Just sitting at home on a Sunday watching the NBA playoffs on TNT, the conversation in the Atlanta studio quickly shifted from LeBron James and the Cavs to Kenny Smith and the New York Knicks.
After several failed attempts, Ernie Johnson continued to try and pry some info out of Kenny Smith, “Will you confirm the newspaper report from Frank Isola that you will be meeting with Donnie Walsh this week?”
“It’s a good possibility,” Smith finally replied with a not so coy smile, after dancing around other related questions through semantics. Walsh probably knows by now, evasiveness can be a great benefit to any incumbent Knicks GM. Kenny Smith is another former point guard that has two NBA championship rings.
Charles Barkley chimed in predictably, “Hey, let me tell you something. The first thing you do if you [become] GM, go get Benny Hinn. Only God can help that team!”
“No coach, no GM…” Barkley rambled on.
{ 3 comments… read them below or add one }
Knicks are a losing team because they have been very selfish players out there on the basketball floor, and they absolutely refused to recognized this. They played the very same way all throughout the season and never once thought to change, to make themselves better, to make their teammates better. Jamal Crawford could have led our team to glory, he had a great opportunity to do so with his special gifts and his dribble penetration; In my opinion he could have scored less points and pile up the assists. He has the ability to break defenses down and never did so. He and teammates should have set up a plan just to make easy baskets distribute the ball in the paint after the defense was in shambles. Knicks first option was always to shoot the ball, never recognizing double teams, never acknowledging their teams mates, Never making it a team game.
I am watching the playoffs too, These winning teams are awesome I see their point guards confident never gives up the dribble, making crisp passes and teams are making easy baskets.
Knicks have many talented players, Coach Thomas never knew how to used them. He was not a confident leader and live every day as coach in fear. Our New Coach must understand the talents of our players, and used them accordingly, Know our guys, they love the game and want to play for the fans but they need proper guidance.
I am so pissed at my team.
Syd
Good to read you back, even if for a second. I also felt Thomas was coaching with fear and the internal conflict of a conflict in interest between his GM and Coaching hats, and the ultimatum to carry out the Mandate he had given coming in- e.g., Knicks’ can’t rebuild they will retool and make the playoffs.
That didn’t happen, and as he, Thomas, felt the media scrutiny, he settled on playing his big numbers players- those who are primarily scorers- w/o balancing the team on the floor with glue guys, hustle players– who by the way were primarily the younger gems he had drafted.
Thomas in the end was a solid evaluator of talent, but he underestimated the commitment he would get from the guys he traded for- most notably and notoriously Marbury, and to a lesser extent Curry (a docile personality who wilted next to the stronger personality of Z-Bo- much like Eli Manning gave way to Shockey, when Eli was clearly the pivotal player who needed the positive shine.
Keep on keeping on Syd, and check out your brothers on KnicksFanatics. Your info sessions are dearly missed.
Peace out!
yeah syd, despite everything you’ve just written, check out the fanatics if you miss a stark contrast in opinion to that of your own.