Comments on: J.R. Smith confirms he is close to deal with Knicks

By: 00maltliquor

00maltliquor — Sat, 18 Feb 2012 01:55:34 +0000

@ cantonbound

Heat fan, nooooo sir! I’ve been following the NBA since the mid-80′s so your 0 for 2.
I would go off on you since you seem like an easy target with very low bball knowledge but I’ll just let you slide this one time.

By: marcusfitzhugh

marcusfitzhugh — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 21:13:03 +0000

Dolan is blamed for everything. If someone stubs their toe –DOLAN. If you can’t make eye contact with a hottie at the bar – DOLAN. Traffic jam – DOLAN. PC virus – DOLAN. Cat died – DOLAN. Your boss/wife/neighbor is a jerk – DOLAN.

Same for D’Antoni. When the Knicks are losing, he’s the problem. When they put a streak together, he’s still the problem. Gotta cut Billups? It’s because D’Antoni can’t coach. Baron’s back is bad? D’Antoni can’t coach. Baron FINALLY going to join the lineup? D’Antoni can’t coach. World hunger? D’Antoni can’t coach.

By: passerby23

passerby23 — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 16:43:02 +0000

Agreed. Melo is never coming off the bench.

Lin
Fields
Melo
Amare
Chandler

Smith, Douglas, Shumpert, Jeffries, Walker, and Baron if he ever comes back as the bench.

By: passerby23

passerby23 — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 16:41:06 +0000

@ cantonbound
I’m not a Heat fan and I agree with the above comment. Chandler, Gasol, Humphries, Nene, and David West all commanded a lot more money than the Heat could’ve paid them. West and Humphries are also PFs, not centres. Kaman and Odom were still under contract. Kenyon Martin was still in China and he’s also not a centre. Dalembert is the one player I would grant you they had a shot at, but again, he could get paid more elsewhere which is what he did.

There were slim pickings for talented big men available. They may not need them. I think the Knicks and Bulls are two teams with good bigs who could give them a run.

By: passerby23

passerby23 — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 16:35:10 +0000

The good thing about a deep team is if you don’t buy into what’s working, you will find a cosy spot at the end of the bench. I think Melo and Smith see what’s going on with Lin and don’t want to mess that up – even if only for the reason of being unpopular. Besides that, you want to use Smith as a score-first player on a second unit, not as a first unit chucker trying to steal shots from others.

By: passerby23

passerby23 — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 16:31:56 +0000

Balkman’s gone and you forgot Shumpert.

By: cantonbound13

cantonbound13 — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 14:21:07 +0000

You must be a typical Heat fan that just started following the NBA last year. Here’s a list of big men & pgs that were available via free agency or trade: Tyson Chandler, Samuel Dalenbert, Kenyon Martin, Lamar Odom, Marc Gasol, Chris Kaman, Kris Humphries, Nene, Raymond Felton & David West. That’s just a few good players that were available this year. None were willing to take less money to play with the Heat or demand to be traded there.

By: theghostofwillisreed

theghostofwillisreed — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 13:06:53 +0000

i stopped reading after the lineup.

stop the nonsense. melo is a cornerstone of the franchise along with stat whether the trade-haters like it or not. get over it.

By: bknowledge

bknowledge — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 05:40:34 +0000

Knicks Starting Line-up should be:

Tyson
Amare
Landry
JR
JLin

Its argueably the best starting 5 in the league.
JR shoots almost 40% from the 3 (JR’s range is infinite, and his percentage would probably go up in Knicks offense because he would be getting open shots created by an offensive system designed to generate open 3′s- rather then freelancing- which has been his role off bench in Denver).

I know the Knicks won’t make this their starting line-up right away- maybe never. Melo is a bigger star and more talented overall. But, the Knicks offense is going to suffer with Melo in the starting line-up. Melo only shoots 32% from the 3- he doesn’t open up the floor for dribble penetration the way JR will. And, Melo and Amare are both high volume shooters from the elbow. Teams are gonna clog the paint when Melo, Amare, and Tyson are on the court together- this will make dribble penetration harder, and eliminate cutting lanes that are essential to Landry’s game.

Knicks have won 7 games straight by keeping 3 deep shooters on the floor at all times- guys that shoot 40% from 20 feet and out. Neither Amare, nor Melo, nor Tyson has that skill. Knicks should trade Melo or Amare. Melo is a dominant player but not for the offensive system the Knicks have in place; Amare fits the offensive system we have in place. For that reason, I would trade Melo.

D’Antoni’s offense is a version of the outside-in game. D’Antoni has never had a center like Tyson- as the past seven games prove, D’Antoni’s offense can work with a center like Tyson on the court. There have been NBA champions that play outside-in (both Detroit championship teams- played from the outside-in).

By: 00maltliquor

00maltliquor — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 04:44:27 +0000

Probably because the positions they need (C and PG) are the positions that are not avalible with good talent. They are 2 deep at SG, SF, and PF. Even at PG they have Chalmers and Cole. I don’t think their looking for anything other then center right now. And who’s left in the FA pool at that position? Joel Pryzbilla. Just sayin’…

By: jruethedamaja

jruethedamaja — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 03:54:03 +0000

Eighth best team in the east. FTFY.

By: rft1906

rft1906 — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 03:45:54 +0000

I hear Stephon Marbury is almost done in China tooo…..That would be another dumb move Dolan…..

By: rft1906

rft1906 — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 03:40:39 +0000

This is too much. Lin PG, Fields G (defense), Melo, Amare, Chandler..
Bench: Shumpert 2G (defense),Novak 3 or 4, Jefferies 4-5, Walker SF,
nine man rotation enough…find a big or another PG because we learned what a difference that makes…

By: goforthanddie

goforthanddie — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 02:49:13 +0000

Screw PC, that’s funny.

By: cantonbound13

cantonbound13 — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 02:43:34 +0000

Funny how they said a year ago so many quality player will take less money to play with the Heat Big 3. All they have to show for it is an old Juwaan Howard, a done Ilgauskis, a fat Eddie Curry & a done Shane Battier.

By: thevikes85

thevikes85 — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 02:39:23 +0000

Racist p.o.s.

By: jasonkenlan

jasonkenlan — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 02:31:56 +0000

replace balkman with a healthy harrellson and that imo is a solid bench. of course we need to part ways with bibby before the end of this sente—….

By: chrisppers

chrisppers — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 02:20:15 +0000

JR’s a bandwagon sellout all about $ and popularity, w/o question he would have had a better chance to at least make it to the finals and possibly get a ring with LAC, now he has to go through Miami and/or Chicago. Guess he really care about winning.

By: mrlitl

mrlitl — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 02:18:08 +0000

@Amadeus That’s kinda racist, but funny.

By: premiumpit

premiumpit — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 02:06:42 +0000

I think it can work if they cut bibby…I dont think he has hit one shot all year…Maybe two years…but i just hope this dont take time away from shumpert…

By: stadix093

stadix093 — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 02:00:56 +0000

Don’t know if it will work out well, but if it doesn’t, the failure will be on a spectacular level.

By: knicks4life

knicks4life — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 01:43:14 +0000

Cut melo and sign him to. The angles

By: garryfish

garryfish — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 01:15:54 +0000

Could anyone think that maybe Baron is not coming back and he is the one being cut.

By: makjak2

makjak2 — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 01:02:35 +0000

Being too deep is a good problem to have.

By: keyshawn22

keyshawn22 — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 00:42:26 +0000

Why would the Knicks when they finally have something going bring in a guy that shoots more bad shots than pretty much anyone???

Melo, Amare, Lin, Chandler, Shumpert, Fields, Walker, jefferies and Novak is a solid core…bringing a me first chucker into the mix is not a good idea. Who’s minutes do you want him taking? Plus Baron is supposed to come back at some point thats another guy who is going to take minutes from that core. Only Dolan could screw up a good thing so fast

By: goforthanddie

goforthanddie — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 00:36:39 +0000

They’ll have to ban Smith’s family from the games or they’ll try to fight Lin.

By: plum13sec

plum13sec — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 00:24:01 +0000

They have gone from seeming laughing stock to the place free agents want to go. I love it.

By: starks3

starks3 — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 00:11:49 +0000

I agree Looking at the bench lineup when at full strength,
1.B Davis
2.JR Smith/Fields
3.Billy Skywalker
4.Balkman
5.Jeffries

I would say that is a legit lineup, and I would agree Smith would be better served coming off of the bench for now at least to he gets in the groove of the offense.

By: cantonbound13

cantonbound13 — Thu, 16 Feb 2012 23:28:09 +0000

Championship!

By: spree8

spree8 — Thu, 16 Feb 2012 22:05:14 +0000

nah, Smith aint that big of a deal to be a chemistry changer. although, I do think he’s gonna be a great piece for the second unit and we desperately need that. That is a big deal