#belamedly

MSG and Time Warner have conspired to deny me my god givenly rightful Knicks games. Fuck a internet stream. I’m consuming this season by watchingother teams on NBATV, highlights, Posting and Toasting recaps, and now, ineptly analyzing the box scores from Basketball Reference. (PS. Am now enjoying the Knicks on TV again).

Game 44/45: Indiana Pacers and NYK, Home and Home (March 17 & 18, 2012).

Shorter Recap: Knicks light up a good team, twice.

http://www.basketball-reference.com/boxscores/201203160NYK.html

http://www.basketball-reference.com/boxscores/201203170IND.html

Entering the fifth season of this wild and wacky 2012 campaign (1. Lockout, 2. Losing, 3. Lin, 4. Losing, 5. Woodson) it's hard to put any faith these New York Knicks. Well, not as hard as it is to put in the Mets, but still pretty damned difficult. And yet, while acknowledging that the win over the Blazers last week was a mulligan, I'm finding my inner optimist again. Anybody got something else they want to sell me?

Jeremy Lin has 5 turnovers in 2 games, and the team gave away just 11 in each encounter with the Pacers, while forcing 15 and 17 respectively (including in total 20 forced steals). Add that to the slight advantage in total rebounds and the pattern of winning Knicks basketball emerges again. Who knew protecting the ball and playing defense mattered?

[Aside: For all the gruff old men give the NBA for not playing defense, fuck off. The 2012 NCAA Tournament is fascinating for just two reasons: My Ohio University Bobcats are in the Sweet Sixteen, and I'm winning the office pool. Grow up, grandpa.]

There's a definite caveat that needs to be thrown in this gear box of love and admiration. And that's the fact that both Amare Stoudemire and Carmelo Anthony have still managed to whatever the word for not at all excelling is. Granted, I missed both of these games, so maybe there was some excellent D, some witty off the ball movement, and their 8 (combined, total) assists were saintly. But now that the Scape Goat'oni has been exiled, it's time for some motherfuckers to hit shots. I don't care if they are garbage time halfs, and despite the fact that I admire him, quit letting Lin outscore you. Make your fucking shots.

I'll end this belated catch up post here, try to catch the entire Raptors game tomorrow, and hopefully come up with a little better read on this new Mike Woodson Knicks team.

Ps. James Dolan, I know you got a google alert, here: Fuck off. Dick.