by Stop Mike Lupica on November 3 at 3:27PM
Here are my notes on last night's game against the Cavs:
Knick players who don't "need" the ball on offense:
-Fred Jones
-David Lee
-Renaldo Balkman
-Malik Rose
-Wilson Chandler
-Mardy Collins
-Jared Jeffries
Guys who do "need" the ball on offense (per media perception):
-Stephon Marbury
-Jamal Crawford
-Eddy Curry
-Zach Randolph
-Quentin Richardson
-Nate Robinson
It seems evenly split, okay?
-Quentin Richardson has some personal beef, may involve a girl.
-Stephon Marbury and LeBron have exchanged words in the media about each other's sneakers. You may remember Stephon calling LeBron "owned" by Nike.
-Renaldo Balkman exchanged words during a game last year with LeBron. It may be the reason LeBron just schooled Balkman today.
Eddy Curry: 14 points (7/9 FG), 5 rebounds, 1 block.
Zach Randolph: 10 points (5/12), 7 rebounds, 2 steals.
3rd Quarter:
4th Quarter:
Oh, and the Knicks had been called for goaltending on that LeBron basket. So it's 103-96.
It was a good game for the Knicks. The offense looked really good, and there was ball movement, low turnovers, and solid hustling (until the end of the fourth). They outrebounded and outassisted the Cavs. They had less turnovers.
Bad signs: not enough free throws for the Knicks, who lived at the line last year. The rarely got out-free throwed in a game last season. The defense was poor, especially the guards on Boobie Gibson (Marbury/Crawford), who was wide open for three straight threes that crushed the Knicks. The free throw shooting was awful.
The bench wasn't effective enough. The Knicks used only 7 players really; the starting five plus Lee and Robinson. Fred Jones played 9 minutes, and Balkman play 0 minutes (and racked up zeros across the stat sheet, except for his three fouls). The Knicks need to use their depth a little more. But with Jeffries injured and Chandler an untested rookie, Isiah didn't want to go too deep yesterday. Malik Rose also wasn't utilized at all, which is surprising considering the savvy veteran is a favorite of Isiah's.
You have to feel good about the game. If the Knicks can keep moving the ball, out rebounding and out hustling their opponents, and not turning the ball over much, they will be successful. The T-Wolves are coming tomorrow for the home opener. We'll see if the Knicks will play with the same intensity.
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- The season opens with Marbury giving up a four-point play to a grown man nicknamed "Boobie". That sh*t must be an omen. Of what, I don't know. Maybe Marbury's womanizing ways are going to continue to come back to bite him?
- The starting backcourt - Jamal Crawford and Stephon Marbury - open up with 4 points each to give the Knicks an 8-6 lead. They are both penetrating, and getting to the line early. The Knicks always do well when the guards can draw fouls.
- The Cavs are without Eric Snow, Sasha Pavolvic or Anderson Varejo, who were all starters at points last year. In other words, their "bench" must be D-Leaguers. The Knicks bench will have to crush the Cavs' "bench".
- Old friend Demetris Hot Nichols is on the Cavs' roster, but he can't even crack the 12 man squad for a team that is currently making the Boston Celtics bench look deep.
- Jamal Crawford with a great alley-oop pass to Curry! Great chemistry indeed. 21-21. The Knicks are shooting 58%, the Cavs 62%.
- Watching LeBron drive and kick it out to Ilgaukas for a 16-foot brick/swish makes me glad that Kobe keeps shooting down in LA. It's just a better use of his talent, that's all.
- A Crawford steal leads to a Curry basket in the paint. 26-21, Knicks!
- Crawford gets stripped, gets it back, and immediately shoots an ill-advised off-balance 6-footer that goes in. Typical Crawford play. He may not play right, but you have to admit he's entertaining. His complete disregard for basketball common sense is starting to grow on me.
- Eddy Curry gets fouled on his bad shoulder (the one with the torn labrum), and winces in visible pain for several minutes. His labrum is torn, people!
- Balkman is on the court. With David Lee. Cavs beware. 30-29 Knicks
- Balkman immediately fouls LeBron James.
- After the inbounds, Balkman immediately fouls LeBron James again. Interesting. Since when does Jerome James wear #32. And dreads?
- On the Cavs' next possession, Balkman fouls LeBron on a dunk attempt. 32-30 Cavs. That's 3 fouls in less than a minute for the top student this past summer at the Jerome James School of Defense.
- Nate Robinson with a great defensive play to force a turnover. Nate is turning into the best defender on the Knicks.
- The Knicks lead after the first quarter 34-32. 34 points? The Knicks are the new Suns?
- The Knicks have thus far looked like the better defensive team. Which is a compliment, because the Cavs were one of the best defensive teams last year.
- Zach Randolph with a steal. He's actually been great at defense so far, including the preseason.
Knick players who don't "need" the ball on offense:
-Fred Jones
-David Lee
-Renaldo Balkman
-Malik Rose
-Wilson Chandler
-Mardy Collins
-Jared Jeffries
Guys who do "need" the ball on offense (per media perception):
-Stephon Marbury
-Jamal Crawford
-Eddy Curry
-Zach Randolph
-Quentin Richardson
-Nate Robinson
It seems evenly split, okay?
- David Lee seems to have added some moves on the offensive side since last season. He's posting!
- And David Lee with a nice kick out to a wide open Nate Robinson for three. 39-34 NYK.
- Zach Randolph glares at LeBron after hitting a jumper. He's trying to fit in!
-Quentin Richardson has some personal beef, may involve a girl.
-Stephon Marbury and LeBron have exchanged words in the media about each other's sneakers. You may remember Stephon calling LeBron "owned" by Nike.
-Renaldo Balkman exchanged words during a game last year with LeBron. It may be the reason LeBron just schooled Balkman today.
- David Lee with another nice post move, earning the title "Whirling Dervish" from Clyde.
- Zach with another steal. 43-39 Knicks.
- Steph gets called for a carry violation. Since when do they call carries in the NBA?!? Don't you love opening day... the refs are trying all hard to call everything right, and by the end of the second week they no longer care about "enforcing the carry" this season, or whatever the hot thing to focus on this season is (technicals for arguing, etc)...
- And because he was still arguing with the ref, Steph gives up an easy layup.
- Hey, the game clock is running slow tonight. I think this might be related to how come the Knicks and Cavs are both on pace to score over 120 points each.
- LeBron gets fouled, hits the first free throw, misses the second, grabs his own rebound, hits the shot and gets fouled, and hits the free throw to complete "the conventional four-point play". 49-47 Cavs. The Knicks have now given up two four-point plays this season. Actually the Knicks have been pretty sloppy on defense all night. It's impressive they are this close.
- Curry hits a shot, gets fouled, misses the shot, but Randolph grabs the offensive board and hits the putback. That makes it 51-49 Knicks. Both teams have the same strategy this season: Let's score four points on a single possession.
- Curry gets a block!
- On the next possession Randolph grabs a board and leads the break all the way up, missing a layup. But Curry is there for the rebound and putback. Hold up, wait a minute... Curry and Randolph are fast breaking?!?
- The first half ends, as always, with Jamal Crawford shooting an ill-advised rushed three point attempt.
Eddy Curry: 14 points (7/9 FG), 5 rebounds, 1 block.
Zach Randolph: 10 points (5/12), 7 rebounds, 2 steals.
3rd Quarter:
- Eddy (2) and Zach (4) have six of the Knicks first eight points in the 2nd half, further solidifying that they can do this. It's 62-62.
- Jamal Crawford gets a block?!?
- And now Eddy Curry gets called for a goaltend on Gooden's jumper. What? He's playing like Georgetown Patrick Ewing... what the hell is going on here?!?
- Curry in the paint, draws the double, out to a wide open Nate... for the three. It's good. That's how you hope the offense is working.
- And now Randolph draws the defense, kicks it to Crawford who goes down the wide open baseline for a dunk. 72-67 Knicks. The big men are creating open looks for the perimeter guys.
- A couple of Nate Robinson three-pointers (assists to Crawford and Q-Rich) makes it 78-69 Knicks. Nate is 4/5 from downtown for 12 points so far.
4th Quarter:
- LeBron strips Crawford, takes it all the way to the hoops, where Nate gives him the perfect foul, safely wrapping him up so he doesn't get the shot off, but doesn't get hurt, either. LeBron give him a "nice job" pound for the "perfect foul". Nate Robinson does not have beef with LeBron.
- Zach's defense forces Ilgaukas to travel. Nice defense again, Zach.
- A Boobie Gibson three ties it at 86-86 with 7:11 to go.
- LeBron with a running jumper and a foul. 89-86 Cleveland.
- David Lee hits 1 of 2 FTA after being fouled by LeBron. 89-87 Cavs. 6:21 to go.
- Gibson for 3 again. 92-87 Cavs.
- Steph for three. 92-90 Cavs.
- LeBron to Gibson for three again. 95-90 Cavs.
- LeBron to wide open Gibson for three again. 98-98 Cavs. It's like Game six again for Boobie. Gibson now has 24 points. 4:50 to go.
- Crawford hits two free throws. 98-92 Cavs.
- LeBron makes one of two. 99-92 Cavs.
- Curry for two (off a nice pass from Zach). 99-94 Cavs.
- LeBron over Q-Rich. 101-94, 3:05 left. Uh-oh.
- Nate steals ball, Zach gets a deuce. 101-96.
Oh, and the Knicks had been called for goaltending on that LeBron basket. So it's 103-96.
- Zach hits one of two FTs. 103-97. 2:30 left.
It was a good game for the Knicks. The offense looked really good, and there was ball movement, low turnovers, and solid hustling (until the end of the fourth). They outrebounded and outassisted the Cavs. They had less turnovers.
Bad signs: not enough free throws for the Knicks, who lived at the line last year. The rarely got out-free throwed in a game last season. The defense was poor, especially the guards on Boobie Gibson (Marbury/Crawford), who was wide open for three straight threes that crushed the Knicks. The free throw shooting was awful.
The bench wasn't effective enough. The Knicks used only 7 players really; the starting five plus Lee and Robinson. Fred Jones played 9 minutes, and Balkman play 0 minutes (and racked up zeros across the stat sheet, except for his three fouls). The Knicks need to use their depth a little more. But with Jeffries injured and Chandler an untested rookie, Isiah didn't want to go too deep yesterday. Malik Rose also wasn't utilized at all, which is surprising considering the savvy veteran is a favorite of Isiah's.
You have to feel good about the game. If the Knicks can keep moving the ball, out rebounding and out hustling their opponents, and not turning the ball over much, they will be successful. The T-Wolves are coming tomorrow for the home opener. We'll see if the Knicks will play with the same intensity.
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those are some detailed notes mr. stopmikelupica. I was at first rooting for Demetris but have since changed my mind because of the attitude he exuded during recent interviews. doesn't come across as a humble guy to me, and he was a second round pick. good luck to him.