After overlooking Brandon Jennings--who's rapidly become a Rookie of The Year candidate in Milwaukee--the Knicks once again displayed their pure basketball ignorance and idiocy in skipping out on Allen Iverson.
Sure, Iverson would dominate the ball and perhaps utilize his me-first mentality to score buckets by the bundles. Would the move, however, actually prove problematic for this floundering franchise?
Let's see, Iverson contains blink quickness, a full offensive repertoire, and the toughness to instantly become the Knicks' best player.
Shit, AI would have immediately become the Knicks' best player in recent memory.
He's household name with an accomplished game. Just check Iverson's long hoop pedigree. The Knicks should have bagged him, especially after passing up on Jennings. While he may have bumped heads with trigger-happy guards like Nate Robinson, Iverson would provide a scoring punch that would at least elevate the Knicks from the Eastern Conference swamplands.
The thrill factor was etched in stone. The Knicks chose to look the other way.
The Knicks had the opportunity to secure a game-changer, a little pugnacious, smurf-sized guard who could turn the faltering franchise from celler-dwellar to ticket seller. Maybe not overnight, but Iverson's presence would have erased some of the doubt that seems to hover over Madison Square Garden.
The spectacle of Iverson in orange and blue would have allowed Knicks fans to do more than just shower the home team in a chorus of boos. AI would give fans something discuss beyond the prospect of landing Lebron James and a lunchline of other players from the much-heralded free agent class of 2010.
They let that opportunity to change the tune and get Lebron off the brain slip by the wayside.
Iverson in orange and blue would potentially make the Garden shake nearly every home game. The Garden now only shakes a few times a year--typically during the Holiday season and March--when elite college teams square off in tournaments.
The Knicks chickened out, they showed a lack of manhood. Knicks brass showed they are not interested in taking risks that could potentially produce wins.
They looked in the opposite direction on Jennings, who's suddenly amongst the league's best in the backcourt. Would Iverson, now the last superstar standing, have really been a move for management to frown at?
The Knicks may have overanalyzed this one, which is the opposite of how they handled Jennings. With Jennings, Donnie Walsh simply did not get a good feel for the young gun. Jennings developed a good feel for the game early playing on the hardscrabble courts of Compton, Calif., and skyrocketing to prep stardom.
Shouldn't the Knicks at least have someone in the know to contact about studs on the grassroots level? Isiah was a bum, but one thing he did have was a great eye for talent. He was someone who would pride himself on having that eye for talent.
Having said that, Zeke--now the head coach at Florida International--likely would not have passed up on Jennings for Jordan Hill.
Now Jennings is handing out assists like a scantily-clad party promoter chick hands out flyers near nightclubs, vaulting the Bucks into respectability.
BJ's quick ascension to NBA stardom gives the Knicks a wistul reminder of what could be.
Jennings would have thrived in D'Antoni's frenetic, go-go style offense, averaging around 11-13 assists per game and making David Lee and Al Harrington better.
BJ would have triggered the run, run, run, souped-up style and helped install an uptempto system in New York.
Will Iverson find a hardwood home and make the Knicks pay the way Jennings has?
We shall see.
After a brief three-game stint, AI bounced from Memphis.
Why?
He was playing on a squad which needs five basketballs on the court at all times in order to satisfy each player's individual scoring preferences.
The Grizzlies are a young, promising team. But they are a team in dire need of surrendering me for we and channeling their immense scoring talent into a winning formula.
With Rudy Gay and O.J. Mayo potentially fighting over who should get the most touches and garner the role of go-to-guy, there was simply no room for a high volume scorer of Iverson's ilk.
No ample room, whatsoever.
No vacancy.
Considering former Knick Zach Randolph, a double-double machine who never saw a shot he didn't like, is now in a Grizzlies uniform, you see Iverson and Memphis were never really meant to be.
The Knicks should have saw this and took advantage of the man-up situation. It's hard to understand why they opted not to.
Did Iverson see the mathematics on the Knickerbocker chalkboard?
The Knicks' refusal to pen AI had some to do with AI's far from sterling image. Though they covered it up, the Knicks had some concern about Iverson's behavior and his history of being a me-first, team-last prima donna.
In the end, however, the Knicks' no-go had a lot to do with the perceived development of Eddy Curry, who's half the man he used to be.
The slimmed down Curry looked great in his debut against Indiana last week, but has been a non-factor since.
What does this say about the state of the organization?
The Knicks were more concerned about the production of the new poster boy for Slim Fast than they were about the chance to become a better basketball team. Simply because, Curry's development was an issue of higher order.
Iverson took a backseat to their master plan of molding Curry into the all-star caliber player he was back in 2006-07.
The Knicks may not have been the perfect hardwood home for AI, a gunner who can still shred up defenses at 34, but still...
-He's a hell of a lot better than Chris Duhon, whose 1-for-6 stat lines have become the workagame norm.
-He may not be a presence in the passing lanes, but AI is capable of scoring the rock in a variety of ways and getting to the tin or the free throw line at will. The Knicks, trigger happy from beyond the arc in multiple games this season, could sure use some help getting to the cup and getting to the free throw line. In their deflating loss to the Indiana Pacers during their second home game of the season, the Knicks were outscored 12-0 in third quarter free throws. Instead of going to the lane, they were launching up three-pointers as if they missed Quentin Richardson.
I'm led to believe that Donnie Walsh did not want to take the gamble on Iverson because of fear he would eventually witness The Stephon Marbury Show Part II.
But let's not forget, it was Mike D'Antoni who helped trigger the Stephon Marbury sideshow by choosing not to play him when Walsh envisioned him as the team's starting point guard. Plus, having experienced the media circus and sideshow that followed the Knicks in the previous seasons, Walsh should know that the Knicks could always assume their Public Relations fetal position. Cutting off reporters, shortening interviews, and circumventing questions has never been a problem for the Knicks PR folks, so why would a controversial player make any difference?
This franchise will take ugly, blowout losses if they can showcase choir boys and guys that would rather help an old lady cross the street than help out on defense. That has what this once-storied franchise has come down to.
What's that old saying, nice guys finish last?
Well, nice, friendly, "good character guys" concerned about their self-image are still finishing their last laps in New York.
Do you Think Ewing, Charles Oakley, and John Starks would surrender self-image for a win?
Any day that ends in Y.
That bar room brawling, rugby-basketball Knicks team of 1994 was one of the greatest teams to ever play at MSG.
This Knicks team is looking like one of the worst.
This super soft Knicks brass wants first-class players, players with stainless records, even if it may cost loss after loss after loss.
The Knicks don't care about winning, especially if it's at the cost of taking away from their plan to nurture Eddy Curry.
Even if it puts fans in the seats and packs the Garden the way a Billy Joel concert or a Big East Tournament game does, the Knicks are more focused on Curry. They're more interested in seeing Curry claw his way back into the level of an elite center.
It's the Knicks way or the Major Deegan Expressway. They are too important, too high-end, to take into account what might produce victories or what might shoot ticket sales up. They don't care what anyone else thinks.
They should care.
Any time your team is 3-11 and barely on track to eclipse those Team Titanic years of 2006 and 2008 (all-time franchise low 23-59 records compiled both years), you should care about winning at ALL costs.
AI was there, ready to re-charge the Garden and alter the perception of a miserably failing franchise. He was ready to give the Knicks a new-look. Iverson was ready to help revive an ailing organization, re-charge their pulse and vault them back into relevance.
The Knicks passed up on the opportunity.
Sunday, November 22, 2009
KG's Buzzer Beater Does In Knicks
Right when I thought the Knicks were going to record their first three-game win streak in recent memory...
Just when I thought the Knicks would string together a few significant wins for the first time since John Starks made big centers pay for sleeping him and his pogo stick hops...
Actually, the Knicks reeled off a sizzling six-game win streak during mid-January of 2006, the rookie seasons of Nate Robinson and David Lee...
Those wins were highlighted by a signature victory over the then high-horsepower Phoenix team.
That run-and-gun, souped-up Suns team was of course operated by Steve Nash and coached by, oddly enough, Mike D'Antoni.
D'Antoni is now on the other side, trying desperately (there seems to be a lineup change every other game) to prevent this season from spinning out of control.
The coach who flourished in Phoenix with his speedball, uptempo style attack is close to losing his mind with this putrid, paltry, and pathetic New York team.
Seeking to extend the win streak to three games, the Knicks fell in overtime to the Boston Celtics at Madison Square Garden Sunday.
It was an old case of Celtic Pride.
You know you need pride if it's a matter of salvaging a loss to the Knicks, which would be one hell of a reputation-shattering loss.
Kevin Garnett bailed out the C's with a jumper that beat the overtime buzzer, sending the Celtics bench into a giant sigh of relief.
The Knicks, walloped thoroughly by the Celtics in during a memorable first meeting during their 2007-08 23-59 quagmire, stayed tough throughout this one.
This time, Al Harrington was clutch in the fourth quarter. Harrington reversed his curse (recall his notable pitfalls in crucial, decisive moments in the fourth quarter twice last season), burying two clutch free throws to push the game into overtime.
Paul Pierce turned in one of his best performances this season, scorching the nets for 33 points (6-for-7 from downtown). So, with the game on the line in the extra sessions, Pierce served as the decoy which set up Garnett's game-winner.
The hot-handed Pierce was chased on the final play, which allowed Garnett to get free at the top of the key.
KG buried a 19-footer and the Knicks' hopes of a three-game win streak.
Both Garnett and Ray Allen played poorly, combining to shoot the rock at an arctic 9-for-28 clip.
The Celtics, however, went to other threats.
Rajon Rondo--a beast among boys at Kentucky, where his Godzilla-sized hands registered their presence--and Kendrick Perkins helped key the tight victory.
Rondo nearly turned in a triple-double. He dropped 14 points, dished out 10 dimes, and tacked on nine rebounds in 43 minutes.
Perkins, who connected on 6-of-7 field goals, turned in a double-double with 16 points and 13 boards. The big man added four blocks.
The game signified Boston's depth.
Despite pitiful shooting from a star-spangled triumvirate of Garnett, Allen, and Rasheed Wallace (who went Houdini and disappeared offensively, shooting 0-for-6) the Celtics had enough firepower and depth to avoid an embarassing loss to the Knicks. It's pick your poison with these Celts, who have 6-7 game-changing players on the roster.
For the Knicks, Harrington was magnificent. He dropped 30 points and snared nine boards.
Lee stuffed the stat sheet with 22 points, 15 boards, and three dimes.
A day after being brutally bitched out by his coach (for hoisting up a three on the opposite basket during dead action in a win against the New Jersey Nets), Nate Robinson provided plenty of spark.
The high-motor, half-pint guard scored 19 points in 26 minutes of burn.
Just when I thought the Knicks would string together a few significant wins for the first time since John Starks made big centers pay for sleeping him and his pogo stick hops...
Actually, the Knicks reeled off a sizzling six-game win streak during mid-January of 2006, the rookie seasons of Nate Robinson and David Lee...
Those wins were highlighted by a signature victory over the then high-horsepower Phoenix team.
That run-and-gun, souped-up Suns team was of course operated by Steve Nash and coached by, oddly enough, Mike D'Antoni.
D'Antoni is now on the other side, trying desperately (there seems to be a lineup change every other game) to prevent this season from spinning out of control.
The coach who flourished in Phoenix with his speedball, uptempo style attack is close to losing his mind with this putrid, paltry, and pathetic New York team.
Seeking to extend the win streak to three games, the Knicks fell in overtime to the Boston Celtics at Madison Square Garden Sunday.
It was an old case of Celtic Pride.
You know you need pride if it's a matter of salvaging a loss to the Knicks, which would be one hell of a reputation-shattering loss.
Kevin Garnett bailed out the C's with a jumper that beat the overtime buzzer, sending the Celtics bench into a giant sigh of relief.
The Knicks, walloped thoroughly by the Celtics in during a memorable first meeting during their 2007-08 23-59 quagmire, stayed tough throughout this one.
This time, Al Harrington was clutch in the fourth quarter. Harrington reversed his curse (recall his notable pitfalls in crucial, decisive moments in the fourth quarter twice last season), burying two clutch free throws to push the game into overtime.
Paul Pierce turned in one of his best performances this season, scorching the nets for 33 points (6-for-7 from downtown). So, with the game on the line in the extra sessions, Pierce served as the decoy which set up Garnett's game-winner.
The hot-handed Pierce was chased on the final play, which allowed Garnett to get free at the top of the key.
KG buried a 19-footer and the Knicks' hopes of a three-game win streak.
Both Garnett and Ray Allen played poorly, combining to shoot the rock at an arctic 9-for-28 clip.
The Celtics, however, went to other threats.
Rajon Rondo--a beast among boys at Kentucky, where his Godzilla-sized hands registered their presence--and Kendrick Perkins helped key the tight victory.
Rondo nearly turned in a triple-double. He dropped 14 points, dished out 10 dimes, and tacked on nine rebounds in 43 minutes.
Perkins, who connected on 6-of-7 field goals, turned in a double-double with 16 points and 13 boards. The big man added four blocks.
The game signified Boston's depth.
Despite pitiful shooting from a star-spangled triumvirate of Garnett, Allen, and Rasheed Wallace (who went Houdini and disappeared offensively, shooting 0-for-6) the Celtics had enough firepower and depth to avoid an embarassing loss to the Knicks. It's pick your poison with these Celts, who have 6-7 game-changing players on the roster.
For the Knicks, Harrington was magnificent. He dropped 30 points and snared nine boards.
Lee stuffed the stat sheet with 22 points, 15 boards, and three dimes.
A day after being brutally bitched out by his coach (for hoisting up a three on the opposite basket during dead action in a win against the New Jersey Nets), Nate Robinson provided plenty of spark.
The high-motor, half-pint guard scored 19 points in 26 minutes of burn.
Breaking Down Greg Monroe: Versatile Big Needs To Get Tougher
Will Greg Monroe catapult to surefire stardom this year?
Will the versatile 6-foot-11 big man stake his claim as one of the top players in a Big East conference that's lost some of its luster? Will the New Orleans product emerge into a first rounder in the 2010 NBA draft?
After testing the NBA waters this summer, Monroe opted to return to campus (much to the delight of Georgetown's traditional basketball culture) for his second year.
The program's new poster boy now shoulders the role of featured player in John Thompson III's trademark Princeton offense.
Monroe's arsenal of athletic gifts make him a unique threat in a conference overflowing with gritty guards.
Monroe can handle the rock and create offense, as he proved during the Hoyas' 46-45 victory over Temple last week.
The sophomore appears tailor-cut for the Princeton offense.
He's a superior ball handler at his size, and his ability to hit cutting guards/forwards with pinpoint passes makes everyone better. The Princeton offense emphasizes constant motion.
Still, there are some considerable holes in Monroe's game.
Too often against Temple, Monroe looked to dance around opponents with his flashy, guard-like handle.
He belongs in the paint, operating on smaller forward-centers with an arsenal of back to the basket moves. Playing a soft, half-baked brand of ball away from the basket at 6-11 isn't going to help Monroe's 2010 draft stock.
Rather than trying to bang the ball between his legs, the southpaw should be coming off screens ready to drain mid-range jumpers.
Throughout the first half, Monroe fell in love with his handle and failed to finish at the tin. He hiccuped a pair of layups as Georgetown couldn't seem to cushion an early lead.
Temple made a concentrated effort to bottle him up and force him right. The Owls got what they wished for in the end, albeit it didn't work in their favor.
Monroe scored the game-winning bucket on a quick drive to the cup and a lay-in off the window, as the Hoyas avoided an early-season upset.
Lavoy Allen, who turned in a double-double with 12 points and 14 boards while jumping out of the gym, had been neutralizing Monroe throughout the first.
Temple instigated turnovers early and Monroe was out of whack, scoring just two points on 1-for-5 shooting.
Monroe, who finished with 11 points and tacked on nine rebounds in 37 minutes, re-wrote the script in the second.
He was there for that crucial bucket when they needed him to be, albeit Monroe was far from dominant against Allen, who tore down eight offensive boards.
The game exposed some of Georgetown's defensive weaknesses, which hampered them during last year's downtrodden campaign.
-Temple shred a tissue-paper defense. They seized a 39-33 following a Ryan Brooks trey.
-Georgetown seemed to be rolling out a carpet or bearing roses for the Owls on their walk to the basket. The Owls, who have the Hoyas' number in the history of this matchup, were able to outwork Georgetown on the glass.
-Jason Clark, who's primed for a breakout campaign, hit a mammoth three-pointer to knot up the score at 39 apiece. A seesaw battle ensued, with Monroe having the final say.
"He's a great player," said Allen, a low NBA prospect (whose draft stock will likely balloon following this game), of his counterpart.
"That's what great players do, they arrive. We definitely let this one slip away. We had our opportunities and didn't take advantage of it."
-The loss is a tough pill to swallow for Temple, which stayed in the game despite pitiful shooting. The Owls looked more like the Mason Men in the first half, shooting the rock at a putrid 5-for-26 clip.
-Temple came out of the gates hosting the clank clinic, hitting just three of their first 19 attempts.
-Georgetown was only a tad bit more efficient at 7-for-23, but both teams were 1-for-10 from beyond the arc in the first half.
-From beyond the confines of the arc, the two teams were beyond abysmal. They combined to shoot a below freezing 6-for-41 from deep.
-After burying themselves under a barrage of bricks, the Owls scratched and clawed their way back into the contest. They got free for shots in the key, and Allen exploded for a two-handed slam during a 6-0 surge. Temple overpowered the Hoyas in the paint, outboarding them by a 38-36 margin on the game. Stickbacks and second and third opportunities provided a smokescreen for their bricklaying.
The game's marquee individual matchup was between Monroe and Allen. Allen was winning the eyeball-to-eyeball battle for about 75 percent of the game.
That's when Georgetown began pounding the ball inside to Monroe, letting him feast in the post.
Monroe needed that last bucket to make up for his early misshaps.
It was an exclamation point on his performance after quickly busting out of the straightjacket Allen and the Owls had him in.
How much emphasis did the Owls place on Allen's high-order chore of negating Monroe?
A lot.
"He's the best position defender I may have ever coached," said Owls coach Fran Dunphy.
"I thought he was terrific."
In the end, however, Monroe compensated for a spotty first half with some big buckets, including the game winner, down the stretch.
-The Owls upset bid fell short, but they could have ran away with it had they connected from the free throw line. For the game, they shot a meager 6-for-13 (46.2 percent) from the line. More have been slain by the charity stripes than by the chainsaws. Just ask Nick Anderson...
Will the versatile 6-foot-11 big man stake his claim as one of the top players in a Big East conference that's lost some of its luster? Will the New Orleans product emerge into a first rounder in the 2010 NBA draft?
After testing the NBA waters this summer, Monroe opted to return to campus (much to the delight of Georgetown's traditional basketball culture) for his second year.
The program's new poster boy now shoulders the role of featured player in John Thompson III's trademark Princeton offense.
Monroe's arsenal of athletic gifts make him a unique threat in a conference overflowing with gritty guards.
Monroe can handle the rock and create offense, as he proved during the Hoyas' 46-45 victory over Temple last week.
The sophomore appears tailor-cut for the Princeton offense.
He's a superior ball handler at his size, and his ability to hit cutting guards/forwards with pinpoint passes makes everyone better. The Princeton offense emphasizes constant motion.
Still, there are some considerable holes in Monroe's game.
Too often against Temple, Monroe looked to dance around opponents with his flashy, guard-like handle.
He belongs in the paint, operating on smaller forward-centers with an arsenal of back to the basket moves. Playing a soft, half-baked brand of ball away from the basket at 6-11 isn't going to help Monroe's 2010 draft stock.
Rather than trying to bang the ball between his legs, the southpaw should be coming off screens ready to drain mid-range jumpers.
Throughout the first half, Monroe fell in love with his handle and failed to finish at the tin. He hiccuped a pair of layups as Georgetown couldn't seem to cushion an early lead.
Temple made a concentrated effort to bottle him up and force him right. The Owls got what they wished for in the end, albeit it didn't work in their favor.
Monroe scored the game-winning bucket on a quick drive to the cup and a lay-in off the window, as the Hoyas avoided an early-season upset.
Lavoy Allen, who turned in a double-double with 12 points and 14 boards while jumping out of the gym, had been neutralizing Monroe throughout the first.
Temple instigated turnovers early and Monroe was out of whack, scoring just two points on 1-for-5 shooting.
Monroe, who finished with 11 points and tacked on nine rebounds in 37 minutes, re-wrote the script in the second.
He was there for that crucial bucket when they needed him to be, albeit Monroe was far from dominant against Allen, who tore down eight offensive boards.
The game exposed some of Georgetown's defensive weaknesses, which hampered them during last year's downtrodden campaign.
-Temple shred a tissue-paper defense. They seized a 39-33 following a Ryan Brooks trey.
-Georgetown seemed to be rolling out a carpet or bearing roses for the Owls on their walk to the basket. The Owls, who have the Hoyas' number in the history of this matchup, were able to outwork Georgetown on the glass.
-Jason Clark, who's primed for a breakout campaign, hit a mammoth three-pointer to knot up the score at 39 apiece. A seesaw battle ensued, with Monroe having the final say.
"He's a great player," said Allen, a low NBA prospect (whose draft stock will likely balloon following this game), of his counterpart.
"That's what great players do, they arrive. We definitely let this one slip away. We had our opportunities and didn't take advantage of it."
-The loss is a tough pill to swallow for Temple, which stayed in the game despite pitiful shooting. The Owls looked more like the Mason Men in the first half, shooting the rock at a putrid 5-for-26 clip.
-Temple came out of the gates hosting the clank clinic, hitting just three of their first 19 attempts.
-Georgetown was only a tad bit more efficient at 7-for-23, but both teams were 1-for-10 from beyond the arc in the first half.
-From beyond the confines of the arc, the two teams were beyond abysmal. They combined to shoot a below freezing 6-for-41 from deep.
-After burying themselves under a barrage of bricks, the Owls scratched and clawed their way back into the contest. They got free for shots in the key, and Allen exploded for a two-handed slam during a 6-0 surge. Temple overpowered the Hoyas in the paint, outboarding them by a 38-36 margin on the game. Stickbacks and second and third opportunities provided a smokescreen for their bricklaying.
The game's marquee individual matchup was between Monroe and Allen. Allen was winning the eyeball-to-eyeball battle for about 75 percent of the game.
That's when Georgetown began pounding the ball inside to Monroe, letting him feast in the post.
Monroe needed that last bucket to make up for his early misshaps.
It was an exclamation point on his performance after quickly busting out of the straightjacket Allen and the Owls had him in.
How much emphasis did the Owls place on Allen's high-order chore of negating Monroe?
A lot.
"He's the best position defender I may have ever coached," said Owls coach Fran Dunphy.
"I thought he was terrific."
In the end, however, Monroe compensated for a spotty first half with some big buckets, including the game winner, down the stretch.
-The Owls upset bid fell short, but they could have ran away with it had they connected from the free throw line. For the game, they shot a meager 6-for-13 (46.2 percent) from the line. More have been slain by the charity stripes than by the chainsaws. Just ask Nick Anderson...
Saturday, November 14, 2009
Dyson Salvages Huskies Against Willful Tribe
William & Mary entered Gampel Pavilion with a slew of three-point snipers and quickly shed any fear of the No.14 Huskies.
The Tribe, which lived and died beyond the arc all night, hit six three-pointers before the Huskies could hit one.
The Tribe was also active on the glass, capitalizing on putbacks and even third chances. Both teams finished with 34 boards, though the Huskies were out-boarded 19-14 in the second half.
The Tribe trailed by just six points at halftime and pulled to within four points, 39-35, at the start of the second half.
That’s when William & Mary ran into a buzz saw in Jerome Dyson.
Dyson, who scored a game-high 27 points and doled out eight assists, made up for some lost time throughout the second half.
The Huskies’ senior guard missed last year’s run to the Final Four, sidelined by a torn-up knee (after locking knees with Kristof Ongenaet during a win against Syracuse on Feb. 11, 2009).
The 6-3 Dyson, who starred as a frosh but missed significant chunks of his sophomore and junior seasons due to a team suspension and the aforementioned injury, respectively, orchestrated a personal 10-2 surge midway through the second half.
The high-flying antics, lock-down defense (he had a game-high four steals) and clutch shooting of Dyson helped the Huskies to a 75-66 victory before an announced 9,719 at Gampel.
“I’d like to congratulate William & Mary for outplaying us,” said an exasperated Jim Calhoun. The old general was irate as he witnessed his team get outworked on the boards in the second.
“They beat us on the glass. I know it says 34-34 (in rebounding totals), but they had a 13-10 advantage on offensive rebounding.”
Calhoun was visibly frustrated at his team’s lack of grit and listless performance.
Never one to bottle up his frustrations, Calhoun called the Huskies’ performance “lackluster" and lambasted multiple players.
The Hall of Fame coach called out forward Gavin Edwards (albeit not referencing him by name, as he habitually does when chewing out players before the crowd of scribes) in the post-game press conference.
Edwards was torched to the tune of 20 points and four three-pointers by Quinn McDowell, a versatile 6-foot-6 sophomore. McDowell got open with ease and shot the ball at an 8-for-15 clip.
“We don’t have four-man,” said Calhoun. “His guy got 20 tonight, because he continues to overhelp, as he’s done for four straight years."
"The kid, McDowell, is still open," Calhoun quipped.
Did Calhoun rip his players for playing a soft and half-baked brand of basketball?
“That’s a very big understatement,” said Edwards.
After closing to within four points, the Tribe continued to stay within striking distance of the Huskies.
Wedged in between a pair of threes from freshmen Darius Smith and sophomore point guard Kemba Walker was a mammoth trey by David Schneider, who netted four of the Tribe’s 13 three-pointers.
That’s when Dyson put the Huskies on his back.
He nailed a long trey that gave the Huskies a 50-41 cushion. On the ensuing possession, Dyson carved up the defense and whipped an alley pass to Stanley “Sticks” Robinson (27 points), who flew in for the flush. Dyson then got open to bury a set three—he literally took a picture of the rim before releasing—giving the Huskies’ a 55-41 bulge.
Following a Tribe bucket, Dyson penetrated the teeth of the defense for a layin he kissed off the glass, cushioning the Huskies’ lead, 57-43, with just fewer than 12 minutes remaining.
“Jerome played awful and good at the same time tonight,” said Calhoun.
On Dyson, Tribe coach Tony Shaver was singing a different tune.
“He just sort of took the game over at Times,” said Shaver.
Another deep three from Schneider sliced UConn’s lead to 63-58 with 4:35 remaining, but the Huskies’ kept their distance by running off five straight points.
Those five critical, unanswered points were capped off by a Stanley Robinson dunk off his own missed free throw.
“They outplayed us,” said Robinson of the Tribe. “It’s kind of shocking at times when we should actually be winning and rebounding. At first (while leading 19-7), we felt like we were running away with it. They ended up coming back, they were shooting more threes, they made more shots. They did what they had to do, but we got the win.”
“It seemed like everyone was really on a different level tonight,” explained Edwards. “Nobody was really in sync in the first half.”
Alex Oriahki, a highly-touted freshman from the Tilton School (N.H.) had a solid debut, hitting all four of his shots and finishing two points shy of a double-double. The wide-bodied five-man swallowed 10 rebounds, three offensive, in 36 minutes.
“Alex is going to always be Alex,” said Robinson of his teammate. “He’s a great player. He came in, he sparked it for us in the beginning. He only had I think like one bucket in the second half, but he can always improve. We can always improve.”
Oriahki is likely to play major minutes early on, due to UConn carrying a thin front court without 6-11 freshmen Ater Majok (ineligible until December).
“It was just a bad game for us,” said Robinson, who’s stepping into a more prominent role this season after being too much of a feast-or-famine presence (or non-presence) in previous years.
“We did get the win, but I’d just say they outplayed us,” said Robinson.
The Tribe, which lived and died beyond the arc all night, hit six three-pointers before the Huskies could hit one.
The Tribe was also active on the glass, capitalizing on putbacks and even third chances. Both teams finished with 34 boards, though the Huskies were out-boarded 19-14 in the second half.
The Tribe trailed by just six points at halftime and pulled to within four points, 39-35, at the start of the second half.
That’s when William & Mary ran into a buzz saw in Jerome Dyson.
Dyson, who scored a game-high 27 points and doled out eight assists, made up for some lost time throughout the second half.
The Huskies’ senior guard missed last year’s run to the Final Four, sidelined by a torn-up knee (after locking knees with Kristof Ongenaet during a win against Syracuse on Feb. 11, 2009).
The 6-3 Dyson, who starred as a frosh but missed significant chunks of his sophomore and junior seasons due to a team suspension and the aforementioned injury, respectively, orchestrated a personal 10-2 surge midway through the second half.
The high-flying antics, lock-down defense (he had a game-high four steals) and clutch shooting of Dyson helped the Huskies to a 75-66 victory before an announced 9,719 at Gampel.
“I’d like to congratulate William & Mary for outplaying us,” said an exasperated Jim Calhoun. The old general was irate as he witnessed his team get outworked on the boards in the second.
“They beat us on the glass. I know it says 34-34 (in rebounding totals), but they had a 13-10 advantage on offensive rebounding.”
Calhoun was visibly frustrated at his team’s lack of grit and listless performance.
Never one to bottle up his frustrations, Calhoun called the Huskies’ performance “lackluster" and lambasted multiple players.
The Hall of Fame coach called out forward Gavin Edwards (albeit not referencing him by name, as he habitually does when chewing out players before the crowd of scribes) in the post-game press conference.
Edwards was torched to the tune of 20 points and four three-pointers by Quinn McDowell, a versatile 6-foot-6 sophomore. McDowell got open with ease and shot the ball at an 8-for-15 clip.
“We don’t have four-man,” said Calhoun. “His guy got 20 tonight, because he continues to overhelp, as he’s done for four straight years."
"The kid, McDowell, is still open," Calhoun quipped.
Did Calhoun rip his players for playing a soft and half-baked brand of basketball?
“That’s a very big understatement,” said Edwards.
After closing to within four points, the Tribe continued to stay within striking distance of the Huskies.
Wedged in between a pair of threes from freshmen Darius Smith and sophomore point guard Kemba Walker was a mammoth trey by David Schneider, who netted four of the Tribe’s 13 three-pointers.
That’s when Dyson put the Huskies on his back.
He nailed a long trey that gave the Huskies a 50-41 cushion. On the ensuing possession, Dyson carved up the defense and whipped an alley pass to Stanley “Sticks” Robinson (27 points), who flew in for the flush. Dyson then got open to bury a set three—he literally took a picture of the rim before releasing—giving the Huskies’ a 55-41 bulge.
Following a Tribe bucket, Dyson penetrated the teeth of the defense for a layin he kissed off the glass, cushioning the Huskies’ lead, 57-43, with just fewer than 12 minutes remaining.
“Jerome played awful and good at the same time tonight,” said Calhoun.
On Dyson, Tribe coach Tony Shaver was singing a different tune.
“He just sort of took the game over at Times,” said Shaver.
Another deep three from Schneider sliced UConn’s lead to 63-58 with 4:35 remaining, but the Huskies’ kept their distance by running off five straight points.
Those five critical, unanswered points were capped off by a Stanley Robinson dunk off his own missed free throw.
“They outplayed us,” said Robinson of the Tribe. “It’s kind of shocking at times when we should actually be winning and rebounding. At first (while leading 19-7), we felt like we were running away with it. They ended up coming back, they were shooting more threes, they made more shots. They did what they had to do, but we got the win.”
“It seemed like everyone was really on a different level tonight,” explained Edwards. “Nobody was really in sync in the first half.”
Alex Oriahki, a highly-touted freshman from the Tilton School (N.H.) had a solid debut, hitting all four of his shots and finishing two points shy of a double-double. The wide-bodied five-man swallowed 10 rebounds, three offensive, in 36 minutes.
“Alex is going to always be Alex,” said Robinson of his teammate. “He’s a great player. He came in, he sparked it for us in the beginning. He only had I think like one bucket in the second half, but he can always improve. We can always improve.”
Oriahki is likely to play major minutes early on, due to UConn carrying a thin front court without 6-11 freshmen Ater Majok (ineligible until December).
“It was just a bad game for us,” said Robinson, who’s stepping into a more prominent role this season after being too much of a feast-or-famine presence (or non-presence) in previous years.
“We did get the win, but I’d just say they outplayed us,” said Robinson.
Thursday, November 12, 2009
Cuse Clicking, Moore To PITT
Following a new grounds-breaking exhibition loss to Division-II LeMoyne, Syracuse has clicked on all cylinders while eating up the first two creampuffs of their 2009-10 campaign.
The loss to LeMoyne, which is also in Syracuse, is now swept underneath the rug.
Jim Boeheim, the Hall of Fame coach who attained the 800-win milestone in Game 1, can now focus on stringing together a slew of non-conference wins.
This Big East squad must fill the scoring void left by departed players Johnny Flynn, Paul Harris, and Eric Devondorf.
On paper, the loss of the propofol-potent triumvirate of Flynn (17.4 ppg, 6.7 apg), Devendorf (15 ppg, 3 apg), and Harris (12 ppg, 8.1 rpg) presents a gap. The trio accounted for more than half of Syracuse’s offensive output in ’08-09, averaging a staggering 45.1 points per.
The Orange shellacked Albany, 75-43, before a 100-60 washout of Northeast Conference foe Robert Morris last night.
Andy Rautins, who put up a doughnut (0-for-6 FG, 0-for-4 3FG in 21 minutes) during the Albany route, re-discovered his stroke last night.
The Canada-bred, fifth-year senior sniper drained 7-of-10 from the great beyond, leading all scorers with 22 points.
To Continue Reading This Piece, Please Visit www.slamonline.com, the official online home of the Best Hoops Mag On The PLANET!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The loss to LeMoyne, which is also in Syracuse, is now swept underneath the rug.
Jim Boeheim, the Hall of Fame coach who attained the 800-win milestone in Game 1, can now focus on stringing together a slew of non-conference wins.
This Big East squad must fill the scoring void left by departed players Johnny Flynn, Paul Harris, and Eric Devondorf.
On paper, the loss of the propofol-potent triumvirate of Flynn (17.4 ppg, 6.7 apg), Devendorf (15 ppg, 3 apg), and Harris (12 ppg, 8.1 rpg) presents a gap. The trio accounted for more than half of Syracuse’s offensive output in ’08-09, averaging a staggering 45.1 points per.
The Orange shellacked Albany, 75-43, before a 100-60 washout of Northeast Conference foe Robert Morris last night.
Andy Rautins, who put up a doughnut (0-for-6 FG, 0-for-4 3FG in 21 minutes) during the Albany route, re-discovered his stroke last night.
The Canada-bred, fifth-year senior sniper drained 7-of-10 from the great beyond, leading all scorers with 22 points.
To Continue Reading This Piece, Please Visit www.slamonline.com, the official online home of the Best Hoops Mag On The PLANET!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Thursday, November 5, 2009
Sanders is JerMAINe Man This Season, Rice Is Right
Jermaine Sanders’ stock as a major Divison-I prospect has been growing, growing, growing, Jack and The Beanstalk Style, this fall. Coaches have hounded him down and kept tabs on his all-around game.
Sky is the limit for the young gun.
According to Sanders, his recruitment is an afterthought right now.
Talk to him at the end of his heavily-anticipated junior campaign at Rice HS—a traditional New York City basketball breeding ground—and this likely won’t be the case.
As of now, however, the subject of the electrifying 6-foot-4 wing’s recruitment is in the shadows.
STAY TUNED FOR THE REST OF THIS PIECE tomorrow, on WWW.SLAMONLINE.COM, the website of the World's Greatest BBALL MAG!!!
Sky is the limit for the young gun.
According to Sanders, his recruitment is an afterthought right now.
Talk to him at the end of his heavily-anticipated junior campaign at Rice HS—a traditional New York City basketball breeding ground—and this likely won’t be the case.
As of now, however, the subject of the electrifying 6-foot-4 wing’s recruitment is in the shadows.
STAY TUNED FOR THE REST OF THIS PIECE tomorrow, on WWW.SLAMONLINE.COM, the website of the World's Greatest BBALL MAG!!!
Hughes Control, Rush Rush (Get the Yay-W!)
Heading into the 2009-10 season, Larry Hughes saw the writing on the wall.
The chances of the wiry veteran logging meaningful minutes were nothing short of nil. Word of Hughes getting relegated to the pine was littered all over articles, columns, and throughout the growing New York basketball blogosphere.
Rewind the clock to mid-October, and Hughes certainly didn’t augment his chances with his pre-season production wane.
Hughes was mired in a nightmarish 0-for-17 shooting slump, burying his chances under a barrage of bricks. He fell out of favor with the faltering franchise, at a rapid pace. Clank after clank, Ofer followed by another Ofer. The future wasn't promising.
But Hughes, a 6-foot-5 guard who's averaged 14.6 points throughout his career, kept shooting. He kept firing away, as if he had been scorching the nets all along. Hughes thwarted his individual freefall with a 20-point outburst during the Knicks Garden opener, a crushing 141-127 OT loss to the Sixers.
With electrifying, trigger-happy guard Nate Robinson bitten by the injury bug, Hughes’ is thrust back into a familiar role: starter.
“Right now, it’s about trying to string some wins together,” said Hughes, he of the tatted tears and laid-back, cool customer attitude. Hughes' positive image and permasmile-sporting swagger has won over fans in Philly, Golden State, Washington, Chicago, Cleveland, and now the Mecca of basketball. It's desperately needed in New York, where a bevy of headcases (see Marbury, Stephon or Richardson, Quentin) have become rich in a poor, floundering program.
The St. Louis-bred baller, who spent his teenage years kicking it with rapper Nelly and starring at Christian Brothers College High School (where he led the squad to a Missouri state championship in 1997) spent time taking pictures with fans before the game while being peppered with questions from a hungry New York media circus that’s hastily awaiting Lebron James’ arrival Friday night.
Hughes, who played alongside James for three seasons, is also ready to be reunited with the King.
The major challenge cooking on Hughes’ front burner, however, is putting together a win streak and finding a groove for this half-baked Knicks team.
“It’s a new month, November. Obviously we want to just have a winning month. That’s really our goal right now.”
Hughes pierced the nets to the tune of 19.5 points through the Knicks first two home goes, albeit he shot a meager 2-for-10 in the Knicks 101-89 home serving to the Pacers Nov. 4. The game was underscored by the ‘Bockers second half power outage.
Weeks ago, Hughes--the St. Louis-bred baller with the silky stroke--didn't really foresee this role. All signs pointed to Hughes nearing the sunset of his professional career while simultaneously getting hit with unfair bench splinters throughout this 2009-10 season.
What will Hughes do to embrace his jump from spare part to cast member?
“Just play the game,” said Hughes, echoing the words Jake Shuttlesworth once spit out to his son, Jesus when Jake was getting shellacked at the hardscrabble Coney Island courts.
“Just going out and doing my job and really just not putting anything extra on it. Just playing the game, taking whatever the situation calls for, just being aggressive on both ends of the floor, you know?”
Momentum Rush
The Pacers’ Brandon Rush admitted it felt good to get the monkey off of the Pacers’ back last night. Pasting the Knicks with a 101-87 triumph, The Pacers halt a three-game slide (which made them one of L's three teams without a W entering last night’s tilt at the Garden).
“We were just playing hard and aggressive, they are a fast-paced team,” said Rush, heaping praise on a Knicks team that’s pushed to rehydrate Mike D’Antoni’s go-go, speedball style.
“We played our game, and we came out on top. It was just about grinding it out, one possession at a time and not trying to make a home run play. We try to be a team that plays defense first.”
Rush continued, “There was definitely a sense of urgency (to get the win). We fought hard the whole game. I mean we got some big stops down the stretch of the game. I’m glad we got this first win. I liked the way we played. We played fast, we got shots up. We all played pretty good. We definitely have to carry that over against Washington, because they're a good team."
To Continue Reading About The Knicks And Their Heavily-Hyped Meeting With Cleveland At MSG Tonight, Please Visit www.Slamonline.com
The chances of the wiry veteran logging meaningful minutes were nothing short of nil. Word of Hughes getting relegated to the pine was littered all over articles, columns, and throughout the growing New York basketball blogosphere.
Rewind the clock to mid-October, and Hughes certainly didn’t augment his chances with his pre-season production wane.
Hughes was mired in a nightmarish 0-for-17 shooting slump, burying his chances under a barrage of bricks. He fell out of favor with the faltering franchise, at a rapid pace. Clank after clank, Ofer followed by another Ofer. The future wasn't promising.
But Hughes, a 6-foot-5 guard who's averaged 14.6 points throughout his career, kept shooting. He kept firing away, as if he had been scorching the nets all along. Hughes thwarted his individual freefall with a 20-point outburst during the Knicks Garden opener, a crushing 141-127 OT loss to the Sixers.
With electrifying, trigger-happy guard Nate Robinson bitten by the injury bug, Hughes’ is thrust back into a familiar role: starter.
“Right now, it’s about trying to string some wins together,” said Hughes, he of the tatted tears and laid-back, cool customer attitude. Hughes' positive image and permasmile-sporting swagger has won over fans in Philly, Golden State, Washington, Chicago, Cleveland, and now the Mecca of basketball. It's desperately needed in New York, where a bevy of headcases (see Marbury, Stephon or Richardson, Quentin) have become rich in a poor, floundering program.
The St. Louis-bred baller, who spent his teenage years kicking it with rapper Nelly and starring at Christian Brothers College High School (where he led the squad to a Missouri state championship in 1997) spent time taking pictures with fans before the game while being peppered with questions from a hungry New York media circus that’s hastily awaiting Lebron James’ arrival Friday night.
Hughes, who played alongside James for three seasons, is also ready to be reunited with the King.
The major challenge cooking on Hughes’ front burner, however, is putting together a win streak and finding a groove for this half-baked Knicks team.
“It’s a new month, November. Obviously we want to just have a winning month. That’s really our goal right now.”
Hughes pierced the nets to the tune of 19.5 points through the Knicks first two home goes, albeit he shot a meager 2-for-10 in the Knicks 101-89 home serving to the Pacers Nov. 4. The game was underscored by the ‘Bockers second half power outage.
Weeks ago, Hughes--the St. Louis-bred baller with the silky stroke--didn't really foresee this role. All signs pointed to Hughes nearing the sunset of his professional career while simultaneously getting hit with unfair bench splinters throughout this 2009-10 season.
What will Hughes do to embrace his jump from spare part to cast member?
“Just play the game,” said Hughes, echoing the words Jake Shuttlesworth once spit out to his son, Jesus when Jake was getting shellacked at the hardscrabble Coney Island courts.
“Just going out and doing my job and really just not putting anything extra on it. Just playing the game, taking whatever the situation calls for, just being aggressive on both ends of the floor, you know?”
Momentum Rush
The Pacers’ Brandon Rush admitted it felt good to get the monkey off of the Pacers’ back last night. Pasting the Knicks with a 101-87 triumph, The Pacers halt a three-game slide (which made them one of L's three teams without a W entering last night’s tilt at the Garden).
“We were just playing hard and aggressive, they are a fast-paced team,” said Rush, heaping praise on a Knicks team that’s pushed to rehydrate Mike D’Antoni’s go-go, speedball style.
“We played our game, and we came out on top. It was just about grinding it out, one possession at a time and not trying to make a home run play. We try to be a team that plays defense first.”
Rush continued, “There was definitely a sense of urgency (to get the win). We fought hard the whole game. I mean we got some big stops down the stretch of the game. I’m glad we got this first win. I liked the way we played. We played fast, we got shots up. We all played pretty good. We definitely have to carry that over against Washington, because they're a good team."
To Continue Reading About The Knicks And Their Heavily-Hyped Meeting With Cleveland At MSG Tonight, Please Visit www.Slamonline.com
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