I wish someone could freeze frame when Nate jumped and Shaq grabbed him around the waist. It looked like a Dad trying to control his hyperactive toddler.

players make hundreds of decisions all game long, each of which can cost their team 2 or 3 points and “perhaps the game”, by that logic. I had zero problem with that T, and like I said, was glad to see Nate come to the aid of a teammate who’d just been borderline cheap shotted.

I think we can agree to disagree about whether this specific tech was a good one or not.

In my opinion, the thing that prevents Nate from reaching his full potential as a player is his immaturity. There are pluses and minuses to his passion. However, there are other passionate players in the league that don’t allow their emotions to impact their decisions in a negative way as often as Nate.

My original point was that getting up in the face (or chest) of an opponent when you are on the sidelines is an example of the type of emotion he needs to control better and channel in a positive direction. As it is now, he can’t be totally trusted in critical situations because one easily avoidable emotional poor decision at crunch time can be the difference between winning and losing at the highest level of this sport.

From the NY Post:

To be honest with you, that’s why you don’t have concealed weapons, ’cause I’d have shot him at that point,” D’Antoni said yesterday.

“So probably I didn’t like it. No, he doesn’t need to get a technical at that point. We’re not good enough to give away points. Now I do like his feistiness, but he just needs to channel it in the right way. And he knows that.”

players make hundreds of decisions all game long, each of which can cost their team 2 or 3 points and “perhaps the game”, by that logic. I had zero problem with that T, and like I said, was glad to see Nate come to the aid of a teammate who’d just been borderline cheap shotted.

Great point, Jon. I’d never really thought about it that way, but it’s true. Nate costs the Knicks a lot more points when he’s on the court than he does jabbering from the sidelines.

haha, come on. he played well yesterday, although admittedly for the first time in a while, he was also one of our best players for the first part of the season.

I don’t know how anyone can be a Knicks fan in 2009 and not have Nate be one of your three or four favorite players. no made basket in last night’s game was as entertaining as Nate fronting Shaq like an overeager puppy whose owner just came home after a week away.

players make hundreds of decisions all game long, each of which can cost their team 2 or 3 points and “perhaps the game”, by that logic. I had zero problem with that T, and like I said, was glad to see Nate come to the aid of a teammate who’d just been borderline cheap shotted.

Great point, Jon. I’d never really thought about it that way, but it’s true. Nate costs the Knicks a lot more points when he’s on the court than he does jabbering from the sidelines.

players make hundreds of decisions all game long, each of which can cost their team 2 or 3 points and “perhaps the game”, by that logic. I had zero problem with that T, and like I said, was glad to see Nate come to the aid of a teammate who’d just been borderline cheap shotted.

I see N8 as similiar to Starks in this respect: You cannot seperate the good parts of their game from the bad. The emotions are what make them unique.

I remember watching the Starks/Miller head butt and wanting to kill John . But its that emotion and fiestiness that made him an NBA player. I hope N8 figures out that coming off the bench and screaming in an opposing players face after an and1 is bad form……but at the same time I thought it was awesome. I’m still getting used to seeing our bench support each other instead of sulking aroiund with towels on their heads.

I hate the way every T is deemed a bad play, I blame Mike Breen’s incessant stating of that over the years brainwashing viewers on this topic. I thought it was great to see Nate sticking up for Lee like that, so what if it cost them a point.

I think it’s fine to stick up for your teamates, but foolish to take a technical foul like that one in a close game. D’Antoni ripped him “new one” after that play. They could have easily lost a game like that by one point or wound up in OT when the game should have been over.

Perhaps there are times when the coach or even a player should get pissed off enough to take a “T”. Perhaps it can change the emotions of the team and even the momentum of the game. Perhaps it can even sway future calls from the officials. I do not know. But I think whoever is getting the “T” better make sure he knows what he is doing otherwise he is costing his team a point and perhaps the game. That can’t be a good thing.

Robinson is great to watch when he goes on one of his tears like last night. But he’s too out of control to have on the court at the end of a close game. Defense is an issue, but at this stage it’s more about his ability to make good decisions.

It wasn’t late in the game, but the technical foul illustrates the point. Lee took a hard hit from Amare, but there was no reason for Robinson to take a tech. He still hasn’t matured out of that macho mentality. In the end, it didn’t matter, but it could have. And I am certain if it had occurred with one minute left in the game he would have done the same thing.

He’s way too emotional.

When he gets hot, he also loses control over his shot selection and makes foolish passes because the adrenalin is pumping and he feels the momentum.

Personally, I don’t he’s ever going to mature. His game is what it is and in my opinion he can’t be trusted in crunch time.