max fisher-cohen:
@ruru & JR

The team was dominant ala 2004 pistons. I’ve cited the stats before — I don’t feel like digging them up again — but if we performed like we did in those 6 games, we would have been far and away the best defensive team in the league. Do you really believe that that’s sustainable?

Regarding Stoudemire playing effectively under Woodson — I feel it’s more a case of our perimeter shooters coming to life (again, I’ve posted these stats before as well, and they are RIDICULOUS. Shumpert, Davis, Bibby were all like 10% better post D’Antoni, and Novak got a lot more minutes). I do believe Stoudemire/Lin can be good. I don’t believe Melo can be good while they are good and vice versa because Melo is not comfortable off the ball. One game against the lakers doesn’t change the fact that one of the biggest reasons we don’t have MDA as coach and don’t have a higher playoff seed is because Melo struggled off the ball and took out his frustration on the coach.

No… We’ll talk later.

The team was dominant ala 2004 pistons. I’ve cited the stats before — I don’t feel like digging them up again — but if we performed like we did in those 6 games, we would have been far and away the best defensive team in the league. Do you really believe that that’s sustainable?

Regarding Stoudemire playing effectively under Woodson — I feel it’s more a case of our perimeter shooters coming to life (again, I’ve posted these stats before as well, and they are RIDICULOUS. Shumpert, Davis, Bibby were all like 10% better post D’Antoni, and Novak got a lot more minutes). I do believe Stoudemire/Lin can be good. I don’t believe Melo can be good while they are good and vice versa because Melo is not comfortable off the ball. One game against the lakers doesn’t change the fact that one of the biggest reasons we don’t have MDA as coach and don’t have a higher playoff seed is because Melo struggled off the ball and took out his frustration on the coach.

ruruland:
Here we go:

http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/basketball/knicks/amar-e-stoudemire-fired-bring-steve-nash-york-article-1.1075531?localLinksEnabled=false

Lin – decision-making in traffic, going left, jump shooting
Shump – shot quality, shot consistency
Amare – improved man on man defense and summer-long tutoring in HELP defense (this is huge, or he should be coming of the bench)
Melo – get in better shape to start, consistent effort on defense, greater focus on play making for others, improve efficiency
Chandler – improve non-dunk finishing ability, catching the ball in traffic (getting open and being ready to catch), get one low post move –a hook or something – even Perkins has one low post move

http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/basketball/knicks/amar-e-stoudemire-fired-bring-steve-nash-york-article-1.1075531?localLinksEnabled=false

http://knickerblogger.net/heat-checkmate/

max fisher-cohen: They’ve played 17 games together. They are 8-9 in those games.

Melo won 75% of his regular season games when he had Chauncey Billups in the lineup alongside him (prior to 2011). Amar’e won close to 70 % of his games when Steve Nash was healthy ——

neither guy played alongside a defensive player as good as Chandler.

This team was DOMINANT with Woodson with it’s top 4 players in the line-up — and that was with Lin and Melo scoring inefficiently at the time.

max fisher-cohen: They’ve played 17 games together. They are 8-9 in those games.

I’m talking about post MDA. Isn’t it clear now MDA was a big part of the problem? Or do you view that as an ‘excuse’

max fisher-cohen: I’m not judging them on that performance. I’m judging them on a season and a half. What playoff video?

I recently posted melo’s 39 pt game against LA where he primarily worked off-the ball on the weakside…..He was put back on the strong side because the Lakers eventually adjusted their defense — but a strong-side attack of Lin/Chandler/Amar’e will create a much higher percentage of good looks for Melo.

max fisher-cohen: We’ll see, but I think you’re wrong (or maybe we won’t. Maybe there will just be more excuses). Stoudemire has never been a good off ball player unless you consider the semi-transition style hoops he got in Phoenix. Melo, at best, is an average off ball player. Lin was (briefly) an okay off ball player. Stoudemire can’t dribble and is a mediocre shooter. How do you foresee him succeeding off the ball? For wings, the primary question is, can you catch and shoot? If you can’t, there’s no need for the defense to close out hard, meaning you either take that jumpshot (something the defense is fine with) or you reset. Off ball cuts to the rim work when you can actually draw the defense out of the paint.

Actually amare has a good midrange jumpshot. He gets a lot of looks off the ball on on curls at the elbow. And he’s an above average pnr roll guy. Melo is a great spot up midrange shooter and he makes the defense close out hard, leading to the paint being open. Hence Nene’s outstanding FG %. Hmm, what are we missing?….oh right, to play off the ball, you need a guy who can handle the ball instead and get you the ball. A point guard.