Nice job Lebron...

[cuseincincy]

...of throwing your teammates under the bus. On why he had 8 turnovers..."I threw the ball where I expected my team mates to be but they weren't there. We'll work on that and get them where I expect them." That's right King, because it's all about you.

 

[jordoo]

That is a funny way to phrase it but almost every team is going through this right now from what I have seen of the NBA. The Knicks look completely lost in the triangle. The Cavs really struggled with their rolls and getting used to all the new players.

 

[RF2044]

...of throwing your teammates under the bus. On why he had 8 turnovers..."I threw the ball where I expected my team mates to be but they weren't there. We'll work on that and get them where I expect them." That's right King, because it's all about you.

I'm not going to kill Lebron over the turnovers. That's what happens when you have a new team where the players aren't used to playing with each other yet and not on the same page. The offensive execution will be much smoother once they get 10 or 20 games under the team's collective belts.

A bigger question [after watching last night's game] in my mind is: can a ballhog like Kyrie Irving tone it down to fit into a structured offensive concept with Lebron as the trigger man?

 

[OttoinGrotto]

We are all witnesses.

 

[jordoo]

I'm not going to kill Lebron over the turnovers. That's what happens when you have a new team where the players aren't used to playing with each other yet and not on the same page. The offensive execution will be much smoother once they get 10 or 20 games under the team's collective belts.

A bigger question [after watching last night's game] in my mind is: can a ballhog like Kyrie Irving tone it down to fit into a structured offensive concept with Lebron as the trigger man?

I though the same thing about Irving. He looks like he checks out when he doesn't have the ball. He's happy to pass it after bouncing it a while and breaking down his man but he isn't much for simply moving the ball quickly. I also thought Dion was too passive and needs to be aggressive in situations where he gets the ball and has the advantage.

I will also say that the Knicks will do OK in the triangle once guys figure out what they are doing before having to think it out. They have a bunch of bigs who can hit jumpers and pass a bit which helps in that system. The real trouble will be them running plays at the end of games. It may almost be better to go back to some isolations or pick and roll stuff in these situations. Last night two late game possessions in a row with shot clock violations where Melo never touched the ball in one of his spots. Then they come back and he demanded it and made a tough jumper against great D by Lebron.

 

[Cusefan0307]

Everyones talking about Lebron, but how about Melo last night. He guarded Lebron for a big portion of that game, really until he got into foul trouble and finished with a very efficient 25 and 6 including the big shot down the stretch in Lebrons face when Cleveland was trying to make a run. Games like that remind you why Melo has the ability to lead a team if he can get any help around him.

 

[jordoo]

Everyones talking about Lebron, but how about Melo last night. He guarded Lebron for a big portion of that game, really until he got into foul trouble and finished with a very efficient 25 and 6 including the big shot down the stretch in Lebrons face when Cleveland was trying to make a run. Games like that remind you why Melo has the ability to lead a team if he can get any help around him.

Long term I actually think the Triangle will be better for Melo. More assists easier shots in general for most of the game which will give him more energy on defense and have him fresh for late 4th quarter when they have to use him in iso's.

 

[OrangeFoo]

The upgrade offensively at the pg position for Knicks in going from Felton to Larkin has made a world of difference. I can't wait until Calderon gets back and they will be even better. It's amazing to see what a real point guard can do for a team.

I think this years version of the Knicks is so much better than last year. Amare and Shumpert seem like brand new players and I like the big men the Knicks brought in. I think the Smith/Acie/Aldrich combo will more than make up for the loss of Chandler who really sucked with the Knicks the last few years. Chandler was an offensive sieve and very overrated on D... I think that is going to be addition by subtraction.

Was anyone else surprised at how little Rice played last night? I don't think I heard his name once. Between Melo, Amare, JR and hopefully Shump, Rice and Calderon the Knicks should have enough offense on most nights. I just worry about how well their D will hold up over the course of a season. Barring injury I think they sneak into the playoffs with a ,500 record.

Cavs will be good but I too question whether Irving can play with Lebron and Love. I think the Cavs would be much better with a true facilitator at the point. I also think the Cavs have terrible depth behind the starting 5... they got a lot of dudes who are close to their sell-by dates, like Marion and Miller. If those guys go south there is no depth.

After watching 1 game each I think the Bulls are the beasts of the east this year. With Rose back and Gasol, the euro dude and McDermott they have added a ton of offense and they still have the best defensive coach in the game. But the Cavs have a much higher ceiling and floor than the Bulls so it will be interesting to see how it plays out.

 

[jordoo]

OrangeFoo

You said Rice but I think you meant Hardaway Jr. I agree Fisher hasn't played him much in either game.

 

[Knicks411]

We saw a similar thing with the Heat when they first came together. It's going to take a little bit of time to gel. That being said, I thought Lebron played really poorly last night. Seemed like he was trying to do too much with his passing. Pretty sure in a month or two they're going to be killing people offensively though.
The Love/Lebron thing is going to be great; Love hit him with a couple of great outlet passes last night, and Lebron is going to find Love with so many open 3 point looks this year it's going to be ridiculous.

 

[jimsonjunction]

We saw a similar thing with the Heat when they first came together. It's going to take a little bit of time to gel. That being said, I thought Lebron played really poorly last night. Seemed like he was trying to do too much with his passing. Pretty sure in a month or two they're going to be killing people offensively though.
The Love/Lebron thing is going to be great; Love hit him with a couple of great outlet passes last night, and Lebron is going to find Love with so many open 3 point looks this year it's going to be ridiculous.

The soccer-style bomb from Love to Lebron was a thing of beauty.

 

[Knicks411]

The soccer-style bomb from Love to Lebron was a thing of beauty.

Even as a Knick fan it was hard to be mad at that.

 

[Melancer46]

Sidenote: Has LeBron now started the last two years losing to the 76ers and this crappy rendition of the Knicks?

 

[CuseTG2003]

Watching Melo nail that jumper in Lebron's face with less than a minute to go to put the game away was awesome.

 

[jordoo]

Watching Melo nail that jumper in Lebron's face with less than a minute to go to put the game away was awesome.

Perfect defense by Lebron on that Iso as well. He forced him baseline, cut him off took the little bump and still got a hand up.

 

[CuseTG2003]

Perfect defense by Lebron on that Iso as well. He forced him baseline, cut him off took the little bump and still got a hand up.

Lebron played it as well as he could have. Just a dagger from Melo on a very tough shot.

I know not everyone on the board follows/likes the NBA, but the drama surrounding the basketball program has significantly lowered my enthusiasm for the upcoming season. Watching Melo play well last night changed that. the NCAA.

 

[longislandcuse]

After watching 2 games and having way too little to go on but still making an outlandish statement anyway...THjr will have a hard time getting run on this team, under Fisher if he doesn't learn the system and play defense.

Calderon-Larkin-Prigs
Shump-JR
Melo-JR-Wear
Smith--Acy-Amare
Acy-Cole-Dalembert (depending on matchups)

THjr is odd man out.

 

[Knicks411]

After watching 2 games and having way too little to go on but still making an outlandish statement anyway...THjr will have a hard time getting run on this team, under Fisher if he doesn't learn the system and play defense.

Calderon-Larkin-Prigs
Shump-JR
Melo-JR-Wear
Smith--Acy-Amare
Acy-Cole-Dalembert (depending on matchups)

THjr is odd man out.

He's been the odd man out so far. He's probably going to need to rebound a little better if the Knicks want to go small with Melo at the 4. Can't believe Wear is working his way into the rotation. Also, I know they played well last night, but the big man rotation gives me nightmares.

 

[longislandcuse]

He's been the odd man out so far. He's probably going to need to rebound a little better if the Knicks want to go small with Melo at the 4. Can't believe Wear is working his way into the rotation. Also, I know they played well last night, but the big man rotation gives me nightmares.

Dalembert and Cole will need to play against teams with size but Acy and Smith can hit the mid-range jumpshot which is perfect for our offense. Amare can't get off this team fast enough.

 

[Knicks411]

Dalembert and Cole will need to play against teams with size but Acy and Smith can hit the mid-range jumpshot which is perfect for our offense. Amare can't get off this team fast enough.

I'm just glad you didn't mention Bargnani.
For Acy, I dunno, for his career he's below 40% from 3-16 feet. (Then again, it says he hasn't taken any from 3-10 feet this year, and hasn't made any from 10-16, which I don't believe is correct)
Smith is career 33.5% from 3-10 feet and 40% from 10-16, he takes a lot mroe from 10-16, so that 40% number is probably closer to what you can expect.

Amare needs to go, though they still probably need him for some offense, at least at times. But that defense.

 

[longislandcuse]

I'm just glad you didn't mention Bargnani.
For Acy, I dunno, for his career he's below 40% from 3-16 feet. (Then again, it says he hasn't taken any from 3-10 feet this year, and hasn't made any from 10-16, which I don't believe is correct)
Smith is career 33.5% from 3-10 feet and 40% from 10-16, he takes a lot mroe from 10-16, so that 40% number is probably closer to what you can expect.

Amare needs to go, though they still probably need him for some offense, at least at times. But that defense.

Ugh, I forgot about Bargs, they're definitely going to play him. We can just hope he magically doesn't suck in the triangle.

 

[Knicks411]

Ugh, I forgot about Bargs, they're definitely going to play him. We can just hope he magically doesn't suck in the triangle.

Oh I'm sure he's going to suck in any offense.
Knicks also have until today to pick up a $1.6 million option on Larkin for next year. I think they should.

 

[longislandcuse]

Oh I'm sure he's going to suck in any offense.
Knicks also have until today to pick up a $1.6 million option on Larkin for next year. I think they should.

Agreed.

 

[MikeSU02]

We saw a similar thing with the Heat when they first came together. It's going to take a little bit of time to gel. That being said, I thought Lebron played really poorly last night. Seemed like he was trying to do too much with his passing. Pretty sure in a month or two they're going to be killing people offensively though.
The Love/Lebron thing is going to be great; Love hit him with a couple of great outlet passes last night, and Lebron is going to find Love with so many open 3 point looks this year it's going to be ridiculous.

My favorite part are the articles already commenting on the Cavs' lack of bench...

No bench? You don't think? This is what happens when you load up on superstars - you are top heavy. You give up depth. This is the team that Bron wanted. I like LeBron, but the media needs to acknowledge that he basically the GM of this team and got the players he wanted. It worked in Miami, let's see if it works here.

 

[Fireball Jr.]

My favorite part are the articles already commenting on the Cavs' lack of bench...

No bench? You don't think? This is what happens when you load up on superstars - you are top heavy. You give up depth. This is the team that Bron wanted. I like LeBron, but the media needs to acknowledge that he basically the GM of this team and got the players he wanted. It worked in Miami, let's see if it works here.

One game. Eighty-one to go. Small sample size. Cavs' first game together, it'll take a while to mesh. Bench'll be fine ... particularly if Ray Allen decides to give it one more shot.