No, you did not read that wrong.
The New York Knickerbockers chucked 43, yes, 43 3-point shots tonight. I don’t care what team it is, who the coach of the team is, and who the players on the team are, there is literally a 0% chance of winning if you chuck up that many 3-point shots in a game. And wouldn’t you know? The Knicks lost in Miami 99-89. Keep in mind, this was without Carmelo Anthony who sat due to his numerous injuries. Whether the Knicks win this game even with a banged up Carmelo is for another time but let’s break this game down because there’s a lot of things that need to be addressed.
First off, there is absolutely zero reason as to why the Knicks chucked up 43 3-point shots. I understand Carmelo wasn’t playing but
Sam Sharpe-US PRESSWIRE
43 3-point shots is absolutely ridiculous. The fact Mike D’Antoni allowed this to happen is laughable, and frankly, its the final straw for me regarding D’Antoni. A head coach is supposed to lead and direct a team, not just stand idly by as his team doesn’t even try to score inside when they have a terrific power forward and a top 5 center. A competent head coach doesn’t let that happen. No way, no how. And I understand that James Dolan isn’t a fan of mid-season coaching changes but it’s time for one. I understand D’Antoni is an “offensive guru” and his track record in Phoenix shows he knows how to coach but I think even he knows he’s just not right for this team. Dolan, please, just take D’Antoni out of his misery. We’ve all seen enough.
Second, let’s talk about Amar’e Stoudemire. Even with Carmelo out, Amar’e only mustered 12 points. Yeah, the player we signed to a MAX contract last year could only muster 12 points even though he was easily the best player and best scoring option on the team. I don’t think it’s Carmelo that’s been affecting his season, I think it’s been Amar’e. He shot 5-14 from the field tonight, grabbed 6 boards, and dished out 3 assists. Look, I understand there’s no point guard but that shouldn’t mean Amar’e can become completely average. There’s no excuse for that. And I love Amar’e but he needs to step up already. You’re being paid star money, it’s time to start acting and playing like one.
Can’t complain about Tyson Chandler tonight. Scored 9 points and grabbed 12 boards. That’s a normal night for him. Billy Walker played well offensively tonight, despite the 6 turnovers, as he was the only player, besides Chandler, to have a good FG% tonight. Toney Douglas had another Toney Douglas game, as he shot 18 times and only made 6 shots. He’s been nothing short of horrific this year, I’m sorry. I like the guy, I’m rootinng for the guy, but he’s been terrible this year. But it wouldn’t be fair to single him out as we have a bunch of other players who deserved to be called out. Mike Bibby, who is somehow still on this roster amazingly enough, shot 9 times and only made 2 shots. Jared Jeffries, yeah JARED JEFFRIES, shot two three pointers tonight. Why? Well because everybody wanted to beef their stats tonight because Carmelo wasn’t playing. Look, I’m sure that’s not the reason why but the way they played tonight made it look like they were. I mean, we’ve seen some Knicks players play carelessly over the years (Marbury, Curry, Randolph, etc.) but those rosters were terrible. This is a roster that has two superstars and a great center. This is a team that can win the way it is currently constructed. It’s time for people to start stepping up already.
If there was one silver lining for this game, it was Landry Fields. While the rest of the team has been underperforming lately, Landry has been performing well. Tonight he scored 14 points, grabbed 7 boards, and dished out 5 assists. In the past 5 games, Landry has averaged 14.6 points, 4.2 boards, and 4.2 assists. So while the Knicks have been losing lately, Landry has been playing well.
So where do we go from here? Well the Knicks conclude their road trip in Houston on Saturday and after playing the Pistons in Madison Square Garden on Tuesday, the Knicks face a very difficult back-to-back vs. the Bulls and Celtics. In other words, the Knicks are in trouble. And who the heck knows when Baron Davis is going to play. One day he’s close, the next day he’s not going to be able to play for another week. Sorry to say, because I really wanted him, but don’t expect too much out of him. And it’s very realistic the Knicks go 1-3 in the stretch I mentioned and if they do, they’ll be 8-15. That’s right, a squad that contains Carmelo Anthony, Amar’e Stoudemire, and Tyson Chandler are in danger of becoming 8-15. Unacceptable. Absolutely unacceptable. James Dolan, I hope you realize that it’s not too late to right the ship. Make the right decision: Fire Mike D’Antoni and in the offseason, clean house in terms of the coaching staff. And hey, it looks like Phil Jackson might be interested in coming back to coach the Knicks. Now wouldn’t that be something.