Araton: Latest Knicks Failure Has Its Roots at the Top

[duetta]

Latest Knicks Failure Has Its Roots at the Top
By HARVEY ARATON

Indianapolis — Another season of not-good-enough ended, unofficially, with a grim-faced James Dolan leading a lockstep entourage in a quick-striding getaway across the bowels of Bankers Life Fieldhouse.

Dolan, the bewildering strongman of a Madison Square Garden empire that includes the Knicks, wasn’t waiting around for the buzzer to sound on a deflating Eastern Conference semifinal series and one more championship-less N.B.A. season.

He was gone into the humid Indiana night by the time his 54-win team trudged off the court and into a fourth decade of franchise failure, underachievement marked this time by a blurring narrative and newsreel.

In falling to the younger, bigger and more athletic Pacers, 106-99, to lose in six games Saturday night, the Knicks were haunted by a Georgetown center (Roy Hibbert), an explosive 25-point, 10-rebound performance by a product of Stephon Marbury’s Brooklyn high school (Lincoln’s Lance Stephenson) and an alumnus of Dolan’s school of hard-to-fathom Knicks (Donnie Walsh).

In the case of Walsh, 72, maybe we should consider him more gulag escapee than graduate.

- more -

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/05/20/sport ... e-top.html

[Pharmcat]

that article adds nothing of value

whats the point of that article? praising walsh? walsh made numerous blunders during his tenure here

looking ahead to next year? who knows how drose and rondo return from injuries, how granger and george mesh, how amare returns from injury, its all an unknown at this point

[moocow007]

I understand the hate for the self professed "basketball idiot" but what exactly has he done to be the root of what? The Knicks losing to the Pacers? Does that mean he's at the root of a 54 win season and the first playoff series win in 13 seasons (or does he only responsible for the bad but not the good)? Was it because he didn't want Lin? Because he wanted Carmelo Anthony so much that he was willing to give up an additional player (Timofey Mozgov) and a pick swap in 2016? There is no more players left from Isiah Thomas and Scott Laydens terrible reigns...so those poor choices of his is relevant how? Look, I'd love to blame Dolan, and he has a face you just want to slap, but he's not the root of anything right now.

[Capn'O]

I think Grunwald and Walsh have done about the best job you can under Dolan. Grunwald is obviously less visible than Walsh was but he also has his trust which I don't think Walsh really did.

The "big name or bust" edict just hurts our ability to make championship caliber basketball decisions though... and we just watched a team with a different model beat us handily.

[duetta]

The point of the article is that Dolan sets a tone that impact everyone and everything in a negative way.

The Knicks were just beaten by a largely home-grown team with no stars (although you can argue that Hibbert became a star in this series) that was younger, taller, more athletic, and better coached - and yet still retains its full complement of draft picks going forward.

There was no reason why the Knicks couldn't have been built along these same lines, except for Dolan's instance on the quick fix and acquiring NBA celebrities (be they coaches or players) - to which Walsh succumbed, as has every other GM/President who worked under him, Layden, Isiah, you name it.

The results speak for themselves.

[Knicks_Fan2]

The point of the article is that Dolan sets a tone that impact everyone and everything in a negative way.

The Knicks were just beaten by a largely home-grown team with no stars (although you can argue that Hibbert became a star in this series) that was younger, taller, more athletic, and better coached - and yet still retains its full complement of draft picks going forward.

There was no reason why the Knicks couldn't have been built along these same lines, except for Dolan's instance on the quick fix and acquiring NBA celebrities (be they coaches or players) - to which Walsh succumbed, as has every other GM/President who worked under him, Layden, Isiah, you name it.

The results speak for themselves.

Just so we're clear, the Pacers aren't going anywhere near a title either.

[duetta]

Just so we're clear, the Pacers aren't going anywhere near a title either.

When you can defend like they can, you will always be in games. And if Grainger gets healthy...you never know. Just so we're clear. On the other hand, should anything happen to Anthony next season, Denver is getting a lottery pick. Just so we're clear.

[Pharmcat]

dolan did give walsh the wheel in the draft, walsh choked big time and had no creativity

rautins over stephenson?
hill over jennings/holiday/etc?
not buying the 27th pick from MEM, couldve had guys like pek or jordan

[Knicks_Fan2]

Just so we're clear, the Pacers aren't going anywhere near a title either.

When you can defend like they can, you will always be in games. And if Grainger gets healthy...you never know. Just so we're clear. On the other hand, should anything happen to Anthony next season, Denver is getting a lottery pick. Just so we're clear.

You could say that about most teams and their top player. We can beat them but certainly do need to make some changes, beginning with our disappointing center.

[Knicks_Fan2]

Donnie Walsh is the most undeserved martyr on this board and for the national media. He was good but jeezus.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I317 using Tapatalk 2

[Brooklyn_Yards]

Just so we're clear, the Pacers aren't going anywhere near a title either.

When you can defend like they can, you will always be in games. And if Grainger gets healthy...you never know. Just so we're clear. On the other hand, should anything happen to Anthony next season, Denver is getting a lottery pick. Just so we're clear.

Denver isn't getting shyt they traded that pick to Orlando in the D12 trade for Iggy who might not return.

[Brooklyn_Yards]

Donnie Walsh is the most undeserved martyr on this board and for the national media. He was good but jeezus.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I317 using Tapatalk 2

Pretty much.

[Capn'O]

The strategy is right here for all to see on the front page of this board:

http://forums.realgm.com/boards/viewtopic.php?f=24&t=1251301

You go after big name stars regardless of whether you have the resources to do anything with them.

[HarthorneWingo]

I think the 54 wins were a little misleading. That was a weak 54 IMO. There were things about this team that were disconcerting all year long. We had those two streaks to bookend our season, but in the middle of it we were a consistent 20-21.

As for Dolan, he is an idiot of an owner and I don't like the way he handles his business. But that's just my opinion. He did capitulate to Denver's/Melo's demands and we gave up too much to get him, and while that is water under the bridge, Dolan should have listened to Walsh and not Isiah.

As for the team, I think the article make some good points, to wit:

... the Knicks were outscored, 52-20, in the paint, had zero points in transition and saw the game slip away when Anthony committed two turnovers while trying to pass in a maze of active and long-limbed Indiana defenders.

Prolific scorer that he is, Anthony struggles as a playmaker off the dribble, trying to read defenses, a weakness of comprehension, not good intention.

Carmelo needs his "Robin," just like Durant needed Westbrook. We'll need to get Carmelo some real help for next season if we're going to really compete. JR is not that player, though for the right price I'd take him back. Chicago will have Rose back and Indiana will have Danny Granger back, arguable its best player. So either we find a way to get Carmelo his "Robin," or we need to think about trading him because him here by himself is not going to get the job done.

[Pharmcat]

how are 54 wins weak?

[mrpoetryNmotion]

As for the team, I think the article make some good points, to wit:

... the Knicks were outscored, 52-20, in the paint, had zero points in transition and saw the game slip away when Anthony committed two turnovers while trying to pass in a maze of active and long-limbed Indiana defenders.

Prolific scorer that he is, Anthony struggles as a playmaker off the dribble, trying to read defenses, a weakness of comprehension, not good intention.

Carmelo needs his "Robin," just like Durant needed Westbrook. We'll need to get Carmelo some real help for next season if we're going to really compete. JR is not that player, though for the right price I'd take him back. Chicago will have Rose back and Indiana will have Danny Granger back, arguable its best player. So either we find a way to get Carmelo his "Robin," or we need to think about trading him because him here by himself is not going to get the job done.

Carmelo needs his "batman," if anything. He isn't good enough to lead a team to the championship as its best player.

[HarthorneWingo]

As for the team, I think the article make some good points, to wit:

... the Knicks were outscored, 52-20, in the paint, had zero points in transition and saw the game slip away when Anthony committed two turnovers while trying to pass in a maze of active and long-limbed Indiana defenders.

Prolific scorer that he is, Anthony struggles as a playmaker off the dribble, trying to read defenses, a weakness of comprehension, not good intention.

Carmelo needs his "Robin," just like Durant needed Westbrook. We'll need to get Carmelo some real help for next season if we're going to really compete. JR is not that player, though for the right price I'd take him back. Chicago will have Rose back and Indiana will have Danny Granger back, arguable its best player. So either we find a way to get Carmelo his "Robin," or we need to think about trading him because him here by himself is not going to get the job done.

Carmelo needs his "batman," if anything. He isn't good enough to lead a team to the championship as its best player.

Carmelo would never, NEVER, accept a secondary role. Though I would be pleasantly surprised if he did.

[HarthorneWingo]

how are 54 wins weak?

Look at our playoff performance. That's really who we are.

[mrpoetryNmotion]

^^ I think he'd be open to it if we somehow found ourselves in that predicament. It's likely he would always be the primary scoring option, but he does too little in other areas of the game for fans of this team to be content with him as its best player.

[HarthorneWingo]

^^ I think he'd be open to it if we somehow found ourselves in that predicament. It's likely he would always be the primary scoring option, but he does too little in other areas of the game for fans of this team to be content with him as its best player.

I don't think I can argue with that. Even as a PF, Melo cannot rebound the ball or protect the paint. We got outscored in the paint 52-20 for godsakes! 52 to 20. That's pathetic.