Yes, the team that ends up with the most points when the clock reads 00:00 after the final horn wins the game. This is true. However, even the most prolific and potent offenses cannot win a shootout every contest. Such was the case with last year’s Knicks. When New York landed Amar’e Stoudemire during the summer of 2010, it provided hope and a piece to build around. Amar’e has been a legitimate scorer his entire career and he was already very familiar with Mike D’Antoni from their days together in Phoenix.
It’s no mystery that Mike D’Antoni has gotten as far as he has from a coaching standpoint due to his offensive prowess. He had the offenses in Phoenix clicking on all cylinders and did the same for the Knicks. At the beginning of the season, the Knicks didn’t exactly have the best collection of talent on the offensive side of the ball, but they were consistently in the top 3 in scoring. Credit D’Antoni for that. Then in February when they landed Carmelo Anthony, it certified the Knicks as one of the best offenses in the game, hands down.
However, the career-long knock against Amar’e and ‘Melo is that they are not strong defenders, so while the Knicks were routinely scoring north of 100 points, they were allowing the same. That is a recipe for mediocrity as the Knicks finished with a record, albeit above .500, near .500. Credit D’Antoni for that as well.
At the conclusion of last season, I stated that I believe Mike D’Antoni would be on a short leash this season. I said that if the Knicks didn’t make market improvements on the defensive side of the ball by the all-star break, I wasn’t sure if he’d last the rest of the season. The Knicks have been bad far too long to now have two perennial all-stars, and not be considered amongst the league’s elite. But two things happened that are working in D’Antoni’s favor: the lockout and the Mike Woodson hire.
Because of the lockout, I fully expect play across the NBA to be down initially. Guys will be out of shape and will now have to play a bunch of games in a very tight timeframe. If the Knicks continue to lag defensively, Knicks brass may attribute it to that. But even more so, Mike Woodson was brought in to save D’Antoni’s job. First off, it’s somewhat embarrassing that an established head coach such as Mike D’Antoni needs someone brought in to help him coach, but that’s neither here nor there. The fact of the matter is that the Knicks now have someone talented enough to run the offense and someone talented enough to run the defense, so wins should improve.
However, if the Knicks aren’t successful, and it’s because of the defense just like last year, it will be Mike D’Antoni who is sacrificed. Not Mike Woodson.
If you’re looking for your everyday, predictable basketball talk, then go somewhere else, because Kevin Burke of The Kevin Burke Project brings provocative, thought provoking content about basketball as only he can. Kevin also hosts The Hoop Doctors weekly podcast show, which you can subscribe to for free on iTunes. Follow Kevin on Twitter and Facebook
