Monday, February 26, 2007
Why I Have Hope For The Knicks
Ok, I realize that the Knicks are pretty bad and that they are ot going to make the playoffs this year. But I do have hope for the Knicks to improve this year and also the next. The reason: Eddy Curry is unstoppable.
There have been two bright spots for the Knicks this year in an otherwise mediocre to ppor season. First is that David Lee is incredible. If you are a Knick fan then I don't see how your favorite player could be anyone other than David Lee. He really is just fantastic. He brings energy and efficiency to the Knicks in a way that no one has in a long time. Lee really reminds me of Charles Oakley in the way that he just does all the dirty work for the team. He is, amazingly, flashier than Oakley, and does not hit the 18 foot jump shot like Oakley would, but otherwise they play very similar games. I say amazingly because Lee is not really flashy at all, but Oakley was about as far from flashy as is possible.
The second bright spot for the Knicks this year is Eddy Curry. To say that he's turned the corner this season would be a huge understatement. I watch a lot of Knicks games, far more than their play warrants, and I've really seen the transformation from Eddy Curry. When he gets the ball in the post and he is not double teamed, he is literally unstoppable in recent days. He a huge man, but he's surprisingly athletic and quick. He can dribble around the big guys, body up the small guys, and really is just a handful to deal with if you're defending him. He's alwawys had that capability, but this season he really is playing with a confidence that has boosted his game immensely. It might be an overstatement, but I think he's the most underrated offensive player in the league. He throws down alley oop passes better than anyone this side of Dwight Howard and is better than anyone I can ever recall with his back to the basket.
Now this improvement is really tempered by his lackluster play in all other areas. Curry averages something like 6 rebounds, when really he should average a triple double. His defense is disgusting, which is surprising given his quickness. And even though he's gotten far fewer offensive fouls this year versus last, he still has a lot. So Eddy's got room for improvement, but he's gone from someone who's pure potential and disappointment to someone who's really starting to shine, at least on offense.
The Knicks have guys who would be nice players on other teams, but are not good enough together to get things done. On the top of that list is Quenstin Richardson, who really does everything at an above average level without really being a star. Jamal Crawford tries hard and has talent, but is too inconsistent to really be a threat. He'll score 52 on one night and then go 3 for 12 on the next. He really just puts in some Starksian efforts from time to time. Channing Frye has a great jump shot, but does live up to his potential as a soft player. Jared Jeffries is serviceable, but obviously overpaid, like all the Knicks are. Malik Rose is a good character guy, but can't do what he used to in terms of defense and hustle. Renaldo Balkman is pure energy and no focus at this point. He might be a David Lee Lite type of guy eventually.
Their other guys just detract from the team, in my opinion. Nate Robinson is just a novelty act. He is a 5'9" shooting guard. He doesn't have point guard skills and just plays stupidly a lot of the time. Jerome James is the epitome of overpaid and underskilled. Marbury is a net zero I think. He rarely shines since they've been focusing on Curry and has been playing hard, and I guess that's all we can ask from him at this point.
There have been two bright spots for the Knicks this year in an otherwise mediocre to ppor season. First is that David Lee is incredible. If you are a Knick fan then I don't see how your favorite player could be anyone other than David Lee. He really is just fantastic. He brings energy and efficiency to the Knicks in a way that no one has in a long time. Lee really reminds me of Charles Oakley in the way that he just does all the dirty work for the team. He is, amazingly, flashier than Oakley, and does not hit the 18 foot jump shot like Oakley would, but otherwise they play very similar games. I say amazingly because Lee is not really flashy at all, but Oakley was about as far from flashy as is possible.
The second bright spot for the Knicks this year is Eddy Curry. To say that he's turned the corner this season would be a huge understatement. I watch a lot of Knicks games, far more than their play warrants, and I've really seen the transformation from Eddy Curry. When he gets the ball in the post and he is not double teamed, he is literally unstoppable in recent days. He a huge man, but he's surprisingly athletic and quick. He can dribble around the big guys, body up the small guys, and really is just a handful to deal with if you're defending him. He's alwawys had that capability, but this season he really is playing with a confidence that has boosted his game immensely. It might be an overstatement, but I think he's the most underrated offensive player in the league. He throws down alley oop passes better than anyone this side of Dwight Howard and is better than anyone I can ever recall with his back to the basket.
Now this improvement is really tempered by his lackluster play in all other areas. Curry averages something like 6 rebounds, when really he should average a triple double. His defense is disgusting, which is surprising given his quickness. And even though he's gotten far fewer offensive fouls this year versus last, he still has a lot. So Eddy's got room for improvement, but he's gone from someone who's pure potential and disappointment to someone who's really starting to shine, at least on offense.
The Knicks have guys who would be nice players on other teams, but are not good enough together to get things done. On the top of that list is Quenstin Richardson, who really does everything at an above average level without really being a star. Jamal Crawford tries hard and has talent, but is too inconsistent to really be a threat. He'll score 52 on one night and then go 3 for 12 on the next. He really just puts in some Starksian efforts from time to time. Channing Frye has a great jump shot, but does live up to his potential as a soft player. Jared Jeffries is serviceable, but obviously overpaid, like all the Knicks are. Malik Rose is a good character guy, but can't do what he used to in terms of defense and hustle. Renaldo Balkman is pure energy and no focus at this point. He might be a David Lee Lite type of guy eventually.
Their other guys just detract from the team, in my opinion. Nate Robinson is just a novelty act. He is a 5'9" shooting guard. He doesn't have point guard skills and just plays stupidly a lot of the time. Jerome James is the epitome of overpaid and underskilled. Marbury is a net zero I think. He rarely shines since they've been focusing on Curry and has been playing hard, and I guess that's all we can ask from him at this point.
Sunday, February 04, 2007
Is No One Picking The Bears? No One?
Note that I'm writing this on super Bowl Sunday, hours before the game is to take place. I don't know the outcome yet, obviously, but I find myself a bit flummoxed by all of the analysts out there in the world.
I am routing for the Colts. I like Manning and Dungy and Harrison and I like the way they play the game and I think I mentioned all this in a previous post. That being said, I really think the Bears are going to win. The Bears have a very good defense and that fact inconjunction with Manning's less than stellar performance thus far in the playoffs, including 2 TD passes to go along with 6 interceptions, says to me that the Bears are capable of shutting down the Indy offense. On top of that the Bears offense, while not spectacular by any stretch, seems to match up well against the Indy defense. The Bears are going to look to run the ball all day and just let Rex Grossman manage the game and perhaps make one or two plays through the course of the game.
If these particular matchups that I just mentioned go in the Bears favor, then there is no way they won't win. That's not to say that the Bears are definitely going to win, or that the Colts aren't capable of putting up a lot of points and playing very good defense, as they have in all 3 of their playoff games so far, but I think the Bears should be favored.
I have not seen one analyst who has picked the Bears. Not a single one with the exception of Mike Ditka, who is clearly biased in choosing them. I can see why an analyst would choose the Colts to win given the fact that they seem to playing good defense and if everyone plays at their best the Indy offense is really unstoppable. At the same time, however, I would expect that just as many people would choose the Bears for the reasons I mentioned earlier. The Bears were the number 1 seed from the start of the season. The Bears defense has had one of the best years of all time. Their running game is solid, and they have a real deep threat with Bernard Berrian. The only reason, it seems, that analysts are not picking the Bears is because of Rex Grossman.
Grossman is definitely inconsistent, and is hardly up to the caliber of Peyton Manning, but he is not incapable of having a good game. For all of the bad games he had this year, 6 by all accounts of the worst games ever by a starting QB, he had 10 very good games with a very high passer rating. He's not incapable, he just makes really bad decisions from time to time. Assuming he does not do that (and perhaps that's a ppor assumption) the Bears have what it takes to win on offense, defense, and special teams.
My point is this; I think the Bears are going to win, even though I'm routing for the Colts. I don't see how not even one analyst is picking the Bears as I would expect it to be about a 50/50 proposition. I wrote this before the game intentionally just so my opinion would be out there no matter what happens.
I am routing for the Colts. I like Manning and Dungy and Harrison and I like the way they play the game and I think I mentioned all this in a previous post. That being said, I really think the Bears are going to win. The Bears have a very good defense and that fact inconjunction with Manning's less than stellar performance thus far in the playoffs, including 2 TD passes to go along with 6 interceptions, says to me that the Bears are capable of shutting down the Indy offense. On top of that the Bears offense, while not spectacular by any stretch, seems to match up well against the Indy defense. The Bears are going to look to run the ball all day and just let Rex Grossman manage the game and perhaps make one or two plays through the course of the game.
If these particular matchups that I just mentioned go in the Bears favor, then there is no way they won't win. That's not to say that the Bears are definitely going to win, or that the Colts aren't capable of putting up a lot of points and playing very good defense, as they have in all 3 of their playoff games so far, but I think the Bears should be favored.
I have not seen one analyst who has picked the Bears. Not a single one with the exception of Mike Ditka, who is clearly biased in choosing them. I can see why an analyst would choose the Colts to win given the fact that they seem to playing good defense and if everyone plays at their best the Indy offense is really unstoppable. At the same time, however, I would expect that just as many people would choose the Bears for the reasons I mentioned earlier. The Bears were the number 1 seed from the start of the season. The Bears defense has had one of the best years of all time. Their running game is solid, and they have a real deep threat with Bernard Berrian. The only reason, it seems, that analysts are not picking the Bears is because of Rex Grossman.
Grossman is definitely inconsistent, and is hardly up to the caliber of Peyton Manning, but he is not incapable of having a good game. For all of the bad games he had this year, 6 by all accounts of the worst games ever by a starting QB, he had 10 very good games with a very high passer rating. He's not incapable, he just makes really bad decisions from time to time. Assuming he does not do that (and perhaps that's a ppor assumption) the Bears have what it takes to win on offense, defense, and special teams.
My point is this; I think the Bears are going to win, even though I'm routing for the Colts. I don't see how not even one analyst is picking the Bears as I would expect it to be about a 50/50 proposition. I wrote this before the game intentionally just so my opinion would be out there no matter what happens.
