New York Knickerbockers

[Guiness]

http://espn.go.com/blog/new-york/knicks/post/_/id/63004/phil-says-lopez-signing-allows-melo-to-play-pf

Phil says Lopez signing allows Melo to play PF

 

 

New York Knicks president Phil Jackson believes Carmelo Anthony will be able to play power forward this season when paired with Robin Lopez.

“One of the reasons why we really thought Robin would be the best fit for us as a center was that it would allow us to be more flexible as a team and Carmelo can play more of a ‘4’,” Jackson said on Friday. “As opposed to maybe a Greg Monroe who is not the same size, not the same defensive player.”

The Knicks have had success with Anthony at power forward in recent seasons. Last season, they outscored opponents by 5.7 points per 48 minutes when Anthony played power forward, per 82games.com. They were outscored by 7.2 points per 48 minutes with Anthony at small forward.

Just how much Anthony's position on the floor factored into those numbers is up for debate, of course.

Jackson said on Friday that nothing has been determined regarding Anthony’s position this season.

The Knicks have multiple power forwards on the roster (Kyle O’Quinn, Kristaps Porzingis), so it may make sense to have Anthony play small forward often this season.

“A lot of how Carmelo is going to approach the game is who’s going to guard him and the matchups that go along with that process,” Jackson said. “One of our reasons to get [free agent Derrick] Williams was the fact here’s a guy 6-8 who can play 3s, 4s, interchangeable, has the speed and activity to play with or for Carmelo in any situation.”

In theory, putting Anthony at power forward allows him to use his speed to get to the rim against bigger defenders.

The bigger advantage to playing Anthony at power forward may be on defense. As a power forward, Anthony can guard bigger, slower power forwards instead of quicker, perimeter-based small forwards.

“The big key is about defending. That’s what it comes down to: how are going to defend as a basketball team. That’s the challenge for Carmelo and all of our players,” Jackson said.

Another issue worth thinking about when it comes to playing Anthony power forward? The physical toll playing bigger players may take on the 31-year-old. Anthony is entering his 13th season in the NBA and has played the second-most regular-season minutes of any player in his draft class (behind LeBron James). He's entering the second year of a five-year, $124 million contract so the Knicks need to think about his long-term health.

 

Fisher doesn’t regret winning 2 of 3 late last season: The Knicks seemed in good position to finish with the worst record in the NBA late last season. But they won two of their final three games and lowered their chances of landing a top pick in the draft lottery. When New York ended up with the fourth pick in the draft, many criticized head coach Derek Fisher for the team winning two of its final three.

Fisher said on Friday that he wasn't disappointed when the Knicks fell to fourth in the draft.

“How can you be disappointed that you’re going to get a top-5 pick in the NBA draft? There have been guys at every number who’ve proved to be great and who’ve proved to be not so great,” Fisher said. “And so I didn’t feel that I did us not so much of a favor by trying to encourage our team to win games late [in] last season’s final stretch. I don’t think that necessarily doomed us. Ultimately Kristaps will be the biggest proof of whether the pick is great or not. I was fine with it, I was OK.”

Edited September 28, 2015 by hahnz

[Guiness]

Derek Fisher indicates Kristaps Porzingis will start Knicks' opener

 

GREENBURGH, N.Y. -- New York Knicks coach Derek Fisher indicated Wednesday that rookie Kristaps Porzingis will be in the starting lineup on opening night.

Porzingis will start alongside Jose Calderon, Arron Afflalo, Carmelo Anthony and Robin Lopez in the Knicks' preseason finale against Boston on Thursday.

 

 

Barring something unforeseen at this point, Fisher would like to use that lineup in the Knicks' season-opening game next Wednesday against the Milwaukee Bucks.

 

"Overall health should allow us tomorrow to play in a way that would be consistent with how we'll start the season in terms of rotation," Fisher said after Wednesday's practice.

 

The Knicks selected Porzingis with the fourth overall pick in June and have been pleased with his development thus far.

The 7-3 forward has averaged 7.3 points on 34 percent shooting in three games. He's knocked down 43 percent of his 3-point attempts and grabbed 5.3 rebounds per game.

 

Porzingis missed several practices and two games due to a knee injury, but the 20-year-old said Wednesday that the injury was no longer an issue.

 

"I'm getting some work done in the weight room, just working on those things so I can avoid those little injuries," he said. "I'm totally fine, totally healthy."

 

The Knicks hope that Porzingis and a healthy Anthony -- whose 2014-15 season was cut short by knee surgery last February -- can help them take a step forward after a franchise-worst 17-win season last year.

 

Fisher likes the size of the starting front line of Anthony, Porzingis and Lopez, whom the Knicks signed to a four-year, $54 million deal in the offseason.

 

"I think the defense has to respect each of those guys for who they are and what they can do on the floor," Fisher said of the starting five. "Potentially, it's a group of guys that can be at the end of a game as well. I think it's really important for us to find five guys that are comfortable with end game situations."

 

http://espn.go.com/newyork/nba/story/_/id/13940667/newyork-knicks-coach-derek-fisher-indicates-kristaps-porzingis-starting-lineup-opener

Edited October 23, 2015 by hahnz

[Guiness]

hopeful and optimistic that they will do better this season. If they show enough improvements that will get them a playoff slot, they're in the right direction and get Melo to buy into the triangle.

 

http://espn.go.com/blog/newyork-knicks/post/_/id/63325/5-things-to-watch-for-the-knicks

 

Five things to watch for the New York Knicks

Derek Fisher's New York Knicks have a quiet confidence heading into the regular season. But that confidence comes with a caveat.

“You never know who you really are until you get punched in the mouth,” Fisher says. “When we get punched in the mouth, that's when we'll find out who we are.”

 

That first punch may come on Wednesday night, when the Knicks take on the Milwaukee Bucks in the season opener.

With the season upon us,http://assets.espn.go.com/icons/in.gif it's time to take a look at a few storylines worth keeping an eye on early in the year:

 

How does Carmelo Anthony look? Anthony looked healthy while playing 24 minutes a game in the preseason. Now that the games count, the Knicks will rely on him to play bigger minutes. How will his surgically-repaired left knee respond?

One trend to keep an eye on: In the preseason, nearly half of Anthony's attempts came in the mid-range. That rate should decrease now as Anthony begins to operate in the post more frequently.

 

What will the Knicks get from Kristaps Porzingis? For what it's worth, the rookie doesn't have any statistical goals in mind. “This is my rookie year. I'm just trying to find my game,” Porzingis says. “So the most important thing is to win games, get some wins, and then later on everything else will fall in place.”

 

The Knicks will start Porzingis at power forward early in the season, but they'd be wise to monitor his minutes.

The 20-year-old played two games per week in a 50-game season in Spain last year. So playing three to four games a week and 82 games over six months will be a challenge.

Porzingis says veterans have told him “not try to do everything in the first game and have the best game of my life and then get tired for the rest of the season.”

People will be fixated on Porzingis' scoring early on, but it's equally important to look at his rebounding numbers this season. The 7-foot-3 forward averaged six rebounds in 19 minutes per game in the preseason, much better than the four rebounds per 21 minutes he averaged last year for Sevilla.

What's behind the increase?

“Just having that mentality that you want to get every rebound possible,” Porzingis said.

 

Will the offense be better? The Knicks finished last season ranked 29th in offensive efficiency. They hope that some new personnel -- and a new approach -- can lead to better numbers this season.

 

As we noted earlier, New York finished 10th in pace in the preseason. (Pace measures plays per 48 minutes.) This is a departure from 2014-15, when the Knicks finished tied for 27th in pace.

 

Fisher seems pleased with the increased pace -- as long as it leads to more scoring.

“It's not just for the sake of running up and down, playing faster,” Fisher says. “I think there still has to be purpose to what you're doing. So it'll be important we're … trying to score before the defense gets set. But at the same time, trusting that if we don't we can cut hard and move hard, still have some pace even in the half court.”

 

What will Fisher do in Year 2? It will be interesting to see how Fisher handles a team with competent NBA players this season. In his first season on the bench, Fisher made some mistakes. But the roster was mostly awful. That isn't the case this season.

The Knicks now have players hand-picked by Phil Jackson, so the onus will be on Fisher to get this group to compete on a nightly basis. The coach says he feels more prepared for the job heading into Year 2.

“I understand a lot more -- although there are obviously coaches that understand a million times more than I do,” Fisher says. “…. I feel more comfortable in terms of the things that we need to focus on and be prepared for when the season starts.”

Tough start? The Knicks have an extremely difficult schedule early on. Eight of the Knicks' first ten games are against teams that made the playoffs in 2014-15.

 

“We're going to find out a lot about who we are now right from the start,” Fisher says.

The Knicks will get a break on Wednesday because O.J. Mayo (hamstring), Giannis Antetokounmpo (suspension) and Jabari Parker (knee) are out.

Edited October 28, 2015 by hahnz

[Eddy Syet]

Goodluck laters! Your team against mine. LOL. May the best team win.

[Guiness]

Goodluck laters! Your team against mine. LOL. May the best team win.

 

i'm hopeful and optimistic but i don't have any expectations either. They have a bunch of new players so i dont know what i'm going to see from them. Don't want to get disappointed. Just hope that they improve and become better this year.

 

Between them and the bucks, the bucks have more talent. So it'll be interesting how they do

Edited October 28, 2015 by hahnz

[Eddy Syet]

 

i'm hopeful and optimistic but i don't have any expectations either. They have a bunch of new players so i dont know what i'm going to see from them. Don't want to get disappointed. Just hope that they improve and become better this year.

 

Between them and the bucks, the bucks have more talent. So it'll be interesting how they do

 

I'm most curious about how the rookies, Kristaps and Jerian, will do.

[Guiness]

I saw Kristaps play during the preseason. One thing i can say about him, he can shoot. Being a 7 footer he can shoot from the outside and at times put the ball on floor for a big man. I think they can utilize him in pick and pop situations. He can run the floor too. The only downside is he needs to bulk up and add weight so he can help out inside and be able to match up against opposing big men. Fish did say he will be utilized more as a 4. He only averages 6 rebounds a game. Knicks were a ranked 29th in rebounding last year. They need someone to help out on the boards.

 

Jerian Grant isn't as big as his uncle or dad when they played but i noticed he can be a quality PG, he is quick and can make penetrate to the basket and create open shots. But he is a 3rd string PG next to Calderon and Galloway on the depth chart. Im not sure if he will get to see some playing time soon. The only rookie that's starting for them is Porzingis.

Edited October 28, 2015 by hahnz

[Cap™]

I'd say Jerian Grant goes before Langston Galloway because Grant isn't your natural PG, which, basically should be advantageous for him in running the triangle.

[Guiness]

But i don't think fisher will play him a lot since he is a rookie. and i looked at the team depth chart. he is listed 3rd behind calderon and galloway. unless one of those two get injured then he might get some playing time. Not all the rookies get playing time in this league. Especially since they think the player is under development and needs to improve.

[Cap™]

wow early beatdown provided by the Knicks on the Bucks. Inupo na si Melo kailangan ko pa naman ng fantasy numbers sa kanya

 

I'm most curious about how the rookies, Kristaps and Jerian, will do.

 

great numbers from them this game bro. Though against sa Bucks mo. How do you like both teams based on this game?

[Guiness]

I'm pleasantly surprised with how the Knicks played against the Bucks. Langston Galloway was on fire in the 2nd half with the 3's. The Knicks bench picked up the slack. The starters were struggling, including Melo. But i like the hustle and energy the bench put up. If they play with this type of consistency and effort each night i think they would do fine this season. The effort the players put up in this game was a far cry from last year's team.

 

Melo had an off night, but was all smiles because the bench picked it up for him. He'll bounce back hopefully. They play the Hawks tomorrow. Hopefully they can show the same type of energy

[Eddy Syet]

First, congrats to the Knicks for beating my Bucks.

 

I'm happy with what I saw in Kristaps in Jerian. Jerian's slated to overtake Calderon some time this season I've been drafting him in the last rounds for my fantasy teams. Derrick Williams wreaked havoc and it's unfortunate that the player who I believe could have neutralized him was suspended. Damn you, Giannis!

 

I'm happy with what I saw with our rookie too. Vaughn was touted as a scorer and that's exactly what he did. He scored 10 points on limited minutes.

 

No excuses here, the Knicks played well, my team did not - specially in offense. I hope we'll win the next game.

[Guiness]

The real test is how they would do against the top teams in the league, Cleveland, Miami, OKC, Golden State. But i do hope they sustain this type of effort every game. Even if they struggle on offense, i like their effort on the defensive end. Your offense will have off nights but defense is all about effort. Hopefully they do that every game. We got a real test against Atlanta for their home opener later

[Guiness]

The only take away i can get from the Hawks loss. Porzingis still playing hard even if they were down. Good steal and throwing it down at the other end. Melo still struggled. But i hope he gets his legs under him soon and get in a good shooting rhythm as the season progresses.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=svFBgwUuXM4

[Eddy Syet]

The only take away i can get from the Hawks loss. Porzingis still playing hard even if they were down. Good steal and throwing it down at the other end. Melo still struggled. But i hope he gets his legs under him soon and get in a good shooting rhythm as the season progresses.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=svFBgwUuXM4

 

How can you not like a 7-footer who can move like that?

 

If this kid puts on more weight and gets stronger, watch out!