Post#19 » by Ern III » Tue Jan 11, 2011 5:36 am
Mike D'Antoni started Toney Douglas (against the smaller Suns) the game before last and Shawne Williams against the Lakers last contest. I'll be interested to see what he does against Raja Bell, should he even start for Utah. It might even be Turiaf instead of either, to contend with Jefferson.
Frankly, I think it's time for Sloan to throw this version of Gordon Hayward to the lions out of the gate on a permanent basis. He's looked particularly unfazed of late. I think his defense is advanced of the typical rookie, too. Superior to Miles' (whom does his best work against others' reserves anyway), mostly because he's at least on an athletic par with anyone on the roster not named Evans or Price.
A left-field pipe-dream it may be but I would absolutely love to see Sloan start Williams-Bell-Hayward-Kirilenko-Jefferson(Millsap's better, but who'd guard Stoudemire?) with a mandate to run (as you wish, D-Will), and feature Millsap and Miles almost exclusively as his second-unit offense. Combined with the hustle of the Jazz's reserve back-court, the Knicks, at altitude, on their second of a back-to-back, could be run right out of the building. Their game on our terms. And vice versa, things going well.