#endthemisery

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).

Games 53 & 54: Cleveland Cavaliers @ NYK / NYK @ Indiana Pacers (March 31st & April 3rd, 2012)

Shorter Recap: Knicks win, Knicks lose. Who's starting now?

http://www.basketball-reference.com/boxscores/201203310NYK.html

http://www.basketball-reference.com/boxscores/201204030IND.html

I'm sorry, what's going on? The Knicks temporary savior of 2012, Jeremy Lin, is out for the season and the man who's signing launched the team into a new era, Amare Stoudemire, will be sitting for a while as well. 

Look, Tyson Chandler has probably done more to help this team than anyone this season, and I like the role players on this team alot. But if this is going to be the team on the floor for the rest of season, Melo, Baron and Shump, the Knicks are done toasted. Stick a fork in the toaster and turn it on and use the resulting electric current to pump your heart while the Knicks get burned in the first round of the playoffs. I mean, maybe. Maybe save that for when the Bucks pass the Knicks for the last playoff spot.

Yeah, they've won 9 of 12 since D'Antoni got axed, but they've also lost 2 starters in the process and are now happy to let Carmelo Anthony shoot the ball thirty times a game (17 of 31 vs. IND). This team can play good basketball, and get wins by grinding teams down, but right now, with Baron Davis running the point, what good is a fast break? What good is a half court offense that dumps the ball to one guy? 

This game, I'm talking about putting a rubber ball in a metal hoop now, cannot be won alone. Yes, the role players on this team do some things very well, but relying on a dude to score all your points (let me rephrase) running an offense through one dude, as opposed to running an offense built on speed, passing, and pick and rolls (as well as defense and fast breaks), is not going to work. Against a poor Cavs team missing their starting rookie of the year point guard, the Knicks didn't shoot all that well and turned the ball over 17 times and won by a bunch. Against a good Pacers team, the Knicks shot well, kept turnovers down, and lost. When did they lose? In the fourth quarter, in the "crunch time" as they say. They lost when the game ceased to flow freely and Carmelo Anthony took all the shots.