Tag: Ronnie Brewer

So Close But Yet So far

~ Dave Ettinger ~ Leave a comment

Lebron James is better than Carmelo Anthony.  It is as simple as that (it also doesn’t hurt to have Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh on your team too).  Sunday afternoon, Lebron showcased his all around skills and proved why the Heat are the team to beat in the NBA.  This basketball game was a tale of two halves, and it took a turn when the best player in the world took the game over.  The Knicks opened the game with loads of energy, and Madison Square Garden seemed to be filled with that “playoff” electricity.  The Knicks played a nearly perfect first half and at one point had a 16 point lead over the Heat.  Carmelo Anthony came out on fire and hit 4 out of his first 5 shots.  He also got to the free throw line 4 times in the first quarter, hitting 8 out of 9 free throws.  Jason Kidd finally woke from his slumber and decided to hit 4 three-pointers in the first half.  As a Knicks fan I loved what I saw in the first half, but I had this sneaking suspicion that the Heat weren’t down for the count.  A 14 point halftime lead was cut to only 4 with 6:52 still left in the third quarter.  How did that happen you say?  Well, Chris Bosh came out of the locker room like a bat out of hell, scoring 7 points in the first 3 minutes of the third quarter.  Now, the Knicks showed great perseverance stretching the lead back out to 11 points with 2 minutes left in the 3rd quarter.  And from there it was the Lebron James show.  Lebron took the responsibility of guarding Carmelo Anthony for the entire 2nd half.  Lebron shut him down, limiting Melo to only 8 2nd half points.  He also helped the Heat close the 3rd quarter on an 8-1 run, cutting the lead back down to 4.  Melo did start the 4th quarter with a quick basket, but Lebron came right back and hit the two biggest shots of the game.  He nailed back to back three-pointers tying the game at 79.  Both teams traded baskets over the next couple minutes, but when the Heat took the lead with 4:28 to go, they wouldn’t relinquish the lead for the rest of the game.  The Knicks still had a chance when they were down 4, with the ball, and 30 seconds to play, however what transpired next became the nail in the coffin for the Knicks.  J.R. Smith threw a lazy pass across the top of the key toward Carmelo Anthony.  Lebron jumped the passing lane, stole the ball, and threw down a ferocious dunk.  This put the game out of reach, and the Heat won 99-93.  This has also officially put the Eastern Conference out of reach.

The name of this game was defense.  The Knicks started the game with great intensity.  They were playing solid team defense.  They were doubling, and switching, and rotating perfectly in their defensive assignments.  This kept the Heat’s offense at bay and allowed them to sustain a lead throughout the entire 1st half.  Lebron though, headlined the defensive attack for the Heat in the 2nd half.  Like I mentioned earlier, he completely shut down a tired Carmelo Anthony and forced the rest of the Knicks to beat them (that obviously did not happen).  The Heat’s swarming defense forced 18 turnovers by the Knicks.  This is very uncharacteristic for the Knicks who only average just over 11 turnovers per game.  The turnovers were crucial in this game, and they all seemed to come at inopportune times for the Knicks.  On top of his stellar defense, Lebron also added 29 points, 11 rebounds, and 7 assists (just another day at the office).  This is clearly Lebron’s team, but everyone needs to realize just how fortunate he is to have such a talented player by his side.  Dwayne Wade had 20 points, 8 rebounds, and 8 assists.  Combined they shot over 50% from the field, and were just 2 rebounds and 5 assists away from having 2 TRIPLE DOUBLES.  It’s basically unfair, but I’ll save my excuses for a later date.  We all know how good the Heat are, the story here is the Knicks and their confused lineup.  I like Mike Woodson finally making a move in changing up the starting lineup, but JAMES WHITE?!?!  I know it’s not a real thing, that it’s just a move to bring Kidd off the bench, but JAMES WHITE?!?!  James White shouldn’t be on an NBA roster, and he is starting for the third best team in the Eastern Conference?  Are you serious Mr. Woodson?  You might as well call up the Oklahoma City Thunder and try to get Ronnie Brewer back.  At least when he started games for the Knicks, they were winning.  What the Knicks need to do is insert Amar’e Stoudemire into the starting lineup at the 4, and allow Shumpert and Melo to slide down into their natural positions to the 2 and 3 respectively.  This will allow Melo to roam free offensively and not take on the task of guarding power forwards on the other end of the floor.  Amar’e can still manage to stay under 30 minutes per game, and should keep the Knicks from getting down early in games.  This has been one of the biggest parts of the Knicks downfall over the last two months.  Coach Woodson should also go back to resting Carmelo Anthony at the start of the 4th quarter.  Melo is not a guy who can play 40-plus minutes every night and still remain effective.  No matter what the Knicks do with their lineup going forward, they need to play defense and scale back the amount of three-pointers they shoot.  It makes them too streaky, and streaky in the NBA doesn’t win Championships.

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NBA Trade Deadline in Review

~ Dave Ettinger ~ Leave a comment

The NBA trade deadline came and went without much noise.  All week Josh Smith’s name had been circulating in trade talks, and it all amounted to nothing.  Personally, I don’t understand why they didn’t deal him, as well as why the Lakers didn’t deal Dwight Howard.  Why would teams not trade players who are going to walk away in free agency at the end of the year?  Josh Smith is definitely leaving Atlanta, so the fact that they didn’t trade him is idiotic.  Dwight Howard may stay in Los Angeles, so I understand the Lakers keeping him in hopes to re-sign him at the end of the year.  The biggest name that was traded yesterday was JJ Reddick.  The Orlando Magic traded him to the Milwaukee Bucks, along with Gustavo Ayon and Ish Smith for Beno Udrih, Doron Lamb, and Tobias Harris.  It was not a big trade by any stretch of the imagination.  However, the name of the game in the NBA is money money money.  Trades get made in the NBA once the money matches on both sides.  The Magic are in rebuilding mode (as they always are), and they were looking for some young talent which they received in Doron Lamb.  I think the Bucks got the better of this trade, with the addition of a solid perimeter shooter.  The New York Knicks did not make a big splash in the trade deadline either.  They traded Ronnie Brewer to the Oklahoma City Thunder for a 2nd round pick and a trade exception.  And we all know what the Knicks did next right?  Come on, it made so much sense.  You can’t think of it?  Okay, I’ll tell you.  They signed Kenyon Martin to a 10-Day Contract.  Yes!!!!  That is just what they need, another mid thirties player who if his life depended on it couldn’t stay healthy.  Now, if, and this is a BIG IF, he can stay healthy he will help out their front line.  He can add some much needed rebounding, defense, and toughness.  That gritty warrior’s mentality is what the Knicks are lacking, big time.  Overall, I’ll give the Knicks an average grade of a C for their trade deadline moves.  Even with the inactivity at the trade deadline, we should have some good competitive basketball to watch over the last two months of the season.  Enjoy!!

Sooooo….That Didn’t Go As Planned Did It??

~ Dave Ettinger ~ Leave a comment

WOW!!!!  Just when everyone thought it couldn’t get any worse, it did.  I am not going to break down last nights game because I don’t want to make anyone sick to their stomach.  In case you missed it the Knicks lost to the Pacers by a score of 125-91, and have now lost four of their last five games.  Let’s just say it was ugly, pathetic, and the Knicks looked like they didn’t want to be out on the court.  After a nice week off for the All Star break, the Knicks looked like they were still on vacation.  With that being said, last night the New York Knicks looked like, well the New York Knicks.  As Knicks fans, we are used to this by now aren’t we?  I know I am.  They toy with your emotions.  They trick you into believing they are a complete team and they’ve put their woes behind them.  And then what happens?  They go through horrid stretches that make you wonder what’s next.  It may sound like I’m jumping ship, but I’m not.  Let me explain to you what’s happening with the New York Knicks.  They are a jump shooting team that has an affinity for three pointers, they play next to no defense, and they have a confused lineup.  Earlier on in the season the Knicks weren’t good, they were great.  This is because the three’s and jumpers were falling.  Jump shooting teams are streaky.  They lose games they have no business losing, and sometimes they win games they have no business winning.  Don’t be surprised if the Knicks turn this ship around and go on a nice little stretch in March.  Let me tell you something, that would leave everyone scratching their heads saying, who are the real Knicks?  This is because the Knicks, in March, play ten of their first fifteen games on the road.  I know you all feel like I did two months ago (as a Jets fan), and you believe Murphy’s Law is in affect.  However, it’s not time to give up, yet.  Like I said, they are a jump shooting team, and they will start falling again real soon (right Jason?).  Jason Kidd can talk about how rejuvenated he is after his week off, but I think he left his jump shot in Cabo along with his sunscreen.  All the Knicks need to do (besides trade for a power forward who can play defense and rebound) is stop playing one on one, get some ball movement, and play team defense.  I know that is easier said then done, but that’s what was happening at the start of the season.  And hey, guess what?  The more you move the ball the more open shots you’ll get.  The more open shots you get the more shots you will probably make.  More made shots = more points (I know that’s a wild concept).  The defense issue is the toughest problem to solve because you only have three guys who actually want to play defense on the roster; Tyson Chandler, Iman Shumpert, and Ronnie Brewer.  Brewer never sees the light of day because he is more useless on the offensive end than George W. Bush in a library.  Shumpert is still not 100% and Woodson doesn’t seem to be his biggest fan.  And Chandler is doing his part, but he can’t defend five guys at once.  Finally, the lineup is as confused as Andy Dick (not that there’s anything wrong with that).  This falls on Coach Woodson.  I understand that Woodson needs to shuffle around the lineup when things aren’t going well, but he needs to find some continuity for the team to thrive.  It’s certainly not looking good right now, but it ain’t over til the fat lady sings, and I don’t see Rosie O’ Donnell anywhere so I think they have some time to figure this out.