Team Cancer Requires Leadership

[fullermd]

Maybe some of you guys are aware of, I travelled to OKC last weekend to support the Knicks, and came back with the analysis that Amare Stoudamire had quit on the team. I am sure that when he had visions of the $100Million payday, winning was also somewhere in it. However, after seeing last night when Melo and the rest of the team looked him off in the 4th quarter and OT, and he apparently didn't even want the ball, I am convinced that his attitude, actions, character, limited big-man skills, and contract make him perpetually untradeable and a cancer to the TEAM.

Couple of closing thoughts on this:

1. I witnessed Amare quit on the Suns in the Western Conference Finals/Semi's two years ago, just before he came to NY. He quit, and it was obvious--cost them a trip to the Finals IMO. So, I was concerned when he came here. Now, it is obvious to me, and some of you that he has quit here as well...atleast for the time being. If we can see it now, Dantoni saw it weeks ago. This is a serious issue, because when your highest paid players/player shut(s)-down on the team, the end is near for that team. Cancer has set in.

2. But, this is where the LEADER of the team, the coach is required to come in with (LEADERSHIP) and bring Everyone into the fold, on one accord, as a TEAM, not a bunch of individuals (especially not disgruntled individuals). Basketball being a TEAM sport, requires a manager/leader that can make a TEAM out of the individual players he has. Dantoni has historically and is currently failing at that miserably. IMO, he has been the source of much of the discord, inter-conflict on the squad....(remember Nate sitting for 14games straight, for no obvious reason, Randolph getting no burn, etc..., he doesn't bring people together IMO, favortism and vindettas are staples in his coacing style). Now, I see him as quitting on the team, because he really didn't want to trade for Melo, which is understandable. But, YOU ARE THE COACH, and you traded for a HOF player, do your job and create a team from what you have, OR PHYSICALLY LEAVE. DON'T LEAVE THE TEAM MENTALLY, BUT STAY PHYSICALLY JUST TO GET PAID!

3. It is inconceivable to me how a coach can have two star players and NOT figure out how to get the maximum from their skill sets to make the TEAM successful? Yes, we've got culture issues in NY Basketball, but coaches, good ones, change team cultures. George Carl in Seattle and Denver, Pop in San Antoni, Phil Jackson in Chicago, and NOW Doug Collins in Philadelphia. We need a coach that can make a TEAM out of the individual talent that we have. FIRE Dantoni.

[NoMoreThrees]

it starts at the top and the head is rotten

[alphad0gz]

Although you could be right, it is completely ignorant to assume a good coach can take any two stars and make them play well together. Sometimes, the pieces just don't fit. Sometimes a change in the system will help and sometimes the pieces have to be changed. Just a fact.

BTW, you should choose another term instead of chemotherapy. That's a treatment for an insidious, life or death disease. It has nothing to do with the play of a sports team. Bad analogy.

[CanadianKnicksFan]

Bad analogy? More like horrible analogy, especially since I had 2 loved ones die from cancer over the last month.

[NySpartan4]

Although you could be right, it is completely ignorant to assume a good coach can take any two stars and make them play well together. Sometimes, the pieces just don't fit. Sometimes a change in the system will help and sometimes the pieces have to be changed. Just a fact.

BTW, you should choose another term instead of chemotherapy. That's a treatment for an insidious, life or death disease. It has nothing to do with the play of a sports team. Bad analogy.

+1

[NySpartan4]

Please change the heading. Thank You.

[fullermd]

Apologize to those of you that were offended. Title changed.... However, take the time to read the OP. Fixed.

[fullermd]

Although you could be right, it is completely ignorant to assume a good coach can take any two stars and make them play well together. Sometimes, the pieces just don't fit. Sometimes a change in the system will help and sometimes the pieces have to be changed. Just a fact.

BTW, you should choose another term instead of chemotherapy. That's a treatment for an insidious, life or death disease. It has nothing to do with the play of a sports team. Bad analogy.

It is not "ignorant" to have the perspective that a good coach can take whatever individual players that he has and get them to play as a team, rather than selfish individuals....

Even if you have a bunch of selfish players that don't want to win, which we DO NOT HAVE, a good coach will transform the culture of that team to get their values geared toward the success of the whole rather than just the individual. That is referred to as Transformational Leadership my friend. Coaches like the ones I mentioned (and there are others), employ this type of leadership, with expert authority to change the culture in the locker room, and cynergize a group of individual players into good/great teams.

Coaching is not just about X's and O's, which we lack. It is about LEADING A GROUP OF MEN. We don't have A LEADER OF MEN at the helm of our team. Until he is replaced, the team will not be successful.

[denterprise]

I get the point you are trying to make but your heading and analogy detracts from your message. I do agree we need strong leadership. During turmoil leadership must emerge from the top or form from the ranks.

[fullermd]

I get the point you are trying to make but your heading and analogy detracts from your message. I do agree we need strong leadership. During turmoil leadership must emerge from the top or form from the ranks.

Well taken...changed post title.
However, leadership is needed not just in time of turmoil, but all the time. It has to be the benchmark of any organization, for it to be successful.

[digitaldropoff]

[quote="CanadianKnicksFan"]Bad analogy? More like horrible analogy, especially since I had 2 loved ones die from cancer over the last month.[/quote

A few thoughts.....first, sorry for your loss. Second, can you name anyone who hasn't lost someone to cancer? In this day in age, knowing someone who's lost someone to cancer is about as common as knowing someone who's heard Tim Tebow.....everyone is affected. Third, the title, while it may be insensitive to the recently wounded, fits perfectly with what the poster is saying. Fourth, freedom of speech. As someone who has lost his father on Christmas of all days, I despise having to walk on eggshells talking about it to those who are also at a loss. Cancer being as common as it is, makes it an easy comparison to make an analogy for other everyday things...such as basketball. Cringing at the words or thoughts surrounding cancer doesn't make things better, and I applaud those who oppose this thought.

[DocZaius]

why would Amare want to quit on this team?

He's got 3 more years after this of this chit

[LINIZALLSTAR]

I feel like chandler's our best leader, but melo and stat wont listen to him.

[fullermd]

why would Amare want to quit on this team?

He's got 3 more years after this of this chit

The answer to that question is pretty complex, and only he knows the real one. I'm just communicating what I have witnessed with my own eyes at a game, and over the television: That it appears to me that he has quit on this team.

[fullermd]

I feel like chandler's our best leader, but melo and stat wont listen to him.

I can see that Chandler is somewhat disappointed in Amare...Atleast that was my impression when Chandler fell down last night and Amare extended his hand to help him up, and Chandler took Amare's hand for help slowly, and only after he took the hand of a player from the Nuggets that extended his hand also. Could be reading into this too much, but it is obvious to me, based on the type of player Chandler is, TEAM first, that he is not happy with Amare's ME BALL perspective.

[RutgersBJJ]

Tyson Chandler is a great leader and well-respected. Give it a few months, it's hard to have an immediate impact as a leader when you have only been on a team for 50 days. Once this team is structured, and there are no more excuses left (oh let's wait till Baron gets back), Chandler will begin to get on people's ass. He already gets on the younger guys, but for whatever reason he has yet to get in Amar'e's face when he forgets to rotate or he spaces out and let's his man cut right by him to the hoop.

[Brooklyn53]

i don't believe he quit on the team. if you watched yesterdays game, he was one of the few who did everything they could defensively and offensively. you can give the excuse that he didn't score after the first half but instead of ballhogging and forcing shots he was "wheeling-and-dealing" as clyde would ;put it and looked to move teh ball around hoping someone would be open eventually to take the open jumper. defensively he was staying in front of his man for the most part, in fact, played pretty tight D on a couple occasions where he positioned himself with a hand to the face to his man on the perimeter. taking charges, grabbing boards, fighting for boards. all which we haven't seen much until last night. i truly believe he wants to just win and will believe what he preaches in interviews and whatnot until he proves otherwise. now it's just up to melo to act on what he preached in last nights post game interviews

[fullermd]

i don't believe he quit on the team. if you watched yesterdays game, he was one of the few who did everything they could defensively and offensively. you can give the excuse that he didn't score after the first half but instead of ballhogging and forcing shots he was "wheeling-and-dealing" as clyde would ;put it and looked to move teh ball around hoping someone would be open eventually to take the open jumper. defensively he was staying in front of his man for the most part, in fact, played pretty tight D on a couple occasions where he positioned himself with a hand to the face to his man on the perimeter. taking charges, grabbing boards, fighting for boards. all which we haven't seen much until last night. i truly believe he wants to just win and will believe what he preaches in interviews and whatnot until he proves otherwise. now it's just up to melo to act on what he preached in last nights post game interviews

I respect your perspective, but I believe that Amare has laid down on us. He knows this team needs him to play on both sides of the ball to be successful. He needs to work on his offensive game...barrelling into the defense expecting the refs to make bogus foul calls is not working for him or us. His jumper sucks....a testament to the work he put in over the summer, and he has NO POST game, never has, but he needs and the TEAM needs him to get one. For him to earn his huge contract and do what he was brought to NY to do, he needs to get better in every aspect of his game, and put forth 100% effort everytime that his feet touch the floor. He is not even close to either of these.

[MadGrinch]

how about this

amare is still hurt , he hasn't fully healed from his issues of last spring.

and even if he did this is more of a Dr.J /george mcginnis pairing than people want to admit.

this pair needs to be split up, their games dont mesh well at all.

the only real solution i see is the triangle offense,. name value, so the players should respect it, also because it makes players move while giving stars room to isolate and keeping the others involved...in addition because it relies on all players being versatile it shares play making responsibilities somewhat making it less reliant on a pure pg,...which the knicks dont seem to have at the moment anyway....but you cant install that kind of offense midseason ...

so basically ...keep pringles and wait on baron and hope the get a favorable matchup in the playoffs .

[fullermd]

how about this

amare is still hurt , he hasn't fully healed from his issues of last spring.

and even if he did this is more of a Dr.J /george mcginnis pairing than people want to admit.

this pair needs to be split up, their games dont mesh well at all.

the only real solution i see is the triangle offense,. name value, so the players should respect it, also because it makes players move while giving stars room to isolate and keeping the others involved...in addition because it relies on all players being versatile it shares play making responsibilities somewhat making it less reliant on a pure pg,...which the knicks dont seem to have at the moment anyway....but you cant install that kind of offense midseason ...

so basically ...keep pringles and wait on baron and hope the get a favorable matchup in the playoffs .

My point is that the issues that revolve around and permeate through the team and its culture, can be solved by the right leadership, which is not Coach Dantoni.....he needs to go in order for this organization to get better. You bring B.Davis in, so what? The team will improve, but the leadership at the coaching position is still not there, so it will never reach levels that it should. Fire Dantoni, and bring in a coach that can lead the individuals on this team to becoming a TEAM.