D’Antoni started this line-up against Milan on Sunday, going rather mainstream when it comes to postionality and sacrificing three-point Jordan shoes shooting for size. Can it really function as the regular starting line-up once the games count? That depends on Stoudemire’s defensive effort and Gallinari’s rebounding, most likely; last year, Gallo spent all his minutes in the two forward spots, but rebounded just like a two-guard. In the event that continues, given Stoudemire’s typical average-for-a-PF ways on the glass, D’Antoni might need Turiaf or another center (see No. 2) in the game.
The sad thing about the normalcy from the line-up is that it’s type of boring. Gallo and Amar’e supply the points, Turiaf and Chandler the defense (theoretically), Felton the ZZZZZZZZ. The only hope is in D’Antoni also realizing normalcy takes what’s special relating to this Knicks roster completely away. (TZ)
No. 2: Gravity’s Rainbows
Felton, Kelenna Azubuike, Gallinari, Stoudemire, Timofey Mozgovcheap nfl Jerseys
This is more like it! Azubuike is one of the most aggro players within the league, and Mozgov is either the Russian Channing Frye or Frederic Weis in an inordinately complex disguise. Actually, Mozgov plays a bit like Troy Murphy, and while that’s not the right stylistic match for Stoudemire with winning as a goal, they fit D’Antoni’s M.O. better.
Not that D’Antoni has always forsaken defense; he played Kurt Thomas and Raja Bell big playoff minutes, and always gave Shawn Marion copious coach handbags amounts of credit. (Copious never was enough, sadly.) But in Phoenix, D’Antoni had the posh of Steve Nash, who might make kitty litter seem like C-4. Felton can’t do it, and Stoudemire’s excellence doesn’t chafe. So more firepower might be required to get New York’s offense where D’Antoni needs it to become to compete any given night. Mozgov should be enough of an offensive upgrade over Turiaf to make this line-up make logical sense.
Everyone knows D’Antoni loves the longball. His most three-crazy squad, the 2005-06 Suns, fielded four guys who hit reliably from the land of love and cash, and Boris Diaw — who passed for any center that season — was adopted primarily as a passer who got the ball in circulation. It had abercrombie been a hailstorm of threes, more threes than most men see in a lifetime, however it seemed to be a highly rational system that flowed just like a viscous blot of machinery.
Phooey to that particular. These times, it’s all shooters, constantly, premised on the belief that all rebounds are long, and gunslingers never die. It’s nothing if not Quentin Richardson, circa 2004-05, reborn being an entire team. No regard for human life, no remorse, no conscience, and trusting only in their own strokes. This isn’t about late-game heroics, or manufacturing the perfect opportunity for one more point. It’s that which you use if you want a 10-point run in a hurry, against a team too complacent to understand what hit them. (BS)