SU made an appearance at MSG last night with long-time SU subscriber, J. Levine, to check out your New York Knicks. I must say the fans do show up every night. Kurt Rambis made his coaching debut. The guy’s been around the block with the Lakers and the T’Wolves, and he’s also been an assistant for a number of years. I am not saying being an NBA coach is the easiest job out there (although with 5 assistant coaches for 12 players, you do certainly have some coverage there). But to the average fan like SU, there are times when it’s not that hard.
Case in point: in the first half, he benched Porzingis (who is the only player I want to see) mid-way through the 2nd quarter, and let him stew for a while at the end of the bench. OK, he’s the coach – that’s his prerogative. Porzingis then burns it up in the 3rd quarter: 14 points scoring every which way. A couple of 3-pointers, lefty drive, post-ups, spin move for a dunk. Knicks tie it up after 3 quarters. But then, he sits Porzingis until there are less than 6 minutes left in the game.
Note to Coach Rambis: the Knicks are offensively challenged. Porzingis, while a rookie, is one of your 3 players who can score and he is a fan fave. PUT HIM BACK IN THE GAME. Let him rest a couple of minutes but what are you doing? He played 29 minutes in total. Either Porzingis is now on a 30-minute pitch count per game (which could be true), or Rambis has no feel for the game and who to play. Very frustrating.
SU is warming up in the bullpen. Give me 5 assistants and I am there.
Sports Update Intergalactic 
Rambis has definitely been around the block and should know better. As much as I love him from his days with the showtime lakers, his track record as a head coach is not great. It’s probably not a bad gig to be Phil jacksons assistant with the lakers! Plus there may be a bit too much Pat Riley in him (sitting Porzingis).
My opinion is that Derek fisher sealed his fate with all the business with Matt Barnes. I know nba coaches are not father figures so much, but I doubt fisher had too much respect in the locker room after that incident. No worries about Rambis on that count.
5 for 20 shooting is all you need to know… besides the millions of dollars he is getting. Melo will keep the Knicks no better than a mediocre team until his contract runs out. If we can’t get him out for a 1st rounder next year we are doomed to live with this team for a few more years…. and waste Porzingis’ talent as a result.
As many Readers that are probably disinterested in Michigan sports info I’m sure even more are disinterested in U Conn women’s basketball. Unless this greatest dynasty team since UCLA men’s basketball recruit another great point guard and another versatile big “man” I can easily see them falling back and simply be one of a half a dozen teams fighting for the title next year…. sprinkled with a few losses. If you haven’t seen them this year this may be the last season displaying a very special team that should run away with the title. If only the Knicks can pass like them and play cohesively.
Porzingis is clearly operating under some version of the Joba rules. It’s annoying but to me it makes more sense in basketball than in baseball. All baseball innings are not created equal but in basketball, minutes are minutes and they can be grueling. When they drafted Porzingis all the talk was about how he was going to be facing stronger competition over a longer season. They are clearly using this season to ease him into the NBA schedule.
Talk today about the Lakers and how they need a basketball guy and how Phil Jackson has an opt out clause. What? Will he go back to the Lakers? Will his legacy with the Knicks be Carmelo Anthony’s awful contract?
Seth, I figure Phil Jackson misses Jeannie Buss out in LA and she has threatened to push out her brother or at least push him aside. It cannot be any fun working for the Knicks. I mean look at him – never smiling and he never even talks to the press. They have no draft picks and he said it’s unlikely he will make a trade at the deadline. You wonder what he’s doing all day?
Sasha, I think you are right about the Matt Barnes issue. I mean, of all the women he had to pursue, it’s Barnes’s ex-wife? Not the best move and then getting into a fight over it is stupid in the macho world of NBA players. You can only get away with that if you are a great coach. The reality is that few players are able to make the quick transition from player to head coach without a little bit of seasoning. Jason Kidd did it as did Mark Jackson. But it’s more the exception. It seems to me that Phil Jackson is limiting his pool of candidates if he insists on them knowing how to run the triangle offense. Maybe he will have Kobe Bryant coach next year!? Could you imagine that?
If Kobe were the coach, practices would be really short because he wouldn’t let anyone else touch the ball.
Speaking of Kobe, it was kind of an uninspiring farewell at the ASG. All he was tossing up were long range and fall away jumpers. No inspired moves to the hoop at all. No one was playing defense and they certainly weren’t going to play him tight of all people.
MORE OF THE SAME
I wonder why no other team uses the triangle offense anymore. Even Kobe doesn’t use it…. the last of a dying breed. So why are the Knicks who still can’t play the “team” concept forced to?
Our new 7″ something star should not have to be taking 3 point shots since there is no one else under the boards if he misses. I guess the silver lining is that he will be back on defense sooner.
These Knicks are once again solidly in disarray. With rumors of Melo being traded doesn’t help us unless a team gives up two first rounders over the next 2 years. I’m OK with that. And of course as long as Melo’s salary is not touched maybe Melo can see his window to gain a championship might lie elsewhere.
Why haven’t we seen Melo in any advertisements in NY? Hmmm… Sounds like he isn’t as popular as we think he is…. at least that’s what TV Land might be telling us.
Besides Porzingus who do we need to keep as our foundation to get better? Not good…
Is MSG really the mecca of basketball? Really???