Howard (back), Nelson (calf), Anderson (ankle) were all out for tonight's game. I assume that only Howard and possibly Anderson will be back. "Calf" kept CLee out for a while for us... We shall see. a day off before the next game! Hope for a healthy Orlando :grin:
This isn't about Jeremy Lin. It's about the New York Knicks. I know it can get confusing. Just look at the NBA Dish. The New York Knicks team thread is buried somewhere on the third page. I wonder why? I said two things about Lin. 1. He isn't a star in the league (to which I received many unfounded responses on why he already is one). I'm not saying I can predict his future or that he doesn't have every chance to be one if he works hard, but I would at least like to base that judgement off of a full season. Not a handful of games. Further, it is apparent that right now he isn't a star. 2. The media was giving him way too much attention. People disagreed with me on this until Lin had some bad games and the media inevitably came down on him. Then those same people started saying that it wasn't fair he was getting so much media attention. In any case, Goran Dragic has been putting up fantastic numbers against much tougher competition. I realize he was only a second round draft pick as opposed to going undrafted, but you would think he would have had at least had some media exposure. Back to the issue at hand. I have been telling people for months now, in this thread,(not the Jeremy Lin thread) that the schedule would get very tough for New York in March and then become brutal in April. I fully believed the Knicks would miss the playoffs even with a healthy squad. I have no way of saying whether they will or not, but just by looking at the Bucks and Knicks schedules respectively, I made an educated guess that still holds weight. Jeremy Lin has missed 5 games. The Knicks are 3-2 without him. The Knicks are 3-1 without Amare. Taking this into account, I'm not sure how you can place the predicament the Knicks are currently in squarely on Jeremy Lin not playing. His absence hasn't led the team into the danger zone, they were already there. When I questioned why people were rooting against our draft pick, many, many people told me(presumably to feel better about obsessing over Lin at the expense of our own team)"The Knicks aren't missing the playoffs anyway, why does it matter." It matters because it is our draft pick. Now the Knicks are in serious jeopardy of missing the playoffs. I said the Knicks weren't making the playoffs when the were terrible, during Linsanity, after Woodson stepped in and went on a streak, and now I'm saying it after Amare and Lin got injured. Either way, the fate of the Knicks doesn't rest squarely on Lin. I still think the Knicks would miss the playoffs with or without him. I wish the best to him and a speedy, full recovery. Now that he is out, can we all finally cheer for a good draft pick together? It sure doesn't seem like anyone really cares about the Knicks anymore.
You're so easy Easy. Before Lin the Knicks only victory after opening day was one victory against Philly. After Lin in the next 11 games they beat LA, Utah, Minny, Atlata, Dallas. They are 9-2. Before they got beaten by Charlotte and Cleveland, got blownout by Milwaukee at home. After that you do not see one of those losses. They did go on a losing streak when Anthony came back and went through a stretch of shooting under 35% (not just behind the arc but totlal) and stopped playing D and started feuding with D'Antoni. But make no mistake Jeremy Lin without Amare and Melo was a big reason they won. I agree the media over hyped him more than he deserved but his numbers were great and he was the main reason they were winning. Yes the schedule is tough again but they were better with Lin leading the team than they were without. I don't know if that makes him a star but it makes him a winner and that's more valuable.
I disagree, I think the Knicks make it into the playoffs with a healthy Amare and Lin. You don't sweep the pacers back to back if you're not a playoff team. I agree with rooting against the Knicks with Jeremy Lin out though, it will make it that much easier.
Would it be fair to say that the absolute best case scenario for the Knicks pick at this moment is #10??? Don't see how it could possibly be any better than that? 10-16 with pick most likely falling in the 11-15 range.
It's officially a two-horse race between Knicks and Bucks. Detroit is 20-33 with 13 games remaining - there's not a chance in hell they get into it. Bucks are 1.5 games back. Knicks - 12 remaining 7 on the road, 5 at home 3 back-to-backs 7 against playoff teams Bucks - 13 remaining 4 on the road, 9 at home 4 back-to-backs 6 against playoff teams Most important game, naturally, is Knicks at Bucks next Wed. I would say #12-13. #15 if they stave off Milwaukee.
More importantly the best case scenario with us is: to make the playoffs with this squad, take care of our pick to NJ, still have a lottery pick with NY, and have another good late first rounder with Dallas'. This seems to be the way things are trending and I woud be really happy if that's how the season ended.
Not remotely possible. They're playing to hold on to a playoff berth, while everyone below the Bucks and Suns are tanking like mad. I can't fathom the Knicks doing worse than 5-7 to finish out (34 losses) and Detroit's the 8th worst team at the moment with 33 losses in the bag. I can't picture them "catching" any one. If they miss the playoffs, they should flip past Utah and Phoenix and become the #12 pick. It's not looking great, but they are only a game back from getting into the top 10. A winning spurt from them or a stumble from Memphis and Atlanta would do it. And Dallas plays Memphis twice before Easter Sunday.
I thought he was gloating on his prediction of Lin's coming down to earth. But he clarified that he was talking about the schedule, which I thought was fair enough. I don't want to debate with him about Lin anymore. It has been done in the other thread. I think he just wanted to go against the grain because of the hype, and was too stubborn to concede.
Yeah, that pretty much it. Our only hope is with the Bucks. And you also want the bubble teams in the West (Suns, Jazz, Wolves, Blazers) to stay strong.
The media gave him so much attention cause people were exited and wanted to know more about him. proffesional sports is about entertainment not just who is the beat player. Lin was the most exiting thing cause of his story, style of play and humbleness. Sponsors and fans want the most exiting players not necessarily the best. if you are great player who plays Boring with no personality (hello Duncan)you not getting any media.
