My Volvo doesn't smell right. This is the second consecutive night that I have gotten into my car and thought that. I was driving a colleague who I ostensibly work for into Manhattan and hoped that it was my over-sensitive sense of smell and not a larger problem. As soon as he got settled in the passenger seat he seemed uncomfortable. By the time I had the key in the ignition he had already not so subtlety twisted his shoes to see if it was him. Satisfied that it wasn't he turned to me and said, "it smells like someone left a diaper in the backseat." I should have felt embarrassed by the pungent odor, embarrassed to the point where I would seek out the offensive odor and destroy it. Remarkably, I cared not. It was 6:20pm when we got in the car and I was already a bit late. With a 7:00 tip there was no way I would get from White Plains to Tribeca in time to plant myself in front of a television to watch the Knicks game in its entirety. With that in mind, I certainly wasn't going to waste any time trying to make my car smell okay for a 50 minute ride home, regardless of the company.
I turned up the heat, cracked the windows and said something about the catalytic converter. I learned that trick as an 11 year old boy in the back seat of a real estate agent's car that smelled like Brian Wilson's beard after a night out in the Mission.
Halfway through the ride I commented that as soon as he gets home my shotgun mate should ask his wife if the odor made its way into his clothes. Immediately when it came out of my mouth I knew that my attempt at humor was not going to be appreciated. He responded by lowering his window a little more and peering into the dark backseat for the source.
I turned the Knicks pre-game up on the radio only to find Hubie's son Brandon Brown confusing me with both his diction and cadence. He makes the marbled mouth Kelly Tripucka sound like James Earl Jones after a warm cup of "Middle Name" Grey.
With the Knicks' games blacked out by my soon to be former cable provider and my daughter's bedtime looming I rushed down the west-side highway contemplating where to watch the game and whether putting my daughter down earlier to catch as much of the game as possible was wrong. Its not as if I was forgoing her bedtime and heading from my car directly into a local haunt to watch the game; seeing her was my first priority. Ever cautious of the quick yellow lights, and the quicker yellow cabs slicing their way between traffic, my car-mate made small talk regarding the numerous properties that jaggedly make their skyline along the Hudson river. "You know, the IAC building doesn't really look like a sailboat" he noted, presupposing I knew Gehry's intent. "I think it does if you're out on the water, our perspective is not optimal for architectural discourse", I thought to myself, hoping that the conversation would end there as I stayed quiet, trying to listen to the pre-game. "The Standard rooftop is supposed to be super elite, but I haven't found it to be that way at all," he continued, taking the conversation further south as my stinkbox drove in the same direction. "Yeah, I have only been there to piss after stumbling out of Tortilla Flats," I joked, further separating our "classes" with each passing comment.
I turned left on Vestry and pulled onto Greenwich as the ref tossed the ball up for the opening tip. I was so close, and thoroughly impressed with the time it took to get home. Sometimes "feels like forever" is really only 47 minutes. I drove past three possible game destinations leering into each hoping to confirm that the game was on and then checking if the bar was as empty as I had hoped. With Tribeca Tap-House being my top choice I was pleasantly surprised to see that the game was on the television at the front of the bar, with the crowd pushed towards the back. By the time I pulled into my garage I had completely forgotten that I promised to take my passenger south to the Path train at the WTC site. He seemed eager to get out of the car, and responded to my apology and offer to drive him the extra mile with a, "no problem," and "it's okay, I'll enjoy the fresh air." I smirked, as the stench of the evening's first victory filled the air.
Saturday, January 7, 2012
Friday, January 6, 2012
Under Construction: The Lost Games
It seems as if I grossly underestimated what it takes to be a blogger. When I woke up with the wriggling worm of words dancing about in my head I plopped myself down in front of my MacBook Pro and began to type. By fumbling through my google account I stumbled on an interesting find. Apparently in 2009 I had a similar Jones for the written word as I found an old blog that I started called: "Donnie & Darko: The Lost Years." A very thinly veiled reference to former Knicks president Donnie Walsh, first round bust Darko Milicic and of course Jake Gyllenhall's best movie east of Brokeback Mountain; Donnie Darko. The blog started and ended there, with a name. Nary a post, draft or idea. I guess that had a lot to do with the fact that I thought I couldn't get more sardonic than the title so what's the point. There is no doubt that before naming the now defunct Donnie blog I had recently learned the word Sardonic and tried desperately to be so. Still not sure if I nailed it.
I immediately thought to myself, this time it will be different and I will just give it a name, not care about the title and start to write, which I have done. The feedback I have received has been at its high tearfully inspiring, and at its low laugh out loud funny. The most constructive feedback that I have received came from my Cunado, who told me what I already knew. You have to separate the sport analysis pieces from the human interest pieces for the sake of your audience. I couldn't agree more...but how?
Do I start another blog, do I rename this one, can I have two running blogs under one blog, what is a blog anyway, do I have an audience who even cares: my mind ran wild with questions for which there were no answers. I have spent the past five days working through a plan of how best to proceed and am inching closer to reaching a conclusion that I think best suits my goals, and what I am trying to accomplish. In the interim, I have been remiss in my duties to those audience members (Dad) who are interested in reading my pre/post Knicks game analysis and reports and for this I apologize. We can call the past two losses the lost games, and since I am a Time Warner Cable subscriber I couldn't think of a more apropos title.
I will continue to post here, at Mydaughtersknicks.blogspot.com for the remainder of the weekend but expect big changes come Monday. As for tonight's game analysis stay tuned; I am already working on a title so sardonic that the irony would make Alanis Morisette go down on you in a theater.
I immediately thought to myself, this time it will be different and I will just give it a name, not care about the title and start to write, which I have done. The feedback I have received has been at its high tearfully inspiring, and at its low laugh out loud funny. The most constructive feedback that I have received came from my Cunado, who told me what I already knew. You have to separate the sport analysis pieces from the human interest pieces for the sake of your audience. I couldn't agree more...but how?
Do I start another blog, do I rename this one, can I have two running blogs under one blog, what is a blog anyway, do I have an audience who even cares: my mind ran wild with questions for which there were no answers. I have spent the past five days working through a plan of how best to proceed and am inching closer to reaching a conclusion that I think best suits my goals, and what I am trying to accomplish. In the interim, I have been remiss in my duties to those audience members (Dad) who are interested in reading my pre/post Knicks game analysis and reports and for this I apologize. We can call the past two losses the lost games, and since I am a Time Warner Cable subscriber I couldn't think of a more apropos title.
I will continue to post here, at Mydaughtersknicks.blogspot.com for the remainder of the weekend but expect big changes come Monday. As for tonight's game analysis stay tuned; I am already working on a title so sardonic that the irony would make Alanis Morisette go down on you in a theater.
Saturday, December 31, 2011
Game 4
Uh-oh. We have scored 78 and 82 points in our last two games, we're missing Shumpert, Jeffries, Baron Davis and now A'mare and it's New Years Eve in Sacramento. In the NFL this is what's commonly referred to as "a trap game." The Maloof's have been trying to relocate the Kings because of general fan disinterest for the past few years and I can't imagine that Arco Arena (is it still called that?) is going to be filled with grown men wearing old school Bibby jersey's telling stories of that magical 4th quarter collapse against Kobe in the C-Webb & Vlade days.
In what promises to be a "more quiet than normal" atmosphere dem NY Boys are going to lay an egg tonight against the younger, more athletic, and healthier Kings. A backcourt of Tyreke Evans and Marcus Thornton is formidable and with Jorts popping off about looking forward to battling against Demarcus Cousins I think we see an inspired performance by the young Wildcat who is always looking for a reason to be nasty. With Chuck Hayes at his side I think getting nasty in a good way (see Charles Oakley's entire career) is how Demarcus takes a giant leap this season from meddling high draft choice to NBA baller. John Salmons is slippery and seems to always kill the Knicks so look for him to take advantage of the Knicks inability to cut off passing lanes. Lastly, with Jimmer playing his first NBA game against his boyhood team NY (he hails from Glens Fall if I'm not mistaken) I anticipate the kid to show us all what range looks like, respectfully of course.
Our only hope is that Carmelo actually becomes the point forward and we get contribution from Bibby who plays 25 good minutes tonight. My only prediction tonight:
(1) I have many awkward conversations at our friend's Miami Condo while watching the Knicks game on my iPhone. Cannot wait to write the post game on this one...should be interesting. Have a happy and a healthy New Year.
In what promises to be a "more quiet than normal" atmosphere dem NY Boys are going to lay an egg tonight against the younger, more athletic, and healthier Kings. A backcourt of Tyreke Evans and Marcus Thornton is formidable and with Jorts popping off about looking forward to battling against Demarcus Cousins I think we see an inspired performance by the young Wildcat who is always looking for a reason to be nasty. With Chuck Hayes at his side I think getting nasty in a good way (see Charles Oakley's entire career) is how Demarcus takes a giant leap this season from meddling high draft choice to NBA baller. John Salmons is slippery and seems to always kill the Knicks so look for him to take advantage of the Knicks inability to cut off passing lanes. Lastly, with Jimmer playing his first NBA game against his boyhood team NY (he hails from Glens Fall if I'm not mistaken) I anticipate the kid to show us all what range looks like, respectfully of course.
Our only hope is that Carmelo actually becomes the point forward and we get contribution from Bibby who plays 25 good minutes tonight. My only prediction tonight:
(1) I have many awkward conversations at our friend's Miami Condo while watching the Knicks game on my iPhone. Cannot wait to write the post game on this one...should be interesting. Have a happy and a healthy New Year.
New Years Eve, Dirty Dancing and The Continued Softening of A Man
On December 30th 2011 the NBA rolled out a schedule that looks as if it took people's travel plans into account. With the Bulls/Clips matchup the only game providing any semblance of sex appeal I decided to take the night off from the NBA and let the chips fall as they may. I ended up watching the last 35 minutes of Dirty Dancing with three generations of Egytpian women speaking French at each other as I held my napping daughter in my arms. The conversation meandered between French and Arabic with just enough English sprinkled throughout to attract my attention. From what I could gather everyone agreed that Patrick Swayze was around 30 when Dirty Dancning was shot, was raised by a mother who owned a dance studio and that poor Jennifer Grey should have never gotten a nose job; it cost her her look.
You should watch Dirty Dancing in its entirety at least once in your lifetime. If for no other reason to understand why people still say, "no one puts baby in a corner" or some machination thereof. The final dance sequence is legendary, and if you think Travolta can move in Pulp Fiction watch Swayze rip it up. It really brought me back to the days where my sister and I would sit in the sun kissed den on Crescent Road watching movies until our eyes hurt. One of the many benefits of having a sister is that you are forced to watch movies like Dirty Dancing. Then when you enjoy them, and awkwardly point that out to a group of guys during halftime of the Super Bowl you can always blame the fact that you even watched it in the first place is because of your sister.
I looked down at Isabella and wondered how many movies like Dirty Dancing I would watch with her. I wondered if when we watched it a second time together me reminding her of the first time we watched it together would embarass her. I then wondered if I would bite my tongue to avoid embarrasing her and decided; not a chance. Having a daughter has definitely softened aspects of my being that is shaping me into a kindler, gentler Mark Newman; something that my sister helped shape for the past 30 years. As excited as I am to introduce Isabella into my "Sports World" I'm equally excited to have her mere presence introduce me to her world, which will undoubtedly include many a dance sequence.
As I put her down for the night I gently sang to her, "I've Had the Time of My life, and I owe it all to you...." Thank you Isabella, for the best year of my life.
You should watch Dirty Dancing in its entirety at least once in your lifetime. If for no other reason to understand why people still say, "no one puts baby in a corner" or some machination thereof. The final dance sequence is legendary, and if you think Travolta can move in Pulp Fiction watch Swayze rip it up. It really brought me back to the days where my sister and I would sit in the sun kissed den on Crescent Road watching movies until our eyes hurt. One of the many benefits of having a sister is that you are forced to watch movies like Dirty Dancing. Then when you enjoy them, and awkwardly point that out to a group of guys during halftime of the Super Bowl you can always blame the fact that you even watched it in the first place is because of your sister.
I looked down at Isabella and wondered how many movies like Dirty Dancing I would watch with her. I wondered if when we watched it a second time together me reminding her of the first time we watched it together would embarass her. I then wondered if I would bite my tongue to avoid embarrasing her and decided; not a chance. Having a daughter has definitely softened aspects of my being that is shaping me into a kindler, gentler Mark Newman; something that my sister helped shape for the past 30 years. As excited as I am to introduce Isabella into my "Sports World" I'm equally excited to have her mere presence introduce me to her world, which will undoubtedly include many a dance sequence.
As I put her down for the night I gently sang to her, "I've Had the Time of My life, and I owe it all to you...." Thank you Isabella, for the best year of my life.
In Hindsight-Games 2 & 3
Happy New Years Eve! Lets hope that the Mayans predictions are as accurate as mine have been so far. Let's double up and briefly discuss the past two games.
Game 2 Predictions:
1) Chandler has a double double with 13+ boards. If I'm not mistaken Tyson went to Dominguez High School before getting drafted by the Clips with the #2 overall pick. I know I already referenced the backdrop of Jeremy Lin returning "home" but this is a West Coast kid returning home after shunning his state for the almighty dollar. He
is going to want to go H.A.M.
RESPONSE:
It seems as if I confused my game 1 Tyson prediction with my game 2 Tyson prediction. Chandler couldn't stay on the floor for more than 4 minutes without hacking someone. He didn't sniff double digit rebounds or points and looked lost on both ends of the floor. I watched every minute, highlights, and then re-watched highlights on my NBATV app. Couldn't find one positive from his performance.
2) Toney Douglas shoots less, looks more composed and has a better game although the box score won't reflect it. For all of Rondo's offensive prowess against TD what is lost in the discussion is Rondo's All-NBA defense, freakish long arms and the desire to shut down his opponent. Toney picked up his dribble too early against the C's and couldn't run the offense. Mark Jackson will try to force his guards to do the same thing, but they're not Rondo, and there is no K.G. around the corner to scare Toney into picking up his dribble.
RESPONSE:
No, no, and no. TD is not a point and should relinquish the starting role to Bibby immediately. I don't think Bibby is the answer but he is a real point. With him at the helm there is a change we can at least get into offensive sets that will develop into a style of play. Once this happens we can try to expose the opponents weaknesses. As of now, one on one chuck it if ya got it has us playing Rucker Park Ball, and losing. TD is to blame, and its a shame because he is a good player playing out of position.
3) Steve Novak gets open looks and makes em count. Shooters shoot. With an injury to Jeffries and some length on the Warriors I see Steve "Corner Trey" Novak seeing significant time and trying to hide in the corner. No one puts baby in the corner, but D'Antoni puts Novak in the corner, and he could just go Schwayze.
RESPONSE: Bango. 1 for 1 is not exactly "Schwayze" but he did drill a corner triple in limited minutes. With no offensive scheme to speak of we can't get him to be the corner dweller he needs to be. Hopefully the offense develops to the point where he can be our rendition of San Antonio's Bruce Bowen, minus the defense.
4) Mark Jackson makes a questionable coaching move that he is asked about during the post game. Jax is still NY, knows that we're watching and has the ego that all NY point guards have. He wants a little spotlight so he grabs some. Hope I'm wrong about this and if I am it is because he thought about this very fact and decided to lay low.
RESPONSE: Nice Win Jax. Your team played uninspired ball for the first half and came out in the 2nd and took advantage of some weaknesses that the Knicks exhibited in the first 24 minutes. The Warriors played great D, got contribution from everyone who stepped on the floor and thoroughly outplayed the Knicks in every facet despite not having Steph and in spite of Monta Ellis awful shooting performance. Be pleased Warrior fans, if this game is any indication Mark Jackson knows what he is doing.
Game 3 Predictions:
(1) Kobe plays facilitator and fills the stat sheet. The Knicks are susceptible to transition D, face cuts and slashers. Kobe can read a Defense and audible like Peyton Manning. In early season games MJ would employ the death by a 1000 cuts game plan to perfection. Getting his teammates involved and developing a repoire with them that paid dividends at the end of the year. We see Kobe do that tonight My only question is; Can Steve Blake, Josh McRoberts and Troy Murphy be Paxson, Wennington and Cartwright for the evening?
RESPONSE: I think I got this right. Kobe scored as Kobe scores but as the Lakers pulled away they did so with the supporting cast making it happen on both ends. Blake hit two three's in the 4th that resulted in me actually shutting the game off before the final whistle. McRoberts had some great cuts to the hoop and was fed for easy hoops and Murphy was generally a pain to deal with.
(2) We keep the game close but lose the game on the defensive end with breakdowns in the 4th quarter. I can't count how many times we have looked around after an easy bucket playing "Who's on Third?" This is coaching but with a short camp, a overhauled roster and no defensive structure to speak of before this year we will lose a lot of games because of defensive lapses.
RESPONSE: Close? Not really. Defensive breakdowns being our downfall? Maybe? You can't shoot sub 40% and win in this league. Similarly, you can't let another team shoot 70% for a half and expect to win. Dangerous combination of bad defense, and a hot team. I am chalking this game up to just "one of those games". God, I hope I am right.
Game 2 Predictions:
1) Chandler has a double double with 13+ boards. If I'm not mistaken Tyson went to Dominguez High School before getting drafted by the Clips with the #2 overall pick. I know I already referenced the backdrop of Jeremy Lin returning "home" but this is a West Coast kid returning home after shunning his state for the almighty dollar. He
is going to want to go H.A.M.
RESPONSE:
It seems as if I confused my game 1 Tyson prediction with my game 2 Tyson prediction. Chandler couldn't stay on the floor for more than 4 minutes without hacking someone. He didn't sniff double digit rebounds or points and looked lost on both ends of the floor. I watched every minute, highlights, and then re-watched highlights on my NBATV app. Couldn't find one positive from his performance.
2) Toney Douglas shoots less, looks more composed and has a better game although the box score won't reflect it. For all of Rondo's offensive prowess against TD what is lost in the discussion is Rondo's All-NBA defense, freakish long arms and the desire to shut down his opponent. Toney picked up his dribble too early against the C's and couldn't run the offense. Mark Jackson will try to force his guards to do the same thing, but they're not Rondo, and there is no K.G. around the corner to scare Toney into picking up his dribble.
RESPONSE:
No, no, and no. TD is not a point and should relinquish the starting role to Bibby immediately. I don't think Bibby is the answer but he is a real point. With him at the helm there is a change we can at least get into offensive sets that will develop into a style of play. Once this happens we can try to expose the opponents weaknesses. As of now, one on one chuck it if ya got it has us playing Rucker Park Ball, and losing. TD is to blame, and its a shame because he is a good player playing out of position.
3) Steve Novak gets open looks and makes em count. Shooters shoot. With an injury to Jeffries and some length on the Warriors I see Steve "Corner Trey" Novak seeing significant time and trying to hide in the corner. No one puts baby in the corner, but D'Antoni puts Novak in the corner, and he could just go Schwayze.
RESPONSE: Bango. 1 for 1 is not exactly "Schwayze" but he did drill a corner triple in limited minutes. With no offensive scheme to speak of we can't get him to be the corner dweller he needs to be. Hopefully the offense develops to the point where he can be our rendition of San Antonio's Bruce Bowen, minus the defense.
4) Mark Jackson makes a questionable coaching move that he is asked about during the post game. Jax is still NY, knows that we're watching and has the ego that all NY point guards have. He wants a little spotlight so he grabs some. Hope I'm wrong about this and if I am it is because he thought about this very fact and decided to lay low.
RESPONSE: Nice Win Jax. Your team played uninspired ball for the first half and came out in the 2nd and took advantage of some weaknesses that the Knicks exhibited in the first 24 minutes. The Warriors played great D, got contribution from everyone who stepped on the floor and thoroughly outplayed the Knicks in every facet despite not having Steph and in spite of Monta Ellis awful shooting performance. Be pleased Warrior fans, if this game is any indication Mark Jackson knows what he is doing.
Game 3 Predictions:
(1) Kobe plays facilitator and fills the stat sheet. The Knicks are susceptible to transition D, face cuts and slashers. Kobe can read a Defense and audible like Peyton Manning. In early season games MJ would employ the death by a 1000 cuts game plan to perfection. Getting his teammates involved and developing a repoire with them that paid dividends at the end of the year. We see Kobe do that tonight My only question is; Can Steve Blake, Josh McRoberts and Troy Murphy be Paxson, Wennington and Cartwright for the evening?
RESPONSE: I think I got this right. Kobe scored as Kobe scores but as the Lakers pulled away they did so with the supporting cast making it happen on both ends. Blake hit two three's in the 4th that resulted in me actually shutting the game off before the final whistle. McRoberts had some great cuts to the hoop and was fed for easy hoops and Murphy was generally a pain to deal with.
(2) We keep the game close but lose the game on the defensive end with breakdowns in the 4th quarter. I can't count how many times we have looked around after an easy bucket playing "Who's on Third?" This is coaching but with a short camp, a overhauled roster and no defensive structure to speak of before this year we will lose a lot of games because of defensive lapses.
RESPONSE: Close? Not really. Defensive breakdowns being our downfall? Maybe? You can't shoot sub 40% and win in this league. Similarly, you can't let another team shoot 70% for a half and expect to win. Dangerous combination of bad defense, and a hot team. I am chalking this game up to just "one of those games". God, I hope I am right.
Thursday, December 29, 2011
Game 3
I am running on absolute fumes right now. After staying up until the final whistle last night, I woke up at 6:45 this morning will a full days schedule in front of me. I am on vacation so I will spare you all the "woe is me speech" but trust me, by about 2:00 I was wondering whether watching Jerome Jordan and Jeremy Lin rip off their warm-ups was worth the extra 10 minutes of viewing.
A day on the beach is not a day on the beach when you throw a four month old who cannot be exposed to direct sunlight into the mix. It's like hanging out with Edward Cullen in the middle of Sahara at high noon. No thank you.
Now that the above disclaimer is firmly in place I do have some thoughts about tonight's game.
With a depleted bench and their stars coming off of an awful performance in Northern California just 24 hours ago, the Knicks limp south into the Staples Center with more questions than answers at this point. Fortunate for the Knicks the Lakers have a ton of questions themselves; a place they haven't been in over a decade. The Lakers are not what they were just 6 weeks ago and Kobe's injury has them counting on a supporting cast that no longer includes Lamar Odom, and is missing Andrew Bynum tonight because of his flagrant foul against JJ Barea in last season's playoffs.
If you don't remember let me refresh your memory. Bynum crushed Barea with a dirty elbow propelling the diminutive point guard sprawling to the floor in the midst of a blowout. It was clear to any viewer at that moment that Phil Jackson had already checked out because that would have never happened had he been fully checked in. As an aside, when Scott Disick heard that Lamar Odom requested a trade because of hurt feelings he looked away from the mirror for a split second and asked Kris Jenner if he too could be traded.
Without Lamar off the bench and Mike Brown burying wannabe thug Matt Barnes down the pine the Lakers have to re-develop an identity. It will happen this season and they will be fine. Just think like everything else, it will take some time.
The Lakers have started slow under new head coach Mike Brown and early rumblings out of L.A., and well known Kobe confidant Stephen A. Smith have the internet a flutter with rumors that Kobe will demand a trade unless the Lakers improve their roster. I can't say I fault him. With Dwight Howard having already read the script to Kazaam 2 and begging to take his act out West we are less than 2 months away from seeing the Dwight and Mamba show take center stage. Two reasons why I am certain this will happen (1) Kobe will leave L.A. if it doesn't and that is bad for business and (2) they lost out on the CP3 deal and they shouldn't have. The NBA is famous for payback calls and this one will bring the league's best bigman to L.A. for the 7th straight decade. Seriously.
I'm just about gassed but here are my two predictions for tonight:
(1) Kobe plays facilitator and fills the stat sheet. The Knicks are susceptible to transition D, face cuts and slashers. Kobe can read a Defense and audible like Peyton Manning. In early season games MJ would employ the death by a 1000 cuts game plan to perfection. Getting his teammates involved and developing a repoire with them that paid dividends at the end of the year. We see Kobe do that tonight My only question is; Can Steve Blake, Josh McRoberts and Troy Murphy be Paxson, Wennington and Cartwright for the evening?
(2) We keep the game close but lose the game on the defensive end with breakdowns in the 4th quarter. I can't count how many times we have looked around after an easy bucket playing "Who's on Third?" This is coaching but with a short camp, a overhauled roster and no defensive structure to speak of before this year we will lose a lot of games because of defensive lapses.
I don't even have it in me to re-read this tonight for editing. Enjoy the game.
A day on the beach is not a day on the beach when you throw a four month old who cannot be exposed to direct sunlight into the mix. It's like hanging out with Edward Cullen in the middle of Sahara at high noon. No thank you.
Now that the above disclaimer is firmly in place I do have some thoughts about tonight's game.
With a depleted bench and their stars coming off of an awful performance in Northern California just 24 hours ago, the Knicks limp south into the Staples Center with more questions than answers at this point. Fortunate for the Knicks the Lakers have a ton of questions themselves; a place they haven't been in over a decade. The Lakers are not what they were just 6 weeks ago and Kobe's injury has them counting on a supporting cast that no longer includes Lamar Odom, and is missing Andrew Bynum tonight because of his flagrant foul against JJ Barea in last season's playoffs.
If you don't remember let me refresh your memory. Bynum crushed Barea with a dirty elbow propelling the diminutive point guard sprawling to the floor in the midst of a blowout. It was clear to any viewer at that moment that Phil Jackson had already checked out because that would have never happened had he been fully checked in. As an aside, when Scott Disick heard that Lamar Odom requested a trade because of hurt feelings he looked away from the mirror for a split second and asked Kris Jenner if he too could be traded.
Without Lamar off the bench and Mike Brown burying wannabe thug Matt Barnes down the pine the Lakers have to re-develop an identity. It will happen this season and they will be fine. Just think like everything else, it will take some time.
The Lakers have started slow under new head coach Mike Brown and early rumblings out of L.A., and well known Kobe confidant Stephen A. Smith have the internet a flutter with rumors that Kobe will demand a trade unless the Lakers improve their roster. I can't say I fault him. With Dwight Howard having already read the script to Kazaam 2 and begging to take his act out West we are less than 2 months away from seeing the Dwight and Mamba show take center stage. Two reasons why I am certain this will happen (1) Kobe will leave L.A. if it doesn't and that is bad for business and (2) they lost out on the CP3 deal and they shouldn't have. The NBA is famous for payback calls and this one will bring the league's best bigman to L.A. for the 7th straight decade. Seriously.
I'm just about gassed but here are my two predictions for tonight:
(1) Kobe plays facilitator and fills the stat sheet. The Knicks are susceptible to transition D, face cuts and slashers. Kobe can read a Defense and audible like Peyton Manning. In early season games MJ would employ the death by a 1000 cuts game plan to perfection. Getting his teammates involved and developing a repoire with them that paid dividends at the end of the year. We see Kobe do that tonight My only question is; Can Steve Blake, Josh McRoberts and Troy Murphy be Paxson, Wennington and Cartwright for the evening?
(2) We keep the game close but lose the game on the defensive end with breakdowns in the 4th quarter. I can't count how many times we have looked around after an easy bucket playing "Who's on Third?" This is coaching but with a short camp, a overhauled roster and no defensive structure to speak of before this year we will lose a lot of games because of defensive lapses.
I don't even have it in me to re-read this tonight for editing. Enjoy the game.
Wednesday, December 28, 2011
Game 2
The Chicken or The Egg?
About 10 years ago the desire to stay up to watch the Knicks West Coast swings kind of dissipated. Looking back now I wonder if it was the maturing process that had me tucked in before the 10:30 tip or if it was a by-product of James Dolan's bought product. Which came first, did the Knicks become bad, or did I get old?
It seemed self-destructive to stay up until 1:00 am watching Howard Eisley dish to Shannon Anderson in a meaningless game against the Antwan Jamison led Warriors. I would wake up to go to work or school the next day exhausted. I would pour over the box score wondering how we gave up 118 points and got to be 11 games under .500. I would see players like Mookie Blaylock come off the bench for the Warriors and wish he was a Knick even though his tank was empty. (The fact that Pearl Jam named Ten after him may have played a small role in my wish)
I haven't intentionally stayed up for a West coast game in years but tonight, tonight, I just finished my cup of coffee and in the famed words of Bart Scott, Can't Wait.
Tonight's game against the Warriors has some great backdrop to it. St. John's own Mark Jackson coaching the Warriors against the team that drafted him, let him run the point for two different stints, and then flirted with him for its own head coaching vacancy before deciding on Mike D'Antoni. I wonder if the final decision took Seven Seconds or Less? Former first round pick David Lee playing against a roster of strangers and hopefully playing the same amount of defense he used to play when he donned the Orange and Blue. Tyson Chandler who isn't bashful about saying that he used the Warriors to drive up the price for his services. Okay, so that isn't a direct quote but read between the lines. Second choices are always a place someone "really wanted to be" until the ultimate landing spot paid more. Lastly, and perhaps intriguing only to me and my father, Cali born and raised, Harvard educated Jeremy Lin returning to GSW and playing (maybe just warming up) in his first game as a New York Knick.
It's the kind of stuff that would intrigue an average fan to tune in and no doubt all of the above will be mentioned during the broadcast. Fortunately, all of the above is ancillary to the game itself which as a diehard Knick fan is a beautiful, wonderful thing.
I have no clue what to expect out of tonight's game but am very, very scared of what Monta Ellis is going to do to our backcourt. Amar'e should have the offense run through him more tonight and hopefully we put in a greater effort on the glass to avoid second shots and playing 48 consecutive seconds of defense. All of that said, here are a few intentionally vague predictions heading into tonight's matchup:
1) Chandler has a double double with 13+ boards. If I'm not mistaken Tyson went to Dominguez High School before getting drafted by the Clips with the #2 overall pick. I know I already referenced the backdrop of Jeremy Lin returning "home" but this is a West Coast kid returning home after shunning his state for the almighty dollar. He is going to want to go H.A.M.
2) Toney Douglas shoots less, looks more composed and has a better game although the box score won't reflect it. For all of Rondo's offensive prowess against TD what is lost in the discussion is Rondo's All-NBA defense, freakish long arms and the desire to shut down his opponent. Toney picked up his dribble too early against the C's and couldn't run the offense. Mark Jackson will try to force his guards to do the same thing, but they're not Rondo, and there is no K.G. around the corner to scare Toney into picking up his dribble.
3) Steve Novak gets open looks and makes em count. Shooters shoot. With an injury to Jeffries and some length on the Warriors I see Steve "Corner Trey" Novak seeing significant time and trying to hide in the corner. No one puts baby in the corner, but D'Antoni puts Novak in the corner, and he could just go Schwayze.
4) Mark Jackson makes a questionable coaching move that he is asked about during the post game. Jax is still NY, knows that we're watching and has the ego that all NY point guards have. He wants a little spotlight so he grabs some. Hope I'm wrong about this and if I am it is because he thought about this very fact and decided to lay low.
I see us 2-0 after this game, and Tyson Chandler is the reason why.
About 10 years ago the desire to stay up to watch the Knicks West Coast swings kind of dissipated. Looking back now I wonder if it was the maturing process that had me tucked in before the 10:30 tip or if it was a by-product of James Dolan's bought product. Which came first, did the Knicks become bad, or did I get old?
It seemed self-destructive to stay up until 1:00 am watching Howard Eisley dish to Shannon Anderson in a meaningless game against the Antwan Jamison led Warriors. I would wake up to go to work or school the next day exhausted. I would pour over the box score wondering how we gave up 118 points and got to be 11 games under .500. I would see players like Mookie Blaylock come off the bench for the Warriors and wish he was a Knick even though his tank was empty. (The fact that Pearl Jam named Ten after him may have played a small role in my wish)
I haven't intentionally stayed up for a West coast game in years but tonight, tonight, I just finished my cup of coffee and in the famed words of Bart Scott, Can't Wait.
Tonight's game against the Warriors has some great backdrop to it. St. John's own Mark Jackson coaching the Warriors against the team that drafted him, let him run the point for two different stints, and then flirted with him for its own head coaching vacancy before deciding on Mike D'Antoni. I wonder if the final decision took Seven Seconds or Less? Former first round pick David Lee playing against a roster of strangers and hopefully playing the same amount of defense he used to play when he donned the Orange and Blue. Tyson Chandler who isn't bashful about saying that he used the Warriors to drive up the price for his services. Okay, so that isn't a direct quote but read between the lines. Second choices are always a place someone "really wanted to be" until the ultimate landing spot paid more. Lastly, and perhaps intriguing only to me and my father, Cali born and raised, Harvard educated Jeremy Lin returning to GSW and playing (maybe just warming up) in his first game as a New York Knick.
It's the kind of stuff that would intrigue an average fan to tune in and no doubt all of the above will be mentioned during the broadcast. Fortunately, all of the above is ancillary to the game itself which as a diehard Knick fan is a beautiful, wonderful thing.
I have no clue what to expect out of tonight's game but am very, very scared of what Monta Ellis is going to do to our backcourt. Amar'e should have the offense run through him more tonight and hopefully we put in a greater effort on the glass to avoid second shots and playing 48 consecutive seconds of defense. All of that said, here are a few intentionally vague predictions heading into tonight's matchup:
1) Chandler has a double double with 13+ boards. If I'm not mistaken Tyson went to Dominguez High School before getting drafted by the Clips with the #2 overall pick. I know I already referenced the backdrop of Jeremy Lin returning "home" but this is a West Coast kid returning home after shunning his state for the almighty dollar. He is going to want to go H.A.M.
2) Toney Douglas shoots less, looks more composed and has a better game although the box score won't reflect it. For all of Rondo's offensive prowess against TD what is lost in the discussion is Rondo's All-NBA defense, freakish long arms and the desire to shut down his opponent. Toney picked up his dribble too early against the C's and couldn't run the offense. Mark Jackson will try to force his guards to do the same thing, but they're not Rondo, and there is no K.G. around the corner to scare Toney into picking up his dribble.
3) Steve Novak gets open looks and makes em count. Shooters shoot. With an injury to Jeffries and some length on the Warriors I see Steve "Corner Trey" Novak seeing significant time and trying to hide in the corner. No one puts baby in the corner, but D'Antoni puts Novak in the corner, and he could just go Schwayze.
4) Mark Jackson makes a questionable coaching move that he is asked about during the post game. Jax is still NY, knows that we're watching and has the ego that all NY point guards have. He wants a little spotlight so he grabs some. Hope I'm wrong about this and if I am it is because he thought about this very fact and decided to lay low.
I see us 2-0 after this game, and Tyson Chandler is the reason why.
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