Bucksetball Interview
February 23rd, 2011 by Tyler Murray | Comments | Permalink |
All eyes will be on the Knicks tonight with the probable debut of Carmelo Anthony, but the team on the other side of the court is more than capable of stealing the spotlight. The Knicks put up a season-low 80 points on the road against the Bucks back on November 9th, and suffered an embarrassing 27-point loss. Obviously, a lot has changed in New York since then. But for what to expect from Milwaukee in tonight’s contest, here’s our interview with Jeremy Schmidt of Bucksketball.
[Also, I know you guys have offered follow-up questions for our blogger interviews in the past, and I'd love to get some of those answered for you. So if you have a question for "Cavs: The Blog" in advance of Friday's game against Cleveland, leave it in the comments section and I'll pick out a few to add to the interview.]
KB: The Bucks finished 6th in the East last season, but this year they’re 12 games under .500 and 3 1/2 games out of a playoff spot. What’s caused the team’s struggles so far this season?
Bucksketball: It’s nothing more complicated than an inability to make shots. Milwaukee’s last in the NBA in both offensive rating and field goal percentage — yes, even below the Cavs. It’s been a dreadful mix of players performing below their career averages, players not rebounding from injury and players not developing as the team had hoped.
KB: How do you think the Carmelo Anthony trade will change the Eastern Conference playoff race, if at all?
Bucksketball: This season, I don’t see it changing much. To me, this is a move that pays off in the future. Having two All-Stars and the allure of New York City makes the Knicks a destination again. I know the cap situation isn’t ideal, but I’m sure they will be able to figure something out. Free agents are going to be awfully interested in being a New York Knick for the first time in a long time.
KB: What impact do you think Michael Redd’s return will have on the Bucks?
Bucksketball: I think it will be limited. He’s coming off two major injuries to the same knee and showed some signs of slippage in each of the last two years anyway. He’s going to be relegated to a fairly minor bench role.
KB: Are the Bucks looking to make any moves before Thursday?
Bucksketball: If the Bucks make a move it won’t be significant, maybe a Chris Douglas-Roberts or Luc Mbah a Moute trade. Each of them will be a free agent after the season, and Mbah a Moute may draw enough interest that the Bucks wouldn’t want to match a deal he gets (he’ll be restricted).
KB: What else should Knick fans know about this team? What players we should look out for?
Bucksketball: Brandon Jennings seems to enjoy playing at the Garden. There was a lot of talk about how he wasn’t happy the Knicks passed him up. If Jennings gets hot, he can do a lot of damage. He can also miss a lot of shots and cause Bucks fans to pull their hair out, so we never know what to expect. Traditionally though, he’s the guy that should scare the Knicks.
Firsties. I’m pumped up!
Did you see how excited Turiaf looked in the tunnel? There’s something oddly comforting about that.
All I ask is for PLEASE no overreacting every time Melo misses a shot. lol
How about no overreaction period?
Nice to see Clyde dress up for the occasion.
Man, Hinrich is a notable upgrade over Bibby. Think Bibby’ll get cut by Washington?
Clyde’s sweating. He’s ready.
Does anyone have a non spanish feed link for online. I have a friend that doesn’t have LP that wants to watch
If we don’t win tonight I’M GIVING UP ON THE KNICKS FOREVER.
Oh, sorry about that.
Clyde styling and profiling tonight.
Lol I only see the spanish link too. Has the game even started yet?
Almost as exciting as T-Mac’s debut last year…
No way they cut him, but they could very well be willing to deal him. He’s also only got 1 year left on his contract. Obviously he’s never played in this kind of offense, but he can hit the 3 ball… Maybe Brewer and Azubuike for Bibby? If we can get it under the gun?
MSG broadcast FAIL. WTF is up with the audio??? Or is it just League Pass???
took a lot of careful editing to put together that intro clip
WTF, cut into commercial in the middle of the intros???
Ah, that was what I was unsure about. I thought he might have been expiring, which is why I thought they might waive him. Yeah, if he’s signed for another year, they’ll keep him or flip him.
Wow, that silent movie intro was really powerful! And then, how they cut to commercial right as the starting lineups were about to happen! NBA League Pass = worth every penny!
this is in english: http://www.soccertvlive.net/watch/51758/2/watch-new-york-knicks-vs-milwaukee-bucks.html
I hope these spanish guys shut up
I think the Oscar for best film editing should go to the guy who managed to cut out all the ex-Knicks from the pre-game highlight clip.
How long are we sporting the home blues anyway?
Nice rebound Gallo!… I mean Melo!
Turiaf throwing in the hook!
Sorry you guys with league pass had to miss the intros. They were amazing.
They stank on TV. No sound.
Billups with the patented pull-up 3pter in transition.
No way in a million tries Felton makes that pass.
Really? I heard it on msg. Weird.
Nice dish by Billups!
Billups to Amar’e for the And1!!
This Billups guy is good.
Amar’e too unselfish there. Gave up the open jumper to feed Melo in the post.
Now that he’s a Knick, I love that Billups pull up 3 in transition!
Rony is a little geeked tonight. 2nd foul.
Disagree. Melo’s gotta be jittery and I’m sure Amar’e just wants to get him involved early to settle him down.
Of course that’s exactly what d’antoni told them not to do.
Extra E from deep!
Excellent pass by Billups.
OMG LANDRY FIELDS FOREVER
GO NY GO NY GO
I know its early and we promised no overreaction, but damn Billups >>>>>>>> Felton.
Nice and 1 from CA.
Well, I don’t think that counts as an overreaction, Al. ;)
He looks like such a veteran and makes smart plays. We havent seen his demeanor on the knicks in a while.
Fields isnt athletic!!!!
Good start all around.
Though my feed video locks up like every 5 seconds, which is annoying as hell. (“And Chauncey holds the ball at the top of the key for 12 seconds!”)
Wow, this is what it looks like to have a smooth, calm, professional point guard. Haven’t seen one of these since Derek Harper was here.
I’m sorry, but Melo wearing #7 is kinda weirding me out…. With the height, the build, the headband, the…. never mind.
First time we see the Billups-TD backcourt.
It’s interesting to see how heavily D’Antoni is relying on Billups right off the bat.
Also, they really need to get a big man so Amar’e can get some rest.
Anyone know an internet feed? tried the one above, not working for me. PLEASSSSSSSSSSE!
hoola, there are four other feed links (just above the player box) on the page I posted. Did you try them all?
TD with a great 1st quarter.
So far so good. Kinda forgot how good Billups was. As for Melo, I’m a Syracuse alum and got league pass his rookie year to watch him, so I’ll get over it. As for the game TDDWTDD. Rebounding seems weak but a decent amount of steals by the always trusty eye test.
As much as I liked Ray, you have to believe Billups’ wisdom and experience bode much better for TD’s growth.
Thanks, I tried them all six times. Are you getting a good feed from that site?
One of the best parts about adding Melo is that it is officially the death of The Unit, as either he or Amar’e should be on the floor at all times (I at least hope this will be true).
R.I.P. to The Unit.
Melo is pressing. Slow down man. You don’t have to take every shot tonight. We expect you to have an adjustment period.
yeah, the first two worked but were stuttery. the third one is working well for me. Is it possible maybe you need to upgrade your flash player? If not, you could try searching twitter for “knicks feed”. You’ll get a ton of spammy links, but sometimes you find a good one.
Anthony is going to have to give up that midrange, . He’s good at it, but there are better shots to be had.
Any internet sites to watch the game – preferable one you don’t have to download anything?
oops HTML cut me off — anthony is gonna have to give up that midrange, pause, stare at opponent, fake left then right, then fall back with a jumpshot. He’s good at it, but there are better shots to be had.
HAHAHAHAHAHA
Clyde, when asked about The Pearl: “He’s the only man I ever dreamt about”
I’m not at all happy with losin Felton and Mozgov..but I guess I’m torn becuz I’m happy with havin 2 pretty much unstoppable scorers. Hopefully this means both stat and melo can focus more on defense and rebounding and movin the ball since theoretically they won’t hafta go so hard so often with scoring. Side note: I been runnin around all day in anticipation 4 tonite’s game remixin Black and Yellow..singin “Stat and Melo” lol. Anywayz..watchin this game leads me 2 2 major thoughts.
1) If I were Herb Williams, I would lock Turiaf in a basement 4 two days with nothin 2 do but watch Oakley film. With Stat and Melo out there we REALLY need that enforcer. Turi’s more than capable of doin so. He’s big and strong with a bonus- he blocks shots. Now when I say enforcer I don’t mean a dominating paint presence ala Mutombo. It would be great if he could, but I’m thinkin of a hard fouling, getting in the face (somehow) of the defender who takes cheap shots at the big guns.
2) We need to trade Brewer for a big if possible and waive Azu and sign Barron. Roster complete..for now. Or move Brewer for a pick, waive Azu and sign Murphy when he hits the market and Barron. If at all possible. Hell i’d even see if find a taker for Billups becuz there’s no way he’s gonna be able to pull the minutes Felton was playin. However, if he holds up- he will be a tremendous asset for Douglas’ development as a PG.
Energy has lulled a bit.
I am guessing for the Knicks to have success they are going to need STAT to register a bit more than the zero rebounds per game he currently has.
Refs doing a great job keeping the Bucks in the game. That plus constant wide-open 3′s for the Bucks.
14 minutes no rebounds for STAT…. looks like he might wind up being the third leading rebounder on the team- pathetic
Milwaukee not missing from three right now.
Worst shooting team in the NBA scoring at will now.
In a certain way, I like D’Antoni a lot as the coach of this new roster. The one thing he won’t compromise on is ball movement, and that’s what the Knicks are going to have to work on. Obviously you can’t judge anything from this first game, but Anthony and to a lesser degree stoudemire are going to have to reform.
One thing to like so far…
Lots of cutters and movement. Fields and Turiaf are making themselves available.
Those so-and-sos don’t hit against anyone but us, do they?
First game together hiccups, but I like what Billups is bringing. Anthony is pressing a bit on offense, but he does board.
I agree. He’s never going to get them to play defense, but he’s got a good shot of convincing them to move the ball.
FREE BALKMAN
That’s a pattented billups move right there.
Billups: Coloradan for “savvy”.
Balkman is inactive.
Are we entirely sure Balkman knows where he is right now?
If he doesn’t play in this game, he probably won’t play much. He can hang out with Roj.
Jesus Christ, more senseless fouling by the Knicks.
You get that Anthony Carter and Roger Mason are on the roster, right?
Bucks 17 for 20 from FT in the 1st half.
Toney Douglas has really been putting it together lately, I gotta say.
All things considered that half could have been a lot worse. Highlight was the quality of play from billups and (surprisingly) TD.
At intermission from the play – yes, I’m that much of a die-hard. How’s Melo look?
Denver was ‘energized’ last night, and Turiaf and TD seem pumped tonight.
At first glance (on League Pass) I thought Melo and Billups were giving a second presser at halftime.
I was like, “what the…?”
Shaky offensively so far. 5 for 14 for 14 pts. Does have 5 rebs and 2 stls.
Melo looks ok- shooting is horrible but looks like he at least cares on defense. Also I get the feeling he will have a big second half. starting midway through the 3rd.
Scuffling on offense. Volume (14 FGAs) but no efficiency (5 FGM). He has boarded (5), gotten to the line, and has a couple steals. He’s clearly nervous but I can see where this could work. Melo and Stoudamire don’t look uncomfortable on the floor together imo.
Heading back for act two. Go nix!
Yeah the stupid NBATV half-time stuff on League Pass. Wouldve liked to have seen the Legends stuff at half-time.
about the deron trade, wow nets stole that….why didn’t we trade for deron instead of ‘melo, at least deron won’t go 5/14 in the first half.
because utah wouldnt have made the trade and he will sign w/ the knicks after next season anyhow.
That is hilarious. Melo looks a like he did in denver, except he’s missed a few gimmes. He is holding the ball too much, but he has also gotten to the rim a few times off spin moves. Yet to see him in the Chandler/Gallo role where he is playing off the ball. Hopefully that happens more often after a practice or two.
Don’t you guys get the MSG feed with League Pass? I have both the Nuggets and Knicks feeds on separate channels with DirecTV.
yeah fair enough, utah may not have traded for him, but gallo/chandler/felton is a better package than favors/harris
the draft picks from the nets i guess were the clincher. he’s not going to sign with the knicks anyways, he won’t play for 5 million.
Melo is pressing because he’s nervous, but has caused some disruptions on the defensive end. Billups is straight good and already making a difference.
Yeah seems like the Nets got D Will for peanuts compared to what we payed for Melo. I think he’s at least as good as Melo and probably a better fit for the Knicks.
lol…I almost forgot
that bucket is the start of a melo hot streak
with teh dwill thing you are looking at it as knicks fans. denver almost took that same crap package over what the knicks gave.
Yeah that’s what I mean… why was Denver so interested in the Nets’ offer??? And now Utah trades arguably the best PG in the league for the same garbage… am I missing something here???
wow we’re going to lose to the fucking bucks, and they can’t even score. fucking melo, god.
ww007 you are missing that teams value draft picks really high. They value them from awful teams more then known products because they are all convinced they are smarter then everyone else and they will find the next jordan.
TheXman, and I hope I speak for more than myself, remember not to overreact.
Dwill is much better than Melo and would’ve helped the Knicks much more. Melo is overrated, overrated, overrated. He better start working his ass off this summer and actually prove he is a “top 5″ player.
Hope you’re all prepared for a few years of
6-17, 16 pts.
Settle down sweetheart
I think we can put to bed the notion that felton is a better passer than billups.
only bright spot is billups, billups was the best player in the trade. i miss chandler/gallo.
Also, THCJ, no one wants to hear it.
Either you’re prepared to let less than one game serve as statistical confirmation of your own negative take on, well, everything, or you simply want to be heard being negative. Neither option is very interesting.
Delfino looks like a villain from the original Star Trek
no i am prepared for this to be the whiny bitch board for a few weeks
Amen
idk I thought the fact that we were winning despite the major roster shakeup a day ago was kind of a bright spot.
We cannot rebound for shit.
Yeah even though the Bucks are not good, just the fact that this game is close is a feat in itself. It’s very difficult to adjust to such a huge roster change with NO PRACTICE.
That being said, it would be nice if the Knicks would actually guard one of the worst offensive teams in the league.
Anyone else think the all star break was good for toney? He has been hurt pretty kuch all season.
TDWTDD – “don’t you forget about me”
Toney came to play
Can we assume maybe Toney’s his shoulders are feeling better after the all star break rest he had?
Watching the Legends halftime tribute, I feel bad that Felton and Mosgov never had a chance to see it. Then again, I guess it would’ve been pretty pointless for them to see it and then get traded like the next day lol
I know I’ve brought this up before, but I’m gonna do it again. We all know our D isn’t the best. But I’ve heard it said from innumerable people that the rims at MSG are some of the softest in the league. If that’s true, doesn’t that sort of negate the edge that’s supposed to be had by an affective SSOL offense? Maybe we should tighten them a hair?
yeah. I also think not having anyone to really yank him for is helping his confidence….oh and him shooting out of his mind.
How much sleep do you think Melo has had in the past 4-5 days? fellas, give the guy a break…he will get it together…
I would love to see Melo take over here. This is one big advantage to having him. He can let Billups and STAT sit.
Keyon Dooling…
Hard to judge from that short stretch. But that was exactly what I was hoping for. STAT and Billups are still on the bench and now we’re up by 9.
lol
did we even have any leverage demanding others besides williams and balkman? I mean would’ve been great if we could’ve snared affalo or birdman.
Shooters have got to make these shots.
I feel like you’re being just as negative (in a different way) by attacking a negative opinion. I prefer maxing and chilaxing.
Did they seriously just blast Hoosiers over the PA?
Maybe it’s just because I watch the Knicks so much, but it seems like more than any other team in the NBA, we give up 8-10 point leads incredibly quickly.
And in a somewhat related story…
AR DNP in Minny tonite.
Now that was a good defensive sequence.
as opposed to that one, which has been far more typical.
Nice to see billups giving td some pointers. Also Stat doesnt get to the line those times without Melo on the court. Nice to see that even when hes missing hes making a difference offemsively.
Well on a positive note, then, TDDWTDD!
Did not like how Carmelo dogged it there when they didn’t call a foul on his drive….
“Nice to see billups giving td some pointers.”
You mean like “make every shot you take, and it’ll really help the team a lot” lol
its awesome seeing td play like this
lol melo, wow, miss gallo
Haha yeah, though i was specifically talking about after the poor defensive rotation.
Stat fouls out, and I’m not concerned about the lead.
That’s a new advantage brought by Melo.
SCREW THE HATERS!
Go Melo!!!
Here in the last minute of the game–
Stat: dumb. Melo: clutch.
What a game…
Billups and Melo deliver.
Btw – in teh boxscore on nba.com, it actually does say “she. williams”. sorry if someone mentioned that already.
Also – There’s your FT shooter =)
Wow – Fields with a really rare mistake.
Flashback to Reggie Miller?
Reggie Miller lives!
Even when Douglas isn’t shooting 9/11 I think we’re going to see a lot of this lineup – when Billups can’t stay in front of the opposing PG, which is a lot of the time, TD will be our only option. Meanwhile this small front line will be the only way to get our three other best players on the court at the same time…
@DWill, even after thinking about it more I have the same take – the Nets’ package was as good or better (in terms of players – we also saved the Nuggets $17 million) – and they didn’t even get the guy to sign an extension. I”m no fan of the Melo trade but the Nets’ move was pure panic. Of course if he re-signs it will look better but I’d guess odds are against it.
Unless all these owners know something, and feel pretty sure a franchise tag is coming. In that case, it’s smoke ‘em while you’ve got ‘em.
11 points in the 4th for Melo, including a key dunk, a tough clutch jumper and two free throws in the last minute. He also grabbed a huge rebound after Fields’ boneheaded turnover and Dooling’s miss for 3.
Melo played great at the end of the game, no question.
Hmm… maybe this Melo and Billups thing can work out after all. Still miss the old guys though…
not quite. But everything about that inbounds played out exactly the same except the shot was off. Freaky shit.
melo scores 11 pints in the 4th, they win after a huge roster shakeup with no practice, and you guys are missing Chandler and gallo. That’s pretty funny stuff
I’d say that went about as well as it could have.
Everyone but our center and our power forward rebounded pretty well tonight. Not traditional, but it worked.
Is it funny to miss players who played their heart out while they were here? I don’t think so.
I still think they could’ve gotten Melo for less but I guess that’s a moot point now.
Billups is still a stud. We’ve got all the pieces except a great post defender, which we’ll need for the playoffs. Any ideas?
lol yeah this is the contrarian method of rebounding
Toney was awesome tonight, and I really love his hounding D, it really does seem to disrupt the other team’s offensive flow. If he keeps it up (not necessarily 80% FG of course) that would be a huge plus for this team.
Earl Barron isn’t pretty — or good at basketball — but he might have to do. And I still think we have a shot at Troy Murphy. Obviously won’t help with the D, but adds another outside threat off the bench.
Field’s turnover was a miscommunication between him and the very new point guard.
I have a feeling that TO was on both him and Billups, IMHO.
@163 Billups is so much better than Felton, it’s ridiculous.
I liked gallo as much as anyone but Please, the comments like “lol melo, miss gallo” are silly. As if Gallo was some sort of perfect player.
Melo with the double-double.
Looks like you critics forgot about Chauncey’s rebounding.
And I have to admit, when Amare fouled out. I didn’t feel any sense of panic. I looked at my son and said don’t worry, melo and Billups are out there. :)
knicks TS%: 61.7% against one of the top defensive teams in the NBA without having a single practice. NY’s average TS% is 55.9%. I think that’s promising.
For reference, their game earlier this season against the bucks, their TS% was 48.1%. The 114 points by the knicks is the second most points the Bucks have given up this seasons.
Obviously the fact that we only won by 6 is as troubling as the offense was promising. We did a pretty terrible at closing out on the 3 and committed numerous stupid fouls. Overall, we allowed the bucks a TS% of 56.2%, nearly 6% above their season’s average.
I will say, one thing I was really pissed about with this trade, was Felton for Billups. I fucking loved little Felt. Now, however, I’ve gotta say that Billups is impressive. He’s older, we’ll have him less than two years, but man is he a cool cucumber. So that’s at least one part of the deal that, for the moment, I feel better about.
@171 have to agree. That was a nice feeling.
Obviously felton can do some things that billups cant. But even someone who has never watched basketball would be able to tell that billups is the superior player.
I still miss seeing Gallo in a NYK uniform from a fans standpoint – Loved the guy but damn is it fantastic seeing Carmelo grab 10 boards hopefully it becomes a trend because we desperately need it. He may have struggled shooting throughout but he came on strong late in the 4th hitting some big shots and of course had 10 boards as well as seemed somewhat interested on the defensive end
Yeah, I mean our problems are still kind of what they’ve always been: defensive and rebounding.
But our offense, pre-Melo, Billups, could still get seriously flustered in stretches. That particular issue, I think is a thing of the past.
Billups game really reminds me of Clyde alot.
and I also didnt lose confidence when STAT went out – I was fully confident in Melo and Chauncy leading us to the W
Knicks should end the night 4 games out of 5th place.
Billlups showed a lot of poise down the stretch. I think he will be a good influence. Sweet behind the back pass to Amare too.
Stat seemed out of sorts at the end, that offensive foul with lots of time left on the shot clock was incredibly stupid and the T could have cost us the game. Also, why is Fields giving up the baseline when Amar’e has 5 fouls?
Shawne’s D and overall effort were key for us tonight.
I think that Billups’ most important task is to get Melo and Amar’e on the same page. He has the stature to do it, and from what I saw tonight, I’m glad it’s him and not Felton with that job.
The Heat would have won that game by 30.
And don’t give me the whole, “But they’re not LeBron and Wade!” deal. They’re making more than the three of them.
My problems with Felton were always the mental side of the game. His confidence always felt paper thin. His reaction to the trade made me feel bad for him because it seemed so…vulnerable.
And he was prone to mental errors in important moments. Generally, with Billups I never feel like he’s going to do something stupid.
You know, when the camera draws back and i squint a little, he looks like Derek Harper. :)
Not a great night for Amare. Melo had a nice game but 25 shots to get 27 points…I hope that improves.
Z-man:
Exactly what I was trying to say, but much better.
Billups is a huge, huge piece of this trade. I love the way he plays.
Ben Wallace?
Jeez, Latke, could you chill for just a moment? I think we all knew this would be a tough game for numerous reasons, and getting the W is all that matters. And you’re criticizing the Knicks for the Bucks TS%? Wow
http://espn.go.com/blog/truehoop/post/_/id/25292/sources-jonny-flynn-on-market
Obviously if TD can consistently play half as well as he played tonight, this MIGHT become moot, but: am I the only one who isn’t ready to deem Jonny Flynn a bust? I know a backup C is a more pressing need at this point, but I wonder if he could be had for a couple of our expirings….
Not bad for a start! Obviously TD was huge but 114 points when neither Melo or Billups shoot well and Amar’e sitting a lot with foul trouble is pretty impressive. And against a very good defensive too!
One thing I noticed from both Carmelo & Billups was diagonal passing- something that has been all too rare for the Knicks. Also, how many times did Bogut turn his head to find Melo leaving Amar’e or Turiaf open inside- maybe there’s some truth to that Nate Silver article about Melo improving other guys TS%- I sure hope so!
It was just an observation. I wasn’t saying the problem was unfixable or even a real problem. Did you want me to draw a picture of Carmelo Anthony riding a unicorn instead?
At least for one game, Melo’s rep as a 4th quarter savior was furthered. Considering the hype, he and Billups came up big.
TD with a career game, hope that is part of a trend.
Did you not just watch the same game I did? Our unbelievably atrocious perimeter defense played huge role in the Bucks’ high TS%. That said, this was a problem before. As Denny Green said: they are who we thought they were.
Yes.
Sheldon Williams
Would love to see us get Camby somehow before the deadline.
I think we face a tough time with the opposing team has a big center who can play. Amare is going to have trouble, especially when Turiaf gets two quick fouls.
Turiaf needs to figure out a way to dial back just a bit. His first two fouls were kind of dumb. They clearly were fouls. I love his verve, but he needs to play smarter. If he can’t be out there, he puts enormous defensive pressure on Amare.
I know Amare has some O fouls, but we don’t have bigs, so Turiaf needs to be on top of his game. He needs to play more carefully.
On D I thought Carmelo actually pretty good- Fields had an absolutely horrible game- had trouble getting over screens, poor rotations, gave up way too much penetration… and the Bucks really went at him repeatedly. And I’d guess that neither Billups nor Melo were completely clear on rotations so way too many open threes but that’s not the toughest thing to fix.
not sure if i saw a lot of success off the pnr with billups, i thought the D was all right at some points, Shawne Williams had some really good active D, 3rd qtr and early 4th some really good help. TD was player of the game.
Amare with some terrible charges, and bad bball IQ with that last one. Thank god we won.
Frank O, excellent point. Rebounding obviously still a problem. But perimeter shooting D needs to be excused for one night since it was obvious there were some switching communication problems that perhaps a practice or two might improve on.
Btw, Jennings basically stinks, clearly the uproar about not drafting him was way overblown.
Was at the game– crazy loud during the intros but pretty dead until the end of the fourth.
Defense was just horrible but I think that can be blamed on no one knowing where they were supposed to be/rotate to.
The offense though– granted toney had a career game, but the Bucks are a pretty reasonable defensive team and we shot 50% from the field, 90% from the line– and all with no one having any idea what they were doing. Really looked like playground basketball out there at times.
I thought extra e was pretty good especially in the 3rd. Bill walker looks like he has new legs- really was trying hard on D. But I think we are going to need Shelden Williams to play like he did in 09-10 if we are going to have any chance against good teams. Our inside defense is just horrible.
If we can free up a roster spot, Earl Barron would definetly help.
Knicks actually outrebounded the Bucks 43-40 tonight.
You know, I just read through this blog, and I have to say…respectfully, some folks are not fair.
Game one, and people didn’t even hold off. I mean, let’s take a moment and think.
Bucks aren’t great, but they have been a team for 50 games or so.
For the Knicks, Melo and Billups traveled across country, Billups leaving his family behind, barely got any sleep, went through all kinds of paperwork, introductions, several interviews, finding the fucking bathrooms and home locker rooms, didn’t even get a practice, and played with guys who the last few times they met had tough, tough games against each other, and managed to pull out a win.
So please. At least wait a few games, maybe a few weeks, before you start passing harsh judgments.
And it doesn’t get easier. Within a week they still have to play Miami and Orlando within a day of each other.
I think we all need a break from some of the mood swings and I told you sos, IMHO.
And by the way, the Bucks have beaten the knicks 4 straight…and the Knicks go the win, and Melo and Billups were steady and got the win.
Yeah, to read the blog, you’d have thought they were outrebounded by 20.
Are you being serious?
There are a few people here who will never say a good thing about Melo and this team no matter what so unfortunately we have to just get used to it.
Well, 29 wins. That’s how many they won last year too. Only now they have 27 more games to play. Hooray for that.
He’s a solid rebounder and post defender. At this point, I’d rather have him than Ben Wallace. Anyone they add is only going to get spot minutes anyway. People are looking at Williams and Carter as throw-ins, but I don’t think the Knicks can add anyone better at those positions right now. Donnie is alot smarter than people think.
People here are generally reasonable and fair-minded, not a lot of trolls, and if they are trolls Mike K. does a good job about moving them along.
But find myself finding value in a lot of people. If I didn’t I wouldn’t have written something like that.
But I think a lot of folks got attached to the young guys the Knicks had. I think some folks were disappointed. I think it’s been frustrating. So I get how they feel. I was one who thought the Knicks gave too much.
But I have to appreciate Billups grit and melo’s explosiveness. The Knicks won tonight largely because of them. Of the old guard, TD was the only guy who played a great game. Amare did not play great.
I can’t emphasize enough how important Billups is. This is the beauty of Donnie. He gets the star, but he brings in a consummate pro to manage it all. Love Billups game and his after game interview showed how smart he is.
@204 Amen to that Frank O. I was nervous about this game, thinking that Melo might force the issue a little and we would be really out of sync at both ends. And against a pretty good defensive and disciplined team like the Bucks (who always have our number to begin with), that could have been a recipe for a loss. Fortunately, of all people, TD was the difference between a W and an L.
Overall, I’ll take the win, period.
I was against the deal as it went down, and was on record as saying that we gave up 2 pieces too many (imo, Mozgov and the #1 pick.)
Alas, the trade is done, and for better or for worse, this is our team. My advice to myself and all others here: deal with it. Bitching and moaning isn’t bringing Gallo, or Moz, or AR, or our #1 back, or going to lower our salary numbers. How many times do the same people need to say basically the same things over and over?
Actually, Melo, Billups, and Amare were the difference. Cause thats what happens when you have 3 guys you have to guard and look to double team. A fourth guy falls through the cracks and kills you. Like Douglas’ offensive board late – thats freed up by bogut having to move out far from the basket to look for Melo. And he had to do that cause the last time they didnt double, he went right by someone (salmons?) for an easy dunk. And they cant bring the guard down to double cause that leaves Billups open. It all makes sense. Which is why you go out and get that lethal scorer. I maintain my prior assessment that in 3 years everyone will look at this deal like it was a steal for the Knicks. Amazingly, this team is one decent rebounder/defensive minded big away from legitimately being a contender for the NBA Championship.
Man, Taj Gibson and Dejuan Blair are both 4th and 5th in defensive rating in the WHOLE LEAGUE and both were 2nd round picks. Could use one of those guys right now.
Actually, everyone outside of those on this board think it already is a steal. But the board will come around. And if there is a franchise tag or something similar in the new CBA, this will be one of the great trades in Knicks franchise history.
Wow, THCJ..really? we win and the only thing you can say is “the heat would have won the game by 30″ the negativity is perplexing….Go Knicks!!!!
Last time the heat played the “Brewers”, they won by six whole points, in overtime. And they’ve barely scored 100 points in any of their three games vs the Mighty Bucks ;)
Barring injury, Knicks can contend right now.
In case I came off as a negative nelly, I’d like to make it clear I thought tonight was a good overall showing by the knicks. Not great, but probably a little better than I expected. Chauncey Billups is good.
The defense and rebounding will (as many have pointed out) probably continue to be problematic, but we can hide it better. We have a chance to be the #1 offense (as opposed to #7 right now).
No matter what, it’s one game. Defenses will adjust, and our offense will develop; our defense should also improve. Overall, it’s one game against a team that is very atypical of the NBA, with no practice time. It doesn’t really say much at all in terms of how we might look by the end of the season.
loving Billups, when was the last time we had a PG who actually dribbled with so much of a consistent purpose? he reminded me of NY-era Derek Harper.
j a, I see the similarity, although I think that Billups is a much better perimeter shooter while Harper was probably a tougher/quicker defender; the pace was much slower back then so it’s hard to compare. Clearly Billups is a significant upgrade over Felton, unless he wears down like the guy Mike K interviewed in a previous thread suggests he might.
Billups is better but Derek Harper is a great comp, style-wise. The 80s were a lot easier to play D for those big guys, tho.
One takeaway from tonight – sometimes we forget – basketball is not football. Set plays and game planning are way overrated. Yes, some practice time will help smooth things out but this game isn’t rocket science.
Not ready to call the Knicks a contender, tho :)
Funny, as I write this, the studio host on ESPN is saying, “JUst like any contending team…”
Ah well, they’re undefeated so far.
@204 Frank O – That was perfectly stated – I think this team is only going to improve and this was not a bad start at all considering the circumstances….. A win is a win no matter what its all that really matters
flynn had surgery to repair a tear in his hip labrum this past summer. the labrum is cartilage that lines and rims the acetabulum where the femoral head fits into the hip socket. it’s a pretty big deal for a guy that makes his living changing direction with explosion.
a-rod had a similar procedure in the winter of 2009 and look how much range he has lost moving to his left.
javale mc gee is the fellow you are looking for…..
Holy crap, Clippers dealt Baron Davis and their 2011 first rounder to Cleveland for Mo Williams and Jamario Moon!!
It’s a good deal for the Cavs in theory, but how the heck is Baron Davis not going to sulk in Cleveland?
Mark Cuban had an interesting point about the Hornets taking on salary to add Carl Landry. With them being owned by the NBA itself, the extra money they take on is paid by the other teams. I think he’s just mad because Landry would have worked well on the Mavs, but still, it’s an interesting point.
One woud think that the draft pick would be very valuable, no?
Lot of Derek Harper references last night.
Caleb…? You’re being funny.
Now cut it out. It’s confusing. :)