I See The Glass Half Empty .... Sorry

[mildred]

This loss was disturbing. The rebounds, the lack of defense, the lack of motivation. I'm sorry to all you Amare fans out there but he has been a shell of what he was earlier in the season for a good 40 games now. I'm concerned about how this Amare deal is gonna work out for us over the next 4 years. I'm sorry, but I can't hide this concern and I don't care that he's a superstar and our captain.

WTF happened to Fields ? Right now it's looking like a HUGE mistake to keep Fields instead of one of Gallo or Chandler. This guy is also a shell of what he was since the trade. It's obvious to me he has difficulty playing in a half court oriented offense, so why did we make him untouchable if that was the direction we were going in with the Melo trade ?

TD ...... ...... I'll take him as my backup combo guard but that's it. I like the kid a lot but this east west crap that everyone is complaining about is absolutely right on the mark. We gave Felton crap because of his sloppiness with the ball and his inconsistent shooting but at least he broke down defenses by going to the hoop. And Billups ? wtf ? .... another shell of what he used to be. After 30 games, the injuries and poor shot selection make me smh.

MD ...... I can't see Dolan eating $5 mil of his contract. I think Walsh will defend him and threaten his own departure if MD's job is on the line. I think he stays with ANOTHER excuse of injuries and player personnel changes due to the trade. I see no changes in the future to his flawed brand of basketball that so many in this city despise. We will have to live with it for one more year and continue to poison our players with no basic defensive principles and green lights to chuck away as a first option. No P&R. no screens, watch Amare go 1 on 3 when we have another superstar on the court.... the follies will continue. No accountability leads to breakdown more often than not.

Yeah ..... I know some of you guys on this site who think they are above the fray and won't let one or two emotional losses sway your long term opinions might think this is just another fan jumping the gun. But really, it's been 3 years of MD and the system never really changes regardless of what personnel we have. When will you guys see it's not one or two games anymore but THE SYSTEM. So we played .500 ball this season ..... WHOPPEEEE ! ..... let's give everyone raises !!!!!

We are perpetually a flawed team with our current style of play in the NBA. We beat good teams when they bring their B game and we lose to good teams when they bring their A games. We are nothing special and will not compete at elite status with MD at the helm and the possibility of one of our superstars (Amare) health in question over the next 4 years of his huuuuge contract.

It sure is possible that Amare gets good rest in the offseason and comes back to fulfill the remaining 4 years of his contract in superstar fashion ..... let's hope so, but I'm just not liking what I see with him regarding his lift and his IQ on the court. You can blame the role players all you want but when Amare is triple teamed HE MUST PASS GODDAMMT !!! I see Melo passing out of triple teams. Even when Melo passes to JJ and it becomes a TO I know in my heart it was the right play and that style of play will work out in the end.

I'm just not liking what I'm seeing. I can't see the glass half full like so many of you out there. We got our superstars and I still can't see the glass half full. In fact Im starting to see our superstars as an albatross a la Alan Houston ..... didn't want to say that but it's what I'm starting to feel. I got no problem with Melo .... it's Amare and his health that really concerns me going forward.

[Tommy Udo 6]

"WTF happened to Fields ? Right now it's looking like a HUGE mistake to keep Fields instead of one of Gallo or Chandler. This guy is also a shell of what he was since the trade."


I really dont think Dolan/Donnie were given a choice of deciding which of the 3 they wanted to keep & decided to keep Fields

It was more a case of Denver telling them who they wanted - not a case of "give us any 2"

[duetta]

I see the glass as shattered.

[TdoubleE]

I don't know if Gallo or Chandler would've made as much of a difference as people think. I still remember those guys disappearing for long stretches as well. Fields will learn from this experience and grow as a player. He's come a long way since going from trying to make the team to being named starter to the title of best rebounding guard in the NBA to the Melo trade and now playoff basketball. That's a lot in a rookie year.

As for D'Antoni, we're stuck with him. The only scenario I can see him leaving is if Donnie leaves and the new GM is someone with some clout who wants to bring in his own guy.

[Knicks D]

Look, the team is flawed but not in the sense you are speaking of. We don't have a true PG since Billups got hurt and Amare is far from 100% Even during the last part of the season when his numbers fell off, part of it was the transition from being option A to option B and part was injury. We also need to get a lot taller. I;m starting to think including Mozgov was the biggest mistake but I also don't see how you keep him when you are getting a top 5 player in return.
As far as Landry, I think he'll be fine, this is his rookie season. He never played this much basketball in his life. It takes a toll on you mentally as well as physically. We are also burning the crap out of Mello. He practically has been carrying this team on his back since the last 10 games of the season.
As far as the coach, yeah, he has made some mistakes and had his role in last nights loss but that loss goes on the whole team. That was a total breakdown. I never saw two player (Allen and Pierce) piratically hit every shot they took. At some point the players guarding them have to have some pride and say to himself "This stops now".
This season is going to be over soon and I'm looking to see what the team does next season.

[knicks742]

All I know is that it took 3 years to build a supporting cast worthy of a championship run and it took a 6th pick, a 20th pick, 29th pick, and cap room. We shall see how this gets done this summer as so many expect.

[mildred]

Look, the team is flawed but not in the sense you are speaking of. We don't have a true PG since Billups got hurt and Amare is far from 100% Even during the last part of the season when his numbers fell off, part of it was the transition from being option A to option B and part was injury. We also need to get a lot taller. I;m starting to think including Mozgov was the biggest mistake but I also don't see how you keep him when you are getting a top 5 player in return.
As far as Landry, I think he'll be fine, this is his rookie season. He never played this much basketball in his life. It takes a toll on you mentally as well as physically. We are also burning the crap out of Mello. He practically has been carrying this team on his back since the last 10 games of the season.
As far as the coach, yeah, he has made some mistakes and had his role in last nights loss but that loss goes on the whole team. That was a total breakdown. I never saw two player (Allen and Pierce) piratically hit every shot they took. At some point the players guarding them have to have some pride and say to himself "This stops now".
This season is going to be over soon and I'm looking to see what the team does next season.

Well, you certainly look at the Knick situation as the glass half full which is fine. Hopefully Fields has hit a rookie wall and will bounce back, but his degree of impact on a game has dropped so drastically that it just alarms me. It just looks like he doesn't fit anymore .... we'll see I guess.

Amare not being 100% ...... why ? (Im not referring to his recent back spasm injury) His knees can't take the impact of a long grinding season ? Will Amare break down at mid season every year and be just mortal going into the playoffs ? This really concerns me more than anything. I'm not liking his lift. He can't beat anyone at the rim with any consistency these days like he was early in the season. He won't pass because he feels he must do it himself (not a good mindset when your body isn't what it was). I admire his courage and his wanting to take on the responsibility, but doesn't he see himself not getting the job done as of late ? Has reality and reputation totally disconnected in his head or is the disconnect in my head ?

[TKF]

you all know I didn't like the trade, and for various reasons.. not because I don't think melo is a heck of a player... but anyway, it is not his fault amare hurt his back playing horse on the layup line and that billups is really on the backside of his career... and can't stay healthy.... if healthy, this is a different series, and until we have 4 losses I am not going to start talking about the Heat beating the celtics or any offseason plans of firing dantoni.... if we win tomorrow we live another day.... that is what I am holding out for, I still am not ready to stop watching the knicks this season...

I miss gallo and I would love to get him back in a year or so.. but honestly, guys like walker and williams played well, the knicks need a big man and a PG, any upgrade will do..... but until then, we have to find a way to fight with what we have and right now, health is our biggest problem.... not lack of wanting it or will.. I am sorry...

[ewingxmanstarks]

I agree w the OP, that MDT's system is a hindrance...the sooner he's gone the better...I also agree that Amare has slowed down over the last 40 games or so, but I feel w a new training camp next year and more time on the court together...Amare and Carmelo will have much stronger chemistry...I do disagree w the Fields assessment....he's played pretty bad in these 3 games, all be it 3 very important games, but 3 games none the less...I think he has a lot of room to grow, and he will get better....BTW Wilson, I think is shoot 25% in the playoffs, and Gallo isn't doing much better....both Gallo and Wilson are small forwards...so is Mello...We need a real big to play along Melo and Amare...Imo Wilson or Gallo doesn't cut it.

[NoMoreThrees]

Pathetic to see people throw in the towel on the team for the long haul before the summer has even begun. It's a shame to see the same people still freaked out over the trade continue to talk as if the roster before them is what the roster will be not just next season but for eternity. Either an awful lot of people have no idea what it takes to build a team or they are purposely pretending not to so they can continue to lament the trade. Whatever the reason it seems an awful lot of people enjoy misery even if they have to fabricate it so then they can be heard complaining about it. Sad, really.

[Bill Bradley]

I see things more glass half full. We have two stars on this team which is the hardest part of building a contender. And these playoffs have been helpful in separating out the role players who are able to rise to the challenge and compete their asses off, like Shawne Williams, and those who wilt under pressure, like Fields. With a healthy team, a new coach, a real center, and some minor tweaks, I feel that this team can be a contender as soon as next season.

[NowWHYcee7]

Amare played virtually the entire season without injury, and is a top 5 scorer in the league. He sprained his ankle towards the end there, and was dunking all over people in game 1...then he hurt his back. **** happens. All this worry about Amare's "lift" is overblown. If we were down 0-3 with a healthy squad I'd say you have a good reason to be pessimistic, but we are hurt and undermanned in two very critical spors right now. It wasn't but about this year anyway...I don't like the fact that we are going to probably be swept but getting into the post-season was the first step. Would you rather we not even make the playoffs?

[iDunk]

Amare needs a pass first PG who can run the P&R effectively to give him easy points.

This is the first time in his career where he has to work hard to score and create off the dribble. He did do it with Marbury in his Phoenix days, but he was young then and the team didn't look to him to be the main option like he was earlier in the season with the Knicks. I'm sure next season that exhaustion won't be a factor with Amare just because of the fact that we'll have another legit scoring option and most likely a true center.

[TrueWarrior]

I see it both ways. We have our "stars" and we have caproom in 2012, but we dont know what the CBA will be like, we have almost zero role players, depth, draft picks. Our owner and coach are sh*t, and our GM looks like hes withering away before our eyes (love ya Donnie but its true). Our two stars also arent the greatest compliments while not always being committed to defense and team play.

Nobody can say for certain we'll never win a ring but nobody can say for certain this whole experiment wont end in huge failure either. My gut tells me we'll top out in similar fashion of the 90s and just never be able to get over the hump. Alot of it depends on Amare's (and CP3 if he comes) health and the CBA (because if we cant build a team we wont have a team).

[mildred]

Amare played virtually the entire season without injury, and is a top 5 scorer in the league. He sprained his ankle towards the end there, and was dunking all over people in game 1...then he hurt his back. **** happens. All this worry about Amare's "lift" is overblown. If we were down 0-3 with a healthy squad I'd say you have a good reason to be pessimistic, but we are hurt and undermanned in two very critical spors right now. It wasn't but about this year anyway...I don't like the fact that we are going to probably be swept but getting into the post-season was the first step. Would you rather we not even make the playoffs?

You're correct, Amare played just about the whole season w/o injury. So how do you explain his drop off in production the last 40 games or so ? Amare was getting abused in the second half of the season by no name defenders. He definetely lost lift if you compare the first 40 games Amare to the last 40 games Amare. Look at the reality and not the hype. Amare also scores a lot of points because he takes a lot of shots. Let's be real here too. My beef with Amare was his second half of the season. The Amare of the first half was awesome even with his defensive lapses. My concern is that his knees can't take the abuse of an entire NBA season anymore and that worries me a lot going forward.

And yes, you are correct that he was dunking again in the first game of the playoffs. I wouldn't say he was dunking all over the place but he certainly had some nice moves he finished off with some spectacular dunks. Unfortunately, those finishes have been too far and too few between the earlier Amare ...... it concerns me and I believe it should concern others when we are paying hin $20 mil per season for the next 4 years.

I could always look at the glass half full scenarios and be judged as a positive and a loyal fan. That's the easy way, especially on a basketball forum where everybody is more a true fan than the rest of the fans out there. But I'm just being honest with my concerns. I throw these concerns out there to see if others share the same concerns. I know I could just write a fluff piece on how great the Knicks will be with Amare, Melo and Billups in the fold based on reputation alone, but this is just not the reality that could be facing us.

My opinion of Amare after watching him for 1 full season is that he is an incredible finisher, and to boot, has a great mid range jump shot. Unfortunately, something happened to Amare in the second half of the season that disrupted these skills. I hoped it was a slump like everyone goes thru, but I have changed my opinion. I believe it's those damn knees that everyone was so concerned about that have slowed him down. I'm no doctor, but it now seems obvious that he does not have the same athleticism that he had earlier in the season. And w/o that athleticism Amare isn't Amare imo.

[TKF]

I am not throwing in the towel.. get a win tomorrow and we can go from there... amare knees looked fine game 1.. he hurt his back for christ sakes... the second half of the season amare was worn down.. it happens. His knees are fine..

[louieOrr]

Pathetic to see people throw in the towel on the team for the long haul before the summer has even begun. It's a shame to see the same people still freaked out over the trade continue to talk as if the roster before them is what the roster will be not just next season but for eternity. Either an awful lot of people have no idea what it takes to build a team or they are purposely pretending not to so they can continue to lament the trade. Whatever the reason it seems an awful lot of people enjoy misery even if they have to fabricate it so then they can be heard complaining about it. Sad, really.
Pathetic to see people throw in the towel on the team for the long haul before the summer has even begun. It's a shame to see the same people still freaked out over the trade continue to talk as if the roster before them is what the roster will be not just next season but for eternity. Either an awful lot of people have no idea what it takes to build a team or they are purposely pretending not to so they can continue to lament the trade. Whatever the reason it seems an awful lot of people enjoy misery even if they have to fabricate it so then they can be heard complaining about it. Sad, really.

you all know I didn't like the trade, and for various reasons.. not because I don't think melo is a heck of a player... but anyway, it is not his fault amare hurt his back playing horse on the layup line and that billups is really on the backside of his career... and can't stay healthy.... if healthy, this is a different series, and until we have 4 losses I am not going to start talking about the Heat beating the celtics or any offseason plans of firing dantoni.... if we win tomorrow we live another day.... that is what I am holding out for, I still am not ready to stop watching the knicks this season...

I miss gallo and I would love to get him back in a year or so.. but honestly, guys like walker and williams played well, the knicks need a big man and a PG, any upgrade will do..... but until then, we have to find a way to fight with what we have and right now, health is our biggest problem.... not lack of wanting it or will.. I am sorry...

Glad to see you guys get it. This is a Glass 3/4 full situation. We have obtained the most difficult pieces in Stat and Melo and have some flexibility to build around them. How can you reasonably think the Knicks got it wrong for not overachieving in this series.

The Knicks put forth supreme effort in game 1 and 2. If you watched game 1 you know we WON that game. So as you access the Knicks state of affairs you must factor in a team that was good enough for a game one win @ Boston. Game 2, no Billups no Stat...on a team already lacking depth, saw one of the greatest Knick performances of all time. We gave the Celtics all they could handle.

Sorry, but injures and lack of personnel will eventually take its toll as it did in game3. Thats the breaks. You can't have a fairy tale ending every time. That does not mean anyone can question the guys heart. The Celtics did a great job in Game 3 and shot unconscious all evening. It is what it is. Im ready to go to war on Sunday. It is a privilege to be playing at this time of year. Im not ready to stop watching either TKF. I want us to get back to Boston.

[MSG]

It is what it is. Im ready to go to war on Sunday. It is a privilege to be playing at this time of year. Im not ready to stop watching either TKF. I want us to get back to Boston.

I totally agree.I want to win on Sunday to avoid getting swept and see one more Knicks game.
Let's think about it a little.
We don't have a chance to win this series but still we can lose 4-1 or 4-2 and make it looks better.
Also there aren't any fun series in the 1st round,at least watching Knicks would make our day a lot more interesting.

Even I think we are going to get swept I don't take it too important.
WE SHOULD HAVE WON GAME 1,REFS STOLE THE GAME FROM US.
We could have also won game 2 but D'Antoni decided to use Jeffries as a finisher and a person to decide the game.I think we all agree that wasn't a smart move.

This team showed it can be very dangerous,especially if we can fill our needs during this summer.
We need to add some size (at least one,possibly 2 new players at center position) and we need to find better role players.
I would like to see D'Antoni gone but I don't think that will happen.

Future is ahead of us,if we manage to fill our needs this summer we can go really far in the playoffs next year.
If we do a bad job this summer it will be another 40-50 win season and a 1st,maybe 2nd round exit.

Let's talk about our future when next season starts.

[TKF]

Pathetic to see people throw in the towel on the team for the long haul before the summer has even begun. It's a shame to see the same people still freaked out over the trade continue to talk as if the roster before them is what the roster will be not just next season but for eternity. Either an awful lot of people have no idea what it takes to build a team or they are purposely pretending not to so they can continue to lament the trade. Whatever the reason it seems an awful lot of people enjoy misery even if they have to fabricate it so then they can be heard complaining about it. Sad, really.
Pathetic to see people throw in the towel on the team for the long haul before the summer has even begun. It's a shame to see the same people still freaked out over the trade continue to talk as if the roster before them is what the roster will be not just next season but for eternity. Either an awful lot of people have no idea what it takes to build a team or they are purposely pretending not to so they can continue to lament the trade. Whatever the reason it seems an awful lot of people enjoy misery even if they have to fabricate it so then they can be heard complaining about it. Sad, really.

you all know I didn't like the trade, and for various reasons.. not because I don't think melo is a heck of a player... but anyway, it is not his fault amare hurt his back playing horse on the layup line and that billups is really on the backside of his career... and can't stay healthy.... if healthy, this is a different series, and until we have 4 losses I am not going to start talking about the Heat beating the celtics or any offseason plans of firing dantoni.... if we win tomorrow we live another day.... that is what I am holding out for, I still am not ready to stop watching the knicks this season...

I miss gallo and I would love to get him back in a year or so.. but honestly, guys like walker and williams played well, the knicks need a big man and a PG, any upgrade will do..... but until then, we have to find a way to fight with what we have and right now, health is our biggest problem.... not lack of wanting it or will.. I am sorry...

Glad to see you guys get it. This is a Glass 3/4 full situation. We have obtained the most difficult pieces in Stat and Melo and have some flexibility to build around them. How can you reasonably think the Knicks got it wrong for not overachieving in this series.

The Knicks put forth supreme effort in game 1 and 2. If you watched game 1 you know we WON that game. So as you access the Knicks state of affairs you must factor in a team that was good enough for a game one win @ Boston. Game 2, no Billups no Stat...on a team already lacking depth, saw one of the greatest Knick performances of all time. We gave the Celtics all they could handle.

Sorry, but injures and lack of personnel will eventually take its toll as it did in game3. Thats the breaks. You can't have a fairy tale ending every time. That does not mean anyone can question the guys heart. The Celtics did a great job in Game 3 and shot unconscious all evening. It is what it is. Im ready to go to war on Sunday. It is a privilege to be playing at this time of year. Im not ready to stop watching either TKF. I want us to get back to Boston.

I know chances are slim, but there is still a game left... win tomorrow and prolong the series.. prolong the series and you leave room open for a boston injury, some luck, a good bounce or call here and there.. win sunday and then tuesday is another day, for me, right now this is a 2 games series. win 2 games and then all the pressure is on boston.. as I said, the last thing they want is a game 6 in the garden.... Boston has cracks, I am not going to let last night fool me into thinking they don't.... this series should be 2-1 NY....

[KnickswiththeKnack]

I'm sorry to hear that some of you guys see the glass as half empty. Considering what we as fans have been through the past 8-10 years, I would have thought we'd all have thicker skin. If you think about where we were a year ago, we've really come a long way. Everyone was hanging on a hope for LeBron, and if that's where you'd rather be (hanging on a hope), then I really don't know what to say.

Tomorrow I'll be going to my first playoff game ever. 7-8 years ago when we were in the playoffs last time, I couldn't afford a ticket to go. And forget about anything before that. So, even tho the Knicks have 0% chance of winning this series, and a VERY low chance of winning the game (injuries, and Boston is the type of team that doesn't waste opportunities to get a team out), I'm still relatively happy and definitely excited for the future.

Gotta remember, this isn't a videogame, it's the real world.