The Daily News, particularly Knicks beat writer Mitch Lawrence (a Notorious Zeke-Hunter), seem to feel that Isiah was silly for blaming the loss on the Knicks poor FT shooting (14-24). Lawrence writes that "in what can only be called a bizarre postgame analysis", the Knicks failed to beat a club that "was minus its best player (Michael Redd) and had lost 11 of its previous 12 games". Never mind that the Bucks previous struggles might also have something to do with the lack of Mo Williams, a bonified stud this season (I know, I picked him up in my Fantasy league), who dropped 30 points and 10 assists in his first game back from a shoulder injury. That wouldn't have something to do with why the Bucks played better yesterday than in their previous games?
And this line is a winner: "Topic A should hve been his (Zeke) team's inability to stop the Bucks' pick-and-roll. It's the primary reason Milwaukee made 51% of its shots..." Um, never mind that the Bucks are #7 in the NBA in FG% and Point Scored, and average 100 per game. That pick-and-roll the Knicks couldn't defend? That's one of the best pick-and-rolls in the league, with Andrew Bogut - one of the top big men in the league to pick-and roll with. He can hit an open jumper, and is one of the best passing big men. And Mo Williams (back from the aforementioned injury) is one of the best PGs in the game at hitting open mid-range jumpers or driving to the hoop on the pick and roll. In fact, the Bucks combo is up there with Boozer and Deron Williams in Utah (home of pick-and-roll greatness) in terms of hardest combos in the league to stop coming off picks. So, yeah, the Knicks didn't do a good job - no one in the league has. This type of analysis is silly, and only serves one purpose - to continue to make the Knicks look hopeless and hapless. The reality is the Knicks should have won yesterday, but couldn't hit the free throws, and couldn't stop Mo Williams from making a tough jumper with 4 seconds left, despite great defense.
Mo Williams' shoulder protector (which looks like a ammo-belt) was described by Clyde Frazier during the game as looking like a Mexican bandit:
If you want to harp on negatives from yesterday's game, start with the fact that, once again, the Knicks last-second play at the end of a game was to have Jamal Crawford chuck a three up. Having watched every game this season, there has got to be a better freaking play... all those OT games earlier this season (Memphis, Detroit, Charlotte), the last second play that is run is always ends up Jamal chucking up a long, off balance three-pointer... maybe it's time to run a different play, Isiah....
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