but his midrange has impressed me. Unfortunately my expectations were so low that him being decent leaves me impressed.
Ian Begley @IanBegley 10m In addition to his Monday night tiff with Woodson, as reported by the NYDN, J.R. Smith was also late to a team meeting Tuesday, sources say. Ian Begley @IanBegley 6m Sources say J.R. Smith is still very upset that the #Knicks chose to release his brother, Chris. He'd hinted at his displeasure on Instagram The signing of Chris Smith to appease JR seems really really stupid now. I can't remember if I was ok for it/against it immediately, but clearly you don't do this to appease JR. I bet the Knicks logic was happy JR -> happy Melo -> Melo staying.
the fact that they signed him to appease JR reveals how shitty this organization is. it's JR Smith, smart organizations don't bend over backwards for players like JR Smith.
Amare out with sprained ankle. KMART out with sprained ankle. Pablo is very close to coming back. But yeah 2 game losing streak. Need to break that vs the CP3 less Clippers tomorrow.
Copeland hitting a 3 against us in garbage time was enough for me, turning it off. Somehow Beno jumped Toure Murray in the depth chart and Toure never plays. Considering, in my opinion, our guard player is better than our frontcourt play, I'd maximize lineups that used our guards.
Chris Herring @HerringWSJ 15m Melo calls the loss "embarrassing." Says Pacers made a ton of in-game adjustments, but the Knicks did not.
Thats the final straw for me with Woodson. Done. Not going to yell and scream like I do with the Jets..Im just done trying to defend or figure this guy out. He has a big set of balls when it comes to pointing the finger at JR..and rightfully so..but when a guy like Chandler who seems to me has taken the last year and a half off plays the way he has for this long and he says nothing? Chandler should pay more attention to his basketball game then his clothing line. I have had enough with Woodson being hailed for the way he handles the locker room..give me a f#$%$# in break. How many locker rooms in the NBA have guys raping women or shooting up the place? None. Big deal you pick on a J.R. Smith but cant handle a point guard in Felton who refuses to play defense...refuses to fight through a screen. I mean...Bargarni is another lazy sack of shit but Im so tired of him being left on a point guard at the top of the key in a switch. What a lazy team. This team would switch their children if it meant being able to leave their own guy. You can tell the BIGS are sicked and tired of being left covering 2 or point guards. Its so totally out of control and not one media guy reports it yet as fans..we see it every single game. Its pathetic what this team gets away with..and what Woodson gets away with. Im sick of it. I love the Knicks...love the LOGO..but this is getting to the point of sickening watching this team play defense every single night. They should change the game to the NY SWITCHERS. A joke...a total joke.
uh oh sounds like a Melo that aint too happy, I personally despise Woodson...He is maxed out of ideas in his head. I hate JR Smith, that piece of shit I was always against resigning him. Trade Melo? Really hope not, this team needs to retool fast...Fire woodson and get someone worth a damn. Doug Collins, whatever
The biggest part of Woodson obviously, is how in the world he coached the team to 50+ wins last year and now we get this. Was Bargnani forced upon him? Are the injuries really impacting the Knicks so much? I just don't understand what happened. Woodson had generally improved the team year to year in his tenure in ATL and then had the team peak in the 2nd round. I don't think Dolan trades Melo. Although it would make sense. Trade him to PHX or something to try and gather picks. I think Bargs and Amare are untraceable. If you shop Melo, then you obviously shop Tyson. Keep the young ones in THJ and Iman. Try to package JR somewhere if possible. Then next year find a way to trade Amare or Bargnani. Load up on draft picks and cap space. Then by either trading those extra picks or cap space, get the 2015 FAs. But that all will probably never happen. Short term fixes, get healthy and pray
I would take that POE. I would take any coach who does not look like he has a hemorrhoid leaking out of his ass and looks like he wants to keep it a secret. Thats the look Woodson has when the team is floundering. He looks lost in his post game pressers. He has no answers. None. If you really sit back and look at it, even the offensive system the team used last year with all the 3's was left over from that moron in L.A. He has to go. Melo bitching about this team not making any adjustments would usually make me want to strangle him but in this case, with the fear of losing him, its the only thing that might get Dolan to fire Woody. But tomorrow...like clock work....Melo will come out and say how he didnt mean Woody wasnt doing a great job. Hopefully Melo just shuts his mouth and lets the criticism sit out there untouched.
I really believe DP the reason for the 50 win season is that you finally had a coach that made this team play defense and with all the veterans, they listened because they knew thats how you win. The team was out of their mind with all the threes. And Melo had a terrific year for the most part. But you also have to look at the season that for about 70%, the team played 500 ball and barely survived the first round against the Celtics and were embarrassed by the team they played tonight...embarrassed.
